一、李洪志的身世
李洪志一九九三年編造的個(gè)人簡(jiǎn)歷中稱："本人一九五一年五月十三日出生于吉林省公主嶺市，童年開(kāi)始由佛家全覺(jué)大師傳授獨(dú)傳修煉法門，八歲時(shí)修煉圓滿"，"十二歲時(shí)，道家?guī)煾赴藰O真人找到我傳授道家功夫"，"一九七二年又由道號(hào)真道子的師父?jìng)魇诖蟮浪鶎W(xué)"，"一九七四年又由佛家?guī)煾競(jìng)魇谛逕挻蠓ㄖ钡匠錾?。在法輪功組織編寫的《李洪志先生小傳》中又稱："李洪志八歲得上乘大法，具大神通，有搬運(yùn)、定物、思維控制、隱身等功能……功力達(dá)極高層次，了悟宇宙真理，洞察人生，預(yù)知人類過(guò)去、未來(lái)。"這些荒誕離奇的"神跡"，欺騙了眾多"法輪功"練習(xí)者。
李洪志到底何許人也？
經(jīng)查，李洪志，男，一九五二年七月七日出生于吉林省公主嶺市(原懷德縣公主嶺鎮(zhèn))，一九六0年至一九六九年，先后在長(zhǎng)春市珠江路小學(xué)、第四中學(xué)、第四十八中學(xué)讀書，初中畢業(yè)；一九七0年至一九七八年先后在總后二零一部隊(duì)八一軍馬場(chǎng)、吉林省森警總隊(duì)吹小號(hào)；一九七八年至一九八二年在森警總隊(duì)招待所當(dāng)服務(wù)員；一九八二年至一九九一年轉(zhuǎn)業(yè)到長(zhǎng)春市糧油公司保衛(wèi)科工作；一九九一年停薪留職后從事"氣功"活動(dòng)，一九九二年五月起傳播"法輪功"。
據(jù)長(zhǎng)春市公安局綠園分局綠園派出所證明：一九九四年九月二十四日，李洪志將出生年月日由一九五二年七月七日變更為一九五一年五月十三日，并重新辦理了身份證。經(jīng)查公安機(jī)關(guān)"常住人口登記表"和李洪志原在單位保存的《專職保衛(wèi)干部登記表》、《干部履歷表》，李洪志的出生年月日也均被涂改為一九五一年五月十三日。但其《職工晉級(jí)定級(jí)報(bào)告表》、《入團(tuán)志愿書》以及一九八六年十二月三十一日辦理和一九九一年三月三十一日補(bǔ)辦的身份證上，出生年月日仍為一九五二年七月七日。
李洪志為何要將生日由一九五二年七月七日改為一九五一年五月十三日呢？原來(lái)相傳佛祖釋迦牟尼的生日是中國(guó)農(nóng)歷的四月初八，而一九五一年五月十三日恰好是農(nóng)歷四月初八，李洪志將自己改為與佛祖同日誕生，其目的是稱自己是"釋迦牟尼轉(zhuǎn)世"。
經(jīng)調(diào)查走訪，李洪志小時(shí)的同學(xué)、老師和鄰居，都說(shuō)李洪志就是個(gè)普通的孩子，學(xué)習(xí)成績(jī)很一般，唯一的特長(zhǎng)是吹小號(hào)。對(duì)其編造的"學(xué)法修煉"經(jīng)歷，紛紛說(shuō)是"胡扯"，"不可能"，"沒(méi)見(jiàn)過(guò)，也沒(méi)聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)"。李洪志在軍馬場(chǎng)、森警宣傳隊(duì)期間的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)及同宿舍戰(zhàn)友也都說(shuō)，李洪志就是一名普通的文藝兵，性格內(nèi)向、自負(fù)。當(dāng)時(shí)緊張的排練、演出工作，嚴(yán)格的軍事化管理、作息制度，使他根本不可能有時(shí)間去修煉什么功法。李洪志在糧油公司保衛(wèi)科工作時(shí)的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)、同事同樣反映，李洪志在一九八八年參加社會(huì)上氣功學(xué)習(xí)班之前，根本不了解什么"功法"、"修煉"之類的事情。
李洪志早期的弟子們?cè)鴨?wèn)他為什么編造自己的簡(jiǎn)歷，李洪志稱"不說(shuō)大點(diǎn)沒(méi)人信"。對(duì)弟子們提出的演示"四大功能"的要求，李生氣地說(shuō)："沒(méi)有，哪能演？你們讓我演示，就是要出我的洋相，耍猴呢？"
二、"法輪功"功法出籠的真相
受社會(huì)上"氣功熱"的影響，李洪志從一九八八年開(kāi)始跟隨氣功師李衛(wèi)東學(xué)練"禪密功"，并參加了兩期學(xué)習(xí)班，后又跟隨氣功師于光生學(xué)練"九宮八卦功"。李洪志以這兩門功法為基礎(chǔ)，去泰國(guó)探親時(shí)又摹仿其它舞蹈的某些動(dòng)作，拼湊了"法輪功"功法。李洪志的早期弟子李晶超、劉玉清等證實(shí)："法輪功"的功法動(dòng)作是李洪志與李晶超共同設(shè)計(jì)的，直至"出山前的一個(gè)月才初步成型"。辦班的初期，是由李晶超在臺(tái)上演示動(dòng)作，李洪志作講解。李洪志的早期合作者劉鳳才還對(duì)功法講義作了七十多處修改。李洪志打坐蓮花"法像"，是其早期弟子宋炳辰將其照片拼接上蓮花瓣剪紙，再畫上背后的佛光，制版而成。李所穿的黃色練功服是在商店購(gòu)買的戲裝。
事實(shí)證明，李洪志自吹的"一九八四年起在師父?jìng)兊闹笇?dǎo)下結(jié)合自身多年苦修的獨(dú)傳大法，悟創(chuàng)一種適合普及、最方便眾生的真修方法，后經(jīng)反復(fù)推敲、演練、生化，最后經(jīng)上師認(rèn)定后準(zhǔn)予弘揚(yáng)，取名為'法輪功'，一九九二年出山傳出后，被師父?jìng)兎Q贊為高德大法"，完全是子虛烏有的彌天大謊。
三、李洪志與"法輪功"組織
李洪志曾多次聲稱"法輪功沒(méi)有組織，實(shí)行松散管理"。一些"法輪功"的骨干也多次聲稱，我們沒(méi)有組織，是人傳人，心傳心。
事實(shí)并非如此。李洪志于一九九二年創(chuàng)立"法輪功"后，在北京就設(shè)立了"法輪大法研究會(huì)"，自任會(huì)長(zhǎng)。此后，又陸續(xù)在各省、自治區(qū)、直轄市設(shè)立了三十九個(gè)"法輪功"輔導(dǎo)總站，總站下又分設(shè)了一千九百多個(gè)輔導(dǎo)站、二萬(wàn)八千多個(gè)練功點(diǎn)，自上而下形成了一個(gè)完整的組織系統(tǒng)。
"法輪大法研究會(huì)"負(fù)責(zé)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)和管理各地"法輪功"輔導(dǎo)總站一切事務(wù)，審批各地"法輪功"組織的機(jī)構(gòu)設(shè)置，任免主要骨干分子的職務(wù)。還制定了《對(duì)法輪大法輔導(dǎo)站的要求》、《法輪大法弟子傳法傳功規(guī)定》、《法輪大法輔導(dǎo)員標(biāo)準(zhǔn)》、《法輪大法修煉者須知》等一系列規(guī)章制度，使"法輪功"活動(dòng)組織化、規(guī)范化。
李洪志作為"法輪功"的最高頭目，經(jīng)常發(fā)布指令。今年三月三十一日，李洪志對(duì)"法輪大法研究會(huì)"起草的"關(guān)于嚴(yán)格清理私自流傳非大法資料的通知"簽署"同意，快發(fā)！"立即傳到各輔導(dǎo)站、練功點(diǎn)執(zhí)行。"法輪大法研究會(huì)"也以最高組織機(jī)構(gòu)的名義經(jīng)常向各地站、點(diǎn)發(fā)出通知、公告等，還設(shè)有專人，或者利用互聯(lián)網(wǎng)、電話、傳真等現(xiàn)代化通訊手段與各地站、點(diǎn)聯(lián)絡(luò)，傳達(dá)李洪志及"法輪大法研究會(huì)"的指令，指揮協(xié)調(diào)各地的活動(dòng)。今年五月以來(lái)，李洪志雖然在國(guó)外，但國(guó)內(nèi)"法輪功"練習(xí)者卻不斷收到他"我的一點(diǎn)感想"、"安定"、"位置"等被稱為"經(jīng)文"的指令，傳達(dá)速度之快、流毒之廣、影響之壞，也都與其有一個(gè)組織系統(tǒng)有關(guān)。
"法輪大法研究會(huì)"及各地總站定期或不定期地組織"弘法"、"會(huì)功"、"慶典"、"紀(jì)念"等大規(guī)?；顒?dòng)，還針對(duì)各地新聞媒體報(bào)道、刊載揭露"法輪功"的文章及有關(guān)部門禁止出版發(fā)行"法輪功"書籍和音像制品，多次策劃、煽動(dòng)眾多"法輪功"修煉者有組織地圍攻新聞出版單位和黨政機(jī)關(guān)，嚴(yán)重影響了這些部門的工作秩序和社會(huì)秩序，破壞來(lái)之不易的社會(huì)穩(wěn)定局面。一九九八年五月，"法輪大法研究會(huì)"及北京總站的一些骨干煽動(dòng)千余名"法輪功"修煉者圍攻北京電視臺(tái)。北京總站的一名骨干成員因?qū)Υ舜位顒?dòng)態(tài)度不積極而被免職。
由此可以看出，"法輪功"是以李洪志為首、體系嚴(yán)密、功能完備、未經(jīng)登記注冊(cè)的非法組織。
四、李洪志借"法輪功"斂財(cái)
李洪志在傳播"法輪功"的過(guò)程中，不斷標(biāo)榜自己是超凡脫俗的"最高的佛"，但實(shí)際生活中的李洪志，卻對(duì)金錢格外貪婪，靠傳播"法輪功"，短短幾年暴富起來(lái)。
早期弟子多人證明，李洪志在"傳功"初期，是以祛病健身為幌子，靠"治病"吸引信徒。雖稱免費(fèi)治療，卻在家中設(shè)立"功德箱"，暗示弟子告訴患者每人應(yīng)捐"功德"錢一百元以上。
"弘法"初期，李洪志通過(guò)舉辦培訓(xùn)班聚斂了大量錢財(cái)。據(jù)不完全統(tǒng)計(jì)，僅一九九三、一九九四年，李洪志在長(zhǎng)春教功售書就收入四十二萬(wàn)八千三百元，在全國(guó)各地辦班收入七十八萬(wàn)九千元，共計(jì)一百二十一萬(wàn)七千三百元。其中在哈爾濱辦班時(shí)間只有幾天，但聽(tīng)課證每張卻高達(dá)五十三元，凈收入達(dá)二十萬(wàn)元。
此后，李洪志又稱"想學(xué)好大法就必須讀書，看錄像，聽(tīng)錄音練功"，通過(guò)"法輪功"組織大量印制書籍、錄音帶、錄像帶、VCD等，以每套三百元的價(jià)格在練習(xí)者中出售，并極力吹噓自己的"法像"和"法輪功徽章"有"靈氣"，鼓動(dòng)練習(xí)者購(gòu)買。近年來(lái)，李洪志又"推出"練功服、練功墊，將原來(lái)出版的"法輪功"書籍印成價(jià)格更加昂貴的"精裝本"，向練習(xí)者兜售。還宣揚(yáng)"有施才有得"，以小施獲大得，從眾多練習(xí)者中騙得了數(shù)額不等的"捐款"。
李洪志斂財(cái)?shù)脑敿?xì)情況，正在進(jìn)一步調(diào)查。目前已掌握，李洪志以其親屬的名義在北京、長(zhǎng)春擁有數(shù)處豪宅、多輛轎車。李洪志利用"法輪功"聚斂了巨額財(cái)富，偷逃了大量稅款。
五、李洪志與"四·二五"事件
今年四月二十五日，一萬(wàn)多名"法輪功"練習(xí)者在中南海周圍聚集，嚴(yán)重影響了中南海周圍的社會(huì)治安秩序和人民群眾的正常生活，在國(guó)際國(guó)內(nèi)造成了極壞影響。
五月二日，李洪志在澳大利亞悉尼接受澳洲國(guó)家廣播電視局、《悉尼晨報(bào)》、法新社等媒體記者采訪時(shí)稱，"北京發(fā)生的事，事先我一點(diǎn)也不知道，我當(dāng)時(shí)在從美國(guó)來(lái)澳洲的路上"，"完全知道這件事情是在布里斯班"，極力回避他與事件的關(guān)系。四月底，李洪志在接受美國(guó)《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》上海站記者史可雷的電話采訪時(shí)，也否認(rèn)其幕后操縱"法輪功"修煉者到中南海聚集，聲稱對(duì)此次行動(dòng)全然不知。
其實(shí)并非如此。大量鐵的事實(shí)證明，"四·二十五"事件的前一天李洪志就在北京，二十五日"法輪功"練習(xí)者到中南海周圍聚集時(shí)，他也根本不在從美國(guó)去澳大利亞的路上。
四月十九日，天津師范大學(xué)?？肚嗌倌昕萍疾┯[》刊登了中國(guó)科學(xué)院院士何祚庥撰寫的"我不贊成青少年練氣功"的文章，天津市部分"法輪功"練習(xí)者因?qū)Υ瞬粷M到該校聚集、靜坐。至二十二日人數(shù)已達(dá)三千余人，嚴(yán)重影響了學(xué)校師生正常的生活和教學(xué)秩序。
就在此時(shí)，李洪志突然以商業(yè)人員的身份，持回美證(號(hào)碼：00一一0六七八七，中國(guó)簽證號(hào)00三八二一)，乘美國(guó)西北航空公司NW0八七次航班于二十二日下午五時(shí)三十五分從北京入境，二十四日下午一時(shí)三十分又匆匆搭乘中國(guó)國(guó)際航空公司CA一0九次航班離境赴香港，在北京共停留四十四個(gè)小時(shí)，入境卡和出境卡均為李洪志親筆所填。
也就在李洪志入境的第二天，四月二十三日，部分"法輪功"練習(xí)者聚集天津師范大學(xué)的事件迅速升級(jí)，人數(shù)猛增到六千三百多人。二十四日上午，在李洪志還沒(méi)有離境時(shí)，北京等不少地方的"法輪功"練功點(diǎn)都紛紛接到通知，要求二十五日組織練習(xí)者到中南海周圍"集體練功"。
二十五日，一萬(wàn)多名"法輪功"練習(xí)者在中南海周圍聚集。當(dāng)時(shí)，李洪志正在香港，直到二十七日晚十時(shí)十五分，才乘香港國(guó)泰航空公司CX一0三次航班，從香港飛往澳大利亞的布里斯班。
由此可以看出，所謂李洪志對(duì)"四·二五"事件"一點(diǎn)也不知道"純屬謊言。
六、李洪志歪理邪說(shuō)的危害
李洪志在《轉(zhuǎn)法輪》等書和多次"講法"中稱，"德"是一種白色物質(zhì)，與其對(duì)立的是一種黑色物質(zhì)，稱為"業(yè)"力。胡說(shuō)他"在講法輪大法的時(shí)候，陸陸續(xù)續(xù)給大家腹部下了法輪"，"法輪正轉(zhuǎn)時(shí)，會(huì)從宇宙中吸收能量，供給你身體各部分，即度己。反轉(zhuǎn)時(shí)會(huì)放出能量，在你周圍的人都能受益，就是度別人"。修煉"法輪功"就能夠憑借這個(gè)"法輪"提高"德"修，降低"業(yè)"力，凈化身體，最終達(dá)到"開(kāi)功、開(kāi)悟、功成圓滿"，"靈魂不滅"，并將人度到"天國(guó)"極樂(lè)世界。李洪志還宣稱，人生病是前世造"業(yè)"欠債的現(xiàn)世報(bào)應(yīng)，"生老病死是有因緣關(guān)系的，人在以前做過(guò)的壞事而產(chǎn)生的業(yè)力才造成了有病或者磨難，遭罪就是還業(yè)債"。"練功吃藥就是不相信練功能治病"，"你的心如果擺正的話，相信練功能練好，把藥停了，不去管，不去治，就有人給你治了"。李洪志還把阻止練"法輪功"的人稱為"魔"，胡說(shuō)什么由于這些"魔"的存在而破壞法輪大法，不讓人得法，云云。
一些"法輪功"練習(xí)者受李洪志歪理邪說(shuō)的欺騙、迷惑，有的患病后拒絕去醫(yī)院，不打針、不吃藥，貽誤治療導(dǎo)致死亡。有的因練"法輪功"自殺身亡或精神失常。有的甚至采用殘忍的手段殺害他人。因此說(shuō)，李洪志不是在度人，而是在害人。"法輪功"對(duì)人們的身心健康造成的惡果不勝枚舉。僅北京兩所精神病院收治的因練"法輪功"導(dǎo)致精神失常的病例看，一九九六年九例，一九九七年十例，一九九八年二十二例，一九九九年上半年就有十六例，呈逐年上升趨勢(shì)。
（新華社北京1999年7月22日電）
Li Hongzhi: the man, his deeds and fabrications
I. Experience of Li Hongzhi
Li Hongzhi wrote in a resume he fabricated in 1993: "I was born in Gongzhuling City, Jilin Province, on May 13, 1951. When I was a child, Buddhist Master Dajue gave me instructions for the initial approach to become a Buddhist believer. My mortification came to a satisfactory end when I was eight years old. At the age of 12, Taoist Master Baji Zhenren found me, and taught me Taoist practices", "in 1972, I received Taoist instruction from Master Zhendaozi", and "in 1974, I received training in Buddhist methods of mortification until I entered public life".
The Introduction to Li Hongzhi compiled by the Falun Gong organization says, "At his age of 8, Li Hongzhi learned the essence of Buddhism and obtained supernatural powers, such as the ability to move objects, fix articles, control thinking and make himself invisible. He understands the truth of the universe and has insights into life and can see the past and future." Such absurd "extraordinary abilities" have cheated many of his followers.
Then, who is Li Hongzhi?
Investigation shows Li Hongzhi was born in Gongzhuling City (former Gongzhuling Town), Jilin Province, on July 7, 1952. Between 1960-69, he studied in Changchun Zhujianglu Primary School, and finished his junior middle school studies in Changchun No. 4 and No. 48 middle schools. In the period 1970-78, he worked as a trumpet player at a PLA stud farm and Jilin Provincial Forest Armed Police Troop. In the following four years, he was an attendant at a guest house of the Forest Armed Police Troop. Li was discharged from military service in 1982, and went to work in the security department of the Changchun Cereals and Oil Co. In 1991, he quit the job and began practicing qigong. In May 1992, he began to propagate the ideas of Falun Gong.
According to a certificate issued by Luyuan Police Substation under the Changchun Public Security Bureau, on September 24, 1994, Li changed his date of birth from July 7, 1952 to May 13, 1951 and acquired a new ID card. The birth date of Li Hongzhi on other registration forms, including the "permanent resident registration" at public security stations, and the Security Cadre Registration Form and the Resume of Cadre kept by Li's former work unit, has also been changed to May 13, 1951. But the birth date on the Forms for Rank Definition and Promotion of Workers, the Application Form for the Youth League, and the ID cards of Li Hongzhi issued on December 31, 1986 and March 31, 1991 respectively, was July 7, 1952.
Why did Li make this change? In the Chinese lunar calendar, the eighth day of the fourth lunar month is the birthday of Sakyamuni, founder of Buddhism, and May 13, 1951 happened to be the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. Thus, by changing his birthday, Li could pretend that he is "a reincarnation of Sakyamuni".
However, Li's former schoolmates, teachers and neighbors all say Li Hongzhi was an ordinary child with common marks in school. His only talent was an ability in playing the trumpet. To his fabricated story of "mortification", their answers were "nonsense" or "impossible", or "I have never seen or heard of that". Li Hongzhi's leaders and fellow servicemen at the stud farm and the forest police troop said he was a common solider and was introverted and conceited. The full schedule of rehearsals and performances, and strict military and work discipline would never have left him any spare time to practice his so-called qigong. His superiors and colleagues at the cereals and oil company all said that Li did not have any knowledge about "mortification" at all before he took part in the qigong training class in 1988.
When Li's early followers asked him why he made up his story, Li answered that "no one would believe me if I do not exaggerate". When asked to demonstrate his "four functions", he became angry. "I don't have any function at all, how can I demonstrate? Your request is designed to make me a laughing-stock. Are you making fool of me?"
II. The Emergence of Falun Gong
Influenced by the "qigong fever" among the mass, Li Hongzhi started to practice under a master named Li Weidong in 1988, with whom he studied a form known as Chanmi Gong. Li took part in two training courses, and then went on to study Jiugongbagua Gong from another master, Yu Guangsheng. Combining these two forms of qigong, along with some movements from Thai dance that he picked up on a visit to Thailand, he came up with Falun Gong. Li Jingchao and Liu Yuqing, early followers, have affirmed that the movements of Falun Gong were co-designed by Li Hongzhi and Li Jingchao and did not "take shape until one month before Li Hongzhi entered public life". At the early training courses, Li Jingchao demonstrated the movements on the lecture platform, while Li Hongzhi provided the explanations. Another early collaborator of Li Hongzhi, Liu Fengcai, made more than 70 revisions of the teaching materials. The portrait of Li Hongzhi sitting in meditation on a lotus throne was made by another early follower, Song Bingchen, who pieced together Li's photo with a paper cut of a lotus flower. The portrait was completed by the addition of the Buddhist aura in the background. The yellow clothes worn by Li, an opera costume, were bought in a shop.
Facts have proved that Li Hongzhi has perpetrated a monstrous lie in claiming the following: "I created a popular and simple method of cultivation for the masses in 1984, under the instruction of my masters, together with my years of mortification. After repeated deliberation, practice and evolution, the method was finally confirmed and approved by my masters for popularization, and it was named Falun Gong. After it was spread in 1992 with my entry into society, it was highly praised by the masters as a doctrine of high virtue."
III. Li Hongzhi and Falun Gong Organizations
Li Hongzhi has repeatedly claimed that "Falun Gong has no organization, but loose management". Some key members have also asserted that they do not have any organization, and they pass on the methods from person to person and from heart to heart.
But this was not the case. After founding Falun Gong in 1992, Li established the Research Society of Falun Dafa in Beijing, and became its president. Following that, he set up 39 Falun Gong teaching centers in various provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China. Under these were more than 1,900 places of instruction and more than 28,000 group exercise venues. This represents a complete vertical organizational structure.
The Research Society of Falun Dafa manages all the affairs of the teaching centers and rules on the setup of Falun Gong organizations, with the power to appoint or remove major leaders. A series of rules and regulations have been created for Falun Gong activities, including Requirement on Falun Dafa Teaching Centers, Regulations on the Passing On of Falun Dafa, Standard for Falun Dafa Teachers, and Rules for Falun Dafa Practitioners.
As the most important figure in Falun Gong, Li Hongzhi issued many orders. On March 31 this year, for example, he wrote "agree, distribute quickly" on the Notice of Strictly Clearing Out the Circulation of Non-Falun Dafa Materials in Private, which was drafted by the Research Society of Falun Dafa. His order was implemented in all teaching centers and exercise venues. As the highest organization, the research society often sent various notices and proclamations to its subordinate organizations. Special persons were assigned to take charge of the liaison work. Modern communications facilities, such as the Internet, telephone and fax, were also used to transfer the orders of Li Hongzhi and the research society to coordinate the activities in various parts of the country. From May this year, Falun Gong practitioners in China received instructions from Li, then living abroad, in the form of "scriptures". The quick transmission and extensive pernicious influences of these instructions are all due to the existence of an organizational system.
The Research Society of Falun Dafa and its instruction stations had organized large-scale activities to "spread the Falun doctrine" and "exchange experiences", and held various "celebrations and commemorative ceremonies" on a regular and irregular basis. On several occasions, when they were dissatisfied with news reports and articles that exposed the dark secrets of Falun Gong or when government departments banned its books and audio-video products, members were organized to besiege news agencies, publishing houses, and Party and government departments, disrupting the normal work and social order and undermining hard-won social stability. In May 1998, the research society and some key members of its Beijing center incited more than 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners to besiege the Beijing TV Station. A major member of the Beijing center was relieved of his post for not showing enough enthusiasm for this action.
All these demonstrate that Falun Gong was an illegal organization with no official registration status, but with a tightly organized administrative system and complete functions headed by Li Hongzhi.
IV. Li Hongzhi Accumulated Wealth by Falun Gong
In spreading Falun Gong, Li set himself up as the "highest Buddha" who had transcended all secular desires. But in real life, he displayed enormous greed, acquiring immense wealth in a few short years.
Li's early followers testified that, in the initial phase of spreading Falun Gong, Li attracted followers by supposedly "curing" their ailments and helping them improve their health. Although he asserted that he was giving free treatment, there was a special "donation box" at his home and he hinted to his assistants to tell every patient to donate at least 100 yuan for every visit.
Li also collected a large amount of money from training classes. From 1993 to 1994, he was reported to have earned 428,300 yuan in Changchun from teaching Falun Gong exercises and from book sales. Meanwhile, he earned another 789,000 yuan in other parts of China from classes. The admission fee to his class in Harbin was as high as 53 yuan, which made a net income of 200,000 yuan within a few days.
Afterward, Li Hongzhi said that "only by reading books, watching videos and listening to tapes can people learn Falun Gong well". Thus, he published a large number of books, cassette tapes, video tapes, and video CDs with his teachings and sold them to Falun Gong practitioners for 300 yuan a set. He boasted that his "portrait" and the "Falun Gong badge" with his image had a "miraculous and inspirational effect" and encouraged people to buy them. In recent years, he came up with new Falun Gong products like special clothing and cushions for Falun Gong practitioners and published his books in "deluxe editions" at higher prices. He also advertised "no donation, no gain" and small input for big benefits, thus obtaining various "donations" from countless practitioners.
Detailed investigations are going on. Preliminary findings show that Li has several luxury houses in Beijing and Changchun listed in his relatives' names, in addition to limousines. Through Falun Gong, he has amassed enormous wealth, on which he has evaded huge amount of taxes.
V. Li Hongzhi and the April 25 Illegal Gathering Incident
On April 25, 1999, more than 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners gathered outside Zhongnanhai, seat of the Central Government in Beijing, which seriously disrupted public order and the residents' normal life, and caused a malignant effect at home and abroad.
On May 2, Li Hongzhi was interviewed by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Sydney Morning Herald and Agence France Presse. He told the foreign correspondents, "I knew nothing in advance about the incident in Beijing when I was on the way from the United States to Australia." He added that "I didn't learn about it until I was in Brisbane", thus trying to evade any responsibility for the incident. In late April, when Li was interviewed by telephone by the Shanghai correspondent of the Asian Wall Street Journal, he also denied that he was a wire-puller of the Zhongnanhai incident, insisting he knew nothing about it.
But this was not true. There is considerable, ironclad evidence that Li Hongzhi was in Beijing the day before the incident. And, he was never on the way from the United States to Australia when the Falun Gong practitioners were gathering around Zhongnanhai on April 25.
On April 19, Teenager Science-Technology Outlook, a Tianjin Normal University journal, contained an article entitled I'm Opposed to Qigong Practice by Teenagers written by Prof. He Zuoxiu with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Some Falun Gong practitioners in Tianjin took offense at the article and staged a silent protest at the university. By April 22, the number exceeded 3,000, which seriously affected the normal life and teaching order on the campus.
Just at that time, Li Hongzhi sudden flew back to China as a businessman via Flight 087 of American Northwest Airlines, reaching Beijing at 5:35 p.m. on April 22. Then, after a stay of 44 hours, he left in a hurry for Hong Kong at 1:30 p.m. on April 24 by Air China Flight CA109. Both the entry and exit forms were filled in by Li Hongzhi himself.
On April 23, the second day after he entered China, the gathering of Falun Gong practitioners at Tianjin Normal University escalated, and the number of practitioners swelled to more than 6,300. By the morning of April 24, while Li was still in Beijing, Falun Gong group exercise venues in Beijing had received notices that practitioners should go to Zhongnanhai for a "group exercise" on April 25.
When more than 10,000 people showed up around Zhongnanhai on April 25, Li was in Hong Kong. He didn't leave there for Brisbane until 10:15 p.m. on April 27 by Dragonair Flight CX103.
Thus, it can be concluded that when Li Hongzhi alleged he "knew nothing" about the illegal gathering, he was lying.
VI. Harms of Li Hongzhi's Fallacies
In his books, including Zhuan Falun (Turn the Dharma Wheel), and in several of his "sermons", Li claimed that there existed a kind of white material, called "de" (morality), along with a mirror image that was dark, called "ye" (evil). He said that he "put the falun (Dharma Wheel) in the bellies of practitioners while teaching", and "when the wheel runs forward, it will absorb energy from the universe and supply it to your body, which means saving yourself from sin; when it runs backward, it will discharge energy to benefit all others beside you, that is, to save others from sin".
By practicing Falun Gong, he said, people could be helped by Falun. They could improve their "de" and reduce the "ye" force, purify their bodies and achieve final "enlightenment and immortality". Practitioners could ultimately attain salvation and reach the "heavenly kingdom" or paradise. Li also spoke of karma, or predestination, and said that "illness and other sufferings were retribution for evil deeds one has done in the past or in a past life, and by enduring this suffering one can repay his or her evil debt". He said that "taking medicine while practicing means one does not believe that practicing can cure the illness" and "anyone who believes in and practices Falun Gong need not take medicine to cure disease". Li called people who tried to persuade others not to practice Falun Gong "demons", saying that they have harmed the Falun Dafa and have prevented people from attaining "salvation".
As a result of Li's malicious fallacies and deceptive behavior, many Falun Gong practitioners refused to go to hospital or take medicine for their diseases, and some lost their lives because of delay in treatment. Some committed suicide or lost their sanity after practicing Falun Gong. Some even became homicidal. Li Hongzhi has not been bringing salvation to his followers, but leading them to a disastrous and miserable end. Falun Gong has done enormous harm to both the mental and physical health of people. Take the cases in Beijing's two mental hospitals. In 1996, nine patients were admitted with severe psychological problems after practicing Falun Gong. The number rose to 10 in 1997, and 22 in 1998. There were 16 in the first half of 1999 alone.
(The Chinese Press, Feb. 9, 2007, http://www.chinesepress.com/enzy/07.htm )