Our family understands how lucky we are to live in a society where we are free to skate, free to create our own businesses, free to follow our dreams, free to follow our own spiritual paths, and free to inspire others to do the same.
It’s not like that everywhere.
Practicing Falun Gong
Years ago, an engineering colleague of Matt’s told him about Falun Gong (aka Falun Dafa). Matt was always impressed by this guy. Their office environment was a high-pressure, high-stress work place, but this gentleman always seemed like the calm center of a giant storm—always happy, effective, and in control.
Matt asked him one day, “How are you always so calm when things get so crazy?” He told Matt how he studied the teachings of Falun Dafa and practiced the slow-moving, meditative exercises and benefited greatly from them. He gave Matt a copy of the main teachings of Falun Gong, “Zhuan Falun” by Li Hongzhi.
Matt began to read the teachings and was immediately amazed. He learned the exercises and began to enjoy better health and more energy. He felt like he had found something he had always been looking for.
Soon, he shared the practice with his (future ;)) wife, Barbara. This was in 2001.
We have both been practicing ever since. Our kids practice, too, and the practice has benefited our entire family in countless ways.
The Persecution
Soon after learning about Falun Gong, we also learned that people who practiced were being persecuted in China. This beautiful, free practice, which centers on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance and that brings people good health and happiness, was banned by then Chinese Communist Party Dictator Jiang Zemin in China on July 20, 1999.
Not only had it become illegal to practice Falun Gong in China, but people who were found to practice there were brutally persecuted—sentenced to forced labor, sent to brainwashing classes, violently tortured, and even killed for their belief.
It is said that Jiang Zemin felt threatened by the popularity of the practice back then, jealous even. His evil legacy continues as this horrific persecution goes on in China today.
Falun Gong is Practiced Around the World
Meanwhile, the benefits of Falun Gong are enjoyed by millions around the world—from very young children to the elderly. Our family feels so very fortunate to have found this practice and we aim to live our lives according to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance.
As we take on different projects and connect with new people through our ventures, we don’t want to miss out on any opportunity to share what we know. Until this persecution of good, innocent people ends in China, we will continue to raise awareness about it.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about this. Please feel free to share this with anyone!
Helpful Links
The Falun Dafa Information Center is both the official press office for Falun Gong as well as a primary resource for information about the human rights abuses Falun Gong practitioners face at the hands of the Chinese Communist regime.
Friends of Falun Gong, USA (FoFG USA) is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization founded in the year 2000 by concerned Americans.
Its mission is to support the freedom of belief of persons who practice Falun Gong. FoFG USA believes that people everywhere should have the right to practice Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa), a spiritual path that includes nonviolence. FoFG USA is focused on preventing and ending violations of the right to practice Falun Gong openly, freely, and with dignity, worldwide.
This award-winning film (shown above) describes how Falun Gong came to be persecuted in China. This website offers opportunity to take action and learn more.
Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting
Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting aims to provide the medical community and society with objective findings of unethical and illegal organ harvesting. Forced organ harvesting, the removal of organs from a donor, without obtaining prior free and voluntary consent, is considered a crime against humanity, as well as a threat to medical science in general.
Here you can find all of the teachings of Falun Dafa (or Falun Gong) in their entirety, along with exercise video instructions and information about local practice sites in your area.