What is Falun Gong (Falun Dafa)?

Falun Gong is an ancient Chinese spiritual discipline in the Buddhist tradition. Pronounced “Fah-loon Gong,” it consists of moral teachings, a sitting meditation, and four gentle exercises that are a truly unique and highly effective way to improve health and energy levels.

At the core of Falun Gong are the values of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance (Zhen 真, Shan 善, and Ren 忍 in Chinese). Falun Dafa teaches that these are the most fundamental qualities of the universe, and takes them to be a guide for daily life and practice.

In the words of Falun Gong’s founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi, “assimilation to the highest qualities of the universe—Zhen 真, Shan 善, Ren 忍—is the foundation of practice. Practice is guided by these supreme qualities, and based on the very laws which underlie the development of the cosmos.”

Falun Gong is also commonly known as Falun Dafa.

By 1999, Falun Gong had grown to become the largest and fastest-growing practice of the sort in Chinese history. In just seven years since its 1992 introduction to the public, an estimated 100 million people were practicing Falun Gong.