Solemn Warning to La Presse Chinoise, a Hired Gun of the Chinese Communist Party

On August 18th, Montreal-based La Presse Chinoise published a "Special Edition for Justice." This 32-page publication specifically focused on slandering and attacking Falun Gong. It was distributed for free in major Canadian cities.

Mr. Zhou, editor of La Presse Chinoise, wrote an article himself on the first page, which was printed in red as though stained by the blood of the Chinese people. The words he used were exaggerated and without basis, as though yelling could lend him credibility and make him the spokesperson for justice. Although the headline reads, "Planting the seed of kindness and receive kind rewards," on the entire page, there was not a single shred of kindness. From the first sentence on, every line was slandering the founder of Falun Gong (Mr. Li Hongzhi) and the practitioners. This is a disgrace for an editor of a newspaper and an educated man.

One cannot find even a trace of "justice" as defined in traditional Chinese culture throughout this entire Special Edition. Instead, it shows that the editor has not even the most fundamental knowledge about qigong and the traditional culture of cultivation, which has thousands of years of history.

The community of cultivators have always regarded the lower abdominal area as very important because the dantian is located here. Even young kids in China know that many things related to qigong and cultivation, including the movement of qi, the formation of dan, and the accumulation of energy are related to the dantian. But Mr. Zhou falsely said that the teacher of Falun Gong said, "Falun rotates around the stomach." Where is the stomach? It's in the upper abdominal area. If Mr. Zhou won't admit that he doesn't understand the most basic human physiology, then the only explanation is that he knows nothing about qigong or Falun Gong. What gives him the credentials, then, to comment on and criticise Falun Gong?

Apparently Mr. Zhou doesn't know even the fundamentals about cultivation. We don't know where he learnt of phrases such as "levitating as a deity in broad daylight," or "opening the celestial eye" (Note: the Chinese word used here, yan, is different from the word mu, which was used to mean "eye" in Zhuan Falun). He did not even have the time to figure out the terms before hastily putting them in the first paragraph of the article to slander the founder of Falun Gong. "Opening the celestial eye (yan)" is not a term in Zhuan Falun. In Zhuan Falun, Teacher Li talked about "opening the celestial eye (mu)," which is the eye located in the pineal gland inside the human brain, often referred to as the "vestigial eye" by modern science. "Levitating as a deity in broad daylight" is not a term in Falun Gong. In Chinese books from antiquity and on Taoist cultivation, the term "levitating in broad daylight" is used, and it is a well-documented phenomenon.

The Teacher of Falun Gong has explained the celestial eye and levitation as mentioned in ancient books and in other cultivation ways because many Falun Gong practitioners have practised other qigong methods before, or have studied books on Buddhist and Taoist cultivation. Even when they first began practising Falun Gong, their knowledge on cultivation far surpassed what Mr. Zhou knows now. Because many practitioners have some feeling and understandings of these phenomena, and are interested in knowing more about them, the Teacher of Falun Gong talked about them to those in the audience who were interested in qigong. Because Teacher was able to provide such clear explanations that made sense to the students, so many of them decided to practise Falun Gong.

The Special Edition also took a special interest in the Consummation of one's cultivation. What is Consummation in Falun Gong? One who has consummated has "attain[ed] the righteous Enlightenment of selflessness and altruism." ("Non-Omission in Buddha-Nature," Essentials for Further Advancement by Li Hongzhi) In earlier classes, some students asked what Consummation meant. The Teacher said Consummation meant that there is no self in one's heart, and one lives entirely for others. One attains Consummation as one reaches such a realm. Falun Gong practitioners measure themselves with Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance; they seek to become more considerate of others. The Teacher of Falun Gong often advised that cultivation is elevating one's heart and improving one's moral character. Isn't it beneficial to society to have more good people like this?

If a person can reach this realm, he is naturally an enlightened person as referred to in the Buddhist discipline, or a True Person as called in the Taoist discipline. Christians believe in going to Heaven after this life, and Buddhist monks believe in reaching "the other shore." It is not wrong to believe that we can reach a better place after practising cultivation or believing in a religion.

Would one attack Jesus and his followers because he has not seen an angel or visited the Kingdom of Heaven? Would one ridicule Buddhist monks because they did not turn into a Buddha in front of their eyes? Why did the Special Edition use words such as Consummation and levitation to assail the Teacher of Falun Gong and the practitioners? The Special Edition and the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's) wicked attacks are along the same vein. The Special Edition intentionally confused the concepts of Consummation and suicide, saying that killing could lead to consummation. Does Mr. Zhou truly think so? Where did he hear such nonsense? It seems that he was merely a hired gun for the CCP to advance the persecution.

Mr. Zhou said, "Western countries have suspicions and worry about Falun Gong." Here I will not list the thousands of awards Mr. Li Hongzhi and Falun Gong practitioners have received from various governments. In Canada, shortly after the current Prime Minister Stephen Harper won the election, he appeared on NTD Television, a station primarily staffed by volunteer Falun Gong practitioners, to wish the Chinese people a happy New Year. Many government officials, including Harper, sent congratulatory letters to Falun Gong practitioners on World Falun Dafa Day.

It is undeniable that Falun Gong cultivation is good for not only one's physical health, but also one's family. Unlike going to a monastery to cultivate, Falun Gong practitioners do not give up their families and other relations. Letting go of the attachment to familial emotions actually means treating family members and friends even better than before. As stated in Zhuan Falun,

"we should respect parents and educate our children. Under all circumstances, we must be good and kind to others, not to mention to our family members. We should treat everyone in the same way. We must be good to our parents and children and be considerate of others in all respects. Such a heart is thus unselfish, and it is a heart of kindness and benevolence." (Zhuan Falun)

In society it is common to see some people unwilling to take care of their parents because of strained relationships, committing suicide when abandoned by their lovers, or retaliating because of a friend's betrayal. Yet countless families on the verge of collapse became close and harmonious again because one or both partners practised Falun Gong, since the cultivators let go of past bitterness and treated others kindly. However, in the last seven years, the CCP's persecution has directly or indirectly torn apart countless Falun Gong cultivators' families. Some guards at labour camps force the practitioners' spouses to use divorce to pressure the practitioners to denounce Falun Gong.

If the Teacher of Falun Gong wanted to be rich, it would be very easy. If every practitioner gives one dollar, the Teacher would have 100 million US dollars. But the Teacher never asked for money from the practitioners.

The disciples who have followed Teacher are also contributing members of society. While using their earnings to support themselves, they also use their own money to clarify the facts year after year, with the goal of being responsible to the future of others and dissolving the hatred and disharmony propagated by the CCP.

During Buddha Shakyamuni's time, some of the believers covered the ground in gold and prepared elegant living arrangements for Sakyamuni. His disciples did not work in society; instead they depended on alms donated by others. Shakyamuni required that his disciples shave their heads and sever their relations in the secular world. He himself also left his wife and child behind. The disciples of Buddhism have their rules and aspirations. If Mr. Zhou were to publish a newspaper 2,500 years ago, would he have attacked Shakyamuni for collecting money, breaking up families, and causing disharmony in society? What has Falun Gong done today that has warranted Mr. Zhou's attacks?

As a reminder to Mr. Zhou, the lawsuit against La Presse Chinoise is yet to be determined. It is still in the process of appeal and judicial review. Using an undecided case to support the Special Edition's conclusions is premature.

Perhaps not so coincidentally, the 32-page publication neglected to mention the millions of Falun Gong practitioners who have suffered from the persecution in the last seven years in Mainland China, including those injured, disabled, and killed. Was it right for the police to abuse citizens like that? Where is the justice in this Special Edition for Justice?

It appears that this Special Edition was a tool to import hatred from China to Canada. It may be necessary to file this Special Edition with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, along with the list of CCP officials who have participated in the persecution against Falun Gong. At this critical historic moment when the heavens are dissolving the CCP, La Presse Chinoise is acting as a tool for the CCP's persecution. What kind of future awaits it?