Dispelling the Myth of a Falun Gong Organization

[Editors note: The word Fa means "Law" or principles. It usually refers to the principles or teachings/books of Falun Dafa.]

Cultivators don't need any organization in the ordinary sense of the term. Falun Dafa practitioners don't have an organization, and nor do we need any "leaders" in the ordinary sense. These points have been clearly pointed out in the Fa [principles of Falun Dafa]. However, there are always people asking, "Currently, in countries outside of China, why do you have Falun Dafa Associations and assistance centres? Before July 20, 1999, weren't there also assistance centres and group practice sites inside China? Aren't those organizations? During the appeal on April 25, the over ten thousand practitioners who went there were so single-minded and well disciplined. After they left, there was no trash on the ground, not even pieces of paper. Isn't all of this evidence to show that Falun Dafa practitioners have a 'very tightly-knit and well-disciplined organization'?" […]

We also came to realize that, in some cases, the reasons for misunderstandings are because the following concepts are not correctly understood.

1. Are Falun Dafa Associations 'organizations' in the ordinary sense of the term?

Neither the current registered Falun Dafa Associations nor the previous Falun Dafa Research Societies are entities that have the ordinary concept of 'organizational structure.' It is impractical, for example, to ask every practitioner to apply for a permit if we want to hold an experience sharing conference, a group practice, or a parade. So we need to have some practitioners who volunteer to be contact persons and apply for a permit under the name of a given Falun Dafa Association. It makes it easier all parties involved so that we can hold our activities. However, cultivation [in Falun Dafa] requires us to be responsible for ourselves. Practitioners who are volunteer contact persons in Falun Dafa Associations can provide us with some degree of convenience, but they aren't able to cultivate for other practitioners. They cannot require anybody else to practice Falun Dafa, nor can they be responsible for other practitioners' behaviour, cultivation progress or results in cultivation. They are not "leaders" or "legal representatives" in the way in the normal sense of these terms.

2. Does having no "organization" and no "leaders" mean no coordination?

Coercion or commands don't work for practitioners because Falun Dafa practitioners should "take the Fa as Teacher" [editors’ note: This is a quote from Teacher Li Hongzhi, whose meaning is usually understood as taking the teachings/principles of Falun Dafa as guidance].

Practitioners also know that Teacher Li has also said,
"Studying the Fa and doing cultivation are a person's own affair." "The path each person is to take is different ..." (From the article: "Path") “Dafa doesn't have any people in charge. Everyone is a cultivating disciple." (From: "Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A.")

We are all studying the same books. We also clearly know what the books tell us and what the standards for being a practitioner are. Fellow practitioners don't represent one another, nor do we lead - or are led - by each other. We are all common practitioners. We don't have role models.

However, having no organization doesn't mean that there is no coordination. Similarly, having no commands or orders doesn't mean there is no coordination either.

On one hand, we see that many practitioners voluntarily and willingly make a lot of contributions in [Falun Dafa activities], without pursuing any fame or material gains. They facilitate a lot of communication among practitioners and with other people or groups. In order for us to be able to convey strong messages to society, they work as contact people or coordinators to make large-scale activities possible.

On the other hand, we are all studying the same Fa. We are all practicing according to the same principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." So even the efforts of an individual practitioner, if these efforts are in accordance with the requirements of the Fa, will become a part of the efforts of all the practitioners as a whole. Thus, seen on the whole, the activities will naturally complement each other very well. This is because the goal and the principles of individual practitioners are the same as those of all the other practitioners.

The coordination as a whole is a willing cooperation among practitioners and between practitioners and the Falun Dafa Associations. It's based on the common understandings of the Fa-principles. It's a voluntary and compassionate cooperation among individual practitioners. Each and every Falun Dafa activity is held and completed by the voluntary efforts and cooperation from different combinations of individual practitioners, and is based on our same goal of making contributions to the Fa.

These common understandings and voluntary coordination efforts are based on the principles of the Fa. They transcend any 'organizational structures' or 'commands' in the ordinary sense of these terms. And they cannot be achieved or maintained through any coercion or ordinary people's kinds of coordination efforts. This is why practitioners - who don't have any organizational structure and don't receive any commands from any leaders - can act in a more disciplined manner towards a common goal than any other ordinary people's organizations can. They are the result of following the true principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." They are the manifestations of the Fa's power.

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Source: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2002/7/29/24620.html