Not welcome in China, Falun Gong hits campus

Professor Shiyu Zhou's father was detained in China last year for practicing an exercise that promotes truth, compassion and forbearance. And now, that same exercise and meditation practice and its principles -- known as Falun Gong -- have spread to America and Penn's campus. Zhou's father is one of thousands of followers of the non-violent lifestyle who have been persecuted by the Chinese government. To date, more than 140 people have been killed and thousands arrested or tortured for their faith in Falun Gong. Non-violent rallies have been held in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and various locations throughout the world protesting the Chinese government's actions. Chinese practitioners have been increasing exponentially in number, leaving the Communist Party feeling threatened. However, in the United States, the practice continues to grow through the help of volunteers across the country, including in Philadelphia. Zhou, a computer and information sciences professor, and first-year Wharton graduate student Liangyue Zhang recently organized a nine-part introductory seminar on campus, which attracted both Penn and Philadelphia community members. On Sunday mornings, practitioners spread out on College Green and downtown in Rittenhouse Square, where a regular group holds sessions. "This practice is so popular because it is very flexible," Zhou said. "You can do it at any time, anywhere and with anybody. There [is] no membership, no obligation." Unlike the recent controversy in China over human rights violations, the Falun Gong movement in the United States has been well received as a trendy, new-age alternative exercise. "It teaches me how to deal with personal conflicts, to be kind to other people and look inward," Zhou said. Though the exercises are low-impact and relatively simple, many students claim drastic improvements in their mental and physical health. "Before I practiced Falun, I had one ear going deaf," Zhang said. "It cured automatically by itself." After practicing Falun Gong for almost two years, Zhang says his health is vastly improved. Practitioners attribute this healing process to the dual cultivation of mind and body. Followers are encouraged to give up material desires and eliminate negative emotions like greed and jealousy. "The five exercises help translate spiritual well-being into physical well-being," Zhou said. "You gain balance, relaxation and more peace in life." The names of Falun Gong exercises reflect their Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian influences -- "Golden Monkey Splitting his Body," "Two Dragons Diving into the Sea" and "Bodhisattva Placing Hands on Lotus." Penn seminar participants praised Falun Gong most for its mental and spiritual perks. The practice "talked about honesty," said Ingrid Jackson, a Penn staff member in the Romance Languages Department. "That really touched my heart. It's very different. After I go to the gym I can feel it on my body, on my muscle mass, whereas here -- it's different -- it's addressing something else in my body, something spiritual." Jackson initially attended the seminar out of curiosity after hearing of the persecution in China. Teaching materials -- from texts on the philosophies to video clips demonstrating exercises -- are available for free on the Internet. Like most students, Delaware County retiree Luc Trocme stumbled upon the practice by accident. "I was looking for stuff on the Internet," said Trocme, 40, who also participated in the seminar. "What really attracted me was the principle. It's how people should treat each other. I think it's what the Western religion got away from -- Western religion is more political now. And some people going to church every Sunday are the absolute worst people I know." "It's like a road map to how people should be behaving with each other," Trocme added. "All people should get an introduction to it. Maybe it would change their behavior in the long term, change the world."

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