What is the belief system of Falun Gong?

Origins and Development

Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) is a modern spiritual practice founded in China in the early 1990s by Li Hongzhi. According to publicly available documents and his initial lectures, Li Hongzhi first introduced Falun Gong in 1992 at a series of Qigong gatherings. The practice grew in popularity in China through outdoor group exercises and teaching sessions. Though its founder’s teachings draw on concepts that seem reminiscent of Buddhist and Daoist practices, Falun Gong has developed into a distinct belief system with its own literature, most notably “Zhuan Falun,” which devotees treat as sacred text.

Following a rapid increase in practitioners during the 1990s, Falun Gong caught international attention when official restrictions and subsequent crackdowns in China led to global headlines. While Falun Gong maintains strong communities outside of China, primarily through organizations like the Falun Dafa Association, its teachings and practices remain controversial in various spheres.

Core Doctrines and Practices

Falun Gong centers on the cultivation of mind, body, and moral character. Its key principles are often listed as “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.” Practitioners believe these values facilitate personal harmony and elevate spiritual standing. The practice also includes meditation and a series of slow-moving exercises that Falun Gong claims can improve health and spiritual awareness.

Central to Falun Gong is the belief that cultivating moral virtue aligns an individual with a cosmic law identified with the “Buddha Fa” (or “Dharma”), which they interpret as a fundamental principle underlying the universe. Over time, Li Hongzhi’s teachings introduced concepts about cosmic renewal, higher planes of existence, and themes resembling reincarnation. Practitioners in Falun Gong generally view Li Hongzhi as an enlightened teacher or master whose writings carry unique spiritual authority.

View of Deity and the Universe

Falun Gong teaching does not emphasize the existence of a singular personal Creator God, as historically affirmed in Judeo-Christian Scripture (cf. Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”). Instead, Falun Gong’s framework relies heavily on the idea of a cosmic law or principle manifested in various divine or semi-divine beings. While practitioners may personally espouse different views of “the divine,” there is no unified concept of one eternal God who is Maker of all.

Contrasts in Christology and Salvation

Falun Gong does not regard Jesus Christ as the incarnate Son of God or as the sole means of salvation. Its writings do not portray Jesus as “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6), nor do they teach that reconciliation with God is only possible through Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Instead, Falun Gong holds that spiritual elevation depends on the individual effort of moral and energetic cultivation, rather than receiving grace through faith in a divine Redeemer.

Though Falun Gong literature generally acknowledges figures such as Buddha and possibly Jesus in broad spiritual contexts, its doctrines do not accept the central premise of the Bible concerning Christ’s death and bodily resurrection as the apex of redemptive history (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:14: “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is worthless, and so is your faith.”). This centrality of Jesus’ resurrection is thus absent from Falun Gong theology.

Scriptural Perspective on Spiritual Paths

Passages in Scripture emphasize that there is only one Mediator and one path to true relationship with God (1 Timothy 2:5). Falun Gong diverges by teaching that moral refinement and exercise-based practices can collectively lead to elevated realms and spiritual liberation. By contrast, biblical texts underscore that reconciliation with God does not come through personal effort but is a gift (Ephesians 2:8–9).

Additionally, biblical verses consistently affirm the existence of a personal God who desires an exclusive covenant relationship with humanity (Exodus 20:3–4). Falun Gong, by merging ideas from various Eastern philosophies, arrives at a more impersonal sense of the universe’s ultimate reality.

Claims of Healing and Supernatural Phenomena

Falun Gong practitioners often report experiences of improved health and vitality, attributing these benefits to the practice’s exercises and moral teachings. While physical improvement can follow disciplined routines, Falun Gong does not integrate the notion of miracles brought about by the personal God revealed in the Bible. Instead, the belief in generating or enhancing a personal energy (often called “gong”) aligns more with Eastern traditions of chi or qi.

In comparing these claims to accounts of miracles within the Scripture (e.g., Mark 2:1–12, describing Jesus healing the paralyzed man), there is an evident difference. Biblical miracles testify to the authority and compassion of a personal Creator who intervenes directly. Falun Gong’s supernatural claims remain centered on self-transformation and alignment with cosmic law.

Li Hongzhi’s Role and Authority

Li Hongzhi is considered by adherents to have revealed extraordinary spiritual insights, often described as unprecedented. His chief text, “Zhuan Falun,” is treated as a form of revelation, instructing followers on how to cultivate “xinxing” (moral character) and perform Falun Gong’s exercises. Followers may attribute to him an elevated status akin to that of a spiritual master with transcendent knowledge.

From a biblical perspective, ultimate authority is found uniquely in the Canon of Scripture, which is historically attested, prophetically consistent, and “breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Falun Gong’s emphasis on new revelation through one human teacher stands in contrast with scriptural teaching about God’s self-disclosure across the entirety of the Bible (Hebrews 1:1–2).

Relationship to Communist China and Persecution

Historical documents and human-rights groups confirm that Falun Gong faced a governmental ban and persecution in the late 1990s, particularly following a public demonstration in Beijing in 1999. Publications from Amnesty International and other global organizations detail violations of practitioners’ rights. This situation brought worldwide awareness to the movement.

Regardless of the controversies and responses in China, understanding Falun Gong’s belief system requires separating geopolitical issues from the core spiritual claims. Even so, many Falun Gong practitioners cite the hardships endured as evidence of their movement’s “righteousness” and moral stance.

Comparisons and Points of Divergence

1. View of God: Falun Gong does not affirm a single, personal Creator. Biblical texts consistently proclaim one eternal Creator (e.g., Isaiah 44:24).

2. Salvation: Falun Gong teaches self-improvement to escape cycles of spiritual stagnation. Scripture proclaims salvation by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9).

3. Authority of Writings: Falun Gong regards “Zhuan Falun” as revelatory. The Bible presents itself as complete, coherent, and the exclusive authoritative Word of God (Revelation 22:18–19).

4. Role of Christ: Falun Gong recognizes Jesus superficially but not as God the Son who died and rose again to redeem humankind.

Conclusion

Falun Gong is a 20th-century movement emphasizing moral living through meditation, exercises, and adherence to principles of “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.” While it has parallels with various Eastern spiritual traditions, it diverges significantly from the tenets found in the biblical record, particularly concerning God’s nature, Christ’s role, and the path to salvation.

Though Falun Gong’s teachings have attracted international followers and support—especially amid reports of persecution—its worldview does not align with the message and worldview of Scripture. In biblical accounts, true reconciliation with the Creator rests on the work and person of Jesus Christ, whose historical and bodily resurrection marks the cornerstone of genuine salvation (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Falun Gong’s belief system, built on the foundation of self-cultivation and Li Hongzhi’s revelations, conflicts with the fundamental biblical affirmation that God alone is sovereign, that He calls humanity to repentance, and that salvation is found in Him alone.