Went to see a west end show recently called Shen Yun. Shen Yun means divine performance. Shen Yun is a Dance company based in New York . The company is 5 years old. Their members are ethnic Chinese living in the West. They perform Classical Chinese Dance to classical Music on subjects relating to 5000 years of Chinese History. A few solo artists also perform. The show runs as a series of parables. Each parable introduced by a couple standing at the left side of the stage. The stage curtain rises and falls at the beginning and end of each parable. The best of the show for me was the costumes and I did like the dancing. One of the solo artists who played the Chinese Erhu was also very good.
The group is able to perform around the world except in China. I was curious to find out why. I have read a article by the Journalist Sarah Crompton who writes for the daily Telegraph who saw Shen Yun perform at the Royal Festival Hall in 2008. Her article was titled Shen Yun, Propaganda as entertainment. A big critisism of hers was the fact that human rights and prsecution is presented in some of the parables. Human rights in this case being the following of the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance taken from a new religion called Falun Gong. The show being presented as good entertainment for the whole family.
Most of the Shen Yun group follow Falun Gong. Falun Gong is a 10 year old belief system. It started in China. It is a synthesis of Buddhist and Taoist ideas. Immortal Buddhist figures mix with immortal Taoist figures. Chi Gung (working with the life energy) is changed to Falun Gong (Law of the Wheel Breathing Exercise). Falun Gong also has a list of dos and don’ts which reminded me of the Roman Catholic Church in the Vatican. Mixed race marriage and Gay relationships is seen as degenerate. Its many members and its new religion status have upset the Chinese government. It is seen as an “Evil Cult”.
As l am an advocate for Chi Gung l am sceptical about Falun Gong. I practice Chi Gung daily (Falun Gong is lapse on daily practice). I need to justify a little of Chi Gungs fascinating facts. Chi Gung is an ancient health care system based on breathing and exercise. There are subtle similarities with Chi Gung systems and religious systems else where in the world. In the Book Chi Gung – Harnessing the Power of the Universe by Daniel Reid in his introduction he writes about the Trinity. It concerns essence, body and spirit and deals with the development through life of these. This Trinity or “three treasures” of Chi Gung are in parallel to the Holy trinity in Christianity, the Trimurti in Hinduism and in Buddhism the three Jewels.
Synthesis of ideas and thoughts in China is not new. The syncretic project of the Han synthesis in 207 BC – 9 AD was neccessary. Confucius ideas and Taoist ideas were fused to aid political change and govern a country. In India the rich art of the Moguls is a fusion of Islamic and Hindi. I am all for the crossing over of ideas where cross fertilisation can occur, but it does not happen overnight and is not always successful and is not necessary in some cases.
I will be sitting on the fence as regards Falun Gong and stick with my Chi Gung. My Chi Gung makes my body my temple as is the Stage the temple for the Shen Yun performers.
(White crane martialarts.co.uk, April 23, 2011)
Original text from: http://www.whitecranemartialarts.co.uk/wcrane/?p=1681
