Knowing Falun Gong at a book stall
Journalist: Mr. He, how did you get to know Falun Gong?
He Zuoxiu: On November 26, 1996, I happened to find at a book stall the book "Zhuan Falun" by Li Hongzhi, which was published by China Radio and TV Publishing House. I wondered why China Radio and TV Publishing House, an important national press, published a book to advocate Buddhism. Then I took it for granted that the book was only to advocate Buddhism. However, a close reading of the book surprised me a lot because it was making use of and even debasing Buddhism so as to spread superstitious ideas. I thought Li Hongzhi and his Falun Gong should be given due attention.
Later I read more materials related to this respect. The most impressive was one article by Mr. Chen Xingqiao from the Buddhist Association of China to expose Falun Gong. Mr. Chen attacked Falun Gong from the perspective of Buddhism and held that Falun Gong was only taking advantage of Buddhism and it was in fact a cult. Since scholars from Buddhism have thought Falun Gong as cult more than superstition, I thought we should really be on alert against Falun Gong.
Journalist: What urged you to fight against Falun Gong?
He Zuoxiu
He Zuoxiu: Some tragedies caused by Falun gong occurred around me. So I thought it was high time to expose Falun Gong. At that time Falun Gong spread very fast. Even some postgraduates in our institution began to practice Falun Gong. One postgraduate was so infatuated with Falun Gong that he developed schizophrenia. He neither ate nor spoke all day long, and he even forced himself to stay awake the whole day. Leaders of our institution were informed of this situation and took this postgraduate to psychopathic hospital very soon. This incident showed clearly that Falun Gong would lead practitioner to a psychopath and people should be warned of this point. So when I was interviewed by the program "Beijing Express" at Beijing TV Station, I remarked, "Practitioners of Qigong should have a clear idea of the functions of Qigong. People can benefit from Qigong to some degree. But some Qigong may lead people to going into extremes, such as Falun Gong. So practitioners should be on alert." To my surprise, after the broadcasting of this interview, Beijing TV Station was beleaguered by some practitioners of Falun Gong. I received a lot of letters that expressed the similar voice to defend Falun Gong. Most of the letters were from Shenyang, which explained that the movement was specially organized. Falun Gong practitioners in our institution and China Science Academy came to me and argued with me about Falun Gong. Then I really wondered why Falun Gong launched movements of such a large scale to respond to my criticism. Almost at the same period, Falun Gong followers have besieged many newspaper offices and other media, which made a great stir in the society. At that time most of the news agencies besieged were forced to apologize, and only a few media withstood the pressure.
One article starting a storm
Journalist: After you criticized Falun Gong openly, Falun Gong arranged many practitioners to beleaguer Beijing TV Station, wrote letters to you and debated with you. Then did you feel endangered?
He Zuoxiu: I was not scared by the threats and debates from Falun Gong for I sided with truth. So whenever I got the chance I would continue to expose Falun Gong in the media. For example, I criticized Falun Gong respectively at "The Trend of Science and Technology" and a journal in Xi'an, and they were later besieged by Falun Gong. As for me, I held onto the truth and expressed my criticism frankly. Therefore, I published an article to expose and attack Falun Gong at "Science Review for Juvenile".
Journalist: it is just this article at "Science Review for Juvenile" that angered Falun Gong and they began to beleaguer Tianjin Normal University on a large scale and then even desperately launched their besiegement of Zhongnanhai, the highest leading department of the Party and the country. Could you tell me how you wrote the article and what you have mentioned in it?
He Zuoxiu: In early 1999, I was invited to write an article for juvenile by "Science Review for Juvenile" published by Tianjin Normal University. So I wrote the article entitled "I don't support juveniles to practice Qigong" because I thought the juveniles should be warned against the dangers of some Qigong. Since I realized clearly what Falun Gong really was, I criticized Falun Gong for two times. First I held that Falun Gong was to spread superstitious ideas and advocate the so-called "law of primordial spirit". Second I warned that Falun Gong might make practitioners go into extremes. Here I took the example of that graduate in my institution who went into extremes because of Falun Gong.
In fact, when I was using this example of the postgraduate in our institution at Beijing TV Station, some Falun Gong followers came to debate with me, claiming that postgraduate went into extremes because of the practice of other Qigong instead of Falun Gong. But they couldn't tell me the real name of other Qigong. So what they claimed was just chicanery, for all of us knew clearly that that postgraduate practiced Falun Gong. At that time I said to them, "Why do you lie? That postgraduate suffered schizophrenia due to Falun Gong. Why do you blame other Qigong?" They responded, "Mr. He, that postgraduate went into extremes because he performed wrong postures." I challenged, "I practice Taiji Boxing. I know that people may have a variety of postures in performing Taiji Boxing. If people would go into extremes just because they have used wrong postures when practicing Falun Gong, that only means Falun Gong is too dangerous." Our debate ended in vain. In fact, I have not totally realized the risk of Falun Gong at that time. Now it is clear that Falun Gong is more dangerous than we have expected.
Therefore, in the article published at "Science Review for Juvenile", I specially mentioned that the very postgraduate recovered from schizophrenia and went on with practicing Falun Gong and went into extremes for the second time. He kept murmuring "Master Li Hongzhi is continuously caring for me" all day long, which proved more certainly that this postgraduate went into extremes because of Falun Gong. Those Falun Gong practitioners intended to deny the fact and felt greatly annoyed at my article. So they beleaguered Tianjin Normal University and "Science Review for Juvenile". At the same time, in order to fool more Falun Gong practitioners, they didn't allow the practitioners to read my article. Their excuse was that article was very long and wholly against Falun Gong. In fact, my article was very short with less than 1000 words and Falun Gong was only mentioned for two times. So they fooled and instigated some practitioners to beleaguer Tianjin Normal University.
Later they gathered and protested in front of Zhongnanhai and put forward three requests. First they wanted to be declared as a legal organization. Second they asked "Science Review for Juvenile" to apologize to them. Third they urged to punish He Zuoxiu severely. It seemed that they targeted He Zuoxiu's article. In fact they just made use of my article to elaborate their own intentions, which were to challenge our Party and our Central Government. Now they have begun to attack Communist Party of China, even President Jiang and Premier Zhu. It goes clearly that their besiegement of Zhongnanhai was premeditated, organized and planned action. The chief instigator is none other but Li Hongzhi.
Braving the besiegement and debates
Journalist: Just as you said, Falun Gong followers have debated with you for many times. How did you cope with them?
He Zuoxiu: While I was criticizing Falun Gong, they encouraged some practitioners to debate with me. For example, when they were beleaguering "Science Review for Juvenile" in Tianjin, some Falun Gong practitioners came to my home to debate with me. I had to take up the gauntlet; otherwise they would think truth sided with them. Of course, I would not debate blindly; instead I have taken up some strategies. First, I would ask whether they were representatives of Falun Gong. But no one dared to admit his or her identity of Falun Gong representatives. Then I would ask them why they came to debate with me. I welcomed any kind of debate if they disagreed with me or stood for Falun Gong. I even welcomed Li Hongzhi to debate with me personally. Then one of them claimed to be on behalf of Falun Gong. I required him to show me the letter of introduction. He couldn't show me anything. Then I continued I would not debate with him since he could not prove him to be the representative of Falun Gong.
The second strategy was to recriminate them just with their own ideas. I would say you practice Falun Gong, which believes in truth, compassion and forbearance while I am a member of Communist Party, which grasps well how to fight and how to unite. You talk so loud about forbearance. But what you have done never lived up to the forbearance. I just wrote a short article to show my disagreement with you. But you have started such a stir and dragged so many people to beleaguer or debate. Where was your forbearance? In my opinion, you were much more aggressive than me. Formerly I had thought Falun Gong might have some merits. Now what you were doing was not in consistent with what you were advocating. Of course I will fight against you. I have read the Bible and Christ has taught us that tolerance means "whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." Now I have only given you some criticism, you rushed to my home to debate. Are you exemplifying your tolerance? Your actions have impressed me really badly.
Then I came to the word "truth". At that time I have learned from Mr. Chen Xingqiao's article that Li Hongzhi had changed his birth date. I asked them, "Li Hongzhi's birthday is July 7. Why did he change it into May 13? Can it be considered as truth?" At that time many of them remained in dark about this news.
I finally came to "compassion". Falun Gong claims that practitioners needn't take any medicine even if they fall ill. Consequently many patients died. Many reports of this kind have appeared on the newspapers. Can this be regarded as "compassion"?
So I just made use of their slogans to debate with them. Li Hongzhi has written in his books that truth, compassion and forearance are the most important laws in the universe. I argued, "You can disagree to my ideas. But why don't you obey what Li Hongzhi has preached to you?"
Standing behind the locked anti-theft door, I kept debating with them. If they really dared to prize my anti-theft door, I would dial 110 and report to the police. But to tell the truth, they did not destroy my door.
(China Information Newspaper, August 20, 1999)
