'Greatest Buddha' is merely a common man

AS fragments of truth gather, we are increasingly convinced that Falun Gong and its preacher Li Hongzhi are getting what they deserve.

Li, the former trumpeter and grain store clerk, who claims to be the master of all masters with "truthfulness, benevolence and forbearance" on his lips, is but a common guy who lies and cheats.

Do not fuss over such trivial details as his antedating of his own birth to coincide that of Sakyamuni. It is below "Master Li's" dignity to "be on par with Sakyamuni." He is doing what "Sakyamuni was reluctant or unable to do" _ leaving mankind a "ladder" to a "higher" world to which "truthfulness" is the passport.

Do not even rely on the fact that "Master Li" is authoring a fresh lie about falsifying his date of birth before mounting facts, including the testimony of a midwife, who ushered him into this vulgar world. Values of this world do not apply to this "superman" who is here just to expiate the sins of the most enlightened of us to his "Falun world" which features "moral purity."

And never ever try to lay blame on "Master Li" for the tragic deaths of those devoted followers who took his teachings instead of medication when they were sick. Common sense about life and death of this world is but nonsense in the "Falun world." Your death is nothing but proof that you are not wholeheartedly devoted to "Master Li's" teachings. If you are behind what "Master Li" did, instead of what he said, you would not refuse medicine because he caught a common cold and took common medicine like us common mortals.

"Master Li" is, after all, not as common as we are.

He made a hunchback straight with several slight pats.

He ''saved'' the Earth from destruction in 1994 by letting Halley's comet, which was originally heading towards our planet, run into Jupiter.

He has ''decided'' to put off the next, or the third to be exact, explosion of our planet by 30 years upon ''requests of Chinese leaders Jiang Zemin and Li Peng.''

And most uncommon of all, he offers different advice for different people. While dumping his stock of eulogies for the "Falun world" and promising guidance for elevation to that perfect world before followers, has "Master Li" ever given our foreign counterparts a hint of all this during all those interviews he has arranged? His message of salvation is not supposed to discriminate between national boundaries.

"Master Li" lets our foreign counterparts tell the world that Falun Gong is just a kind of exercise like taiji and qigong and he is cultivating harmony in society.

But bodily health is but a low secular concern in his "Falun world." That is why traditional exercises such as taiji and qigong and all religions are way below Falun Gong and why its practitioners must give up any attempt to compare Falun Gong with other means of physical or spiritual improvement.

That is also why media organizations and scientists, who were not tolerant enough of "Master Li's" braggings, were one after another besieged and intimidated by Falun Gong followers.

Since contemporary science is fool's ravings in the face of "Master Li's" interpretation of the universe, no one other than himself knows the way out of our sufferings in this world.

That is why you have to abandon all hopes of society, government and all other individuals and gods except "Master Li."

Estrangement from family and society is the beginning of enlightenment because "Master Li" is the only guide that can be trusted.

"Master Li" cracked a joke on some of us. He thrives on our frustrations in secular life. He is awaiting our ultimate surrender of trust in everything that is in his way towards ultimate control over our minds.

As numerous disciples of "Master Li" have conceded, Falun Gong is a swelling tumour that erodes our entire social fabric, starting with the family.

The authorities' decisive move to remove it is timely and justified.

China daily
07/30/99