Falun Gong, also called
Falun Dafa, is an old form of
Qigong: a way of cultivating body and mind by
exercise and
meditation. Most forms of Qigong are geared towards staying fit and healing diseases and are comprised almost exclusively of physical exercises that can be compared with
Tai Chi or
yoga. Falun Gong does not concentrate on physical wellbeing but aims toward
wisdom and
enlightenment.
In Falun Gong the mind is cultivated by increasing Xingxing. Xingxing has similarities to what in English are called virtues, but it entails more than just virtues. Xingxing is increased by attuning oneself to the characteristic of the universe, Zhen-Shan-Ren. Zhen stands for truth and truthfulness, Shan for compassion and Ren for tolerance and perseverance. How to increase your Xingxing is explained in the books China Falun Gong and Zhuan Falun, written by the founder of Falun Gong, Li Hongzhi. These books can be downloaded from the internet (for free!). Zhuan Falun teaches, among other things, that people who practise Falun Gong should always be friendly and compassionate, and should think of others before doing something. They should look inside themselves for the causes of any problem they encounter.
The cultivation of the body in Falun Gong is geared towards purification and transformation. There are five exercises to achieve this, four standing exercises and one sitting exercise. Cultivation of the body can only be truly and lastingly effective if one pays attention to the increase of Xingxing. The cultivation of the mind is thus the most important.
The practice of Falun Gong entails following the principles of Thruth, Compassion and Tolerance in everything one does, and regularly doing the exercises.
The information above comes from an information leaflet handed out to me by some Dutch Falun Gong members, so it reflects what they wish to say about themselves. I don't know anything about what DMan says above- it might be true, it might not. For more information you can try www.falundafa.org or www.faluninfo.net.