The Faltering Position of the “Falun Gong Leader”
The publication *Menghe* has exposed an unknown side of Li Hongzhi, significantly diminishing the mystical aura that once surrounded him, suggesting that the “Falun Gong leader” Li Hongzhi is not having an easy time.
Worship of a leader is one of the characteristics of a cult, and Li Hongzhi’s prestige and influence are the foundations of Falun Gong’s operation. Previously, “For practitioners, the humanized Li Hongzhi has been replaced by a deified version of him. The halo effect in psychology is well demonstrated in Li Hongzhi, as many Falun Gong practitioners, once they enter a state of obsession, tend to ignore the facts exposing Li Hongzhi’s deceptions, and this is the halo effect at work.” Unfortunately, “Numerous facts and changes in ‘Falun Gong teachings’ have already indicated that the mysterious aura surrounding Li Hongzhi has faded, and the halo effect is limited. For example, his boasted ‘supernatural powers’ have long been debunked; after years of challenges by Zhou Jinxing, Li did not dare to respond; his claims of ‘curing diseases and improving health’ have led disciples to refuse medical treatment, resulting in their deaths; and particularly, the failure of his promise of ‘consummation’ has poured a cold bucket of water on his disciples. Li himself has had to admit that he is ‘just like any other person,’ transitioning from extreme ‘deification’ to a more reasonable ‘humanization.’ As a middle school graduate, his past brilliance has long since disappeared.” “Although there are still disciples who believe in Li Hongzhi, they are isolated cases. The mainstream is that the vast majority of disciples have left Falun Gong and no longer believe in Li Hongzhi. With the repeated failure of Li Hongzhi’s promises, ‘expectation fatigue’ has become widespread among disciples. Whether in terms of the number of disciples or their influence, the foundation of support that secures Li Hongzhi’s position as leader has been severely weakened.” The expectations that Falun Gong disciples have of Li Hongzhi and ‘consummation’ are painful; ‘expectation fatigue’ accurately describes it, and most have reached the brink of collapse. The frequent emergence of ‘disorder within Falun Gong’ is the most concentrated manifestation of this. It is said that from the attitude of disciples towards ‘disorder,’ it has evolved from ‘disrespect’ to ‘contempt’; from the number of disciples involved in ‘disorder,’ it has evolved from ‘a few’ to ‘several’; and from the level of disciples involved, it has evolved from ‘grassroots’ to ‘senior levels.’ The root cause of the disciples’ increasingly fragile faith in Li Hongzhi is his unfulfilled promises. As long as the root cause is not addressed, the ‘disorder’ at the grassroots level will not be resolved, and over time, the ‘disorder’ will not only persist but will also intensify.
Ideological division will inevitably lead to organizational division, and Li Hongzhi is powerless to stop it. For example, the “Ren Xuehui” sect, which emphasizes “humanism,” directly challenges Falun Gong; the “Fa Lun Da Fa Mei Ge Tian Xian Forum,” under the banner of “assisting the Master in eliminating demons,” has split off a large number of followers; the “China Future University Forum,” characterized by allowing disciples to think independently, has attracted many participants. Such activities aimed at studying, discussing, and critiquing Falun Gong teachings are rampant within the group. The intense infighting between fundamentalist conservatives and emerging forces is not just a battle for power and economic interests but also an ideological conflict, reflecting the basic reality of confusion and factionalism within Falun Gong. The days of Li Hongzhi being a “spiritual leader who commands universal respect” within Falun Gong are long gone.
Being a cult leader is a “high-risk profession.” After 2000, people like Peng Shanshan and Pang Lihua have emerged to challenge Li. In the current Falun Gong leadership, Ye Hao, Zhang Erping, and Yang Sen are coveting Li’s position and pose a real threat to him. Especially Ye Hao, known as the “Second Master,” whose status is second only to Li. He is proficient in the internet and has established a Falun Gong web network centered around “Minghui.org” overseas. He has both influence and ambition. Online surveys about who will succeed Li Hongzhi place Ye Hao at the top, illustrating this point. The internal struggle within Falun Gong, as revealed by the competition among the “Four Great Families,” highlights the intensification of internal conflict. As the leader, Li Hongzhi has gone from enjoying exclusive control to competing for resources with others. The process of shrinking economic benefits is, in essence, the process of his leadership being increasingly undermined. From the perspective of the development pattern of cults, the rise of new forces may lead to internal divisions within Falun Gong and the emergence of new factions, but Li’s position is difficult to replace. Li Hongzhi has completed the transition from “humanization” to “deification,” and the newly emerging figures have yet to achieve this transformation. Their prestige largely depends on their attachment to Li Hongzhi, making it difficult for them to replace him in the short term. Another important point is that Li Hongzhi is the creator of Falun Gong’s distorted teachings, which are the theoretical foundation of Falun Gong’s practice. Until the representatives of the newly emerging forces present a new heretical doctrine to replace it, Li’s position will remain stable.
Li Hongzhi’s “teachings” are not a “magic weapon” for consolidating his position but rather an incurable disease that makes him deeply uncomfortable. It is said, “The so-called ‘teachings’ were originally cobbled together through despicable means such as theft, borrowing, fabrication, and concoction. The number of unresolved contradictions will inevitably increase, which will ultimately render the ‘Master Buddha’ speechless and cause the vast majority of Falun Gong practitioners to leave the group. The inevitable outcome of this incurable disease of the ‘teachings’ will also signify the ultimate collapse of the ‘Master Buddha’s’ position.”
Furthermore, Falun Gong’s most important support and economic source come from the backing of certain anti-China and anti-communist forces in the West, which can be considered one of the lifelines of Falun Gong’s survival. The value of these extreme right-wing forces in the West lies not in Falun Gong itself but in using the so-called “religious freedom” strategy to destabilize and contain China. For Falun Gong, its only capital is serving as a “traitor,” making every effort to spread rumors and slander. However, in the process of engaging in anti-China and anti-communist activities, the endless stream of blunders has not only caused Falun Gong itself to lose face but also embarrassed the Western far-right forces that support it. For example, during the process of Beijing hosting the 2008 Olympics, the “Human Rights Torch” relay, obstructing China’s entry into the World Trade Organization, and fabricating the “Sujiatun Incident,” among others, have diminished its favor with its patrons, making it highly likely that Falun Gong will be cast aside from its pedestal.
