| Subject: Re: Fa Lun Gong |
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benjamin guile
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Date Posted: 22:05:44 01/07/04 Wed
In reply to:
benjamin guile
's message, "Re: Fa Lun Gong" on 22:01:10 01/07/04 Wed
>>>>>>I am just curious abt their actions in China. What
>>>>>>makes them have this idea of burning themselves
>for
>>>>>>their religion.
>>>>>
>>>>>Hi, I am melody,a student in Douglas college, B.C.
>>>>>Canada. After I read the core books of Falun
>>>>>Gong,Zhuan FaLun, I found it is
>questionable.please,
>>>>>give me a feedback after reading the argumentation
>>>>>below, thanks.Email Add.:panhongyan@hotmail.com
>>>>>
>>>>>"Qigong is not exclusively a product of our
>>>>>country(China). It exists in foreign countries as
>>>>>well,
>>>>>
>>>>>but they don’t call it Qigong. Western countries,
>>>>>such as the United States, Great Britain, etc.,
>>>>>
>>>>>call it magic. David Copperfield, a magician in the
>>>>>US, is a master of supernormal abilities who
>>>>>
>>>>>once performed the feat of walking through the
>Great
>>>>>Wall of China. When he was about to pass
>>>>>
>>>>>through the Wall, he used a white cloth as a cover,
>>>>>pressed himself against the Wall, and then
>>>>>
>>>>>proceeded to go through it. Why did he do that?
>>Doing
>>>>>it that way would lead many people to
>>>>>
>>>>>consider it a magic show. It had to be done like
>>that
>>>>>since he knew there are many people in
>>>>>
>>>>>China with great supernormal abilities. He was
>>afraid
>>>>>of interference from them, so he covered
>>>>>
>>>>>himself before he went in." ------ Chapter I
>>>>>Introduction FALUN GONG by Li Hong zhi
>>>>>
>>>>> Wow, David Copperfield possesses supernormal
>>>>>abilities! Is that striking to you? No matter
>>>>>
>>>>>what, the paragraph is quoted exactly from the Book
>>>Fa
>>>>>Lun Gong, wrote by Mr. Li Hong Zhi,
>>>>>
>>>>>the founder of Fa Lun Gong. One may be wondering
>>what
>>>>>Fa Lun Gong is? Based on its own
>>>>>
>>>>>definition, Fa Lun Gong (also called FaLun DaFa),
>>>>>founded in 1992 in China, is an ancient form
>>>>>
>>>>>of QiGong, the practice of refining the body and
>>mind
>>>>>through special exercises and meditation.
>>>>>
>>>>>Like tai chi. It also claims that there are seven
>>>>>hundred thousand practitioners in China, and three
>>>>>
>>>>>hundred thousand oversea practitioners. Mr. Li Hong
>>>>>Zhi, the founder of Falun Gong , living in
>>>>>
>>>>>America, used to be an office clerk in China. He
>>>wrote
>>>>>two books as the core texts. One is Fa
>>>>>
>>>>>Lun Gong, the other is Zhuan Fa Lun. An article on
>>>>>Timesasis.com says,"Li's rambling
>>>>>
>>>>>dissertation, Zhuan Falun, has only added to
>>>>>accusations that Falun Gong is a cult. Li writes
>he
>>>>>
>>>>>can personally heal disease and that his followers
>>>can
>>>>>stop speeding cars using the powers of his
>>>>>
>>>>>teachings. He writes that the Falun Gong emblem
>>>exists
>>>>>in the bellies of practitioners, who can
>>>>>
>>>>>see through the celestial eyes in their foreheads.
>>Li
>>>>>believes "humankind is degenerating and
>>>>>
>>>>>demons are everywhere"—extraterrestrials are
>>>>>everywhere, too—and he boasts there is a 2-
>>>>>
>>>>>billion-year-old nuclear reactor in Africa. He also
>>>>>says he can fly." Is Fa Lun Gong a cult? It is a
>>>>>
>>>>>super controversial topic. In order to answer this
>>>>>question, this essay will be focused on testing
>>>>>
>>>>>FaLun Gong's credibility by intensively analyzing
>>>>>lecture one to Seven of the book Zhuan Fa
>>>>>
>>>>>Lun.
>>>>>
>>>>> The origination of Fa Lun Gong
>>>>> On this topic, Mr, Li repeatedly
>>>emphasizes
>>>>>on the vast and profound history of FaLun
>>>>>
>>>>> Dafa. For example, in Characteristics of Falun
>Gong
>>>>>,lecture one, Mr. Li claims," Our Falun
>>>>>
>>>>>DaFa is one of the eighty four thousand cultivation
>>>>>ways in the Buddha school. During the
>>>>>
>>>>>historical period of this human civilization, it
>has
>>>>>never been made public. In a prehistoric
>>>>>
>>>>>period, however, it was once widely used to provide
>>>>>salvation to humankind. In this final period
>>>>>
>>>>>of last Havoc, I am making it public again.
>>>Therefore,
>>>>>it is extremely precious." In The Issue Of
>>>>>
>>>>>Pursuit, section 5, lecture two, Mr. Li further
>>>>>indicates, "It has taken us many generations, an
>>>>>
>>>>>extremely long period of time, and a frightening
>>>>>number of years to form this FaLun." Moreover,
>>>>>
>>>>>in Energy Field, lecture three, he repeats that a
>>>>>genuine cultivation way is always passed down
>>>>>
>>>>>from a prehistoric time. It has been preserved from
>>>>>quite a remote age and has successfully
>>>>>
>>>>>cultivated numerous great enlightened people. Such
>a
>>>>>thing can only take place in this Dharma-
>>>>>
>>>>>ending period of ours. These things have never
>>>>>occurred throughout the history.
>>>>>
>>>>> Arguments appear here. According to the
>>>>>passage above, Mr. Li carelessly makes two
>>>>>
>>>>>paradoxes. First of all, he says," FaLun DaFa has
>>>been
>>>>>used once broadly in a prehistoric period.
>>>>>
>>>>>However, latter, he says Fa Lun Da Fa never happens
>>>>>throughout history, and it can only take
>>>>>
>>>>>place in this Dharma-Ending Period. Secondly, he
>>>>>claims that FaLunDaFa can be derived from
>>>>>
>>>>>Buddha school, and in a prehistoric period, it used
>>>>>once. Can anything be used before being
>>>>>
>>>>>produced? In the prehistoric period, which at
>lease
>>>>>ten thousand years ago, FaLun Gong was
>>>>>
>>>>>used once, unfortunately, the historical Budda,
>>>>>Shakyamumi, was born twenty five hundred years
>>>>>
>>>>>ago in North Central India(Rob Nairn.3).
>>>>>
>>>>>The paranormal abilities of Mr. Li
>>>>> Based on the lecture one to lecture7 of the
>>>>>book Zhuan FaLun, Mr. Li not only saves
>>>>>
>>>>>mankind but also possesses large numbers of
>>>paranormal
>>>>>abilities, including flying, predicating
>>>>>
>>>>>with his celestial eyes, healing, making
>>precognition
>>>>>and retrocognition appearing in enormous
>>>>>
>>>>>numbers of Fa Shen(A body made of paranormal power)
>>>>>ect.. In QiGong Is Cultivation Practice,
>>>>>
>>>>>lecture one, Mr. Li asserts that over ten thousand
>>>>>genuine supernormal abilities exist. In
>>>>>
>>>>>addition, in QiGong is prehistoric culture, lecture
>>>>>one, he seriously says," I made a careful
>>>>>
>>>>>investigation once and found that humankind has
>>>>>undergone complete annihilation eighty one
>>>>>
>>>>>times." Another example of his powerful abilities
>is
>>>>>the omnipotent Fa Shen. In Fa Shen, lecture
>>>>>
>>>>>five, Mr.Li explains that FaShen is born in one's
>>>>>Dantin area and is made of paranormal power.
>>>>>
>>>>>FaShen itself is also a complete, independent, and
>>>>>realistic individual life. He further states the
>>>>>
>>>>>capabilities of Fa Shen in Section 1, Lecture
>>three,"
>>>>>My FaShen are so numerous that they are
>>>>>
>>>>>uncountable. Besides these practitioners, no matter
>>>>>how many more people there are, I am still
>>>>>
>>>>>able to take care of them." Furthermore, in section
>>8
>>>>>, lecture four, Mr. Li reveals, " Your illness
>>>>>
>>>>>will be cured directly by me. Those who practice at
>>>>>exercise sites will have my FaShen to cure
>>>>>
>>>>>their illness. Those who study Dafa by reading the
>>>>>book on their own will also have my FaShen
>>>>>
>>>>>to cure their illness." He adds, " As a
>>practitioner,
>>>>>your path of life will be changed from now on.
>>>>>
>>>>>My FaShen will rearrange it for you." In the same
>>>>>section, he further states," We have told you
>>>>>
>>>>>here that I can do it because I have numerous
>FaShen
>>>>>who possess my mighty divine powers.
>>>>>
>>>>>They can demonstrate great supernatural powers." A
>>>>>further example of his abilities is flying.
>>>>>
>>>>>Take, Transcending The Five Elements and Three
>>>Realms,
>>>>>lecture two, for example. A
>>>>>
>>>>>practitioner wrote a report to Mr. Li that he has
>>>>>reached many levels of Heaven and seen some
>>>>>
>>>>>scenes. Mr. Li told him to climb up further. Mr. Li
>>>>>even confirms," He have found that some of
>>>>>
>>>>>those Qi Gong masters in the past had very high
>gong
>>>>>column that reached beyond the Milky
>>>>>
>>>>>Way; they far beyond the three realms."
>>>>>
>>>>> Arguments rise here again. If he had power to
>>>>>predict, how come he did not stop the tragedy
>>>>>
>>>>>on Sept. 11? If he had celestial eyes, how come he
>>>did
>>>>>not tell his protector, President Bush,
>>>>>
>>>>>where Bin Ladin is? If he had the ability of
>flying,
>>>>>if he had the numinous FaShen, how come he
>>>>>
>>>>>did not bring Bin Ladin back to justice. If he had
>>>>>ability of precognition, how come he did not
>>>>>
>>>>>change the result prior to FaLun Gong's being
>Banned
>>>>>by Chinese government in 1999 as an evil
>>>>>
>>>>>cult. If he could heal illness, how come 1,600 his
>>>>>followers were killed by driving them insane or
>>>>>
>>>>>telling them to reject medical help when practicing
>>>>>the FaLun Gong(cnn.com).
>>>>>
>>>>>Paranormal abilities of Fa Lun Da Fa
>>>>> Like Mr. Li, Fa lun Da Fa also possesses
>>>endless
>>>>>powerful paranormal abilities. For example,
>>>>>
>>>>>in lecture two, there are five basic paranormal
>>>>>abilities: celestial eye, clairvoyance,
>>>precognition,
>>>>>
>>>>>retrocognition. FaLunDaFa insists everyone
>>practicing
>>>>>DaFa can have paranormal abilities. For
>>>>>
>>>>>example, in section 5 , lecture one, Mr. Li says,"
>>>>>Think about it, every one; one can develop
>>>>>
>>>>>supernormal abilities through cultivation
>practice."
>>>>>The practitioners can gain celestial eye,
>>>>>
>>>>>compound eye, and clairvoyance. For instant, Mr. Li
>>>>>writes about the celestial eye in section one,
>>>>>
>>>>>lecture two," we are opening the celestial eye for
>>>>>everyone here." In addition, he also explains,"
>>>>>
>>>>>the celestial Eye that we refer to is, in fact,
>>>>>located slightly above and between one's eyebrows,
>>>>>
>>>>>and it is connected to the pineal body." He also
>>>>>explains how normal eye works: the images are
>>>>>
>>>>>formed in the brain. That is what we see through
>the
>>>>>eyes is sent to the pineal body in the rear of
>>>>>
>>>>>the brain via the optic nerve and then reflected as
>>>>>images in that area. Namely, the actual
>>>>>
>>>>>reflected images are seen in the pineal body of the
>>>>>brain. Modern medication also recognizes
>>>>>
>>>>>this. Another paranormal ability Fa LunDaFa has is
>>to
>>>>>prolong practitioners' life. In section 7,
>>>>>
>>>>>lecture one, Mr.Li says, " Yet some people have
>>>>>limited time left in their life, our FaLun DaFa
>>>>>
>>>>>can solve this problem and shorten the course of
>>>>>practice. With consistent practice, your life will
>>>>>
>>>>>be constantly prolonged." Mr. Li also says,"
>Elderly
>>>>>women will regain menstrual period when
>>>>>
>>>>>practicing FaLUn DaFa, which is also a common
>>>>>phenomenon."
>>>>>
>>>>> Arguments boost here. First, what Mr. Li
>>>>>explains the function of pineal body shows he
>>>>>
>>>>>does not even have the basic medical knowledge.
>>Based
>>>>>on the book Human Anatomy, Pineal
>>>>>
>>>>>body is a gland controlling a hormone called
>>>>>Melatonin, which helps control period of sexual
>>>>>
>>>>>maturation in male (Eldra Pearl Slomon, 141). Where
>>>>>the actual reflected images are formed on
>>>>>
>>>>>the retina, and then nerve impulses must be
>>>>>transmitted to the visual areas of the cerebral
>>>>cortex
>>>>>
>>>>>(121). Furthermore, it 's abnormal for elderly
>women
>>>>>to regain menstrual period. In fact, most of
>>>>>
>>>>>women cease menstruation at about age 50(285). If
>>Mr.
>>>>>Li could prolong practitioners' lives, how
>>>>>
>>>>>come he did not prolong the life of 12 year old
>>>>>practitioner who died from a suicidal arson with
>>>>>
>>>>>her mom and four other practitioners on Tian An Men
>>>>>Square in year 2000.
>>>>>
>>>>> Although the fakes exposed in this essay
>>>>>reflect just a tiny part of the huge iceberg, they
>
>>>>>
>>>>>manifest convincingly the evil nature of Fa LunGong
>>>>>and its founder, Mr.Li Hong Zhi. It is ease
>>>>>
>>>>>to draw an assured conclusion that Mr. Li Hong Zhi
>>is
>>>>>an ignorant liar. FaLun DaFa is a sham Qi
>>>>>
>>>>>Gong Organization. On this vast world, the shams,
>>>like
>>>>>Mr.Li Hong Zhi, are enormous. How can
>>>>>
>>>>>one distinguish the wolf covered with the skin of
>>>>>sheep? Mr. Hans Christian Andersen, a famous
>>>>>
>>>>>author, has provided an answer in his meaningful
>>>story
>>>>>Emperor's New Clothes. In this live play,
>>>>>
>>>>>the Vain Emperor is played by the practitioner of
>>>>>FaLunGong; the Scoundrel Tailor is played by
>>>>>
>>>>>Mr. Li Hong Zhi. Dear readers, do you want to play
>>>the
>>>>>role of Outlookers to obey the falsehood,
>>>>>
>>>>>or play the role of the little Boy, a hero to smash
>>>>>the falsehood.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>
>>>
>>>>> Work Cited
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Li, Hong Zhi. FaLun Gong. 4th .
>>>>>www.falundafa.org
>>>>>
>>>>> Li, Hong Zhi. Zhuan FaLun .
>>>.www.falundafa.org
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Nairn, Rob What Is Meditation.Shambhala.
>>>>>Boston.
>>>>>
>>>>> Solomom, Eldra Pearl. Introduction to Human
>>>>>Anatomy And Physiology. W.B. Saunders Company.
>>>>>
>>>>> Timesasia.com." Special Society Or Evil
>>>Cult?"
>>>>>Vol.157. No. 26.July 2.2001
>>>>
>>>>I have been practicing Falun Dafa for about 6 months
>>>>now and the effects have been quite profound, I have
>>>>stopped smoking doing drugs and drinking, amazingly
>>>>most easily as well. I deal with people with
>>>>compassion, I speak with the truth and I will
>forbear
>>>>tribualations with a smile.
>>>>
>>>>Melodie, you speak with anger agianst Falun Dafa,
>>why?
>>>>Yuo have not read Zhuan Falun thourally because if
>>you
>>>>had you would not ask the questions you have asked
>>>>about Bin Laden and Bush.
>>>>
>>>>Please read the book with a clear mind and a calm
>>>>heart before you make this accusations, as you know
>>>>not what you do.
>>>>
>>>>thank you
>>>
>>>START START START
>>>
>>>of this answer
>>>
>>>>I am somewhat dismayed at the poorly (so far as I
>can
>>>see) thought out reasoning in the above attempt at
>>>showing Li Hongzhi to be a liar. There are certainly
>>>better efforts available to any competent and sincere
>>>reader than the superficial, severely biased wash
>>>presented. Here are potential, and arguably
>>>unanswerable rebuttals to some of the points, and
>some
>>>different approaches to Mr. Li's work that I have
>>>experienced as more fruitful than what look to me
>like
>>>mere protests:
>>>
>>>First, has anyone asked Mr. Copperfield if indeed Mr
>>>Li's claim about him is false? Or has Mr.
>Copperfield
>>>publicly, credibly stated that he is NOT capable of
>>>paranormal feats (as did, for example, Mr. Houdini)?
>>>It is clearly the agonist's assumption, and
>prejudiced
>>>presumption that Mr. Copperfield could not possibly
>>>have powers greater than the agonist's, and that "Of
>>>course Mr. Li Hongzhi is nuts..." that appears to me
>>>to be at work in his criticism, or more accurately,
>>>complaints.
>>>
>>>But, joking aside ...(although it would have been
>much
>>>more effective/interesting for the agonist to have
>>>pointed out any public statements etc. by Mr.
>>>Copperfield; otherwise one is kind of "stuck" with
>Mr.
>>>Li's allegation as standing uncontroverted except by
>>>bias -- If Christ was putatively able to do all this,
>>>why not another of God's Lovely Creations, eh?),
>
>[but,
>>>joking aside] ...it appears the reader had only
>>>thought linearly, or from a "I am next to this tree,
>>>which is next to that tree, which is next to this
>>>other tree" viewpoint, without exercising the charity
>>>necessary to avoid Beta-statistical error (commonly
>>>known as paralysis by analysis, low-power
>experimental
>>>design) and considering whether (1) the trees were
>>>mere images in mirrors, (2) there might be a forest,
>>>or a planet, or a purpose in between, or (3) do I
>have
>>>to be literal minded in everything down every line of
>>>thought and consideration?, or (4) other
>>>possibilities, once one leaves the
>>>yuk-yuk-laugh-at-that-with-pointing-derogatory-finger
>>>superficial argumentation-at-all-costs point of view.
>>>
>>>To wit--If one wanted to plant a "psychological
>>>device" or "spiritual device" into a receiving
>>>conscious translating device, how to succeed?
>>>Here hypnosis is one fairly well established, though
>not
>>>well understood, technique. Screaming and shouting
>at
>>>underlings, such as children, is another well known
>>>but not so well recognized technique. These,
>however,
>>>are about the extent of what our very primitive
>>>knowledge in the Western Academic World contains.
>>>Therefore, it would be wise, from such abysmal
>>>simplicity and ignorance, to have more respect and
>>>circumspection before scoffing at propositions and
>>>self-announced techniques for implantation offered by
>>>someone claiming knowledge deriving from a
>>>civilization/culture/tradition generally ceded by the
>>>West as late as the 1970's to have much more
>>>sophistication and subtlety in the traditions of
>>>religious and psychological knowedge.
>
>(It is worth note that the agonist has glaringly
>omitted any
>substantive knowledge of the laws/truths that he
>appears to believe to have been first invented and
>made true by Mr. Buddha, Gautama himself -- which is
>rather like saying the laws/truths of gravitation and
>calculus did not exist before Isaac Newton developed
>"Newtonian Physics".)
>>>
>>>From this more respectful (even as one might respect
>a
>>>Sumo wrestler) position, I note circumspectly that
>the
>>>agonist, not at all unlike myself, has automatically
>>>gotten all-fired-up over the book. Indeed, perhaps
>he
>>>has already made the first step towards opening his
>>>mind or abdomen (that is where the traditional seat
>of
>>>feelings and certain kinds of thinking is in some
>>>traditions, such as ancient China) for reception of
>>>the proposed falun
>implant-for-his-health-if-he-is-willing-to-accept-from-
>spiritual-surgeon-Li-Hongzhi.
>
>Mr. Li's bombastic statements and claims which violate
>deeply held "Western realities" have been so deeply
>impinged into the agonist's psyche that he finds
>himself unconsciously railing and raving, without
>recognizing how automatic and
>not-of-his-own-independent-conscious-consideration are
>his reactions.
>
>It appears, from a position I could easily posit for
>Mr. Li, the the agonist is pursuing some attachment,
>and in the process, is unable to reach the Iron
>Candlestick at the end of the
>Aladdin's-cave-of-treasures. Rather than seeking what
>is true in Mr. Li's teachings, he is reacting to his
>own baggage of "knowledge", which I suggest is almost
>100% unverified hearsay in the agonist's habitual
>make-up.
>>>
>>>As to why Mr. Li does or did not change the course of
>>>events, one has only to read the books to get an
>>>irrebuttable answer, from my own position of
>>>ignorance. Mr. Li says that changing the fate of
>>>mankind, and certain people, is wrong... it takes
>>>their karma and postpones it, and this kind of
>>>activity is generallly, or often, neither good for
>the
>>>other person, nor for the practitioner. From this
>>>point of view, I would gather that Mr. Li claims
>>>knowledge from a "higher" perspective than mine, and
>>>would know which ones to meddle in. I guess it could
>>>be compared to a primitive who hears that "fire" can
>>>be used to improve metal, and wood-hardness, and many
>>>other things, and then concludes that the "prophet"
>>>who is telling this ridiculous bullshit does not know
>>>what he is talking about because he does not improve
>>>everything with this fire, or because fire burns, or
>>>the like. The analogy is not very apt, but I think
>>>the relative positions of the "prophet" (Mr. Li???),
>>>vis-a-vis the "primitive" (myself, the agonist, the
>>>reader???) are not far from what I depicted in the
>>>analogy.
>>>
>>>As to the function(s) of the pineal gland, I believe
>>>it is associated, in Western thinking, with the
>>>endocrine system. But that does not remove it from
>>>Mr. Li's description at all. I have noted that if I
>>>see just the right shapes (female curves, pretty
>>>smiles on women, horrific faces, etc.) I immediately
>>>get an endocrine mediated reaction. This has been
>>>experimentally demonstrated in babies, in
>>>face-recognition and face-reaction experiments.
>>>Certainly we Westerners are very cerebrally oriented,
>>>believing unconsciously that all things are either
>>>"blind belief/faith", or logically true, and all else
>>>is non-existent gobbledygook. Belief is one of the
>>>links between perception and the endocrine system.
>>>Could belief have aytning to do with what we see? I
>>>say yes indeed, when we see a man with a cocked gun
>>>pointed at us, we see something very believable,
>>>albeit not necessarily true, to which we react,
>rather
>>>like the agonist did to Mr. Li's book, even.
>>>
>>>Does the reader really insist and believe that
>>>paranormal capabilities (perhaps a misnomer) cannot,
>>>do not exist in humans? I sincerely doubt it, and
>>>feel some genuine sadness and compassion for those
>who
>>>do so insist. Evidence seems to point to the
>>contrary.
>>>
>>>If one does hold that possibly such capabilities
>>>exist, does the reader then insist and believe that
>>>they cannot be developed? based on what? We can
>>>develop all of our other capabilites, such as
>physcial
>>>strength, patience, forebearance, kindness, honesty,
>>>thinking clarity, writing skills, visual creativity,
>>>etc.
>>>
>>>Does the reader hold, inisist or believe that in all
>>>the thousands of years of known existence of humans
>>>capable of religious thought no one or group has
>>>developed their capacities in such activity, such
>that
>>>it is more developed in them than in those who have
>>>not developed such? Or even that such development
>may
>>>have taken place in several places at several
>>>different times, analogous to the development of
>>>physical prowess by the British civilizations and the
>>>Japanese so clearly seen in the wrestling
>competitions
>>>between the Japanese and Commodore Perry's crew?
>>>
>>>If the reader can accept that some other culture, or
>>>tradition, has indeed developed a "technology"
>>>"superior" to our own clear paucity, then why judge
>so
>>>automatically from such a position of ignorance in
>the
>>>subject, starting from the position that one "knows"
>>>about the subject about which one is so ignorant?
>>>
>>>Please understand that I am not arguing that Mr. Li,
>>>or Falungong is accurate, but rather, that
>>>consideration of such issues requires more than
>merely
>>>getting emotional and shouting aloud how wrong it is,
>>>all the while claiming one is being logical.
>>>
>>>
>>Bye the bye, Have you encountered the following story
>>in Mr. Li Hongzhi's writings? Consider it seriously!
>>
>>A fellow caught a bird, who begged to be released,
>>saying he was no use to the man as a captive and
>>promising to give the man three pieces of valuable
>>advice if set free, the first while still in the
>>captor's grasp, the second when he reached a branch,
>>and the third when he reached the top of a mountain.
>>The man agreed, and received the following:
>>
>>"If you lose something, even if it be valued by you as
>>much as life itself -- do not regret it"
>>
>>upon hopping to a branch,
>>
>>"Never believe anything which is contrary to sense,
>>without proof"
>>
>>upon flying to the mountain top,
>>
>>"Oh, unfortunate one! In me are two huge jewels, and
>>if you had only killed me, they would have been
>yours!"
>>
>>The man was in anguish at the thought of what he had
>>lost, but still managed to ask for the third piece of
>>advice.
>>
>>"What a fool you are, asking me for more advice when
>>you have not given thought to the first two pieces I
>>gave you. I told you not to worry about what had
>>been lost, and not to believe in something contrary
>>tosense. Now you are doing both! You are believing
>>something ridiculous and grieving because you lost
>>something. I am not big enough to have inside me huge
>>jewels!
>>
>>"You are a fool. Therefore you must stay within the
>>usual restrictions imposed on man."
>>
>>ACTUALLY, I AM ALMOST CERTAIN THAT LI HONGZHI HAS NOT
>>WRITTEN, TAUGHT, READ OR EVEN CONSIDERED THE ABOVE
>>STORY...
>>
>>I only suggested that he had in the hopes that some
>>reader(s) would have the fun of getting to see how the
>>pedigree of the story might change its flavor.
>>
>>This story is purported by Idries Shah in "Tales of
>>the Dervishes" (from which it comes in the above
>>paraphrase) to come from a tradition much more
>>sophisticated in psychological and religious
>>subtelties, Sufism (a branch of Islam?)
>>
>>I look forward to any comments.
>>>
>>benjamin guile -- benguile@earthlink.net
>>>END END END of this answer
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