FALUN DAFA AT STANFORD Welcome to Falun Dafa at Stanford website. Falun Dafa is a practice that has brought better health and inner peace to millions around the world. We would like to introduce this wonderful practice to every one of you who comes across our website, and we hope that you will find this is a good place to find the information you need about Falun Dafa. What is Falun Dafa? Falun Dafa (also called Falun Gong, or just Dafa) is a high-level cultivation practice guided by the characteristics of the universe—Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. "Cultivation" means continuously striving to better harmonize oneself with these universal principles. “Practice” refers to the exercises – five sets of easy-to-learn gentle movements and meditation. Cultivating oneself is essential; practicing the exercises supplements the process. Over time, the principles of Dafa unveil the deepest and most profound truths of the universe. Following the principles, practitioners of Falun Dafa are able to reach very high realms, enlightening to the true meanings of life, and finding the path of return to their origins and true selves. While the exercises have deep inner meanings, they also help to reduce stress and can bring great improvements in health and fitness. The beginnings Falun Dafa has an ancient history. It was passed down over the ages from a single master to a single disciple in each generation. The disciple would later have a disciple of his own, to whom he would pass on the teachings, thereby quietly passing the practice down throughout history. In 1992, Mr. Li Hongzhi (referred to respectfully by practitioners as "Master" or "Teacher") first taught Falun Dafa publicly in the city of Changchun, China, and then continued to lecture all across the country. Those who attended experienced such profound benefits that they told friends and family. As a result, the number of practitioners grew very quickly, solely by word of mouth. By 1998, at least 70 millio...