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Introduction

This report aims to show how Aum Shinrikyo, Falun Dafa and Unification Churchemerged as cults in East Asia. This will show the origins of these cults, the backgroundof the founder and key doctrines taught by each cult. In addition, prominent issues andconflicts faced by these cults will be presented throughout the report.

Aum Shinrikyo

The roots of Aum Shinrikyo could be traced back from 1984, where Asahara Shokolaid its foundations in a small yoga group in Tokyo known as  Aum Shinsen no Kai (AumMountain Hermits‟ Society). The conception of the name Aum Shinrikyo came up onlyon 1987. It emphasized on the “teaching of truth” as signified by the name. The termshinri means truth, while kyo means „teaching‟. The Aum comes from Sanskrit andchanted in Hindu and Buddhist mantras. Aum represented the interlocking powers ofthe universe and the trilogy of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in Hinduism.

The founder Asahara Shoko was originally named at birth on November 1955 asMatsumoto Chizuo. (Such change of name was common in Japan especially inBuddhist and ascetic context. Taking up a new name means cutting off connections inthe past in order to pursue a new life leading to a spiritual path.) He was born as one ofthe seven children, struggling in a poor background. His father made tatami mats for aliving. He also congenitally afflicted with partial blindness- one could not see anythingwhile the other having only 30% vision. With this kind of background, he suffereddiscrimination as he grows up. He experienced being rejected, frightened, isolated andfelt alone.

His blindness did not prevent him from seeking a university education. He moved toTokyo in 1977, enrolled in a cram school and took an entrance exam in TokyoUniversity. Prior to this, he also took an entrance exam in Kumamoto University.Unfortunately, he failed both examinations. Nevertheless, he was married to MatsumotoTomoko and had six children with the last child born on 1994.

 Asahara practiced acupuncture, sold herbal medicines and showed interest indivination. He became interested in the „new‟ new religions (shin-shinshukyo) and readbooks about them. Some of these were works of Takashi Shinji, founder of God Light

 Association and teachings of Keriyama Seiyu, founder of Agonshu.

The eclectic nature of Aum Shinrikyo is a mix of Hinduism (with strong devotion toShiva), Buddhism and even added Christian imagery. His depictions of the Apocalypsewere derived from the Revelations of St. John. He also identified himself as Christ, assavior who must sacrifice himself in fulfilment of his mission. He also believed that hewas the savior Nostradamus foretold.

 Aum‟s basic message to the world was that “Society is in decline because offundamental decay in spirituality. Japanese are too focused on money and materialistic

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vanities to realize that they are heading towards total collapse - destruction in a globalwar” 1 

In order to escape this, one has to undergo leadership and teachings of Asahara andthe Aum. Peace could be achieved if Japan accepted Asahara as their leader. It wasassured that Japan would be a realm of peace, harmony and spirituality and this wouldspread throughout the world, resulting to a global peace.

In addition, the Japanese society was viewed as an oppressive force that aimed todestroy Asahara‟s movement. Before this would happen the Aum had to destroy theJapanese society before the millennium come.

Society had been the object of reforms by Aum Shinrikyo. This could be somehowreflected in Aum‟s alienation from society. It received rejections from people. WhileKofuku and Agonshu‟s followers were increasing, Asahara‟s movement barelyincreased in number. However, Aum attracted more than 10,000 young members. Thisvast majority of young people was called by journalists and scholars as the “Aum

Generation”. The young people often sought escape from the mainstream society andits pressures such as the expectations from them by their parents and the society as awhole.

 A New Religions scholar, Robert Kisala noted that Aum could be viewed as a socialprotest group caused by dissatisfaction of young people. Such dissatisfaction comesfrom the idea of their long years of hard work in school just to have fewer opportunities.This has grown interest on the Aum as a form of empowerment.

Falun Dafa

Falun Dafa was founded in China by Li Hongzhi in early 1990s claiming that the FalunDafa (“Method of the Law Wheel”) or Falun Gong (“Work of the Law Wheel”) was the“law of the universe” and “most extraordinary science”. He regarded himself as “thegreatest scientist in history”.2 

Li Hongzhi claimed that had started practicing self-cultivation at age 4 and at age 8,had learned the essence of Buddhism and performed telekinesis and levitation. He usedthese abilities to control his playmates so that they will stop fighting each other. In 1994 ,he published the Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Gong.

Buddhist and Taoist principles were incorporated in the Falun Dafa. Its qigong 3 

practices emphasized not only the physical aspect but also the xinxing or the moralcharacter.

In attaining the xinxing basic principles must be observed. These three basic principles

1  Metraux, Daniel. Aum Shinrikyo and Japanese Youth. Lanham: University Press of America, 1999. p. 21

2 Handbook of Falun Gong Issue. Beijing: Popular Science Press, 2009. p. 1

3 Qigong (chee-gong)-a form of traditional Chinese practice which cultivates qi  or “vital energy” (Li Hongzhi) 

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are Zhan, Shan and Ren which are translated as “Truthfulness, Compassion and

Tolerance” respectively. 

Central to Falun Gong‟s beliefs are five sets of exercises which aimed to improve thecirculation of the energy in the body. The final position, a sitting position, is designed for

a person to meditate in order to strengthen the “divine powers” of the individual. 

In practicing Falun Gong, one must annihilate human sentiments and desires forthese are hindrances in cultivation. Feelings of attachment to family, friends, feelings oflove should be given up. And in the time of cultivation, demons who are against it mustbe killed.

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To achieve “Consummation”, Li Hongzhi asked his followers to neglect life and death.He said, “If you can let go of life and death, you’re a God; if you can’t let go of life anddeath, you’re a human”. Because of this, Falun Gong practitioners neglected seeking fora medical help when they became ill until they eventually die. Other cases involvedmurder and suicide in order to achieve “consummation”.5 

The declaration of Falun Gong as an „evil cult‟ resulted to official ban on July 22,1999.

Unification Church

It was an Easter morning in 1935 when Sun Myung Moon, a North Korean and aPresbyterian, claimed that Jesus Christ appeared before him and asked him tocomplete the mission he had started 2000 years ago. At 15 years of age, he had startedstudying the Bible. In 1945, he had formulated Divine Principle and publicly preached it.However, the Communist regime accused him “disturbing the social order” andsubjected him to forced labor. But in 1950, during the advent of Korean War, he was

rescued and began preaching again. 6 

1954 marked Sun Myung Moon as the founder of Holy Spirit Association for theUnification of World Christianity or simply, the Unification Church. Followers werecolloquially called Moonies. The establishment of the Church aimed to “complete thetask of establishing God’s kingdom on earth and bringing peace  to mankind”.7  

His church initially attracted Christian women from a university in South Korea.Rumors told that there were sexual affairs happening inside the Church but no definiteproof has been presented.

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4 Handbook of Falun Gong Issue. Beijing: Popular Science Press, 2009. p. 44

5 Ibid., p. 45

6  Cults: Sunday School Notes. http://www.cs.uni-potsdam.de/ti/kreitz/Christian/Cults/6.moon.pdf Accessed 10

February 2014. 7 Ibid.,p.1

8 Ibid., p. 2

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In 1960, Sun Myung Moon married Ha Jak Han. This union, as told by the UnificationChurch, was the start of “restoration of humankind”. The couple was then establishedas True Parents, in which they will lead a sinless life, bring forth children with no sin andre-establish a true lineage of God on earth. The lineage will be established once thehumankind received the blessing of True Parents. 9 

Eventually, True Parents had nine children, all of them born with no sin. Moonregarded himself as the “Father of the Universe”, where his followers attributedobedience towards him.

Moon‟s Church sought attraction to Americans when he moved on 1971. The Churchbecame an avenue for those who felt spiritual emptiness within. It was accepted bymany resulting to the growth of the number of followers. Moon‟s popularity opened an

opportunity for him to address the US Congress in the White House.

Moonies in US numbered about 100,000 while there are 3 million followersworldwide.10 

Conflicts and Issues

Aum Shinrikyo

Falun Gong

Unification Church

Conclusion

9 Ibid., p. 1

10 Ibid., p.2

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Bibliography

Cults: Sunday School Notes.http://www.cs.unipotsdam.de/ti/kreitz/Christian/Cults/6.moon.pdf Accessed February 102014

Falun Gong- an evil cult? http://news.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-lancashire/plain/A2922644 Accessed

February 10, 2014

Falun Gong: a brief but turbulent history

http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/07/24/china.fg.overview/ Accessed February 10

2014

Reader, Ian. A Poisonous Cocktail?: Aum Shinrikyo’s Path to Violence. Denmark: NIAS Publications, 1997.

http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=dZw1_3ruLyMC&printsec=frontcover&hl=fil&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false Accessed February 10 2014