Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, presents itself as a path of self-cultivation that joins moral refinement with meditative and qigong practice. At its heart stand three fundamental principles: Truthfulness (Zhen), Compassion (Shan), and Forbearance (Ren). These are described as the highest attributes of the universe and the standard by which spiritual elevation is measured. Truthfulness calls for honesty and genuineness in thought, word, and deed; Compassion emphasizes kindness, benevolence, and care for others; Forbearance entails patience, endurance of hardship, and emotional restraint in the face of adversity. Practitioners seek to assimilate to these principles in daily life, regarding them as the key to inner peace and spiritual enlightenment.

The tradition places great weight on the cultivation of moral character, often referred to as xinxing. Spiritual progress is understood primarily as an inner transformation in which selfishness, jealousy, anger, lust, and attachment to fame, gain, and various desires are gradually relinquished. This moral purification is considered more important than physical health or the development of special abilities, even though health benefits are acknowledged as a natural byproduct of practice. Looking inward during conflicts to identify personal shortcomings is encouraged, fostering selflessness over self-interest and a rejection of violence. In this way, moral elevation is seen as both the path and the measure of spiritual advancement.

Falun Gong also articulates a cosmology in which karma (ye) and virtue (de) play central roles. Karma is portrayed as a negative substance formed through wrongful actions, thoughts, and words, bringing about suffering, illness, and misfortune. Virtue, by contrast, is a positive spiritual energy gained through good deeds and the patient endurance of hardship. Suffering is interpreted as the repayment of karma, which, when borne with the right mindset, can be transformed into virtue and thus raise one’s spiritual level. Within this framework, reincarnation and the soul’s journey through multiple lifetimes are affirmed, and the ultimate goal is to return to one’s original, true nature beyond the cycle of rebirth.

In practice, Falun Gong combines this moral and metaphysical vision with concrete disciplines. Practitioners engage in five sets of gentle, slow-moving exercises, including standing movements and sitting meditation, intended to refine the body and support inner cultivation. Central to its teachings is the notion of the Falun, or “law wheel,” said to be installed in the practitioner’s lower abdomen and to rotate continuously, drawing in and transforming universal energy to aid cultivation. Regular study of Falun Gong’s scriptures, especially the text Zhuan Falun, is emphasized as a way to align one’s thinking with the Fa, the fundamental law or way underlying existence. Alongside this, adherents are urged to be law-abiding, diligent in work, honest in social and family life, and to avoid political involvement, regarding personal spiritual development rather than worldly pursuits as the true arena of practice.