Photo:Tai Ji Men's cultural performances inspired many people at the 2012 United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development .
October 1,2021
Introspecting and repenting to treat all living creatures with respect. Heart is the root of all energy.
"If mankind doesn't follow the Rules of Nature, Nature won’t run accordingly”. The Taiwanese saying is a vivid portrayal of the current global situation. The COVID-19 pandemic is like pressing a pause button for the world. While the virus is like a warning signal that forces mankind to seriously consider the issue of sustainable development. With the drastic change of global climate, depleting natural resources and prevalent diseases, it is imperative to change. In 1992, the United Nations formally discussed the concept of “sustainability” for the first time at the Earth Summit in Rio, and signed Agenda 21. Unfortunately, the results were not as good as expected. In 2002, the United Nations held the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa, and in 2012, the United Nations held Rio+20 in Rio again with the hope of seeking key solutions to global sustainable development. Tai Ji Men grandmaster and disciples attended the conference at that time and started to promote the culture of peace with love and conscience.
The Tai Ji Men Phoenix appeared on the front page of the Star Newspap. The overseas Chinese were greatly inspired.
In 2002, the United Nations convened the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa, which brought together more than 100 heads of state, ministers and 40,000 representatives from all over the world. Dr. Hong Tao-Tze, invited by the CEO of the United Nations NGO “Sustainable Futures International”, Dr. Mei Ya, attended the meeting with his disciples. Dr. Hong offered many valuable suggestions. For example, regarding to "The future of the world after 2002", he put forward the view that "The way to sustainable development of the earth is to start from the fundamental heart and soul reconstruction", which was presented to the chairman of the conference. In addition, Dr. Hong was Invited to attend the welcome party hosted by the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, and suggested all nations to base from the “heart level” on sustainable development. Dr. Hong Tao-Tze mentioned in his speech, “Following our heart is following the nature which is a desire to a harmonious world free of war, suffering, sorrow, and fear.” FOWPAL also held four “Workshops of Love and Peace on Sustainable Future” and two “World Summits of Love and Peace on Sustainable Future," and the ceremony of ringing the “Bell of World Love and Peace.” A number of national representatives rang the bell, including Clarice Modeste-Curwen, Minister for Health and the Environment of Grenada; Adil Maati, Vice President of the House of Councilors, Morocco; Girma Wolde-Giorgis, the President of Ethiopia; Mamdouh Riad, The Minister of State for Environmental Affairs of Egypt; Shahida Jamil, Minister for Environment, Local Government and Rural Development of Pakistan; Denis Kalume Numbi, Minister of Planning and National Reconstruction of the DRC.
Photo :"The Star", the most widely circulated newspaper in South Africa, featured a close-up of a female dizi of Tai Ji Men performing a phoenix wingspan on its front page.
Tai Ji Men Grandmaster and disciples went to South Africa for cultural exchange, bringing great inspiration to the local Chinese. More than 30 organizations participated in the "Cultural Assets Carnival Parade" in Johannesburg on August 31. The parade stretched for three kilometers and was witnessed by about 300,000 people along the route. The Tai Ji Men Goodwill Group was the only one from Asia in the parade, presenting a performance to show the spirit of martial arts and a harmonious world , as well as exchanging with South Africa's largest Zulu culture. The atmosphere was joyful and happy, with occasional cheers of "Love & Peace"! On the following day, "The Star", the most widely circulated newspaper in South Africa, featured a close-up of a female disciple of Tai Ji Men performing a phoenix wingspan on its front page. “This is a great inspiration for diplomats, which cannot be purchased with large sums of money,” said the Representative of The Taipei Liaison Office in the Republic of South Africa. The following year, the daughter of Mr. Chuang, the chairman of South African Chinese Association visited Tai Ji Men on her trip to Taiwan and mentioned that many Chinese in South Africa had framed the photo to symbolize the spirit of the Chinese to strive for advancement in spite of hardships.
Blessings from Rio+20 Peace Bells
With 193 heads of state, ministers, and approximately 80,000 delegates from all over the world, the 2012 United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in Rio, commonly known as Rio+20, returned 20 years later. Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, urged world leaders to have the fortitude to confront the urgency of sustainable development, as nature will not wait and will not compromise with mankind.
Tai Ji Men Grandmaster and 80 disciples hosted several events , including "The Bell of Peace" ringing rituals, cultural exchanges, and a summit on love and peace for sustainable development at the conference. One of the disciples mentioned, her master not only created a way for his disciples to change for the better, he also hoped people in the world have a chance to change. The quickest approach is to influence a country's leaders so that the citizens of that country might have hope for change. Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze asked the presidents during the bell ringing ceremony, “ Do you wish to make a statement to your people at this critical time?” President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica rang the bell and expressed the following wish: "May there be peace among mankind as well as between mankind and the nature”. Costa Rica was the first country in the world to abolish its army in accordance with its constitution.
President Lola Chinchilla of Costa Rica, Vice President Fernando of Angola, former President of Timor-Leste and 1996 Nobel Peace Prize laureate José José Antonio, and President of the Republic of Colombia were among the 25 heads of state, ministers, and non-governmental organization leaders who rang the bell during the Rio+20 Conference. President Lola Chinchilla of Costa Rica, Vice President Fernando of Angola, former President of Timor-Leste, and 1996 Nobel Peace Prize laureate José Ramos were among the 25 heads of state, ministries, and NGO leaders that rang the bell. Horta Ramos Mr. Jorge Ramos-Horta, former President of Timor-Leste and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996, Mr. Coelho, Prime Minister of Portugal, Mr. Jigme Tingle, Prime Minister of Bhutan, and Mr. Torkelau. Mr. José Ramos-Horta, former President of Timor-Leste and Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 1996; Mr. Coelho, Prime Minister of Portugal; Mr. Jigme Thinley, Prime Minister of Bhutan; Mr. Arizi, Head of the Government of Tokelau; Mr. Goliath, Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); Mr. Goliath, Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); Prof. Corrado Clini, Italy's Minister of Environment, Land and Sea; Mr. Cevdet Yilmaz, Turkey's Minister of Development; H.H. Dato Sri Douglas Uggah Embas, Malaysia's Minister of Environment; and Mr. G.K. K. Kotsi, United Arab Emirates' Minister of Foreign Trade. H.H. Sheikha Lubua Al-Qasimi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore Minister of Environment and Water Resources, Dr. Mok Mareth, Cambodian Minister of Environment, and others prayed for their nations and the world.
Photo :Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze assisted the president in delivering a blessing to the globe, and Lola Chinchilla, the president of Costa Rica, rang the bell. The bell was rung by Chinchilla.
Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze and his disciples have visited all five continents, especially participated in the annual UN NGO conferences, UN meetings, and international conferences almost every year. People were touched that Taijimen disciples travelled all over the world on their own time and expenses to promote love and peace and spread positive energy. Another Tai Ji Men disciple, Ming-Je Liu, said,” Such potentials and kindness cane from the power of belief. Our master has said ‘the heart creative thought’, so heart is the foundation of all energy. The Taijimen disciples produced a cultural whirlwind wherever they went, inspiring many people with their varied styles of music, dancing, martial arts, and singing. “Your culture is the key to the future”, a Brazilian photographer remarked to the Tai Ji Men brothers and sisters.
A public trial to examine the facts and see the volunteers' commitment to justice
The people are the government's bosses, concerned about legal and fiscal change and speaking out for justice as a group. Every Sunday at 4:00 p.m., the online forum "Public Trial" has been broadcast for more than six years. On September 19, in honor of the International Week of Love and Peace, a unique show will be televised, which will be greatly awaited. "Who will end state violence?" Fake production line! No regard for human life!" caused a warm response. The "Taijimen Fake Case" revealed many of the government's dark secrets. The tax officer Shi Yusheng cooperated in the perjury, and finally the executive branch even rushed to auction the people's property knowing that the execution of the fake production line in Taiwan, the source of which was led by the prosecutor Hou Kuanren forgery, was illegal, and was talking about the performance before the auction, inheriting Taiwan's white terror, the means of combating fake spies during the terrorist period, the state violence is simply a change of soup but not a change of medicine.
The program aired the documentary "The Truth", a reenactment of the December 19, 1996 search of the Tai Ji Men and the homes of some of its disciples by Prosecutor Hou Kuan Yan., which involved not only abusive prosecution, but also false statements, intimidation of defendants, illegal searches, and even the bizarre "raising of children" in the indictment, as well as the outrageous practice of finding evidence and questioning the victims only after the indictment was filed. Many of the victims have come forward to complain about their painful experiences of persecution.
JIA-JI, a 78-year-old volunteer, says there will be no more persecuted tax victims in Taiwan
"I don't know how much longer I have left to live, but I intend to devote the rest of my life and time to advocating for tax reform in the hopes of ensuring that no more tax victims are persecuted in Taiwan. Hou Kuan-Jen once brought the media to the Taijimen Nangang Academy to search it, and he noticed a peach wood sword on the table, which he said was proof that he was rearing children. Huang JIA-JI answered to him at the time, "What exactly do you know? Do you have any idea what a peach wood sword is for? Your father was the ' Taoist Spirit medium' of a temple in Liuziu Township, Chiayi County. Hou Kuanren snatched the peach wood sword away in the end. "In reality, a sister bought this peach wood sword as a gift to Sifu in an art store as a token of thanks to Sifu." Huang JIA-JI said.
Last year, the Tax Bureau and Administrative Enforcement Agency illegally auctioned Tai Ji Men's sacred land in Miao Li, which was intended for practice usage, according to Chia-Chi Huang. The area hasn't been delineated yet, and the land officer estimates that it will take at least three months to complete. Many experts and scholars claimed that the reason why the Administrative Enforcement Agency’s hurry to close the case stemmed from the fact that the Enforcement Agency and the Tax Bureau both stand to benefit from enforcement bonuses and taxation bonuses. If these bonuses are not eliminated, the number of unfair tax cases will rise rather than fall.
Photo :The Public Trial: Investigate the facts to raise legal and tax issues to the public's attention.
Wan Ting Chang’s unfulfilled wish: Uphold justice, Rectify Tai Ji Men fabricated case
Wan Ting Chang's three daughters claimed 100 days after his death, "Our father fought for justice till the last minute of his life." They revealed Taiwan's previously unseen dark side. The eldest sister, Ching-Wen Chang, stated, "We merely practice Qigong in Tai Ji Men, what did we do wrong?" They were terrified of being overheard and followed for an extended period of time. They were always afraid that their parents might be taken away. Her heart has been firmly planted by such a shadow. She vehemently criticized the state units were under Ho Kuan-jen’s unlawful steering, which resulted in thousands of Tai Ji Men disciples being persecuted and suffering grievances. “Tai Ji Men 1219 case revealed corruption, bribery, and lawlessness in the National mechanism,” she stated.
Wan Ting Chang had become Tai Ji Men dizi for almost 34 years. Kuan Jen Ho conducted an illegal investigation into Taijimen that year, and Mr. Chang was detained and interrogated without any evidence. Mr. Chang was threatened and intimidated into betraying his shifu by giving fake testimony. Mr. Ho even called Mr. Chang’s firm, causing him to resign the next day as a consultant with a monthly salary of 200k. His credit rating was ruined and his family lost their only source of money and their lives were turned upside down.
Ching-Wen Chang claimed that in order for national relevant offices to hear our message, my father visited them all across the country and he even broke his hand. “When my father was in the Taipei tax Bureau office, a police officer pushed him down and he was sent to hospital with a concussion. In order to rectify illegal cases, my father frequently went to the Taipei tax Bureau and Administration Enforcement Agency, holding the sign and expressing our demand. He was unable to urinate because those state branches refused to let him use their restroom. He didn't have time to drink water either. He was too busy fighting for justice all day and night, and writing letters to President Tsai. He'd never stopped, whether the weather was sunny, rainy, windy, or chilly. He eventually passed out.
Last August, the government illegally auctioned and confiscated Tai Ji Men's land in Miao Li, which was designated for practice purposes. Wan-Ting Chang exclaimed on the spot, “Tai Ji Men had been found not guilty of fraud, tax evasion or violation of tax code by the Supreme Court after three criminal trials and all defendants had received national compensation. You still auctioned Tai Ji Men’s land forcedly and illegally. Tai Ji Men is a spiritual organization. You persecute a spiritual organization, which implies you persecute culture, and you will be condemned.”
Ching-Wen Chang tearfully stated, “My father's only regret was that he did not live to see the Tai Ji Men case resolved and justice served before he died. He instructed us that no matter what happened, we should follow Dr. Hong and Mrs. Hong’s leadership and work together with members of Tai Ji Men to rectify our case till the end of our lives. We are Taiwanese, and we hope that the government will restore justice to us so that we can be truly proud to call ourselves Taiwanese.”
Persist in justice until you die
According to Ching-Wen Chang, martial arts practitioners learn from the virtues of martial arts to stop fighting and promote goodness, as well as the chivalry of compassion and mercy. "To stop injustice is to be a true chivalrous warrior," Wan-Ting Chang once said, "and as a Tai Ji Men disciple (dizi), I should practice it with all my heart and soul. I hope that one day, government officials will listen to good advice and pass a judicial and tax law that will benefit all human beings and alleviate the suffering of the good people.”
In Taiwan, which is recognized as Asia's beacon of democracy, Wan-Ting Chang took the most difficult road of his life. In his own case of persecution for his beliefs, he stood at the front line of the river of legal taxation and waved the flag in order to allow future generations to enjoy real taxation, human rights and the most basic freedom of belief that should be respected. His spirit will go on and inspire other people with conscience, resulting in a ten-million-person benefit.
Is the government listening to the people? Until his death last year, Grandfather Pei-chao Li, a 100-year-old Tax & Legal Reform League volunteer, insisted on standing on Ketagalan Boulevard and appearing at the Control Yuan to speak up for tax human rights in Taiwan. “I'm determined to complete these two steps and the pathway with my eyes closed. I wish for a secure and joyful future for the next generation.” During his lifetime, he intends to contribute to society in some way that will benefit everyone, including future generations.
Photo :Centenarian Grandpa Pei-chao Li continued to promote legal and tax reform.