October 24,2020
To usher in a harmonious and secure future for the world, the United Nations hopes to build a global vision that enhances the understanding of future threats and promotes collective actions to make that vision a reality. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the Tai Ji Men Shifu (master) and dizi (similar to students) have dedicated themselves to spreading love and peace throughout the world, and worked to make this ideal a reality through practical actions. Technology has progressed rapidly and each invention or choice has the potential to either make a great contribution to mankind or bring about a catastrophic disaster. The outcome hinges on our hearts. Our intentions would significantly affect the direction of the world’s development, the balance between humanity and the environment, and the harmony between humans. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has swept across the globe, with over 40 million confirmed cases and more than 1 million deaths worldwide. This infectious disease not only poses a serious threat to human health, but also has a tremendous impact on the economy and our lifestyles. Is this pandemic a natural or man-made disaster? How can mankind achieve true peace?
Prevention on the global scale
Maintaining the body-mind balance to create a virtuous cycle of goodness
A single thought of kindness or evil plays a key role in shaping the world’s future
It’s imperative to create a virtuous cycle of goodness
Earlier this year, Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, the leader of Tai Ji Men, sent an important message to the world: “With united hearts and conscience, we can overcome the pandemic! Let’s work together to fight the virus. We invite you to widely share the disease prevention tips and follow the ‘five do’s and three don’ts’ for protection. We humbly beseech Heaven to have mercy on us. May the outbreak end soon.” He guides his dizi to start with themselves, do good deeds, and spread positive energy to boost people’s immunity. All are encouraged to work together to overcome the challenges and create new opportunities. Tai Ji Men shares with the world a manual featuring “the five do’s and three don’ts,” tips for disease prevention and health protection in 42 languages. It has been very well received and is available online at (http://www.icday.org/EP/EN/ep.html)
The "five do’s and three don’ts” preventive measures originated during the SARS outbreak in 2003. Dr. Hong led his dizi to formulate this manual for disease prevention and health protection. The five do’s are: wash your hands frequently, drink more warm water, exercise more, be happy, and be more careful. The 3 don’ts are: don’t be angry, don’t worry, and don’t be anxious. The manual contains tips that combine ancient wisdom for better health and modern concepts of epidemic prevention. Chen Chien-jen, the then director general of the Department of Health and the 14th vice president of Taiwan, said that he thought it was really amazing that Tai Ji Men worked with the Department of Health in organizing activities promoting new health concepts and epidemic prevention.
April 5, 2020 marked the first United Nations International Day of Conscience. The “five do’s and three don’ts” manual was presented during a virtual celebration and was shared with global citizens, including heads of state and the governors of all 50 states in the US.
Tai Ji Men was acting quickly and took proactive measures to prevent the spread of the virus early on. Since February 8, 2020, Tai Ji Men has published 22 special full-page reports on epidemic prevention in a newspaper in Taiwan, featuring health tips from 64 Tai Ji Men dizi, who are medical doctors, medical professionals, or experts in related fields. Additionally, Tai Ji Men dizi across Taiwan visited their council members and community leaders to share the "five do’s and three don’ts" tips, the newspaper articles on epidemic prevention, and conscience-driven declarations. More than 96% of the village heads in Taiwan have signed the declaration of conscience and then shared the positive messages in their communities, fostering the butterfly effect of goodness.
A sound legal and tax system to a nation is as important as the physical and mental health of its citizens. In 2016, Tai Ji Men took part in the activities of the Legal and Tax Reform League. With the theme "True Legal and Tax Reform, Save Taiwan with Conscience," Tai Ji Men dizi have been raising awareness of taxpayer’s rights and promoting proper legal and tax education throughout Taiwan. To date, more than 96% of village heads have endorsed the suggestions for tax reform and Declaration on Taxpayer’s Human Rights.
Creating a culture of peace with love and conscience
Conscience is the wellspring of love. People are encouraged to follow their conscience to help themselves and others, be kind to one another, and cherish the environment. Since Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, the leader of Tai Ji Men, launched the movement of An Era of Conscience in 2014, people in 197 countries have supported the initiative and advocated the culture of conscience around the world. Over the past two decades, Dr. Hong has initiated global endorsement campaigns for various declarations, including "Love of the World, A Declaration of Peace," "Declarations for Human Rights of World Citizens and Peace," "Declaration of World Citizens," "Declaration on Taxpayer’s Human Rights," "Declaration for the Movement of An Era of Conscience," and "Declaration of International Day of Conscience."
In 2001, Dr. Hong was awarded the privilege to host the UN/NGO World Citizens Assembly in Taiwan, which was attended by delegates from 67 countries and was listed by UNESCO as one of the most important events of the year. In 2002, in support of the spirit of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004), Dr. Hong initiated the on-line global endorsement for the “Declarations for Human Rights of World Citizens and Peace,” and promoted human rights education for love and peace in more than 300 schools in Taiwan and overseas, calling on everyone to respect life, protect nature, promote global human rights, and work together to create a new era of peace. A CD containing the signatures of 2 million people in 158 countries was submitted to the late UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan as a representation of the world's common aspiration for love and peace.
At the 66th Annual DPI/NGO Conference of the United Nations in 2016, Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze delivered a speech at the forum, emphasizing that "Conscience is the goodness in human nature, which through education and self-awareness can stop evil and spread goodness to benefit our society, country and the world.” Bircan Ünver, founding president of The Light Millennium, presented the "World Citizens Award for Cultural Peace Education" to Dr. Hong in recognition of his contribution to the promotion of universal love, a culture of peace, as well as world citizen education. Dr. René Wadlow, president of the Association of World Citizens, presented the "World Citizens Award for Sustainable Development" to Dr. Hong for his contribution to the promotion of love and peace across the world.
Dr. Hong’s concept of promoting a culture of conscience has won international respect. Starting from April 5, 2018, he invited UN ambassadors to participate in summits titled "Promoting the Culture of Peace with Love and Conscience," work on the draft resolution titled “Promoting the Culture of Peace with Love and Conscience,” and endorse the "Declaration of International Day of Conscience" at the UN headquarters in New York. On April 5th, 2019, the "International Day of Conscience" was proclaimed at the UN in Vienna and received support from heads of state. On July 25, 2019, the 73rd UN General Assembly adopted the draft resolution titled “Promote the Culture of Peace with Love and Conscience” submitted by the Kingdom of Bahrain, designating April 5th of every year as the International Day of Conscience, the 166th international day of the UN.
Promoting Culture and Guiding the World with the Beacon of Conscience
Culture shapes a nation’s societal atmosphere, spirit, and moral character. Tai Ji Men is an ancient menpai (similar to school) of qigong, martial arts, and self-cultivation. At Tai Ji Men, martial arts and wisdom are passed down from Shifu (similar to master) to dizi (similar to student) as they uphold martial ethics and cultivate their bodies and hearts by practicing qigong. Tai Ji Men aims to promote culture and improve people’s physical, mental, and spiritual health. Over the past few decades, it has visited over 300 cities in 101 countries, conducting more than 3,000 cultural performances and exchanges to promote citizen diplomacy. It has held more than 30,000 public welfare symposiums to share yin-yang philosophy and life wisdom and has produced more than 1,300 episodes of Energy Family, a public welfare TV program, which were broadcasted on the global media, including on television and its website. Tai Ji Men dizi are committed to giving back to the world with what they have learned, hoping that everyone can gain health, wealth, wisdom, joy, and happiness in life.
Revive the Nation with Culture
Love the Nation and Society
Tai Ji Men was invited to participate in the National Day Celebration for ten times and has performed eight times (the Celebration was cancelled for two times) and other important events. This allowed people to appreciate the beauty of the Tai Ji culture, which has been passed down for thousands of years and won the recognition and praise from former and incumbent presidents, foreign ministers, and presidents and vice presidents of the five government branches.
Former President Lee Teng-hui stated that Tai Ji Men upholds the mission of teaching loyalty, filial piety, and love of the country and society.
Former President Chen Shui-bian said that Tai Ji Men is an ancient menpai of qigong and martial arts, which has been passed down from generation to generation. Under the leadership of the Shifu, Tai Ji Men dizi, in addition to cultivating their hearts, also uphold the spirit of spreading positivity to the world and helping others, and through international cultural exchanges and the promotion of the love of the world, Tai Ji Men has spread the concept of love and peace across every populated continent and allowed the world to truly see Taiwan, said former President Chen.
Former President Ma Ying-Jeou stated that every time he saw Tai Ji Men, he saw vitality, warmth, and love! He also expressed his admiration for Dr. Hong's compassion and said that in Australia and all over the world Tai Ji Men had upheld the principle: let Taiwan stand out in the world and let the world see Taiwan.
President Tsai Ing-Wen said that under the leadership of the head of Tai Ji Men, Tai Ji Men has actively conducted global trips to foster citizen diplomacy for Taiwan and enhance Taiwan’s international visibility. She hoped that under Dr. Hong’s leadership, Tai Ji Men would continue to work hard with the government in the future to exert their positive influences, allowing Taiwan to continue to progress and develop and allowing the world to see Taiwan.
A miracle worker
Goodwill ambassador advocating peace
Tai Ji Men is an international public benefit cultural organization, and its Shifu and dizi work together to promote the idea of love and peace at their own expense and have achieved countless miracles on cultural exchanges. At the invitation of the late Senator Jesse Helms, the then chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tai Ji Men performed in front of the US Capitol, and Dr. Hong delivered a speech on the occasion.
The Mayor of Washington, D.C., Mr. Anthony A. Williams, designated March 22, 2000 as “Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy Day” in Washington, D.C., commending Tai Ji Men for its dedication to goodwill as well as its achievements in promoting and preserving culture. Tai Ji Men was awarded with a certificate of recognition and praised as an international peace goodwill ambassador. In 2002, Tai Ji Men attended the “United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development” held in Johannesburg, and Tai Ji Men ’s brilliant Phoenix Dance was reported in The Star, South Africa's most influential daily newspaper. Ming-liang Lee, Taiwan’s representative to South Africa, said that was definitely a priceless performance and great encouragement to the diplomats. Over the years, Tai Ji Men has been highly praised by six foreign ministers, including Jason Hu, Chien-jen Chen, Eugene You-hsin Chien, James Chih-Fang Huang, Hung-lian Ou, and Timothy Yang.
Under the leadership of Dr. Hong, the message of love and peace was spread by Tai Ji Men at home and abroad, allowing people to have a breath of fresh air and enabling human beings worldwide to learn that the critical message brought from Tai Ji Men from Taiwan is love and peace, said former Foreign Minister Timothy Yang.
Tai Ji Culture
The Light of the World
A nation becomes great because of its culture. In 2016, the Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy celebrated its 50th anniversary and embarked on a world tour to Asia, America, and Europe. It was welcomed by presidents, prime ministers, ministers and the local people. Albert Konan Koffi, president of the International Observatory of the Communes of Nations for Peace, presented the “Light of Wisdom, Master of the Soul” trophy to Dr. Hong and said that Dr. Hong, with his body and heart, embraces eternal beauty, creates the path of life's destiny, has a vast mind, a lofty heart, and immense wisdom, lights up the lights of the world and people’s souls.
In mid-September 2016, Tai Ji Men presented two cultural feasts titled “Tai Ji Culture, a Precious Treasure, Bringing Hope to the World” in California, USA and received recognition from more than 30 organizations or individuals. Former Congressman Ed Royce, the then chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, awarded Tai Ji Men with a certificate of recognition for its enthusiasm and dedication to supporting valuable cultural traditions and for its outstanding achievements in serving American society.
Defend Human Rights, Uphold Justice, and Promote Reform
Tai Ji Men is well-known internationally, and it is hard to imagine that its Shifu and dizi have been persecuted through criminal and tax measures for over two decades in Taiwan. Chun-Chieh Huang, a distinguished professor of finance and law at National Chung Cheng University, pointed out that the Tai Ji Men tax case is a legendary case in the history of taxation in Taiwan, and it is also an exemplary case where taxpayers have striven for tax justice. Experts and scholars also called this case the "February 28 Incident in Law and Taxation" and a magical mirror reflecting the problems of Taiwan’s legal and tax systems. In 2013 and 2017, the international human rights experts of the "International Review Committee of the Two Covenants" were concerned about the Tai Ji Men case, which became an indicator of evaluating the protection of taxpayer’s human rights in Taiwan.
There are numerous cases of tax injustice in Taiwan, and bonuses are the source of all evils. In 2004, the then Legislator Chu Hsin-yu and other 162 legislators passed a bill, abolishing bonuses for tax collection. However, in 2008, bonuses with no legal basis stealthily came into play again. According to the statistics of the Administrative Enforcement Agency of the Ministry of Justice, there were about 1.9 million enforcement cases of arrears of taxes and fees in 2001 and 11.04 million cases in 2019, with a 584% increase! On average, 1 out of every 2 people in Taiwan faces arrears of taxes and fees. Bonuses are the culprit of such evils. Unscrupulous officials are greedy for performance and bonuses, threatening the property rights of the people in Taiwan.
On July 13, 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that Tai Ji Men’s leader and his co-defendants were not guilty of tax evasion or the other charges. The defendants who were detained all received national compensation for unlawful imprisonment. This has proven that Tai Ji Men hasn’t owed any tax. However, the National Taxation Bureau defied the Supreme Court decision and failed to revoke all illegal tax bills. Officials continued to protect one another. Over the past 24 years, Tai Ji Men Shifu and dizi have persisted in pursuing justice, winning 18 times against the tax authorities over the course of seeking administrative relief. In 2019, the taxes related to the monetary gifts in the form of red envelopes to the Shifu for 1991 and 1993 to 1996 were corrected to zero by the National Taxation Bureau. Even though the National Taxation Bureau admitted that Tai Ji Men is not a cram school, it still treated Tai Ji Men as a for-profit cram school and the red envelopes as tuition for 1992. That has caused domestic and foreign experts and scholars to criticize the tax authorities severely.
Tai Ji Men did not owe any tax, but its land was forcibly auctioned for the second time on August 21, 2020. The land was confiscated when there was no valid bid. Dr. Tze-lung Chen, former professor of law at National Taiwan University and chairman of the Taiwan Association for Financial Criminal Law Study, pointed out that bonuses played a key role in the officials’ misconducts and disclosed a copy of an official document dated March 2, 2020 of the Hsinchu Branch of the Administrative Enforcement Agency, requesting another branch to record its performance and split half of the credits with the Hsinchu Branch. Even in October 2019, the Administrative Enforcement Agency already made a plan for the auction and bonuses this year.
On September 19, 2020, Ms. Huang, a volunteer, was arrested by the police simply for holding a protest sign in support of Tai Ji Men. She was transferred to the District Prosecutor's Office overnight and was imposed a limitation on her residence. Is this to create a chilling effect? Rogue officials have violated the law and abused their power, stifling democracy and the rule of law, and caused Taiwan to regress to the era of White Terror?
Dr. Massimo Introvigne, an Italian sociologist, said that Tai Ji Men did nothing wrong, so it doesn't want to give in, because it is wrong to give in! Governments often violate their people’s freedom of religion and belief through taxation, and the world is watching how Taiwan will resolve the Tai Ji Men case, which has to do with freedom of belief, tax unfairness, and tax justice, said Dr. Massimo Introvigne.
The bonus system that has no legal basis is the source of the shameful officials' greed for performance and rewards. In order to get the bonuses, they will use public power to persecute the people, undermining the government's credibility and the country’s dignity. The Tai Ji Men case has reflected serious problems in Taiwan’s legal and tax systems. This case involves freedom of belief, religion, and thought. At the constitutional level, it involves conscience, the foundation of the country, and the integrity of the legal system.
To allow a few officials to hijack the country is not a democratic country under the rule of law, and it is not in line with international standards. We call on the government to vindicate the Tai Ji Men case, to implement transitional justice, to identify the perpetrators, to severely punish illegal officials, and to uphold democracy and the rule of law. Taiwan needs to implement legal and tax reforms, abolish bonuses, end cases of tax injustice, and safeguard its people’s freedom of speech, freedom of belief, and freedom from fear. Taiwan must keep up with international human rights standards in order to allow its people to enjoy peaceful and happy lives and to allow Taiwan to move towards a peaceful and bright future!
P1 Dr. René Wadlow, president of the Association of World Citizens, an NGO in consultative status with ECOSOC and associated with the UN DPI, right, presented the "World Citizens Award for Sustainable Development" to Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, the leader of Tai Ji Men.
P2 Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze led volunteers to spread the concept of love and peace to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
P3.Tai Ji Men had participated in the National Day performances and other important celebrations numerous times, sharing the beauty of culture passed down from generation to generation.
P4.The Shifu and dizi of Tai Ji Men work together to promote the idea of love and peace at their own expense and have achieved countless miracles on cultural exchanges.
P5.In 2002, Tai Ji Men attended the “United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development” held in Johannesburg, and Tai Ji Men’s brilliant Phoenix Dance was reported in The Star, South Africa's most influential daily newspaper.
P6.Former Congressman Ed Royce, the then chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, awarded Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, the leader of Tai Ji Men, with a certificate of recognition.