No average Zhou
The leading figures in these new religions must of course have extraordinary courage and wisdom in order to establish the group, but this leads to an arrogance and bravado that contrasts unfavorably with the modesty and self-discipline of the Dalai Lama or Master Cheng Yen of the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu-Chi Association.
"Non-believers may consider Li Hongzhi arrogant, but believers think he is rather modest," says Chang Ching-hsi, a professor of economics at National Taiwan University who is director of the Falun Gong Association in Taiwan. Su Tang-tang, an expert on vegetarian food and disciple of the Supreme Master Ching Hai's Quan Yin Method, says that most people only worship what can't be seen and lack respect for what can. "For instance, take my guiding light, the Supreme Master Ching Hai. Everyone can see that she is of flesh and blood, so people think, 'What's so special about her?' What they don't realize is that she is very extraordinary."
Since the leaders of each of these new religions are agents from high with remarkable origins, they all tend to emphasize their supernatural powers. The books by Master Lu Sheng-yen are filled with stories about how he travels around the world in his sleep or in deep states of meditation, fighting demons and killing monsters. Master Lee Sun-don, who describes himself as the third-generation master conveyer of the Great Vehicle Zen school and has founded his own sect of Forshang Buddhism, says that after studying Zen for three months he was able to see through people's skins and view their internal organs. Now he purports to be omniscient and to fly back and forth between Heaven and Earth. Most people are apt to regard cult leaders' claims that their bodies give off golden light and have protective auras as something out of the Arabian Nights, but among the faithful, there isn't a glimmer of doubt.
"In fact, all religions talk about 'supernatural powers,'" notes Lin Pen-hsuan. "Such claims are not unique to the new cults." The Bible, after all, describes Jesus giving sight to the blind and allowing the crippled to walk. The Buddhist sutras describe bodhisattvas who have remarkable powers, including the abilities to see-all (thanks to their Deva-eyes), hear-all (thanks to their Deva-ears) and read minds. These powers they employ to save the people.