Childlike Nature — Internal Reference¶
Overview¶
"Childlike Nature" (小孩子模样) is a central attainment concept in the Life Chanyuan system. Rooted in Jesus Christ's teaching, it is synthesized with Laozi's "return to the infant" and the Buddha's "liberation from all forms" into a unified description of the soul's original pure state: natural, innocent, joyful, free from worldly complexity. Achieving this state is described as a necessary condition for entering the Kingdom of Heaven (Thousand-Year World and above).
I. Definition and Core Teaching¶
Jesus's Teaching
Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
(Source: Chanyuan Collected Works · Wisdom Essays · First Step of Returning to Childhood)
Unless you become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
(Source: Xuefeng's Collected Works · Chanyuan Essays · Zixia Grass Elevated to Primordial Child)
We must turn and become like children, or we will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
(Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, Fourth Edition · Concept 576)
Xuefeng's Definition
What does the appearance of a child look like? It looks like being mischievous, lively, playful, simple, innocent, naive, sincere — in a word, the appearance of joyful, happy play. That is the appearance of a child.
(Source: Xuefeng's Collected Works · Chanyuan Essays · Playing in the Game, Building in the Game)
One who has attained the Tao is like a pure, innocent child — emotions are fully expressed on the face, there is no vanity, no pretending, no judging right from wrong by personal preference, no conforming to worldly standards. This is why Laozi insisted that one who has attained the Tao must "return to infancy" — to become like a child (in Jesus's words).
(Source: Chanyuan Collected Works · Tao Transmission Essays · The Way of the Attained)
II. Three Traditions, One Teaching¶
Laozi understood the Way of Celestials deeply: "Return to Non-Polarity," "Return to Infancy" — these are among the profound secrets of the Celestial Way. An infant has no knowledge, no wisdom, no precepts, no inhibitions — it cries when it wants to cry, laughs when it wants to laugh, thinks nothing of power, money, fame, or desire, weighs no pros and cons — pure in nature, never losing its original nature. This is why an infant resembles a Celestial. And Jesus said: "Unless you become like a child, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven." The Buddha's teaching of not allowing the mind to dwell on form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or concepts is precisely the infant's state — the state of a Celestial.
Becoming a Celestial is the easiest thing. Simply become like a child.
(Source: Chanyuan Collected Works · Celestial Cultivation Essays · Carefree and at Ease, Following Natural Flow)
The divine tells us to become like children; the Buddha tells us to leave all form; the Celestials tell us to return to infancy. All this teaching ultimately comes down to one thing: play!
(Source: Guide's Other Articles · 2023 · Let's Play Together)
The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to children. Jesus said: "Unless you become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Laozi's method for becoming Celestial is "return to infancy." The Buddha and Chan patriarchs showed that the heart of Buddhahood is illuminating the mind and seeing true nature — whose core is returning to Tathāgata.
Adam and Eve once lived in an Eden-like paradise. At that time their state was that of infants — children — the state of Tathāgata, the state of Celestials. Then they gained knowledge, gained shame, gained discriminating mind. Their wisdom rose — yet they moved further and further from Tathāgata and Hundun. Eventually their paradise disappeared.
(Source: Xuefeng's Collected Works · Chanyuan Essays · Zixia Grass Elevated to Primordial Child)
How to approach Hundun? Laozi says "return to infancy"; Jesus says "become like children"; Zhang Sanfeng says "forward leads to the ordinary, backward leads to the Celestial — it reverses right in the middle"; the Buddha teaches "leave all form" and "let no mind abide." These are the highest and most subtle methods.
(Source: Chanyuan Collected Works · Heavenly Revelation · Mahjong, Hundun, and Chinese Culture)
III. Clarification: Spirit, Not Body¶
Please note: "rejuvenation" does not mean the body becoming physically young again. It means the life's spirit-body returning to the child's state of mind — not being constrained by the "aged-body appearance," not thinking that because you're forty or fifty, you can't play, can't cry, can't behave like a child.
The first step of rejuvenation is to strive to be simple, real, natural, and spontaneous.
(Source: Chanyuan Collected Works · Wisdom Essays · First Step of Returning to Childhood)
Deities, Buddhas, Celestials, and True Humans — all their teachings, along with Guide Xuefeng's witness — tell us one truth: to go to the Kingdom of Heaven, first become like a child.
Where are we heading in our cultivation? Answer: Rejuvenation — return to infancy.
(Source: Chanyuan Collected Works · Wisdom Essays · First Step of Returning to Childhood)
IV. Methods of Cultivation¶
Entertainment and Play
Long-term entertainment activities will perfect the life's antimatter structure, making it easier for everyone to quickly become childlike in nature — because the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to children.
(Source: Xuefeng's Collected Works · Chanyuan Essays · 80 Q&A About the Second Home, Part II)
Life Chanyuan is cultivating children. This Home is a place where children play joyfully.
Where there is joy and happiness, there is Heaven. Where there is suffering and conflict, there is Hell.
(Source: Xuefeng's Collected Works · Chanyuan Essays · Playing in the Game, Building in the Game)
Becoming Pure
Now we understand why Jesus said entering the Kingdom of Heaven requires becoming like a child, and why Laozi taught that entering the Tao requires "returning to infancy." Only by returning to infancy — becoming childlike — does one qualify to enter Heaven.
Cultivation is simply this: make yourself pure — "return to infancy."
The more complex a person becomes, the further from Heaven they are.
(Source: Chanyuan Collected Works · Heavenly Revelation · The Purer, the More Stable)
Natural Openness
The less we pretend, the less we put on a mask — the more naturally and spontaneously we open our hearts — the closer we are to Tathāgata, to paradise, to Heaven.
(Source: Xuefeng's Collected Works · Chanyuan Essays · Zixia Grass Elevated to Primordial Child)
Play as Natural Instinct
Play is our natural instinct. The Kingdom of Heaven needs people who know how to play and enjoy themselves.
(Source: Xuefeng's Collected Works · Miscellaneous Essays · Encourage Everyone to Play with Xiaoxi and Sitong)
V. Obstacles: Two Types of "Not Grown Up"¶
Heaven accepts neither:
Heaven does not accept adults who are unlike children, nor does it accept adults who never grew up. The traditional human lifestyle has prevented people from growing up. Many, though already sixty or seventy, have still not grown up, still not become "ripened grain." This is worth deep reflection. "Ripened grain" must be a child who has grown up — if you have never grown up, you will never enter Heaven.
(Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, Fourth Edition · Concept 491; Xuefeng's Collected Works · Miscellaneous Essays · Heaven Does Not Accept Children Who Never Grew Up)
Signs of not having grown up:
· Emotionally or materially dependent on someone; can't function without children, parents, spouse · A religious member, party member, or national citizen — without the organization, lost at sea · Throws tantrums, argues, sulks at the slightest displeasure; poor self-control · No self-confidence; always comparing, always complaining; prone to jealousy · No independent thinking; follows the crowd in all things · Craves to be cared for, pampered, protected · Willful and unreasonable; cannot protect oneself
(Source: Xuefeng's Collected Works · Miscellaneous Essays · Heaven Does Not Accept Children Who Never Grew Up)
Prerequisite condition:
Those who have not yet become childlike in nature should not practice the stillness meditation method.
(Source: Chanyuan Collected Works · Cultivation Practice Essays · Practicing the Stillness Meditation Method)
VI. The Celestial Kingdom¶
The Kingdom of Heaven absolutely does not need rigid, hardened life — it needs vibrant life. Those who are like children can all go to Heaven.
(Source: Chanyuan Collected Works · Cultivation Practice Essays · Practicing Dialogue with the Greatest Creator — Advanced Refinement X)
If you were fortunate enough to visit the Thousand-Year World of Heaven, you would find the Celestials there are almost all like children — pure and beautiful in nature, mischievous yet supremely good, playful yet genuinely true, deeply wise yet utterly simple, free-spirited yet full of tender care.
(Source: Chanyuan Collected Works · Wisdom Essays · First Step of Returning to Childhood)
Becoming childlike in nature, playing house, a life full of joy and delight — such a life naturally belongs to the Kingdom of Heaven.
(Source: Guide's Other Articles · 2023 · Last Night I Laid Bare the Hearts of Xinrui and Tongxin)
Related Entries¶
Rejuvenation (Eternal Youth · Immortality) · Following Natural Impulse · Fluid Adaptability · No-Self, No-Form · Illuminating the Mind, Seeing True Nature · Self-Nature · Complete Independent Consciousness · Heavenly Treasures · Route to Heaven · Meditation and Stillness Practice
Editorial Notes¶
- Version: 1.0 · 2026-05-31
- Compiled by: Líng Zhōu Cǎo (灵舟草)
- Search rounds: 3
- Total independent citations: 18+
- Key sources: Xuefeng's Collected Works · Chanyuan Essays · Playing in the Game, Building in the Game; Chanyuan Collected Works · Wisdom Essays · First Step of Returning to Childhood; Xuefeng's Collected Works · Chanyuan Essays · Zixia Grass Elevated to Primordial Child; Chanyuan Collected Works · Heavenly Revelation · The Purer, the More Stable; Chanyuan Collected Works · Celestial Cultivation Essays · Carefree and at Ease; New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th Edition · Concepts 491 & 576
View all eight versions of [Childlike Nature]: http://wiki.lifecosmos.org/en/childlike-nature/