Complaining and Grumbling · Internal Reference¶

This version is for practitioners and researchers. It contains complete source quotations organized under a six-section framework with citations throughout.

Entry Overview¶

In the Lifechanyuan system, complaining and grumbling (埋怨·抱怨) are the sixth of the eighteen factors causing human suffering, a "poisoned arrow aimed at others," one of twenty forms of mental filth to be cleansed before reaching the Kingdom of Heaven, and a key obstacle within the "Egypt of the heart" that prevents the soul from ascending. The root cause: reality is a projection of one's own consciousness and all circumstances arise from cause and effect — yet the unawakened person blames the outside world. The more selfish a person is, the more they complain. Lifechanyuan requires practitioners to harbor "no resentment toward Heaven, Earth, society, or others," and freedom from complaining is one of the basic requirements for entering the Thousand-Year World.

I. Definition and Nature¶

Grumbling is a poisoned arrow.

(New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th edition · Concept 104)

Grumbling is a poisoned arrow aimed at others.

(Xuefeng Collection · Admonitions · "Before Entering the Kingdom of Heaven, Cleanse These Stains from Your Heart")

The eighteen factors causing human suffering: 1. Wrong worldview, outlook on life, view of LIFE, and view of the universe; 2. Selfishness; 3. Greed; 4. Laziness; 5. Jealousy; 6. Grumbling and complaining; 7. Comparison; 8. Competitive and combative mind; 9. Arrogance and rudeness; 10. Dependence; 11. Toxic romantic love; 12. Possession and monopolization; 13. Fame-chasing and profit-seeking; 14. Attachment; 15. Wanting to change and control others; 16. Departing from the natural Tao; 17. Breaking laws and rules; 18. Consciousness of marriage, family, ethnicity, nation, party, religion, and organization.

(New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th edition · Concept 36)

II. Analysis: Why We Must Not Blame Heaven or Others¶

Why can't we blame Heaven, Earth, society, or others? Because this world is not wrong — we ourselves are wrong. Reality is a projection of our own consciousness. Everything is cause and effect; everything is of our own making. What is there to resent? The more one complains, the worse the situation becomes. If you must place blame, blame yourself. A grateful person harbors no resentment and has no time to complain about Heaven, Earth, society, or others. The more selfish, self-centered, and unreasonable a person is, the more they complain.

(Xuefeng Collection · Q&A · "Answering Li Yunxiang's Questions on Complaining, Attachment, Illusion, and Play")

This world is not wrong; if there is any fault, it lies within oneself. So "attributing every dissatisfaction to one's own faulty consciousness" is the cognition of an awakened person. The unawakened person attributes all dissatisfaction to external factors, and thus generates a complaining mind and a resentful mind.

(Xuefeng Collection · Q&A · "Answering Claude's Questions (IX)")

Reality is a projection of one's own consciousness. Complaining about reality is far less useful than transforming yourself.

(New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th edition · Concept 237)

III. Manifestations and Harm¶

One of twenty stains on the heart

The stains you must cleanse from your heart are: jealousy, anger, resentment, suspicion, cursing, comparing yourselves to others, criticizing one another, attacking one another, fighting, grumbling, negativity, degeneracy, selfishness, greedy possession, arrogance, conceit, laziness, slovenliness, indifference, and lawlessness. The Kingdom of Heaven only accepts those with pure and beautiful hearts. If any single one of these twenty stains remains on your heart, you will find it exceedingly difficult to enter the Kingdom of Heaven — the Kingdom of the Greatest Creator.

(Xuefeng Collection · Admonitions · "Before Entering the Kingdom of Heaven, Cleanse These Stains from Your Heart")

The more you complain, the worse things get

Do not hate others. Do not compare yourself to others. Do not grumble at others. When suffering comes, bear it; when wrongdoing comes, endure it. The more you complain and cry out, the more bitter the suffering, the deeper the debt.

(Xuefeng Collection · Admonitions · "Do Not Stop Moving Forward")

Complaining becomes addictive

Jealousy, grumbling, comparison, fault-finding, accusation, lying, laziness, selfishness, greed, arrogance, and similar negative emotions can all become addictive. Once a person turns negative and forms an unhealthy psychology, pessimism becomes the keynote of their life. They become withdrawn, contrary, stubborn, rigid, calcified — and eventually develop depression.

(Chanyuan Collection · The Thirty-Six Bagua Formations · "The Desire Formation: Formation Two")

Mutual grumbling in marriage

Mutual grumbling is a slow-acting poison that corrodes the bonds of a marriage. A wife's grumbling toward her husband is like blades of wind and frost that mercilessly wound his sense of dignity, leaving him utterly dispirited, his heart no different from dead wood. It weakens his sense of responsibility while strengthening his resentment. If a good husband eventually becomes a bad one, his wife's grumbling may well be the primary cause.

(Xuefeng Collection · Essays · "Sailing Together — An Open Letter to a Chanyuan Celestial's Wife")

Forgetting gratitude and turning to blame — the greatest bad habit

The closer a person is to you, the more important to you, the more selflessly devoted to you — the more easily you generate feelings of resentment and blame toward them, the more easily you forget respect and gratitude, the more easily you find fault, the more easily you demand perfection. Habituated to receiving, you forget grace; accustomed to gain, you overlook gratitude.

(Xuefeng Collection · Admonitions · "The Greatest Bad Habit People Easily Form")

IV. Cultivation Practice: No Complaints¶

No matter how dire your circumstances, never complain — not toward Heaven, not toward Earth, not toward society, not toward government, not toward others.

(Xuefeng Collection · Encouragement · "Try This Bone-Deep Transformation Practice")

Those who can take responsibility for themselves — who do not complain, do not grumble, do not feel jealous, do not harbor resentment, do not regret, do not seek revenge, do not compare themselves to others, are not lazy, greedy, extravagant, wasteful, or arrogant — and yet find walking with Xuefeng enjoyable: come find me.

(Xuefeng Collection · Admonitions · "What Has the Guide of Lifechanyuan Come to This World to Do?")

Have faith in the Greatest Creator, rely on the Greatest Creator, sing the praises of the Greatest Creator. Give your LIFE to the Greatest Creator and do not fear death; give your human life to the Tao to manage and do not let greed and desire consume you. Under any circumstances whatsoever, harbor no resentment, no complaint, no hatred.

(Xuefeng Collection · Q&A · "Exploring the Value of Human Existence — A Reply to Baichuan")

Expound the inner meaning of the Tao, elevate human character, and eliminate the minds of jealousy, grumbling, and comparison.

(Xuefeng Collection · Admonitions · "Outline of the Hundun Management Program for the New Human Life")

V. The Relationship with Cause-and-Effect and Gratitude¶

The Heavenly Tao is just. Therefore do not resent Heaven, do not resent Earth, do not resent society, do not resent others, do not resent the government.

(New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th edition · Concept 37)

Everything operates within the Tao — the government's every action lies within the Tao's "palm." Therefore do not be angry, do not grumble, do not feel outraged. Do what you are meant to do. You plant flowers — that is your affair. The government destroys flowers — that is their affair. In the end, the Tao will render just verdict and reward or punishment to every person.

(New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th edition · Concept 500)

VI. The Ultimate Perspective: Barriers to the Kingdom of Heaven¶

To reach Heaven one must cross two great mountains... The Egypt of the heart includes: jealousy, comparison, grumbling, arrogance, anger, possession, monopolization, hatred, doctrine and dogma, precepts and commandments, fighting, greed, laziness, willful action, and so on. Unless these mental toxins are cleared away, the Kingdom of Heaven cannot be reached. Step out of the programs created by humanity; escape from the Egypt of the heart; break free from your chains and march toward freedom.

(New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th edition · Concept 489)

To enter the Thousand-Year World, we must achieve eight things: ... 3. No jealousy, no resentment, no combativeness, no greed, no attachment, no selfishness, no grumbling toward others ...

(New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th edition · Concept 492)

Gratitude · Jealousy and Envy · Forgiveness · Letting Go · Repentance · Selfishness and Selflessness · Standards of Perfect Human Nature · Awakening · Heavenly Treasures · Morality