Human Nature (Academic Edition)¶

Abstract: The Lifechanyuan framework presents a multi-layered account of human nature structured around five key claims: honesty as its essential definition; cosmic holography as the source of all human attributes; Truth-Goodness-Beauty as its core values; eight specific standards as practical criteria; and perfect human nature as the structural prerequisite for ascending to higher LIFE spaces. This framework transcends the classical good-nature/evil-nature binary by introducing two foundational premises: environmental variability (human nature is unfathomable) and attribute holography (all eight cosmic natures coexist in every person). The problem of human nature is thereby reframed from moral philosophy into a structural analysis of LIFE and spatial levels.

I. Primary Sources¶

ID	Source	Core Contribution
S1	Chanyuan Corpus·, Standards of Perfect Human Nature	Four-attribute positioning; eight standards; "only pass" thesis
S2	Chanyuan Corpus·, Perfect Human Nature Is the Prerequisite and Guarantee of Perfect Life	Reality as projection of consciousness; butterflies and flowers; life-level correspondence
S3	Chanyuan Corpus·, Human Nature Is Unfathomable	Cosmic holography; eight attributes; environmental determinism; chosen-person exception
S4	Xuefeng Corpus·, Truth, Goodness, and Beauty — The Core Values of Human Nature	Truth as artistic source; spiritual sense vs. five senses; seeking truth = seeking the Greatest Creator
S5	Xuefeng Corpus·, Truth, Goodness, and Beauty — The Core Values of Human Nature (II)	Goodness as ordering mechanism; great vs. small goodness; goodness as measure
S6	Xuefeng Corpus·, Truth, Goodness, and Beauty — The Core Values of Human Nature (III)	Beauty as proportion; muddy person → Immortal hierarchy; on endurance (ren)
S7	Xuefeng Corpus·, Emerging from the Smog of Human Nature	Nature originally pure; smog formation; purification pathway
S8	Xuefeng Corpus·, The Evils of Human Nature	First evil (evaluating others); second evil (managing others)
S9	Guide's Other Writings·, When Human Nature Stirs, Thorns and Blades Appear	Immortal nature vs. human nature; restrain human nature; Superhuman Philosophy

II. Definitional Framework: Four-Attribute Positioning¶

Attribute	Essential Quality	Typical Expression
Human nature	Honesty	Seeking truth from facts; what the mouth says = what the heart thinks
Material nature	Dullness	Mechanical repetition; unconscious operation
Animal nature	Cunning	Deception, manipulation, exploitation for gain
Buddha nature	Transcendence	Beyond attachment; unmoved by external conditions

(S1)

The theoretical significance of this definition is that it assigns human nature a precise coordinate within the cosmic attribute spectrum, rather than treating it as a vague moral quality. Honesty as the essential nature of humans is a structural attribute — it marks what distinguishes humans from objects (dullness), animals (cunning), and Buddhas (transcendence).

III. Cosmic Holography: The Eight-Attribute Coexistence Model¶

Attribute Level	Corresponding LIFE Space	Activation Condition
Divine nature	Heavenly realm	Living in the world of gods
Buddha nature	Elysium World and above	Living in the world of Buddhas
Immortal nature	Thousand-Year World, Ten-Thousand-Year World	Living in the world of Immortals
Human nature	The human world	Living among humans
Animal nature	The animal world	Living among animals
Material nature	The material world	—
Demonic nature	The underworld	Living in the world of demons
Empty nature	—	—

(S3)

Core proposition: Every person simultaneously carries all eight attributes. Which attribute is activated depends entirely on one's environment. This proposition generates three corollaries:

Never permanently define any living person
No individual can predict with certainty what they will become
Environmental construction (e.g., the Life Oasis model) is of decisive importance

Exception rule: Approximately one in ten thousand people are "chosen" — their nature is essentially fixed regardless of environment. They are set in place to maintain the dynamic equilibrium of cosmic LIFE and the justice of the karmic mechanism. (S3)

IV. The Core Values of Human Nature: Truth, Goodness, and Beauty¶

Dimension	Definition	Function	Consequence of Absence
Truth	The source of all artistic forms; eternally unchanging	The root of human nature; seeking truth = seeking the Greatest Creator	Animal nature erupts; harm to others and nature
Goodness	The mechanism maintaining ordered harmony	The measure of whether a person has human nature	Social disorder; moral collapse
Beauty	Harmonious proportion and symmetry of form	Drives LIFE toward higher spaces	LIFE withers; life beset by calamity

(S4, S5, S6)

Hierarchy thesis: The essential difference between muddy person, vulgar person, ordinary person, sage, and Immortal lies in the differing proportions of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in their human nature. Higher proportions → development toward Immortal; lower proportions → existence in the animal world. (S6)

Special distinction — two levels of Goodness: - Great Goodness: the attribute of the Greatest Creator and the divine; preserving Satan and predatory animals, allowing part of humanity to perish — these are great goodness beyond ordinary comprehension; if humans attempt great goodness, they will walk the path of evil - Small Goodness: the attribute of sages and the wise; full-scale maintenance of order and harmony among humans and nature (S5)

Special distinction — endurance (ren) is not goodness: "Endurance is a blade on the heart — a humiliating way of seeking survival in complete helplessness. … The highest principle of the universe is Truth, Goodness, and Beauty — I find no endurance. … Endurance is a desecration of LIFE, a rebellion against and destruction of human nature." (S6)

V. The Eight Standards of Perfect Human Nature: Structural Analysis¶

Standard	Category	Core Point
1. Reverence for the Greatest Creator; respect for divine beings and others	Sacred relationship	Humility before the Creator; equal treatment of all LIFE
2. Freedom from competitive and combative mind	Psychological state	Shakyamuni: this is the highest state of being human
3. Love of nature	Ecological relation	Gratitude for the Greatest Creator's gift; no destruction
4. Modesty, trustworthiness, honesty	Integrity qualities	The essential nature of humans
5. Compassion and sympathy	Compassionate attribute	The higher level of human nature; the bridge to Buddha nature
6. Equanimity in all circumstances	Psychological resilience	Self-adjustment; no blaming heaven or others
7. Compliance with natural law; no pursuit of the extraordinary	Following the Tao	No shortcuts; achievement comes when conditions are ripe
8. Love of LIFE and labor	Attitude toward LIFE	Labor is humanity's most noble activity; disdaining labor marks a lack of human nature

(S1)

Key thesis: "The only pass to higher LIFE spaces is: perfect human nature. Everything else is baggage and trash in life." (S1)

VI. Immortal Nature vs. Human Nature: Structural Contrast¶

Dimension	Immortal Nature	Human Nature
Relation to others	Does not meddle in others' hearts; does not manage others' affairs	Eyes fixed on others; wants others to comply
Group-status consciousness	If it's not one's business, one doesn't worry about it	Always wants to stand out and be noticed
Power desire	Each is responsible for their own domain	At the core, wants to be king, to be above others
Social outcome	Rain and wind are favorable	Thorns and blades appear everywhere

(S9)

The essence of "Superhuman Philosophy" is the restraint of human nature: "Whoever takes responsibility, speaks; whoever takes responsibility, bears all consequences — all others follow the responsible person." Democracy, by contrast, is the typical expression of human nature's logic: everyone inserts themselves, no one is responsible, and the collective drifts toward mediocrity. (S9)

VII. Phenomenology of Human Nature's Evils¶

Two core evils (S8):

Evaluating others: Interfering in others' paths; imposing one's own standards; the most universal expression of human nature's evil
Managing others: The concrete manifestation of the drive to control and dominate; at its core, the desire to be king and above others

Broader catalogue of human nature's evils (S5): jealousy, hatred, counterfeiting, profiteering, deception, extortion; all stratagems devised on battlefields, in officialdom, commerce, gambling dens, and romantic affairs to weaken, defeat, or eliminate the other.

VIII. The Smog of Human Nature: Contamination Mechanism and Purification Pathway¶

Contamination mechanism (S7): Original nature pure ("like a bright mirror") → Survival needs activated (food, shelter, safety, respect, fame, desire) → "The bright mirror gathers dust" → Anxiety, resentment, anger, fear accumulate → Smog of human nature forms

Cognitive trap of the smog: Where the smog is heaviest, people paradoxically feel "everyone else is asleep while I alone am awake." When the wave comes, they find they have been swept into the trap of "cleverness undone by cleverness." (S7)

Purification pathway (S7): - Reduce desires; control impulses - Do not follow the incitement of any source of information - Let the restless heart grow calm; observe events steadily - Trust: the karmic law is an iron rule; do not focus on a single event, a single moment, a single lifetime

IX. Comparative Analysis¶

Framework	View of Human Nature	Convergences and Divergences with Lifechanyuan
Confucian (Mencius): innate goodness	Human nature is originally good; benevolence, righteousness, ritual, wisdom are the four sprouts	Convergence: humans have the capacity for goodness; Divergence: Lifechanyuan uses "honesty" not "benevolence" as the essential nature; introduces environmental variables that deny fixed innate goodness
Confucian (Xunzi): innate evil	Human nature is originally evil; goodness comes from later ritual education	Convergence: importance of environment and education; Divergence: Lifechanyuan does not regard human nature as evil — it is neutral and changeable
Western behaviorism (Skinner)	Human behavior is shaped by environment	Convergence: environmental determination of behavior; Divergence: Lifechanyuan has a metaphysical foundation in cosmic holography; behaviorism lacks the dimension of LIFE levels
Buddhism	Buddha nature is inherent; all beings can attain Buddhahood	Convergence: every person carries Buddha nature; Divergence: Lifechanyuan positions Buddha nature as one of eight coexisting attributes, not the sole or primary one
Taoism	Follow the Tao and nature; return to simplicity and truth	Convergence: compliance with natural law; "truth" as source; Divergence: Lifechanyuan provides specific eight standards and a LIFE levels hierarchy

X. Conclusion¶

The Lifechanyuan theory of human nature, anchored in the thesis "perfect human nature is the only pass to higher LIFE spaces," reframes the problem of human nature from ethics to LIFE science. Its distinctiveness lies in:

Attribute holography: Every person simultaneously carries eight attributes; environment determines which is activated
Definitional precision: "Honesty" rather than abstract moral concepts defines the essential nature
Value hierarchy: The proportion of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty directly determines LIFE level
Practical operability: Eight specific standards provide a verifiable cultivation pathway
Cosmic connection: The perfection of human nature is not merely about worldly happiness but a structural condition for reaching the Thousand-Year World, Ten-Thousand-Year World, and beyond