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Life Oasis Three Maxims: Simple, Frugal, Steadfast · Academic Version

Abstract

The "three maxims" — Simple (jiǎn 简), Frugal (jiǎn 俭), and Steadfast (jiān 坚) — are a compact behavioral code formulated by Lifechanyuan's guide Xuefeng in August 2011 for communal life in the Life Oasis (Second Home). Documented in Xuefeng's Collected Writings · Chanyuan Chapter, each maxim carries both institutional and spiritual content: Simple operationalizes the Hundun management principle by eliminating rules, hierarchy, and ceremony; Frugal frames voluntary material restraint as a moral virtue grounded in classical Chinese wisdom; Steadfast defines a quality standard for all personal conduct. The three maxims together constitute a low-external-rule, high-internal-integrity model of community governance, with its declared endpoint drawn from the Heart Sutra: "No hindrance in the mind… here is Nirvana."

Source Documentation

Text Author Date Source
Simple, Frugal, Steadfast — The Three-Character Classic of Second Home Life Xuefeng 4 August 2011 Xuefeng's Collected Writings · Chanyuan Chapter

[Sparse-source entry] Core documentation is a single article.

I. Simple — Institutional Minimalism

Xuefeng opens by citing Zhuge Liang ("non-attachment clarifies the will") and Mahatma Gandhi ("simplicity is the essence of the universe"), framing simplicity as a universal principle rather than a lifestyle preference. He then enumerates eight institutional applications:

  1. No rules or regulations — all behavior proceeds through spontaneous willingness
  2. No meetings except the weekly Friday community gathering
  3. No assigned tasks or supervision — personal responsibility for all choices
  4. No requirements beyond basic civility and cultivation
  5. Hundun management — no leadership hierarchy; petty cash placed openly for anyone to take without reporting
  6. No ceremonial obligations — no birthdays, holidays, or gift exchange; no bonds of material mutual assistance
  7. No collective rituals beyond necessary shared activities
  8. Minimal personal property — one room with one bed, table, chair, and cabinet; three pairs of shoes and three sets of clothing; everything else communal

This framework aligns closely with the Hundun Management system and reflects the Taoist principle of wu wei (non-coercive action): governance that achieves order without imposing it.

II. Frugal — Voluntary Material Restraint

Xuefeng anchors frugality in classical Chinese ethical tradition, citing Laozi's three treasures, Sima Guang's personal creed, and the household maxims of Zhu Bolu. The core formulation:

"Second Home life is entirely frugal — no pomp, no waste, no luxury or extravagance, no purchasing anything merely for show. The principle is utility in all things."

Frugality is presented as a spiritual orientation rather than mere economy: freedom from material attachment, paralleling the Life Oasis concept of Own Nothing, Have Everything. The classical quotations ("earthen jars surpass gold and jade") reframe poverty not as deprivation but as aesthetic and moral refinement.

III. Steadfast — Quality of Action

"Steadfast" operates at three levels:

  1. Inner groundwork — faith, conviction, cultivation, ability, and conduct must all be solid
  2. Performance standard — whatever is done must be done to the highest standard, leaving no loose ends or lingering problems
  3. Authenticity — every word, action, and thought must be genuinely true; no empty rhetoric or performative religion

Steadfastness functions as the structural guarantee of the first two maxims: without solid inner foundations, simplicity risks degenerating into carelessness and frugality into neglect.

IV. Internal Logic

Simple (remove external constraints)
    ↓
Frugal (release material attachment)
    ↓
Steadfast (consolidate inner foundation)
    ↓
No hindrance in the mind → Liberation (Nirvana)

The three maxims form a progressive structure: external institutional simplicity → internal material detachment → behavioral integrity. The explicit telos is the Heart Sutra's promise of a mind free from fear and delusion.

V. Comparative Analysis

Dimension Simple–Frugal–Steadfast (Lifechanyuan) Western Minimalism Traditional Monastic Rule
Source of rules Inner willingness; no external prescription Personal choice External institutional authority
Material stance Utility-based; communal ownership Less but privately owned Varies by tradition
Enforcement mechanism None — Hundun management Self-discipline alone Supervision and sanctions
Ultimate aim Liberation; becoming a celestial being Psychological freedom; efficiency Religious merit or salvation

The Life Oasis model is distinctive in combining rule-absence at the institutional level with high self-imposed behavioral expectations — a configuration that requires strong shared values to function, which is why the three maxims are addressed to committed practitioners (Chanyuan Celestials) rather than to the general public.

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