Religion · Internal Version¶
This version presents the original source texts in full, without alteration, organized by theme with source citations.
[I] The Nature and Positive Functions of Religion¶
Religion is a field of inquiry into the relationship between humanity and nature, and also a field of inquiry into LIFE. It is an ideological and theoretical framework that helps people establish a correct worldview, life philosophy, view of LIFE, and system of values. It is a bridge guiding humanity from the material world toward the nonmaterial world, and an effective means of unlocking the power of the inner Spirit through the establishment of faith. (Source: Xuefeng Corpus · Chanyuan · Religion Will Perish: On the Lifechanyuan Era, Part III)
The essence of religion is for the inner peace of humanity and for the peace of the world — for LIFE to pass from this shore to the other shore. The original intention of all religions is good. Throughout history, religion has played an enormous role in the transmission of civilization. (Source: Xuefeng Corpus · Chanyuan · Religion Will Perish: On the Lifechanyuan Era, Part III)
Lifechanyuan encompasses the spiritual core of the world's great religions, the wisdom of divine beings, Buddhas, celestials, and sages, and the wisdom of humanity's great thinkers across the ages. Its purpose is to guide people to break through all the ropes that bind the human inner Spirit and ultimately realize the goal of all humanity believing in the one and only Greatest Creator and walking the Way of the Greatest Creator. (Source: Xuefeng Corpus · Chanyuan · Questions and Answers About Lifechanyuan)
Jesus, Shakyamuni, Laozi, the Prophet Muhammad, and humanity's great thinkers of all generations are the teachers of Lifechanyuan. Lifechanyuan is compatible with the classics and outstanding wisdom of all religions. (Source: Xuefeng Corpus · Chanyuan · Eight Bases on Which the Lifechanyuan Era Will Certainly Come; Xuefeng Corpus · Satire · Allah Is the Greatest Creator — Refuting the Fool, Part III)
[II] The Eight Shortcomings of Religion¶
As humanity's understanding of natural laws has gradually deepened, religion has increasingly become a fence and shackle constraining human thought, inevitably leading it toward decline. The existing religions have eight fundamental shortcomings:
One. Ignorance about LIFE; the path to Heaven is unclear. What is LIFE? Where is Heaven? How does one go to Heaven? All existing religions are lost on these questions.
Two. Manufacturing psychological terror; shackling human thought. Creating end-times doctrines, terrifying people indefinitely, unable to specify concrete timing or clarify paths to salvation, while restricting free exploration.
Three. Self-supremacy; tyrannical by nature. Every religious sect at its core believes it alone is correct and all others are heretics, scheming to control humanity, narrow-minded.
Four. Suppressing human nature; placing the inner Spirit in chains. A series of doctrines, teachings, and commandments that are largely suppressions of human nature and bondage of inner Spirit freedom — ropes that bind thought.
Five. All religions run counter to the Way of the Greatest Creator. What is the true meaning of life? What is the value and significance of life? No religion has explained this clearly.
Six. Suppressing new forces; destroying human elites. For example, Christianity burned Bruno at the stake and regarded the newly emerged Jehovah's Witnesses as heretics.
Seven. Manufacturing conflict; provoking war. All religions are untouchable, and to defend their own religion, they do not hesitate to manufacture conflict and provoke strife.
Eight. Wasting human and material resources; manufacturing religious superstition. Building temples, monasteries, and churches everywhere; worshipping idols; burning incense and kowtowing; killing sacrificial animals; holding fanatical events — disturbing people's minds, hindering humanity's natural activities, and leading humanity into religious superstition.
Religion's positive contributions are immeasurable, and so are its harms. Religion has become a stumbling block to the elevation of human civilization. (Source: Xuefeng Corpus · Chanyuan · Religion Will Perish: On the Lifechanyuan Era, Part III)
[III] Religion and the Shackles of Thought¶
Religious adherents possess illusory thinking. The greatest characteristic of illusory thinking is that every step appears to move forward, but in the end it returns to the starting point; every sentence of every theory is correct and seemingly irrefutable, yet after going around and around in a great circle, it ultimately returns to where it began. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concepts 666, 667)
All regulations and concepts, ethical norms and codes of conduct, authoritative theories and preachings, religious laws and rituals — all are powers that bind human thought. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concept 317)
[IV] Religion and Human Suffering¶
Marriage, family, ethnicity, nation, political party, religion, and organizational consciousness are among the eighteen factors that cause suffering in human life. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concept 36)
The existence of family, nation, political party, and religion is the root cause of environmental pollution on Earth, extreme global inequality, irrational resource allocation, world instability, and humanity's mounting crises. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concept 702)
Live for joy, happiness, freedom, and well-being — not for "-isms," "truth," nation, political party, organization, religion, or family. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concept 35)
[V] Religion and Individual Cultivation — Obstacles on the Path to Heaven¶
To reach Heaven, two great mountains must be crossed. One of them is the programs created by humanity, specifically including: family, ethnicity, nation, religion, political party, and the existing social order and way of life. To reach Heaven, one must step out of these programs; without stepping out of them, one cannot arrive at the Kingdom of Heaven. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concept 489)
If you have eliminated from your consciousness the concepts of family, ethnicity, nation, political party, and religion, and you love freedom and ease and joy and happiness, in the next life you will go to the Millennium World of Heaven. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concept 496)
A person who has a traditional family, loves the traditional family, and cannot step out of the traditional family — no matter how you cultivate, even if you cultivate until your head breaks open, you have nothing to do with Heaven. This principle applies equally to those who cling to religious rituals, commandments, and doctrines. "If you have not seen your nature, even if you can recite all twelve sections of scripture and doctrine, it is all the speech of demons. If you have not seen your nature, chanting Buddha's name, reciting sutras, holding mantras, giving alms, keeping precepts, diligent practice, building temples, repairing monasteries, making offerings, releasing animals, kowtowing, burning incense — none of it will make you a Buddha." (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concepts 688 and 611)
Walking the Way of the Greatest Creator is the most effortless, the simplest, the most direct, the most effective — no need to abstain from this or that, no need to chant sutras and pray every day, no need to specially cultivate supernatural powers and magical arts. Simply following nature is sufficient. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concept 539)
Worshipping the Greatest Creator requires no church, temple, Taoist hall, or mosque. The entire universe, nature, and the human inner Spirit are the place of worshipping the Greatest Creator. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concept 571)
The foremost element of universal values is faith in the Greatest Creator — this is the cornerstone of all universal values. Faith has nothing to do with religion. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concept 710)
[VI] Religion and the Second Home¶
One of the eight defining characteristics of the Second Home (LIFE Oasis): staying away from politics, staying away from religion. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concept 628)
The Second Home is not a religious organization of any kind, nor a political organization — it is a very loose community composed of like-frequency individuals who willingly produce and live according to the New Era Human 800 Concepts. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concept 648)
One should have a degree of religious sentiment — this statement indicates that Lifechanyuan does not negate religious sentiment itself, but opposes religious organizations, religious superstition, and religion's suppression of human nature. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concept 138)
[VII] The Convergence of All Teachings — Religion's Ultimate Fate¶
Without the dissolution of religion, humanity will have no peace or tranquility. The proliferation of religious sects and factions is not only detrimental to world peace but has become a primary factor in world instability. There is only one solution: all methods converge to the source, all teachings converge to one — all walking the Way of the Greatest Creator. (Source: Xuefeng Corpus · Chanyuan · Religion Will Perish: On the Lifechanyuan Era, Part III)
All methods converging to the source, all teachings converging to one, all under Heaven as one family, the great harmony of the world — this is the main theme of the new era. Only when "all methods converge to the source" and "all teachings converge to one," all under Heaven as one family, can there be "embracing the One," harmony, peace, and a life of joy, happiness, freedom, and well-being for all. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concepts 701, 706)
One of the eight great hallmarks of the Lifechanyuan era: nations disappear, religions disappear, political parties disappear, family life dissolves. The hallmarks of the Lifechanyuan era are: religion, political parties, and nations cease to exist. (Source: Xuefeng Corpus · Warning · The Lifechanyuan Era Needs Only These Eight Types of People; Xuefeng Corpus · Chanyuan · Let the World Know About Lifechanyuan)
The state of religion in the Lifechanyuan era will be as follows: Jesus, Shakyamuni, Muhammad, Laozi, and all the founders of religions will receive respect and esteem, but no one teaching will be regarded as the only correct theory; people will no longer fanatically worship their religious leaders; there will no longer be any sects in the world; all of humanity will revere the Greatest Creator, revere LIFE, revere nature, and walk the Way of the Greatest Creator; no one will worship idols any longer; no one will go to temples, monasteries, or churches to burn incense, kowtow, or prostrate themselves in worship; everyone will enjoy the fullest possible freedom of thought, freedom of inner Spirit, and freedom of life. (Source: Xuefeng Corpus · Chanyuan · Religion Will Perish: On the Lifechanyuan Era, Part III)
In the new era, all holidays related to divine beings, Buddhas, celestials, humans, nations, political parties, religions, and armies are no longer observed — including holidays such as Christmas and the Buddha's Birthday. (Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th ed., Concept 718)