《寒冬》编辑 Massimo 刊登第二篇：走进生命禅院：跨越时间、心灵与国界的旅程
亲爱的导游叔叔和各位亲人们好，
感恩佛祖上帝爷爷的恩赐，感谢道的安排。
第二篇——“Inside Lifechanyuan. 2. A Journey Across Time, Spirit, and Borders”——已正式发布，本篇讲述了雪峰导游的故事，以及第二家园从萌芽到发展的历史轨迹。让我们一同走入这段跨越时间、灵性与国界的旅程，感受光明心灵的力量，也在学者的笔下看见我们共同的理想与坚守。


Inside Lifechanyuan. 2. A Journey Across Time, Spirit, and Borders
10/14/2025 Massimo Introvigne
Persecution hit the movement after Xi Jinping came to power in China, leading many members to seek asylum in Thailand and Canada.
by Massimo Introvigne
Article 2 of 6. Read article 1.

Guide Xuefeng.
The story of Lifechanyuan—also known as the Life Zen Temple—is more than the biography of a spiritual movement. It unfolds a journey that defied convention, crossed continents, and gave rise to a community that continues challenging the boundaries of religion, politics, and metaphysics. It is a story of rebirth, exile, and resilience—one that begins in a village that no longer exists.
Zhang Zifan, later known to his followers as Guide Xuefeng, was born on July 17, 1957, in Zhangjia Village, Lianhua Township, Yongjing County, in northwestern Gansu Province. The construction of the Liujiaxia Reservoir submerged the town, and Zifan’s family was relocated to Hetan Township in Dongxiang Autonomous County.
Locals described his father as a dedicated CCP member, unwavering in his loyalty to the Party. On the other hand, his mother often visited a Buddhist temple and quietly shared her spiritual curiosity with her son. This combination of political discipline and spiritual longing would later unexpectedly influence Zifan’s path.
Zifan’s education was extensive. He attended Dongxiang County No. 3 Middle School, then progressed through several institutions: Zhangjiakou Geological Technical School, Lanzhou Institute of Education, Jiuquan Institute of Education, and finally Beijing University of International Business and Economics. In 1975, at age 18, he joined the Communist Party and quickly became branch secretary in his rural production brigade.
He taught English and worked as an interpreter for Party officials and business leaders. In 1993, this role led him to Africa, where he settled in Zimbabwe in 1995.
Zimbabwe was more than a foreign posting; it became a crucible of transformation. Zifan obtained residency and invested his savings in a small business empire of shops, restaurants, and bars.
The turning point for Zifan was a car accident in 1996 on the road between Harare and Mutare. Zifan later described this moment as a spiritual death and rebirth. He “died” as Zhang Zifan and was “reborn” as Xuefeng. He also started exploring local Christian churches. He spent three years studying the Bible with the Jehovah’s Witnesses and participating in some of their activities. His son, who lives in the United States, remains a Jehovah’s Witness to this day.
Later, Xuefeng studied Buddhism and Taoism and had a spiritual awakening in 1999. He came to understand himself as a prophet for the new era and the same divine spirit who had once incarnated as Lao Tzu, Buddha Sakyamuni, Jesus, and Muhammad.

Some of the first members in Zimbabwe.
In 2001, Xuefeng sold his businesses and began writing extensively, publishing articles and books that laid the foundation for a new spiritual system. He gathered followers and, in 2005, formally founded Lifechanyuan in Zimbabwe, where he planned to establish his first communal settlement, the Second Home.
In 2009, Xuefeng returned to China and established a Second Home in Ciba, Kunming, Yunnan Province. The first members mainly came from Linzhou, Henan Province. In October 2009, a second branch of the Second Home was established in Anning, Yunnan Province. The third and fourth branches were added in 2010. In November 2013, the fifth branch, the first outside China, was inaugurated in Japan.
These were not merely places to live—they were spiritual laboratories designed to embody the principles of Lifechanyuan. These communities were self-sufficient, ecologically conscious, and governed by ethical guidelines, later collected in 2018 as the “800 Values for New Era Humanity.” Members shared their property, opposed materialism, and fostered joy through service. Xuefeng’s writings were translated into English, and the community began to attract international attention.

Pioneer members at the Second Home in Yunnan, 2009.
In 2014, after Xi Jinping came to power in China, tolerance toward Lifechanyuan was replaced by hostile police scrutiny. The first, third, and fourth branches were raided and shut down. The “New York Times” visited the fourth branch and published a positive article, although it perhaps overemphasized the community’s references to Communism rather than its spiritual focus.
Lifechanyuan hoped to avoid police attention by building a new Second Home in a remote area of the Gobi Desert, the Gesar Farm in Xinjiang. In the same year, 2014, the Qingema Farm followed. In winter, however, the police raided the Gesar and Qingema farms, and the Celestials had to disband them.

Celestials in Xinjiang.
Yet another experiment began in May 2015: the Yinyi Ecovillage in Yulong County, Lijiang City, Yunnan Province. The Celestials I met in Thailand described it as a paradise. A second settlement was established nearby in July 2016, later named “Sesame Slope.” In October 2016, the Yinyi Ecovillage and Sesame Slope were again raided and disbanded by the police.

Yinyi Ecovillage.
In April 2017, Xuefeng traveled to Canada to assess the feasibility of building a community there. On November 20, 2017, the Lifechanyuan International Family nonprofit organization was officially registered in British Columbia.
With considerable effort, a Second Home was built in Canada. January 1, 2018, was proclaimed the beginning of the New Era, a moment believed to mark the spiritual inauguration of the Greatest Creator’s millennial kingdom on Earth. This date holds profound significance for Lifechanyuan members, symbolizing a cosmic shift in human consciousness.
In April 2018, the movement established a publicity team to coordinate efforts to spread its message globally. The community began to engage with international audiences through social media, videos, and translated texts.
In 2019, Lifechanyuan initiated the construction of two new communities in China, Shiwai Fairyland and Xianyun Oasis, in remote areas of Guizhou Province. However, any possible communal living in China was abruptly halted when the Chinese government banned the movement as a “xie jiao.” As detailed in my previous article, raids were conducted, and members were detained in 2021 and again in 2025.
The first members arrived in Thailand in 2019, where a Second Home was established near Chiang Mai in September 2020. It was later relocated to a faraway area near the border with Myanmar—the community I visited in September 2025.
Despite the persecution, Lifechanyuan continued to grow. On August 22, 2023, a small branch was established in South Korea. In April 2024, the Holy Pilgrimage Site of Lifechanyuan was inaugurated in Anahim, Canada—a name that means “the Beginning of Creation” in a Native Canadian language. This site is considered sacred, where members and visitors can connect with the divine and reflect on their spiritual journey.

Guide Xuefeng in the Canadian center.
Xuefeng also turned his attention to artificial intelligence. In January 2025, he stated that AI would soon be able to manage human society better than humans themselves, reflecting his belief in the evolution of consciousness and systems.
Today, Lifechanyuan exists in fragments. Many members remain in China but cannot gather or live communally. They meet online, often identifying themselves only by numbers to avoid detection. Even this carries risk.
Those who can relocate to Second Homes abroad, in Thailand or Canada. Guide Xuefeng resides in Canada and continues to write, teach, and guide the movement.
Lifechanyuan’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and spiritual audacity. From rural China and the Gobi Desert to the forests of Thailand and the mountains of British Columbia, it has carried its light across borders and through storms.
The following article will examine the theology behind this extraordinary journey.
Link: https://bitterwinter.org/inside- ... spirit-and-borders/
中文翻译：
走进生命禅院2：跨越时间、心灵与国界的旅程
2025年10月14日
马西莫·英特罗维涅（Massimo Introvigne）撰文
自习近平登台之后，这场灵性的追寻被骤然笼罩在沉重的阴影之下。许多信仰者踏上流亡之路，穿越山海，只为在泰国与加拿大寻得片刻的安息。
生命禅院，亦名 Life Zen Temple，其故事远不止一场精神运动的传记。这是一段跨越常规与大陆的旅程，孕育出一个不断挑战宗教、政治与形而上学界限的社群。它讲述的是重生、流亡与坚韧的传奇——而这一切，起源于一个如今已被岁月湮没的小村庄。
张自繁，后来被尊称为“雪峰导游”，1957年7月17日出生于甘肃西北的莲花乡张家村。随着刘家峡水库的水面缓缓升起，整个村庄沉入水下，自繁一家被迫背井离乡，迁往东乡族自治县河滩乡，命运在波光中翻涌。
当地人说，他的父亲是一位忠诚的中共党员，对党始终坚定不移；而母亲则常往佛寺参拜，私下里与他分享心灵的好奇与探索。这份政治的坚守与精神的向往，在意想不到的方式上塑造了张自繁的人生轨迹。
张自繁受过良好的教育。他先后求学于东乡县第三中学、张家口地质技术学校、兰州教育学院、酒泉教育学院，后入北京对外经贸大学，学识渐丰，眼界亦开。1975年，他年仅十八岁，便加入中国共产党。青春尚早，志向已定；不久，他成为家乡农村生产大队的党支部书记，以真诚与担当，在土地与人群之间，践行最初的信念。
他曾教授英语，也曾为党政官员与商界领袖架起语言的桥梁。1993年，这份工作将他带向非洲大陆的辽阔天地；两年后，他在津巴布韦安下根，生活与理想在异乡交汇。
对他而言，津巴布韦不仅是一段海外经历，更是一座精神蜕变的熔炉。自繁在那里获得永久居留权，将积蓄倾注于自己的事业，打造起一个由商店、餐馆与酒吧组成的小型商业帝国，让异乡的土地，也开出属于他的生机与光彩。
1996年，他在哈拉雷与穆塔雷之间的公路上遭遇车祸，这成为人生的分水岭。自繁后来将那一刻称作“灵性的死亡与重生”：“张自繁”在瞬间消逝，而“雪峰”自此诞生。从此，他开始在信仰中寻求生命的深意。他走进当地的基督教教会，也曾与耶和华见证人共同研读《圣经》三年，参与他们的宗教活动，探问灵魂的宽广与安宁。他的儿子至今仍生活在美国，并是一名耶和华见证人，血脉与信仰，在不同的土地上各自延伸。
此后，雪峰又研习佛教与道教，并于1999年迎来一次深刻的精神觉醒。他开始感知自己是新时代的先知，是那同一道神圣之灵的再现——曾化身为老子、释迦牟尼、耶稣与穆罕默德，在时光长河中循迹而来。
2001年，雪峰卖掉了自己的生意，转身投入文字的世界，倾心写作，发表多篇文章与著作，为一种新的精神体系奠定根基。随着思想的传播，他逐渐吸引了一批追随者。2005年，他在津巴布韦正式创立“生命禅院”，筹建他的第一个公社式聚居地——“第二家园”，让理念与生活在土地上交融，让精神与现实在此处生根开花。
2009年，雪峰回到中国，在云南昆明嵯坝建立了“第二家园”，最初的成员主要来自河南林州。同年十月，“第二家园”的第一分院在云南安宁落成；2010年，他又先后开设第三、第四分院，让理念的种子在更多土地上生根发芽。2013年十一月，第五个分院——也是第一个跨出国门、设立在海外的分院——在日本成立，将“第二家园”的精神，带向更远的世界。
这些地方不仅仅是居所——它们是实践生命禅院理念的精神实验场。社区自给自足，敬重自然生态，秉持一套道德理念，这些理念在2018年汇编为《新时代人类八百理念》。成员们共享财产，反对物质主义，以服务他人培养心中的喜悦与宁静。随着雪峰的著作被译成英文，生命禅院的思想开始超越国界，吸引国际社会的目光，让这片精神的土地在世界的视野中悄然生长。
2014年，随着习近平上台，中国对生命禅院的宽容逐渐被敌意与警方的严密监控取代。第一、第三和第四所“第二家园”分院被突袭并关闭，往昔的宁静骤然消散。《纽约时报》曾访问第四分院，并发表了一篇正面报道，尽管文章或许过于强调社区与共产主义的关联，而未能触及其真正的精神核心。
为了避开警方的注意，生命禅院曾尝试在偏远的戈壁荒原上建立新的“第二家园”——新疆的格萨尔农场。同年，他们又开辟了沁格玛农场，希望在孤寂之地孕育精神的沃土。然而，寒冬来临之际，格萨尔和沁格玛农场被警方突袭，禅院草们不得不暂别家园，四散离去，曾经的宁和仿佛随风消散。
又一次实验在2015年5月拉开序幕——云南丽江玉龙县的隐逸山庄。我在泰国结识的禅院草们曾形容那里为“人间天堂”，仿佛精神与自然在此交融，宁静与美好并存。2016年7月，另一个聚居点在附近建立，后来被命名为“芝麻坡”，然而到了同年10月，隐逸山庄与芝麻坡再次遭遇警方突袭，社区被迫解散，那片曾孕育理想与希望的土地，再度归于沉寂。
2017年4月，雪峰踏上加拿大的土地，考察在异国建立社区的可能性，探索精神理想与现实世界的契合之地。同年11月20日，“生命禅院国际家庭”这一非营利组织在加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省正式注册成立，为理念的跨境延展拉开新的篇章。
经过艰苦努力，一个新的“第二家园”终于在加拿大落成。2018年1月1日被宣布为“新时代的开始”，这一时刻被视作“最伟大的创造者”——佛祖上帝在地球上开启千年王国的精神起点。对于生命禅院的成员而言，这一天具有非凡的意义，象征着人类意识的一次宇宙性觉醒与转变。
2018年4月，生命禅院组建了一个宣传团队，负责协调理念在全球的传播。社区开始借助社交媒体、影像以及翻译文字，与世界各地的受众建立联系，让精神的种子跨越语言与国界，在更多人的心中生根发芽。
2019年，生命禅院在中国贵州偏远之地启动了两个新社区的建设——“世外仙源”与“仙韵绿洲”，试图在静谧山川间延续精神的理想。然而，中国政府随后将该组织定性为“邪教”，任何形式的公社生活都被迫中止。正如我在上一篇文章中提到的，警方在2021年与2025年两度突袭，拘捕了社区成员，曾经孕育理想与希望的土地，化作荒芜。
第一批成员于2019年来到泰国，并于2020年9月在清迈附近建立了一个“第二家园”，试图在异乡的土地上延续生命禅院的理想。后来，他们将社区迁往靠近缅甸边境的偏远之地——正是我在2025年9月亲自探访的那片隐秘天地。
尽管经历重重迫害，生命禅院依然在延展与成长。2023年8月22日，一个小型分支在韩国悄然成立。2024年4月，生命禅院在加拿大阿纳西姆湖建立了“生命禅院朝圣地”。“阿纳西姆”在加拿大原住民语言中意为“创造之初”，这片圣地被视为神圣所在，成员与访客可在此与神性相连，静心反思自身的灵性旅程，让心灵与宇宙的律动相呼应。
雪峰也开始关注人工智能的发展。2025年1月，他指出，人工智能很快将比人类自身更有效地管理社会秩序，这一观点折射出他对意识演化与系统进化的深切信念，以及他对未来人与技术共生可能性的远见思考。
如今，生命禅院以分散的形态延续。许多成员仍身处中国，却无法聚集或共同生活，只能通过网络彼此联络，以数字代号相互识别，小心翼翼地守护着信念的火种。即便如此，风险仍如暗潮潜伏，随时考验着他们的坚守。
能够离开的成员则迁往海外的“第二家园”，主要分布在泰国与加拿大。雪峰本人长期居住在加拿大，继续潜心写作、教授学问，并引导追随者的精神探索，在异乡的土地上延续着理念的光芒。
生命禅院的故事，是一曲关于坚韧、重生与灵性勇气的赞歌。它从中国的乡村与戈壁，穿越泰国的幽林，延伸至加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省的群山，跨越国界与风暴，始终携着自身的光，静静前行。
下一篇文章，将揭示支撑这段非凡旅程的深邃神学思想。
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