Postscript

1. The Author and Time of Creation of The Five Theories of Yangxi:

The Five Theories of Yangxi is named after the last two characters of the author's pen name, Dongfang Yangxi. It was first introduced on the author’s social media on January 5, 2023.

Who is Dongfang Yangxi? Dongfang Yangxi is an ordinary person, born in Beijing in 1963. At the age of 27, he attained enlightenment and perceived his true nature through the practice of Buddhism. In 2006, he officially launched his own website to promote spiritual teachings and life truths, advocating for the ideals of world peace and human Great Harmony. For seventeen years, he has remained devoted to this endeavor without interruption, and he continues to write to this day.

2. What kind of theory is The Five Theories of Yangxi, and what is its theoretical value?

The Five Theories of Yangxi is a theoretical framework that expounds the underlying logical relationships of things and presents a novel theory on social behavior patterns.

The core value of The Five Theories of Yangxi lies in its comprehensive exposition of all the underlying logical relationships of things. The true causes and motivations behind human behavior and the surface phenomena of things can all be reasonably explained through The Five Theories of Yangxi.

The Five Theories of Yangxi divides and summarizes the underlying logical relationships of things into five aspects, listed from the bottom up as follows: power scheming, Yin-Yang, cause and effect, Alaya Consciousness, and the Heavenly Tao. On a macro level, these five aspects encompass all underlying logical relationships of things.

What are the underlying logical relationships of things? the underlying logical relationships of things refers to the intrinsic reasons for their existence, operation, and development. It can also be understood as the true causes and motivations behind human behavior and the phenomena of things.

The underlying logical relationships of things exist within five aspects, meaning that the emergence and development of things are shaped by these five factors. People's ignorance and cognitive deficiencies regarding these underlying relationships inevitably lead to one-sided attachments and partial understandings, resulting in errors in decision-making and catastrophic, irreversible consequences that run counter to their intentions.

From a macro perspective, the forces that truly influence, shape, determine, and transform social phenomena and human behavior lie in five aspects: power scheming, Yin-Yang, cause and effect, Alaya Consciousness, and the Heavenly Tao. Only when humanity attains a complete understanding of these five aspects can it be said to possess flawless wisdom. However, in reality, most people's understanding of the underlying logical relationships of things is incomplete, one-sided, biased, and erroneous. This is the primary cause of suffering in both this life and the next.

Failures in life and career primarily stem from a lack of wisdom and self-cultivation. The main reason some people ultimately experience outcomes that backfire—miscalculating and completely defeating themselves in officialdom, the workplace, or business—is due to their lack of a comprehensive understanding of the underlying logical relationships of things, leading to one-sided attachments.

People’s one-sided understanding of power scheming, Yin and Yang, cause and effect, Alaya consciousness, and the Heavenly Tao is actually a defect in wisdom. With such defects in wisdom, people will inevitably make biases and errors in both macro decision-making and judgments of things. The negative consequences of these biases and errors may appear in the short term, while others may carry over into future lifetimes.

For those who cling one-sidedly to Legalism or military strategy, their failure to understand or neglect of underlying logical relationships often leads them to believe that power and scheming are paramount, and that wisdom alone determines everything. If they encounter defeat, their first instinct is often to blame a flaw in their strategy or scheming. In reality, the factors that determine the ultimate success or failure of an endeavor are multifaceted. These include not only the dialectical relationship between yin and yang—where the sun, having reached its zenith, inevitably begins to decline, and the moon, after waxing, must eventually wane—but also the deeper forces of cause and effect, karma, the subconscious, and divine will. How can one truly assess these factors in isolation?

Also take, for example, those who cling one-sidedly to heavenly nature tend often to follow the way of nature, acting spontaneously, and they resist or reject all forms of power and scheming. Little do they realize that the Tao not only exists and operates in a state of non-action, but all phenomena and means of action are also manifestations of non-action. In other words, non-action is action, and action is non-action. If one deviates from the Tao, even non-action becomes a form of action; but if one remains in harmony with the Tao, even action is in essence non-action.

(1) In the Academic Realm:

In terms of scholarship, The Five Theories of Yangxi not only resolves the longstanding debate in China regarding whether human nature is inherently good, evil, or selfish—a question that has been debated for thousands of years—but also addresses the biases and contradictions within the doctrines of various schools of thought, including practitioners of strategy (Shu), moral philosophers (Daojia), Legalists (Fajia), and Confucianists (Rujia). On a broader scale, it offers a comprehensive explanation of the essence and driving forces behind human behavior and social phenomena.

Some people believe that the Heavenly Tao and dharma nature belong to the transcendent way (out-of-worldly teachings), while power scheming, Yin-Yang, and cause and effect belong to the worldly way. They argue that The Five Theories of Yangxi conflates these two realms. However, they fail to understand that the worldly and transcendent ways are originally inseparable, for one is all, and all is one. When the mind does not create dualistic distinctions, how can there be any separation between the two?

(2) In Terms of Human Nature:

Through the explanation of the Heavenly Tao in The Five Theories of Yangxi, it can be understood that human nature is originally free from good, evil, self, and selfishness. Because humans have fallen into the samsaric state, becoming captivated by all phenomena and existences, they have lost their true nature. This loss has led to self-clinging, and from this self-clinging, dependent origination gives rise to subjective likes and dislikes, distinctions such as good and evil, right and wrong, self and others, and so on.

(3) In Terms of Interests and Competition:

In regard to interests, whether on a personal level or a global scale, understanding the full scope of the underlying logical relationships of things allows for the attainment of greater, more substantial, more stable, more lasting, and more far-reaching benefits than partial understanding alone could achieve.
In terms of competition, a comprehensive understanding of The Five Theories of Yangxi can give people a greater chance of winning.

(4) In Terms of Personal Destiny:

From the perspective of personal destiny, social status, and the ability to obtain resources, a person who is free from evil karma and hindrances and has mastered any one aspect of The Five Theories of Yangxi can stand out in society and secure greater resources. On the contrary, those who lack proficiency in any aspect of The Five Theories of Yangxi and fail to act with integrity tend to have unfortunate fates. Even if they are born into wealth and power, they will find it difficult to protect everything in their hands due to unethical behavior and lack of wisdom.

(5) In Terms of Behavioral Patterns and Values:

1. Through The Five Theories of Yangxi, people can find an ideal model of behavior.

2. Through The Five Theories of Yangxi, people can gain a comprehensive understanding of human behavior and societal phenomena from a macro perspective.

3. Through The Five Theories of Yangxi, people can recognize the one-sidedness and limitations of their own cognition.

4. Through The Five Theories of Yangxi, humanity can cultivate a new set of values and behavioral patterns.

5. If everyone understands The Five Theories of Yangxi, human civilization and societal development will surely reach new heights.

6. A deep understanding of The Five Theories of Yangxi reveals that it is not only a guiding theory for human conduct but also a foundational theory for realizing universal harmony and lasting world peace.

(6) In Terms of Talent Identification:

The earliest existing work in China on identifying and selecting talented individuals is The Treatise on Personalities by Liu Shao from the Three Kingdoms period. According to the method in The Treatise on Personalities, which divides talents into partial and comprehensive types, The Five Theories of Yangxi considers those who do not understand the Heavenly Tao as partial talents, while those who comprehend the Heavenly Tao and are also well-versed in power scheming, Yin and Yang, cause and effect, and the Alaya consciousness are regarded as comprehensive talents. Only enlightened beings—and no one else—can fully master all five aspects.

Those who are unaware of the Heavenly Tao, who have lost their conscience, and yet are well-versed in power scheming are considered partial talents. The greater their abilities, the greater the damage they do to people and society; the more tragic their deaths, and the darker their future lives.

Among comprehensive talents who realize the Heavenly Tao, those with great abilities can govern the nation and benefit society, becoming heroes of their time. Even those with lesser abilities, though they may not achieve great feats, will not bring harm to the people or society.

If we classify talents according to the twelve types introduced in The Treatise on Personalities: Categories of Achievements—which are Men of Moral Integrity, Jurists, Tacticians, National Pillars, Capable Individuals, Critics, Strategists, Wise Planners, Writers, Confucian Scholars, Debaters, and Heroes—and regard National Pillars as comprehensive talents who embody virtue, law, and strategy, exemplified by figures such as Yi Yin and Lü Wang, then even these National Pillars cannot deviate from the five aspects described in The Five Theories of Yangxi. This is because virtue loses its foundation if one is unaware of the Heavenly Tao; law lacks roots if one has not realized self-nature; and strategy is groundless if one cannot master Yin and Yang, cause and effect, and Alaya consciousness. Therefore, a National Pillar must be a person who comprehends the Heavenly Tao and is adept at power scheming, Yin and Yang, cause and effect, and Alaya consciousness. As for other types, such as jurists, tacticians, debaters, writers, and skilled individuals, they represent only the manifestations of the Tao but not the true essence of the Tao itself, as their nature is rooted in temperament and their intelligence is governed by human inclinations. Since their principles do not connect to the ultimate source, their application is inherently biased and lacks completeness, and thus they are all categorically regarded as partial talents.

Since the three realms are but Mind, all dharmas are but consciousness, and all human beings and dharmas are ultimately empty, in the ultimate sense, all twelve types of talents described in The Treatise on Personalities are categorized as partial talents—except for sages who are in union with the Tao.