I. Civilization and Power
Now that we are enjoying the beautiful scenery and coffee, what shall we talk about next? Today isn’t just about coffee—we’re trying out many new things. On our table, we’ve placed a sign that reads “Daren Conversations.” This, too, is a form of Daren conversations. However, it is a small-scale conversation today. We are currently preparing for a large-scale Daren conversation event in early July, allowing more people—many people—to engage in conversations together.
Why are we organizing such a large-scale event? What purpose will it serve? How do we want to position it? How is it connected to the new goals we announced during the April 19 event? Is it intended to serve these new goals? Moreover, this will be the first time we engage in such a large-scale event, so we certainly need to explain to society and to all of you.
This is today’s first topic: to give a preview of the large-scale Daren conversations and provide an overall explanation of conversations. In both essence and form, today’s conversation serves as a transitional step. First, it serves as a warm-up for the large-scale event—a transitional small conversation that builds a bridge toward it. This is the starting point for today’s gathering. Second, we need to clearly explain the meaning of “Daren Conversations” both in their essence and their form.
In the previous announcement, we stated that the method to achieving the new goals is becoming fully human. The core of becoming fully human is the holistic expression of our true self, true nature, and innate power. Everything that is uniquely human is born of the civilization of humanity. With the civilization of humanity, people’s true selves, true natures, and innate power will gradually emerge, and the various goals of Daren will also be synchronously realized as a whole. Therefore, how to manifest and embody human civilization is highly crucial.
Civilization and power are closely interconnected. Different civilizations give rise to different types of power. Power of science and technology originates from Western civilization, while traditional power stems from divinely imparted culture. Science and technology bring convenience to life; tradition brings inner naturalness and peace. The cultivation and emergence of such holistic power are often tied to certain specific human civilization. The power needed to achieve the goals of Daren also has its corresponding Daren civilization.
If humans had no civilization of their own, and if by today we could only describe a police officer catching a thief as “two primates engaged in physical combat,” then surely all the powers unique to humanity would not exist today. It is precisely because us as human beings distinguish between good and evil, virtue and vice in human nature, that we are able to establish human civilization and manifest human power. Therefore, civilization and power are connected.
II. The Distinctive Features of Daren Civilization
How can we achieve our new goal? By becoming fully human. How can we become fully human? There must be human civilization. Only when all aspects of the human being—human’s specific nature, materials and spirituality, and external powers—are fully expressed can we truly be human. The manifestation of comprehensive and complete humanity is inevitably related to civilization, and must begin with civilization. As long as we are on the path of becoming fully human, the goals of Daren will naturally and gradually be fulfilled. Therefore, we should focus on how to establish the civilization of humanity.
So, what does Daren civilization look like? We’ve been carrying out many activities—cultural events, recreation activities, and diverse programs from various ethnic groups, both Eastern and Western—all of which have been widely embraced. We also have mutual life assistance, traditional etiquette, reading groups, and other social activities—a wide and comprehensive range. However, despite this diversity, we still need a core symbol—something that immediately makes people recognize: “This is Daren civilization!” Thus, in addition to these everyday expressions, we still need a tangible representation.
What is a tangible representation? If civilization is like a city, then it must have a core image. For example, when you see the Sky Tower, you know that’s Auckland; when you see the Oriental Pearl Tower, you know that’s Shanghai—that’s iconic. You can’t just point to the rotating restaurant inside the Sky Tower and say that’s Auckland—that’s too partial; nor can you point to the hotels and restaurants next to the Sky Tower and say that’s Auckland, because these are too common to be distinctive or representative.
Both scientific and technological civilization and traditional civilization are types of holistic civilizations. In many partial areas, there are also distinct civilizations of their own. For example: A monk sitting in a temple and striking a wooden fish—people instantly recognize that’s a monk; a businessman in a suit carrying a briefcase—everyone immediately knows that they come for business; a soldier in uniform holding a weapon—clear and unmistakable. Monks, merchants and soldiers all have their own recognizable features. There are also Confucian scholars who emphasize ritual and propriety. Similarly, we too must have our own distinct feature.
Therefore, when we speak of Daren civilization, we do not begin with things that are too general and too broad, nor with what is too partial or too minor—we begin with the core and iconic manifestations. Once this symbolic core form is established, everything else can develop around it. So, what is the core form of Daren civilization? To summarize in two characters: 交谈Conversation. Conversation is the core form of Daren!
Conversation is a type of human activity. When imbued with the required essence, it can also be a culture and drive all aspects of factors to collectively construct the civilization of humanity. Daren means human is paramount, which everyone understands, but is also the most challenging to understand. This core form—conversation—is similar: it’s simple, so simple that many people almost find it hard to believe.
III. The Basis for Establishing Conversation as the Core
Why can a form as simple as “conversation” serve as our core form? First, society today has formed the trend of conversation. Self-media interviews and live-stream sales have become so viral, and they are essentially conversation among people. Second, Daren is integrated into daily life, so its core form must also be the most common, the most widespread, the most capable of carrying meaning, and the most down-to-earth. Among the various forms in society, conversation is a highly universal form. It transcends nations, ethnicities, and fields—a form needs by people of all ages, regardless of gender.
Third, conversation also deserves such a place, both historically and in contemporary life. When resolving conflicts or disputes, it can also be said: “Only conversation can break deadlocks.” “Conversation” plays an extremely crucial role. From small family disagreements, to business negotiations, to national policies—if people can sit down and talk, there is hope. Thus, conversation should never be underestimated—it is far from simple.
Fourth, this is essential for people’s happiness. Some may worry, “Won’t idle talk mislead the nation?” But today it is a different era. Materials have become highly abundant, and Intelligent manufacturing has begun to spread widely. Many mechanical tasks can just be handled by robots. So, why should humans still be treated as manual laborers or functional machines? While humans may have functional roles, that is not their original position. If people are freed from functional roles and their true nature can be more greatly exhibited, wouldn’t that be better? After a long course of development, humankind can gradually address these issues. If we are still stuck in the thinking that people should work like cattle and horses, then we may be out of touch with the times instead. This is no longer an era where humans must be beasts of burden—this should be an era where humans can truly be human. Thus, not only “idle talk” won’t mislead a nation, but conversely, conversation can build civilization, bring forth “guns and cannons”, and generate power. Conversation embodies enormous power. Everyone engaging in tightening screws on assembly lines, or everyone sipping coffee and engaging in conversation, which is happier? The answer is obvious.
Fifth, conversation arises in correspondence with the times. In Chinese tradition, it is said that the great era of Li Fire has arrived, and the word “交谈” (conversation) contains two “fire” radicals—which aligns highly with this great era. From a global cultural perspective, if we broaden the concept of “China”, and if China is considered a core, then the entire world may be viewed as a magnified version of China. Taking further, Earth itself is the core of the Milky Way. The galaxy is so vast, yet Earth uniquely hosts lives like human beings——this in itself is highly special. With the whole society—and perhaps the entire universe—progresses to this great era, it is natural for conversation to arise with the great trend.
Finally, besides these comprehensive perspectives from society and people, from the view of Daren himself, The Human World of The People states: “Traversing through heavens and earths while chatting and laughing—this is the beauty of becoming fully human.” Thus, establishing conversation as the core is natural for us and firmly rooted in Daren. Conversation deserves such a central position. Whether in its roles throughout human history, its applicability, its importance, its role as today’s social trends, or in the context of the present era where peace is the mainstream—all these aspects support us in establishing the position of conversation
Therefore, overall, conversation is highly suitable for us humans —it is the most natural form among people. Just like our atmosphere here today: chatting while drinking coffee and tea—it’s quite natural. As the times advance, materials are indeed extremely abundant today. Nowadays, many intelligent manufacturing processes are unmanned, and people are gradually being freed, allowing them to have more energy and possibilities to express the true essence of humanity. Perhaps in the future, one of the primary tasks for people will simply be conversation. This is quite possible. Many things may no longer demand too much concern and attention from people.
Conversation not only meets the requirements of various aspects, it is also the most down-to-earth, the most powerful, and the most encompassing form. Furthermore, it aligns with the great trend toward happiness for all people. It can be said that this position of conversation is beyond dispute. If anyone disagrees, they are welcome to propose a better alternative.
The reason we are organizing a large-scale conversation event is to further establish conversation as the core form and to make Daren civilization more tangible. To some extent, “conversation” represents Daren civilization. In this sense, the relationship between the Daren goals announced on April 19 and the large-scale conversation planned for July, simply put, is the relationship between Daren goals and Daren civilization. If we further summarize the goals of Daren from the perspective of human spiritual power, it can be more simply put as the relationship between spiritual power and civilization. Physical power is a form of strength, and so is spiritual power. The atmosphere throughout our 4.19 event was very positive, which was also a manifestation of spiritual power in itself. Certainly, spiritual power extends far beyond this; its expressions are also diverse and multifaceted.
Now we’ve connected the goals announced in April with the upcoming large-scale conversations in July. As the goal is to become fully human, to manifest human power, and to produce things that are comprehensive —all these require a civilization. Hence, we start this civilization by establishing conversation. Today, we’re doing a warm-up and preview for the large-scale conversation—this is one of our purposes today. Let’s take this chance to pre-celebrate the success of the upcoming large-scale conversation. Thank you all for participating!
IV. The Role and Method of Conversation
On the surface, conversation seems like a simple form—but its role is truly significant. What we just discussed is its well-known role, but in our context, it will serve many additional functions. “Conversation generates civilization; conversation produces ‘guns and cannons’”, highlighting its distinction. As the core form, conversation will lead other forms to present the grand structure of Daren civilization. When we look at this grand building from afar and then get closer, we will see that it is not just a building—it is a thriving city, a region, a nation, even a planet or a universe—it can gradually expand.
Then, what’s unique about Daren conversation? It’s very simple. First, it is for humanity; second, it is certainly conversation. Just these two simple points. In short, just two words: “Daren, Conversation”. The conversation that serves as the core form of Daren should be Daren Conversation, not just conversation in general. What is Daren? Daren means human is paramount, and is for humanity. Therefore, our conversations must embody these two key features. If these two features are met, then they are certainly Daren conversations. Isn’t it right? So, it is quite straightforward.
Then how do we begin Daren conversation? The goals of Daren state: “Driven by individuality and true nature”. We just strive to act in alignment with this—which has already been outlined on introductory posters and everyone is welcome to read. Due to time constraints today, I won’t go into detail and only give a brief introduction. When you are not familiar with such conversation, you can start without a set topic and without focusing on right or wrong. Once it gets more stable, you can freely express yourself, release yourself, so as to better understand yourself and others. Of course, when the conversation becomes stabilized, it’s perfectly fine to introduce topics or draw some conclusions. All of these are for the sake of humanity—whatever best serves the needs of us as human beings.
One point to clarify is that some promotional content has described Daren Conversation as “a completely new way of socializing.” This needs correction. While Daren Conversations may bring about supplementary social effects, they are not designed for this purpose. Similarly, although this is not a matchmaking, it may still produce matchmaking effects. Some people may have met here and formed relationships, resulting in a matchmaking effect. That is up to them. But what we are truly engaged in is Daren Conversation, shaping Daren civilization, with it as the core to drive everything forward.
So, we must first establish conversation as the core form, which is the very first step we need to take. Thereafter, we will gradually present many other elements. From afar, people may see him as a grand building. As they get closer, they will discover he is a vibrant, dazzling city. Looking around him, there is a vast world. This is the effect we hope to gradually achieve. For now, we just start with showcasing this grand building.
In organizing the large-scale Daren Conversation event, we strive to create an environment that align with normal customs. There may be tables like this, or perhaps some sofas, or even spaces where people can simply sit on the floor. We genuinely aim to converse amidst everyday life. As for the topics of conversation, they are open and flexible. Some will focus on people without set themes, while others may offer specific topics for those with particular interests. The overall atmosphere is intended to be life-like, free from rigid rules and constraints. Of course, for those who are used to conducting formal business or political meetings and prefer a more serious tone, that is perfectly acceptable as well. They may engage in more serious conversations in an appropriate area.
From our perspective, the key is to help everyone to release their true nature in life—which is perfectly fine. We still focus on two words: for humans. We’ll also set up some awards, such as the Human Quotient Award, Topic Award, Achievement Award, etc., as supporting incentives to make everyone’s conversations more enriching and colorful.
This is what we plan to do in the near future, and we hope everyone will participate. Once again, let’s wish the successful hosting of the large-scale conversation event!
Based on the Plaza Conversation Summary by Mr. Liu Zheng on May 28, 2025
Compiled by the HHP Society on June 3, 2025