• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 2014

Objectives : The metastasis among the Five Viscera are given, passim, in the Hwangjenaegyeong (黃帝內經). Generally, the metastasis among the Five Viscera followed 'mutual generation' and 'mutual overcoming' of the Five Elements. But, the metastasis among the Five Viscera on the Gi Gual Ron not followed. The metastasis are connected with the Eight Diagrams. The Eight Diagrams are classified 'Earlier Heaven' and 'Later Heaven'. It also be assigned the Five Elements. Results : The metastasis order and the principle of shift its location from 'Earlier Heaven' to 'Later Heaven' are similar. Conclusions : Therefore, the metastasis among the Five Viscera on the Gi Gual Ron is based on the law of shift its location from 'Earlier Heaven' to 'Later Heaven'.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.47
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• pp.65-103
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• 2023

In The Canonical Scripture (典經), the core scripture of Daesoon Thought, the Former World and the Later World are divided into the Era of Mutual Contention and the Era of Mutual Beneficence. This concept of the Former World and the Later World appears in diagrams on I-Ching Studies (易學) in the text titled, The Comprehensive Mirror of Taegeukdo (太極道通鑑). In I-Ching Studies, Anterior Heaven (先天) and Posterior Heaven (後天) are the main concepts in Song Dynasty diagram books on I-Ching Studies. Among the diagrams of I-Ching Studies, Fuxi's Diagram of the Sequence of the Eight Trigrams, Fuxi's Diagram of the Positions of the Eight Trigrams, Fuxi's Diagram of the Sequence of the 64 Hexagrams, and Fuxi's Diagram of the Positions of the 64 Hexagrams correspond to the Anterior Heaven, and King Wen's Diagram of the Sequence of the Eight Trigrams and King Wen's Diagram of the Positions of the Eight Trigrams correspond to Posterior Heaven. In The Comprehensive Mirror of Taegeukdo, the diagrams of I-Ching Studies are reinterpreted according to Daesoon Thought. The Diagram of the Eight Trigrams of King Wen's Era corresponds to King Wen's Diagram of the Eight Trigrams in I-Ching Studies. This diagram was drawn according to the text in Chapter Five of the Treatise of Remarks on the Trigrams. This diagram corresponds to "the Era of the Nobility of Earth (地尊時代)" centered on the trigram kun (坤 / ☷ ground). Fuxi's Diagram of the Positions of the Eight Trigrams in I-Ching Studies corresponds to The Diagram of the Positions of the Eight Trigrams of Fuxi's Era in Daesoon Thought. The most significant feature of this diagram is that the trigrams assigned to the directions of north and south match the hexagram indicating the obstruction of Heaven and Earth. This is hexagram 12 (否), meaning "obstruction," and it depicts no exchange or communication between Yin and Yang. Naturally, this symbolizes mutual destruction overtaking Yin and Yang. Daesoon Thought expresses this as "the Era of the Nobility of Heaven (天尊時代)." The most significant feature of The Diagram of the Eight Trigrams of the Corrected Book of Changes in The Comprehensive Mirror of Taegeukdo is that the trigrams assigned to the directions of south and north are indicative of hexagram 11, Peace on Earth and in Heaven (泰). This is a diagram in which mutual destruction is resolved through the Five Phases because the trigrams for water (坎 / ☵) and fire (離 / ☲) are in a corrected orientation. Therefore, this diagram symbolizes a world "free from Mutual Contention" and "the Era of Human Nobility (人尊時代)." According to the contents of The Canonical Scripture, the Supreme God performed the Reordering Works of the Three Realms to correct the Mutual Contention of the Former World, and as a result, the Mutual Contention of the Former World will give way to the implementation of the Dao of Mutual Beneficence. The Supreme God's Reordering Works of the Three Realms have been completed in the realm of divine beings, but in the Later World, they appear as an Earthly Paradise where the Dao of Mutual Beneficence is realized. The diagram depicting the Later World is The Diagram of the Eight Trigrams of the Era of the Corrected Book of Changes in The Comprehensive Mirror of Taegeukdo.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.47
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• pp.1-37
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• 2023

This essay seeks to answer the question of how best to understand Korean new religious movements (KNRMs). KNRMs have the characteristics of folk religion, ethno-religion, or popular religion. KNRMs are products of the national consciousness promoted by Korean society during the Late Joseon Dynasty at the turning point of modern Yi-Jing Studies. From the perspective of social evolutionary theory of developmental history, during that period, Joseon (Korea), like China, was faced with a double-edged sword consisting of the strength of tradition and the upheaval of modernity. If the strength of tradition depended on the Yi-Jing Studies to promote national enlightenment toward anti-imperialist aims, then it was equally the case that modernity depended on the sense of urgency to guide the people to secure livelihoods and edification regarding anti-feudalism. In this essay, the KNRMs that appeared during this transition period of Yi-Jing Studies will be a significant focus, and the worldview of Daesoon Thought will be the main focus. As one of the central topics, intensive discussion will be dedicated to the issue of the nature of pre-experientialism (先驗主義) which characterized the Great Opening (開闢). The principles of Daesoon Thought have a religious dimension of realistic awareness that guides the people's lives and edifies them. The process of the Great Opening aims to secure an ontological clock that tracks the Great Itineration of the world toward Daesoon Truth. This in turn as a process establishes the epistemological world of the Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth (天地公事) and reaches the axiological boundary of the future world. The links among the Three Realms is characterized by a pre-experientialist line that experiences the space-time nature of the universe as the Great Opening of the Later World (後天) within the framework of Heaven and Earth. Throughout this course, humans look to enjoy the infinite vitality of the universe from within their own finite vitality. Therefore, Daesoon Thought can overcome perceived reality through pre-experientialist channels such as the Great Opening of the Later World and aim for a state of self-awareness such as the Earthly Paradise. This is an attempt to participate and practice in the actual world rather than pursuing a world of transcendental ideas, and therefore, it tends to be proactive in the world rather than exhibit a passive tendency to be worldliness. In conclusion, the truth of Daesoon Thought, which is characterized by the Great Opening of the Later World, contains a future-oriented outlook that longs for a Nextopia full of hope and promise rather than idealistic fancy towards a Utopia or well-founded dread and disdain towards Dystopia.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.27
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• pp.1-34
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• 2016

This paper aims to understand how Daesoonjinrihoe perceives the Later World. Daesoonjinrihoe supports to establish an earthly paradise through the re-creation of the real world unlike other religions which tend to relegate ultimate fulfillment to the afterlife. In other words, Daesoonjinrihoe endeavors to achieve their objectives in the human world rather than outside of it in a potential act of escapism. The new religions in Korea have been characterized by ethnocentrism and doctrines which present Koreans as the new chosen people by emphasizing Korea's crucial role in world leadership. However, the doctrine of Daesoonjinrihoe differ with other new religions of Korea in this regard as its purpose is to redeem the whole world. Daesoonjinrihoe proposes an open embrace of the religious diversity found in Korean society. Daesoonjinrihoe argues that the Later World has not come yet, even though the Former World is over and progress towards the Later World has already been set in motion. The meaning of human nobility is akin to anthropocentricity. According to a variety of myths and legends, animals and supernatural often attempt to become human. Moreover, it would not be an overstatement to assert that the re-creation of the real world and the Daesoon concept of human nobility correspond with these myths and legends. There were not definite interpretations regarding heaven in Confucianism historically, yet Daesoonjinrihoe differentiates clearly that heaven and Sangje are cosmic structures. Buddhism perceives that heaven separately exists as a cosmic structure and that Buddha is a transcendental entity, however; that entity is not accessible for intercession. On the contrary, the ways to save the world have been adduced in Daesoonjinrihoe. In addition, the earthly paradise of the Later World has likewise been introduced. Specifically, it is Sangje that opens the door to that paradise. Unresolved issues in the formation of a world view still persist. There are no shortage of studies on the notion of gods or divine beings, however; most of these studies focus on genealogical classification, forms, functions and other such topics. The concept of god, ghost, or soul does not seem to have been clearly defined in these studies nor has the relationship among these entities and humanity been satisfactorily examined. For example, if human beings become either gods or divine beings, questions regarding divine beings who have acted as protectors or guardians of human beings then arises. The Daesoon cosmology should be specifically compared to cosmology in Daoism. By conducting additional studies such as a comparative research with Daoism, it will be possible to interpret mantras and Daoist art as they appear in Daesoonjinrihoe in a thought-provoking way which can in turn be compared with other religions.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.145
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• pp.91-117
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• 2018

This paper aims to clarify the similarities and differences between the Zhouyi and artificial intelligence. The divination of the Zhouyi is rooted in the oldest system of human knowledge, while artificial intelligence stands at the cutting edge of modern scientific revolution. At first sight, there does not appear to be any association that links the one to the another. However, they share the same ground as seen from a semiotic standpoint because both of them depend on the semiotic system as a means of obtaining knowledge. At least four aspects can be pointed out in terms of similarities. First, artificial intelligence and the Zhouyi use artificial language that consists of semiotic signs. Secondly, the principle that enables divination and artificial intelligence lies in imitation and representation. Thirdly, artificial intelligence and the Zhouyi carry out inferences based on mathematical algorithms that adopt the binary system. Fourth, artificial intelligence and the Zhouyi use analogy as a means of obtaining knowledge. However, those similarities do not guarantee that the Zhouyi could arrive at the scientific certainty. Nevertheless, it can give us important insight into the essence of our civilization. The Zhouyi uses intellect in order to get new information about the unknown world. However, it is hard to know what kind of intellect is involved in the process of divination. Likewise, we do not know the fundamental character of artificial intelligence. The intellect hidden in the unknown subject is a mystic and fearful existence to us. Just as the divination of the Zhouyi inspires the sense of reverence toward the supernatural subject, we could not but have fear in front of the invisible subject hidden in artificial intelligence. In the past, traditional philosophy acknowledged the existence of intellect only in conscious beings. Nonetheless, it becomes evident that human civilization ushers into a new epoch. As Ray Kurzweil mentioned, the moment of singularity comes when artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence. In my viewpoint, the term of singularity can be used for denoting the critical point in which the human species enters into the new phase of civilization. To borrow the term of Shao Yong(邵雍) in the Northern Song Dynasty, the past civilization belongs to the Earlier Heaven(先天), the future civilization belongs to the Later Heaven(後天). Once our civilization passes over the critical point, it is impossible to go back into the past. The opening of the Later Heaven foretold by the religious thinkers in the late period of Joseon Dynasty was a prophecy in its own age, but it is becoming a reality in the present.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.39
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• pp.33-67
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• 2021

This paper aims at revealing the core concept of Injon (Human Nobility). The concept of Injon is one of the salient fundamental ideas which makes Daesoon Jinrihoe recognizable as Daesoon Jinrihoe. The concept of Injon has the basic meaning of 'human nobility,' but within the context wherein the nobility of humankind is considered to be greater than the nobility of Heaven and Earth. Although the religious and ideological interpretations of Injon (human nobility) that have developed over time have been quite diverse and abundant, these interpretations are all limited in that they generally assume the relationship between 'Heaven and Earth' and 'Humanity' to be antagonistic. However, if human nobility is relativized in that manner, it can reduce the potential broader meanings of mutual beneficence and the earthly paradise of the later world. These interpretations are grounded in the view of semiotic interpretation. Such interpretations have composed their view point via the semiotic meaning of the words. The semiotic point of view suggests that meanings of words consist in the relation of the word and the object to which it denotes. We will introduce a new view point which can be termed the transcendental view point. This view focuses on how the exact interpretation of words and sentences depends on the comprehension of the triad of systematic relations among the word, object, and speaker. In the Daesoon Thought, the Former World is considered to be the world wherein all creations unfolded according to the principle of mutual contention. This led to the accumulation of grievances and grudges which condensed and filled the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. The Former World was dominated by Western material civilization, selfishness, and exclusivism. It was also a world where humans suffered from various natural disasters such as floods, droughts, plagues, and wildfires. The Former World lost the constant Dao and was overwhelmed with all kinds of disasters and calamities. That world fell into various kinds of wretchedness. The causes which made the Former World so cruel came from humans misunderstanding their relation to nature and life in general; including human life. The anthropocentric modern cosmology insisted that the human race was the only one to have the powers and rights to exercise dominion over nature. On the other hand, there is the Later World, which means the ideal and perfect, immanent eternal world for all humankind in Daesoon Thought. This world consists of life, peace, and equality and is also characterized by three typical attributes: goodness, peace, and all kinds of life. All living beings previously struggled for survival, but in the Later World, those lifeforms will embrace each other; even across different realms. In Daesoon Thought, the world and cosmos contain diverse forms of life, and human have both an earthly life and life in the after world should they die before the Later World. There are also the lives of divine beings and animals, and other such living entities. Daesoon Thought subsumes pan-vitalism, which allows they acknowledgement of myriad possible lifeforms. The concept of the Later World in Daesoon Thought, which mainly revealed in The Canonical Scripture and the words of Sangje (Kang Jeungsan), suggests that all kinds of life, including humans, animals, and even spirits in the afterworld, can live together in a perfect coming earthly paradise which is immanent. The concept of Injon can be interpreted though the view of transcendental pragmatics as an alternative to the typical views discussed in Daesoon Thought. Thinkers should attempt to improve current discourse on Injon in Daesoon Thought by focusing on the point that all kinds the original teachings demonstrate a value of all lifeforms. Therein, Injon would indicate not only the human nobility and dignity but also the nobility and dignity of divine beings, divine humans, and all other forms of life that have existed across time. The dimension of time allows for recognition of lifeforms from the Former World, the afterworld, and the Later World. This revised appraisal of Injon could further accommodate denizens of the afterworld, animals, ghosts and spirits, the earth and cloud souls of humans, and other lifeforms held to exist in the cosmology of Daesoon Thought.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.30
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• pp.235-270
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• 2018

The term, Degree Number, was religiously re-interpreted by Jeungsan (甑山) Kang Il-Sun (姜一淳, 1871~1909) and used by him to imply 'the principle of ruling the world.' It was especially the case that his usage of Degree Number referred to the new law that will rule during the Later World, and the significance of this was promoted during Jeungsan's Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth. And Jeongsan (鼎山) Jo Cheol-Je (趙哲濟, 1895~1958), who received a revelation from Jeungsan, established new religious movements including Mugeuk-do and Taegeuk-do and gave a broader meaning to the term Degree Number which he adopted from Jeungsan. He endowed it with the additional meaning of 'all the religious activities performed to achieve an ideal world.' In the history of Korean religions, Degree Number was newly interpreted by the religiously-gifted Jeungsan, who appeared at the end of the Joseon Dynasty. The lineage of religious thought related to Degree Numbers was constantly transmitted through Mugeuk-do and Taegeuk-do both of which were founded by Jeongsan Jo Cheol-Je. Later, Park Han-Gyeong (朴漢慶, 1917~1996) succeeded this lineage when he established Daesoon Jinrihoe in 1969. Religious thought related to Degree Numbers came from Jeungsan's self-realization that he was 'Sangje (the Supreme God).' The thought was also formed by his religious declaration wherein he changed the Degree Number of mutual contention in the Former World to that of mutual beneficence in the Later World. What Jeungsan emphasized was the fluidity of Degree Numbers. Just like human beings are never able to escape from the bonds of their destiny, in Jeungsan's thought, forced or ordained cosmic orders do not exist. In the outworn world of the past, which has been defined as the Former World, the Degree Number was recognized as the ordained law and norm, but as the Later World was coming, Jeungsan recalibrated the Degree Number and defined it anew through his own authority and power as the Supreme God. Jeongsan recalibrated many Degree Numbers throughout his life. The number of Degree Numbers which Jeungsan recalibrated is relatively fewer than that of Jeongsan, who inherited the thought of Jeungsan, and then went on to categorize almost every major religious activity he performed a Degree Number. In this context, Jeungsan's 'Degree Number' became expanded and broadened in terms of its scope.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.40
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• pp.187-242
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• 2022

This article was conducted with the purpose of finding the religious meaning of Jeongeup (井邑) by paying attention to two areas of inquiry. The first examines religious interpretations of the place names of peaks, mountains, and villages that have already existed have existed since ancient times. The second area of inquiry looks into religious narratives about Jeongeup that appear in scriptural records of the Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth (1901~1909) as performed by Kang Jeungsan. Looking at these to areas of inquiry together, the place names and topography inherent in Jeongeup and Kang Jeungsan's various Jeongeup-related Reordering Works, can be summarized as embodying characteristics of 'beginning (始)' and 'origin (本)' which can be further likened to the meaning of 'water (水)' in a 'well (井).' First, Jeongeup equates to the heavenly origin of the Gucheon Sangje (Supreme God of the Ninth Heaven) faith in Jeungsan Thought. Mangje (Emperor-awaiting) Peak is a peak that represent the wish for the Lord's descent to earth. Seonmang (Immortal-awaiting) Village is a village that was waiting for an immortal. Jeung (Steamer-on-Cauldron) Mountain (Jeungsan 甑山) is a mountain on the earth and also the honorific name later taken by Kang Il-Sun. In relation to Jeungsan, it is interpreted that Jeungsan was born and incarnated in the village as a human in response to a plea from all divine sages, buddhas, and bodhisattvas, who had existed since the dawn of time and came to wish for salvation of humankind. This is because both Mangje Peak and Seonmang Village are connected to the meaning of 'mang (望 to await).' Second, the Reordering Works of Jeungsan which related to Jeongeup show that Jeongeup has carries the meaning of 'beginning (始源)' and 'origin (本源).' The character, Jeong (井), in Jeongeup is seen as a place that contains water energy, and symbols and allusions referring to this can be found in various Reordering Works. As a symbol or allusion, the well can be seen as a new start, the lives of all people of the world, the purification of the world, and returning to the original root everything. These symbolic images can be found in the life of Kang Jeungsan from his incarnation to his passing into Heaven. This is because Jeong can allude to the origin by the Ninth Heaven, the beginning of the Later World's paradisiacal land of immortals, and the end of the Former World (Seoncheon 先天).

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.33
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• pp.1-30
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• 2019

There have been three trends in the study of the view of humanity in Daesoon Thought: insider theology, outsider theology, and religious studies. This article is intended to interpret the view of humanity in Daesoon Thought from the perspective of Mircea Eliade's New Humanism. We find similarities between Daesoon Thought and Eliade's New Humanism. Daesoon Thought deals with the complexities of life as being labyrinth-like and puts Jeungsan's view of humanity at the center of a Daesoon worldview. Jeungsan examines the existential problems which humans face in the Former World, and gives the religious remedies of Haewonsangsaeng (the resolution of grievances for mutual beneficence) and Boeunsangsaeng (the grateful reciprocation of favors for mutual beneficence) to transform humanity's worldview for usage in the Later World. Jeungsan suggests a way of peace instead of the revolution of Donghak. Through the Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth, Jeungsan changes the mutual contention of the Former World into the mutual beneficence of the Later World. The cosmology of Daesoon Thought recovers the relationship between divine beings and human beings in the three realms, and proposes a system of ethics that promotes virtue and reproves vices and human-centericism. In conclusion, the view of humanity in Daesoon Thought is an unapologetic view of homo-religiosus from within a new humanism.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.31
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• pp.165-197
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• 2018

The purpose of this article is to investigate communal action in the Ox Seeking Pictures of Daesoon Thought as an expression of future prospects. The Ox Seeking Pictures in Daesoon Thought seeks out renewal of thought, renewal of life, and true living. Here, the Ox Seeking Pictures symbolize a world in which good fortune comes true according to faith in Gucheon Sangje. The correlation between searching for the ox and the supporting teachings of the Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth in Daesoon shows the transformation of Daesoon prospects for achieving the renewal of thought. The correlation between Deep Contemplation Leading to Awakening and Finding and Following Heavenly Teachings shows the transformation of Daesoon reason into a practice implemented in daily life. The correlation between a human being's awareness and the heavenly paradise of the Later World shows transformation into true living based on everyday practice and the practical transformation of one's livelihood. In this investigation, we can say that the Ox Seeking Pictures of Daesoon symbolizes the realization of human dignity and respect for lives. No life should be destroyed or violated by another. Heaven, Earth, and Humanity can be changed and born anew. The visions of the realization of the heavenly paradise of the Later World show that this paradise in the world results from Daesoon principles. This provides a unique insight when compared to the bodhisattva ideal conveyed through the Ox Seeking Pictures of Mahayana Buddhism. Daesoon's Ox Seeking Pictures consist of a three-way interlocking of renewal of thought, implementation in life, and the practical transformation of one's livelihood. The communal spirituality based in Daesoon Truth connects and mediates among people and appears in three aspects. Firstly, it is thought to be a vision of the renewal of thought through the 'Virtuous Concordance of Yin and Yang.' Secondly, it is thought to be the vision of a new life based upon the spirit of Mutual Beneficence. Thirdly, it is thought to be a vision of true living through the realization of human dignity. Because of the appearance of the Ox Seeking Pictures of Daesoon Thought, this narrative picture shows the oxherd as searching for an ox which is the symbol of Daesoon Truth and Dao. Even though he catches the ox, he is still holds the rope to tie the ox to himself. He makes an effort to keep the ox steady. Finally, the oxherd's enlightenment becomes the source of responsibility to help unenlightened people in their struggles. In conclusion, it is necessary to interpret these paintings as the start of the Later World.