• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.123-139
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• 2023

Quân sư phụ (君師父) is a concept of respectfulness derived from the Chinese Confucian concepts of sān gāng wǔ cháng (三綱五常, the Three Principles and Five Constant Virtues) and sān cóng sì dé (三從四德, the Four Virtues Applied to the Three Male Figures) that is applied to Vietnamese Confucianism in regards to not only kings but also Chinese Emperors, as well as Chinese culture generally. In his famous literary work Vàng lửa (Golden Fire), Nguyễn Huy Thiệp revealed the Vietnamese attitude to Chinese civilization: "Our country could be characterized as nhược tiểu (弱小, small and weak). Vietnam was like a maiden forcibly deflowered by Chinese civilization. 'She' enjoyed it, but also came to hate it and feel disgraced by it" (Nguyễn 1988). This is a special sentiment or psychological complex of the Vietnamese in relation to Chinese civilization. The research findings are that the Nguyễn Huy Thiệp complex is the rationale behind which the symbol of the ancestral King Lạc Long Quân (貉龍君) was altered via SinoVietnamese motifs in order to develop Vietnamese Confucian thought.

• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.13-29
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• 2022

Daesoon philosophy has been described as a quintessential Korean philosophy. Given the great difference between traditional Western and East Asian ways of thinking, how can such a quintessential Korean philosophy be explained to people who have no background in traditional East Asian thought? After all, the Daeson Jinrihoe way of approaching such core problems as how to make this world a better place is not only very different from the way the West has traditionally approached such problems, Daesoon Jinrihoe uses terminology which most Westerners are not very familiar with. Translation into Western languages such as English helps, but a conceptual gap remains because of the differences in the way key Daesoon Jinrihoe terms are understood in the West. As a first step toward overcoming that gap, I discuss three key teachings of Daesoon philosophy and how their translations into English need to be amplified so that people in the West who are not well versed in East Asian philosophy can gain a more accurate understanding of what those terms and phrases mean in their original language. The three items discussed here are the tenet "virtuous concordance of yin and yang," the Essential Attitude of sincerity, and the precept "do not deceive yourself."

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.34
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• pp.171-202
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• 2020

The nations of East Asia have similar historical backgrounds in terms of going through modernization during the nineteenth century. All of them commonly experienced socio-political hardships. Three of the most prosperous East Asian new religions, Yiguandao, Tenrikyo, and Daesoon Jinrihoe, all emerged under similar socio-political circumstances during the nineteenth century. There was no mutual interchange, but the cosmological perspectives share some analogous ideology. All of them were types of nativist millennialism. The ultimate goal in all three is redeeming lost elements by magical means-the sudden disappearance of invading forces, the return of mystical heroes or messiahs, and an altered landscape. As Stark said, although it is impossible to calculate the actual rate of success, probably no more than one religious movement out of 1,000 will attract more than 100,000 followers and last for as long as a century. By this standard, these three groups are certainly worthy of being studied. This paper will examine and compare these three groups through four dimensions: the Messiah's eschatology, the re-interpretation of that eschatology after the Messiah's death, the rational transformations of millennial dreams, and the institutionalization of those millennial dreams. Analytically, I could demonstrate the differences among these groups through two dimensions: (1) The dimension of time, which can be conceptualized in terms of this-worldly or other-worldly; and (2) Collective vision, which can be conceptualized in terms of utopia or reform. The cross-classification of these two dimensions is suggestive of the general avenues of Millennialism. Through these comparisons and observations, light will be shed on the essence and dynamics of East Asian Millennialist Thought by exploring deeper cultural implications.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.25_1
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• pp.157-187
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• 2015

In this paper, I will study the common point between Korean buddhist thought and Daesoon thought. In 2 chapter, I will illuminate Kang Jeungsan to be familiar with buddhist culture. Daewonsa(大院寺) was the place Kang Jeungsan's to enlighten Path. Kang Jeungsan said Śākyamuni to the people to follow himself. And Kang Jeungsan burned Thousand-Hands Sutra(千手經) as one of Chenjigongsa(天地公事). In 3 chapter I study the unfolding of Korean Maitreya thought and the interpenetration of the three teachings. In 4 chapter I study the idea of Maitreya Buddha and the unity of the three teachings in Daesoon thought. Maitreya has the origin in India. Korea accepted this Maitreya via China. In Silla era, the people accepted Maitreya in relation to Hwarang(花郞). In Unified Silla era, Beopsang jong(法相宗) accepted Maitreya devotion positively and the typical person is Jinpyo(眞表). In Goryeo era, Beopsang jong devoted Maitreya, on the other hand Maitreya devotion changed the popular devotion. In Joseon era, Maitreya devotion changed the popular devotion more and more. In this background, Kang Jeungsan accepted the idea of Maitreya Buddha. And Kang Jeungsan insisted that he is the existence to give Heaven's decree to Choe Jeu(崔濟愚) of Donghak and to combine Jesus of Christianity. The interpenetration of the three teachings is one of the stream of Joseon era's buddhim. We can read this in Hamheo Deuktong(涵虛得通)'s Hyeonjeongron(顯正論) and Yuseokjiluiron (儒釋質疑論) to pretend Hamheo Deuktong and Cheongheo Hyujeong(淸虛休靜)'s Samgagwigam(三家龜鑑). This interpenetration of the three teachings of Joseon era influenced Daesoon thought. The unity of the three teachings in Daesoon thought is divided into three. The first is the unity of the three teachings of Gwanwang(冠旺)'s standpoint, the second is the unity of the three teachings of Sungyo(仙敎) superior standpoint, the third is the unity of the three teachings of Jinmuk(震黙)'s anecdote. The interpenetration of the three teachings of Joseon era is connected with the unity of the three teachings of Jinmuk's anecdote. Thus Joseon era's buddhist thought and Daesoon thought have the common point in the idea of Maitreya Buddha and the interpenetration(unity) of the three teachings.

• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.111-132
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• 2022

In the 1920s, a new religion emerged in Tay Ninh Province, Southern Vietnam, under the name Caodaism; also known as the Third Universal Salvation of the Great Dao. It is the result of the typical combination of three main religions (Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism). Different ethnic groups populated Tay Ninh, such as Chinese, Khmer, Cham, and Kinh. Additionally, the core principle of Caodaism is known as The Three Religions Returned to the Origin, and it is also expanded as The Five Branches Reunited. The Five Branches are humankind's five ways of self-cultivation: the Way of Humans, the Way of Deities, the Way of Saints, the Way of Immortals, and the Way of Buddhas. Although Caodaism was only founded in 1920, this religion is well known domestically and internationally. This is because Caodaism has a distinctive identity; it is a new religion that advocates a syncretistic combination of essential religious teachings that follow the harmonization and reconciliation between the East and West as well as between the past and present. Moreover, the Tay Ninh Holy See is the most important, first, and largest Cao Dai temple in Vietnam. The temple is located in Tay Ninh Province in southwestern Vietnam. This article aims to introduce the Tay Ninh Holy See as the birthplace of Caodaism and as the largest Cao Dai religious palace, not only in Vietnam but also in other countries that practice Caodaism. A brief overview of Tay Ninh Holy See's origin, history, and planning will be provided. Most importantly, the style of the architecture at the Tay Ninh Holy See will be comprehensively analyzed to shed more light on the meaning of each section and the details of this temple structure.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.20
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• pp.95-123
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• 2009

This paper is designed to show the relationship between the Daesoon Principle and the recent theories like transpersonal psychology(TP) and predicate logic. According to TP there are 3 categories and 8 elements inside of not only human consciousness but civilization; three are pre-ego, ego, trans-ego, and eight are Uroboros, Typhon, Greater Mother, solarization, and repetition of the previous fours. The former is called, for Ken Wilber, the Average mode and the latter, the Advanced mode. I think that Daesoon thought including general Korean National religions belongs to the Advanced mode. I applied the predicate logic or paradoxical logic to understand of the Harmony of God and Man as well as Correspondence of Yin with Yang. The paradoxical logic has been not acceptable through two thousands years in the western tradition. I call the paradoxical logic the E type logic in this paper. The E type logic is most suitable logic for apprehending the Daesoon philosophy to a large extent. Finally my paper may contribute to the globalization of Daesoon mind system.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.24_2
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• pp.165-196
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• 2015

This research starts based on the purpose to investigate the evolution and nature of 48 divinity depends on Gu-Cheon-EungWon-Nweh-Seong-Bo-Hwa-Cheon-Jon(九天應元雷聲普化天尊, Highest ruling Entity and Majesty of Heaven by lightning and thunder raising and ruling all the universe which response to the Supreme) as well as to look at the iconography of that. Ogchugyeong(玉樞經) still exercise enormous influence on Korean folk belief neither in the late Joseon Dynasty and the Japanese colonial period nor till now. The reason for authority of Ogchugyeong(玉樞經) is because Ogchugyeong(玉樞經) was the sutras of being used in the original royal families 48 divinity depends on Gu-Cheon-Eung-Won-Nweh-Seong-Bo-Hwa-Cheon-Jon which appears in Ogchugyeong(玉樞經) is created in Korea. 48 divinity is finally approved at 1888, after it started from 41 at the beginning of the deity general theory(神將論) through developing 47. The figure of 48 seems the result of the syncretism with 48 wishes of Buddhism. Okuchugyong was originally China Taoist scripture, but Okuchugyong entered Korea and reproduced a different look. In China Okuchugyong has two volumes and 44 stature of the deity general(神將) but in Korea Okuchugyong changed to have three volumes and 48 stature.

• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.33-56
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• 2023

Although English-language academic materials on Kang Jeungsan (강증산/姜甑山 1871-1909) are steadily increasing, the same cannot be said of Jo Jeongsan (조정산/道主 趙鼎山 1895-1958) who remains under-researched as figure of profound significance to the Korean new religion Daesoon Jinrihoe (대순진리회/大巡眞理會). Furthermore, in materials produced by Daesoon Jinrihoe that are later translated into English, the connections that exist between Kang Jeungsan and Jo Jeongsan are often reduced to a few representative examples, when, in fact, many additional examples could be provided for a more comprehensive understanding. Comprehending the basis for the first succession in the three-figure orthodox religious lineage of Daesoon Jinrihoe is crucial to task of properly differentiating Daesoon Jinrihoe from seemingly similar Korean new religions that enshrine Kang Jeungsan as their Supreme God. The research presented in this article, "A Study on the Relationship between Kang Jeungsan and Jo Jeongsan Described in Chapter Two of Progress of the Order," will provide readers with a thorough overview of the basis for Jo Jeongsan's successorship in the orthodox religious lineage of Daesoon Jinrihoe, through an in-depth exploration of Chapter Two of Progress of the Order from Daesoon Jinrihoe's main scripture, The Canonical Scripture. Furthermore, this article will include special explanatory notes to ensure that it can be easily read even by non-specialists.

• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.129-151
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• 2023

The concept of interfaith harmony is one of the key issues for discussion in this contemporary world. It has multifaceted implications that range from pedagogical realms to global policy making. Here we focus on the basic concepts of interfaith harmony from Sikh and Cao Dai perspectives in order to address their viewpoints in regard to promoting culture of Peace and Understanding. Although these religions are new as compared to the existing living religions of the world, they found their new identity in the history of world religions for their unique concepts of interfaith harmony. In this article, the concept of interfaith harmony has been analyzed from two perspectives such as theological and socio-historical. For a systematic understanding of the subject matter, it has been categorized into three subpoints; unity of God, unity of religions and unity of humanity. Methodologically, the qualitative methodological framework of the proposed research is descriptive in nature. Thus, the present research has been primarily conducted by using secondary sources, although the crucial information is collected from primary sources such as the sacred texts of Sikhism and Caodaism. Since this study is done considering the social, political and religious contexts of India and Vietnam, it can contribute to the understanding of the nature of interfaith harmony in South and South-East Asia.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.19
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• pp.99-124
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• 2005

The Korean Buddhism during the unified Silla era, was dominated by Huayen doctrine, which was developed by Uisang(義相) (625-702) and his disciples. During 8th century, many Korean monks visited China to study Chan Buddhism(禪). After they came back to Silla, they started to criticize Huayen philosophy as a doctrinal Buddhism (Jiao教). Their criticism depended on Chinese Chan Buddhist teachings. Korean Chan monk Sunji(順之), a 9th century, was different from other Chan monks in Silla who were trained in China. His teachings are found in the volume20 of "Zutangji"(祖堂集). Although it is based on Chan thought, it has many doctrinal explanations and interpretations. The conventional studies could not clearify the basis of his philosophy. As my research revealed, his teachings were based on the Huayen doctrine of Chinese Huayen monk Li Tongxuan(李通玄) who lived in 7th 8th century. One of his doctorine is "San shen yuan jung kwan"(三聖円融観). It means the unify of three Holies(三聖) Vairocana Buddha(毘盧遮那仏), Manjusri Bodhisattva(文殊菩薩), and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva(普賢菩薩). Monk Junshi used this theory in his teachings. As mentioned above, "Sunji Hwasan's teachings" included by the "Zutangji"(祖堂集) volume 20 is important as what offers a new viewpoint when exploring the relationship between the Chan and jiao in Silla in the 9th century.