• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.37
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• pp.357-384
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• 2021

The ethics of Daesoon Jinrihoe is a system of contemporary practical morality, which contains religious features such as "One Dao" (一道), "Two Mountains" (二山, an allusion to Kang Jeungsan 姜甑山, and Jo Jeongson 趙鼎山), "Three Realms" (三界, means the realms of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity." For the purpose of my paper, "One Dao" is the ethical principle of Daesoon as well as the Tenets: "the Virtuous Concordance of Yin and Yang, Harmonious Union between Divine and Human Beings, the Resolution of Grievances for Mutual Beneficence, and Perfected Unification (jingyeong 眞境) with the Dao." "Two Mountains" are the Objects of belief. The Three Realms are the scopes of moral concern. In order to devote the Tenets of the ethical principle, ascetic practice in daily life has been emphasized as "Sincerity, Respectfulness, and Faithfulness" which are collectively called "Three Essential Attitudes." Meanwhile, "Quieting the Mind, Quieting the Body, Reverence for Heaven, and Cultivation (of oneself in accordance with doctrines)" are defined as the "Four Cardinal Mottoes." The ultimate belief is converted into guidelines for ethical conduct and religious rites. Through cultivation an interaction emerges between humankind and divine beings. The ethical ideal in Daesoon Jinrihoe includes personal "Perfected Unification with the Dao," nobility and cooperativity between humans and divine beings, and "the earthly paradise of the Later World." Compared to Buddhism, Christianity, and Daoism, Daesoon Jinrihoe's unique features are embodies by three aspects: the unity of mutual beneficence among the Three Realms, the cooperativity and nobility between humans and divinities, and the transcendental nature of the earthly paradise.

• 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 Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.127-151
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• 2021

The core tenets of Daesoon Jinrihoe in Jeungsanism are encapsulated in the teachings of Eumyang-hapdeok (陰陽合德, Virtuous Concordance of Yin and Yang), Shinin-johwa (神人調化, Harmonious Union between Divine Beings and Human Beings), Haewon-sangsaeng (解寃相生, Resolution of Grievances for Mutual Beneficence) and Dotongjingyeong (道通眞境, Perfected Unification with Dao). Among them, the first three teachings eventually turn towards the prophetic thought of Dotong-jingyeong, which is the process of man becoming a divine figure. While these principles are considered crucial advice for overcoming an unstable life, there are many curious questions that help for better comprehension. What is the reality of Jin-gyeong (眞境) for their followers? How can one reach the ultimate stage under this belief system? Is this ideological concept different from similar perspectives of other major religions? How is this concept related to the idea of Jisang-cheonguk (地上天國, earthly paradise)? This paper analyses these issues of Jin-gyeong from the historical and social narratives of Haengnok (行錄, Acts), Gongsa (公事, Reordering Works), Gyoun (敎運, Progress of the Order), Gyobeop (敎法, Dharma), Gwonji (權智, Authority and Foreknowledge) and Yesi (豫示, Prophetic Elucidations) in The canonical scripture of Jeon-gyeong and also from the ontological approaches of East Asian faiths in order to identify alternative notions of Daesoon cosmology. The paper, based on the sayings of Kang Jeungsan, particularly his philosophy of the Later World, argues the insight that the Jin-gyeong world can be interpreted as created through the Cheonji-gongsa (天地公事, Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth) project in terms of Gaebyeok (開闢, Great Opening) and the earthly paradise as open only for those who achieve the condition of Sin-ingan (新人間, literally means 'new humans' but symbolizing 'being a human-god') by the personal cultivation of Dotong (道通, the unity with Dao).

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.34
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• pp.293-321
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• 2020

The value embodied by "Ascending to Heaven and Being an Immortal" (Yuhua Dengxian in Chinese) implies the core gist of Daoist culture as well as its ultimate value. From the perspective of Philology, each word, "Yu", "Hua", "Deng", and "Xian" benefits us through a philosophy of life, learning skills, the pursuit of the mysteries of Daoist immortality, and the ways of life characteristics and spiritual transcendence. "To become an immortal" is becoming adept at life. "Yuhua" refers to learning transcendental skills, and "Deng" expresses the promotion of life. "Ascending to Heaven and Becoming an Immortal" integrates the goal- oriented values of Daoist Culture, learning transcendental skills, and the state of being alive into a unified whole. Namely, it is the perfect combination of an adept's supreme pursuit of value and zenith of life. By way of contrast, in Daesoon Jinrihoe, the concepts of "Daesoon" and "Perfected Unification with the Dao" not only advocate "physical and mental transformation" and "spiritual development" for Dao cohorts, but also personal cultivation and service to society, and participation in "The Creation of an Earthly Paradise." These are unified under the ideal humanistic value of "the earthly paradise of the Later World."

• Journal of English Language & Literature
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.543-555
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• 2010

In his early poems, Wallace Stevens shows us different gestures, compared with his later poems, when he acquires reality by faculty of imagination. The former is made of ontological violence while the latter is revealed by bareness of less sensuality. However, they are the identical gestures, though from different angles, to accomplish things as they are rather than the ideas of things. In "Sunday Morning," ontological violence occurs in such epistemological couples as thought and thing, mind and world, and imagination and reality. Especially, in order to recuperate his poetic reality, Stevens undermines the traditional hierarchy between heavenly divinity and earthly divinity. In the poem, Christianity faces a critical challenge and then it is disempowered by the earthly divinity. Additionally, by disadvantaging religion, he wants to raise his poetic issue of the faculty of imagination to acquire reality. Stevens' concept of imagination is less subjective and more transcendental than Kantian one. After the ontological violence, Christian divinity and mythic gods leave ontological boundary for earthly divinity in an ambiguous way. In other words, between "Sunday" and "sunny day," the ontological conflicts haunt us throughout the poem as if the violence would happen between imagination and reality. For Stevens, both Christian divinity and mythic gods are mere obstacles to real divinity; both play a mere role of imagination before reality is revealed. Whatever reality is, imagination is always ready to draw an ontological line of reality in an ambiguous way, regardless of how long it lasts. In general, most ontological violence requires such physical remnants of conflicts as borderline, deaths, and pains which still prevail in the poem. Those ontological remnants remain to be found on earth. The sky is an abstract borderline between heaven and earth because in a sense, it belongs to both earthly landscape and heavenly sphere. Without any ontological borderline or threshold, there is no recognition of the divinity because the vitality of divinity is inflamed in continuous transgression of the other. After the final ontological conflict between heaven and earth, there remains only ambiguous borderline near the earth beside the friendlier sky.

• 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.27
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• pp.35-77
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• 2016

All humans are subject to death, and this creates a motivation to construct theories regarding divine immorality (神仙思想) in order to satisfy the human desire (慾望) for eternal life (長生) and the avoidance of death(不死). In the concept of Earthly immortality (地上神仙) from Daesoonjinrihoe (大巡眞理會), devotees do not carry out their work in a deep mountain ranges far removed from human society. Instead, they cultivate themselves in Dao from within the human society (自身修道), chant incantation to benefit others, aspire towards immortal status (神仙), and promote harmony between divine beings and humans (神人調和) all without ever leaving human society. In the Yeoju Headquarters of Daesoonjinrihoe, members created a new place called a "Dojang (道場 temple complex)" to live as immortal humans in the here and now while they chant incantations (呪文) as an act of participation in the Immortal Realm of the Later World (後天仙境). Some key religious and fengshui (geomancy) oriented symbols used within the Yeoju Headquarters of Daesoonjinrihoe appear as follows: first, Cheonggye Tower (靑溪塔) represents faith in traditional astrology (星宿神仰) and reverence for the God of the Nine Heavens (九天上帝). Second, Daesoonjinrihoe (大巡眞理會) emphasizes the Saturn associated earth element from five phases (五行土星) and this represent the Later World due to numerological associations. Third, the Fengshui of the Yeoju Headquarters of Daesoonjinrihoe is a highly propitious (吉地) and also accentuates the Saturn associated earth element from five phases. Fourth, Yeongdae (靈臺) in the Yeoju Headquarters of Daesoonjinrihoe faces west where Jeungsan will come accompanied by other gods (神命). Fifth, the Yeoju Headquarters of Daesoonjinrihoe is in charge of property and receives happiness and prosperity (福祿) through its Fengshui. The Yeoju Headquarters of Daesoonjinrihoe is an earthly paradise for immortals (地上天國) forged to achieve the ultimate purpose of transforming its members into the Dotong (道通, those enlightened in Dao and thereby successful in their every endeavor) of the Later World. In accordance with Daesoon thought, the Saturn associated earth element from five phases is positioned in the middle of incantations, and Yeongdae, other architecture, and landscaping has all been arranged to correspond with Daesoon geomancy and numerology (後天數理).

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.29
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• pp.171-207
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• 2017

The research regarding religious concepts used in Daesoon Jinrihoe are still incomplete. This study is a suggestion to critically review the existing research on 'seeking out the original root (原始返本)', one of the religious terms of Daesoon Jinrihoe. In addition, this concept will be seen from a new perspective. 'Seeking out the original root' plays a major role in Daesoon theology due to the cosmology established by Daesoon Jinrihoe. However, the existing research on this topic are prone to the perspective of 'returning' and assuming a 'cyclical view on the order of history'. Therefore, the cosmology that has been built by the religious language misleads readers to assume a retrospective process or that the process itself is realized on its own in accordance with the cosmic order. These kinds of studies do not specifically manifest the world view of Daesoon Jinrihoe. They fail to do so because Sangje's reordering works and its fruit, the earthly paradise of the Later World, have never existed before. The concept of 'seeking out the original root' should break away from the frame of a cyclical view of history and exert the uniqueness of Daesoon Jinrihoe. In this regard, this study can be summarized as follows: 'Seeking out the original root', one of the principles needed to achieve the re-creation of the Later World, endeavors to find a way to account for the origin of all things such as civilizations, cultures, and dharmas. If such a way is found, the facts between the root and the beginning should be acknowledged, as the root itself is what has been sustained, succeeded, used, resolved, revised, and rectified. The origin is usually dealt with from the position of rewarding. This was all achieved in Sangje's decisions and his reordering works. Its outcome will be utilized as a basis to establish an earthly paradise in the Later World. This concept, as defined above, excludes a cyclical view of history and implies that the concept of 'seeking out the original root' is a flexible frame within the context of dynamic structuralism. Given the style of this approach, this study provides a view which can be easily differentiated from existing research.

• 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.