• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.25_1
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• pp.25-85
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• 2015

In this study, source criticism (an establishment of authentic text) of the Hyun-Mu Sutra(玄武經) among different editions is studied and an attempt of a new interpretation appropriate to that is attempted. The Hyun-Mu Sutra, a scripture written in 1909, began to communicate with the world through the religions of Jeungsanism. In particular, it was remarkable that The Hyun-Mu Sutra was absorbed as canon textbooks Jeonkyung(典經), the Scriptures of Daesoonjinrihoe, The Fellowship of Daesoon Truth(大巡眞理) from a loner and secret pull-out of heritage traditions. However, this scripture though written in 1909 and more than 100 years has passed, remained in a state unestablished authentic text. The Hyun-Mu Sutra is the scripture consisted of 25 pages by the religions of Jeungsanism[Gang Il-sun 姜一淳(1871~1909)]. 33 page type of Hyun-Mu Sutra has been distributed in the world until now the authentic text of The Hyun-Mu Sutra. However, as a result of the examination, diagnostic scripture(病勢文) was found to have been added by descendants. After a review of authentic text of The Hyun-Mu Sutra, it concluded that there is no diagnostic scripture in primary The Hyun-Mu Sutra. Though The Hyun-Mu Sutra is a booklet of a small amount, the notation and expression is so unique, it has been in secrecy to read its contents. Interpretation way of The Hyun-Mu Sutra up to now can be summarized in two as follows. 1) approaches by I-ching 2) approaches by ten celestrial stemps and twelve earthly branches(10干12支). Approaches by I-ching among this sometimes was supplemented with Buddhist classification methods. Nevertheless, these studies can be evaluated limited because it fails to secure authentic text of The Hyun-Mu Sutra. In this study, the contents of The Hyun-Mu Sutra was examined itemized by focusing on the following four points. 1) The icon of The Hyun-Mu Sutra(玄武經符) is similar as normal talisman(符籍) but it has other features. 2) 'Reverse Fonts'(反書體)[the opposite view of the standard fonts(正書體), reflected in the mirror fonts] and size or location used in text is not in uniform. 3) letters in scripture were pointed and points were stamped in the left and upper and lower characters. 4) "Spiritual poem" (詠歌, the Korean traditional music with a view of elegance as an origin of eco), and the music with the Five-Sounds[宮Gung, 商Sang, 角Gak, 徵Chi, 羽Wu) were related. As a result, content analysis of The Hyun-Mu Sutra is carried out in the next four points. 1) The icon of The Hyun-Mu Sutra (玄武經符) has been primarily developed by Jeungsan. 2) 'Reverse Fonts'(反書體)[the opposite view of the standard fonts(正書體), reflected in the mirror fonts] and reverse location such as '宙宇' [the reverse of '宇宙'] represents based on a new world based on a forward and reverse I-ching(正易). 3) Dot and neighbor points is a symbolic map that guides the position of lateral new world(後天) and era(人尊) 4) Spiritual poem is the entrance to achieve the Realization of Do(道通). The above can be considered as the results of this study.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.26
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• pp.1-41
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• 2016

The script of the Fellowship of Daesoon Truth, 『Jeongyeong』 consists of seven sectors and 17 chapters. The seven sectors include 「Life of Sangje」, 「Reordering of the Universe」, 「Passing on of Teaching」, 「Law of Teaching」, 「Wisdom」, 「Cure of the Sick」, and 「Foreseeing」. The chapter 「Reordering of the Universe」 has the most records about Sangje, while the 「Law of Teaching」 has the most variety of materials in many passages about Sangje. This shows that the chapter 「Reordering of the Universe」 puts emphasis on the unique religious activities of Sangje and 「Law of Teaching」 is important for its edifying elements. "Law of teaching" is 敎法(Gyobeop) in Chinese character. 敎 means "teaching" and 法 "laws". What is law? A law becomes the rules for maintaining order of a society. In the view of religion, the law is ethical rules set by Kang Jeungsan to keep an order in the world. The first and second chapters of 「Law of Teaching」 have writings on 1. What Sangje said in person to the disciples, 2. The teachings Sangje gave to the disciples in certain occasions, 3. Reality of the society in late Joseon Dynasty, 4. Teachings related to the historical figures and old stories, and 5. Literatures. The third chapter has two special types of writing, which is about Taoism myths and statements written only in Chinese characters. In 『Daesoon Jeongyeong Volume 6』, the chapter 「Words of Law」 has more contents on edification for disciples, Cheok and resolving grudges with more detailed expression of woman resolving their piled up grudges. This chapter also has writings about discriminating old evil customs of Confucianism, emphasizing virtue and act of reciprocating for offered graces while training of one's mind and working on one's daily practice (shown in Sangje's saying about certain historical figures, quoting the Song of Suwun, statements in Chinese characters), Sangje's opinion about Japan, China, ancestral beings, eating raw foods, Byeokgok and others. In comparison with 「Words of Law」 in 『Daesoon Jeongyeong Volume 6』, which was issued in 1965 as the previous generation literature, 「Law of Teaching」 in 『Jeongyeong』 has many additional statements made to existing passages. Also, some passages were combined of two previous passages, some words were corrected, and in some passages, additional statements were made about the same person mentioned in another passage. And some passages were dropped. For the contents, 『Jeongyeong』 has additional statements about spiritual training of one's mind and practicing the teaching in daily lives, which indicates that 『Jeongyeong』 is focusing more on actual daily practice and the idea of overcoming hardships during the practice and realizing the principle of Resolution of all grudges.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.25_2
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• pp.45-70
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• 2015

Master Jeungsan understood a general view of Pungsu but actually he used the theory of Pungsu in his own religious perspective, transcending it. The theory of Pungsu is different. But the fact that it is premised on the principle of 'in and yang', the five-element principle, the Book of Changes, energy thought, and To chugi piyung, etc. is generally recognized. The three important elements of Pungsu are mountain, water, and direction or man. Pungsu has formal principles such as Gallyongbeop, Jangpungbeop, Deuksubeop, Jeonghyeolbeop, Jwahyangbeop, and Hyeongukron. etc. In the late of Joseon, Jeungsan established a new traditional thought, understanding Bibopungsu, Gukdopungsu, Minganpungsu, etc. However, he reinterpreted them to be suitable to his religious ideal and let his followers understand them as well. In particular, Jeungsan overcame the previous view on earth and expressed a new perspective to enhance earth up to the level of heaven. In the perspective of the traditional world, earth is lower than heaven, but Jeungsan made it a status equal to heaven. He mentioned that in the past, the culture and history of man was influenced by earth's energy but today, at the age of man respect, he put passive man influenced by earth-condition on the more subjective and active status. Even though he mentioned different Pungsu, Hyeongguk, and Hyeolmyeong, he expressed the shape of Pungsu within the construction of three worlds, the one of heaven and earth transcending good or ill luck or a favorable change in fortune. He practised the expedient of Pungsu from the stand of the construction of heaven and earth instead of the usage of Bibopungsu, Gukdopungsu, and Minganpungsu. He diagnosed that the division of the world is caused by the one of earth and tried to solve it. Moreover, he said that Myeongdang(a propitious site) must be the man-orientation rather than the earth-orientation. It means that Pungsu, stressing the energy of earth and turning one's luck, is changing into the world of man-orientation. In other words, Jeungsan diagnosed the world of Pungsu but he ultimately used Pungsu theory in building up his own view of religious world transcending such a theory.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.22
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• pp.1-32
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• 2014

This paper is searching the meaning of Gangseong(姜聖) which came from Gucheon Sangje(九天上帝, the Lord and Creator of the Great Origin of the Ninth Heaven) incarnated in the Gang(姜) family. To study the meaning of Gangseong(姜聖), this paper concentrate on Maitreya(彌勒尊佛) and the sentence about Wonsibanbon(原始返本) Sangje's incarnation in the Gang's family appeared on term Gangseong in the middle of divinity terms(九天應元雷聲普化天尊姜聖上帝). Furthermore, Sangje's surname Gangseong(姜姓) has relation with Maitreya and the sentence about Wonsibanbon. What Maitreya has relation with Gangseong(姜聖) is the legendary poem that Maitreya Statue became complete woman(六丈金佛 化爲全女) and what Wensibanbon has relation with Gangseong is the fact that family name Gang is primary surname all over the world's human beings. Wonsibanbon comprises correction of family lineage and theocracy(政敎一致) which came from tracing and reviving the beginning. As a primary family name, Sangje's incarnation family name Gang plays a leading edge role of religious activity of Sangje because primary family name Gang represents the one and only Truth(眞法) or the principle of Wensibanbon which means the union[unity] of religion and politics(政敎一致), and combining saintliness and heroism (聖雄兼備). According to the one and only Truth(眞法) like this, the first emergence and role of the completely "DoTongKunJa" (道通君子, the perfection of man with Dotong) who Sang-Je declared will build the union[unity] of religion and politics shows realization of advance-oriented salvation. Under the principle of Yangsan(兩山, twin mountain, 甑山, 鼎山, the three-story Maitreya Statue of Geumsan Temple) which implies emergence of the completely "DoTongKunJa"(道通君子) who will accomplish the union[unity] of religion and politics(政敎一致), combining saintliness and heroism(聖雄兼備) and advent of the one and only Truth(眞法出現). This could be possible by the almighty of Sangje who incarnated in Gang's family name according to the principle of Wensibanbon from the text Jeonkyung(典經) as shown. Adjusting family lineage (血統) means to straighten out the relation between ancestors and descendants, and which has close relation with the activity after Sangje's incarnation in Gang's family name according to the principle of Wensibanbon. As far as family lineage was concerned, there are three aspects of close relation between ancestors and descendants. First, general connection between ancestors and descendants, Second Dotong(道通)-related connection, Third after -death entrance(冥府)-related connection. Descendants should know a family history from moral laws of family relationships(天倫) by the Compatibility principle. As for second Dotong-related connection between ancestors and descendants, the fact descendants' Dotong can be accomplished by the act of ancestors' charity shows human beings world(人間界) where descendants live has close organic relation with divine world(神明界) where ancestors live. As for third after-death entrance-related connection between ancestors and descendants, after-death entrance are totally related with both Heavenly order(天道) of ancestors and Humane-order(人道) of descendants. At this point, we can see the relation between ancestors and descendants are very close and organic. As shown from the text Jeonkyung, Sangje as Gucheon Sangje(九天上帝, the Lord and Creator of the Great Origin of the Ninth Heaven) and Maitreya(彌勒尊佛) has descended to the earth adopting Gang's family name according to principle Wensibanbon. By Sangje's incarnation in Gang's family name, the legitimacy of the religion and the perfection of Do could be successed under the law of Yangsan(兩山). Furthermore, Sangje realize the one and only Truth by Adjusting family lineage and producing the completely "true man" through Cheonji Gongsa.