• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.24_2
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• pp.57-82
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• 2015

Grievance resolution, gratitude and mutual beneficence are not only an essential dogma of Daesoonjinrihoe but also a major issue which Chinese Confucian scholars have been concerned about. In this context, this study compares the perspectives of grievance resolution, gratitude, mutual beneficence based on basic scriptures of Daesoonjinrihoe and ancient Chinese Confucianism. With nurture and benevolence as core thoughts, the ways of ruling the world in righteousness and proprieties have common characteristics of Daesoonjinrihoe and Confucianism. The Heavenly Way, which is rather an abstract conception, is perceived as a Confucianism ultimate ground. Because Confucianism does what is right for nurture, embracing rationality, the religious aspects are not clearly defined, it is the difference between Daesoonjinrihoe and Chinese Confucianism. In this regard, this study compares similarities and differences between the two cultures to promote mutual understanding.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.40
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• pp.39-76
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• 2022

The two religious ethics, Christianity's 'love your enemies' and Daesoon Jinrihoe's 'grievance-resolution for mutual beneficence', can be misunderstood as similar. The misunderstanding arises from these religious ethics having something in common that specifically points to a particular object, called an enemy, and contains instructions to treat that object altruistically. However, from the perspective of Religious Ethics, the two teachings are not the same. The beliefs they are based upon are different, the religious character they pursue is different, and their processes of obtaining legitimacy, logic, and implementation are different. The most distinct difference between these ethics is that the Christian ethic focuses on a victim's role whereas Daesoon Jinrihoe ethic emphasizes the roles of both victims and perpetrators. In case of 'love your enemies,' if a perpetrator turns away from a victim and believes that they would be forgiven for their sin, the victim is unlikely to practice the teaching 'love your enemies.' Accordingly, to avoid criticism over cases wherein love of an enemy is nothing but a shallow grace, the roles of the two sides should be more highlighted than that of the absolute being. As for grievance-resolution for mutual beneficence, this teaching encourages victims to resolve their grievance with a goal of mutual beneficence. The perpetrator should likewise resolve the grievances and grudges of their victim with the aim of mutual beneficence. Jeungsan especially stressed that perpetrators have to resolve 'Cheok (慼: the resentment and grievances that someone holds against the one who victimized them)' through the ethic of grievance-resolution in order for living well. In other words, 'the ethic of Cheok-resolution' is an ethic wherein the perpetrator also plays an important role in the implementation of grievance-resolution for mutual beneficence.

• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.13-34
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• 2024

This article is a compilation of civilizational crises and their overcoming from the worldview of Daesoon Jinrihoe, based on the premise that religion can offer advice on the crises faced by modern civilization. It is a reinterpretation of human history from a religious perspective, focusing on mutual contentions, grievances, grudges, and their overcoming. Daesoon Jinrihoe explains that modern civilizational crises were first recognized by divine beings in the 18th and 19th centuries, and then later recognized by humans in the 20th and 21st centuries. Unable to resolve the civilization crises, the divine beings asked the Supreme God to intervene in human history, and the Supreme God was born in a human body to reveal the root causes and development of various civilizational crise sand to propose solutions to overcome them. These solutions encompass setting the world aright and ushering in a new era through the Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth (天地公事), attaining enduring peace by practicing grievance resolution for mutual beneficence (解冤相生), and reconstructing the relationship between divine beings and humans in harmonious coexistence. Devotees hold that Daesoon Jinrihoe is a religion that originated as a solution to a problem faced by God rather than humankind. As such, it considers the crises of civilization and their overcoming as the reason for existence. According to the religion's worldview, the Supreme God has already provided the solution to these civilizational crises. With a tip of the hat to the film Interstellar (2014), it could be said, "God Found a Way. He Always Has." Now, Daesoon Jinrihoe posits that it is up to humans to implement the way that God found.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.39
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• pp.99-136
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• 2021

Grievance-resolution pursues reconciliation, mutual beneficence, and consolidation. Accordingly, the concept of grievance-resolution is a norm, a principle, as well as an ideology that aims to realize an ideal society and satisfy human desires. Such ideological thought transcended into religious doctrine and was systemized by Jeungsan, Kang Il-sun. He focused on grudges that represented the intrinsic sentiment of Korea and apprehended that grudges are the grounds and reason for the devastation of the world. Furthermore, Jeungsan was a figure who reinterpreted the concept of grievance-resolution via a religious perspective through an in-depth study which transformed into a doctrinal system. He practiced the Reordering Works of grievance-resolution on a universal dimension to religiously redeem all things. Jeungsan completely resolved all the grudges and grievances that filled up the Three Realms (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity) through the concept of grievance-resolution and emphasized that he would establish an ideal society on earth to complete the redemption of human beings. Jeungsan apprehended that the essential characteristics of grudges and grievances were the fundamental reason for the destruction of the world. In this regard, he insisted that the redemption of the world should be achieved through the grievance-resolution. Grievance-resolution is an essential aspect and principle of Jeungsan's system of thought. In addition, it is a concrete approach to establish the earthly paradise of the Later World. Jeungsan implemented a method to redeem humankind by systemizing the intrinsic sentiments common in Korea - namely, the concept of grievance-resolution- and he suggested it as a religious practice which was the principle behind the Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth. Jeungsan defined that his own era was a time of grievance-resolution. In addition, he insisted that grievances and grudges had existed from the beginning of humankind. Jeungsan also said that there were grievances and grudges in heavenly planes, human planes, and underworldly planes. It was thereby necessary to do beneficial deeds for others and reciprocate beneficence in order to resolve grievances. He emphasized that a process wherein all human desires could be satisfied was essential. Furthermore, Jeungsan stressed that this present time should focus on the process of grievance-resolution on a practical level.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.42
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• pp.143-165
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• 2022

This study is a novel attempt at a fusion of female-authored Chinese poetry and Daesoon Thought. Notably, this has style of fusion has never been attempted in classical literature studies or in studies on Daesoon Thought. This study will also clarify the the key concept of grievance-resolution (解冤 haewon) in Daesoon Jinrihoe through comparison with classical works. Choi Song-seoldang's poetry that was composed in the early 20th century, contemporaneous the emergence of Daesoon Thought, is analyzed here via the concepts of 'tranquility (平 pyeong)' and 'harmony (和 hwa)' under the framework of grievance-resolution for women. An effort is made to find a point of progression towards familial harmony (家和 gahwa) and Mutual Beneficence (相生 sangsaeng). Resentment (恨 han) from the perspective of a woman was expressed in her works such as Wang So-gun's Resentment (昭君怨 sogunwon), Self-Report (自述 Jasul), and An Original Rhyme of Song Seol-dang (松雪堂原韻 Song Seol-dang Won-un). Works such as Wishes on the First Day of New Year (元朝祝 wonjochuk) and A Spontaneous Poem (偶吟 Ueum) expressed the contents of wishing for familial peace. In the process of trying to resolve the grievances (冤 won) of her family, Song Seol-dang faced limitations, and felt resentment (恨 han) for her inability to become a man. She strived her whole life to embody 'tranquility' and 'harmony' as both are crucial components of achieving familial harmony. This thesis has an important significance in terms of academic expansion via the convergence of literature and ideas. In terms of Daesoon Thought, it is meaningful to examine concepts and literature within a context of fusion because this goes beyond research that focuses only on theory or ideology. It is also meaningful to confirm aspects of Daesoon Thought through the life and culture of the still traditional early modern era and to reveal how it still has the present-day significance that transcends time.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.37
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• pp.229-262
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• 2021

The debate on the treatment of animals has accelerated as a social issue in the West since the 1970s. In 1975, Peter Singers argued in his book, Animal Liberation, that speciesism should be banned. This led to an explosion in research on animal welfare in the philosophical and social sciences. Following Singer, Tom Regan suggested considering the animal rights as being on the same level as human rights. Their arguments were that animals should be imbued with some intrinsic weight sufficient enough to remind humans of their social responsibility to animals at least to a certain degree. In this regard, social responsibility for animal welfare as well as animal rights has formed an axis that organizes human morality in modern society. Such arguments regarding animal welfare can be perceived as an active and creative effort which accords with the free will of human beings who in Daesoon Thought are understood as facing the era of human nobility. This argumentation also aligns with the doctrine of grievance-resolution for mutual beneficence as a practical creed due to the way in which modern bioethics implies that animal welfare could become a practical communal morality integrated into legal systems prior to adoption as a system of individual morality. From within this context, this study discusses the nature and limits of modern animal welfare and animal rights from the perspective of the grievance-resolution which Kang Jeungsan promised to animals.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.32
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• pp.77-108
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• 2019

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the characteristics of 'Podeok' in Daesoon Jinrihoe. The term Podeok can cause some misunderstanding as the same word Deok (德 virtue) has long been used in the Eastern Tradition. In other words, for most people who are used to traditional thought, Podeok may be conflated with the similar word 'Deok (virtue)' as used within Confucianism. People who are familiar with Confucian culture might thereby misunderstand the term Podeok as an aspect of Confucian moral ethics, or they could misconstrue Daesoon Jinrihoe as having appropriated and misused Confucian ideas. Furthermore, there are other problems that could arise if people compare Daesoon Jinrihoe's 'Podeok' with 'Deok (virtue)' as used by Laozi. While Deok in Laozi's usage represents the ability of an individual who can exercise his or her rationality with excellence, Deok in Daesoon Jinrihoe indicates the idea of actualizing Mutual Beneficence and the conditions that enable Mutual Beneficence. If one understands Deok as used by Laozi to contain the meaning of Mutual Beneficence, then it is possible to think that the two tradition share a similar meaning of Deok as Podeok in Daesoon Jinrihoe pursues Mutual Beneficence as its ultimate value. In order to preemptively correct these misunderstandings, I need to clarify how the idea of Deok was born out of traditional thought and what meanings it embodies. Additionally, it is necessary to examine how it became meaningful in Confucianism, and how it was criticized and ascribed new meanings in Laozi's thought. Through these clarification, it will become clear that Deok originally indicated a religious ritual that the king of the Zhou Dynasty performed after receiving the heavenly mandate and assuming rule over the nation. Later, this idea was transformed into a moral virtue and norm by Confucius. This moral virtue and norm was criticized by Laozi as an unnatural form of control as it was understood by Laozi as a teleological argument justifying whether or not lives were to be saved or sustained based on the perceived merits of each individual. On the contrary, Deok in Daesoon Jinrihoe and traditional thought stand on a totally different theological bases. Deok in Daesoon Jinrihoe is a means to practice and realize the truth of the earthly paradise of the Later World and the truth of Mutual Beneficence which were posited to the world through Kang Jeungsan's Works of Haewon (grievance resolution) that resolved the pattern of mutual conflict that characterized the Former World. Therefore, the idea of Podeok in Daesoon Jinrihoe gains completion only on the premises of Haewon Sangsaeng (resolution of grievances for mutual beneficence) and Boeun Sangsaeng (reciprocation of favors for mutual beneficence), and the way to practice Podeok is to practice Haewon Sangsaeng and Boeun Sangsaeng. In addition, the subordinate virtues such as loyalty, filial piety, and faithfulness that exist within Daesoon Jinrihoe's religious practice are not same as those of traditional thought. They are new concepts of virtues drawn from the cosmological laws of Daesoon Jinrihoe. To be specific, the virtues of Daesoon Jinrihoe are not rules that create discrimination and mutual conflict, but are instead ethical rules established upon the basis of Heaven and Earth having been newly organized, and thus, they will bring virtuous concordance, harmonious union, and mutual beneficence. The idea of 'Podeok' in Daesoon Jinrihoe can be understood as a religious practice that requires doctrinal understanding and tangible practice in daily life of followers. In other words, it is not the same Deok of earlier traditional thought in East Asia, but is instead a religious truth by which practitioners realize the truth of Sangje's Works of Haewon in human world as they practice Haewon Sangsaeng and Boeun Sangsaeng.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.33
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• pp.147-177
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• 2019

This article attempts to examine the fundamental perceptions and attitudes of human beings towards others utilizing the concept of 'precariat,' a new word recently created to designate people affected by the inequality and instability brought about by neoliberal globalization. Especially, the precariats within South Korean society noted in this article will be North Korean migrants. When leaving North Korea, they have entered into South Korean society with hurting bodies and minds as they made their way through China or third party countries. After arriving in South Korea, they face difficulties such as inadequate jobs and low-level welfare benefits. Also, considering the social discrimination, exclusion, and indifference towards North Korean migrants which are commonplace, they come to live their lives as precariats. Given their situation, I would like to seek wisdom for North Korean migrants to apply as they escape from insecure lives, and perhaps Sangsaeng (mutual beneficence) would allow them to do that within South Korean society. In this light, I think that the concept of hospitality and Haewon Sangsaeng (the resolution of grievances for mutual beneficence), a code of practical ethics within the Daesoon Thought, as a basis for discussion with other philosophies that are practical in enabling North Korean migrants and South Korean citizens to coexist within modern day South Korean society. This can be achieved because 'Haewon (grievance-resolution)' lowers the boundary between self and others through sharing, and consequently, daily mutual interactions can unfold as 'Sangsaeng', which stands as a new ethical and practical system of values available to all modern individuals. In fact, contrary to the religious implications of Daesoon Thought, the philosophical and existential significance of Daesoon Thought has not received much attention. However, if we pay attention to the question of why human subjects should be hospitable to others, we can grasp how Daesoon Thought presents values that are existential in nature and also consider the specific context that accompanies the religious aspects of this system of thought.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.29
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• pp.209-239
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• 2017

This study focuses on reviewing the concepts, roles, meanings, and values ascribed to females and femininity as observable in Daesoon thought and in Feminist theory. Especially with regards to the process of achieving gender equality through the resolution of grievance for females in Daesoon thought, the study draws positive and desirable roles within this practice by specifically examining good deeds performed by females and practical roles that females play. By doing so, this study finds a way to go from the world of mutual contention to the world of resolving grievances that have arisen due to the oppression of yin and the encouragement of yang. First wave feminism can be summarized as the inclination for equality. In Daesoon thought concerning this and from standpoint of females, the most ideal image of woman is one of a female Perfected Being who is unified with Dao and has thereby achieved perfection of her humanity apart from gender. In the Later World (Hucheon), people can get results based on their hard work regardless of gender. The enlightenment of Dao is such that it is not important to distinguish between males and females. Both of them can be 'unified with dao'. Therefore, despite the similarity, the concepts of equality in first wave feminism and the resolution of grievance for women have differences in terms of their ideal vision of equality. The representative claim in second wave feminism is 'consideration' and, in this context, 'consideration' has pronounced feminine characteristics. In Daesoon thought, this sense of 'consideration' is related to the concept of 'Jamojijeong', a term that refers to motherly affection. However, it is not simply a virtue of females and mothers, but rather the value of 'Yin (pronounced in Sino-Korean as 'Eum')' called 'Eumdeok (hidden virtue)'. Jamojijeong means that people should behave in a modest way and this helps them achieve their aims. It is also closely related with 'femininity' in the sense of Eum. One of processes spreading it socially is to propagate virtue (Podeok) and if harmony is achieved through it, then 'right yin and right yang' emerge as the precondition by which Pyeong Do (Pacification of Tao) can be realized. Furthermore, because the aspect of Pyeong is a cosmic process, it has distinct differences from the social aims of feminism and the worldly aims of other numerous ideologies. In proceeding from the Former World (Seoncheon), an era of mutual contention, to the Later World, an era of mutual beneficence, it is essential to emphasize the connection between 'harmony (Hwa)' and 'propagating virtue' as the starting point from which the perspective of Daesoon thought aiming at the principle of 'Pyeong' and 'Hwa' emerges. Herein one can discover that the realization of Daesoon thought is based on the vitalization of the feminine value of 'Jamojijeong'.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.33
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• pp.257-286
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• 2019

This study aims to explain theodicy in Daesoon Jinrihoe using established theodicies. Theodicy in Daesoon Jinrihoe can be described as follows: within the worldview of Daesoon Jinrihoe, the problems of evil and suffering are better addressed by analyzing the problem of mutual contention. Accordingly, theodicy in Daesoon Jinrihoe is a matter which should be discussed only in regards to the time period known as the Former World and the transition period after the Reordering Works that leads up to the Later World. The Later World does not operate under patterns of mutual contention. Consequently, there will be no suffering. Therefore, issues of theodicy are irrelevant in the Later World. Theodicy should be dealt differently as it pertains to the Former World and the previously mentioned transition period. Daesoon Thought posits that there is an underlying principle presides over the cosmos, and the divine beings act in accordance with it and perform specific duties in their own subdivisions. The cosmic principle is able to contain cycles of both Sanggeuk ('mutual destruction' in general usage, but 'mutual contention' in Daesoon Thought related to the Former World) and sangsaeng ('mutual generation' in general usage and 'mutual beneficence' in Daesoon Thought related to the Later World). Suffering came into being due to mutual contention. However, mutual contention was not set into motion maliciously, but was arranged instead to facilitate the realization of greater values such as growth and development. In other words, mutual contention are not products of a moral value the nature of which is bad or wrong. Yet, since the world has operated under mutual contention from time immemorial, a nearly incalculably vast multitude of grievances have accumulated. In addition, the divine beings who had operated under mutual contention often made mistakes and spread confusion. This extreme situation resulted in tremendous disasters breaking out all over the world. Perhaps this particular theodicy could be named "Dualistic Sanggeuk Theology (Dualistic Theodicy of Mutual Contention)." After the divine beings reported to the Supreme God that the world had fallen into a serious crisis, the Supreme God penetratingly examined the circumstances of the world and then descended to Earth as a human being named Jeungsan. As Jeungsan practiced the Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth, the Great Opening was preordained by Him. As a result, the transition period started, and from that point onward, theodicy should be described differently. It is presumed that all creatures will be judged at the time of the Great Opening. This will result in the annihilation of all wicked beings including both divine beings and humans. There will also be the establishment of an earthly paradise as well as grievance resolution for all beings prior the Great Opening. This can also be called "The Eschatological Theodicy of the Resolution of Grievances." Theodicy in Daesoon Jinrihoe adopts the two theodicies mentioned above. In addition to that, various theodicies from other traditions such as Irenaean ("soul-making") Theodicy, Free Will Theodicy, Recompense Theodicy, Afterlife Theodicy, Karma Samsara Theodicy, theodicy of participation, and Communion Theodicy can all potentially be applied on a case by case basis.