• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.21
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• pp.409-452
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• 2013

This paper aims to cast light on the theoretical characteristics of Korean new religions' utopian theory from the perspective of theology and apply the findings to the utopian theory of the new religions in Korea. The utopian theory of the new religions in Korea occurred to meet people's aspiration towards a new world on the background of the national ordeal and its consequential psychology in the late Chosun dynasty. As a result, it has the characteristics of a shift from a pure religious framework to participation in reality to realize religious ideals 'right here, right now'. Thus, it basically defined an utopian theory as the product of a society and history, and explained the utopian theory as the projection of the thoughts about current conflicts. However, an approach in this way may leave the likelihood that the individual characteristics of Daesoonjinrihoe would be overlooked and the utopian theory would be limited to the byproduct of the age, only. Thus, this paper has dealt with the religious experience of the founders as the lead of discussion, not a sociological approach. In this context, the religious experience of founders can be more significant clues to view the characteristics of an utopian theory. This directivity of a study can be understood as an attempt to improve the previous sociological methodologies, the leading discourses, and to contribute to the different perspectives on an understanding of the utopian theories of Daesoonjinrihoe. Furthermore, this paper is anticipated to give salience to the individual characteristics reflected in the new religions in Korea and to enhance its status in the history of thoughts, not as the trend of the thought limited to the past.

• Acta Via Serica
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.109-120
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• 2017

The city of Basra, established on the shore of Basra Bay in the south of modern Iraq, played an important role in agriculture and trade for centuries, with its geography and its position where two great rivers of Mesopotamia flow. Before being established with its current name by the Muslim Arabs, the city was known as Teredon in the Chaldean period and VehiŞtebad ErdeŞir in the Sasanid period. It was reestablished with the name Basra in the early period of Islam by Arabs between Hijri 14-16 (635-637 CE). Afterward, the city became one of the most important centers of trade, science and thought; had a perfect cultural diversity; and hosted important schools of Arabic language and thought for centuries. Besides the commercial effects of its being a transfer point on the axis of Europe, Mesopotamia, Iran, and India, the schools of thought which emerged here were affected by this mobility. In this paper, we try to reveal the philosophical-religious approach which the Ikhwan al-Safa school of thought in Basra, one of the most important cities of the Silk Road, created in parallel with the characteristics of this city. Shiite Ismaili beliefs and thoughts in the region and its characteristics which feed different religions and traditions emerging from Egypt and with the scientific approach of Greek thought; with Indian-Iranian teachings that merge Greek thought and Neoplatonic philosophy, give us the summary of Silk Road civilizations.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.20
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• pp.193-222
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• 2009

There is no place in the scriptures of Daesoonjinrihoe(大巡眞理會) where Indian philosophy is directly discussed. The philosophies dealt with in Daesoon thought are mostly those of Christianity, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Of course, the thoughts that are not widely known and those that are not considered to be worth comparing with the Daesoon thought must have been omitted. It seems that Indian philosophy and Daesoon thought have considerable similarity. First of all, the two philosophies are rooted in religion. True, there is no dearth of religious philosophies in the East, for instance, Confucianism and Taoism, and yet comparing Daesoon thought and Indian philosophy is significant because they both presuppose a theistic paradigm. At the core of the two perspectives, there is personal God, i.e., Isvara or Gucheon Sangje (九天上帝), upon whom human beings and the world absolutely depend as his creation. Unlike traditional Christian theology, the two philosophies are alike in being indifferent to proving the existence of the deity and focusing on his form and role. In this article, the author try to examine the meaning of the four tenets of Daesoonjinrihoe(Eumyanghapdeok 陰陽合德, Shininjohwa 神人調化, Haewonsangsaeng 解冤相生, Dotongjingyeong 道通眞境) from the perspective of Indian philosophy in general, Purusa-sukta of Rig-veda, theistic Upanisads, and Ramanuja's Visistadvaita(限定不二論) in particular. Before making up the main subject, the author inquires into the characteristics of Ultimate Reality in Daesoon thought and Indian philosophy.

• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.89-114
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• 2022

Both in Korea and internationally, many know and appreciate Daesoon Jinrihoe for its social work in the three main areas of education, social welfare and health care, and charity aid. The article surveys Daesoon Jinrihoe's activities in these three areas and proposes a comparison with the charitable and ecological work performed by the Taiwanese Buddhist charity (and new religious movement) Tzu Chi, the peace activities of Soka Gakkai, and the projects developed in Bhutan to implement the policy of Gross National Happiness. Tzu Chi is mostly known for its massive recycling activities, but in fact its view of charity and ecology is based on a specific Buddhist theology. Soka Gakkai's vision of peace relates to its interpretation of Nichiren Buddhism. Gross National Happiness in Bhutan is a project promoted by the government, but scholars who have studied it have concluded that it is deeply rooted in Drukpa Kagyu, the dominant school in Bhutanese Buddhism. Similarities are noted, as well as differences with the Western Christian and post-Christian approach to charity, which is largely based on an affirmation of the self. Daesoon Jinrihoe's social work shares with the Buddhist cases studied in the article the idea that the self may deceive (self-deception) but appears to be inspired by the unique principle of Sangsaeng, and by the idea that the root causes of social problems are grievances accumulated through thousands of years and in need of being resolved.

• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.13-39
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• 2022

The author examines three new religious movements in South Korea: Jehovah's Witnesses, the Unification Church, and the Daesoon Jinrihoe, and aims to identify the factors that are conducive to the growth of each. All three organisations believe in a coming paradise, and the article explores their respective attempts to interest the populace in their appeal. Discussion is given to membership statistics and the problems of measuring allegiance and moves on to consider methods of propagation. Most obviously, evangelisation strategy is important: Jehovah's Witnesses and Unificationists have tended to engage the interest of strangers, while followers of Daesoon Jinrihoe are more inclined to evangelise family and friends. Additionally, there are other factors that determine an organisation's progress: cultural appropriateness, engagement in social and educational work, and attitudes to conflict and peace, the latter being particularly important in a society that has experienced war and occupation. Reference is made to the ways in which these three organisations finance themselves, and it is argued that financial resources merit greater attention in the scholarly study of religion, since monetary assets are needed to secure a spiritual movement's existence. Of the three organisations under discussion, the Daesoon Jinrihoe has been the most successful, being South Korea's largest new religion, while Jehovah's Witnesses are in steady state, and the Unification movement is experiencing slight decline.

• 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.

• The Journal of Korean-Japanese National Studies
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• no.32
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• pp.35-68
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• 2017

The map where so-called 'New Religion' of Korea in the Colonial Era is entangled with 'Religion (Christianity, Buddhism, Shindo)' recognized by the Japanese Government General of Korea and nationalism. Accordingly positive research on how religious ideal and ideology in 'New Religion' in Korea was practically applied and practiced in the society is a crucial task. Meanwhile there is survey data representing the status in the long term from 1860s to early 1930s in regard to 'New Religion' of Korea in the Colonial Era. In other words it is 'Pseudo Religion in Joseon' by Murayama Jijun published in 1935. Most part of them are shown through statistics data. In particular he took a look at the distribution of 'Pseudo Religion', ups and downs of religious influence, faith consciousness, its impact and religious ideological movement and social movement. Therefore, if this statistical data could be utilized through quellenkritik, it is thought to have value of significant reference in research on Korea's 'New Religion'. This paper utilizes many statistics included in the survey data among critical review on recognition in Murayama's 'New Religion in Korea' as basic texts. During the procedure this paper seeks to look at the geology of Korean 'New Religion' and attempts basic consideration in the quantitative term related to trend and ups and downs of the groups. Through this basic research I hope that 'public concern of New Religion' in modern Korea and research on re-establishment will move forward.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.28
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• pp.73-102
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• 2017

This paper is an attempt to find commonality and complementarity between psychanalysis and Daesoon thought, while understanding the practical meaning of the Haewon-Sangsaeng, which is one of the religious doctrines of Daesoon Jinrihoe, in terms of the theory of desire posited by psychoanalysis. There is a common point between Daesoon thought and psychoanalytic theory since both ideas give importance to desire. The Haewon idea is similar to that of psychoanalytic theory, which emphasizes restoring desire through mourning and realizing it within a structure of inter-subjectivity. Of course, the meaning of desire in Daesoon thought, given its status as a religious doctrine, is polysemous, and the orientation of this type of desire is also different from that of psychoanalysis given psychoanalysis's role as a therapeutic discourse. However, Daesoon thought explains that the pain and unhappiness suffered by human beings occurs because of mutual overcoming which is a relational style wherein desire can not be solved properly for either party involved in an interaction. Mutual overcoming is a state of mutual beneficience beyond the previous state of mutual overcoming. Likewise, psychoanalysis seems to accept the loss of the object through mourning, and in this way, desire is reactivated. Daesoon thought emphasizes the importance of social and cosmic systems like mutual beneficience and the reordering of the Universe and these systems have a commonality with psychoanalysis as psychoanalysis sees desire positively within the structure of inter-subjectivity. The direction of social practice in Daesoon thought and psychoanalysis both aim at the realization of a new universality. The inter-subjectivity structure suggests desire of recognition and recognition of desire as a way of practice because desire is not personal but rather social. In conclusion, we should not stop at resolving our own individual desires, but should instead go forward in solidarity toward the achieving the common good.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.33
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• pp.219-255
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• 2019

'Dao' is an important research subject as it is the main term for 'ultimate reality' in East Asian religious thought. Understanding the concept of 'Dao' is essential to reach the state of 'Perfected Unification with Dao,' the ultimate aspiration in Daesoon Thought. The meaning of 'Dao' can vary such as 'Dao' meaning 'way', which was first introduced in Jinwen. There is also the 'Dao' of yin and yang, and Dao used to mean human obligation, or Dao meaning the way of Heaven. These can also be classified into five categories: Constant Dao, Heavenly Dao, Divine Dao, Human Dao, and the Dao of Sangsaeng. Every natural phenomenon of birth, growth, and death in the universe operates under the patterns of Heaven and Earth. Therefore, Constant Dao in Daesoon Thought is the ultimate pattern underlying human action and the operations of Heaven and Earth. These apply not only to the natural and the divine world but also to the human world. It can be said that 'Rather than natural law or moral symbol of the world, 'Heavenly Dao' means the great Dao that saves the world through the Daesoon Truth of Sangje, Supreme God of the Ninth Heaven. Divine Dao can be said to be 'the Dao by which man must complete his work according to the law and the will of God,' that is, 'the Dao by which God and man are united together by Sangje's heavenly order and teaching, which aims for humanity, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom.' When the world is in a state of calamity and crisis, the request for the saint's Dao can symbolized by the kings, Yao and Shun, in The Canonical Scripture (Jeon-gyeong). The saint's Dao saves the dying world and people's lives and is called 'saving lives by curing the world (濟生醫世)'. It can be regarded as a characteristic of Human Dao in Daesoon Thought, which is the human obligation to follow Sangje's order, the great Dao to save the world. The Dao of Sangsaeng is the true dharma that rectifies the world full of mutual conflict through the ethics of the Later World, which is to promote the betterment of others and to practice the human Dao that saves the world and rebuilds the Constant Dao. Thus, The concept of Dao in Daesoon Thought is Daesoon Truth which applies to and operates throughout all realms of Heaven, Earth, Humanity, and the Divine world. Dao in Daesoon Thought was influenced by the historical background in which it emerged and this can be seen in its ideological features. It embraces the traditional concept of Dao, which refers to the Chinese classics and represents the main schools of thought in East Asia: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. And it is unique in that it implies the will of Sangje as a religious object, a supreme being. It can be seen that Daesoon Thought has developed through the process of defining the concept of Dao by harmonizing both the universality and specificity of modern Korean religious thought.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.12-21
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• 2018

This study was a cross-sectional survey of the effects of pregnancy necessity recognition on emotional happiness and mediation effect of health control behavior on it. A total of 200 participants in the study were collected from structured questionnaire online and the data collection was from July $1^{st}$ to July $31^{st}$, 2018. Health control behavior questionnaire was developed by Wallston, K.A., Wallston, B.S. & Devellis, R (1978), Emotional happiness was analyzed by using PANAS (positive and negative affect schedule) developed by Watson, Clark and Tellegen (1988). The collected data were chai-square($X^2$), Pearson correlation, Dummy regression analysis, simple regression analysis, and the mediated effect analysis by SPSS 18.0. As a result, Under statistical significance, there were differences in the recognition of pregnancy necessity were depending on religion, participant's age, number of siblings, thought of optimal marriage age(p<0.05). More siblings, more religious, older age, and more recognized the pregnancy necessity. The analysis of Pearson correlation with the pregnancy necessity, health control behavior, and emotional happiness reveled that it was relevant (p<0.01). Dummy regression analysis showed that people who thought that pregnancy was necessary were 0.700 times more likely to felt emotional happiness that people who thought it was unnecessary (p<0.01). Analysis on the mediation of health control behavior, in which the effects of pregnancy recognition on emotional happiness, showed that it was effect (other people's health control behavior: B:.299, p<0.01, internal health control behavior : B:.217, p<0.05). Based on these results, this study suggested that to promote pregnancy recognition, families with brother and sister should be programmed with recommendations for exercise and alcohol abstinence, religious belief and health control programs.