• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.26
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• pp.183-214
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to promote the understanding of the objective of Daesoon Thought through 'examining the Objectives of Daesoonjinrihoe.' The objective of Daesoon thought was set when Kang Jeungsan Sangje descended to human world, upon the plea of divine sages, buddhas, and bodhisattvas, and determined to save the world and relieve people far and wide. For building an Earthly Paradise with Daesoon thought, Sangje carried out the great work of Reordering of the Universe for nine years and passed into heaven. Cho Jeongsan Doju, who received the heavenly religious orthodox through divine revelation from Sangje, served the late will of Sangje and established Main Tenets, Creeds, and objective of Daesoon thought. The objective set by Doju was continued to Park Wudang Dojeon and formed the Objectives of Daesoonjinrihoe. The Objectives of Daesoonjinrihoe consist of three sets of objectives in sequential order, which are related in organic, mutual beneficient, and integrative with one another. The Objectives starts from individual cultivation and expand into worldly reformation: 1)one's Spiritual transformation through Guarding against self-deception 2)Renewal of human beings through Realizing Earthly Immortality 3)Opening of new world through Building of Earthly Paradise. Also, in these Objectives of Daesoonjinrihoe, Three Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity keep close relations to enter into new world. These Objectives are based on the 'thought of mutual beneficence' and are realized with Daesoon thought, which is the Dao of 'Crowned King' that goes beyond the previous thoughts of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Objectives of Daesoonjinrihoe have following details in each objective as following; (1) 'Guarding against self-deception-Spiritual Transformation' is for human nature. In Daesoon thought, human has the potential to restore conscience, which is true nature, and return to undefiled essence by 'guarding against self-deception'. In other words, it views that one can reach into the stage of spiritual alignment with the Dao once he recovers conscience through cultivation of Daesoonjinrihoe based on the idea of 'Guarding against self-deception'. (2) 'Realizing Earthly Immortality-Renewal of human beings' is for ideal human character. 'Realizing Earthly Immortality' in Daesoon Thought indicates the advent of ideal human beings called 'Dotong gunja'(virtuous beings who are aligned with the Dao). They are leaders who integrate politics and religion in helping people to renew themselves and make the world into Earthly Paradise. (3) 'Building an Earthly Paradise-Opening of new world' is for ideal society. Daesoon thought aims to making a peaceful world by creating an ideal society of heaven on this earth. Park Wudang Dojeon, who led Daesoonjinrihoe, emphasized the importance of Three Basic Activities: Spreading of Sangje's virtue, Edification, and Cultivation: and Three Major Activities: Aid and charity, Social welfare, and Education. Dojeon said "One should make effort to reach the utmost goodness through enlightening their bright virtue and cultivating their talent virtue." In this words, he made clear that the Objectives of Daesoonjinrihoe can be realized when people enlighten their bright virtue and cultivate themselves with their talent virtue. In conclusion, the Objectives of Daesoon thought were clarified of their meanings by Sangje, established into laws by Doju, and actualized by Dojoen in various activities of Daesoonjinrihoe.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.22
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• pp.471-507
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• 2014

Edification in Daesoonjinrihoe is not only a phenomenon that occurs following the differences of religious experience or spiritual development among the community members, which enables the members to share teaching and learning experiences with one another, but also an issue determined as one of the major activities of the religious order and a plan for achieving the purpose of the religious order-Podeokchenha(Wordly Propagation), Gujechansaeng (Salvation of all mankind) and Jisangcheonguk Geonseol(Building of earthly paradise). The purpose of this article is to clarify its concept and provide an example of edification, through considering the historical model for edification to help the cultivators with their work of edification. The archetype of edification of Daesoonjinrihoe was formed and gradually developed in phases by Sangje, Kang Jeungsan, the Supreme God(姜甑山, 1871-1909), Doju, Jo Jeongsan(趙鼎山, 1895-1958) and Dojeon, Park Wudang(朴牛堂, 1917-1995), by the three of whom the Religious Authority was succeeded. Sangje descended to the human world and preached to people to live by the rule of Haewon Sangsaeng(Resolution of grievances for the mutual beneficences of all life) and set an example of abolishing the old customs, living in mutual beneficences and having respect for human being. Doju, in revering the last will of Sangje, established the religious order by setting its creed, rituals and activities, which formed most contents of the archetype of edification. Dojeon set up a religious faith system by firmly establishing the Religious Authority and performed the True Law in accordance with Sangje's program of heaven to educate the cultivators to achieve the goal of self-cultivation following the last will of Doju. Through this, a perfect method to reach the state of Dotong(The Truly Unified State of Dao) is fulfilled. In this way, the archetype of edification was formed in the process of succession of Religious Authority. In conclusion, edification in Daesoonjinrihoe contributes to a 'systematic conveyance and understanding' through the historical archetype of edification, and it can be described as a concept that becomes a model to put into practice the 'True Law' of teachings given by two Sangjes for Dotong. Therefore, edification of Daesoonjinrihoe is drawing attention of its development as an important activity that realizes the ultimate value of the religious order because it solves the problems of immorality(absence of Dao), disorder and disregard of human value generated from the other side of this material civilization, with the truth of Haewon Sangsaeng, and has a function of rebuilding and leading the individuals and the society to the Truly Unified State of Dao through performing of the True Law.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.37
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• pp.53-105
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to clarify the meaning of Gwonji (權智, Authority and Foreknowledge) through the phrases contained in the section, Gwonji of the Jeon-gyeong (known in English as The Canonical Scripture), and to compare the changes that each verse from Gwonji underwent by juxtaposing it against the sixth edition of Daesoon Jeong-gyeong (which was published prior to the Jeon-gyeong) to explore the term's literary meaning. In order to save the world, Sangje descended to human world and performed the Cheonjigongsa (Reordering Works of the Universe) for nine years with the power he exercises over the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Based on the plan set by the Cheonjigongsa, Sangje's teachings were spread to humanity and provided as the basis for building the earthly paradise. From this perspective, this study demonstrates its significance by providing a comprehensive approach to the Jeon-gyeong by highlighting the subject of Sangje's authority and wisdom as recorded in the section titled Gwonji. There is also value in the variant verses from Gwonji that the study discovered by comparing and analyzing the phrases from chapters one and two of Gwonji as they appear in the Jeon-gyeong with their equivalents from the sixth edition of Daesoon Jeong-gyeong, which was published in 1965, nearly a decade before Daesoon Jinrihoe's publication of the Jeon-gyeong in 1974. The results of this comparative study of parallel passages related to Gwonji are as follows: First, Gwonji can be understood as the authority and wisdom of Sangje, and this is the core element in realizing the Earthly Paradise through His Cheonjigongsa. Second, phrases related to Sangje's authority and wisdom are spread out in the seven sections of the Jeon-gyeong, and they were written to emphasize the main purpose suggested in each section or chapter. Third, in sections other than Gwonji, the great power of Sangje is exercised to treat matters related to deities and social problems, whereas in Gwonji part, it is dedicated to the performance of Cheonjigongsa. Fourth, there are five sections of the Jeon-gyeong which are organized into chapters. All of these sections and their chapters indicate the year when key events transpired. Fifth, when passages from chapter one of Gwonji is compared to parallel passages from Daesoon Jeon-gyeong, there are several verses that vary in terms of their wording and also sentences that indicate a different dates or times for certain events.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.36
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• pp.153-199
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• 2020

The teachings of Sangje teachings have been spread to humanity and were provided as basis for building the earthly paradise due to His having performed the Reordering Works of the Universe (Cheonjigongsa) for nine years. The work that remains will be completed year by year following the cosmic program that Sangje set for the universe. The chapters titled 'Gyoun (Progress of the Order)' in Jeon-gyeong (The Canonical Scripture) can be summarized into three parts: Viewing Gyoun, Spreading Gyoun, and Establishing the firm ground of Gyoun. Viewing Gyoun is seeing how the teachings would be transmitted from the beginning to end. The work of Gyoun was established by Sangje and promoted as the teachings of Sangje which will ultimately unfold into the realization of an earthly paradise. Spreading Gyoun is performed by disciples who received the teachings from Sangje and then the successor to whom Sangje transmitted the religious authority. Since chapter two of Gyoun is about the hagiography of Doju Jo Jeongsan, it is shown that Doju unfolded and developed Sangje's teachings. Establishing the firm ground of Gyoun is carried out to enable practitioners to understand that Dotong-gunja ('Dao-Empowered Sages,' Earthly Immortals) will be produced as a result of Sangje's Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth and that humans can perfect themselves through cultivating the Dao. In conclusion, Gyoun can be summarized as a process that started during Doju Jo Jeongsan's 50 years (1909~1958) of holy works and spreading of the teachings. Next, it was continued through the time of Dojeon who was bestowed with religious authority through Doju's last words. Dojeon, like Doju before him, spread the teachings. In later times, there will be Dotong-gunjas who transmit Sangje's teachings to the whole world. Although the above characterizations are accurate, I compared some verses from Chapter 1 of Progress of the Order (Gyoun) in The Canonical Scripture (Jeon-gyeong) of Daesoon Jinrihoe to the 6 th edition (1965) of Daesoon Jeongyeong, a key scripture from the earliest strata of Jeungsanist scriptures, and found that there were a few earlier variations of the same content. The use of words and sentences were different though in several of these verses. Also, some of the verses indicated alternative historical dates (years), and some of the verses from Chapter 1 of Progress of the Order from The Canonical Scripture do not appear anywhere in the 6^th edition of Daesoon Jeong-gyeong.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.33
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• pp.91-145
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• 2019

This study aims to reveal that Daesoon Jinrihoe Yeoju Headquarters Temple Complex is a sacred place of Gaebyeokgongsa (the Reordering Works of the Great Opening) through the logic of the energy of form in Feng-Shui studies. The Headquarters Temple Complex can illuminate the lamp of coexistence, emerge as a place for cultivation, and support the era of human nobility with Gucheonsangje (the Supreme God of the Ninth Heaven) as an object of faith. Virtuous Concordance of Yin and Yang, Harmonious Union between Divine Beings and Human Beings, the Resolution of Grievances for Mutual Beneficence, and Perfected Unification with Dao are the mission statements of this great site. For this purpose, it is necessary to investigate the headquarters according to integral Feng-Shui Theory. Doing so can provide proof that the geographic location, landscape, yin-yang harmonizing, and flowing veins of terrestrial energy at Headquarters Temple Complex are all profoundly auspicious. At the same time, this data also allows further study into the interactions of dragon-veins, energy hubs, surrounding mountains, and watercourses, which reveal how Daesoon Jinrihoe Yeoju Headquarters Temple Complex promotes the basic works of propagation, edification, and cultivation and three societal works of charity aid, social welfare, and education for the purpose of global propagation, saving beings, and building an earthly paradise by reforming humanity and engaging in spiritual civilization. This must be done on site with proper Feng-Shui in order to open up the era of human nobility upon the Great Opening of the Later World. As the center of the religious order, Daesoon Jinrihoe, Yeoju Headquarter Temple Complex has the general Feng-Shui characteristic of Baesanimsu (a back supported by a mountain and a front facing water). Through discussing the Feng-Shui of Daesoon Jinrihoe's Yeoju Headquarters Temple Complex as the center of humankind's resolution of grievances for mutual beneficence, this study would explore growth-supporting land that delivers future rewards through Feng-Shui symbolism and the ethical practice of grateful reciprocation of favors for mutual beneficence. This exploration will reveal how the geographical features and conditions of the Yeoju Headquarters Temple Complex make it a place fit for spiritual cultivation. It is a miraculous luminous court surrounded by mountains, where auspicious signs in eight directions gather. Its veins of terrestrial energy harmonize with clean water energy as it is affectionately situated within its natural environment. Its location corresponds with the Feng-Shui theory of dragon-veins, energy hubs, surrounding mountains, and watercourses. Thus, with regards to the Feng-Shui of Daesoon Jinrihoe's Yeoju Headquarters Temple Complex, this study examines the flows of mountains and waters and focuses on how the site is based on the logic of Feng-Shui. More generally, the geographical features of the surrounding mountains are likewise examined. An analysis of the relationship between Poguk (布局) of Sasinsa (animal symbols of the four directions, four gods, including blue dragon of the east, red phoenix of the south, white tiger of the west, and black tortoise of the north) and the location will be provided while focusing on the Yeoju Headquarters Temple Complex. This study supports the feasibility of further Feng-Shui studies of the Yeoju Headquarters Temple Complex based on traditional geomancy books that focusing on Hyeonggi (Energy of Form) Theory.