• 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 Korean Geographical Society
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.412-431
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• 2008

The achievements of the medieval mappaemundi should be evaluated on their own terms and in the context of their purpose. Medieval mappaemundi expressed christian world view which reflected Augustinian theology. These Christian world view and Greek and Roman classical geography were combined to form the cultural barkground of the medieval mappaemundi. These maps had a function to organize physical space according to religious principles. The Christian concept of the world as a temporal phenomenon, derived from the simultaneous creation of time and space as described in St. Augustin's theology was represented in these maps. The purpose of this paper is to consider geographic characteristics of earthly paradise expressed in medieval mappaemundi and their cartographic characteristics. For this, firstly, we reviewed medieval Christian scholars' opinions on earthly paradise. Secondly, centered on geographic location and representation method, we examined cartographic characteristics of medieval paradise mapping, Thirdly, we considered the shift of paradise according to chronological change. Fourthly, we examined the reason why earthly paradise disappeared from world map after fourteenth century.

• 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.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 the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.32
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• pp.237-267
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• 2019

The article considers the problems of envisaging a paradise on earth, with special reference to Jehovah's Witnesses. After an explanation of their relationship to the Christian Protestant tradition, particularly Adventism and American fundamentalism, some key doctrines of the Watch Tower organisation are identified, with particular reference to their belief in a coming earthly paradise. Jehovah's Witnesses are a restorationist movement, seeking a restored paradise on earth, and endeavouring to restore authentic Christianity in what they take to be its original form. Discussion is given to the possibility of physical accommodation on the earth, the position of animals, family life, language, and technology. Finally, brief comparison is made with the expected paradise of the Daesoon Jinrihoe, which is based on a radically different worldview. It is concluded that such differences help to explain why Jehovah's Witnesses have limited success in Korea, as compared with indigenous Korean new religions such as Daesoon Jinrihoe.

• 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 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.49
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• pp.331-364
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• 2024

This article examines the religious implications of the concept of public (gong, 公) and private (sa, 私) affairs as presented in Daesoon Thought. To achieve this, the article first explores the three main meanings of gong and sa in the East Asian tradition: ①gong as ruling powers or institutions and sa as the personal sphere, ②gong as communal interests or opinions and sa as individual interests or opinions, and ③gong as fair ethical principles and sa as unfair, immoral intentions. The analysis reveals that Daesoon Thought strongly emphasizes the conceptualization of gong and sa in terms of ethical principles and immoral aspects. The practice of distinguishing between gong and sa is seen as an important way to open up the new order of life, called the Earthly Paradise of Later World, that Daesoon Jinrihoe aims to achieve. Daesoon Thought's theory on public versus private, which restrains the private (sa, 私) and prioritizes the public (gong, 公), provides a solid framework for self-transformation through moral practice, enabling participation in the Earthly Paradise of Later World envisioned by Jeungsan, the originator of Daesoon Jinrihoe's teachings.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.49
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• pp.93-125
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• 2024

The article takes a critical perspective that reunderstanding the canon of Daesoon Thought is necessary to expand its application to the needs of modern society given the rapid speed of societal changes. The key point is the emergence of a cultural ecologism within Daesoon Thought. What is called the cultural ecologism is focused upon the sustainable horizon of unifying culture and ecology in the organic structure of a total-life culture. A reciprocal unity of culture and ecology is characteristic of a coherent whole with an original unitary process in the circle of Nature. Cultural ecologism, therefore, aims at seeking after the sustainability of culture wherein the value of culture is integrated in the grand stream of the ecological spirit of Nature. In the Late Joseon Dynasty, Daesoon Thought paid attention to the Great Opening (開闢) to secure the people's livelihoods and it offered edification concerning anti-feudalism in a dimension of realistic awareness which guided people's lives. The process of the Great Opening functions as a process for the world of the Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth (天地公事) which culminate in the experience the Earthly Paradise (地上仙境) of the Later World (後天). In the cultural ecologism of Daesoon Thought, this course is equivalent to a process of Haewon (grievance-resolution) in the sense of dissolution and reconciliation. From the wide umbrella of cultural ecologism, consequently, it is possible to say that Daesoon Thought can arrive at the reality of the Earthly Paradise (地上仙境) through the Great Opening of the Later World, in which human beings can enjoy the infinite vitality of the universe from within their own finite vitality.

• 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.