• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.34
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• pp.27-48
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• 2020

"Saving lives by curing the world is the way of sages" is one of the key concepts from Daesoon Jinrihoe's The Canonical Scripture. In the Daoist scripture, The Most Excellent and Marvelous Lingbao Scripture of Limitless Salvation (The Salvation Scripture for short), a similar idea of 'saving the world and liberating lives' can be found, and it parallels the idea of religious healing in Daesoon Jinrihoe. Both systems of thought are internally consistent and focus on the individual living being as well as society by taking aim at curing human diseases while solving societal problems. Both sources also took influence from earlier Daoist Thought that responded to The Book of Changes, extended their innovations to traditional medicine, and realized the usefulness of religious healing. Although the two developed in different countries and time periods, their ideological similarities can still be appreciated. This paper delves into the above topic via three aspects: first, analyzing the historical background that produced Daesoon Jinrhoe's concept of "Saving Lives and Curing the World" while covering both individual and societal applications, second, examining the methods of implementing "Saving Lives and Curing the World" as a form of religious healing, and third, comparing the philosophical similarities between Daesoon Jinrihoe's "Saving Lives and Curing the World" and Lingbao Daoism's The Salvation Scripture in terms of their religious thought.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.41
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• pp.63-131
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• 2022

In the context of Daesoon Jinrihoe's The Canonical Scripture, 'Saving Lives' consists of one 44 verse-long chapter. The content covers Kang Jeungsan's authority and foreknowledge, and most of the passages are about the treatment of diseases. Other passages are about relief from natural disasters, the resolution of conflicts in personnel affairs, and wisdom as applied to saving lives. The treatment of diseases focuses on solving the ailments faced by lower classes during that time period. Kang Jeungsan relieved the damage suffered by the people from natural phenomena as caused by the three disasters which resulted from water, fire, and wind. He also worked to solve other difficulties experienced in human society. In addition, the definition of 'wisdom' here is one of being high-seeing and far-thinking in Saving Lives. That is the foundation upon which wisdom can save oneself and others. After comparing each chapter of The Canonical Scripture with the parallel verses from the 6th edition of Daesoon Jeongyeong, the results of this study can be summarized as follows: first, saving lives as performed by Kang Jeungsan became an unprecedented and absolute act of relieving the common people during a time when they were suffering from great harms, hardships, and difficulties in their daily lives during the late Joseon Dynasty. Second, the verses were distributed into seven parts to achieve the purpose indicated by the titles of each section which related to specific powers exhibited by Kang Jeungsan in his interactions with Heaven, Earth and Humanity. Third, the second chapter of 'Saving Lives' includes not only treatment of disease, natural disasters, and hardships, but also relief meant to lessen the burdens people experienced in their daily lives while living within the boundaries of society. This is different from the respective section from the 6th edition of Daesoon Jeongyeong which, by way of contrast, only contained verses concerning the treatment of disease. The contents of 'Saving Lives' in The Canonical Scripture deals with the relief in a wide range of applications and is thereby different from the chapter on healing from the Daesoon Jeongyeong, which merely dealt with the healing of diseases. Therefore, this broader range of meanings can be taken to be a unique feature of The Canonical Scripture.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.38
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• pp.47-82
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• 2021

At the age of 15, Song Gyu, the second patriarch of Won Buddhism, met Jeungsan-gyo members and was substantially influenced by them. Jeongsan cultivated himself for three months in Mount Gaya based on their recommendations. He instructed his family members to practice reciting the Tae-eul Mantra. Henceforth, Jeongsan was said to attain supernatural power when he was around 18 years old, and he pursued the traces left by Jeungsan in Jeolla Province. Once there, he asked Jeungsan's younger sister to move to his hometown, Seongju, Gyeongsang Province, and he served her with his utmost sincerity. He went back to the birthplace of Jeungsan and received a Daoist book from Jeungsan's daughter titled, Essentials for an Upright Mind (正心要訣). Jeongsan practiced holy works for 10 months at Daewon-sa Temple in Mount Moak where Jeungsan was said to have attained unification with the Dao. After he had met Jeungsan-gyo members at the temple, he was able to stay in her house where he ended up meeting So Taesan. Before their meeting, it is obvious that Jeongsan was a member of Jeungsan-gyo. Afterward, Jeongsan entered into Won Buddhism and used the passage, 'saving lives by curing the world (濟生醫世).' He recited the writing of Jeungsan, which had been given to his disciples, as if it had been a mantra. In addition, he mentioned Jeungsan's poems or the Chinese poems that he had quoted many times. Jeongsan also interpreted passages from The Hyunmu Scripture (玄武經) written by Jeungsan in a unique manner. Jeongsan answered his disciples in his own way when they asked questions on the teachings of Jeungsan. He recognized Jeungsan as one of the Three Primes, who presided over the Great Opening.

• 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.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.38
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• pp.1-46
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• 2021

Since ancient times, the word Deok (德, virtue) has been used as a term in ethics. In the east, it originally meant 'to acquire (得),' and during the warring states period, it was used to indicate 'personality' or 'value;' especially for political leaders. Then, in Confucianism, the word Deok developed into an ethical term suggesting that people should acquire Deok in their action so as to achieve human perfection. In Daesoon Thought, Deok originates from the Dao, and the two are close in the same manner that Yin and Yang are close and interrelated. The Dao of Daesoon Thought indicates the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, which Gucheon Sangje had opened when he performed his Gongbu (holy work) at Daewonsa Temple, is such that the Great Deok was divided into the Deok of Heaven, the Deok of Earth, and the Deok of Humanity. This allows for the realization of Deok in each of the Three Realms. Jo Jeongsan, the successor of Gucheon Sangje, said that he will inherit the Great Deok originated from the Great Dao and enlighten the world to the Dao. The cause of the accumulation of grievances in the Three Realms was due to the failure to sufficiently spread Deok throughout the Three Realms. The Later World is where Deok will be offered in its full extent as it was secured by the Cheonjigongsa (Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth) performed by Gucheon Sangje. However, as the main agent of spreading Deok is the heart-mind, humans need to cultivate their heart-mind in the correct way. When humans finally become Dotong-gunja (beings who are perfectly unified with the Dao) and generously practice Deok in the world, there will be no grievances anywhere in the Three Realms. There are four ways of practicing Deok: Deok by caring for life, Eondeok (Deok of speech), Gongdeok (practicing meritorious Deok), and Podeok (spreading of Deok) to the world. Practicing the Deok by caring for life is to save and protect living beings based on the spirit of Jesaenguise (saving lives and curing the world). Eondeok is practiced when people speak to others in a positive way that fosters widespread goodness based on the spirit of Sangsaeng (mutual beneficence). When people perform Gongdeok they will be rewarded for their actions. Podeok can be realized when the followers of Sangje spread the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth based on the teachings of Daesoon Thought.