Maitreya Buddha

Brandon: You told me last time that Jeung- san Sangjenim is the God the Father who came to this world Himself, right? Is this story of God’s coming to the world only spoken in the Bible?

I: Actually, you can find the same story in other major religions like Buddhism and Confucianism as well. They just used different words and descriptions.

Brandon: Now, you’re going too far, pal. I’ve never heard that Buddhists believe in God. Besides, I only found statues of Buddha in Buddhist temples.

I: Hmm... Have you seen the standing Buddha statues?

Brandon: No, the ones I’ve seen were all sitting down.

I: That’s the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. He’s the man who started Buddhism. But the standing Buddha is Maitreya Buddha.

Brandon: Why is He standing when all the other statues are sitting down and meditating?

I: His Holiness the Jongdosanim said that Maitreya statues have been built in a standing posture because He is busy visiting all parts of the world while teaching and delivering myriads of people.

Brand: Okay. I’ll admit that I didn’t know about Him. But this is not related to the question I asked you.

I: It is related because He’s the God the Father in Christianity. There’s a Buddhist scripture called the Maitreya Sutra that mentions about the Maitreya Buddha who is destined to come to this world to save all people in the future. He’s the one who will open a new world of paradise where no one suffers from agonies or diseases.

Brandon: Maitreya Buddha? Is He different than the original one? I thought there was only one Buddha.

I: You’re wrong again, but it’s not your fault. There are a lot of people who don’t know about the Maitreya Buddha or the information they have about Him is limited and incorrect. The Buddha that we know told his disciples in the Maitreya Sutra that “The Lord of Tushita Heaven is the Maitreya Buddha. Have faith in Him and follow His teachings.”

Brandon: Really?

I: And in another sutra, it’s written, “When the last stage of dharma arrives, the sun and moon will lose their light and terrible diseases will spread. That’s when Maitreya Buddha will be incarnated into the human world.”

Brandon: Is that true? But this is too similar to what they teach you in church.

I: Right? But Buddhism is not the only one saying this. Confucius scholars like Zhu Xi proclaimed that, there is a ruler who takes charge of governing the universe according to the principles of change. In Confucianism, He is known as the Jade Emperor or Sangjenim.

Brandon: Ah, ha! This is why you said they’re all talking about the same thing with different words. So you’re saying God the Father, Maitreya Buddha, and Sangjenim in Confucianism are just different names of the same being?

I: Well, what do you think? You think they are all different?

Brandon: Hmm... They’re talking about the same thing. You know, I’ve always thought all the religions must have had something in common even if they are different religions. So I suppose my answer is that they’re the same.

I: Oh~ Impressive. You’re right. It’s just that each religion had a different name for that one being. What’s more surprising is that they've all said He would come to this world.

Brandon: Then, when is He coming?

I: Hey, don’t you remember that I told you He had already come? He incarnated into this world as a human to save us during this time of exchange between Cosmic Summer and Cosmic Autumn. He is Jeung-san Sangjenim.

Sangjenim Sent Confucius, Shakyamuni, and Jesus to the World

“Those who believe in Jesus await the second coming of Jesus, those who believe in Buddha await the coming of Maitreya Buddha,
and those who believe in Eastern Learning
await the rebirth of Choe Su-un.
But whoever this person proves to be,
when that one person comes, all will proclaim him
their master and follow him. They say ‘Jesus will come again,’ but these words actually signify My arrival.
It is I who sent Confucius, Shakyamuni, and Jesus
to the world, to serve in My work.”
-English Dojeon 2:36-

상제님 Sangjenim
성부 하느님 God the Father
우주의 주재자 the Ruler of the Universe
강세(인간으로 오심) incarnation
선천 종교들 religions in the Early Heaven
성인 sage
불교 경전 Buddhist Scripture
미륵불 Maitreya Buddha
미륵경 the Maitreya Sutra

The God who told us that he would come already has come to this world.

Brandon: Do you believe in God in Jeung San Do?

I: Of course. We believe in Jeung-san Sangjenim, the true God of the universe who came to this world as a human being.

Brandon: God who came to the earth as a human? It sounds a lot like he’s the Korean Jesus.

I: You’re completely wrong this time, Brandon. There’s something really important you should know. Jesus is not God the Father, but he is the Son who was sent by God the Father. The Father God and the Son are clearly different.
Brandon,

Brandon: That’s not how I learned. Besides, you can’t prove that Jesus isn’t God?

I: Did you learn about the Holy Trinity in church?

Brandon: Yeah. The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit. What about it?

I: That Holy Trinity wasn’t a part of Jesus’s original teaching.

Brandon: What?

I: See. In 325 AD, ‘the Council of Nicea’, a Christian council’s meeting, decided they would believe in the Holy Trinity. There were two sides, the Athanasian party claiming the equality of the Father and the Son, and the Arians who argued that the Father and the Son were not equal, and the divinity of the Son was lower than the Father’s. Eventually the Athanasians won and Arius’s claim was declared as a heresy, which created this formula of ‘father =(equals) son’.

Brandon: If this is true, why don’t they teach this in church?! All this time I’ve thought that Jesus Christ was the incarnation of God the Father.

I: Saint John said in the Book of Revelation. “I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it.” Just like what St. John described, God the Father is God in the human form. He’s not a being that doesn’t have a shape or form.

Brandon: Wow, I feel so confused. You’re telling me that I've learned the wrong things.

I: Some parts of Christian theology obscured the truth about God. God is the ruling God who presides the universe by the principle of birth, growth, harvest and rest. He’s the highest ruler of the universe, and Korean people called him ‘Sangjenim’ from ancient times.

Brandon: Then what about Jesus?

I: He was a sage indeed, just like Shakyamuni and Confucius, and all of them had been sent to this world by Sangjenim. They came on a mission to edify peoples on earth, but they had to fail to give us a complete salvation. Just look at all the problems of the world today.

Brandon: So someone else will have to come again and deliver us.

I: Not ‘will have to come’, but ‘already came’. What does it say in the Bible? God said to St. John, “I am the Alpha and the Omega... who is, who was, and who is to come.” The God who told us that he would come already has come to this world. He is Jeung-san Sangjenim.

상제님 Sangjenim [상제님]
삼신하느님 Samsin God [삼신 gad]
삼신상제 Samsin Sangje [삼신 상제]
성부 하느님 God the Father [gad ðǝ fάːðər]
통치자 하느님 God the Ruler [gad ðǝ rúːlǝr]
우주의 주재자 the Governor of the Universe [ðǝ gʌ́vǝrnǝr ǝv ði júːnəvə̀ːrs]
우주의 통치자 the Ruler of the Universe [ðǝ rúːlǝr ǝv ði júːnəvə̀ːrs]
호천금궐 Heaven's Golden Palace [hévənz góuldən pǽlis]

Samsin Sangjenim and Spirit Teaching

Being one with Samsin, God governs all the universe
from Heaven’s Golden Palace; and so it is that the people of Joseon,
who have long dwelt in the Eastern land,
have known Him since ancient times
as Samsin Sangjenim, Samsin God, or Sangjenim.
Sangjenim is the Supreme Governor of the Universe
and God the Ruler.
-English Dojeon 1:1:4-5

Which season do you think we are now living in, among the four cosmic seasons?

Brandon: You told me that the purpose of the cosmic year is to cultivate humanity. What does that mean?

I: A cycle of cosmic year is the process through which the universe gives birth to human beings and nurtures them.

Brandon: Can you explain that in details?

I: OK. So you remember that I told you about the principle of birth, growth, harvest and rest, right? That principle applies to the four cosmic seasons in the same way. Cosmic spring is the time when humanity comes forth on earth and cosmic summer is the era when our humanity’s civilization develops.

Brandon: Then what comes next is the cosmic autumn and it’s time for our civilization to bear fruit, right? ’Cause autumn is the time for everything to bear fruits.

I: It sure is, Brandon. And the cosmic winter is the Great Ice Age. For thirty-thousand years, all life on earth goes into hibernation. Now, let me ask you one question. Which season do you think we’re now living in, among the four cosmic seasons?

Brandon: Isn’t it the cosmic autumn?

I: Cosmic autumn? Why do you think so?

Brandon: Because, our civilization is extremely advanced now. Our average life expectancy increased and we’re eradicating diseases. So this has to be the world of cosmic autumn, right?

I: When it comes to material civilization, our humanity made astonishing progress. But seeing the other side, there are still problems

causing pain to people, such as wars, violence, and discrimination.

Brandon: Hmm. You do have a point. The world has made such progress, yet we haven’t matured, right? Then are we still in the time of cosmic summer?

I: Yup! We’re living in the cosmic summer. More precisely, we’re living in the transition between cosmic summer and cosmic autumn.

Brandon: Then it means that the cosmic autumn is arriving soon! I can’t wait to see the entire world living in peace and harmony.

I: Me neither.

Summer-Autumn Transition

원(元) Origination [ərìdʒənéiʃən]
형(亨) Proliferation [prəlìfəréiʃən]
이(利) Benefit [bénəfit]
정(貞) Firmness [fə́ːrmnis]
인류 문명 human civilization [hjúːmən sìvəlizéiʃən]
천존(天尊) Heaven's nobility [hévənz noubíləti]
지존(地尊) Earth's nobility [əːrθs noubíləti]
인존(人尊) Humanity's nobility [hjuːmǽnətiz noubíləti]
하추 교역기 Summer-Autumn Transition [sʌ́mǝ-ɔːtǝm trænzíʃən]

All of Heaven and Earth’s Principles Lie Within Change (역 易)

Even the gaebyeok of heaven and earth unfolds
in accordance with yin and yang’s
cycle of the four seasons.
All of heaven and earth’s principles
lie within change (역 易).
-English Dojeon 2:16:4-5

Autumn Gaebyeok

I: Did I mention to you that I practice Jeung San Do?

Brandon: Yeah, you did. I honestly didn’t think you’re the spiritual type, so I was really curious about why you joined.

I: I can share with you the part that got me interested. Do you have about 5 minutes?

Brandon: That’s about all the time I have. But I’m really curious.

I: What fascinated me was the message of the cosmic year. In Jeung San Do, we learn that there are four seasons in the universe, just like we have four seasons here on Earth.

Brandon: Cosmic year? Just like the one year on Earth?

I: Yeah. If you can understand one basic principle of the universe, it’ll help you. It’s known as the principle of 'birth, growth, harvest and rest'.

Brandon: Birth, growth, harvest, and rest?

I: Yeah. In spring, seeds sprout and new life begins. That’s the principle of ‘Birth’. Then in summer, plants turn green and grow a lot. Summer is the time of ‘Growth’. Autumn is, as you know, the time for farmers to gather crops and fruits. This is the time of ‘Harvest’. And in winter, all life rests.

Brandon: So winter is the time of rest.

I: Yes, exactly! And this principle of birth, growth, harvest and rest applies in the same way to the four seasons in the universe, too! They are cosmic spring, cosmic summer, cosmic autumn and cosmic winter.

Brandon: Whoa! Four cosmic seasons. Then what's the difference between the cosmic year and the earth year?

I: Good question! Their purposes are different. The earth year exists to cultivate crops to support our lives. The purpose of the universe is to cultivate humanity.

Brandon: This is getting really interesting but I gotta go. Can you tell me more about this next time?

I: Of course, I can. Let’s meet up after school.

우주 년 : cosmic year [kάzmik jiər]
선천 : Early Heaven [ə́ːrli hevən]
후천 : Later Heaven [léitər hevən]
개벽 : gaebyeok [gӕbjək]
가을개벽 : Autumn Gaebyeok [ɔ́ːtəm gӕbjək]
우주의 봄 : cosmic spring [kάzmik spriŋ]
우주의 여름 : cosmic summer [kάzmik sʌmər]
우주의 가을 : cosmic autumn [kάzmik ɔːtəm]
우주의 겨울 : cosmic winter [kάzmik ɔːtəm]
생장염장 : birth, growth, harvest and rest [bəːrθ, grouθ, hάːrvist ӕn rest]
대빙하기 : Great Ice Age [greit ais eidʒ]

The Fundamental Principle of Change

I wield the fourfold principle
of birth, growth, harvest, and rest—
this is the way of change through non-action.
The sun and moon follow their courses
at My command.
If heaven deviates from its principle,
nothing can exist.
-English Dojeon 2:16:1~3

Where Did the English Language Come from?

Unlike most other languages, English was born out of a combination of two languages. The Anglo-Saxons, the people who settled in England during the fifth century, spoke a Germanic language we now call “Old English.”
Then in the 11th century, England was conquered by French-speaking people from Normandy, and French became the official language of England. Gradually, the two languages merged to form a new one, which we call “Middle English.” And Middle English gradually changed into modern English, the language we speak today.
During the time that Old English and French were both being spoken in England, poor farmers spoke Old English and rich landowners usually spoke French.

That’s why the words we use for animals on the farm, such as cow, sheep, pig, and calf, come from a Germanic language, while the words we use for meat at the table, such as beef, mutton, pork, and veal, come from French.

The world’s people will one day travel to Joseon to learn its language and writing.
장차 우리나라 말과 글을 세계 사람이 배워 가리라.
- English Dojeon 5:7:3 -

Edgar: What did you do last weekend?

I : I went to the dojang with my parents to attend an ancestral offering chiseong.

Edgar: Ancestral offering chiseong? What's that?

I : It’s a ritual we do for our ancestral spirits in Jeung San Do with lots of food offerings for them.

Edgar: I don't get it. What are ancestral spirits?

I : Ancestral spirits are our ancestors who once lived in this world as human beings. They passed away and became spiritual beings.

Edgar: So, where are they now? At your dojang?

I : Of course not! They live in the world of the spirits. It’s called spirit realm.

Edgar: I've never thought about those things, you know? Ancestors or spirits...So you’re saying that they really exist?

I : Yeah. they really do exist. Scientists found that there’s an “inner person” within our bodies. And it's usually called the ‘astral body’.

Edgar: Then how come I haven’t seen an astral body in my entire 12-year life?

I : You can't. It's not like the physical body. But everybody has it.

Edgar: What? You mean that everyone has physical body and astral body?

I : Exactly! And when you practice meditation everyday, you can open your spiritual eye and see those spirits. In fact, I see one behind you!

Edgar: OMG! That scared me. Don’t do that. I don't want to see spirits.

I : Hahaha. There's nothing to be scared of, Edgar. Spirits are just like human beings without physical body. Besides, you'll become a spirit, too, after you die.

Edgar: I know it’s Halloween but seriously, you should stop.

I : As you wish~