Jeung San Do’s Core Teachings

Dialogue 1
A: The major premise of Jeung San Do's study on humanity is that the Autumn Gaebyeok is coming.
B: How should I live my life in these times facing the Autumn Gaebyeok?

A: It's the time of seeking out the beginning and returning to the origin.
B: You must seek out the root of our ancestry and seek the root of life and enlightenment.

Dialogue 2
A: How do we practice 'seeking out the beginning and returning to the origin' in our day-to-day lives?
B: The most important practical idea of that principle is repayment of benevolence. To forsake benevolence is to forsake the duty of human life.

A: Is that true?
B: Yes. This is due to the fact that requital of benevolence, resolving the bitterness and grief, and mutual life-giving are the basic rules of human ethics.

The Human Being Is the Purpose of the Universe

In the beginning, the universe came into being for the human being.
The universe exists for humans —this is Jeung San Do’s cosmology.
The ultimate purpose of humanity is to be reborn as mature, enlightened beings —as the fruit of humanity— under the destiny of cosmic autumn.
In other words, humanity lives to one day enter the world of cosmic autumn.
Born with an innate desire to seek out truth, humanity searches for God and strives to encounter the God of the universe.
This search leads to the truth of Sangjenim, who incarnated into this world as a human being.

A Cosmic Year

Dialogue 1
A: The rules that govern the five elements include a mutual generation cycle and a mutual restriction cycle.
B: Care to explain?

A: Well, mutual generation cycle refers to the manner in which the elements create one another. Wood easily burns and makes a fire. Fire produces ash, creating earth. The earth contains mineral from which metal is mined and extracted. When metal is heated and cooled, water droplets will be found over the metal as a result of condensation. Thus, metal creates water. Water promotes the growth of trees, which are wood.

B: And the restraining cycle?

A: It refers to the manner in which the elements restrict and control one another. Wood breaks up the soil and depletes the earth's nutrients, thus controlling earth. As dam prevents flooding, earth controls water. Water extinguishes fire, and therefore, controls its spread. Fire controls metal by its ability to melt it. Metal can be made into an axe that cuts wood into pieces, thus controlling wood. The control repeats in a cyclic fashion and provides an opposite force to balance the generative power. The generation and restriction properties of the five elements hold each other in check, preventing over-functioning.

Dialogue 2
A: The principle of birth, growth, harvest and rest applies to the four cosmic seasons of the universe.
B: What? The universe has four seasons?

A: Yes! Just as there are four seasons on earth, there’s a time frame called the cosmic year that all the universe abides by. Now of the fourfold principle, birth corresponds with spring, growth with summer, harvest with autumn, and rest with winter. This cosmic year consists of 129,600 earth years.
B: Then how does yin and yang apply to the cosmic year?

A: Just as there are the warm season of yang energy and the cold season of yin energy in our one year, a cosmic year also has this yin season and the yang season. The first half of the 129,600 years is called the Early Heaven, which is the time of yang energy, and the second half of the 129,600 years is called the Later Heaven, the time of yin energy.

The Early Heaven and the Later Heaven

The Early Heaven consists of the cosmic spring and summer, the first half of the 129,600-year cosmic cycle.

It is an era characterized by birth and growth, yang (male) dominance, diversity, and conflict.

The Later Heaven consists of the cosmic autumn and winter, the second half of the 129,600-year cosmic cycle.

It is an era characterized by right yin and right yang, unity, harmony, and maturation.

Spring and summer are the time when life is born and raised.

Autumn and winter are the time when life bears fruit and is then harvested.

In a similar manner, the Early Heaven and the Later Heaven are of two extremes.

Yin and Yang, and the Five Elements

Dialogue 1
A: What is yin and yang?
B: In Eastern philosophy, yin and yang are two opposing cosmic forces into which creative energy divides. The fusion of yin and yang in physical matter brings the phenomenal world into being. Everything has both yin and yang aspects. For instance shadow cannot exist without light.

A: Would you mind explaining about the major characteristics of yin and yang?
B: There are four major characteristics of yin and yang. Well first, yin and yang directly oppose each other while restraining each other. Second, they complement and support each other while becoming the source of each other. Third, yin and yang always co-exist. And lastly, these two forces have a tendency to flow and change with time. A simple example is thinking about how the day gradually flows into night.

Dialogue 2
A: The Five Elements are used to profoundly understand all things whether it is the great cycle of the grand nature or the organs inside your body.
B: What are the Five Elements?

A: The Five Elements are basically five different qi that make up our world. We can see these five distinctively different qi in the four seasons of a yearly cycle. Wood element is strongest during spring season; Fire is strongest during Summer; Metal is the qi representing Autumn; and Winter is the time when Water qi flourishes.
B: But that’s only four!

A: Yes! We have another element as the last piece of the puzzle. It's the Earth element, which regulates and helps the other four elements change and transform.
B: Cool. Do you have a book about these stuff I can borrow?

The Grand Cycle of Time

In this universe, there are four seasonal gaebyeoks: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

In the cosmic spring, humans and all life are born; in the cosmic autumn, humans, together with all life, mature.

Hence, the Spring Gaebyeok is the ‘creation gaebyeok,’ and the Autumn Gaebyeok is the ‘completion gaebyeok.’

Through the Autumn Gaebyeok, all humans mature.

Instead of only sages, saints, philosophers, or a few others becoming enlightened, all humanity will mature together and attain enlightenment.

The Autumn Gaebyeok is the time when heaven and earth harvest life and bring to pass fruition.

Therefore, anyone who receives the qi of the Autumn Gaebyeok will bear fruit as a mature, enlightened human being.

Enlightenment into Humanity's Right Path

Dialogue 1
A: Are there different types of enlightenment?
B: Yes, of course. Since ancient times, there was enlightenment into the principles of the stars in heaven and enlightenment into the principles of earth, but there has never been enlightenment into humanity’s right path.

A: You’re saying nobody achieved the highest enlightenment in the entire human history?
B: Only one person did. On July 7, 1901, Jeung-san Sangjenim attains the ultimate enlightenment in the Seven Stars Shrine at Daewonsa Temple and opened heaven and earth’s great gate of the spirit realm. This is the enlightenment into humanity’s right path and Jeung-san Sangjenim is the first who attained this enlightenment.

Dialogue 2
A: How is enlightenment about humanity greater than the enlightenment about heaven and earth?
B. It’s because humans are the children of the heaven and earth. We are in the center of the heaven and earth being guided to the destined path of fulfilling the will of heaven and earth parents.

A: Whoa. That’s far out! I never thought it that way. What you’re talking about is an eye-opener.
B: Haha. Yes. You’ll be very surprised as you find out more. But for now, let’s go back and discuss further about the enlightenment.

A: Okay.
B: Enlightening into humanity’s right path entails a capacity to wield the power of creation-transformation to correct the wrongs of humanity’s history and to substantialize the cosmic autumn’s magnificent new civilization.

Sangjenim's Incarnation

In answer to the earnest pleas and prayers of all the preeminent spirits, buddhas, and bodhisattvas in heaven, Sangjenim incarnated into the Eastern land, where a new era was to dawn, to deliver humans and spirits, who have been trapped in torment, by bringing to pass a new heaven and earth.

On September 19, 1871, Sangjenim incarnated into the world in Gaengmang-ri Village of Jeolla-do Province.

Sangjenim’s family name was Gahng, His given name was Il-sun, and He eventually adopted the honorific dao name Jeung-san.

He is Mugeuk Sangje, He who ushered in the universe’s Great Destiny of Mugeuk by conducting the Work of Renewing Heaven and Earth.

The Backdrop of Sangjenim’s Incarnation

Dialogue 1
A: I heard about the monk that met the Maitreya Buddha himself.
B: Which one? The venerable monk Jin-pyo?

A: That one! Tell me more about him.
B: Well. Jin-pyo was a famed Buddhist master during the Silla Dynasty.

A: Yeah. I remember you telling me that he was connected to Sangjenim’s arrival.
B: This is true. After receiving enlightenment through 3 years of prayer, he had a direct encounter with the Maitreya Buddha. Jin-pyo fervently prayed that this Lord Maitreya Buddha would incarnate into Korea during the coming times of calamities.

Dialogue 2
A: So, Matteo Ricci was a Jesuit priest who came to China, huh?
B: Yeah. He was basically a pioneer in bridging the gap between the East and the West in all areas including culture, academics, and spiritual practice.

A: How does he connect with the incarnation of Sangjenim?
B: He tried to build a heaven on earth even after he passed away. Then when things weren’t going as planned, he was the one who lead the group of enlightened spirits, buddhas, and bodhisatvas to entreat Sangjenim to incarnate into this world.

What is Jeung San Do?

Confucius foretold that God the Ruler in Heaven would come in the Eastern land.

He taught that all the words of sages will be realized in the direction of Gan, or the northeast.

Shakyamuni Buddha foretold that at the approach of colossal catastrophes in the last stage of dharma, the Lord of Tushita Heaven, Maitreya Buddha, would incarnate as a human being, deliver humanity, and bring forth the new world of the Dragon Flower Paradise.

Christianity speaks of the Second Advent of Christ.

In truth, this actually signifies the incarnation of God the Father, who sent Jesus to this world.