大巡伦理思想探析

曾勇,秦铭昂,Zeng, Yong,Qin, Ming-ang DAOS(The Daesoon Academy of Sciences) 2021 대순사상논총 Vol.37 No.-

大巡伦理思想以"一道""二山""三界"为信仰要素, 建构一套生命宗教的新型伦理形态。其中, "一道"即姜甑山"大巡"天下所传"真理", 亦即大巡伦理思想之基本道德原则, 内容为"阴阳合德, 神人调化, 解冤相生, 道通真境" ; "二山"为大巡真理会之信仰对象, 即"教主"姜甑山和"道主"赵鼎山 ; "三界"为大巡道德关怀的涵括天地人在内的生命视域。围绕其宗教道德原则, 大巡真理会以"诚, 敬, 信"为"三要谛", 以"安心, 安身, 敬天, 修道"为"四纲领", 将其"一道"的伦理要旨, 转化为终极信仰的道德要求与人伦日用的行为规范, 进而对道人之身心修行工夫与神明交互感应做出宗教礼仪规制, 再从个人修道之"道通真境", 人神皆尊协同, 以及道信众生共建"地上仙境"道出其伦理价值理想。大巡伦理思想与佛, 耶, 道诸教相较, 具有三大精神特质 : "三界相生"的整体性, "人神皆尊"的协同性, 以及"地上天国"的入世性。 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.

An Analysis of the Meaning Enshrined in the Architecture of the Tay Ninh Holy See of Cao Dai

NGUYEN, Phuoc Tai,DINH, Van Thuy,NGUYEN, Thuan Quy,TRAN THI, Kim Hoang DAOS(The Daesoon Academy of Sciences) 2022 Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of Ea Vol.2 No.1

In the 1920s, a new religion emerged in Tay Ninh Province, Southern Vietnam, under the name Caodaism; also known as the Third Universal Salvation of the Great Dao. It is the result of the typical combination of three main religions (Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism). Different ethnic groups populated Tay Ninh, such as Chinese, Khmer, Cham, and Kinh. Additionally, the core principle of Caodaism is known as The Three Religions Returned to the Origin, and it is also expanded as The Five Branches Reunited. The Five Branches are humankind's five ways of self-cultivation: the Way of Humans, the Way of Deities, the Way of Saints, the Way of Immortals, and the Way of Buddhas. Although Caodaism was only founded in 1920, this religion is well known domestically and internationally. This is because Caodaism has a distinctive identity; it is a new religion that advocates a syncretistic combination of essential religious teachings that follow the harmonization and reconciliation between the East and West as well as between the past and present. Moreover, the Tay Ninh Holy See is the most important, first, and largest Cao Dai temple in Vietnam. The temple is located in Tay Ninh Province in southwestern Vietnam. This article aims to introduce the Tay Ninh Holy See as the birthplace of Caodaism and as the largest Cao Dai religious palace, not only in Vietnam but also in other countries that practice Caodaism. A brief overview of Tay Ninh Holy See's origin, history, and planning will be provided. Most importantly, the style of the architecture at the Tay Ninh Holy See will be comprehensively analyzed to shed more light on the meaning of each section and the details of this temple structure.

Won Buddhism in America: Exploring Ways to Balance Tradition and Innovation

Grace J. SONG DAOS(The Daesoon Academy of Sciences) 2024 Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of Ea Vol.3 No.2

The introduction of Won Buddhism to the United States has reached its fifty-year mark. Brought to the West by Korean kyomus (Won Buddhist clergy), these initial Won Buddhist clergy set a foundation for future ordained devotees to reside in America and further the religion’s mission. Innovation has always played an important role in the formation and growth of Won Buddhism. The founder, Sotaesan, declared the necessity to reform traditional Buddhism to make it accessible to the laity and espoused values such as inclusiveness, equality, public work, and practicality. Over the past few decades, these innovations have helped Won Buddhism in America to shift from a strictly ethnic-related context to an emphasis on its universal nature. However, as the religion continues achieving a foothold in Western soil, critical questions arise such as how can Won Buddhism honor its Korean origins while becoming increasingly international? What are the detriments to decontextualizing and de-emphasizing elements thought to be “too Korean” or “too traditional,” or thought to be irrelevant in the West? When Buddhism spreads to a new country, it not only influences the culture it enters but is also shaped by the adopting culture. In American history, this has often meant the erasure of Asian cultures that were home to Buddhism for millennia and from which the dharma is inextricable. I argue in this article that if Won Buddhism is to thrive in the United States conscious consideration will have to be given to the indispensable aspects of its Korean roots and tradition while connecting with the current circumstance in fresh, relevant, and effective ways that include the multi-cultural and ethnic makeup of the US. This entails understanding American history and Asian Buddhism's history in America, as well as cultivating a competency or fluency in the cultures that allowed Won Buddhism to survive for decades.

Jo Jeongsan in Context: "Second Founders" in New Religious Movements

INTROVIGNE, Massimo DAOS(The Daesoon Academy of Sciences) 2021 Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of Ea Vol.1 No.1

Scholars of new religious movements have emphasized the role of "second founders," such as Judge J.F. Rutherford for the Jehovah's Witnesses, Brigham Young for the Mormons, or Deguchi Onisaburo for Oomoto. They systematize and structure movements often created by the "first founders" with a minimal organization only. The paper argues that the model for the sequence first founder/second founder described by these scholars is the relationship between Jesus and Paul of Tarsus at the origins of Christianity. It proposes a comparison between Jesus of Nazareth and Kang Jeungsan, who established the tradition leading to present-day Daesoon Jinrihoe. It then summarizes the biography of Jo Jeongsan, recognized by Daesoon Jinrihoe as its "second founder" within the same tradition, and discusses the analogies between his connection to the "first founder," Kang Jeungsan, and the connection Paul of Tarsus established with Jesus Christ. The paper considers recent scholarship about Paul, often described as the "New Perspective on Pauline Scholarship." Paul never personally met Jesus Christ, except after the latter's death through a spiritual revelation, just as Jo Jeongsan never met Kang Jeungsan, except after his death, when he manifested himself to him in spirit. Nonetheless, Paul was able to decisively shape the largest branch among the followers of Jesus Christ, just as Jo Jeongsan originated the lineage leading to Daesoon Jinrihoe, currently the largest religious order among those recognizing Kang Jeungsan as the incarnated Supreme God.

Disseminating Daesoon Thought: A Comparative Analysis

CHRYSSIDES, George D. DAOS(The Daesoon Academy of Sciences) 2022 Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of Ea Vol.1 No.2

The author examines three new religious movements in South Korea: Jehovah's Witnesses, the Unification Church, and the Daesoon Jinrihoe, and aims to identify the factors that are conducive to the growth of each. All three organisations believe in a coming paradise, and the article explores their respective attempts to interest the populace in their appeal. Discussion is given to membership statistics and the problems of measuring allegiance and moves on to consider methods of propagation. Most obviously, evangelisation strategy is important: Jehovah's Witnesses and Unificationists have tended to engage the interest of strangers, while followers of Daesoon Jinrihoe are more inclined to evangelise family and friends. Additionally, there are other factors that determine an organisation's progress: cultural appropriateness, engagement in social and educational work, and attitudes to conflict and peace, the latter being particularly important in a society that has experienced war and occupation. Reference is made to the ways in which these three organisations finance themselves, and it is argued that financial resources merit greater attention in the scholarly study of religion, since monetary assets are needed to secure a spiritual movement's existence. Of the three organisations under discussion, the Daesoon Jinrihoe has been the most successful, being South Korea's largest new religion, while Jehovah's Witnesses are in steady state, and the Unification movement is experiencing slight decline.

Fasting of the Mind and Quieting of the Mind: A Comparative Analysis of Apophatic Tendencies in Zhuangzi and Cataphatic Tendencies in Daesoon Thought

ZHANG Rongkun,Jason GREENBERGER DAOS(The Daesoon Academy of Sciences) 2023 Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of Ea Vol.2 No.2

'Fasting of the Mind (心齋, ch. xīn zhāi)' is arguably the most important concept within the practical approach to the spiritual cultivation formulated by the Daoist philosopher, Zhuangzi (莊子). Most scholars have interpreted 'Fasting of the Mind' as an apophatic practice centered around the aim of the 'Dissolution of the Self (喪我, ch. sàng wŎ).' The Korean new religious movement, Daesoon Jinrihoe (大巡眞理會), can be shown to instead consistently utilize cataphatic descriptions of spiritual cultivation based on the 'quieting of the mind (安心, kr. anshim)' and 'quieting of the body (安身, kr. anshin)' with the highest attainable state referred to as the 'Perfected State of Unification with the Dao (道通眞境, kr. Dotong-jingyeong).' While the language used by Zhuangzi and Daesoon Jinrihoe appears quite different on a superficial level, a deeper examination shows that these rhetorical framings are likely negativistic and positivistic descriptions of the same, or at least reasonably similar, phenomena. Zhuangzi, who focused primarily on the body, mind, and internal energy, cautioned practitioners that 'mere listening stops with the ears (聽止於耳, ch. tīng zhǐ yú ěr)' and 'mere recognition stops with the mind (心止於符, ch. xīn zhǐ yú fú).' He therefore encouraged cultivators of the Dao to 'listen with the spirit (聽之以氣 ch. tīng zhī yǐ qì).' The main scripture of Daesoon Jinrihoe states that "The mind is a pivot, gate, and gateway for gods; They, who turn the pivot, open, and close the gate, and go back and forth through the gateway, can be either good or evil (心也者, 鬼神之樞機也, 門戶也,道路也)," and the Supreme God of the Ninth Heaven (九天上帝, kr. Gucheon Sangje) even promises to visit anyone who possesses a 'singularly-focused mind (一心, kr. il-shim).' In both these approaches, there is a sense of what must be kept out of the mind (e.g., external disturbances, strong emotions, malevolent entities) and what the mind should connect with to attain spiritual progress (e.g., spirit, singular focus, the Supreme God). The observations above serve as the main basis for a comparison between the apophatic descriptions of cultivation found in Zhuangzi and their cataphatic counterparts in Daesoon Thought. However, the culmination of this nuanced comparative exploration reveals that while the leanings of Zhuangzi and Daesoon Thought generally hold true, ultimately, both systems of cultivation transcend the categories of apophatic and cataphatic.

Freedom of Religion, Sangsaeng, and Symbiosis in the Post-COVID Study of (New) Religions

Donald A. WESTBROOK DAOS(The Daesoon Academy of Sciences) 2023 Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of Ea Vol.2 No.2

This article explores the intersection of freedom of religion, sangsaeng, and symbiosis when considering the post-COVID study of religions, especially new religions. When it comes to the study of new and alternative religious groups, where there is more potential for misunderstanding and misinformation, it becomes all the more important-and indeed mutually beneficial, in the areas of religious liberty, religious freedom, and cross-cultural dialogue-to learn about a tradition by taking into account the spiritual life and practices of members themselves and their own sacred writings and practices. Daesoon Jinrihoe offers a case study of the importance of this principle and the notion of sangsaeng in particular is a fruitful utilitarian lens for thinking about how scholars, journalists, and others might approach the study of religion in our complex and global digital age of (mis) information. Daesoon Jinrihoe is also considered in light of Roy Wallis's typology of world-rejecting, world-affirming, and world-accommodating new religious movements. Open areas for sociological research are proposed and the nascent field of Daesoon studies is compared to some similar scholarly endeavors within NRM studies.

The Modern White Horse Temple and Online Reconfiguring of a Buddhist Heritage Space

Kai, SHMUSHKO DAOS(The Daesoon Academy of Sciences) 2023 Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of Ea Vol.3 No.1

Recent research shows that since the early 2000s, the Chinese Communist Party has increasingly used various cultural heritage sites, including Buddhist sites, as soft power agents. Furthermore, in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative, launched by the People's Republic of China, Buddhist temples, representatives, and practices have been harnessed to play a role in the state's agenda. In this context, White Horse Temple, as a feature of cultural tourism in Henan Province, is facing new opportunities and challenges. The article examines the material particularities of reconstructing the temple in light of this trajectory, building on materials retrieved at the site, and online representations of the temple. The author explores how the temple's unique spatiality and characteristics stress the use of soft power which harnesses online and offline cultural and popular trends for state agenda.

Confucianism in Vietnam: A Hauntology-based Analysis of Political Discourse

LINH Trinh Ngoc DAOS(The Daesoon Academy of Sciences) 2023 Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of Ea Vol.3 No.1

From the time it was propagated to Vietnam until it was forced to relinquish its leadership position in both politics and philosophy, Confucianism in Vietnam was never orthodox Confucianism. This study employs the theory of invented tradition to examine how Confucianism penetrated the ethnic Vietnamese community at the turn of the first millennium and points out its vital requirement: the construction of a Chinese-style centralized administrative government based on Neo-Confucianism. This requirement unfolded during the Le So Dynasty in the fifteenth century. Moreover, the theory of invented tradition can also be applied to discover the motivation behind Neo-Confucianism's process of manufacturing orthodoxy to speed up the goal of Sinicization. Somehow, the launching of the imperial examination system, meant to fulfill a system of bureaucracy, ended up resolving one of the greatest challenges of medieval times. It is to seek the ruler's uncritical submission to the ruled. This article applies hauntology to analyze two forms of Confucianism discourse in Vietnam. In doing so, this study determined that Confucianism evolved into its own unique system of thought in Vietnam and in the end, was not even recognizable as Confucianism. Throughout Vietnam's turbulent history, Confucianism shifted from a symbol of progress to one of backwardness. This culminated Vietnam's preoccupation with the de-Sinicization during the early twenty-first century.

Every Picture Tells a Story: The New York Unicorn Tapestries and Daesoon Jinrihoe's Simudo Paintings

Massimo INTROVIGNE DAOS(The Daesoon Academy of Sciences) 2023 Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of Ea Vol.3 No.1

Both the late 15th-century Unicorn Tapestries now at the Cloisters Museum in New York and Daesoon Jinrihoe's Simudo Paintings present a religious narrative through the symbol of the search for an animal that is then subdued. This is now the prevailing scholarly interpretation of the New York Unicorn Tapestries, with the unicorn representing Jesus Christ, although a concurrent reading alluding to human love cannot be excluded. The article examines the New York Unicorn Tapestries according to their Christological interpretation, rooted in traditions about the unicorn popularized by the German medieval mystic Hildegard of Bingen, although in fact much older. It then discusses the Buddhist iconographic tradition of ox-herding paintings that represents an antecedent for the Simudo Paintings and notes the latter's differences and similarities with the New York Unicorn Tapestries.