Jeung San Do's teachings are based on the principle of nature. Jeung San Do is the principle of nature, and the principle of nature is Jeung San Do.
Expressed in one word, the principle of nature is dao (道). Dao is principle (li: 理) and qi of "what is so of itself (自然)." It is principle that exists of itself; it is qi that exists of itself.
Preceding heaven and earth, dao is the basis of all that exists in the universe. Without dao, all that is in the universe, including humans, could not have been born and could not go on living.
Dao is the principle of nature itself; dao is the principle of the universe. Because the truth of Jeung-san Sangjenim is dao, we call it Jeung San Do.
Q) What is meant by "This is the time of gaebyeok"?
Some say the end is near, others speak of the end of dharma (末法). Whether it was from knowledge or not, sages in the East and West spoke of the world turning upside down.
According to principle, now is the time in which the universe changes from summer to autumn. Only once in 129,600 years does this happen. That is how significant this age is. Sangjenim called this era "the time of gaebyeok."
No matter how great you might be, if you do not meet the right time, all efforts are useless. Throughout the entire 129,600 years of the cosmic year, the greatest work, the most fruitful work, the best work is to be done in this time.
If there is no fruit in autumn, the period of spring and summer are useless. It is the same for one individual and for the history of humankind- to be born as a human and now meet the proper time, the cosmic autumn, but if it is not to be ripened, it is useless.
The cultures of every region and locality throughout human history have appeared so far in order to establish a culture of unity, a culture of fruition, a culture of maturity- the ripened culture.
However, that culture of unity finally was brought forth by the One, Jeungsan Sangjenim. At the time when the cosmic summer changes to the cosmic autumn, the Ruling God of the universe is to be born as a human. From the beginning of heaven and earth, this was destiny to be.
Q) Could you tell us about the work of renewing heaven and earth?
Jeungsan Sangjenim came to this world, and in the most rational and well thought out way, used the principles of heaven, earth, and humanity to lay a path to a new world. This is what we call the work of renewing heaven and earth (Cheonjigongsa). In short, using the history of humankind as the raw material, he made his ideal of the future become a reality.
After attaining enlightenment in 1901, he could see that the greatest barrier to making a good world was the matter of embittered spirits and failed revolutionary spirits. Of all the people born into this world, no one died without bearing bitterness and grief. All people died with bitterness and grief, great or small, because they could not fully accomplish their dreams.
When people die, what do they become? After death, the body, which is physical, deteriorates. But the spirit, which is nonphysical, continues to exist and continues to have the same grief. Heaven and earth are filled with spirits bearing bitterness and grief. If left unresolved, it would be impossible to build a good world.
For this reason, Sangjenim formed a government of spirits, the Government of Creative Change, by gathering embittered spirits and revolutionary spirits as well as the spirits that developed the world's civilizations, spirits that govern various regions, and spirits that founded family lines. Because this work was so vast, it took nine years to complete, 1901 to 1909. When he finished, he ascended to heaven.
All events, great and small, proceed according to the program of this government of spirits. World War 1st, World War 2nd, and the Korean War, all such events proceeded exactly according to Sangjenim's spiritual work.
One hundred years have passed since Sangjenim began the work in 1901, Shin-chook, the year of white Ox. Since then there have been two great stages of change in the world, and in the future a new world will come through a third and final stage. Just as the principle of the universe gives birth, nurtures, and brings to fruition, the work of renewing heaven and earth also unfolds in three stages.
Only those who know the secrets of the work of renewing heaven and earth can know what the future is going to be. The history of the twentieth century is one of transition- the transition from cosmic summer to cosmic autumn. It is this process of transition that prepares for the opening of a new world by resolving the bitterness and grief accumulated throughout the duration of the Early Heaven.
Q) How can we overcome the destined gaebyeok then?
The final conclusion of Sangjenim’s nine year work of renewing heaven and earth was to convey the authority of uitong (醫統: healing and uniting ). By this, the seeds of humanity are selected and it is possible to pass through to the new world.
To overcome the mysterious disease and enter the Later Heaven, you must receive uitong. This is true for people all over the world.
This is the work of Jeung San Do. The purpose of Jeung San Do is to save people's lives at the time of gaebyeok, and in doing so, make a new world.
Q) When will gaebyeok begin?
The answer is in the Dojeon, where Sangjenim's words are compiled. Also, just by looking at Jung-yeok (正易: Right change), written by the Korean philosopher Gim Il-bu, you can find out about the shifting of the earth's axis.
In Sangjenim's words, there is a saying, "The seventh night of the seventh lunar month and the three-five night. One hundred and five days
between Winter Solstice and Cold Meal" (Dojeon 5:308:3).
These words contain a secret about how things will go in the world. "Seventh month, seventh evening, three five night" is about the day of Korea's independence from Japan. August 14, 1945, on the lunar calendar is the seventh day of the seventh month. Three plus five equals eight, and three times five equals fifteen; the words "three five night" point to August 15. [Note: In 1945, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month was August 14 on the Gregorian calendar. On that day, the Japanese decided they would accept the United Nation's proposal that they surrender unconditionally. The following day, August 15, Japan officially declared its surrender.]
The words "One hundred and five days between Winter Solstice and Cold Meal" are about the outbreak of the mysterious disease. From Winter Solstice to the day called Han-sik, which means "Cold Food," there are 105 days. The issue of closing this world is condensed into these several words. We cannot reveal the concrete meaning of this dao secret.
The world's destiny is closing in on us. Wait and see, the destiny of the world tomorrow will be different than that of today.
Q) According to Jeung San Do, what kind of era will the twenty-first century be?
The twenty-first century will be the era of cultures uniting and the world becoming one family. We are still in the world of cosmic summer, but in the near future, after gaebyeok, the world of autumn will open. The time of autumn is when heaven and earth succeed, humans succeed, and spirits succeed.
The future world is the world in which humans and spirits unite as one. In the future, all people become enlightened by meditation with the Taeeulju Mantra. It will be a good world in which enlightenment is normal. At that time, the average person will be enlightened one hundred,,, one thousand times higher than Shakyamuni Buddha, Jesus, and Confucius. Every house becomes a dojang, and every person becomes a god.
Though you may not believe it now, in the future we will know one another's minds. For example, if a man intends to have an affair with someone else's wife, the woman, her husband, everyone in the world will read his mind.
So, according to the framework of such a world, you will not do any wrong, even if you wanted to. It will not be possible to trick anyone. In everyone's home, there will be plenty to eat and everyone will have all the clothes they want. The concept of rich and poor will vanish, and it will be, so to speak, the Paradise of Immortality on earth.
All the difficulty work will be done by machines, and the people who control them will be like captains. In the near future, we will go beyond the civilization of earth to the civilization of the universe.
I will tell you something incredible- in the future, a person who lives long will live for 1,200 years, the average person will live for 900 years, and those who die young will live for 700 years.
In Jeung San Do, are there any commandments or specific restrictions? If so, what are they?
In Jeung San Do, there are no such rules as "Don't smoke," "Don't drink," Don't eat meat," or "Cut your family ties like Buddhist monks." Some say that because there are no restrictions it does not feel like a system of belief. But, for your health and because it can be an obstacle to meditation, we suggest not smoking and not drinking. If there were any commandments, they would be "Speak truthfully and live virtuously. Never create vengeful energy and always be good." This is the extent of Jeung San Do's rules to live by.
The height of religious culture is the culture of living life. A mature culture allows people to live in comfort. A culture that restricts people is transient. In the end, people will abandon religions that do not help them live life.
Jeung San Do is the culture of living life that gives utmost comfort to people. It is such a good teaching that no matter how long and how many people live in its culture, no one will feel uncomfortable.
We called it Jeung San Do, but Jeung San Do is actually the principle of nature of itself. No better truth can exist in the future. Jeung San Do is the culture of fruition and unity.
Q) What is the significance of Taeeulju mantra meditation? A lot of people have experienced the marvelous power of the Taeeulju mantra. What kind of power does this mantra have?
In short, this mantra is a life-giving nectar for humanity. Or it can be likened to oxygen for living beings. This mantra makes us to be one with nature and cultivate dao within us.
I myself chanted the Taeeulju mantra from an early age. When I was twelve, I chanted intensively for one week. At that time, I gained cho-tong(first enlightenment) and experienced the miracle of the Taeeulju mantra. When you chant it many times with a virtuous mind, your bright spiritual consciousness shall be opened. So, you come to know every affair in the whole world, and your mind and body become healthy. In this world, there is no mantra better than the Taeeulju mantra.
By chanting the Taeeulju mantra and having a lot of its qi in your body, you can escape accidents and disaster. For example, though you get in a car accident in which death seems certain, but incredibly you will survive. In Jeung San Do, not just one or two people have experienced this, but so many have.
Tae-eul-chun Sang-wun-goon is the root ancestor of the entire human race. Chanting the Taeeulju mantra is like calling out to the parents of heaven and earth. The root of your life is first your parents, then your ancestors, and originally Tae-eul-chun Sang-wun-goon.
No one can get through to the other world without chanting the Taeeulju mantra. Because this is the time of gaebyeok and returning to the origin, if you deny your roots, your parents, and your ancestors, there is no way to survive. This mantra is the mother's milk that nurtures the world of immortals. It is a lifeline for humanity. The conclusion of Sangjenim's nine year work of renewal is ui-tong and ui-tong is the manifestation of the Taeeulju mantra's qi.
In the end, the world will be judged by the mysterious disease. Perhaps I should not say this, but people will die while coming or going, people will die while standing or eating. Such a mysterious disease will occur. About the magnitude of how the disease will spread, Sangjenim said, "It will come like a torrent." It will turn the world upside down for three years.
Then, why will there be such a disease? It will happen because during this past cosmic spring and summer, humans accumulated too much bitterness and grief. In the process of resolving the iniquities of the past, an abscess of festering bitterness and grief bursts. Like this, the mysterious disease bursts out.
One more thing-there will be a great natural disaster. What is the borderline between cosmic summer and cosmic autumn? It is the upright shift of the earth's axis. As you know well, the earth's axis leans about 23.5 degrees to the east. When gaebyeok happens, turning cosmic summer into autumn, this leaning pole shifts upright. This will not happen gradually. It will happen suddenly.
At that time, more than half of Japan will sink into the sea, and places like Los Angeles and New York will fall into the water. On the other hand, new land will rise up from the ocean, forming new continents.
There is no way to stop this from happening. Whether people want it or not, because gaebyeok is the principle of nature, when the time comes it will happen. In this world of gaebyeok, by the truth in which we save ourselves, shouldn't we also save our families and others? Let us all live together. This is what Sangjenim called mutual life-giving.
-Interview with His holiness Taesang Jongdosanim of Jeung San Do on October, 1998-