Understanding the Global Crisis Through Ancient Wisdom
In an era marked by unprecedented global interconnectedness, yet fractured by deep-seated anxieties – from geopolitical tremors to economic uncertainties and the ever-present shadow of environmental and health crises – many are searching for a deeper understanding of our world and our place within it. It's a time when ancient wisdom traditions, often overlooked in the rush of modernity, can offer profound perspectives. One such tradition, hailing from Korea, is Jeung San Do, a teaching that speaks directly to the transformative and often tumultuous nature of our times.
Is Jeung San Do a Religion or Something More?
You might wonder, is Jeung San Do a religion? Taesang Jongdosanim, a revered leader within Jeung San Do, offers a nuanced perspective. He explains, "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." This "principle of nature," he clarifies, is dao (道) – the inherent, self-existing order and energy that underpins the entire universe. It's not a system of belief imposed from without, but rather an articulation of the universe's own operating system. "Without dao," Taesang Jongdosanim emphasizes, "all that is in the universe, including humans, could not have been born and could not go on living."
Introducing Gaebyeok: The Great Turning Point
This foundational understanding leads us to one of Jeung San Do's most compelling and, for many, most urgent concepts: Gaebyeok.
Taesang Jongdosanim states, "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.'" This isn't a prophecy of a simple ending, but rather a profound cosmic shift, a turning of an immense universal cycle. Think of it like the transition from a vibrant, expansive summer to a season of harvest and maturation – autumn.
This "cosmic autumn" is not merely a metaphor. Jeung San Do teaches that just as our planet has seasons, the universe itself operates on a grand "cosmic year" of 129,600 years. We are currently at a pivotal juncture, transitioning from the "cosmic summer" – a period of growth, expansion, and often, unresolved conflicts – into the "cosmic autumn," a time of fruition, ripening, and ultimate judgment.
The significance of this moment cannot be overstated. "Throughout the entire 129,600 years of the cosmic year," Taesang Jongdosanim notes, "the greatest work, the most fruitful work, the best work is to be done in this time." Just as a farmer's efforts in spring and summer are validated by the autumn harvest, human history, with all its diverse cultures and achievements, has been leading to this era of "ripened culture."
The Work of Renewing Heaven and Earth
But this transition, this Gaebyeok, is not without its challenges. It involves a "renewing of heaven and earth" (Cheonjigongsa), a cosmic reordering initiated by Jeungsan Sangjenim, whom Jeung San Do recognizes as the Ruling God of the universe, born as a human at this critical juncture. A core part of this renewal, as Taesang Jongdosanim explains, was addressing the vast accumulation of "embittered spirits and failed revolutionary spirits." He says, "All people died with bitterness and grief, great or small, because they could not fully accomplish their dreams... Heaven and earth are filled with spirits bearing bitterness and grief. If left unresolved, it would be impossible to build a good world." Sangjenim's nine-year "work of renewing heaven and earth" (1901-1909) was a profound spiritual undertaking to resolve these grievances and set the stage for a new, harmonious world. This profound spiritual undertaking was essential to pave the way for the harmonious world intended to emerge after the Gaebyeok.
Gaebyeok: A Crisis and a Turning Point
This Gaebyeok, however, manifests in tangible, often cataclysmic ways. Taesang Jongdosanim speaks of a "mysterious disease" and "a great natural disaster," including a sudden, upright shift of the Earth's axis. "Whether people want it or not, because gaebyeok is the principle of nature, when the time comes it will happen."
Importantly, Jeung San Do does not present this as inevitable doom. Rather, it emphasizes that understanding the nature of Gaebyeok allows individuals and societies to prepare spiritually and practically, making survival and renewal possible.
A Path Forward Through Healing and Uniting (Uitong)
This might sound alarming, but Jeung San Do doesn't present this as a doomsday scenario without hope. Instead, it offers a path to navigate these changes. The key, Taesang Jongdosanim reveals, is uitong (醫統: healing and uniting), an authority conveyed by Sangjenim to select the "seeds of humanity" who can pass into the new world. And central to achieving this is the Taeeulju mantra.
"In short, this mantra is a life-giving nectar for humanity," he states. "This mantra makes us to be one with nature and cultivate dao within us." Chanting the Taeeulju mantra is described as connecting with the very root of life, Tae-eul-chun Sang-wun-goon, the "root ancestor of the entire human race." It's seen as a spiritual lifeline, essential for surviving the Gaebyeok and entering the "Later Heaven" – the world of cosmic autumn.
Jeung San Do practitioners have reported remarkable personal experiences, such as overcoming life-threatening accidents or illnesses, after sustaining Taeeulju mantra practice. While such stories may sound extraordinary, they are presented as living examples of the protective and awakening power of this spiritual practice.
A Vision of the Future: The Age of Unity and Enlightenment
What does this future world look like? According to Taesang Jongdosanim, it's an era of profound unity and enlightenment: "The twenty-first century will be the era of cultures uniting and the world becoming one family... The time of autumn is when heaven and earth succeed, humans succeed, and spirits succeed." It will be a world where enlightenment is commonplace, where human consciousness is vastly expanded, and concepts like poverty and deceit become obsolete. "Every house becomes a dojang [a place of spiritual practice], and every person becomes a god."
While this vision may seem far-fetched to some readers today, Jeung San Do presents it not as a fantasy, but as a natural unfolding of humanity’s spiritual evolution in harmony with the cosmic cycle.
Jeung San Do as the Culture of Living Life
Jeung San Do, at its core, is presented not as a restrictive religion with numerous commandments, but as "the culture of living life that gives utmost comfort to people." Its guiding principles are simple yet profound: "Speak truthfully and live virtuously. Never create vengeful energy and always be good."
An Invitation to Participate in the Great Turning
In a world grappling with immense change and searching for meaning, Jeung San Do offers a framework that acknowledges the severity of our times while providing a path toward a future of harmony and spiritual maturation. It invites us to understand the natural principles governing these transformations and to actively participate in our own "ripening" as we stand at the threshold of the cosmic autumn.
The message is clear: the Gaebyeok is a profound and inevitable shift, but through understanding its principles and engaging with practices like the Taeeulju mantra, humanity has the means to not only endure but to flourish in the new era to come.