Unveiling Cosmic Harmony: Gim Il-bu, Jeongyeok, and Sangjenim's Arrival (Dojeon Chapter 1, Section 9)
Throughout history, wise individuals have sought to understand the universe's deepest secrets and the rhythms of change that govern all existence. In the East, this "Dao of Change" has been a profound spiritual current, flowing through generations. Dojeon Chapter 1, Section 9 invites us into the life and revelations of one such remarkable sage, Gim Il-bu. His story is a fascinating journey into the heart of cosmic principles, culminating in the creation of the Jeongyeok (Correct Changes) and heralding the coming of Sangjenim, the Supreme God, to usher in a new era of harmony.
A Lineage of Wisdom: The Seeds of Change
The quest to understand cosmic change has ancient roots, most famously embodied in the Book of Changes (I Ching or Zhouyi). This classic text, developed over centuries by legendary figures like Fuxi, King Wen, the Duke of Zhou, and later, the great philosopher Confucius, provided a framework for understanding the cycles of nature and human life. These sages didn't just create a book; they passed down a living tradition, a way to see the patterns of transformation, balance, and harmony in the universe.
It was into this rich lineage that Gim Il-bu (1826–1898), a saintly philosopher from Yeonsan County in Joseon, was born. He was destined to take this ancient wisdom to a new level, revealing principles specifically for the coming Later Heaven—an age of profound renewal known as Gaebyeok.
A Seeker's Dedication: The Path to Jeongyeok
Gim Il-bu's journey was one of intense dedication. Under the guidance of his teacher, Yi Un-gyu—who foresaw that Il-bu would "carry on the dao of Confucius" and receive "a great inspiration about the cosmic cycle of time" (Dojeon 1:9:4)—he immersed himself in classical texts. He diligently studied the Shuzhuan (commentaries on the Classic of History) and the Book of Changes, combining intellectual pursuit with spiritual practices like singing-dance meditation. His devotion often led him to Gwanchoksa Temple, where he would offer ardent prayers before the Maitreya Buddha statue, a symbol of the future Buddha who would bring salvation.
This unwavering commitment bore extraordinary fruit. In 1879, at the age of fifty-four, Gim Il-bu experienced a profound mystical vision. As the Dojeon describes, "a brightness came upon his sight and mysterious lines of trigrams began to constantly hover before him whether his eyes were open or closed" (Dojeon 1:9:7). This was no ordinary occurrence; it was a direct revelation.
Inspired by this, he drew the Jeongyeok Eight Trigrams. These were not merely a repetition of the earlier trigrams of Fuxi and King Wen, which represented the Early Heaven. Il-bu's trigrams symbolized the Later Heaven, an era of "right yin and right yang"—a perfect, harmonious balance of cosmic forces yet to come. It is even said that Confucius himself appeared to Il-bu in a vision, praising him for achieving what he, Confucius, had sought but could not attain (Dojeon 1:9:9).
The Revelation of Jeongyeok: A Blueprint for the New Age
By 1885, Gim Il-bu completed his seminal work, the Jeongyeok. This text was far more than a philosophical treatise; it was a cosmic blueprint. It outlined the fundamental laws of the Later Heaven Gaebyeok, revealing astonishing transformations. According to Jeongyeok, the Earth's axis of rotation would realign perfectly north-south, and its orbit around the sun would shift from an ellipse to a near-perfect circle. This cosmic reordering would result in a solar year of precisely 360 days, ushering in an age of universal harmony and a perfect synchronization of the sun and moon's cycles.
But the most profound revelation of Jeongyeok was its proclamation about who would bring this new cosmic order to fruition. Gim Il-bu declared that this ideal vision for humanity and the world would be fulfilled by the incarnation of Sangjenim—the Heavenly Lord Maitreya Buddha—on Earth (Dojeon 1:9:12).
A Joyful Song of a New World
Gim Il-bu’s heart overflowed with the joy of this understanding, which he expressed in beautiful, poetic verses:
"Why has it taken so long for the Dragon Flower Paradise to arrive?
I have beheld in deep serenity the universe’s realm of creation-transformation. Who could have possibly known that the universe has been awaiting Sangjenim’s human incarnation for the fulfillment of its purpose?
Bright and clear are heaven and earth, and the new life of the sun and moon shines forth. In this brightness of the new life of the sun and moon, the world becomes a paradise. Oh, the world of the Later Heaven! A new world! It is Sangjenim himself who now comes, bestowing the radiance of his Holy Spirit upon all the world." (Dojeon 1:9:13-15)
These words are not just poetry; they are a jubilant announcement of a new spiritual age marked by peace, renewal, and the direct presence of the Divine.
The Unbroken Thread: From Ancient Sages to Modern Revelation
Gim Il-bu's work stands as a monumental completion of the sacred lineage of the Dao of Change. From Fuxi's foundational trigrams, through King Wen's hexagrams, the Duke of Zhou's explanations, and Confucius's moral insights, the journey culminates in Il-bu’s Jeongyeok—the "Correct Changes" for the harmonious Later Heaven.
The story of Gim Il-bu, as illuminated in (Dojeon 1:9), is a powerful testament to how ancient wisdom can pave the way for future revelations. His life and the principles of Jeongyeok offer humanity a profound understanding of the great cosmic transition ahead and the central role of Sangjenim's incarnation in realizing the ultimate unity and balance of Heaven, Earth, and all humankind. It is an invitation to prepare our hearts and minds for this profound renewal and to walk the path toward the eternal harmony promised by Sangjenim’s coming.
Sacred Venerable Gim Il-bu Proclaims Sangjenim’s Incarnation into the World
1The lineage of the ‘dao of change,’ which reveals the principle of cosmic change, had been passed down through successive generations of sages and learned ones in the East. 2Near the end of the Joseon Dynasty, the great philosopher Gim Il-bu revealed for the first time both the principle concerning the epochal transition of the universe—the change from the Early Heaven to the Later Heaven—and the principle concerning the arrival of Sangjenim in the Eastern land.
3Il-bu was from Yeonsan County of Chuncheong-do Province. At thirty-six years of age, he received teachings from Yi Un-gyu. 4One day, Un-gyu said to Il-bu, “You will carry on the dao of Confucius, which is in decline, and you will one day be bestowed a great inspiration about the cosmic cycle of time.”
5Greatly encouraged by these words, Il-bu devoted himself to studying Shuzhuan and the Book of Changes and practiced the art of singing-dancing meditation. 6And he often visited Gwanchoksa Temple at the foot of Banyasan Mountain in Eunjin Township and offered his ardent prayers while reverently gazing upon the Maitreya Buddha statue.
Gim Il-bu Completes Jeongyeok
7In 1879 (DG 9), when Il-bu was fifty-four years of age, a brightness came upon his sight and mysterious lines of trigrams began to constantly hover before him whether his eyes were open or closed. 8Soon after, he drew the Jeongyeok Eight Trigrams for the first time. Succeeding the Bok-hui Eight Trigrams and the King Wen Eight Trigrams, which represented the Early Heaven, these trigrams constituted the Eight Trigrams of the Later Heaven of right yin and right yang.
9Some time after Il-bu had completed drawing the trigrams, Confucius appeared and praised him highly, “In my time, I sought this very accomplishment. Since you have attained what I could not, you are indeed most admirable.”
10In 1885 (DG 15), Il-bu finally completed the book Jeongyeok, and the mysterious trigrams that had hovered so vividly before his eyes at long last disappeared from his sight. 11Through the principles revealed within Jeongyeok, Il-bu proclaimed the news of the Later Heaven Gaebyeok through which the slanted heaven and earth would become upright and all the ills of heaven and earth would thus be corrected, 12and he also sang the joyous news that Sangjenim—the Heavenly Lord Maitreya Buddha—would incarnate into the world at the age of gaebyeok and bring humanity’s ideal vision to fulfillment:
13Why has it taken so long for the Dragon Flower Paradise to arrive?
14I have beheld in deep serenity the universe’s realm of creation-transformation. Who could have possibly known that the universe has been awaiting Sangjenim’s human incarnation for the fulfillment of its purpose?
15Bright and clear are heaven and earth, and the new life of the sun and moon shines forth. In this brightness of the new life of the sun and moon, the world becomes a paradise. Oh, the world of the Later Heaven! A new world! It is Sangjenim himself who now comes, bestowing the radiance of his Holy Spirit upon all the world.