Explanations of Paintings for Sacred History of Daesoon

Preface

Sangje, the Gucheon Daewon Johwa Jushin, itinerated the whole world in spiritual form while presiding over the Three Realms with a Great Authority. Then He descended to the human world in the form of human and reformed the existing Heaven-ordered Principles of mutual conflict into whole new one with mutual beneficence in order to build an Earthly Paradise in the future by opening the path of eternal land of the Later World. He sought to save the people of the world who had fallen into disasters and gods blocked with humans in communication and cooperation. The Reordering of the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth and People that Sangje carried out for 40 years was expressed in a series of sacred paintings, and this booklet was published to help understand the paintings more easily.

Table of Contents

1 Descent into the World and Childhood·····································································3

2 Correcting and Saving the World··············································································4

3 Great Authority over the Three Realms ··································································6

4 Omnipotence ··············································································································8

5 Curing the Sick ········································································································10

6 Resolution of Grievances ························································································12

7 Mutual Beneficence···································································································14

8 Transferring of Orthodox Religious Authority ························································15

9 Opening of the Earthly Paradise ···········································································17

10 Founding of the Religious Body ··········································································19

1 Descent into the World and Childhood

1) All the divine sages, buddhas, and bodhisattvas who had existed since the remotest ages gathered and petitioned to the Supreme Being of Ninth Heaven, saying that “Heaven and Earth in the state of calamities cannot be rectified by anyone but Sangje.”

In response, Sangje descended to Cheon-gyetap Tower in the Land of Great Law in the West and itinerated the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth and People.

2) Then He spiritually entered the statue of 'the golden Maitreya Buddha' in Geumsansa Temple at Moaksan Mountain in Jeolla Province, Korea, and stayed there for thirty years.

3) There was a woman with a family name of Kwon who was married to the family of Kang in Jeolla Province. One day, she had a dream in which the sky split into north and south and an enormous ball of fire came to envelop her body while brightening the whole world.

4) Then she felt a sign of pregnancy, and after thirteen months of pregnancy, on September 19th1871,Sangjedescendedtotheworldintheformofhumanbody.

5) From childhood, Sangje had many virtues of being fond of life that He enjoyed planting trees

6) and would save even tiny insects from crises.

7) When He was 7 years old, Sangje was studying with a village school teacher.

8) He read along the two characters of ‘sky’ and ‘earth’ and knew the logic of heaven and earth on the two characters, which He told His father and returned the village school teacher.

9) Sangje was a man of great strength and liked playing around that He would bite and lift the pivot of a millstone with His own teeth,

10) and would not even move an inch even when many people stood on His waist.

11) Sangje visited His village school one day and received a rhyme of ‘astonishment’ from the teacher,

12) and then He wrote a composition saying that “I am afraid that ground will suddenly sink if I step far on it and that the sky will be astonished if I shout loudly.”

2 Correcting and Saving the World

1) When Sanje was twenty four of age (1894), government affairs were increasingly corrupt and people’s lives were aggravated. Accordingly, the world became chaotic that the people were unable to lead a peaceful living. At that time, Jeon Bongjun from Gobu brought about a revolution infuriated by the misrule of government,

2) When Sangje predicted that the Donghak followers would be destroyed by the time when winter comes, thus, advised everyone not to behave rashly. Indeed they were annihilated by the government forces when it began to snow.

3) In spring of 1895, Sangje attended a poetry club celebrating the pacification in Duseungsan Mountain, where He received a book from an old man,

4)  By 1897 Sangje, with the great intention to correct and save the whole world, set off to examine the ways of the world, the public lives, and their sentiments. Everywhere He stepped on, He was honored like God (sacred person).

5) After looking around all eight provinces for 3 years, Sangje returned to His hometown, where He would untie His hair and weep in the Sirusan Moutain,

6) He would turn into a tiger frightening off village lumberjacks. Chanting the Jinbeopju (Incantation of True Law), He performed His Holy Work of the Obangsinjang (5 warriors of the divine world representing East, West, North, South, and Centre), Sashipaljang (48 warriors of the divine world) and the Isipaljang (28 warriors representing the 28 constellations of the divine world).

7) The police administration after hearing Sangje's practice of magic sent an official to detain Him. However, when Sangje sat with a satgat (traditional hat made of bamboo) on His head, and conjured fogs of concealment, the official passed Him without recognizing Him.

8) Sangje's habitual wearing of the satgat (traditional hat made of bamboo) earned Him the nickname: Kang (one of Korean surnames)-satgat.

9) Once, Sangje was on His way to the in-laws when He encountered a swearing drunkard causing a commotion.

10) Abruptly, a stone mortar was placed on his head and Sangje went His way.

11) Another time, Sangje was passing a stream with Kim Ik-chan when they witnessed a Japanese hunter firing bullets to a flock of wild geese. When Sangje stopped walking, the bullet was not released.

12) When Sangje started walking again a flock of wild geese flew away. Only then were the bullets fired.

3 Great Authority over the Three Realms

1) Around middle of May 1901, Sangje entered the Daewonsa temple in Moaksan Mountain, Jeonju, and went through forty nine days of ascetic practice without food and a rest; hence, opening the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.

2) In exiting the Daewonsa Temple valley with few disciples, many wild animals gathered to bow at His feet in a way that seemed like pleading.

3) In November of 1904, the civilians in Jeonju made an uprising which created a chaotic atmosphere across the nation. Kim Byung-wook, with heavy responsibility of national affairs, told the difficulty to put down the uprising to Sangje and asked for His help.

4) Sangje declared: 'I will put down the rebellion'. Then He made rain and snow pour down, chilling the weather and thus repressed the revolt.

5) One day while residing in Donggok Clinic (apothecary), Sangje saw the sun rise at an early hour in Jebibong peak when its rise was at a half point. Sangje said to His followers 'How would I rule the world if I cannot stop the sunrise while having to face crisis'. In declaring this, Sangje chain-smoked His pipe whereby the sun stopped rising.

6) In throwing down His pipe, only then did the sun rise fully.

7) While He took a midnight walk, the clouds would cover the moon. Sangje stirred His right hand toward the moon, dispersing the clouds and letting the moon light shine over Him.

8) When He arrived at His destination, He stirred His left hand to gather the clouds into their original composition.

9) At Kim Hyeong-ryeol's house, Sangje slapped both hands on His knees whilst saying 'Good, good!'. Then, lightening from the Jebibong peak struck the Surigaebong peak and lightening from the Surigaebong peak struck the Jebibong peak.

10) In repeating this motion a few times He declared 'that's enough' and stopped His slaps. Then, the lightening had ceased.

11) Sangje created the wind, rain, sleet, snow and lightening at His wish and ceased them at His command. He could also conjure rain and wind at anytime and anywhere only by His will without any certain means: It included some words or simply lifting His glass etc.

12) He would paste the symbols of lightening on the walls or bury them and cause lightening.

4. Omnipotence

1) The roof of the house where Sangje resides would remain spotless even in times of heavy snowing and lucid energy would come through the azure sky.

2) When Sangje prepares for an outing, clouds would form in the shape of eight(八) at the town entrance.

3) When He goes out during a downpour, the paths He took would be dry,

4) and on a hot summer day the clouds would form over His path like a parasol.

5) Whether Sangje would engage in public or private affairs, its form would appear in the air. Once, Sangje was enjoying a plate of snakehead-fish sushi when the same form appeared in the void.

6) One day, Sangje and His followers were passing through Erie, Iksan to find a boat without an oarsman. Sangje rowed the oars Himself, whereby it appeared in the void.

7) Once Sangje and Gong-u were walking together,

8) Sangje turned around and said “Do I not look like Guan Yu*?” In hearing this, Gong-u was frightened out of His wits.

(*a fearsome general warrior of shŭ nation from the Three Kingdoms Period of China)

9) When Sangje leaves the house, in summer He would raise the winds to drop dews on His path; during winter He would freeze the wet roads for easier crossing.

10) In a densely overgrown pathway where the mountain streams would flow, yet, Sangje's shoes would always remain clean, which surprised many.

11) In entering the room of Gyeong-hak Kim's eight year old sick son, Sangje scolded him, 'How come you wouldn't get up to greet me who is your father?'

12) This prompted the son to rise up in fear who was soon miraculously cured. Gyeongh-hak Kim, wondering why Sanje calls Himself the father of his son, remembered a past incident. According to custom, he offered his son to the Maitreya Buddha in Geumsansa Temple. Then did Kim realize that Sangje Himself was the Maitreya Buddha.

5. Curing the Sick

1) Gap-jin Kim living in Dong-gok has been suffering from leprosy for a long time, causing a swollen face and the loss of eyebrow hair. He pleaded for a cure to Sangje.

2) Sanje made Gap-jin Kim stand outside the door facing the room and sent him back home. Kim made a complete recovery.

3) Sa-myeong Kim, living in Dong-gok had a six years old son, Seong-ok, who died from a sudden illness. His mother brought her son to Sangje and begged Him to spare her son.

4) Sangje chuckled and took the son in His embrace, the son came alive shortly.

5) One day, a crippled person who surnamed Kim from Yongduchi came to see Sangje and imploringly asked to make him walk.

6) Sangje seated Kim in front of Himself and told him to stand up whilst lifting up a pipe. Together with the pipe, the crippled knees and legs steadily straightened. Sangje told Gwang-chan sitting nearby to strike Kim's calves. When he did Kim was no longer crippled and walked out freely.

7) An official surnamed Oh from Hwang-gyo, Gyeongseong had a wife who has been blind since she was young. The wife pleaded Sangje to cure her blindness.

8) Sangje, in arriving at the door of the blind wife's chamber drew a circle on the ground with His umbrella and made her eat some white salt. This gave sight to the pair of blind eyes.

9) Eung-jong Hwang's son was in critical condition of illness. Hwang drew a bowl of fresh water, set it on a table and prayed in the direction of where Sangje resided. This cured his son.

10) The next day Hwang went to see Sangje who questioned, “I saw your hands rubbing for prayer when I looked down from the clouds. What happened?”.

11) Sangje made a herb nameplate out of a chestnut tree at the Donggok Clinic (apothecary). On it He wrote Man-guk (all the nations) Clinic and gave it to Park Gong-u to put it on the walls of Wonpyeong market.

Then He asked Park, 'What would you say when the officer asks?'

Park replied, 'I would say you established the Man-guk Clinic where the blind, the crippled, the humpbacked and all other patients with various illnesses are cured.'

12) In hearing this, Sangje said “You are right” and burnt the herb nameplate.

6. Resolution of Grievances

1) Bansang signifies the noblemen and the commoners. Commoners were not allowed to study or speak out in front of the nobles.

2) Right or wrong, the commoners were told that their duty was to obey the noblemen. This convention was enforced by the law system of the time.

3) Sangje used honorific language when He spoke to Hyeong-ryeol Kim's slave, Nam-sik Ji.

4) Sangje told Hyeong-ryeol Kim he should use honorific language to whoever and wherever.

5) Jeokseo signifies offsprings of legal wife and offsprings of concubine and. Offsprings born from concubines were not recognized no matter how outstanding their talents were. Also, they were not given any formal education.

6) During commemorative rites for ancestors, the offsprings of concubines could only attend the service outside the chambers, in the yard.

7) Sangje stated that the idea of predominance of men over women should be banned and implemented this Himself by giving way to women.

8) He also wrote Yeojanggun (women warriors) on a paper and burnt it* thereby exalting the vigor of women.

*(this is one of Sangje’s Work to improve women’s social status)

9) Sangje lectured that He would eliminate the discrimination of commoners and noblemen, the differential treatment of offsprings of legal wife and offsprings of concubine and the predominance of men over women.

7. Mutual Beneficence

1) Powerful government officials are embroiled in factional strife and are only interested in multiplying their wealth through trafficking government office seats.

2) The Japanese exert violence and force to attain their avaricious ambitions.

3) The civilians are caught up in their avarice, committing robberies and conflicting amongst themselves habitually.

4) Even the weather is rough. The society has fallen into chaos.

5) One day Sangje asked, “How do you address me usually?”.

Gwang-chan replied “I address you as Chon-yangban (the nobleman in the rural area)”.

Sangje again questioned, “How does the rural nobleman address you?”

Gwang-chan again replied, 'I am called Uepnae-ajeon (petty official in the urban area)'.

6) Sangje asserted “Since Chonyangban addresses the urban official as Uepnae-ajeon-nom (humbled form of Ajeon) and the urban official addresses Chon-yangban as Chonyangban-nom (humbled form of Chon-yangban), this is to show their grumble caused by discrimination. When you and I reconcile, the whole world would make peace with one another.”

7) Sangje ordered Hyeong-ryeol Kim and Gap-chil Kim to make one paper lamp and one pair of straw shoes everyday for forty nine days. On the 49th day, 49 paper lamps and 49 pairs of straw shoes were made.

8) Laying these in front of Him Sangje stated, “I will make all people wear these straw shoes and bring light to every man's darkness with these paper lamps.” Then He sold the straw shoes and burnt the paper lamps.

9) Sangje lectured to His followers saying "Mutual conflicts have been ruling the human world as humam beings have been captivated by envy, jealousy and scheming caused by their greeds; and they have been living under grudges and inequality caused by discrimination. Therefore, I came to this world in order to rectify Heaven and Earth that has lost its way and form an Earthly Paradise with no mutual conflict”.

8. Transferring of Sangje’s teachings

1) In Gyeong-hak Kim's house Sangje declared: “Now is the time of Resolution of Grievances. So I will give teachings to the most humble ones first.” He called six shamans and took off their hats with headbands.

2) Then, He drew a bowl of fresh water, placed it on a table and made the shamans bow four times towards the shrine; He made them read the Sicheonju incantation three times.

3) Sangje ordered nine of His followers to sit around in Donggok Clinic (apothecary). Then He asked Gap-chil to randomly cut a branch of green bamboo. When Gap-chil brought the bamboo, they found out it having ten joints.

4) Holding up a piece of bamboo cut from the branch, Sangje said, 'This piece is the Great Leader. The Great Leader will have no limitations to exert supernatural power and knowledge. The rest of the bamboo pieces are its disciples.’

5) One day, Sangje said “I will show you how my teachings are to be transferred in the future.” And then He told His diciples to bring a basin of water and see the water while closing their eyes.

6) When the disciples looked into the water with their eyes closed, it turned into an ocean where the head of a snake and the tail of a dragon weltered in the waters. As they described what they had seen to Sangje, He said “My Work is the same as ‘a dragon with snake’s head”.

7) Sangje always preached His disciples, “Even if you were struck by a person,

8) comfort him by stroking his hand.”.

9) Sangje lectured to His followers, “Those who have well engaged in cultivation of Dao will have their minds and souls firmly together even after death and ascend to Heaven.

10) However, for those who have not cultivated themselves, their spirits would fade like smoke and foam”.

11) Sanjae said to His many disciples, “The Maitreya Buddha in Geumsansa Temple holds the cintamani(magical bead) in his hands. I, on the other hand hold it in my mouth.”

12) 'If you wish to see me, look at the Maitreya Buddha in Geumsansa Temple'.

9. Opening of the Earthly Paradise

1) In April of 1902 at Hyeong-ryeol Kim's house Sangje said this would be the Reordering Work of Three Realms of Heaven, Earth and People.

2) He stated, "We should not mimic what others have made, but create new things."

3) “For comparison, it is like walking on eggshells every time you use your parents' assets.

4) To live in an old house there are dangers of accidents and it is also very worrisome and hard to live. Therefore we should re-create Heaven and Earth”

5) “In the Former World, all humans and matters were ruled by mutual conflict and incompatibility. The world lost its morality due to accumulated resentments.

6) Various catastrophes and misfortunes occurred and the world became gruesome. Therefore I will resolve all grudges piled up for millions of years by presiding the deities,

7) and through the principle of Mutual Beneficence, build the Earthly Paradise of Later World to save the people.”

8) “To reorder the universe I am willing to renovate Heaven and Earth, and then renew the human beings by rectifying their constitutions and personalities. So do not cause Cheok (emotional grudges) to others but promote the betterment of them.”

9) “In the Later World, all the people will become one family. Authoritative, forceful and punitive measures would not be used.

10) The public will not be anguished by enmity, resentment, avarice and obscenity. There will be no gap between the rich and the poor.

11) People would become wiser and see through the past, present, future and all other worlds.

12) Calamities caused by water, fire and wind would be lost and the world will be transformed into an auspicious Earthly Paradise.”

10. Founding of the Religious Body

1) The founder, Doju was born on the 4th of December (lunar calendar) in Hoemun-ri, Chilseo-myeon, Haman-gun, Gyungnam in Jo's family who had anti-Japanese principles. His honorific name is Jeong-san.

2) When Jeong-san was fifteen, his family, whilst taking an active role in the anti-Japanese campaign, felt threatened by the time of Korean-Japanese annexation. Therefore on 28th of April 1904, the family sought asylum in Bongcheon, Manchuria.

3) Whilst participating in save-the-nation campaign with his comrades,

4) Doju decided to save the nation by cultivating Dao. During the cultivation of Dao in the mountain, on the 10th of February 1917 at the age of 23, he achieved spiritual enlightenment through Daesoonjinri (the Great Truth unfolded by Sangje).

5) Abiding to the divine revelation of Sangje Kang, he returned to his homeland through sea route after nine years of asylum.

6) Doju travelled the splendid mountains and rivers cultivating himself Dao.

7) Then he went to the house of Gi-bu Kim in Ma-dong, Jeong-eup, Jeolla province and received a sealed letter from Madam Seondol, the younger sister of Sangje.

8) He established a temple in Dochang-hyeon, Gutae-in, Jeonbuk and started religious activities. When it was gaining more popularity around the end of the Daito wars, he ceased religious activities due to the Japanese dissolution act for religious groups.

9) Doju established Hoeryongjae (the house built for commemorative rites for ancestors) in his hometown, Hoemun-ri. And he made one of the executives keep in touch with other disciples for communication.

10) After the nation's independence in 1945,

11) Doju established the headquarters temple in Busan, Gyungnam and worked to revive religious activities.

12) In April of 1958 at the age of sixty four, before many executives, he made a will to entrust the management of the religious body to the present leader, Dojeon Park and passed away.