Daesun Jinrihoe

Beliefs

Daesun Jinrihoe followers believe that Gang Il-Sun was Sangjenim, or the Supreme God, in human form. Sangjenim descended to earth and assumed human form at the end of 19th century in order to teach human beings the ritual for the Reordering of the Universe. Other revered figures include Jesus Christ, the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci, buddhas and bodhisattvas.Daesoon jinri hoe articulates its four tenets, which are Harmony of yin and yang, Harmonious union of divine beings and human beings, Resolution of grievances for mutual beneficence and Unification with Dao. These four tenets contain the whole teachings of Sangjenim.

According to the religion's own teachings, it originated from the promulgation of never-before-revealed Truth by Gucheon Sangje (the Supreme Being of the Ninth Heaven) Kang Jeungsan, who descended to Korea 146 years ago. Thereafter, Doju Jo Jeongsan, who inherited the orthodox religious authority through a revelation from Gucheon Sangje, established the Daesoon Truth on a firm foundation through specific ways of spiritual cultivation. Lastly, Dojeon Park Wudang, who accepted the leadership bestowed upon him by the last words of Doju Jo, founded and advocated Daesoonjinrihoe, and spread Sangje's Daesoon Truth widely.

It is a splinter of the syncretic religion founded by Gang Il-Sun (1871–1909, also known as Chungsan Kang). Another splinter is the religion Jeung San Do, which was founded in 1974. Jeung San Do is better known outside Korea, but less widely followed within Korea; the two religions are bitter rivals.

Daesoon Jinrihoe teachings are often similar to Confucianism, including an emphasis on reverence, sincerity, and trust, but they diverge from the patriarchy and social hierarchy of that belief. Daesoon jinri hoe builds on terminology and ideas found in all of Korea's religious traditions, so some call it the "quintessential Korean religion". Baker says it is "more than the sum of its parts", not Buddhist, not Confucian, not Daoist, not Cheondogyo, and not shamanistic. but all of these and more. Some followers of the religion believe in a Trinity (similar to the beliefs of another Korean religion, Taejonggyo), made up of Gang Il-Sun, Cho Ch’ŏlje, and Park Han-gyeong. Cho Ch’ŏlje (1895–1958) was the founder of the religion Taegukdo, a precursor to Daesun Jinrihoe. Followers believe that there will be a "Great Transformation", after which humans will live in a universe with no poverty, disease, or war, and with no need for divine intervention. They have a chant, called T'aeul, which they believe hastens this transformation. The kaebyŏk (개벽, literally "dawn of a new age") or apocalypse has been predicted several times by the group, including in 1984.

History

Little is known of the founder, Park Han-gyeong, who stayed out of the public eye despite being said to be charismatic by Daesun Jinrihoe's leadership. To realize the historical context of Daesoon jinri hoe, it is required to understand its religious lineage. The predecessor of Daesoonjinrihoe is known as Taeguekdo, which was called Mugeukdo before, but An Introduction to Daesoonjinrihoe describes its history, in terms of not the transition of the religious bodies but that of the religious lineage from Sangje Kang Jeungsan(1871~1909), Doju Jo Jeongsan(1895~1958) to Dojeon Park Wudang. Park was a follower of Cho Ch’ŏlje in Pusan, and when Cho died in 1958 Park led the "New" branch of his followers. The other branch was led by Cho's son, Cho Yŏngnae. The two branches fought, sometimes violently. In 1969 Park established a religion that was initially called T’aegŭkchillihoe in Chunggok-dong in Seoul. The religion took on its present name, Daesun Jinrihoe, in 1972. After Park died in 1996 there was a power struggle, because he has not named a successor and he had not been expected to die before the predicted kaebyŏk (apocalypse). In July 1999, 1,500 people from one faction raided the headquarters in Yŏju and drove out Yi Yujong and his followers, and a face-off had to be broken up by riot police. In January 2000, Yi's faction unsuccessfully tried to retake the compound.

Activities

Daesun Jinrihoe is known in Korea for building educational and medical establishments, including Daejin University, which was founded in 1992. As well as spiritual activities, they campaign on issues such as the environment, gender equality, reunification of Korea and world peace. Every month, the members of Daesoonjinrihoe make a monetary contribution, which is all sent to the head office. Over 70% of the money then goes to the three major activities: relief and charity, social welfare, and education. The total of over 660 billion won (about 560 million USD) was used for those fields for 39 years between 1975 and 2013) Daesoonjinrihoe is a practical religion which actively puts its doctrines into action, and its activities are more influential and contributive than any other religions in Korea, from the viewpoint of its scale.

Membership

The religion has a following among Korean housewives, businessmen, and students. It claims a membership of six million, though a 1995 survey by The Chosun Ilbo found it had 67,632 followers (sixth behind Wŏn Buddhism with 84,918 followers), and a 2005 census revealed fewer than 35,000 Koreans claimed a belief in a Chungsan religion, of which Daesun Jinrihoe is one. The survey and census may have underestimated the number of followers due to a lack of a specific category for Daesun Jinrihoe and other new religions, and because followers do not label themselves with a religious affiliation.

By the mid-1990s Daesun Jinrihoe had over 1,500 centers, and the headquarters at Yŏju can house 10,000 people. The growth of the religion has been attributed to its nativism, beliefs in magic, messianism and enlightenment, a focus on the present, and the efficiency and hierarchy of the organization. Daesoon philosophy also gains persuasive power from its focus on the ethical concerns that have been at the center of Korean religiosity for millennia.