Кореяның жаңа діни ағымы: Чжунсандо тарихы

South Korean new age religion

Jeung San Do (hangul=증산도), occasionally called Jeungsanism, meaning "The Dao/Tao of Jeung san", although this term is better reserved for a larger family of movements, is a new religious movement founded in South Korea in 1974. It is one of more than 100 Korean religious movements that recognize Gang Il sun (also known as Kang Jeungsan, or Chungsan), an early 20th century religious leader, as the incarnation and personification of Sangjenim (hangul=上帝任, the "governing spirit of the universe") and performed a "reordering of the universe" through his mission and rituals. The religion is characterised by a universal message, millenarianism, and a method of healing meditation.

A number of branches of Jeungsanism trace their origins to Goh Pan Lye (Subu, literally "Head Lady," 1880–1935, although in Kang's circle there was more than one "Subu"), a female disciple of Kang Jeungsan. Around September 1911, Goh gathered around her a number of Kang's followers. Eventually, Goh's male cousin, Cha Gyeong Seok (1880–1936), a leading disciple of Kang, became the leader of Goh's branch. Dissatisfied with this situation, Goh separated from Cha in 1919 and established her own new religion. In the 1920s, Cha's branch, known as Bocheon gyo, became the largest Korean new religious movement and possibly the largest religion in Korea, with some 6 million followers. It declined rapidly after Cha's death in 1936, and fragmented into several competing group, as did Goh's organization. Jeung San Do is the largest among the branches claiming a lineage originating from Goh. It was founded by Ahn Un san (born in 1922), who established his first religious organization in 1945. After further divisions, Ahn founded Jeung San Do in 1974 together with his son, Ahn Gyeong jeon (b. 1954). Jeung San Do believes that, as Kang was God the Father, Goh, revered with the title of Tae mo nim, was God the mother and between 1926 and 1935 performed her own reordering of the universe. Jeung San Do is the movement within Jeungsanism with the most visible presence abroad, although it is not the largest branch in Korea. The central text of Jeungsanism, the Dojeon, was first published in Korean in 1992. The name "Dojeon" is used by other branches of Jeungsanism for their own, different sacred texts. Jeung San Do's version contains detailed description of Jeungsan Sangjenim's and Taemonim's ("Great Mother") lives and of Cheonjigongsa, the "Renewal of Heaven and Earth". The Jeungsanist theory stresses the concept of Tao, the way of nature. Jeungsanism is often understood as having stemmed from Korean Sinism and Chinese millenarian Taoism, and is defined as one of the Korean indigenous religions.

Jeung San Do means "the Way [dao/do/Tao, 道] of the Jeung(甑)[siru] San(山)[mountain]". The word "jeung" is siru in Korean, which is Korean food streamer vessel for cooking Korean rice cakes, Tteok (hangul=떡). It signifies a vast vessel by metaphor that can contain everything in the world. To conclude, "jeung" (甑) denotes the process of rising, maturation, fruition or growth. "Jeung san" is also a traditional Korean descriptive term for the highest mountain in a region or "steamer mountain". "Do" (道) denotes Tao, the way. Considered as a whole, therefore, the name "Jeung San Do" signifies the highest truth that surpasses all existing religions and teachings.

According to Jeun Sang Do, Gang Il sun revealed to humanity that the universe embodies a four fold cycle. A "cosmic year" contains four cosmic seasons corresponding to birth, growth, harvest, and rest.

According to Jeung San Do, the History of Korea is that of a chessboard used by America, China, Russia, and Japan. While the Empire of Japan completed the annexation of Korea in 1910, they were merely pawns or workmen (ilkkun) of Sangjenim; racial brothers who saved Korea from domination by the Western great powers. The Japanese, according to this narrative, provided the "service" (pongsa) of modernizing Korea as penance for the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598). Accordingly, resistance against Japan was ill advised, and Chinilpa collaborationist organizations such as Iljinhoe should not be condemned. Koreans merely had to "wait patiently", as Jeung San Do taught, for the guests to vacate the board in order to assume ownership of the Korean Peninsula.