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The Unique Concept of God in Donghak (Eastern Learning): An Emanation of the Religious Experiences of Suun Choe Jeu

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Authors

Seong, Haeyoung

Issue Date
2022-06
Publisher
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Citation
Religions, Vol.13 No.6, p. 531
Abstract
The religious experience of Suun Choe Jeu (1824-1864) was a decisive starting point for the Donghak (Eastern Learning) religion. This paper illustrates how Suun's religious experiences-which are both dualistic and monistic-are foundational to the Donghak conception of God and are integral to Donghak's unique religious and ethical framework. Whereas the dualistic experiences are manifested both in Suun's first encounter with Sangje in 1860 and in Cheonsa mundap ("conversation with the Heavenly Master"), the monistic experiences are demonstrated in Suun's Osim jeuk yeoshim ("my mind is your mind"). Suun's monistic and dualistic experiences emerge as the monistic and dualistic aspects of Donghak's conception of God. In Donghak, God is both the object of a dualistic relationship with a human being and the object of a monistic or mystical union that confirms the ontological identity between God and humankind. Acknowledging the relationship between Suun's religious experiences and Donghak's concept of God reveals the weakness of the view that Donghak is merely a syncretism of Eastern and Western religions. Rather, Suun's religious experiences are formative to Donghak's unique conception of God; therefore, they are crucial to appreciating its religious and ethical creativity.
ISSN
2077-1444
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/10371/185678
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13060531
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