Chapter IV, Sec. 1: Insin'gangse (人身降世) View of the Heavenly Realm

1. Indigenous Modernity of the Insinhangse (人身降世) View of the Heavenly Realm

a. The View of Heaven as View of the Heavenly Realm

The transformation of Donghak Thought's View of Heaven, View of Earth, and View of Humanity through the intervention of the Transcendent Heaven is revitalized in Daesoon Thought as the Supreme God's (Sangjenim's) Insinhangse — his descent and incarnation in human form. Whereas the Transcendent Heaven in Donghak Thought was limited to appearing in the human world, in Daesoon Thought he descends directly in a human body. The process by which Daesoon Thought's View of the Heavenly Realm was established is made clearer by the following passage, which provides a condensed account of the emergence of Donghak Thought:

When Sangjenim was in the Nine Heavens (Gucheon), divine sages, Buddhas, and bodhisattvas appealed to him, saying that without him the confused Heaven and Earth could not be set right. He descended to the Heavenly Stairs Tower (Cheongyetap) of the Great Dharma State of the West, surveyed the Three Realms, and made a grand tour of the world. Coming to rest on the Eastern Land, he resided for thirty years in the golden statue of Maitreya at Geumsansa Temple on Mt. Moaksan. He transmitted the Mandate of Heaven and divine teachings to Choe Suun to found the Great Way, but withdrew the Mandate of Heaven and divine teachings in the year Gapja (1864). In the year Sinmi (1871) he resolved to descend into the world himself. — Jeon'gyeong, "Yesi" (Prophecy and Signs) 1¹

The Transcendent Heaven first appeared in the human world in Donghak Thought, but finding that this appearance alone was insufficient for humans to comprehend his will, he ultimately descends in human form. The backdrop for this was the situation in which Matteo Ricci had ushered in a Western modernity centered on materialism, bringing about the complete destruction of civilization under Heaven. Among the modern East Asian intellectual currents, it is difficult to find any other than Daesoon Thought that transcended nationalism to warn of the crisis of human annihilation posed by Western modernity. The Supreme God's Insinhangse, like the appearance of the Transcendent Heaven in Donghak Thought, brought about a total transformation of the View of Heaven, View of Earth, and View of Humanity.

Now I have renovated Heaven and reconstructed Earth, arranging the degree-measures so that not even a drop of water can leak through. The new framework will open as each thing returns to its appointed limits. Moreover, I will cause divine spirits to pass in and out of people's bodies, reforming their constitutions and characters; even a post, if imbued with energy, can be put to use. Care only for the foolish, the poor, the lowly, and the weak. Be on guard against all transgressions arising from heart, mouth, and will, and do not create grudges against others. The wealthy, the noble, the wise, and the powerful will all be snared in grudges and swept away like bean sprouts being pulled out, for where stale energy fills, great fortune is difficult to bear. In the halls, rooms, and storehouses of the rich, killing energy and calamity are overflowing. — Jeon'gyeong, "Gyopbeop" (Doctrines and Methods) 3–4²

In Daesoon Thought, the Transcendent Heaven is referred to as Gucheon (九天, the Nine Heavens / Supreme Heaven). Hereafter, the Transcendent Heaven and the Heaven-beyond-Heaven in Daesoon Thought will be referred to as Gucheon. Here, Gucheon denotes the divine title of Jeungsan: Gucheon Eungwon Noeseong Bohwa Cheonjong Gangseong Sangjenim.³ The reason Gucheon descends is to renovate the Heaven and Earth that had been functioning until then. Rather than rectifying Heaven and Earth from above, he is born directly as a human being, because only by being born human can he see the condition of Heaven and Earth from a human perspective. Gucheon, who at the beginning of time divided Heaven and Earth, now transforms into a being who is born human and renovates the Heaven and Earth he himself created.

One day, in the presence of his disciples, Sangjenim said: "The old Heaven has been merely watching over affairs that kill people. Hereafter, the ten thousand necessities of daily life will all run short, and survival will become impossible. Now they must be overhauled." He then conducted works for three days. When he had finished, he said: "I have barely managed to sustain life, yet able-bodied men will not have their fill, and the cries of hunger will reach to the Nine Heavens." — Jeon'gyeong, "Gongsa" (Works) 1–11⁴

The transformation in the View of Heaven — whereby the Heaven that had long been regarded as the ultimate being in existing religions becomes an "old Heaven" from the perspective of the Heaven-beyond-Heaven — is revealed through Gucheon's Insinhangse. In the face of a disordered age, the solution for restructuring affairs is proposed by Gucheon. Here, Gucheon does not pursue a "renewal and re-opening" (dasi gaebyeok) that renews the existing Heaven as Donghak Thought does, but instead aims at a "Later Heaven Gaebyeok" (Hucheon Gaebyeok) — a thorough overhaul and reconstruction. The form of revitalization through which the modernity of the View of Heaven is revealed by Gucheon appears as the Great Works of Heaven and Earth (Cheonjigongsa), which overhaul and reconstruct Heaven and Earth. The work of overhauling Heaven begins with the Underworld.

Sangjenim said to Kim Hyeongnyeol: "In the Former Heaven, all human affairs were under the domination of mutual conflict (sanggeuk), so the world was filled with accumulated and congealed grievances, and the Three Realms were saturated with them. Heaven and Earth lost their proper Way, and all manner of calamities arose, making the world wretched. Therefore, I intend to set in order the degree-measures of Heaven and Earth, harmonize the divine spirits, resolve the grievances of ten thousand ages, and establish the paradise of the Later Heaven through the Way of mutual beneficence (sangsaeng), thereby saving the people of the world. Without exception, whether matters are great or small, grievances must first be resolved through the divine Way. If the degree-measures are first firmly established and harmonized, they will serve as the framework, and human affairs will naturally be accomplished. This is none other than the Three-Realm Works (Samgye Gongsa)." He then commenced a portion of the Underworld Works (Myeongbu Gongsa). — Jeon'gyeong, "Gongsa" 1–3⁵

In the above passage, the meaning of "if the degree-measures are firmly established and harmonized, they will serve as the framework" is that the Heaven and Earth which are the foundation of all things will be newly transformed. The difference between the appearance of the Transcendent Heaven in Donghak Thought and the Insinhangse of Gucheon in Daesoon Thought lies in whether the Transcendent Heaven possesses a concrete, embodied form. It is through Insinhangse that the Transcendent Heaven acquires such embodied form. The elevation in status of the Earth and humanity brought about by the Transcendent Heaven is amplified through the embodied Insinhangse, so that the View of Earth and View of Humanity too come to possess concrete embodiment. The Supreme God's Insinhangse means that humans and the Transcendent Heaven can communicate not merely in spirit but even through the body, and the Earth too achieves an elevation in status as a being capable of welcoming the Supreme God's appearance.

After Gucheon descends in human form and seeks to overhaul Heaven and Earth, the divine spirits who had been governing the existing Heaven and Earth come to the fore. Accordingly, in Daesoon Thought — unlike in Donghak Thought — there appear a Heavenly Realm, an Earthly Realm, and a Human Realm constituted by a realm of divine spirits (sinmyeonggye). Thus, the characteristic of Daesoon Thought's View of Heaven is represented by the term "Heavenly Realm" (Cheonggye, 天界) within the Three Realms (Samgye, 三界). That Daesoon Thought uses the term "Three Realms" to denote the Heavenly Realm, Earthly Realm, and Human Realm is shown by the following passage:

The Three-Realm Works (Samgye Gongsa) is none other than the opening (gaebyeok) of the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. This opening is not something that follows what others have made; it is something newly created. It has never existed before and does not exist now; it is neither inherited from others nor something predetermined by fortune — it is something that can only be made by the Supreme God. — Jeon'gyeong, "Yesi" 5⁶

In the above passage, the character "gye" (界) in "Heavenly Realm" (Cheonggye) and "Three Realms" (Samgye) stands in contrast to the character "jae" (才) in the phrase "Three Talents" (Samjae, 三才, i.e., Heaven, Earth, and Humanity). "Three Talents" carries the meaning of three great timbers, materials, or capacities. In the above passage, the "gye" (界) of "Three Realms" is the "gye" of "world" (segye, 世界). What distinguishes the Three Realms from the Three Talents is that the Three Realms expresses a more complex and diverse inner world — that is, a system — comparable to the realm of divine spirits, rather than merely denoting three fundamental elements. Based on this system of divine spirits, Daesoon Thought's Three Realms differs from the traditional Three Talents in that dynamic and contemporary changes among Heaven, Earth, and Humanity take place simultaneously.

The Three Realms (Samgye) of Daesoon Thought differs from the Buddhist Three Realms, which refer only to the Heavenly Realm. Although Buddhism was the first religion in East Asian religious thought to use the term "Three Realms" explicitly, the Buddhist Three Realms refers to a Heavenly Realm comprising the Realm of Desire (욕계, 欲界), the Realm of Form (색계, 色界), and the Formless Realm (무색계, 無色界), and thus differs from Daesoon Thought's Three Realms, which encompasses the Heavenly Realm, Earthly Realm, and Human Realm. Daesoon Thought's Three Realms is closer to an expression that emphasizes the internal systems within the Three Talents (Heaven, Earth, Humanity).⁷

The View of Heaven, View of Earth, and View of Humanity can be rendered in English as "Cosmology." If "worldview" is worldview and "view of the universe" is Universe theory, then the View of Heaven, View of Earth, and View of Humanity as Cosmology is closer in English to "anthropocentricity" — a human-centered view of the cosmos — and differs somewhat from "Astronomy," which is a nature-centered view of the cosmos. The View of the Three Realms is also closer to anthropocentricity.⁸

Although there is no gradual, step-by-step change in the formation of Daesoon Thought's View of the Heavenly Realm, it can be divided into a View of the Heavenly Realm before and after the Great Works of Heaven and Earth, and the View of the Heavenly Realm becomes clearly apparent as its stages unfold. Therefore, the establishment of Daesoon Thought's View of the Heavenly Realm can be examined through the process by which it comes to light within Daesoon Thought itself. In Daesoon Thought, the View of the Heavenly Realm first appears in Suun's Celestial Dialogue (天師問答, Cheonsa Mundap). The "Yesi" section of Daesoon Thought expresses this as follows:

The intent of the Supreme God — to overhaul the degree-measures of the Former Heaven, open the path of the boundless paradise of the Later Heaven, resolve all grievances arising from mutual conflict (sanggeuk) in the Former Heaven, and save the multitudes of the world through the Way of mutual beneficence (sangsaeng) — has already been widely proclaimed in the world. — Jeon'gyeong, "Yesi" 6⁹

In this passage, "already widely proclaimed in the world" refers to Donghak Thought — to which Jeungsan had transmitted the Mandate of Heaven and divine teachings. Donghak Thought spread like wildfire in a short period of time, but Jeungsan's thought became more widely known in the world somewhat later, during the periods of Bocheon'gyo and Mugeukdo. It can therefore be understood from the above passage that Daesoon Thought regards Donghak Thought as the thought of Jeungsan. Through the above passage from the "Yesi" section of the Jeon'gyeong, we can see that Daesoon Thought interprets the View of Heaven in Donghak Thought — expressed in the phrases "Heaven and Earth are ghosts and spirits, and ghosts and spirits are yin and yang" and "the Supreme God is called a ghost and spirit" — as equivalent to Daesoon Thought's View of the Heavenly Realm.¹⁰

If the View of Heaven in Donghak Thought — represented by the phrase "Heaven and Earth are ghosts and spirits (gwishin), and ghosts and spirits are yin and yang" — partially reflected the concept of ghosts and spirits as a substantive entity among Eastern attributive Views of Heaven, then in Daesoon Thought's View of the Heavenly Realm the concept of divine spirits (sinmyeong) as substantive entities appears in a highly detailed manner within the system denoted by "Realm" (gye, 界). Just as the Celestial Dialogue (Cheonsa Mundap) was decisive for the founding of Donghak, in the case of Daesoon Thought the following passage shows in greater detail that the damage wrought by modern civilization, beginning with Matteo Ricci, was the decisive background for the Supreme God's Insinhangse:

One day, Sangjenim said to Kim Hyeongnyeol: "The Westerner Matteo Ricci (利瑪竇, Imadu) came to the East with the intention of establishing a heaven on earth, but owing to the long-entrenched corrupt practices of Confucianism, he could not easily bring about reform and was unable to fulfill his intent. He only opened the boundary between the above and the below — allowing divine spirits that had been strictly confined to their own regions and forbidden to cross into others to move freely among them — and after his death led the civilizational divine spirits (munmyeongshin) of the East to the West, where he opened the passage of cultural fortune (munun). From that time, the spirits of the underworld modeled themselves on all the wondrous methods of the heavenly realm and spread them in the human world. All the culture of the West is modeled on the form of Heaven." He then said: "That civilization inclined toward materialism, instead fostering the arrogance of humanity and ultimately shaking the heavenly principles and committing ceaseless sins in its attempt to conquer nature, thereby degrading the authority of the divine Way. As the constant Way of the heavenly principles and human affairs was violated and the Three Realms fell into chaos, the source of the Way was on the verge of being severed. When all the original divine sages, Buddhas, and bodhisattvas assembled and appealed to the Nine Heavens (Gucheon) on behalf of this calamity afflicting humanity and the realm of divine spirits, … I revealed the Great Way of Saving the World (jese daedo) to Choe Jeu (崔濟愚), but since Jeu was unable to transcend the Confucian canon and make clear the true meaning of the Great Way, I finally withdrew the Mandate of Heaven and divine teachings in the year Gapja (1864) and descended into the world myself in the year Sinmi (1871)." — Jeon'gyeong, "Gyoun" (The Circuit of the Way) 1–9¹¹

Daesoon Thought explains that the divine sages, Buddhas, and bodhisattvas requested the Insinhangse of Gucheon Sangjenim in response to the crisis of modern civilization brought about by Matteo Ricci; that accordingly, after transmitting the Mandate of Heaven and divine teachings to Suun without success, he descended in human form himself. The ills caused by Western modernity, arising from the encounter between East and West, form the background for the establishment of Daesoon Thought's View of Heaven.

The relocation of the Sacred and the Profane and the liminality of correlative thinking that Donghak Thought had set in motion are realized through the revitalization of Daesoon Thought. Daesoon Thought refers to this realization as the Gaebyeok that integrates the principles of all things, and also as the Seosin Samyeong (西神司命, the Western Divine Spirit Taking Command of Destiny) through which all things ripen.¹² Divine spirits (sinmyeong) are beings that, by the command of Gucheon — the Heaven-beyond-Heaven — nurture human beings through Heaven and Earth.¹³ Daesoon Thought's View of Heaven is able to effect Gaebyeok and Seosin Samyeong because it introduces the concept of divine spirits, which was absent from Donghak Thought's View of Heaven.¹⁴

The concept of sinmyeong had been mentioned in most texts from the mid-Warring States period onward, except in Mohist writings, but the understanding of each sinmyeong differed. In the "Shiji" (Records of the Grand Historian), it states: "The northeast is the dwelling of sinmyeong; the west is the tomb of sinmyeong (東北神明之舍, 西方明之墓也)" ("Fengshan Shu"), referring to the sun or solar deity. The Confucian tradition initially used it in the general sense of "divine spirits" (shin'gi, 神祇). Thus the "Zuozhuan" states: "The people in serving their lord love him as they love their parents, look up to him as to the sun and moon, and revere him as sinmyeong (奉其君, 愛之如父母, 仰之如日月, 敬之如神明)" (14th year of Duke Xiang), and the "Yizhuan" (Commentary on the Yi Jing) states: "In antiquity the sages made the Yi, subtly illuminating sinmyeong to produce the milfoil stalks (昔者聖人之作易也, 幽贊於神明而生蓍)." Shin'gi (神祇) refers to cheonsin ji'gi (天神地祇) — that is, the divine spirits of Heaven and Earth — and the solar deity is also a divine spirit of Heaven and Earth represented by the sun and moon; thus sinmyeong means the divine spirits of Heaven and Earth.¹⁵

In Donghak Thought, which holds that "Heaven and Earth are ghosts and spirits," and in Daesoon Thought, which speaks of the "old Heaven," "Heaven" means the Heaven prior to the division into Heaven and Earth — that is, Mugeuk (the Ultimate Void) — and thus the concepts of Mugeuk Daedo (the Great Way of the Ultimate Void) and Mugeuk Deity are emphasized. In Eastern thought, "Heaven" has been used in the dual sense of the Heaven-beyond-Heaven and the Heaven distinguished within the division of Heaven and Earth. Heaven-beyond-Heaven refers to the Heaven outside of Heaven, and in both Donghak Thought and Daesoon Thought it denotes the Supreme God.¹⁶

Lin Yunming (林雲銘) wrote: "Shen (神) is what Ming (明) stores, and Ming is what Shen puts forth — this speaks of the ultimate of the Daoist arts" (林雲銘, 『增補莊子因』, 廣文書局, Volume 6). Tang Junyi (唐君毅) wrote: "By sinmyeong is meant the mind of the Spiritual Terrace and Spiritual Treasury, which is a particularly characteristic feature of Zhuangzi. The difference between Shen and Ming is that Shen speaks purely of what issues directly from the mind itself, while Ming speaks of what can illuminate things by itself. Therefore, Ming is also within Shen" (陳鼓應 ed., 『莊子今注今譯』, Zhonghua Shuju, p. 856). Jiang Xichang (蔣錫昌) wrote: "Sinmyeong is simply another name for nature" (蔣錫昌, 『莊子哲學』, Mingyu Chubanshe, p. 188). (Kim Baekhyeon, 『道家哲學硏究』, Gangneung: Dongnyeok Chulpan Gihoek, 2002, pp. 106–107.)¹⁷

"The Supreme One generates water; water returns to assist the Supreme One, thereby forming Heaven. Heaven returns to assist the Supreme One, thereby forming Earth. Heaven and Earth repeatedly assist one another, thereby forming sinmyeong. Sinmyeong repeatedly assists itself, thereby forming yin and yang. Yin and yang repeatedly assist one another, thereby forming the four seasons." (太一生水, 水反輔太一, 是以成天。天反輔太一, 是以成地。天地復相輔也, 是以成神明。神明復相輔也, 是以成陰陽。陰陽復相輔也, 是以成四時。— Guodian Bamboo Slips, "Taiyi Sheng Shui") In this way, Heaven and Earth exist first, and Heaven and Earth mutually assisting one another repeatedly brings forth sinmyeong. After that, sinmyeong mutually assisting one another brings forth yin and yang. … Chinese intellectuals, especially Confucian scholars after the Song and Ming dynasties, generally liked to speak of Heaven and Earth (天地) and yin and yang (陰陽), but were not much inclined to speak of Heaven and Earth (天地) and sinmyeong (神明) together. (Kim Baekhyeon, 『道家哲學硏究』, Gangneung: Dongnyeok Chulpan Gihoek, 2002, pp. 161–162.) In the Guodian Bamboo Slips, the oldest extant text related to Laozi, Heaven and Earth are already interpreted through "sinmyeong" and "yin and yang," yet Confucian scholars after the Song and Ming avoided discussing Heaven and Earth together with sinmyeong. In contrast to Donghak Thought, which was bound by the Confucian canon, Daesoon Thought actively employs the concept of sinmyeong.¹⁸

The reason Daesoon Thought — unlike Donghak Thought — was able to incorporate sinmyeong is the Supreme God's Insinhangse. Unlike Donghak Thought, which remained in the form of revelation, Daesoon Thought, through the Supreme God's Insinhangse, creates an occasion for divine spirits to traverse into and out of human hearts and intervene in human affairs. In Donghak Thought, humanity was elevated to the status of beings capable of communicating with the Heaven-beyond-Heaven; now they are elevated further to the status of beings into whom Gucheon himself descends. This is Gucheon's Insinhangse, and Daesoon Thought's View of Heaven is thus characterized by Insinhangse. Insinhangse therefore completes the relocation of the Sacred and the Profane, and the liminality, initiated by Donghak Thought.

b. The View of the Heavenly Realm of Insinhangse (人身降世)

The aspects of Daesoon Thought's View of the Heavenly Realm can be summarized as two features: the Supreme God's Insinhangse, and the subdivision of the View of the Heavenly Realm. The View of the Heavenly Realm in Daesoon Thought is subdivided into: the Heaven outside of Heaven and Earth — the Heaven external to Heaven, Earth, and Humanity — where the Supreme God resides; the Heaven divided within Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, which is governed by the divine spirits of Heaven and Earth who have received the Supreme God's mandate; and yet another Heaven where the ancestral spirits (seon'nyeongsin, 先靈神) reside. This is first revealed in a dialogue with the disciple Kim Songhwan:

One day Kim Songhwan asked Sangjenim, "Is there yet another Heaven above Heaven?" Sangjenim replied, "There is." He asked again, "Is there yet another above that?" Sangjenim replied, "There is." This exchange was repeated nine times, and Sangjenim said, "That is enough to know." In later days Sangjenim evaluated Kim Songhwan as "a man who achieves nothing" (万事不成).¹⁹

From the above passage, it can be seen that Daesoon Thought's View of the Heavenly Realm is composed of nine or more overlapping heavenly realms. That Daesoon Thought's View of the Heavenly Realm is primarily divided into the Heaven outside Heaven (Gucheon) and the Heaven within Heaven, Earth, and Humanity — which nourishes all things according to the Supreme God's mandate — is shown in the following passage:

Thunder (雷, noe) is the Decree of Heaven (天令, cheonnyeong) and the Voice of Benevolence (仁聲, insseong). Thunder is formed by the union of the dual energies of yin and yang (陰陽二氣). Thunder is the substance (體) of sound, and sound is the function (用) of thunder. They divide Heaven and Earth and, through the changes of movement and stillness, advance and retreat, cause the energy of Heaven (天氣, cheon'gi) and the energy of Earth (地氣, ji'gi) to rise and descend, make the ten thousand things grow, and govern the transformations of generation and formation, nurturing and sustaining all things. — Daesoon Jinrihoe Yoram (Handbook), "2. The Object of Faith"²⁰

The above passage shows the background by which Heaven and Earth are generated by Gucheon. It is an explanation of the "Thunder" portion of the divine title of "Gucheon Eungwon Noeseong Bohwa Cheonjong Gangseong Sangjenim," the object of faith in Daesoon Thought. First, the phrase "divides Heaven and Earth" shows that Heaven and Earth were divided and created through Thunder by the Supreme God. Second, "causes the energy of Heaven (天氣) and the energy of Earth (地氣) to rise and descend" shows that the principle by which the Heavenly Realm and the Earthly Realm mutually nourish all things through rising and descending was intended by the Supreme God. Third, "makes the ten thousand things grow, and governs the transformations of generation and formation, nurturing and sustaining" shows that Heaven and Earth were not only created by the Supreme God but are also harmonized by him.

The reason Daesoon Thought's View of the Heavenly Realm must be constituted in such complexity is that the operation of Heaven and Earth must be highly systematic. The following passage shows the roles and functions that Heaven (天) in Daesoon Thought fulfills under the Supreme God's mandate:

One day, in the presence of his gathered disciples, Sangjenim said: "Even the yellow corbina fish caught in the Chilsan Sea are caught in the net after having been designated for whoever shall eat them, and farming works in the same way — the harvest is already designated for whoever shall eat it. There is no dying of starvation." — Jeon'gyeong, "Gyopbeop" 1–14²¹

The above passage shows that the flourishing of Heaven and Earth — including the fortunes and misfortunes of human beings — is determined by the operation of Heaven and Earth through divine spirits. Heaven even determines the number of yellow corbina fish caught in the Chilsan Sea. The view of the Three Realms in the above passage resembles the parallel universe theory in contemporary science, which holds that another universe identical to our own may exist.²²

In Daesoon Thought, even Heaven and Earth, which determine all affairs of the Human Realm, have themselves been harmonized by the Supreme God. The process by which the divine spirits of Heaven and Earth govern the operation of Heaven and Earth in Daesoon Thought is expressed as follows:

One day, Sangjenim said to Kim Hyeongnyeol: "I shall preside over the supreme authority of the Three Realms and open the heavens and the earth with creative transformation, establishing the paradise of the Later Heaven to broadly save the sentient beings drowning in the sea of suffering." He also said: "Now, as the age of decadence arrives, the Great Fortune of the Ultimate Void (Mugeuk Daewoon) is about to unfold. Be cautious in all things, do not create grudges against others, keep far from sin, And with a pure heart participate in the great public court of Heaven and Earth (Cheonji Gongjeong)." He then opened Kim Hyeongnyeol's spiritual eyes, allowing him to witness the assembly and the reception of commands (cheongnyeong) by the divine spirits. — Jeon'gyeong, "Yesi" 17²³

In the above passage, we can see that the divine spirits of Heaven and Earth assemble (hoisan, 會散) and receive the Mandate of Heaven (cheongnyeong, 聽令) from the Supreme God. However, this reception of commands and assembly is possible only through the efforts of Heaven and Earth's utmost sincerity, reverence, and faith. Even raising wind and rain requires the exertion of immeasurable effort by Heaven and Earth:

After these words, he said to Kong'u: "To raise wind and rain through the creative transformation of Heaven and Earth requires infinite effort. There is no way to know things in any matter without studying. Even a talent like Jeong Bukchang required three days of mountain retreat before he could comprehend all affairs under Heaven." — Jeon'gyeong, "Gyoun" 1–35²⁴

In the above passage, the statement that even raising wind and rain requires immeasurable effort shows that the Heavenly Realm is constituted by a complex system. Accordingly, even Heaven can become an "old Heaven" and be replaced by a "new Heaven."²⁵

One day, in the presence of his gathered disciples, Sangjenim said: "The old Heaven has been merely watching over affairs that kill people. Hereafter, the ten thousand necessities of daily life will all run short, and survival will become impossible. Now they must be overhauled." He then conducted works for three days. When he had finished, he said: "I have barely managed to sustain life, yet able-bodied men will not have their fill, and the cries of hunger will reach to the Nine Heavens." — Jeon'gyeong, "Gongsa" 1–11²⁶

The above passage shows, first, that the Heaven divided by the Supreme God can become an "old Heaven" when it has aged. Second, it shows that when the Three Realms fall into chaos, the Three Realms can reach a state of collision in which they seek to destroy one another. Even Heaven must be overhauled, and this is intended by the Supreme God. Regarding the concept of "Heaven" as the immanent Heaven of the East and the transcendent Heaven of the West, both Donghak Thought and Daesoon Thought synthesized the two concepts through the concept of Heaven-beyond-Heaven. The traditional Eastern concept of Heaven had also been used in the dual sense of Heaven-beyond-Heaven and immanent Heaven, but as Matteo Ricci pointed out, the concept of Heaven-beyond-Heaven had been concealed after Neo-Confucianism. The concept of Heaven-beyond-Heaven, hidden within the immanent Heaven of the East, re-emerged in Donghak Thought. Just as the concept of Mugeuk (the Ultimate Void) in the founding of Daesoon Thought — expressed in the phrase "太極外此無極 (Beyond the Taiji there is the Mugeuk)" — Donghak Thought and Daesoon Thought, through concepts such as Mugeuk Daedo (Great Way of the Ultimate Void) and Mugeuk Daewoon (Great Fortune of the Ultimate Void), emphasize that the concept of Heaven also encompasses Gucheon as the Heaven-beyond-Heaven.²⁷

The View of Heaven that emerged in Daesoon Thought presents a View of Heaven that surpasses (포월) the existing View of Heaven — in which Heaven was regarded as the ultimate being. Unlike the modern Western View of Heaven, which proclaimed "God is dead" and entirely negated the existing View of Heaven, denying the very existence of Heaven, Daesoon Thought presents a View of Heaven based on the concept of "adding a lineage" (gajong, 加宗) — that is, recognizing the existing Heaven while replacing the aging Heaven with a new Heaven. Through this, even the existing concept of Heaven — whereby divine spirits receive Heaven's commands (cheongnyeong) and assemble (hoisan) — is not discarded but inherited. Daesoon Thought's View of Heaven, in which the Western transcendent Heaven and the Eastern divine spirits (sinmyeong) are substantively and mutually integrated, relocates the relationship between the Sacred and the Profane, and by bringing the Sacred into everyday life, completes indigenous modernity and extends even to indigenous post-modernity.

[Section heading:] Revitalization of Eastern and Western Views of Heaven in the Insinhangse (人身降世) View of the Heavenly Realm

[Sub-section heading:] Revitalization of the Confucian-Buddhist-Daoist (儒佛仙) View of Heaven in the Insinhangse View of the Heavenly Realm

Daesoon Thought's Gucheon View of Heaven — substantiated through Insinhangse — also offers an integrative reinterpretation of the detailed aspects of East Asian Views of Heaven. The difference between the Confucian-Buddhist-Daoist View of Heaven as it appears in Daesoon Thought and Daesoon Thought's own View of Heaven lies in the differing interpretations of "Earth" (토, 土) within the yin-yang and Five Phases (eum-yang o'haeng, 陰陽五行) principle that Confucianism-Buddhism-Daoism and Daesoon Thought share.

One day Sangjenim said: "I am none other than Maitreya. The sixty-foot golden deity in Maitreya Hall at Geumsansa Temple holds a wish-fulfilling jewel in his hand, but I hold mine in my mouth." Then Sangjenim showed his disciples his lower lip, on which there was a red spot. The disciples also observed that Sangjenim's countenance greatly resembled the golden Maitreya deity at Geumsansa, that between his eyebrows was a round white hair-jewel (白毫珠), and that on his left palm was the character 壬 (im) and on his right palm the character 戊 (mu). — Jeon'gyeong, "Haengrok" (Record of Deeds) 2–16²⁸

In the above passage, the statement that "on his left palm was the character 壬 (im, Water) and on his right palm the character 戊 (mu, Earth)" reflects the typical image of "Earth overcoming Water" (土克水, to'geuksu), given that in Daesoon Thought's practice posture the right hand is placed above the left.

"Earth overcoming Water" (to'geuksu) is discussed in the Baopuzi (抱朴子), which describes how the five elements of the Five Phases can be compressed into two elements, Earth and Water. Here, Water represents all the remaining four elements (earth, water, fire, wind), and Earth corresponds to the fifth element. Even in the Five Phases, as in the Hado (River Chart), the fifth element existed separately and simultaneously alongside earth, water, fire, and wind. However, as the Hado — in which correlative thinking centered on attributes dominated — transformed into the Nakseo (Luo Writing), characterized by mutual conquest (sanggeuk), the fifth element became absorbed into the interior; with this, only the immanent deity remained while the transcendent deity became a hidden, nominal deity. From this point, Eastern power became autocratic and the Confucian canon was strengthened.²⁹

The reason to'geuksu (Earth overcoming Water) is important among the Five Phases is that the core principle of the Hado-Nakseo — namely, the principle that transforms a straight line into a cycle — becomes the Golden Fire Exchange (geumhwa gyoyeok, 金火交易). The Golden Fire Exchange is the principle that circulates the Five Phases by having Metal (金) and Fire (火) swap positions with each other. Since yin-yang and the Five Phases are grounded in the Hado and Nakseo, the Golden Fire Exchange becomes a key to understanding the transformations of the Hado and Nakseo. In the "Jeongyeok" (正易, Correct Change), the Supreme God Hwamu Sangjenim is said to be a lofty being who causes the Later Heaven to arrive through the Golden Fire Exchange.³⁰ The Hado and Nakseo came to be regarded in Eastern thought as the principles of the transcendent Heaven's cosmic creation and cosmic transformation, becoming the principle (理, li) that explains all things. Indeed, in the East, even today a library — a place where books explaining the principles of all things are gathered — is called "doseogwan" (圖書館), borrowing "do" (圖, Chart/Picture) from Hado and "seo" (書, Writing) from Nakseo. In the Hado, which is centered on mutual beneficence (sangsaeng), the Five Phases circulate in a mutual beneficence relationship in the order Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water. In the Nakseo, which is centered on mutual conquest (sanggeuk), the Five Phases circulate in a mutual conquest relationship in the order Water → Fire → Metal → Wood → Earth. The mutual beneficence of the Hado and the mutual conquest of the Nakseo meet, and the ten thousand things of the cosmos transform like the weft and warp of a weaving.

In the transformations of yin-yang and the Five Phases, the Golden Fire Exchange and to'geuksu emerge as central, first in the transition from Hado to Nakseo, and second in the circulation aspect of the Nakseo. Looking first at the transition from Hado to Nakseo: the difference between Hado and Nakseo is that Metal and Fire swap positions with each other. When Metal and Fire swap positions — that is, when the Golden Fire Exchange occurs — mutual beneficence becomes mutual conquest and mutual conquest becomes mutual beneficence; hence, the Golden Fire Exchange is the core principle in yin-yang and the Five Phases. Specifically, the Golden Fire Exchange means moving Metal, which was in the south in the Nakseo, to the west as in the Hado, by swapping the positions of Fire in the west and Metal in the south of the Nakseo. In the Nakseo, which progresses counterclockwise in the mutual conquest sequence of Water → Fire → Metal → Wood → Earth, swapping the positions of Metal and Fire produces a progression in the mutual beneficence order of Metal generates Water → Water generates Wood → Wood generates Fire → Fire generates Earth → Earth generates Metal.

"Those who study say that the cardinal directions will change, but how would they know that I have turned Heaven and Earth around?" — Jeon'gyeong, "Haengrok" 1–4³¹

In the above passage, the expression "I have turned Heaven and Earth around" means changing the operation of the cosmos through a reordering of the Eight Trigrams, as in the Golden Fire Exchange. In the world of the Yi Jing (Book of Changes), the Heaven-above-Heaven nurtures all things through Heaven and Earth; Heaven and Earth are constituted by the eight gates — Geon, Gam, Gan, Jin, Son, I, Gon, Tae (乾坎艮震巽離坤兌) — and Heaven and Earth are operated according to the Hado-Nakseo principles of origin-flourishing-harvest-preservation and firmness-pervasion-rightness-correctness (元亨利貞, 生長斂藏) by changing the positions of these eight gates. The expression that Heaven and Earth are constituted by the Eight Gates is concretely shown in the following passage:

One day Sangjenim wrote: "Heaven and Earth's Great Eight Gates (天地大八門) / Sun and Moon's Great Imperial Command (日月大御命) / Birds and Animals' Great Way of Arts (禽獸大道術) / Humanity's Great Accumulation of Virtue (人間大積善) / The time has come! The time has come! World of Divine Spirits (時乎時乎鬼神世界)." He gave this to Kong'u, who was living at Shin Gyeongsu's house, instructing him to attach it to the wall of Gyeongsu's house. He said: "I establish a Bureau of Lifespan (壽命所) at Gyeongsu's house. When encountering all people, take only their strengths, and even if faults are visible, forgive them well and do not hold resentment." He also said to Hyeongnyeol: "The Law begins in the capital and spreads to the ten thousand directions; thus I must use the energy of a person whose name contains the character for 'capital' (京). Therefore, at Gyeongsu's house I establish the Bureau of Lifespan, at Gyeonghak's house I establish the Great University, and at Gyeongwon's house I establish the Bureau of Fortune and Emolument (福祿所)." — Jeon'gyeong, "Yesi" 46³²

In the above passage, "Heaven and Earth's Great Eight Gates / Sun and Moon's Great Imperial Command / Birds and Animals' Great Way of Arts / Humanity's Great Accumulation of Virtue" represents the Eight Gates of Heaven and Earth as manifested in the trigrams Geon-Gon-Gam-I-Son-I-Gon-Tae (乾坤坎離巽離坤兌), with the dimension of time appearing as sun and moon. This shows that Gucheon's intent is immanent in the nurturing of Heaven and Earth through the Great Way of Arts of birds and animals and the Great Accumulation of Virtue of humanity that pervades all things. Origin-flourishing-harvest-preservation and generating-growing-harvesting-storing ultimately derive, as in the Hado-Nakseo, from the changes in the sequence of these Eight Gates.

In conducting the Golden Fire Exchange, to'geuksu (Earth overcoming Water) serves as the standard. The reason to'geuksu is the key to the Golden Fire Exchange is that the mutual conquest sequence of the Nakseo — Water overcomes Fire → Fire overcomes Metal → Metal overcomes Wood → Wood overcomes Earth → Earth overcomes Water — exists because of "Earth overcoming Water." Among the Five Phases, Earth is the only element that possesses both yin and yang. Among Metal, Fire, Wood, and Water — each of which possesses only one of yin or yang — the strongest in the Nakseo sequence is "Water" and the weakest is "Wood." Therefore, for the Five Phases to circulate in mutual conquest, the strongest, "Water," must be overcome by Earth — the being that possesses both yin and yang — and the weakest, "Wood," overcomes "Earth," so that the Five Phases circulate in mutual conquest. This applies equally to the Hado, which is based on mutual beneficence: for the cycle to proceed from Fire to Metal — which are mutually opposing in the conquest relationship — the mediation of Earth must occur in between.

Ultimately, Earth occupies a position among the Five Phases — Metal, Fire, Wood, Water, and Earth — yet is a separate being distinct from Metal, Fire, Wood, and Water. It is as if the Transcendent Heaven — which is the Heaven-above-Heaven — again intervenes in the Heaven divided within Heaven and Earth, appearing as an immanent Heaven by mingling with the elements within Heaven and Earth. The Earth of yin-yang and the Five Phases ultimately reveals the character of Heaven as both Transcendent Heaven and immanent Heaven. The dual nature of Earth corresponds very well to the enfolding nature (포월성, 胞越性) of liminality. Even in Eastern thought, this was recognized early on, and it was understood that the core of yin-yang and the Five Phases is to'geuksu (Earth overcoming Water).

五行之義 土克水也 (The great meaning of the Five Phases lies in Earth overcoming Water.) — Ge Hong, Baopuzi (抱朴子), Inner Chapters, Zhonghua Shuju, 1985, Vol. 9, p. 320³³

Daesoon Thought shows its distinctive character in revitalizing the existence of "Earth" (土) by mentioning "to'geuksu" in the expression that Gucheon is none other than Maitreya. In practice, the prayer times of Daesoon Jinrihoe are observed during the hours of the Earth phase — that is, the hours of jinseul-chugmi (辰戌丑未). The image of Gucheon as the existence of "Earth" appears in Daesoon Thought through the expression "Gucheon Daewon Johwa Jushin" (九天大元造化主神, the Great Original Divine Lord of Creative Transformation of the Nine Heavens).

Gangjungsan (姜甑山) Sungsa (聖師), possessor of boundless wisdom, limitless virtue and transformation, and supreme authority, and a great religious figure of history, as the Gucheon Daewon Johwa Jushin (九天大元造化主神) presided over the supreme authority of the Three Realms and made a grand tour of the world (大巡). He then descended greatly into the human world, set in order the degree-measures of Heaven and Earth that had lost their proper Way, opened the path of the boundless paradise of the Later Heaven, sought to establish a Heaven on Earth, and broadly save the divine spirits (sinmyeong) immersed in calamity and the sentient beings of the world drowning in disaster. He traveled and roamed widely, conducting the Great Works (大公事). Through the Truth of the Great Way of Union of Virtue of Yin and Yang (陰陽合德), Harmonious Transformation of Spirits and Humans (神人調化), and Haewon Sangsaeng (解冤相生), and through the principle-method (理法) of Divine-Human Guidance (神人依導), he concluded the Works of Heaven and Earth (天地公事) with Boeun (報恩, Repaying the Grace of Heaven and Earth) centered on Haewon (解冤, Resolution of Grievances). Through the Way of the two principles of Haewon and Boeun, all the grievances accumulated throughout the ages will be resolved, and the world will be made into a Paradise of the Way (道化樂園) free of mutual conflict (sanggeuk). This is precisely the Truth of the Grand Tour (Daesoon, 大巡). — Daesoon Jinrihoe Yoram, "Chwiji" (Purpose and Aims)³⁴

The above passage shows that Daesoon Thought expresses Gucheon as Gucheon Daewon Johwa Jushin (九天大元造化主神). Daesoon Thought shows how the Three Realms have been nurtured and transformed through the Way of Heaven and virtue of Earth, in accordance with the principle of "to'geuksu."

曰有道, 道有德, 德有化, 化有育, 育有蒼生, 蒼生有億兆, 億兆有願戴, 願戴有唐堯 (wol yu do, do yu deok, deok yu hwa, hwa yu yuk, yuk yu changsaeng, changsaeng yu eokjo, eokjo yu wondae, wondae yu dangnyo. There is the Way; in the Way there is Virtue; in Virtue there is Transformation; in Transformation there is Nurturing; in Nurturing there are the sentient beings; in the sentient beings there are the hundred million; in the hundred million there is the veneration of the people; in the veneration of the people there is Tang Yao [the sage-king Yao].) — Jeon'gyeong, "Gyoun" 1–66 (Park Seungsik, "The Meaning and Ideological Value of Eumyang Habdeok," Daesoon Sasang Nonchong 2, 1997, p. 260)³⁵

The above passage shows in greater detail than the "nurturing of Heaven and Earth" (cheonji hwayuk, 天地化育) expressed only briefly in the "Zhouyi" (I Ching). Daesoon Thought, which reveals the substantive Gucheon, shows that the Way and Virtue derive from Gucheon and nurture the hundred million sentient beings through the principle of the Way of Heaven and Virtue of Earth, and that the ultimate goal of nurturing is the "success" of Heaven and Earth and humanity following the Supreme God's Insinhangse — the emergence of a perfected person who, like Tang Yao, knows the grace of Heaven and Earth and knows how to repay Heaven and Earth.³⁶

Due to the dual nature of "Earth" (土), the Eastern intellectual tradition's View of Heaven — centered on attributes — had forgotten the existence of Gucheon, and Daesoon Thought identifies this as the major problem of the Eastern View of Heaven. The forgetting of Gucheon appears, first, in the fact that Matteo Ricci's attempt to establish a heaven on earth failed due to the corrupt practices of Confucianism;³⁷ second, the forgetting of Gucheon deepens into the Heaven Under All Heaven becoming entirely ill (天下皆病), which entails the loss of loyalty, filial piety, and chastity — that is, the forgetting of Heaven-beyond-Heaven and of Heaven-and-Earth's sincerity, reverence, and faith; and third, it advances even to the stage of betraying Heaven and Earth (背天地) through the exchange between East and West.

One day Sangjenim said to Kim Hyeongnyeol: "The Westerner Matteo Ricci came to the East with the intention of establishing a heaven on earth, but owing to the long-entrenched corrupt practices of Confucianism, he could not easily bring about reform and was unable to fulfill his intent." — Jeon'gyeong, "Gyoun" 1–9³⁸

世無忠 世無孝 世無烈 是故天下皆病 (se mu chung, se mu hyo, se mu yeol, si go cheonha gae byeong. In the world there is no loyalty; in the world there is no filial piety; in the world there is no chastity. Therefore, all under Heaven is ill.) — Jeon'gyeong, "Haengrok" 5–38 (Education Department, "Daebying jieyak," Daesoon Hoebo 64, 1999)³⁹

誓者元天地之約 有其誓 背天地之約 則雖元物其物難成 (seo ja won cheonji ji'yak, yu gi seo, bae cheonji ji'yak jeuk sui wonmul gi mul nan seong. A vow is a covenant rooted in Heaven and Earth. If that vow is a covenant that betrays Heaven and Earth, then even the fundamental thing [wonmul, 元物] will be difficult to accomplish.) — Jeon'gyeong, "Gyoun" 1–66 (Education Department, "Yugi seo bae cheonji ji'yak jeuk sui wonmul gi mul nan seong," Daesoon Hoebo 30, 1992)⁴⁰

The above passages appear in the passage first mentioning Matteo Ricci and explaining the outline of the Works of Heaven and Earth, in the "Byeongse-mun" (文 on the Illness of the Age) left behind after Jeungsan's ascension, and in a core passage contained in the "Hyeonmugyeong" (Classic of the Dark Warrior). This shows that the background of Daesoon Thought's emergence lies in the East-West forgetting of Gucheon.

[Sub-section heading:] Revitalization of the Western View of Heaven (天觀) in the Insinhangse View of the Heavenly Realm

The most striking difference distinguishing Daesoon Thought's View of Heaven — which integrates the substantialist View of Heaven of the West (which had consistently argued for a transcendent Heaven-beyond-Heaven) with the attributive Eastern View of Heaven through a substantialist View of Heaven — compared to other Views of Heaven, is that the attributive principles of yin-yang and the Five Phases are added to Gucheon. This difference first becomes apparent in the divine title of Daesoon Thought's Heaven-beyond-Heaven: "Gucheon Eungwon Noeseong Bohwa Cheonjong Gangseong Sangjenim" (九天應元雷聲普化天尊姜聖上帝). Whereas the Western Heaven-beyond-Heaven appears only as names such as "God," "Zeus," and "Allah," the attributive Eastern View of Heaven is reflected in the divine title of Gucheon in Daesoon Thought, where the attributive qualities of yin-yang and the Five Phases are clearly expressed. In Daesoon Thought, yin-yang and the Five Phases are the principle of origin-flourishing-harvest-preservation (元亨利貞) through which Gucheon nurtures Heaven and Earth. This is clearly apparent in the "Gucheon" and "Bohwa" parts of the divine title "Gucheon Eungwon Noeseong Bohwa Cheonjong Gangseong Sangjenim." Looking first at "Gucheon":

As for Gucheon (九天): As seen in the passage in the Jeon'gyeong — "…all the divine sages (神聖), Buddhas (佛), and bodhisattvas (菩薩) assembled and appealed to the Nine Heavens (九天)… (Gyoun 1–9)" — this means they appealed to the highest position (位) of the Most Venerable One (天尊) who presides over (總轄) this entire universe. That Gucheon is precisely the highest position from which the Supreme God comprehensively surveys (統察) the Three Realms, manages (調理) the Creative Yin and Yang forces (乾坤), and refines (調鍊) the workings of transformative change (運化). — Daesoon Jinrihoe Yoram, "The Object of Faith"⁴¹

In the above passage, Daesoon Thought's Gucheon listens to the views of divine spirits such as divine sages, Buddhas, and bodhisattvas. The characterization of Gucheon as "the Most Venerable One (天尊) who presides over (總轄) this entire universe" is shared with the Western concept of the transcendent Heaven, but the difference appears in the fact that Gucheon "comprehensively surveys (統察) the Three Realms through divine spirits, manages (調理) the Creative Yin and Yang forces (乾坤), and refines (調鍊) the workings of transformative change (運化)." Whether or not divine spirits are involved is a characteristic distinguishing difference between Daesoon Thought and the Western View of Heaven.

Western religion (seogyo) severely mistreats divine spirits, so it will not be able to succeed. — Jeon'gyeong, "Gyopbeop" 1–66⁴²

This passage from the Jeon'gyeong points out that although the Western View of Heaven — which emphasized the transcendent Heaven — has a point of superiority over the Eastern View of Heaven, by denying immanent divine spirits (sinmyeong) the Western religious View of Heaven, even if it is a substantialist View of Heaven, is a View of Heaven that will be hard-pressed to "succeed." Here, "success" does not refer to individual achievement; rather, in Daesoon Thought "success" refers to the success of Heaven and Earth when they meet as yin and yang to nurture all things and produce humans comparable to Heaven and Earth — just as in human education, when parents raise children who surpass themselves, it is called "the blue surpasses the indigo" (靑出於藍, cheongchul eoran), and one is said to have succeeded in raising one's children.

Sangjenim said: "Henceforth is the age when Heaven and Earth succeed. The Western Divine Spirit (Seosin, 西神) takes command of destiny and reigns over all existence, and by gathering all principles together, brings about great accomplishment — this is none other than Gaebyeok. Just as in the autumn wind some things fall and others ripen, those who are genuine will obtain great fruit and their lifespans will long flourish, while those who are false will wither and fall, perishing forever. Therefore, the divine authority is wielded to purge the unjust, and divine benevolence is extended to aid the righteous. Let those who seek blessings and those who seek life exert themselves." — Jeon'gyeong, "Yesi" 30⁴³

As shown in the above passage, Daesoon Thought's transcendent View of Heaven, through the immanent View of Heaven, nurtures Heaven and Earth according to the principle of generating-growing-harvesting-storing, and shows that Heaven and Earth together with humanity are judged by the Western Divine Spirit (Seosin) on whether they have "succeeded." Daesoon Thought's View of Heaven combines the Eastern attributive View of Heaven and the Western substantialist View of Heaven, which are thereby doubly substantiated. What is especially distinct is that Gucheon issued the mandate to Heaven and Earth to nurture all things. This appears in the "Bohwa" portion of Gucheon's divine title:

As for Bohwa (普化): This means that all existence (萬有) in the universe, in its formation with and without form (有形 無形), is the virtue and transformation (德化) of the Most Venerable One (天尊). — Daesoon Jinrihoe Yoram, "The Object of Faith"⁴⁴

The above passage shows that the original division of Heaven and Earth into yin and yang through Thunder signifies Gucheon's Bohwa — the intention to nurture Heaven and Earth. Here, "bo" (普) in "Bohwa" (普化) carries the meaning of the "bo" (普) used in the word "universal" (보편적, 普遍的). In the history of religious thought, "bo" (普) and "hwa" (化) were terms symbolizing the Heaven-beyond-Heaven. For example, in the West, "Catholic" — which denoted the Heaven-beyond-Heaven — meant "universal," and "hwa" (化, transformation/nurturing) was the Eastern concept of Heaven nurturing all things. The term "Bohwa" (普化) carries the meaning that the transcendent Heaven concepts of East and West are integrated to nurture all existence.

In the concept of "Bohwa," the difference between the Western concept of transcendent Heaven — which holds that all things were created — and Daesoon Thought's concept of Gucheon — which holds that all things are created and then nurtured — stands out clearly. If the concept of "Thunder" (Noeseong) in Gucheon's divine title in Daesoon Thought carries the meaning of "creation" in common with the Western transcendent Heaven's View of Heaven, then "Bohwa" relates to the evolution of the created things. Since the rise of evolutionary theory, there have been many debates in the West between creationism and evolutionism surrounding the transcendent Heaven's View of Heaven, but in Daesoon Thought's View of Heaven this debate is resolved.

Although the Western substantialist transcendent Heaven appeared as the Fifth Element in the Greco-Roman tradition and as a monotheistic God in Christianity, there is a common background of the Fifth Element in both Views of Heaven. Among the early disciples of Jesus, Paul, who was deeply versed in Greco-Roman philosophy, also utilized Greco-Roman philosophy to explain the teachings of Jesus. Given that earth, water, fire, and wind formed the cosmology of the Bible from the appearance of Christianity through modernity, the Fifth Element plays the role of the transcendent Heaven in Christianity as well. Daesoon Thought's Gucheon, which applies the dual nature of "Earth" (土) to the explanation of the transcendent Heaven, encompasses and transcends the meaning of the Western Fifth Element. The transcendent yet immanent dual View of Heaven that Daesoon Thought has substantiated synthesizes the Views of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity of East and West, ancient and modern, and advances beyond modernity toward post-modernity.

Daesoon Thought's substantialist View of Gucheon represents the stage of revitalization (1+2+3=1′) — the liminality aspect of indigenous modernity that encompasses and transcends: (1) the Eastern attributive View of Heaven, (2) the Western substantialist View of Heaven, and (3) Donghak Thought's transcendent View of Heaven.⁴⁵