Overview

Daesoonjinrihoe(大巡眞理會) is the biggest Religious Order among the other 60 orders that follow the ideology of Jeungsan (the honorific title of Gang, Il-Sun, Gang Seong Sangje, Sangje, the Heavenly Lord, the Supreme Ruler of the Universe) Sangje (1871~1909), who was religiously active in the late 19th century. It was established in 1969 by Dojeon Park han-gyeong, who to this day has developed into the largest national religious group in Korea.

It originated from Jeungsan (1871~1909), Jo Cheol-Je, also known as Jeongsan (1895~1958), succeeded Jeungsan’s ideology, Jo Cheol-Je established the Religious Order, ‘Mu Geuk Do’, in 1925. Then, in 1948, it changed its name into ‘Tae Geuk Do’. In Jeongsan’s succession, the Religious Authority was handed down to Wudang Bak Han-Gyeong (1917~1996), and changed the name to ‘Daesoonjinrihoe’ in 1968. The development of it has been rapid and unparalleled in the history of world religions.

The meaning of Daesoon, part of the name of it, is that Guchon Sangje greatly itinerated Samgye (Heaven, Earth and Mankind) in order to save the world from disorder, to construct the Later orld of earthly paradise, and to examine all the problems in the human world thoroughly and carefully.

"All the saints of origin, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas gathered to appeal to the ninth heaven for the calamity of the human race and the deities. Thus, I, Sangje descended to Cheongyetap, Daebeopguk in the west, where He greatly itinerated and watched heaven and earth, and then went to the land of the east. He stayed in the three-story Maitreya Statue of Geumsan Temple in Mt. Moak for 30 years..." (Gyoun 1: 9, Jeonkyung)

The object of belief is Gucheon Sangje, Gang Jeungsan. He is respectfully called Gucheon Eungwon Noeseong Bohwa Cheonjon Gang Seong Sangje. As the Supreme God who superintends and controls all creations in the universe and the three worlds of Heaven, Earth and Mankind. He incarnated to the human world personally in order to create an earthly paradise. He made Cheonji Gongsa (the great Reconstruction of Heaven and Earth), and announced Daesoonjinri (principle of the universe): there has never been anything like it before, nor will there be anything like it again. The Founder of Dao, Jo Jeongsan, who created Dao with the succession of the Religious Authority, through the revelation (letter in a closed envelope) of Gang Jeungsan Sangje, is respectfully named Jo Seong Okhwang Sangje. Then Dojeon Bak Wudang received the Religious Authority from Doju’s late will. He established the Religious Order of Daesoonjinrihoe.

Now, the number of doins(deciples, people who practice dao) totals approximately 8 million. There are five dojangs: Yeoju Bonbu Dojang(located in Gaya-ri, Yeoju-gun, Gyeonggi-do), Geumgangsan Toseong Suryeon Dojang(located in Inheung-ri, Toseong-myeon, Goseong-gun, Gangwondo), Seoul Junggok Dojang (located in Jungok-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul), Pocheon Sudojang(located in Seondan-dong, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do) and Jeju Suryeon Dojang (located in Nohyeung-dong, Jeju-si, Jeju-do). Nationally, there are approximately 120 Hoegwans (assembly halls), around 200 Hoesils (assembly centers), and over 2,000 Podeoksos (regional centers for propagation).