What is Donghak, the Eastern Learning?

“East” is the center of all the living things of heaven and earth where the principles of nature and civilization are reborn. “Learning” means “learning the Dao and the Teachings.”

Then, what are the three main messages of Eastern Learning?
First, it was the message of ‘the arrival of a new age of enlightenment for all people’ through Mugeukdaedo (無極大道), the Supreme Dao of Mugeuk, that opens pathway for the infinite wisdom and Creation-Transformation and the divinity of creation, which fully activates the divinity of the creator residing within our own body.

Cultivate yourself with the Supreme Dao of Mugeuk and the destiny of the next fifty thousand years shall be yours. (KD 1:8:29-30)

This “Supreme Dao of Mugeuk” represents the mind of the cosmic autumn that builds a new order of civilization based on the new order of heaven and earth.

Second, when the order of heaven and earth is in transition from cosmic summer to cosmic autumn, a mysterious disease will occur, thereby completely changing the history of human civilization and bring about the ‘gaebyeok again’ through the destiny of the disease.

The fate of the mysterious disease spreading across the entire world—is this not the coming of gaebyeok? (KD 1:8:29-30)

Last is the news of the Era of Serving the Heavenly Lord, the message that Sangjenim, the lord of heaven and earth, will incarnate in the Eastern land as a human being to give salvation to humanity before the time of gaebyeok.

시천주 조화정 영세불망 만사지
侍天主 造化定 永世不忘 萬事知 (도전 1:8:13)
Si-cheon-ju Jo-wha-jeong Yeong-se-bul-mang-man-sa-ji
Serving the Lord of Heaven and Earth, who determines the destiny of the Immortal Paradise of Creation-Transformation, I shall never forget, throughout all eternity, His infinite grace of bestowing enlightenment into all matters. (KD 1:8:13)

Sangjenim (上帝), the Ruler of the Universe, is the original lord we have revered in the heavenly rite culture, which we have served for more than 9,000 years in the East. And through Sangjenim’s incarnation into the Eastern land and the advent of His dharma, the culture of humanity is about to enter the era of God the Father. These are the three core messages declared by the Eastern Learning.