A Study on Heart-Mind of Daesoon Thought from the Perspective of Neo-Confucianism: Focused on Numinous Emptiness, Wise-awakening, and Divine Beings

Abstract

This study aims to look into Daesoon Thought from the perspective of Neo-Confucianism. Numinous emptiness (虛靈), wise-awakening (知覺), and divine beings (神明) in the Scripture of the Black Tortoise (Hyeonmu-gyeong) are often mentioned as characteristics of the mind in Neo-Confucianism. Accordingly, this research take up the ‘Che-Yong (substance, 體 and function, 用)’ of mind by classifying numinous emptiness as Origin-Substance (本體), wise-awaking as function, and divine beings as subjects. Numinous emptiness enables an individual to have been born with Li (理) of Taegeuk (太極), which is a mandate from Heaven and the nature of humanity; whereas one embodies spirit and brightness mind based on Origin-Substance. This numinous emptiness of mind is precisely the mind-spirit. Wise-awakening is a function of mind, which actually awakens numinous emptiness (理) and objects (氣). The mind which realizes the Li of Taegeuk as * 이 글은 북경대학종교문화연구원, 북경대학일본문화연구소, 북경대학인문학부 공동 주 최의 ‘2017東亞人文論壇’(2017.8.6.) 발표문을 수정ᆞ보완한 것임. ** 아시아종교연구원 연구원, E-mail: awsdrf42@naver.com 238 대순사상논총 제31집 / 연구논문 numinous emptiness is conscientiousness and can be taken as a Dao-Mind. The mind which desires objects refers to the Human Mind or a selfish motive. Such propensity in terms of wise-awakening determines the state of mind. One should reach the state of a quiet mind by wisely awakening through the scripture. Divine beings correspond to metaphysical Origin-Substance and physical objects respectively. In addition, they comprehend all and preside over wise-awakening as subjects. The subject recognizes wise-awakening and responds to it. Mind is a path traveled upon by divine beings as they enter and exit. In this regard, the human mind refers to the organ used by immanent deities, which accumulates physical senses, innermost mental processes, and awakened activities. Furthermore, Transcendental deities also come in and out through mental correspondence, leading to changes in one’s physical constitution or personality. This paper focuses on the mind perceived in Daesoon Thought as follows: first, besides the existing spiritual perspective, the research takes a view on surveying numinous emptiness, wise-awakening, and divine beings in Neo-Confucianism. Secondly, the Che-Yong of mind is closely looked into by means of innate numinous emptiness as Che and wise-awakening as Yong. Lastly, the essence, energy, and divinity as well as spiritual soul and physical soul are mentioned according to the concept of an immanent deity. The paper also clarifies the fact that divine beings preside over the mind as subjects.