Hanol-gyo

The progenitor of Hanol-gyo, Dangun (the founding father of Korea who established the old Korean empire, Gojoseon)[7] initiated the principles of the Hanol Spirit (the teachings on Enlightenment and Awakening)[8] introducing the possibility of spiritual transcendence to its people: the evolution of human consciousness from the ego-state to the enlightened-state.[9]

Approximately 4300 years later, the principles of the Hanol Spirit were consolidated into a religious foundation by another awakened being, Shin Jeong Yil, the founder of the Hanol religion (Hanol-gyo).[10] Dangun's famous dictum, well known as the founding principle of Korea is to "unite and benefit all in existence-홍익인간 Hongick Ingan”.[11]

Hanol principle is the teachings on enlightenment and awakening; it pursues self-liberation of consciousness rather than the traditional ways of religious worship.[12]

According to the Official Guidance, Hanol-gyo is an unconventional religion: it allows its participants to practice other religions as well. It regards all enlightened beings (Dangun, Buddha, Jesus, Lao-tzu, Confucius, etc.) as teachers of enlightenment and awakening,[13] and various religions as the pursuit of Universal Truth in different ways. Its aims are to understand and practice Universal Truth, and to overcome all forms of segregation (e.g. Religion, Race, Ideology and so on).[14]

"The founder's Doctrine "Na-Ol is Han-Ol" means “My spiritual essence is the spiritual essence of Han”"[15] HAN is a profound word symbolizing Infinity & Totality and Universal Truth.[16] The native name for Korea is Han Kook, meaning "the Nation of Han".[17]

"Hanol-gyo helps to find one's true nature (Na-Ol) which is one with Han-Ol,[15] and fulfill one's true nature by practicing love, wisdom and devotion — the will of Absolute Benevolence." [18]

In the churches and temples of Hanol-gyo, there are no figures to worship: instead there is an "Empty Chair" that symbolizes the invisible and silent nature of one's true essence beyond one's physical form of self and mental form of ego — the Na-Ol.[19] The invisibility and stillness also reflect the essence of Hanol, which is ultimately one with Na-Ol.[20]

In the historical record of Hanol-gyo(한얼교),[21] Shin Jeong Yil (신정일) the Founder, achieved spiritual awakening in 1965, and spread the teachings on Hanol.[4] He re-established the Hanol religion, which was on the verge of distortion and extinction after 5,000 years of historical turbulence.[22]

"The conversion of 800,000 people to the Hanol Spiritual movement laid a foundation for the creation of the Hanol Spiritual Foundation, which was approved by the Korean Government as a legitimate religion in 1967."[14] The Governmental recognition led to the rapid development of its branches throughout the country[23] and the followers of Hanol-gyo reached 2 million members at its peak. According to the «Encyclopedia of Korean Culture», there were 2 million followers during its heyday. Another survey of the «Current status of religious groups» published by the Ministry of Culture and Public Information shows that there were 520,000 followers in 1982, and approximately 410,000 followers in 1997, with 186 branches located throughout the country including the main temples in the major cities of Seoul, Busan and Daegu.[15]

In 1970, the main temple of Hanol-gyo was built at the heart of the National Sanctuary Mani Mountain (the origin of the Old Korean Empire) and Hanol-gyo began an annual pilgrimage to pray for the peace of mankind.[24] It re-established 5,000 years of tradition initiated by the progenitor Dangun.[14]

In 1998, Shin Jeong Yil published the Hanol Scriptures, the compilation of 36 books containing the profound teachings of the 'Hanol principles' and its applications on philosophy, epistemology, metaphysics, science, economics, politics, society, nature, culture and religion.[25]

In 1999, Shin Jeong Yil died[26] and unprecedented number of holy crystals of sari (sacred matter found among the cremated remains of enlightened monks and Buddha) were recovered.[27] According to the news record,[19] "The sari was opened to the public and well known celebrities, including the spiritual leaders of other religions, paid a visit to witness the sari: Hanol-gyo has been exhibiting the sari at the Commemoration Ceremonies of the Founder."[28]

In the absence of the founder and faced with the major Korean IMF financial crisis,[29] the legal descendant Sewon Shin (a former artist well known as a genius young painter, until he gave up his art and majored in politics, philosophy and economics - PPE at Oxford University)[30] restructured the Hanol-gyo foundation.[31] During his leadership, Sewon refrained from the traditional concepts of ritual and transformed Hanol-gyo into a more liberal, flexible organization.[32] In accordance with the founder's last will on the religious unification, he officially made religious conversion unnecessary and constitutionalized religious multiplicity so that the adherents of Hanol-gyo could participate in other religions as they wish and vice versa.;[3]

He also integrated art with the teachings of Hanol principles: he introduced the ”Art of Enlightenment and Awakening” which is the expression of the Hanol spirit in the form of art and architecture.[6] He made it official that the “Art of Enlightenment” could replace the symbolic function of the regional chapels of Hanol,[15] and permitted that particular traditional ceremonies and the formality of rituals could be substituted by simple contemplation on the “Enlightenment Art” or meditation on self-awareness.[33] He implied that “illuminating the uncontaminated lights of Enlightenment Art could represent the quintessence of the Hanol spirit better than a thousand books analyzing or explaining them".[6]

After stabilizing Hanol-gyo, Sewon Shin resigned and returned to his art introducing a new form of art called Transart.[32]

Under the collective leadership of the Board of Hanolgyo, the main temple of Hanol at Ganghwa Mani Mountain was reconstructed in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Hanol-gyo’s re-establishment.[34]

In 2016, the founder Hanim’s holy crystals of Sari and the engraved plates of the Hanol scriptures were exhibited[35] at the founder’s commemoration ceremony of its 50th anniversary.[36]

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary general assembly,[37] the entire foundation members of Hanol-gyo officially agreed upon endorsing religious innovation called Hanol Spiritual & Cultural Movement of Art.[38]

The Hanol Spiritual and Cultural Movement of Art is a new way of experiencing religious philosophy without religious obligation or religious participation by integrating Art and Spirituality.[39]

On the official request of Hanol-gyo, the former leader Sewon Shin provided his artworks ‘Optical Awakening’ as a spiritual device for the Hanol Spiritual & Cultural Movement of Art which enabled the audience to experience the Hanol principle and its philosophy without any conventional religious activity.[40]

According to the guidance to Trans-Art, ‘Optical Awakening’ is a direct expression of enlightenment and a catalyst for awakening in Art form, in which people can experience the quintessence of spiritual teachings simply by appreciating the artworks, rather than participating in a conventional form of religious activity or becoming a spiritual seeker.[41]

By using Tran-Art [Optical Awakening], as teaching material and as a learning device of Hanol Spiritual Art, non-religious participants of Hanol-gyo has grown critically. It presented a new possibility for the development of religious culture and structural evolution of religion by expanding the religious boundaries in a wider perspective.[42]

The former leader Sewon's art provided a basis for the 1st and the 2nd reformation of Hanol-gyo.[43]

• 1966 The Path: the Meditation on Transcendence (묘도경)
• 1967 The Theories on Form, Formlessness and Transcendence of Form (진공묘유론), The Book on Truth and Nature (정연장서)
• 1968 The Incredibility of Truth (바른 모습의 신비), The principles of Unification: Truth Movement (정일운동요람), Transcendentalization (정화)
• 1969 The Book on the Reflection of Truth (정학경서)[45]
• 1970 The Introduction to the Theory of Truth (정학입문)
• 1972 The Philosophy on Transcendentalization (정화이념)
• 1973 The Emergence of Unified Religion (통합종교의 출현)
• 1975 The Enlightened and Awakened Progenitor, DANGUN
• 1976 Spirit Truth Happiness (얼.바름.행복)
• 1978 The Sacred Book on Human-race, Humanity, HANOL (민족성전, 인류성전, 한얼경서)[1]
• 1980 The Concept of HANOL Spirit (한사상), HANOL-GYO (한얼교)
• 1981 The Quintessence of HANOL Spirit (한사상의 본질)[46]
• 1982 The First Principle of HANOL Spirit (한사상의 원론)[47]
• 1984 Shin Jeong Yil, The Founder of Hanol-gyo (한얼교 창교주 신정일)
• 1985 The Quantum Physics of HAN (한과학론)
• 1986 The Political Theory of HANOL and its applications (한주의온얼사상론)
• 1987 The Reflection of HAN (한경), The proposal to Constitutional Reform on Presidential Election (대통령직선제 개헌을 제의한다)
• 1988 The Texts of 13th Presidential Candidate Speech (제13대 대통령 후보 연설문집), The HANOL Scripture (한얼말씀(한얼성서)), The Technology of Trans-Spirit (첨단정신 기술학개론)
• 1989 The Path (나의 길), HANOL Political Philosophy (한주의 정치 철학)
• 1990 The Peaceful Unification of Korean peninsula(한반도 통일)
• 1991 The Trinity of Possibility (가능성의 삼위일체), The Equilibrium of Korean Unification (한반도 통일을 향한 중도 노선)
• 1993 The Theoretical Approaches on HAN: Mathematics and Science (온울과학 성격수학 개론)
• 1994 The Text book on HANON theory (신정일 정신한온학)[48]
• 1995 The Guidance to Enlightenment and Awakening (한얼교 육대원리 교리서)
• 1996 The Sacred Doctrine of 10,000 years (한님의 만년교리)[49]
• 1998 The HANOL (36books) (한얼말씀 36권)

• Shin Jeong Yil

• (in English) Official website