The Religious Implications of the Concepts of Public and Private Affairs in the Daesoon Thought

This article examines the religious implications of the concept of public (gong, 公) and private (sa, 私) affairs as presented in Daesoon Thought. To achieve this, the article first explores the three main meanings of gong and sa in the East Asian tradition: ① gong as ruling powers or institutions and sa as the personal sphere, ② gong as communal interests or opinions and sa as individual interests or opinions, and ③ gong as fair ethical principles and sa as unfair, immoral intentions. The analysis reveals that Daesoon Thought strongly emphasizes the conceptualization of gong and sa in terms of ethical principles and immoral aspects. The practice of distinguishing between gong and sa is seen as an important way to open up the new order of life, called the Earthly Paradise of Later World, that Daesoon Jinrihoe aims to achieve. Daesoon Thought's theory on public versus private, which restrains the private (sa, 私) and prioritizes the public (gong, 公), provides a solid framework for self- transformation through moral practice, enabling participation in the Earthly Paradise of Later World envisioned by Jeungsan, the originator of Daesoon Jinrihoe's teachings.