Chapter Three: The Wonhwa Do View of Man-Part3 (CONTINUED)
D. The Position of Man
This fourth section in Wonhwa Do's view of man deals with the position which
he occupies in the created world. By this we are referring to the relationships
a human being should have witth the Original Being and with other created beings.
This is important to know because it helps man understand his value and his
responsibility more clearly.
Man is meant to hold two positions in the universe: the object position and
the subject position.
1. The Object Position of Man
The Principle of Harmony explains that man's primary position in life is to
be the object of the Origin. It is for this reason that he was originally conceived,
since Shimjung requires an object of relationship.
It was to fulfill this position that man was conceived with an original character
(Shimjung, logos and creativity) patterned after the Divine Character of the
Origin.
Gaining an awareness of this position produces a special kind of inner attitude
called "object-consciousness". When someone achieves this state, his
heart (Shimjung), thought (logos) and action (creativity) act in consonance
with the Origin's own. This is the first level of harmony, which Wonhwa Do aims
to cultivate. In such a relationship, the unity of the Origin and man is realized
through perfect subject-object relationship. This state of inner harmony is
what many past masters have aimed at in one way or another.
In Wonhwa Do, object-consciousness causes the student to conceive of himself
as objective to his instructors, parents, and ultimately to the Origin. Object-consciousness
manifests itself through actual virtues such as loyalty, filial piety and obedience.
On the other hand, attitudes such as arrogance, disunity and egocentricity are
indications of an off-centred consciousness.
2. The Subject Position of Man
The Principle of Harmony identifies the second position of man as the subject
position. This means that he is originally meant to occupy a position of authority
or "dominion" in the world. This would require him to achieve a degree
of expertise in some field. Then, with this qualification, some things of the
world - including people in an organisation - could be the objects of his dominion.
He could manage them creatively to achieve goals and experience enjoyment.
Such dominion should not be abusive of course. Original subjectivity depends
upon having first achieved object-consciousness, meaning harmony with the Origin.
This object-consciousness is the prerequisite for a person to have subject-consciousness
for is what keeps the heart, thought and action centred upon Shimjung.
A person in the subject position should act with the awareness that he represents
the heart and thought of his own subject, and this is ultimately the Origin.
Thus, he should manage his objects in a manner which reflects his regard for
the concerns of his own subject.
In Wonhwa Do, this means that a senior practitioner must regard his juniors
in the way that the founder would. He must be benevolent, dignified, strict
and provide a model for the personal development of the junior students. On
the other hand, arrogance and brutishness are signs of off-centred subjectivity
and a consciousness which is cut off from the founder.
E. Standards of Harmony
The Principle of Harmony upholds three standards of harmony, which a person
must attain to achieve his original human nature. These are Individual harmony,
Conjugal harmony and Universal harmony.
1. Individual Harmony
Individual harmony refers to the unity of mind and body centred upon the Origin.
This is the first standard and the equivalent of individual perfection. It is
also the basis for all subsequent development.
The diagram indicates that in this state, the mind is subject of the body and
the body is responsive to the mind.
The mind is also centred upon the Origin's Shimjung, and thus the intellect,
emotion and will are likewise centred. Because of that, the heart, thought and
actions of such an individual would cause joy for both the Origin and himself.
The virtues associated with this kind of centred harmony are loyalty and filial
piety. This is the reason why Wonhwa Do is focused on their cultivation.
2. Conjugal Harmony
Conjugal harmony refers to the unity of husband and wife centred on the Origin.
This is the second standard of harmony and it is the reflection of the harmony
of yang and yin in the universe.
Conjugal harmony provides the foundation for building an ideal family. In such
a situation, a man and woman who have each achieved individual harmony engage
in marriage and produce children who would then also learn how to attain individual
harmony. The result would be a family where Shimjung is fully manifested: the
husband would love the Origin, his wife and his child; the wife would love the
Origin, her husband and her child; the child would love the Origin, its father
and its mother; and the Origin would have them all as His objects of Shimjung.
As the diagram indicates, the result is a beautifully centred family with "twelve
bonds of love" uniting them.
Because of this standard, Wonhwa Do aims at producing men and women who can
be faithful husbands and wives embodying the virtue of "fidelity",
as well as parents with the virtue of "benevolence". This standard
also makes such behaviour as infidelity and child abuse violations of the Principle
of Harmony.
3. Universal Harmony
Universal harmony refers to the unity of mankind with nature and created things
centred upon the Origin. This is the third standard of harmony and the basis
for an "ideal world".
In this situation, original man would be the true subject of the creation and
the creation would be responsive to him. He would exercise a dominion of creative
authority over all things. Centred upon Shimjung, he could then use the materials
of the earth to create clothing, furniture, tools, buildings, roads and all
manner of things. This would bring happiness to man, to nature and to the Origin
who created it all.
Because of this standard, Wonhwa Do encourages an attitude of respect, appreciation
and responsibility for the things in the universe. Students start by caring
for their bodies, uniforms, and the training hall. This should then be projected
into an appreciation for all things.
F. Original Nature and Fallen Nature
The ideal of original human nature is as we have explained it thus far. However,
in reality, man struggles with the weight of "fallen nature". This
is related to deviant behaviour and a reversal of human values. This means that
the desires of the body take priority over those of the mind. Thus, sensory
gratification takes precedence over the pursuit of values, meaning truth, beauty,
goodness and love. In such a state, fallen human nature causes a person to behave
in a selfish and self-centred manner.
Fallen nature distorts every other aspect of the original nature: it causes
confusion in man-woman relationships; it distorts original individuality into
narcissism; it corrupts the original heart, morality and creativity; it destroys
the proper awareness of object and subject positions; and it causes disharmony
in the individual, the family and the world.
In Wonhwa Do, fallen nature is the main barrier to development. Through the
student-teacher relationship and years of discipline and training, all the tendencies
of fallen nature must be stripped away so that the student's original human
nature can be revived and strengthened.
Conclusion
These are the basic ideas of Wonhwa Do's view of a man of harmony, one with
original human nature. While there are similarities with the traditional views,
the differences are apparent.
To repeat, in Wonhwa Do, harmony is not only a matter of union between mind
and body; nor is it a matter harmony with forces of life or the universe. It
is aimed at harmony with the Original Being. In many views however, the Origin
is reduced to an infinitely vast and unknowable force or entity.
In Wonhwa Do however, though vastness is not denied, there is a stress on the
resemblance between the Original Being and the human being, which He purposed
in order to make their relationship possible. Specifically, this resemblance
occurs between the divine nature of the Origin and the original nature of man.
Firstly, The Origin possesses the correlative attributes of Sung Sang-Hyung
Sang and yang-yin, and man possesses the corresponding attributes of mind-body
and man-woman. And secondly, the Origin possesses the Divine Character of Shimjung,
Logos and Creativity, and man possesses the original character of Shimjung,
Logos and Creativity. Thus, despite their differences, the Original and the
human being bear resemblance to one another. This provides a basis for understanding
and allows especially the relationship of Shimjung - which the Origin intends
and which man needs - to be fulfilled. To help establish this essential relationship
is one of the greatest goals of Wonhwa Do. Chapter 3: The Won Hwa Do View of Man...BACK (2)