Master Haeweol and the Era of the Hidden Way 

(Eundoshidae, 隱道時代)

Haeweol (海月) Sinsa‘s (神師) original name was Choi Gyung-sang. But later he changed his given name to Si-hyung (時亨) by himself in ordre to emphasize his teaching that living truth must be effectively applied and used in one’s life. This teaching was called the preaching of Yongsi-Yonghwal (用時用活).

Haewoel Sinsa was a very low and poor social class. In mid-nineteenth century Joseon dynasty’s political, social, economical equilibrium had been broken by the maternal relatives of the King. Owing to these problems public sentiment had been more ugly day by day and the fortune of country had been on the decline slowly. By this time, on the March 21 in the 33rd year before Podeok (1827) Haewoel Sinsa was born at the small hamlet Hwangori in the east of Gyungju. His father was Choi Jongsu and his mother was Mrs. Bae. Considering that time, his father was a poor farmer one of the typical poor classes.

Losing both parents at an early age, Haewoel Sinsa earned his living as an indentured farm hand, an paper mill employee, an slash-and-burn farmer, and so on. Then, in the second year of Podeok (1861), upon hearing the rumor that Daesinsa had spread a new truth that would save the world at Yongdam pavilion near Gyungju, he went to see Daesinsa, whereupon he became a follower of Donghak. After entering the Donghak, Haewoel Sinsa worked during the day and engaged in hard training at night according to the Daesinsa’s teaching. At last he arrived at the profound stage hearing the voice of God (Choneo, 天語).

Daesinsa who was knowing this devotion and regardfulness of Haeweol Sinsa transferred him Donghak’s initiative at last. In this way Haeweol Sinsa succeeded Daesinsa and became the second leader of Donghak. However before long Daesinsa had been arrested and punished by beheading at the Daegujangdae. After that time the pursuit of Joseon court to arrest the star pupil Haeweol Sinsa was tightened more. To avoid this situation Haeweol Sinsa hided deep in the Taebaek Mountains and the Sobaek Mountains the provinces of Gangweon-do, Gyungsang-do and Chungcheong-do.

Here in the deep valleys of the Taebaek Mountains and the Sobaek Mountains Haeweol Sinsa passed thirty-six years in hiding and lived in avoiding government searches by moving among fifty different locations. But Haeweol Sinsa did not bide his time in hiding. He gathered the scattered Donghak followers, established the Donghak organization, extended the influence of Donghak and devoted himself in training of Muguekdaedo (無極大道) inherited from his teather Daesinsa. Therefore he became a truly leader of Donghak. In Chondogyo this time is called as the era of spreading the truth in hiding in other words the era of faith in secret (隱道時代).

In the 30th year of Podek (1872) Haeweol Sinsa still hiding in Yonghwadong the provincial town of Youngyang came out from the deep mountains to join Lee Pilje. Together with Lee Pilje in Younghae Haeweol Sinsa unfurled the Campaign to Exonerate the Founder of Donghak (敎祖伸冤運動) for clearing the Daesinsa’s name. But their effort was failed. So Haeweol Sinsa escaped again into the deeper Taebaek Mountains and lived in hiding. In spite of the living in the backwoods Haeweol Sinsa did not neglect training for a moment and taught Donghak followers for their properly training. From the 21st year of Podeok to the 22nd year of Podeok (1880~1881) he collected and compiled the scriptures written by his teacher Daesinsa. Through this process he published the Dongkyungdaejeon (東經大全) and the Yongdamyusa (龍潭遺詞). Even if the terrible conditions of government repression and search, this effort that Haeweol Sinsa gathered tens of thousands followers finally contributed to spreading out the religious influence of Donghak nationally.

Since then Haeweol Sinsa revived the Jeop (接) system in order to harden the organization of Donghak more systematically. And he made the Po (包) system in order to improve the fundamental structure being able to control and manage the Donghak followers in the whole country systematically. Through this organized system Haeweol Sinsa launched extensive campaigns to clear the church founder’s name in such places as Gongju, Samnye, Kwanghwamoon and Boeun. These campaigns were the first large-scale demonstrations of concentrating the popular will in our country and were the large assemblies against the society and the government by Donghak organization that had hidden until that time.

This exoneration campaign for the Donghak Founder evolved into an Anti-Foreign Powers Movement called as Repelling the West and Repelling the Japan (斥洋斥倭). This movement led soon to the Gabo Donghak Revolution (甲午東學革命). Thus in the 35th year of Podeok (1894) Haeweol Sinsa led the Gabo Donghak Revolution to protest the corruption of Joseon government and the incursive ambition of Japan. But he was defeated by the Japan’s army using the new-type weapons. Therefore Haeweol Sinsa lived in run and was finally arrested by the chasing royal forces in the 39th year of Podeok (1898). He died a martyr for his faith like his teacher Daesinsa at the execution platform and then he was 72 years old.

Haeweol Sinsa was a pioneer who did not submit to the rough conditions of the times at all. Through unflinching devotion and desperate effort, he practiced the Truth in his life and revived the critical Donghak organization and led Donghak organization strongly and lived in his teachings. He is called as the Second Great Church Leader of Chondogyo (天道敎 2世 敎祖).