The shift in cosmic seasons is brought about by a shift in the heavens. There exist two quite different heavens that raise human civilizations with different principles. There are the Early Heaven and the Later Heaven. The period from Cosmic Spring to Summer is called the Early Heaven (선천). The period from Cosmic Autumn to Winter is called the Later Heaven (후천).

The basic principle of Early Heaven is Sanggeuk. Sanggeuk means mutual restraint or mutual conflict. Since the purpose of the Early Heaven is to produce and grow humans and nature, the principle of competition and struggle is inevitable in the Early Heaven. As a result of the principle of mutual conflict and domination, all things on earth in the time of cosmic spring and summer develop in an imbalanced way. That’s why even our pole is shifted in one direction.

During the Early Heaven, the axis of the earth is tilted. Due to this tilt, we have extreme cold and extreme hot. It is owed to the principle of mutual conflict and domination that we have conflicts and competition, which result in imbalance and disparity. This disparity and imbalance in economics is the cause of wars and various kinds of suffering in human societies, including fierce competition, regional conflicts, natural disasters, and endless wars.

These are all derived from the Sanggeuk nature of Early Heaven. Because nature itself operates within such a Cosmic Principle of conflict, humanity lives under the environment of disparity and imbalance. The important thing we must grasp is how to evolve beyond this age of conflict. The Later Heaven is dominated by the principle of Sangsaeng, mutual life-giving and life-saving. This is a period that matures and unifies human civilization and nature.

Therefore, eternal peace and harmony is accomplished in the Later Heaven. Until we understand this, we cannot go beyond the framework of the past thinking. When we have advanced from the time of Cosmic Summer to the Cosmic Autumn, all natural disasters and wars of the Early Heaven will end. We will enter a period of harmony and balance between nature and humanity. This new order of the Universe is Sangsaeng. What does Sangsaeng mean? Sang means mutual or each other. Saeng means to save or to benefit. Thus Sang-Saeng means to save each other and to benefit each other.

In the coming age, extreme cool and warm weather disappears from earth. Yin and yang energy comes into balance in nature and in civilization. Complete balance and harmony comes about and the order of oppressed yin and revered yang change to the order of equal yin and yang energy. Thus discrimination of women in the work force, unequal rights for women, the income gap between men and women—all these issues will be resolved and all natural disasters will end. Sangjenim introduced a secret method called uitong to help us usher in this new era. Uitong means to unite humanity by healing.

Humanity cannot become one unless and until the wrongs of the past that are paining humanity are healed. We cannot simply say, “Let’s get together and hold hands.” We have to rectify the wrongs of the past and heal the psychological wounds of the pains of the past as well. Otherwise they will generate physical illnesses in the people and societies that carry those pains. To rectify the wrong means to correct the history.

Holocaust museums are a good example of this. So is the apology by Japan to Korea’s “comfort women” who were kept as sexual slaves by the Japanese. These are good starts, but afterward we need to heal the psychological wounds through meditation for the world to become truly one.

For this we need the Taeeulju Mantra. The main message of Eastern Learning is that the age of the heavenly Father is opening as the absolute infinite, the Mu-geuk-dae-do. As it is stated in the Korean Dojeon, “Now is the age of heaven and earth’s achievement of their purpose.” (Korean Dojeon 2:43) Now is the time of Cosmic Autumn, “The autumn destiny of all the world has now dawned” (Korean Dojeon 2:43) This is the most important message that Jeung San Do, has been conveying. The time of healing, the Cosmic Autumn, is coming. Nevertheless, we must also be aware that to change this world from the principle of mutual conflict and domination to the principle of mutual life-giving and life-saving will not be easy. This point of great change is expressed in Korean as Gaebyeok.