The Boundless World of Shin and the Essence of Jeong

The world of Shin (神) is boundless. Everything in existence is Shin, and all things possess Jeong (精). What kind of Jeong does a human possess? From Shin’s perspective, all Jeong is fundamentally the same. Yet humans tend to think that their Jeong is special. Humans express themselves extensively, often influenced by imagery and perception. In contrast, animals express only what is directly present. They do not use embellishments or modifiers. Humans, however, use many modifiers, leading them to think of themselves as intelligent, but it is also why only humans suffer from mental illnesses. Animals do not experience mental illness.

Humans have the capacity to think through their brains, using their Jeong to perceive and feel. This allows them to create something new. The centripetal force of Jeong acting upon the images reflected in the brain is called Hon (魂). The same centripetal force is also referred to as Baek (魄). Hon and Baek are the forces of Shin acting on the focal points formed through the brain’s activity.

Hon, however, often brings chaos to itself. This is because Hon moves freely and disrupts the Jeong we possess, attempting to break it apart. When Jeong is continually used centripetally, forces trying to escape its pull are naturally destroyed. This is the destructive power of Shin. In Indian philosophy, this aspect of Shin is referred to as Brahman.

How can we live purely and clearly? Those who understand how to use the energy of Shin through their Jeong are the ones who live rightly. In contrast, those who chase the images of Jeong reflected in their thoughts and use their Jeong to pursue these illusions, no matter how much they strive to live rightly, are bound to fail.

Some people achieve high levels of education and become doctors of philosophy. They may use their learned centripetal forces to teach others. However, has this truly contributed to humanity? Many fail in this regard. Consider Thomas Edison. He had no formal academic degree—not even a middle school education. Yet Edison used his Jeong to harness the energy of Shin, creating numerous inventions essential to our lives. He achieved this by feeling and understanding through his Jeong and channeling Shin’s energy into creation.

When humans act solely on emotions arising from Jeong, they cannot achieve significant progress. Attempting to learn from such emotions yields little of substance. While there may be minor benefits, they cannot provide fundamental improvement. Energy that flows from our brain’s thoughts, desires, or greed is not pure energy. Consequently, it cannot endure over time.