ABSTRACT
Su-un's life and teaching gave birth to a number of foundational religious, philosophical and ethical principles which, as the previous chapter indicates, were further developed by Haewol and today continue to act as guiding principles in the Cheondo-gyo religion as it celebrates the 150th anniversary of Su-un's enlightenment at Yongdam on Mt Gumi. 1 These principles serve as the foundation for Donghak/Chondo-gyo's religious and social egalitarianism. In late nineteenth-century Korea under the Joseon dynasty, where these concepts were born, promulgated and practiced, they were truly revolutionary. In a more liberal, better educated, technologically astute and democratically aware world, the principles remain radical enough not to be taken for granted.
