Triangles in Korean Traditional Religions
”Triangles in Korean Traditional Religions” JooHee Lee
Triangles Meditation Group Webinar. Monday 09 February 2026
Hello everyone. I express my deepest gratitude and love to all of you who have joined us for today's Triangles Webinar. My name is JooHee Lee from South Korea. I am deeply grateful to the Lucis Trust for inviting me to this sacred webinar. It is truly an honor.
Korea's origins are said to have begun with the kingdom of Gojoseon, founded by Dangun Wanggeom in 2333 BC. In Korea, we often say, "Dangun grandfather founded our country." And He left behind the national educational motto, "Hongik Ingan (Benefit Humanity Broadly)," which is so important to Koreans that it is even included as a clause in the Framework Act on Education, a current Korean law.
According to legend, Dangun Wanggeom (meaning both a priest performing ceremonies in heaven and a political king) had a father named Hwanung (meaning "A leader of light"), and Hwanung's father was Hwanin (meaning "Light"). It is said that Hwanung, wished to descend to the world to his father Hwanin. Hwanin sent his son down with "three heavenly seals (or energies)" as gift. These three seals were "a Circle, a Square, and a Triangle." The circle represents Sky (Heaven) and is represented by the number one. The square represents Earth and is represented by the number two. The triangle represents Human and is represented by the number three. Some scholars believe that these symbols represent the triangular concept of the Eastern yin-yang philosophy, adding the concept of human, and I strongly agree with this opinion.
The first Korean scripture on this concept of Sky, Earth, and Human is "The Scripture of Heavenly Code" which is said to have been given to Hwanung by Hwanin. This scripture consists of 81 Chinese characters and is uniquely written in a 9×9 square.
"The Scripture of Heavenly Code (天符經)"
This scripture, which I have translated into English and posted at page 7-8 of this script, clearly states the reason for the creation of humanity:
"The One (the Universe, God) begins without beginning. The One polarizes in three, but the principle is eternal.
...The One wanted to gather everything (10) into one large vessel, but there was no vessel to contain it, so God created Human (3)."
This short scripture concludes by expressing the completion of one cycle of God's work when Heaven, Earth and Human are integrated as the Trinity:
"The principle of our Heart originates from the Sun. Look up to the radiance of Heaven and Earth united within Human. The One end without end."
According to Korean legend, when Hwanung descended to earth and founded a tribal nation, a tiger and a bear approached him, begging to become human. Hwanung taught them that if they endured 100 days in a cave, eating only garlic and mugwort (a very bitter plant), they would become human. The tiger, unable to endure the process, escaped, but the bear persevered and after 21 (3×7) days transformed into a human woman. Hwanung married this woman and gave birth to Dangun Wanggeom, the founding king of Korea.
Hwanung also left behind a scripture called "The Teaching of the Three-One God." I have included a complete English translation of this scripture at page 9 -12 of this script. This scripture consists of 366 Chinese characters and is divided into five sections. "Three-One" is interpreted as the process of humans becoming gods. This scripture explains the concepts of God and Heaven, God's creation process on Earth, the spiritual structure of humanity, and methods of spiritual cultivation.
Numerous triangular concepts are found in this scripture. It states that man is given "three truths," from which "three illusory forces" are created, and all of these, when combined, form "three paths." These "three paths" can be overcome and restored to one's true nature through "three methods: restraining one's emotions, regulating one's breathing in accordance with the laws of heaven and earth, and suppressing one's physical contact."
And in Chapter 2, which discusses God, also presents a similar concept to the Science of Invocation:
"However, if you earnestly desire and pray with the energy of sound, you can ultimately see this transcendent God with your own eyes. Those who seek Him should strive to recognize His presence within their own nature. Because God has already descended into the very brain of the seeker."
Hwanung's third and final scripture is the longest, consisting of eight chapters and 366 verses, "The Scripture of Training to Become a True Human." This scripture expands and elaborates on the contents of the previous two scriptures, serving as a guide to enlightening people's lives with divine wisdom. Let me introduce three beautiful passages from this scripture about Compassion and Love:
"(article 233)
Benevolence: Goodness
Benevolence is like the weight of love's scales.
Love loves everything, so there are times when it loves biasedly and selfishly. Without benevolence, it is impossible to find the balance.
Benevolence is like the warm weather of spring, causing all things to bloom and come to life.
(article 234)
Love of People: Loving People
The enlightened person (philosopher) loves people,
even the good, and also the evil, leading them to abandon evil and pursue goodness.
It transforms people's anger into peace, preventing them from forming hatred with others.
It resolves people's doubts, preventing them from becoming corrupted.
It guides people's foolishness, allowing them to awaken to their own wisdom.
(article 235)
Protection of all things in this world
Loving and protecting all things. If in heaven and earth, people were fixed on people alone, and all things were fixed on all things alone, neither people nor all things could exist. The enlightened person (philosopher) possesses
a special heart that embraces all things, treating what others have as if
they had it themselves, and what others have lost as if they had lost it themselves."
Hwanin, Hwanung, and Dangun were later integrated into a single deity, and were referred to as the "Three God Grandmother" (Samsin grandmother) in Korean daily life. This deity, who cares for pregnancy and childbirth, was worshipped by Koreans through rituals, both when praying for pregnancy and when protecting the mother and baby for 21 (3×7) days after birth. This custom remained very common in Korea until the early 20th century, and continues to be a familiar and important deity to many Koreans today. For Koreans, the belief in the Three Gods has always been linked to the belief in the Seven Stars God. Because Koreans believed that the Seven Stars were where the Three Gods lived. Some Korean scholars say that the relationship between them is that the Three Gods create life and the Seven Stars God nurture our life.
Korean mothers developed a custom of pouring clear well water into a bowl and praying for their families toward the Big Dipper (the seven stars of the Great Bear) at dawn.
A Korean mother praying to the Seven Stars God while holding a bowl of clean water.
Image: http://m.hmhtimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=4708
As we've seen, Korean traditional religion demonstrates its intention to achieve right human relations by utilizing the sacred principles of unity known as the Trinity and Triangles. I believe this phenomenon, expressed in Korea as a variation of Ageless Wisdom, is the same phenomenon found in all other nations and religions. I believe these countless variations across nations and religions will ultimately unite, like a single, beautiful piece of music of one humanity.
Finally, I'd like to talk about the 8th Asian Esoteric Community Gathering, which will be held on April 5th of this year. The theme of this gathering is "Spreading the Light: Forming Triangles and Using the Great Invocation." We are honored to have Mr. Steve Nation and Mr. Michael Galloway from Lucis Trust New York Headquarters speak at this meeting. Our group has been holding this gathering twice a year since October 2022. Reiko Nakanish from Japan has been hosting the Esoteric Tokyo group meditation since 2019 and is currently broadcasting Asia's first Triangles group meditation in Japanese language every ten days. Christopher See from the Philippines created the Asian Esoteric Community Gathering Facebook page, and Tung T. Pham from Vietnam created the Asian Esoteric Community Gathering website. We also plan to launch a service on this new website and Facebook page to assist Asians who have difficulty communicating in English with triangle registration. I deeply appreciate the love, effort, and sacrifice of my Asian colleagues, and I hope you will continue to watch over the development of the Asian Esoteric Community. I will conclude by quoting Master DK's words, which Tung T. Pham posted on his webpage:
"The hierarchy is, with concentration, working and bending every effort to make the plan a success. The New Group of World Servers are being more closely integrated, and the work they are to do is being carefully planned. In London, in New York and in Geneva are three centres of their activity, and at Darjeeling and in Tokyo there is a mustering of forces." ("Esoteric Psychology vol. I", p. 186) Thank you.
The 8th Asian Esoteric Community Gathering Poster
References
(Asian Esoteric Community Gathering Website link)
(Asian Esoteric Community Gathering Facebook page link)
https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bwj6qpq25/
(Daejongism Wikipedia link)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daejongism
(Three Gods and Seven Stars links)
https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%82%BC%EC%8B%A0%ED%95%A0%EB%A8%B8%
https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%82%BC%EC%8B%A0%ED%95%A0%EB%A8%B8%EB%8B%88
http://gsnews.co.kr/?contr=Bread&id=5709
https://gb.jsd.or.kr/?c=gb/gbfocus&uid=21350
http://m.hmhtimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=4708
("The Scripture of Training to Become a True Human. (參佺戒經)")
https://brunch.co.kr/@f1b68c46d962477/317
(available only in Korean)
(The Scripture of Heavenly Code (天符經))
translated by JooHee Lee
一始無始
The One (the Universe, God) begins without Beginning
一析三極無盡本
The One polarizes in three, but the principle is eternal.
天一一
Sky (Heaven) is the first thing born from the One and is the number 1.
地一二
The Earth was the second birth of the One and is the number 2.
人一三
Human is the third born from the One and is the number 3.
一積十鉅無匱化三
The One wanted to gather everything (10) into one large vessel, but there was no vessel to contain it, so God created human (3).
天二三
Heaven gave birth to Human (3) through the Earth (2).
地二三
The Earth itself (2) gave birth to Human (3).
人二三
Human was born from the Earth (2) and became Human (3).
大三合六生七八九
The big 3s combine to make 6, which makes 7, 8, and 9.
運三四成環五七
3 moves to create 4, and 5 and 7 orbit (around 4).
一妙衍萬往萬來
From the subtle One, coming and going countless times
用變不動本
The uses change, but the original principle does not change.
本心本太陽
The principle of our Heart originates from the Sun.
昂明人中天地一
Look up to the radiance of heaven and earth united within human.
一終無終一
One end without end.
(The Teaching of Three-One God (三一神誥))
translated by JooHee Lee
Chapter 1. Heavenly Understanding
Hwanung spoke: Ah, you people!
Blue is not the sky, nor is black the sky.
The sky has no shape or form, no boundaries of up and down, no distinctions of east, west, south, or north.
It is emptiness, yet there is no place where it does not exist, and nothing is not embraced.
Chapter 2. Understanding of God
God resides in the very beginning, with no higher power.
With great virtue, great wisdom, and great power, He gave birth to heaven and presides over countless worlds.
He created all things, and He is perfect, without even a speck of dust left out. He is supremely bright, luminous, and divine, so divine that no name can dare to be named or measured. He transcends all names and language.
However, if you earnestly desire and pray with the energy of sound, you can ultimately see this transcendent God with your own eyes.
Those who seek Him should strive to recognize His presence within their own nature. Because God has already descended into the very brain of the seeker.
Chapter 3. Understanding the Heavenly Palace
Heaven is the realm of the divine.
At the center of heaven is the palace where the divine resides. To reach it, one must ascend the stairs with all kinds of goodness and pass through the gates with all kinds of virtue.
The one divine being resides here, guarded and attended by countless guardian deities and enlightened beings. It is a place of supreme blessing, auspiciousness, and great light
Only those who are fully acquainted with the divine nature, fully possessed of divine virtue, wisdom, and power, and have perfected all kinds of merit, can enter the divine palace and enjoy eternal joy.
Chapter 4. Understanding the World
Look at the countless stars scattered across the night sky.
They are countless, uncountable, some large and some small, some bright and some dark, some painful and some joyful. Each star's circumstances are different.
God created all worlds and gave the messenger in charge of the solar system (the world centered around the sun) the authority to govern the Seven Hundred Worlds (all the worlds that fill the entire universe).
You may think the Earth you live on is large, but it is merely a bead among the Seven Hundred Worlds.
The Earth was completely covered by water, preventing all life from growing. Then, the fire within the Earth trembled, boiling the water and evaporating the seas, revealing the land and forming the Earth as we know it today.
God breathed life into all things, enveloping them from the very core, illuminating them with the light of the sun, warming them both inside and out with heat, and enabling them to live with energy.
Thus, all living things proliferated on land: walking, flying, transforming, living in the water, and planting plants.
Chapter 5. Understanding the truth
Humans and all living beings received the three truths (三眞) from God.
The three truths are nature (性), life (命), and essential energy (精). Humans have received all three truths, while other living beings have not received all three truths equally.
True nature (眞性) has neither good nor evil, so it is in line with the upper level philosophers. True life (眞命) is neither clear nor turbid, so the middle level philosophers know.
True essential energy (眞精) is neither thick nor stingy, so it is preserved by the lower level philosophers.
Therefore, if we can turn back and restore this truth in the phenomenal world, we can become one with God.
From the moment humans are born on Earth, they possess the three illusory forces (三妄): heart (心), qi (氣), and physical body (身).
The heart (心) arises from true nature (眞性) and contains both good and evil. Therefore, a good heart brings blessings, while an evil heart brings misfortune.
Qi (氣) arises from true life (眞命) and can be clear or turbid. Clear qi leads to longevity, while turbid qi leads to an early death.
The physical body (身) is based on the true essential energy (眞精), which can be both virtuous and shallow. If you preserve and enrich your essential energy, you will be virtuous and noble, while if you deplete your essential energy, you will become shallow.
Humans live their lives at will, tossed about by boundaries, the good and evil of their hearts, the clarity and turbidity of their qis, and the richness and shallowness of their physical bodies, all intertwined. Consequently, they suffer the pain of birth, growth, aging, illness, and death.
The true (the three truths) and the illusory forces (the three illusions) collide to create the three paths: emotion (感), breathing (息), and physical contact (觸). Emotion, breathing, and physical contact further form eighteen boundaries.
Emotion (感) includes joy, fear, sorrow, anger, greed, and dislike.
Breathing (息) includes the fragrance and beautiful colors, cold and hot, dry and wet. And physical contact (觸) includes sound, color, smell, taste, lust, and touch.
The philosopher (enlightened person) restrains his emotion (止感), regulates his breathing in
accordance with the laws of heaven and earth (調息), and suppresses his physical contact (or collisions) (禁觸). By transforming and practicing with one pointed mind, he can turn away from delusion and attain truth.
Practicing these three methods will bring to light the great divine foundation within oneself, allowing one to fully connect with one's true nature and perfect one's virtue (性通功完). This is what is meant by this.