Sotaesan’s teaching, as reflected in the Wonbulgyo Scriptures, gathers around the symbol of Il-Won-Sang, the One Circle Image. This simple, unadorned circle represents the Dharmakaya Buddha, the ultimate reality and source of all existence, as well as the original nature of all beings. It points to a truth that is formless yet all-pervading, the unchanging ground beneath the flux of phenomena. Faith and practice are directed not toward an anthropomorphic deity, but toward realizing this one mind that is empty, bright, and interconnected with all things.

From this vision flows the doctrine of the Fourfold Grace, or Fourfold Beneficence, which trains the practitioner to live in lucid gratitude. Life is seen as continually sustained by the grace of Heaven and Earth, the grace of Parents, the grace of Fellow Beings, and the grace of Laws. Recognizing these four as the indispensable conditions of existence, the scriptures urge a life of repayment through ethical conduct, service, and a constant awareness of dependence on others and on the wider world. Gratitude is thus not a mere sentiment but a framework for moral responsibility in every sphere of life.

To embody this insight, Sotaesan set forth the Threefold Study, a disciplined path that unites inner cultivation with outward conduct. This threefold training comprises the cultivation of spirit, the inquiry into human affairs and universal principles, and the deliberate choice in action. Spiritual cultivation clarifies and steadies the mind; inquiry into causes, conditions, and principles nurtures wisdom; and right choice in action translates understanding into concrete deeds. Rather than separating contemplation from daily affairs, this structure invites practitioners to refine character, thought, and behavior in a single, integrated movement.

The Wonbulgyo Scriptures also present an “essential spirit of Buddhism” that is thoroughly practical and socially engaged. Sotaesan’s teaching affirms that all beings possess Buddha-nature and can realize it amid ordinary responsibilities, without retreating from family, work, or society. Mindfulness and Zen are described as timeless and placeless, to be practiced in every situation rather than confined to formal meditation halls. In this way, spiritual awakening is not an escape from the world but a transformation of it, joining inner realization with education, ethical living, and service so that the Dharma becomes fully alive in the midst of modern human life.