Possessing two different perceptions of nature, East and West developed divergent cosmologies that in turn gave birth to idiosyncratic religions, philosophies, and teachings. Despite their differences, Eastern and Western cosmologies share a central conviction that the universe has regular, circular cycle. Sahng-jeh-nim alluded to this cycle:

This law of "birth, growth, harvest, and rest" is a universal concept that applies to all the seen and unseen dimensions of life and existence in this world. In the simplest terms, this principle asserts that all matter and life in the universe undergo birth, growth, maturation to fruition, and rest. The life cycle of a tree typifies this process. In spring, water qi ascends from the roots of a tree into its branches and leaves begin to sprout. In summer, vibrant and beautiful leaves cover the tree. With the coming of autumn, the leaves wither and fall. During this time, water qi the essence of life begins to return to the tree's roots, and its fruit ripens, ensuring the tree's propagation. In winter, the life of the tree enters deep repose to await a new spring. This cycle, so clear in the life of a humble tree, can also be seen in a person's life or even in the span of a civilization. Understanding this four-fold cycle is key to understanding the evolution of history because it is with this cycle that Sahng-jeh-nim brings order to the universe.

Sahng-jeh-nim revealed to humanity that the universe itself embodies the four-fold cycle. A "cosmic year," equivalent to 129,600 calendar years, contains four cosmic seasons corresponding to birth, growth, harvest, and rest. The season-cycles of spring and summer combine into a period called the Early Heaven, while autumn and winter constitute the Later Heaven.

Within the cosmic year, the period during which humans can subsist, spans about fifty thousand years in the Early Heaven and another fifty thousand years in the Later Heaven, totaling one hundred thousand years. The remaining thirty thousand years or so of cosmic winter is unlivable. Modern science calls this period the ice age.