Legend has it Doseon's mother had a conception-dream where she swallowed a beautiful pearl (a symbol of pure wisdom), and during her first month of pregnancy chanted Buddhist scriptures, all the time abstaining from meat, onions and garlic.

Within a month Doseon attained "the ineffable wisdom of Munsubosal and the mystic gate of Bohyeonbosal, penetrating the Great Meaning of the Hwaeomgyeong Sutra".

He journeyed to Tang China to further study, focusing on esoteric Daoist and Buddhist astronomical, astrological, mathematical, geomantic (Feng Shui), cosmological and I Ching (Juyeokgyeong) teachings.

The "Bibo-pungsu-jiri" system that he established, focuses on "harmony with nature" placing greater emphasis on the spiritual and material energies of mountains and their ranges, and the resultant effects on communities and the nation as a whole, rather than on personal fortunes and interior furniture placement.

[1] Doseon also is considered to have developed the concept of the "Baekdu-daegan", the earth-energy "spine" of the Korean Peninsula, by making many accurate predictions of future changes to the courses of events for individuals and the Kingdom.

In 875 when passing by an aristocratic mansion under construction at Songaksan, Doseon recognized the grand auspiciousness of the site and tells the young owner that in two years his wife would give birth to a son who would grow to be a great man, leading Korea into a new age.

Doseon left behind advice and concepts, especially in the Doseon-bigi, that were significant in choosing the placement of the capital and other important cities and fortresses within the country, and in constructing many new grand Buddhist temples at geomagnetically auspicious sites.