Professional Documents
Culture Documents
World Scripture II Text
World Scripture II Text
World Scripture II Text
and the
Teachings
of
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World Scripture II
Executive Editor
Dr. Chung Hwan Kwak
Project Director
Dr. Thomas G. Walsh
Editor
Dr. Andrew Wilson
Associate Editors
Dr. Sung-Bae Jin
Dr. Theodore Shimmyo
Rev. Hee Hun Oh Standard
Production Director
Dr. Gordon L. Anderson
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WORLD SCRIPTURE II
World Scripture
and the
Teachings
of
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Separate sources of copyright material included in these volumes are noted in the Acknowledgements,
page 1149. None of this material may be reprinted except by permission of the owners of the original
copyright.
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Contents
Preface
Invocation
xi
Knowledge of God 5
The One God 10
Formless, Invisible, Mystery 13
Transcendent Reality 17
Sovereign and Omnipotent 20
Omniscient and Omnipresent 25
Immanent and Dwelling within the Heart
Unchanging and Eternal 30
The Original Cause 34
Gods Goodness 36
Divine Love and Compassion 41
The Creator 46
Heavenly Father and Mother 53
27
112
69
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245
Chapter 8: Religion
381
Chapter 9: History of
Gods Providence
397
429
429
519
Tribulation 519
The Last Judgment 527
New Revelation 532
Recognizing the Day of the Lord 537
The Messiah 543
The Kingdom of Heaven 553
Decision 574
Good and Evil 576
Individual Responsibility
581
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Predestination 588
Synergy of Grace and Effort 594
Preparation and Making a
Good Beginning 596
Perseverance and Patience 600
605
Self-Control 605
Restraint 609
Integrity 611
Righteousness 616
Sincerity and Authenticity 621
Honesty 625
Caution and Vigilance 628
Prudent Speech 631
Moderation 634
Modesty 637
Chastity 640
Sobriety and Temperance 647
765
653
Faith 743
Witness 754
Hope 759
Assurance 762
Gratitude and Indebtedness
The Fear of God 770
Doubt 773
Hypocrisy 775
Heresy 777
Arguing with God 781
Testing 785
743
795
Prayer 795
Meditation 803
Praise 814
Devotion 818
Purity of Intention 824
Offerings and Tithes 828
Ritual 833
Beyond Ritual 840
849
Humility 875
Turn the Other Cheek 881
Repentance 884
Judge Not 889
Self-Denial 892
Subduing the Desires of the Flesh 894
Non-Attachment to Wealth and
Possessions 899
Separation from Family 904
Separation from the World 909
Asceticism, Monasticism and Celibacy 913
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925
1039
977
1075
1105
1149
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Preface
World Scripture and the Teachings of Sun Myung Moon builds on the foundation of World Scripture: a
Comparative Anthology of Sacred Texts (1991). That volume was a pioneering work in the annals of
religious literature. Never before were the scriptures of the worlds religions examined so systematically to illuminate their universal teachings and underscore their common ground. Never before
had a major work drawing on sacred texts articulated a vision of interreligious compatibility and
harmony. Conventional textbooks treat each religion separately, comparing similarities and differences. The religions are viewed as outgrowths of humanitys diverse cultures and historical contexts.
According to this pluralistic and somewhat relativistic perspective, the religions propose irreconcilable truth claims. Such a manner of presentation does little to disclose the common ground among
religions, or the fact that the unifying force behind all religion is the one God, who in His love has
been raising people of every culture to knowledge of His truth.
In the past it was fashionable to believe that religious differences were indeed irreconcilable
and that, therefore, in the march of history towards globalization and a technologically advanced
world civilization, religions were destined to decline and disappear. Nevertheless, Rev. Dr. Sun
Myung Moon commissioned World Scripture based upon the firm conviction that religions have
a key role to play in building world peace in the 21st century. Knowing the fundamental power of
religion to mold thought and culture, from the beginning of his ministry he taught of the need for
interreligious harmony and unity as a necessary pre-requisite for world peace. In the 1970s, after his
ministry had expanded beyond Asia to the West, Father Moon began to sponsor annual dialogues
for reconciliation among religions, including the Assembly of the Worlds Religions in 1985, 1990
and 1992. It was shortly after the first of these Assemblies that he outlined his concept for World
Scripture: A Comparative Anthology of Sacred Texts. He enlisted the support of an Editorial Board of
forty distinguished scholars drawn from the religions of the world, and with their guidance that book
was published six years later.
Although initially Father Moons vision of and activism on behalf of interreligious unity was
misunderstood and considered to be impractical and unrealistic, today people everywhere recognize
that the world has no viable alternative. We experience the violence, fear and anxiety of a world
in travail, as global linkages of communication and commerce are undermined by tensions that
arise from persistent cultural and religious misunderstanding, prejudice and conflict. If a new
global civilization of peace is to survive its birth pangs, people must forge bonds of fraternity across
civilizations and especially between religions. And to enlist the religions in peacebuilding requires
an awareness of their shared values. These shared values are widespread in scriptures and the daily
practice of the faithful, and they give the lie to the extremist agitation to tribalism, intolerance and
fear of difference. These values include: the Golden Rule, respect for the rights of every human being,
self-mastery, moral restraint, family, charity, forgiveness and peace under the gracious sovereignty
of the one God.
xi
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xii
By highlighting these shared values, World Scripture: A Comparative Anthology of Sacred Texts
demonstrated that the common ground among religions is in reality vast and deep. It called on
believers to focus on these points of shared understanding, rather than fixating on the differences.
It was written with the hope that when believers of every tradition are informed by these common
values, they can defuse religious enmity and mobilize their religions as positive forces for world
peace.
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Preface
xiii
each have, transcending cultural and historical differences, certain core elements that reflect Gods
divine nature of love and sacrifice. Hence, it is to be expected that we can find common values
among the religions of the world, not one or two but many.
Chief among Gods attributes, according to Father Moon, is parental love. Gods parental love is
evident in His founding of religions in diverse cultural and historical circumstances, for the purpose
of awakening and educating human beings everywhere to attain fellowship with Him. In this sense,
the religions of the world are like brothers and sisters in Gods family. When the children get along
well together, their parents are pleased. Why should religions promote charity and cooperation with
other religions? It is first of all to please God, who is their common Parent and who wants them to
live in harmony and peace.
Here is the source of Father Moons revolutionary view of the relationship among religions.
Religions should align themselves with the ultimate wish of God, the Parent of humankind, whose
love is higher and more comprehensive than any human love. The Parents desire is not that
religions exist only for themselves, as if it were enough that their rituals and teachings connect
their adherents to God above. They also need to relate to the other religions as their brothers and
sisters. Instead of remaining separate from one another and even fighting with one another, religions
should live for the sake of one another with the common purpose of liberating the world together:
We should not pursue our own self-interest but rather seek for the welfare of other religious groups.
Religions should walk the path of self-denial, self-sacrifice, and service to others.1 For some eightyseven years he has practiced this way of life.
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xiv
Translation
A special challenge in preparing this volume was to establish accurate translations of Father Moons
teachings. This was a considerable undertaking, occupying the work of the editors and their staff
for two full years. Korean and English are such dissimilar languages that translation between them
is extremely difficult, and furthermore Father Moon has a unique vocabulary and gives his Korean
words special meanings. Few people have both the requisite skills in translation and familiarity with
Father Moons thought as to be qualified for the task. Although thousands of pages of Father Moons
words exist in English, the translations are largely unreliable. Many were simultaneous translations
made in the heat of delivering a sermon, where the translator was oftentimes reduced to paraphrasing a complex thought. Sometimes the translator adjusted the content on purpose to be more understandable to a Western audience; this was especially the case for certain well-known public speeches
delivered in 1973 and 1974.
Hence, it was not surprising that when English passages selected for the book were checked
against the Korean text, eighty percent of them had to be completely re-translated.2 The American
and Korean editors met together on a weekly basis to review the translations, identify difficulties,
and come up with renderings that satisfied both the criteria of accuracy and good English sense.
Nevertheless, no translation can be perfect; there is always something lost or misunderstood in
going from one language to another, one culture to another, one way of thinking to another. The
editors regret where their work may fall short and cause misunderstanding.
Acknowledgements
World Scripture and the Teachings of Sun Myung Moon would not have been possible without the
support and labor of many dedicated people whom I wish to acknowledge. Particularly, I would
like to thank Dr. Andrew Wilson, who has been leading this task with a deep sense of commitment ever since the publication of the first World Scripture, for his profound knowledge and
wise judgment in planning this volume and in selecting and arranging its text. I would also like
to recognize Dr. Theodore Shimmyo and Hee Hun Oh Standard for guiding the overall direction of the book and for their exceptional endeavors to attain an accurate translation of Father
Moons teachings that is both faithful to the original language and intelligent in its English
expression.
I am also grateful to all those who supplied new passages from diverse traditions in order
to fill out the World Scripture in areas where it were lacking, especially Elio Roman, Dr.
Muhammad Habash, Dr. Thomas Selover, David Eaton, Dr. Charles Selengut, Mark Callahan
and Dr. Dietrich Seidel; and I wish to thank once again all the editors and contributors to the
first World Scripture, which served as the basis upon which this new compilation was created.
Furthermore, I am grateful to Dr. Sung-Bae Jin and his team of scholars in Korea, including
Dr. Taek-Yong Oh and Prof. Jae-Il Lee of Sun Moon University, who provided key texts from
Father Moons voluminous speeches. Acknowledgment is also due to Hyanghwa Oh, Tim
Elder, Lym-Sung Kim, YoungAe Cotter, Moonsook Choi Yoon and Michiko Kim, who made
dedicated efforts to translate these passages from Korean to English; to Julian Gray, Dr. Clinton
Bennett, Dr. David Carlson, David Fraser-Harris and Kyoungho Kim, who gave valuable advice
on a wide range of editorial and translation matters; to Dr. Thomas Walsh and the staff of the
Universal Peace Federation who provided organizational support; to Dr. Tyler Hendricks and
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Preface
xv
the Unification Theological Seminary which offered its generous assistance; and finally, to Dr.
Gordon Anderson and Jeff Anderson, who worked to lay out and produce the book, pursued
the difficult task of obtaining permissions, and went the extra mile to meet some very tight
deadlines.
Chung Hwan Kwak
Executive Editor
November 29, 2006
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Invocation
We open with representative prayers from the worlds religions. They invoke, give thanks, and affirm
the efficacious influence of Absolute Reality in human life. Many of these prayers, including the Lords Prayer,
the Fatihah, the Kaddish, the Gayatri, and the Family Pledge of Father Moon, are recited daily or weekly as part
of regular worship.
OM.
We meditate upon the glorious splendor
Of the Vivifier divine.
May He Himself illumine our minds.
OM.4
Rig Veda 3.62.10, The Gayatri Mantra (Hinduism)
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Part One
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Chapter 1
God
Knowledge of God
How can human beings recognize the existence of the Absolute Being? Philosophers have ever pondered this question; some offering proofs while others are skeptical that any such knowledge can be had.
Although such discussion is beyond the scope of this anthology, certain arguments are put forth in scripture.
God has left evidence of His existence and provided ways for people to know Him, if they only look.
The first of these is evidence of Gods handiwork in the creation. Numerous scientists testify that the more
they studied nature, the more certain they were of a Designer. Inventor Thomas Edison remarked, The universe
is permeated by Intelligence. I tell you, no person can be brought into close contact with the mysteries of nature or make a study of chemistry without being convinced that behind all, there is a supreme Intelligence.1
The second path to God is the doorway of contemplation, that innermost self which senses Gods reality.
The apprehension of God is mystical, not intellectual. Blaise Pascal said, It is the heart which perceives God,
and not the reason.2 Father Moon teaches that God is most essentially our Parent; hence we should experience
Him with the same immediacy that we know our own parents. The third type of evidence is supernatural. Few
of us have access to this source, but we regard those who have such experiences as trustworthy guides. They
are the founders of religion and people who have journeyed into the spiritual realms.
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God
of eye doctors, there are still innumerable mysteries about the eye. Do you think medical science
knows all there is to know about the eye? No, their knowledge is still in its infancy. How, then, can
these infants say there is no God? (95:123, November 6, 1977)
Look at the eye. Before it was formed, the eye must have been designed by someone who realized
that it would be functioning in an atmosphere of dust and wind. It was designed in such a way to
adjust to such conditions. Do you think the eye knew ahead of time what conditions it would face?
If it did not, there must be Someone who knew, and who created the eye with the means to protect
it. There must be some Intelligence, operating behind the scenes, which had cosmic knowledge. It
knew that the earths heat would cause moisture to evaporate from the surface of the eye, so it made
tear ducts to lubricate it. There is Reason within the design of nature. Look at the eyelids, designed
to prevent the serious problem of dust entering the eye. Look at the eyebrows; they were designed
to block sweat from running down into the eye. Did the eyebrows appear knowing that they would
have this function? Or did the eyes put on eyebrows because they knew this of themselves?
No. There is an Intelligence that knew in advance the environment in which the eye would be
functioning and designed the eye precisely for it. (117:78, February 1, 1982)
One way to prove the existence of God is by observing the abundant evidence that God is trying
to promote world citizenship and the concept of the world as one nation. Can you find a certain
universal ingredient in religion that encourages loyalty beyond the level of nation or race? That evidence alone is sufficient for us to recognize the existence of God, who through the course of history
has been promoting unity. (95:63, October 23, 1977)
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God
Just as an electron revolves around a proton, human beings are made to revolve around God. God
can pursue the providence for restoration because the human mind, as an electron, naturally relates
to Gods mind as its nucleus, its proton.
Hence, when we search for the truth, even all by ourselves, we begin to feel the vibration of
Gods life and the harmony of Gods love. (2:137, March 17, 1957)
What is the world we long for in our hearts? It is not the world that we perceive through the outward
five senses. Nor is it a world created by concepts. We long for the world of heart, filled with Gods
love. In that world, we can feel the love of God in even the smallest subatomic particle. You must
experience this world. Jesus said, He who has ears to hear will hear. You cannot experience this
multi-dimensional, transcendent world with your everyday feelings. (7:255, September 20, 1959)
Gods true homeland is the spirit world If you want to truly know God, first know the spirit world
where God lives and works. (365:302, January 14, 2002)
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10
nations enjoyed peace and prosperity; but when they refused, they fell into confusion and decline.
Even in todays confusion and chaos, humankind is waiting, consciously or unconsciously, for the
appearance of modern saints and sages who will reveal the path of love.
All this shows that the Absolute Being is a real existence who operates behind the scenes of
history. He is the Subject of love, who has worked through saints, sages and religious leaders of every
age. He works to fulfill His plan: to establish a world of moral values, a world where love is the norm.
(69:238, November 21, 1973)
Quran 112
He is the one God, hidden in all beings, all-pervading, the Self within all beings, watching over
all works, dwelling in all beings, the witness, the
perceiver, the only one, free from qualities.
Svetasvatara Upanishad 6.11 (Hinduism)
There is everywhere not disorder but order, proportion and not disproportion, not disarray but
arrangement in an order perfectly harmonious.
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God
11
There can be no doubt that whatever the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion,
derive their inspiration from one heavenly
Source, and are the subjects of one God. The
difference between the ordinances under which
they abide should be attributed to the varying
requirements and exigencies of the age in which
they were revealed. All of them, except for a
few which are the outcomes of human perversity, were ordained of God, and are a reflection
of His Will and Purpose.
Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahaullah 111 (Bahai Faith)
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12
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God
13
community; the community lives for the sake of the nation; the nation lives for the sake of the world.
Likewise, my religion should live for the sake of other religions. This is the principle of principles.
The source of this universal principle is God. In creating the universe, God invested Himself
totally for the sake of His creatures. Throughout history, God has been continually sacrificing Himself
in order to save fallen human beings, who have been living just as they desire. The prophets, saints
and sages who knew Gods will have followed this divine principle in their own lives. (234:222,
August 20, 1992)
In Gods way of thinking, there is no concept of an enemy. If there were, it would imply Dualism
(two origins). Because God does not have such a concept, He does not fight. (225:123, January 5,
1992)
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14
Quran 16.74
Deuteronomy 4.15-18
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God
15
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16
Suppose you could see God with your physical eyessee Him as He commented on your every
move and every word, and intervened in everything you did. Do you think you could survive even
one day without having a nervous breakdown?
Countless particles are passing through your body at this moment, yet you cannot see or feel
them. How, then, could you ever see the work of the invisible God as He passes right through you?
Rather foolishly saying that you would believe in God if only He showed Himself to you, you should
rather be grateful that He is invisible. (138:168, January 21, 1986)
If God, the great Lord of heaven and earth, were visible to human eyes, people would fight each
other to possess God. There would be no way to stop the battle
If God were visible, America and the Soviet Union would fight over Him, each claiming that
God was theirs. Who could stop the fighting? The omniscient God stays invisible lest such fights
break out. To wish that God were visible is foolish. It is better that He is not. (41:260)
God alone is absolute, unchanging and eternal. Do you think it is easy for the eternal God to relate
to fallen human beings? Do people have any idea how to relate to Him? (92:299, April 24, 1977)
Gods thoughts, as He leads His Providence, are different from our thoughts, as we encounter the
Providence. This is a problem. How can we, who are immersed in the satanic world, find our way to
Gods Providence? We certainly cannot find the way to fulfill Gods purposes by our own concepts.
Rather, we must understand the world God originally intended and then transform [ourselves and
our world] into Gods world. (161:109, January 11, 1987)
God is formless and invisible. His ideal of creation is to manifest Himself into beings with form.
In fulfilling this purpose, God would not rest content to be a Being visible only to the spirit
world. He would want to be a Being with the substance of the visible world as well. (298:106,
January 1, 1999)
The invisible and formless God is the origin of energy. Yet, to have complete dominion over the
physical world, God needs an instrument that possesses physical form. If Adam had reached perfection without falling, he would have entered the spirit world as fully the image of God. The spirit of
Adam would have become one with the invisible God, and God would have taken on the image of
Adam. Had that come to pass, when Adam laughed, God would be laughing and the entire universe
would be laughing as well.
The process of creation is the projection of the invisible God into physical forms. It is like
a magnet, which needs a south pole as well as a north pole in order to function. There are two
aspects of God, external and internal. Thus, Gods idea was for the invisible God and the visible
GodAdamto be in harmony. Their give and take would create a circuit. Through their give
and take of love, the internal would become external and the external would become internal, back
and forth, in circular motion. Thus the internal God and the external God would be united as one.
(105:193-94, October 21, 1979)
In the course of history
so many saints and sages have come and gone,
yet none knew the circumstances of Heaven;
none knew the heart of God.
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God
17
Transcendent Reality
Transcendence is an essential attribute of the Absolute Being. Gods glory fills the world, but the
world cannot exhaust God. God is the Ground of Being and the Source of energy within every atom and the
life of all creatures. He is the center of the universe and holds all things together. Yet Gods involvement in the
world in no way limits or affects His transcendence and absoluteness.
How can finite human beings connect with the transcendent God? Some passages recommend that we
apply the principle of transcendence in our daily life, by overcoming the limitations of nation and race in our
dealings with others. Others speak of getting in touch with the deepest part of our own mind, where the Absolute Being chooses to make His dwelling place.
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18
Three-fourthshis immortalitylie in
heaven.
Three-fourths of the Supreme Being ascended;
The fourth part came here again and again,
Diversified in form, it moved
To the animate and the inanimate world.
Rig Veda 10.90.1-4 (Hinduism)
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God
19
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20
revolves around a single core: God, the origin of all creation. All things revolve because they resemble their Master, God, who is always revolving. (173:134-35, February 14, 1988)
God, the Creator of heaven and earth, is the Parent and Origin of all beings. He gives value to all
existence. Because He is, this world of phenomena came to be. The Absolute Being does not change
because the times changewhat is absolute does not change. Nor is He restricted by time and
space. From a position transcending all restrictions, God has dominion over all restrictions. (21:249,
November 24, 1968)
A human being has both mind and body. Beyond his mind is his spirit, and beyond his spirit is God.
Therefore, a person becomes perfect only after becoming completely one with God.
One human being, even though apparently only an insignificant individual, represents all of
human history and all of the future. Therefore, he has a cosmic value
As he pursues the ultimate goal, each person must attend his own deep mind. This is an ironclad
rule of Heaven. Heaven will punish a person who fails to obey his original minds command.
In the course of history, the voice of God has been saying, Live by your deep mind. Live
according to your conscience and belong to the side of goodness. Be careful not to be caught in
materialistic, evil conditions.
Then, is the standard of a persons conscience able to receive the heart of Heaven 100 percent?
No, it is not. In fact, many restrictions impede fallen peoples conscience. At the entrance to the
heaven of our hopes stand many gates, each a saga of our shortcomings. Borrowing a Christian
expression, they are gates of judgment. Our course is made all the more difficult because we are
currently in a historical period of fear, anxiety, and confusion. We live in an era when even though
we may struggle to achieve goodness, we many times cannot.
These days we should not possess so many material things. When God created human beings,
He first created the material, the body, and then breathed into it of His spirit. Therefore, although
human beings are composed of both body and spirit, the spirit is the center.
As the world moved towards exalting the authority of material, a period of ideological struggle
became inevitable. In fact, this phenomenon was conspicuous right after World War II. Eventually,
however, a new age will come based upon spiritual teachings.
Then, what will be the nature of this teaching? It will penetrate matter, penetrate mind, and
center on the Spirit. The course of restoration is heading towards an age when thought will center
on the Spirit. (4:268, August 3, 1958)
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God
21
principle that God can be sovereign only when people are in a state of perfection where they can freely submit
to His dominion, yet due to the Human Fall this condition was not obtained. Instead, the Devil took possession of this world by usurping the human heart. Therefore, it is first necessary to expel the power of evil from
the world and make it a domain over which God can reign without limitation. That day, Father Moon asserts,
is now at hand.
1. Almighty God
The Creator of the heavens and the earth; and
when He decrees a thing, He but says to it Be,
and it is.
Quran 2.117
Quran 14.19-20
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22
God is almighty. It was not due to His shortcoming or lack of ability that He has been imprisoned
in great pain and has endured immense suffering behind the scenes of history. It was because there
are provisions in the Principle of Restoration, which He was not free to disclose, that called Him to
wait with forbearance until Adam and Eves positions, lost at the human fall, were recovered with
the appearance of the perfected Second Adam. Although God is all-powerful, He will not set aside
the eternal laws and principles that He Himself established. (September 12, 2005)
Many people rattle off words about Gods absoluteness, omnipotence and glory. Nonetheless, through
my lifelong search for truth, I have found that to be way off the mark. When the first human ancestors fell, God became a bereaved Parent who lost His beloved children. Think of it: if your children
were in prison, could you as a parent live in glory? So you can understand how Gods heart could be
in deep pain and sadness. Furthermore, God also had to hand over to Satan the beautiful creation
which He had made for His children.
From the moment He lost His object partners of love, the God of true love became the God of
loneliness. From that moment on, God was in no position to exercise His power as the Lord of the
universe. He had no opportunity to display His authority as the Creator of all things, while fallen
people go about boasting over their petty creations. Although God is the Lord of all that has breath,
He could not display His dignity. Although God is the Owner of all that lives, He was never able to
manifest His supreme glory. Although God is Author of the Principle, how could He operate freely
in a world that had fallen and become unprincipled?
Human beings, living with all degrees of distrust and rebellion, mock God as non-existent or
dead. Even those who say they believe mostly ignore God as they go about their daily life. God has
endured this long history with a heart full of excruciating pain.13 (January 29, 2001)
We need a God who transcends evil and everything, who has absolute power to subjugate all. Even
though the Devil exists, he should not be able to hinder God; rather God should transcend the Devil
and be completely unrestricted. Until we find such a God, we will not be able to overcome the present state of conflict.
God has been fighting with the Devil throughout history, and religions have been relegated to
an internal, spiritual role. That condition has not provided a way to establish a new culture. Only
when God is absolute and transcendent, when the Devil cannot interfere in any way, can there be
the new beginning that can resolve the problems of todays world.
Yet consider the present position of God. He is not a transcendental Being who rules over human
history or the history of providence. Why? It is because human beings fell. God stands in the position
of a doctor who seeks to cure human beings of this sickness. He is the repairman, mending us of this
defect. Not having yet raised up perfected individuals, He could not be the God who stands in the
absolute position and guides humankind towards the one goal. (140:18-19, February 1, 1986)
Father! Mayest Thou become the Lord of this heaven and earth which have no lord;
the Center who can be responsible for this nation and lead it to its future destiny,
the Center of our families hopes,
and our individual hopes.
What the world needs, the nation needs, the family needs and the individual needs
art Thou, our Father, the Lord who created all of heaven and earth.
Thou art the Being of infinite might.
Thou art the omnipotent Being,
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God
23
Unto God belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and all that is therein, and it
is He who has power over all things.
Quran 5.120
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24
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God
25
tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, and a stripe for a
stripe cannot stem from the character of the Creator God. God is the God of love and forgiveness.
(124:202, February 15, 1983)
Please pay attention to my prophetic proclamation. Humankind is now at a historical turning point.
Now the God of power and authority, who in the past seemed so powerless or even not to exist, can
manifest in our life. Now is an amazing time, when human beings in their everyday life can experience the absolute realm of God, the sovereign Lord whose divine principle governs all things and
the universe.
People will increasingly be able to perceive God. They will perceive the spirit world and the
works of spirits. As they naturally understand the public laws of the universe through their own
experiences, people will undergo definite changes to their character and become true individuals.
They will no longer be self-centered in relating to greater wholes in the universal order of being.
They will learn to be altruistic, living for the sake of others. (February 6, 2004)
We are transcending Satans limited realm. Once that work is completed, God can take dominion
over the universe without any difficulty. Then, Satans realm will be gone from the earth, and the
new sovereignty of Heaven will arrive. With God on high, Satan will disappear and Heavens new
sovereignty will be established. Gods dominion will extend from individuals to the cosmos, and God
will reign for the first time in human history.
The time is at hand when all-transcendent, all-encompassing, all-sovereign and almighty
God can do all that He desires. Being all encompassing, God will reign over the entire world that
formerly had been in Satans possession. Being almighty, God will do whatever He pleases, holding
all authority over Satan. (295:254, September 8, 1998)
Quran 2.115
Quran 14.38
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Mark well three things and you will not fall into
the clutches of sin: know what is above you
an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your
actions recorded in the book.
Mishnah, Avot 2.1 (Judaism)
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Likewise, this world is like Gods body, and He is present everywhere in the world. Yet [like mind],
you cannot see God. (89:72, July 11, 1976)
Gods love is more than enough to embrace the universe. Gods love is at the center of everything.
God as the central being of love maintains the great foundation. When God moves, everything
moves with Him, even the smallest things. Everything is contained within one great circle. Thus
does God embrace the whole world, the entire universe. (205:33, July 7, 1990)
If God did not exist, the universe would feel completely empty. But because God exists, the universe
feels completely full. Why? Because there is love. Hence, even when we are alone, because we know
God, we feel the universes fullness. We feel God in every place. Hence, within love we can know
the deep inspiration that comes from Gods omnipresence. But if we did not know God, we would
feel an all-pervading emptiness, as if nothing existed. (91:323, March 1, 1977)
How do you experience Gods omnipresence? Feel the air as the breath from Gods mouth. Feel a
typhoon as God blowing His nose. Feel the stream as Gods sweat pouring out from going through
the suffering course of restoration for the sake of the world. Learn the love of God from the sun,
which symbolizes the elements of life throughout the cosmos. Nature is a textbook for experiencing Gods heart, a textbook for the happiness of His beloved children. Speak to the plants; feel
that their leaves are as your children; you are not crazy. You are close to being a saint. (59:102-03,
July 9, 1972)
Consider that our Father is the living God, who watches over us from the beginning to the end of
our life. He foresees our life in the eternal spirit world, as well as our present life on earth. When He
looks at you spiritually, what do you think He sees? (118:38, May 2, 1982)
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28
Quran 50.16
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The heart is able to stand in the position of Gods object partner and exist for eternity by
engaging in spherical motion, and this is the reason that human beings can have eternal life. (May
1, 2004)
God is immeasurably huge, but a human being, though tiny in comparison, is a microcosm of the
universe. Therefore, we can experience that God is within us as we go into God. We can experience
that we are within God and God is within us. That is why Jesus said, I am in the Father and the
Father is in me. Although God is infinitely big, only when human beings dwell within Him, can God
work. (31:210, May 31, 1970)
Thou dost relate to us at the dividing line between joy and sorrow. (24:245, August 24, 1969)
Now is the time when people must reflect on themselves and listen to the voice from Heaven.
Through the benefit of the providence, the living God has now drawn near to us. From now on,
people will have many spiritual experiences that they could not have earlier. That is to say, they will
communicate with the transcendent world. Through these frequent spiritual experiences, people
will be influenced directly and indirectly. Especially people who experience the inspiration of God
and good spirits will have their spiritual senses developed centered on God, and they will experience major changes in their character. People whose character is thus transformed to fit the way of
Heaven are the true people God has been hoping for. (February 6, 2003)
Thou dost not live in some distant, relative world.
Thou art in the middle of our hearts;
Thou surroundest our bodies
unnoticed, like the air all around us;
Thou hast been embracing our entire lives.
When we receive that power which surrounds us,
infinite power is mobilized.
When we absorb that powereternal power
it impacts and stimulates us anew. (27:41-42, November 23, 1969)
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Isaiah 40.6-8
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There is, monks, a condition where there is neither the element of extension, the element of
cohesion, the element of heat, nor the element
of motion, nor the sphere of the infinity of space,
nor the sphere of the infinity of consciousness,
nor the sphere of nothingness, nor the sphere
of neither-perception-nor-non-perception; neither this world, nor a world beyond, nor sun and
moon.
Udana 80 (Buddhism)
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If your day-to-day life has only a transient value, you cannot make a connection with eternity. Your
life should connect with Gods eternal love. Only then will the eternal God be with you. (2:13,
January 6, 1957)
When God decides something, His decision is unchanging for eternity. Can you meet Gods standard if you change your mind a dozen times a day?
Truth is truth whether you live or die; it is eternal. Truth is beyond death, beyond changeability.
Thus, in order for you to be a true person, you should be beyond death, and be unchangeably steadfast.
This means there will be a collision at some point between your changeability and unchangeability.
Unchanging elements will overcome changing elements. Changing elements will vanish. It is as if
life and death collide. When you overcome death you will have life. Once you pass through this
stage, then you can have a connection with God. (66:43-44, March 18, 1973)
Being absolute, God is tested continually by the world. Everyoneeven Satantests whether Gods
love is unchanging. If God were ever unable to overcome a test and stopped loving, then He would
be changeable. Yet God remains calm and unperturbed by anything. When I contemplated why God
permits Himself to be put through intolerable difficulties, I realized that He had to endure them in
order to secure His unchangeability.
Satan and God are completely opposite. God is eternal, while Satan is transient; God is
unchanging, while Satan is ever changing; God is unique, while Satan is not. There is a clear contrast
between the characteristics of God and Satan.
Is your mind changing or unchanging? An unchanging mind is closer to God. You prefer to
be unchanging, not changing, to be absolute, not relative, because you want to take after Gods
character. You would resemble God because you wish to be His object partner.
God is unchanging, eternal, unique and absolute, but for what end? If God possessed these
attributes purely for His own sake, they would have no meaning. These attributes are for the sake of
His object partners. Likewise, we seek to be unchanging and absolute for the sake of our counterpart,
not for ourselves.
Therefore, no matter how many people in the world oppose God, He must endure in silence.
Evil people swear, accuse and lash out at God, but He just takes it all in and remains silent.
All people are meant to make the journey to true love. Therefore, even evil people seek to
become absolute, unique, eternal and unchanging. Were we solitary beings, what difference would it
make if we were changing or unchanging? When we say we want to be unchanging, we automatically
have a relationship in mind. Because of the unchanging relationship between God and human
beings, love can be possible. And lovetrue loveis eternal. (123:330-32, January 9, 1983)
All the ideologies, doctrines and rights that people hold
all these will disappear.
But Father, we yearn that Thou dost put in our minds
power ever flowing and ever bursting forth,
the Eye of resurrection,
that our minds and bodies may rise
to the place where we can live eternally. (4:65, March 9, 1958)
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purpose with a direction always centered on His deep motivation, and He keeps this position without wavering. That is why, if we begin from the Cause and fix on His direction, we can move to the
world that fulfills His purpose. (89:75-76, July 11, 1976)
Everything about human beingsalive with consciousness, pursuing goodness and higher value, and
having a sense of sorrow and sadnessbegan from their Origin, not from themselves. In this resultant human life, we are going through the process of connecting with the original Cause. (140:123,
February 9, 1986)
For anything on this earth to exist, there must be a cause that enables it to exist. The community in
which we live, our nation and the entire visible world are each different levels of effect. The complexity of connections that form each of these environments must have developed from a cause.
Human beings create societies, nations and the world. Yet, the fundamental cause that formed
human beings does not lie within us. Without a doubt, we are resultant beings. We were formed from
some preexisting motivation and content. We came from a cause.
God is the First Cause. How do you think He created human beings? God made us in His image,
like Himself. That means the Father resembles us just as we resemble the Father. So when someone
asks you, What kind of being is God? you can answer, He is someone like me. This answer will
hit the mark. (127:233)
Every individual has unlimited hope, unlimited ambition, and unlimited ideals. For we resultant
beings to be this way, there first had to be a causal being that possesses these qualities. The causal
being is a real existence. We call it God.
God is a personal God; therefore, God can be the total motivation and cause for us human
beings. Because God, the Cause, possesses such a nature, human beings, who are the effect, must
necessarily possess the same nature. It stands to reason that one day, Godthe causeand we
human beingsthe effectwill become so inseparable that nothing can tear us apart. That day
of reunion must appear in the human world. God has kept this cherished desire as He sought for
humanity. (28:282-83, February 11, 1970)
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ible. I bear witness that Thy power hath encompassed the entire universe, and that the hosts of
the earth can never dismay Thee, nor can the
dominion of all peoples and nations deter Thee
from executing Thy purpose. I confess that
Gods Goodness
Scriptures of every religion praise Gods goodness. Many describe the Absolute Beings good attributes in personal terms: God is merciful, loving, beautiful, gracious, compassionate and faithful. Yet the standard of absolute goodness is beyond the ordinary. Universal, impartial and all-embracing, it touches all people
whether they are good or bad. Common metaphors thus liken Gods goodness to the beneficial influences of
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the sun and rain that comes down everywhere. The abundance and fecundity of the creation is yet another
testimony to Gods goodness. Wishing to dwell amidst goodness, the God of goodness promotes goodness
both in nature and in the minds of human beings.
Psalm 145.8-9
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If God were a being of destruction, causing heaven and earth to decrease, people would want nothing to do with God. The eternal God should always provide what is needful and appropriate to
human beings and all creatures. That is why He was needed in the past, is needed in the present,
and will be needed in the future. Otherwise, our worship and our desire for relationship with God
would be in vain and to no purpose. (22:317, May 11, 1969)
All religions of the world begin with the recognition that God, the Lord and Creator, is the First
Cause of the universe. If this God exists, He must be good; He must be eternal and unchanging; and
He must be unique and absolute. The God who created the universe must have, from the first, a purpose for creating. This purpose of creation must also be eternal, unchanging, unique, and absolute.
Gods purpose of creation is joy. He created human beings and the universe to experience
joy. Joy cannot be experienced alone. To experience joy, it is always necessary to have an object
partner, or counterpart. It is only when a subject partner and object partner establish a common
base and engage in give and take action that joy can be experienced. Giving and receiving love
is to experience the supreme joy. In sum, God created us to become His object partners, that He
might experience joy eternally by relating with us in love. This is His purpose of creation. (100:241,
October 19, 1978)
Each of us desires to be good. There is not a single person in the world that does not desire goodness. We know that the direction of history has been toward goodness, as educators and people of
faith have labored and fought to set standards of goodness. We are born seeking for goodness and
live seeking for goodnessthat is the purpose of our life. Since our lives are the warp and woof of
history, it is the goal of history as well. (24:13, June 22, 1969)
How can we fallen human beings return to the God of goodness? First, we must grow to the point
where our conscience resembles Gods original goodness. Next, we must behave in accordance with
Gods word, thus manifesting Gods goodness and confirming the value of His word. When we do
this, God will rejoice on seeing the ideal of the goodness for which He created all things. We humans
have long pursued goodness, but finally we will experience the value of Gods goodness by substantially embodying goodness ourselves. (2:131, July 21, 1957)
How are we to live in Gods Kingdom? We are to live with the attitude to accept anyone who comes
our way. Although occasionally a thief may enter and take something, you just close your eyes to it as
he leaves through the gate, knowing that at least you have something that he could take. God thinks
this way. Why? Because God feels, Though he may be a petty thief, he is still living in My domain.
Even if he takes something, he is only moving it about within the realm where I am the Owner of
everything. Do you think there are fences and locks in heaven? No, there are none. (224:327-28,
December 29, 1991)
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any time. Gold or jewels? No. What God needs is love. Dwelling all by Himself, would God say, I
have love and its great and laugh? No, there is something that God needs.
God is a personal God; then He should have a mouth, shouldnt He? He also should have a
nose, eyes, ears, hands and feet, a mindand a heart. Surely, God must have them, because He is
a personal God. (142:30)
God is the Original Being of love, and out of love He created human beings. A solitary being cannot
love. Therefore, there is one thing that even God absolutely needs: a partner whom He can love.
He can only love in a relationship with a counterpart. God, the Original Being of love and heart,
created the universe with love as His motivation.
In doing so, He created human beings in His image as His substantial object partners, as it is
recorded in Genesis 1:27, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. God is our eternal, formless and internal Parent, and [he created]
Adam and Eve to be perfected as our visible and external parents. (135:10-11, August 20, 1985)
If what God needs is love, then He needs object partners with whom He can relate and share love.
What sort of beings could these be? Animals? God would love beings that resemble Him. If Gods
partners are indeed human beings, then we are led to the conclusion that God has a human-like
personality. God, who is in complete harmony within Himself, must also have attributes that can
harmonize one hundred percent with the innate faculties of the human mind and body. Hence, God
must have intellect, emotion and will. (162:271, April 17, 1987)
Love cannot be completed without a partner. Even God absolutely needs a counterpart in order to
attain the most precious love; that is why He created. God seeks out a partner, so that He can experience absolute love through relating with another. In this sense, God exists for human beings and
human beings exist for God. True love begins when we live for the sake of another.
What is the origin of human beings? Gods love. We were born for love. Love is the origin.
Life is not the most precious thing. Our life derived from Gods idea of love; therefore, love
precedes life. Love is the root of life. We are born from love, grow up in love, and meet a partner for
lovethat should be our life.
If God is the first generation, then human beings are the second generation. God always loves
us, His sons and daughters, but do we experience Gods love? Human beings need to experience that
love if we are to become Gods perfect partners. (143:310, March 21, 1986)
2. Divine Mercy
God is All-gentle to His servants, providing for
whomsoever He will.
Quran 42.19
2 Timothy 2.13
Quran 12.64
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Quran 2.286
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God never made excuses for His situation or complained about His suffering, not to anyone.
Because Jesus was trying to understand everything about the heart of God, when he was lonely he
too persevered and never made any excuses. You should follow the example of his life. (1:78, May
27, 1956)
Even though human beings sinned, God does not accuse us, saying, Hey, you! Why did you sin?
He knows the situation of sinners. He cares about humanity more than for Himself. He comes in
sorrow to sorrowful people, in suffering to suffering people, and in sympathy with those who feel
victimized and angry.
How much have you empathized with Gods situation? God comes into our sphere of life in this
way. Not only thathe comes to us with His heart: Although you betrayed Me, I am your Father.
With a fathers heart I have been searching for you for six thousand years. (9:231, May 29, 1960)
Father! We have been like pitiful orphans,
knocked about this way and that,
ignorant of our purpose, our direction, and our historical situation,
unable to grasp the center of life, pushed here and there
still Thou didst hold on to us.
Yet we did not know that Thou wast there,
sorrowful when we were sad,
not averse to toiling day and night to seek us out,
even as we were ensnared and groaning in the realm of death. (5:337, March 8, 1959)
The Creator
This section on God as the Creator includes classic accounts of the creation of the universe and the
creation of human beings. Some describe creation as beginning with a word; others from a desire within the
Absolute Being. In some texts the Creator forms the universe out of nothing (ex nihilo), in others the world
originated as an emanation from the Absolute, a portion of which emerged out of the void to take on the attributes of form and matter. Several texts describe the root of creation in the appearance of Mind, which then
molds physical matter into its abode; others mention the motive of Love, which sought to divide Being from
Non-Being in order to manifest itself. (For more texts on creation by the interaction of two poles which emerged
from the One, see Chapter 2: Duality.) Finally, scriptures from Hinduism and Taoism describe creation in terms
of divine self-emptying and sacrifice.
These creation stories are not mere explanations of how things came to be in the far remote past. They are
to instruct us on the workings of God who even today governs this world by the same creative principle that
He used in the beginning. As the biblical scholar Rudolph Bultmann said, The real purpose of the creation
story is to inculcate what God is doing all the time.28 This in turn informs us about who we are. Father Moon,
for his part, emphasizes the effort and love God invested in the creative process. If we are Gods children, then
just as God invested effort and sincerity in creating, we too should invest 100 percent of our effort in order
to realize fully our potential as creative beings. As creation proceeds from mind to matter, so too our life can
accord with the cosmic order when it is centered on the mind. As God was motivated to create out of love,
searching for a counterpart in the world of being with whom to rejoice, so we should strive to become Gods
beloved, able to please His heart.
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1. In the Beginning
In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth. The earth was without form and void,
and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and
the Spirit of God was moving over the face of
the waters.
And God said, Let there be light; and there
was light. And God saw that the light was good;
and God separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light Day, and the darkness he
called Night. And there was evening and there
was morning, one day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in
the midst of the waters, and let it separate the
waters from the waters. And God made the
firmament and separated the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters which were
above the firmament. And it was so. And God
called the firmament Heaven. And there was
evening and there was morning, a second day.
And God said, Let the waters under the
heavens be gathered together into one place,
and let the dry land appear. And it was so. God
called the dry land Earth, and the waters that
were gathered together he called Seas. And
God saw that it was good. And God said, Let
the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding
seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is
their seed, each according to its kind, upon
the earth. And it was so. The earth brought
forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according
to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in
which is their seed, each according to its kind.
And God saw that it was good. And there was
evening and there was morning, a third day.
And God said, Let there be lights in the
firmament of the heavens to separate the day
from the night; and let them be for signs and
for seasons and for days and years, and let them
be lights in the firmament of the heavens to
give light upon the earth. And it was so. And
God made the two great lights, the greater light
to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the
night; he made the stars also. And God set
them in the firmament of the heavens to give
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When God created heaven and earth, after each day of creation, God saw that it was good. This
means He felt joy. What is the experience of joy? It is the feeling of satisfaction we have when we
accomplish a certain purpose. Because the created universe embodies Gods purposeful consciousness, God rejoiced at its creation. (9:169, May 8, 1960)
Every result begins from a motive or cause. Every existence begins from a motive and unfolds
through a process before it materializes as a result. This is the case with all natural phenomena.
Human beings did not make it so; rather, this is a basic principle and heavenly law, Gods law. For
this reason, there is no such thing as the evolution of new species by random mutation. All things
exist in order. The world was created by design, in which every existence, as an object-partner of
God, arose through a principled process out of that motive [in the mind of God].
Consider successful people: could they succeed without a firm determination in their minds?
Starting with a motive and plan in their mind, they prepare the ground and steadfastly push forward
to reach their objective. Since this is necessary for an individual to succeed, would it not also be
necessary for God, the Creator of this great universe, to attain His objectives? It is the same principle.
(9:227, May 29, 1960)
The natural world contains such a wide diversity of creatures. What was the process by which each
was created? They were created through the Creators heart of dedication and sincerity. Even the
microscopic organisms were created through Gods heart of love and His cherished desire to exhibit
His own splendor. (20:248, July 7, 1968)
God carried out His work of creation with the utmost sincerity, dedication and investment. He
established the standard of absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience, and then invested
absolutely. All created beings are Gods beloved object partners, whom He created by investing with
utmost sincerity. (400:81, December 27, 2002)
Each of you wishes for your partner of love to be better than you in every way. By the same token,
God is looking to create something and someone greater than Himself. Do you suppose God would
expend only 90 percent of His energy in creating the universe, or would He give His full 100 percent? How about 100 percent a thousand times over? Indeed, He would invest and forget what He
gave, and give again and again a thousand times over. Know that this is how our universe was created: God invested 100 percent of His energy, giving and forgetting what He gave, and repeating the
process tens of thousands of times. (254:266, February 15, 1994)
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place and everything will naturally come back to Him. This is also the logical basis upon which God
created all creatures in a pair system. (199:276, February 20, 1990)
Which comes first, life or love? Love comes first. Although our planet Earth came into being from
Gods life, we do not hold that life comes first; rather, we declare that love is first. Why? Although
God began the creation of heaven and earth with life, the source of life and the motive for life is
love. The reason life came into being is because of love.
Why did God create heaven and earth? Although He is the Absolute Being, God cannot feel
joy as long as He is alone. Although He might sense it, He cannot experience its stimulation; this is
why He created. God may say, I am the Absolute Being, the Master of love and Master of life! yet
as long as He remains solitary, He cannot feel loves stimulation. He cannot feel the stimulation of
life, the experience that all of heaven and earth are within Him. (38:152, January 3, 1971)
When God created each thing, He invested energy. Investing energy is to deplete oneself. Though
God is omniscient and almighty, if He were to give out all His energy with nothing returning to Him,
then God would be depleted.
If you engage in strenuous labor right after eating breakfast, you quickly become hungry and
tired. Why? Investing energy is a negative for the subject partner. No one likes to suffer loss all the
time. Enjoyment comes when there is a positive return on the investment. God created all things
in the heavens and the earth for enjoyment, not so that He could weep or be sorrowful. Hence,
something must return to God as a positive benefit
Then, when does God receive a positive benefit? This is the measure of perfection in created
beings. A being can be said to have reached perfection at the point when God begins to receive a
return on His investment.
Isnt this the case in business? We plan to invest a certain amount, expecting that after a certain
point we will begin to realize profits. Or when we study, we think that after putting in a certain
number of hours we will be adequately prepared to pass the exam. This is true with everything; it
is a universal law. When we have a desire, if we work hard and challenge our limit to reach a goal,
then we can cross the finish line and receive something in return.
The same is true with God. What did He expect to gain by creating human beings? In creating
them He invested His energy and consumed something of Himself. God spent everything possible
for our sake. Yet there is no loss; once we become perfect, there is a return. We should understand
this basic rule.
If 100 units were invested but the return was valued at less than 100 units, God would not have
continued His work of creation. The return should be 110, 200, or 300 units, something valued
more than the 100 units invested. Even better, the return should be unlimited. When this happens,
God experiences joy even as He invests. Considering this, we conclude that the return should be
something with a higher dimension of value. What form would it take? What, when it returns, gives
joy? The answer is love. (65:22-23, November 13, 1972)
If God had thought only of Himself, would He have created heaven and earth? To create means to
invest energy. The cherished desire of an artist is to create a masterpiece. To do this, the artist will
invest all of his heart and soul. He will want to reach the point where he cannot do anything more.
Only by thus investing himself completely can he create the perfect masterpiece. (78:111, May 6,
1975)
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God created the universe, first, with absolute faith. Second, He created with absolute love, cherishing each creation as His beloved object partner. Third, God created with absolute obedience, which
means that He totally emptied Himself. God gave His total investment, forgetting what He had given
and repeatedly giving still more. He gave up even any concept [that something might come of what
He had given].After thus emptying Himself, God reached the zero point. Since He had invested all
of His absolute faith, God reached the zero point. Since He had invested all of Himself with absolute
love, in total obedience to the principle of love, God reached the zero point. (313:114-15)
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You should know that He can appear in the image of True Father and True Mother, to show Himself
to His children throughout the world. (90:196-97, January 1, 1977)
Human beings lost God. What is this God? He is our Parent. He is the ultimate First Ancestor and
King, such as whom there never was and never will be another. What, then, are we? We are Gods
sons and daughters. We are the sons and daughters of the King who rules the universe. This means
we are princes and princesses. Then, what should we princes and princesses do? We should be educated in love and live with love under Gods sovereign authority. This is the worlds ideal. (105:26,
July 8, 1979)
Gods purpose of creation is to create an ideal family where God can dwell with human beings.
Although human beings fell, in their hearts they long for the day when God can live as the Father
of the human family and they can live as members of Gods family. We long to attend God as our
eternal Father, become members of His family and live with God eternally. That is our hope, our
ideal, our life, and our joy. That will be the completion of Gods long-sought purpose. (7:264-65
September 27, 1959)
Dont simply serve God. Become Gods object partner, who says, Father, here I am. How anxiously
Thou hast waited for this moment for 6,000 years! How many tears Thou hast shed! How desperately Thou hast yearned for me! Now, here I am. This is what God has desired to hear from you.
After such a reunion, when God blesses you with dominion over all things in heaven and on
earth, He would like to forget all the pain of the past and say, I rejoice, for today is the day of My
birth.39 God wants to put all the pain of the past 6,000 years behind him and sing songs of heartfelt
love with His children in the new heaven and new earth. Then we will clearly know that God is our
Father, and we are His children. (7:171, August 30, 1959)
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Chapter 2
Quran 16.3
John 1.1-5
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Colossians 1.15-17
The Tao has its reality and its signs but is without action or form. You can hand it down but
you cannot receive it; you can get it but you
cannot see it. It is its own source, its own root.
Before heaven and earth existed it was there,
firm from ancient times. It gave spirituality to
the spirits and to God; it gave birth to heaven
and to earth. It exists beyond the highest point,
and yet you cannot call it lofty; it exists beneath
the limit of the six directions, and yet you cannot call it deep. It was born before heaven and
earth, and yet you cannot say it has been there
for long; it is earlier than the earliest time, and
yet you cannot call it old.
Proverbs 8.22-31
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Before God created the heavens and the earth and human beings, there was a time when He functioned centering on Himself. Because we humans resemble God, we also have times when we think
only about ourselves.
Then God began to create all things in heaven and on earth; this means that He spread out the
universe [as the environment for human beings], His object partners. In due course, He would create
His object partners. All this investment by the invisible God was for the purpose of manifesting as
the visible God. (69:81-82, October 20, 1973)
God created human beings as the model, expanding His creations to the four directions, East, West,
South and North. (173:212, February 18, 1988)
Before creating human beings, God created the natural world by expressing partial reflections of the
internal nature and external form He had conceived for human beings, who were yet to be created.
Hence, a human being, as the manifest image of God, contains the sum total of the essences of all
things. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Creation 3.2)
Even before the creation, the first thing that God thought of was true parents, and the family where
true parents, true couple, and true children are united as one. (339:212, December 26, 2000)
2. Truth Is Absolute
From the bosom of the sacred Word He
brought forth the world.
On high, below, He abides in His own laws.
Atharva Veda 4.1.3 (Hinduism)
Psalm 89.14
Absolute truth is indestructible. Being indestructible, it is eternal. Being eternal, it is self-existent. Being self-existent, it is infinite. Being infinite, it is vast and deep. Being vast and deep, it
is transcendental and intelligent. It is because it
is vast and deep that it contains all existence. It
is because it is transcendental and intelligent that
it embraces all existence. It is because it is infinite
and eternal that it perfects all existence.
Doctrine of the Mean 26 (Confucianism)
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of this ontology we can establish absolute values in the true sense. Establishing themabsolute
truth, absolute goodness and absolute beautythen understanding them and practicing them, we
will bring about humanitys spiritual revolution. Then the chaos in todays world will gradually
disappear. (122:303-04, November 25, 1982)
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and women. Before the principle of male and female, there was the idea of love, that things made
male and female would become one through love.
If the idea of love didnt exist, this universe pervaded by the duality of male and female would
not have arisen. Which came first: male and female physical beings or the emotion and idea of love?
This is the old philosophical problem of Realism vs. Idealism We should know that the idea of
love came first.
Women are not born for their own sake. Men are not born for their own sake. They both exist
for the sake of love. For this reason, the chief concern of both men and women is love. (218:339-40,
August 22, 1991)
The created world contains subject and object partners, and for this reason there are men and
women and male and female creatures. The subject-object relationship is found in flowers with stamen and pistil, in molecules with positive and negative ions, and in atoms with protons and electrons. Everything exists in a pair system.
Nothing else but love fulfills the value and carries on the history of existing beings. Through
love men and women procreate. Other beingsinsects, plants, and mineralsalso love according
to their kind.
Why is everything in a pair system? Why are there always subject and object partners? The
reason is love. Which came first, love or subject and object partners? Does love exist because there
are women and men, or do we exist as women and men because of love? Which is it? We exist as
women and men because of love. (227:268, February 14, 1992)
Without Gods investment of love, the cosmos could not have come into being. The law of the cosmos is that the subject partner lives for the sake of the object partner. However, in the fallen world,
the subject does not live for the sake of the object; instead, the subject misuses the object for his own
sake. That is why the world is destined to decline. Religions must teach the heavenly principle that
you are happy only when your counterpart is happy. (271:70, August 21, 1995)
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The Law has no fear of the terrors of birth-anddeath, nor is it lured by Nirvana. Ever without
misgiving is the Law. So I must make my thought
like the Law.
Dharmasangiti Sutra (Buddhism)
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That which is public has greater value. This can be affirmed in every instance. Since we know this
principle, we cannot complain. (105:93, September 30, 1979)
2. Natural Law
The moral law is to be found everywhere, and
yet it is a secret.
The simple intelligence of ordinary men and
women of the people may understand something
of the moral law; but in its utmost reaches there
is something which even the wisest and holiest
men cannot understand. The ignoble natures of
ordinary men and women of the people may be
able to carry out the moral law; but in its utmost
reaches even the wisest and holiest of men
cannot live up to it.
Great as the Universe is, man is yet not
always satisfied with it. For there is nothing so
great but the mind of the moral man can conceive
of something still greater which nothing in the
world can hold. There is nothing so small but
the mind of the moral man can conceive of
something still smaller which nothing in the
world can split.
The Book of Songs says,
The hawk soars to the heavens above
Fishes dive to the depths below.
That is to say, there is no place in the highest
heavens above nor in the deepest waters below
where the moral law is not to be found. The
moral man finds the moral law beginning in the
relation between man and woman; but ending
in the vast reaches of the universe.
Doctrine of the Mean 12 (Confucianism)
Law is twofoldnatural and written. The natural law is in the heart, the written law on tables.
Therefore all are under the law, the natural
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All things that exist move and function within their limited realm in accordance with the laws of
nature that establish natures cycles.
The nine planets of the solar system revolve about the sun. Can a planet say, I will go where I
please? No, it cannot leave its orbit. When spring comes, can any animal or plant say, I refuse to
grow? No. Spring is the time to grow. Summer is the time for plants to become thick with foliage
and their flowers to bloom. Then in autumn, they must bear fruit. (207:61, November 1, 1990)
The solar system turns in a great, cosmic circle. What is its center? It is lovetrue love. Therefore,
at home, we are taught to love and honor our parents, an expression of love called filial piety. We are
taught to love our nation; that love is called patriotism. We are taught to love humankind; that is to
love as a saint. In other words, in the various orbits of our life, love should be at the center. When
true love takes the center seat, everything else falls into its proper place. The right order is created
around that eternal and unchanging axis. (146:166, June 15, 1986)
Just as the laws by which the sun, moon and stars were createdthe way of heavenset up a system of vertical order, so also in the family there is a vertical order extending from grandparents to
parents and children, and likewise a horizontal order formed by the siblings. The laws of heaven and
the values or norms of [family life] correspond. (122:304, November 25, 1982)
In springtime the flowers bloom, in summer the plants grow, and in autumn they bear fruit. Likewise,
when you live according to the laws of nature, it is a shortcut to the Kingdom of Heaven. (393:215,
February 20, 2004)
What is the heavenly law? Have you ever heard of this religious term? You know what human morals
are, but have you ever heard of heavenly morals? What is the origin of the human morals? Is it the
Korean constitution? No, the origin of human morals is the conscience.
Human laws today are based on Roman law, and Roman law is the foundation of world culture.
However, human morals are based on the conscience. Conscience precedes law.
Goodness is the foundation of conscience. When we deviate from goodness and go astray, our
conscience tries to correct us. Our concept of goodness sets the standard for our conscience. Hence,
a universal society needs the moral law, because its members seek a social order that is in accord
with the untainted conscience. Ultimately, the root of human morals is the heavenly law. (33:44,
August 2, 1970)
Human morals are rooted in the heart. Relationships in the family, norms of behavior, social systems, the social order and such should be rooted in the heart. Human morals begin from parents
loving their children. Then, by children loving their parents, they establish a true human relationship. A second true human relationship is established by a husband loving his wife and a wife
loving her husband. Love is like the leaven for morality in all its aspects.5 (64:124-25, October
29, 1972)
Formulas rooted in laws have made possible the development of our technological civilization.
Whether a scientific idea can be accepted as law depends on how widely it can be applied in
its field. Likewise, in our religious lives, we should not go by blind faith. God always carries
out His Providence through formulaic laws, so we must understand these formulas. There is a
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clear formula running through the history of the Providence of Restoration from the past up to
the present. This is one of the most important teachings of the Unification Principle. (16:119,
October 22, 1978)
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Seven precepts were commanded to the children of Noah: social laws [civil justice]; to
refrain from blasphemy; idolatry; adultery;
bloodshed; robbery; and eating flesh cut from a
living animal.8
Talmud, Sanhedrin 56a (Judaism)
The Noble Truth of the Path leading to the cessation of suffering is this Noble Eightfold Path,
namely: right view, right aspiration, right speech,
right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness, right concentration.
What is right view? Knowledge of suffering,
knowledge of the arising of suffering, knowledge
of the cessation of suffering, knowledge of the
path leading to the cessation of sufferingthis
is called right view.
What is right aspiration? Aspiration for
renunciation, aspiration for non-malevolence,
aspiration for harmlessnessthis is called right
aspiration.
What is right speech? Refraining from
lying speech, refraining from slanderous speech,
refraining from harsh speech, refraining from
gossipthis is called right speech.
What is right action? Refraining from
violence against creatures, refraining from
taking what has not been given, refraining from
going wrongly among the sense-pleasures, this is
called right action.
What is right livelihood? A disciple of the
Noble Ones, getting rid of a wrong mode of
livelihood, makes his living by a right mode of
livelihood. This is called right livelihood.
What is right effort? A monk generates
desire, effort, stirs up energy, exerts his mind
and strives for the non-arising of evil unskilled
states that have not arisen for the getting rid
of evil unskilled states that have arisen for the
arising of skilled states that have not arisen
for the maintenance and completion of skilled
states that have arisen. This is called right
effort.
What is right mindfulness? A monk fares
along contemplating the body in the body the
feelings in the feelings the mind in the mind
the mental states in the mental states ardent,
clearly conscious of them, mindful of them so as
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There are five universal ways in human relations those governing the relationship
between ruler and minister, between father and
son, between husband and wife, between elder
and younger brothers, and those in the intercourse between friends. These five are the universal ways in the world.
Doctrine of the Mean 20.79 (Confucianism)
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maintain the sovereign power and kingship of heaven, and to stand before it as a people, and as
parents, wives, children, and brothers and sisters.
Therefore, you cannot neglect your older brother. You cannot neglect your younger brother
merely because he is handicapped. In the secular world people may not care, but we cannot neglect
in-laws or relatives. If you who graduated from a university neglect those who only completed high
school, it is a sin. These are violations of human rights.
You should live a good life. Can you live a good life by yourself? No, you should live with others.
Within an environment governed by Gods official laws, with whom should you live to be living a
good life? The answer is simple. You should have good relationships between parents and children,
between husband and wife, and among siblings
When you are exemplary to one another, it can be called a good life. If you are not a good
example, you are not living a good life. Live a good life by being exemplary in front of your parents,
your spouse and your children.
Even if you are accused as a traitor and executed in public view, if you keep these commandments
absolutely, your family will belong to the heavenly royal family that possesses eternal freedom, unity
and liberation.
I want you to remember this clearly. Keep it as a motto, the motto of the third millennium: Pure
lineage, equality of human rights, and guarding public assetsdo not be a thief. What is next? Be
an example! Be an exemplary parent, exemplary spouse, exemplary child and exemplary sibling. If
you form such a family, people in your neighborhood will say, We should follow that person. I want
to live with him. That person is surely a citizen of Kingdom of Heaven, and Heaven will remember
that family forever.
I explained to you on this historic day, the day of the Coronation Ceremony of Gods Kingship,
the three most important things that humankind must uphold and by which you can be truly
liberated in your family and in your nation. I hope you can remember these contents and keep them
as the goals of your life. (January 13, 2001)
Couples must never fall. If they do, it is a serious problem. I cannot emphasize this enough. Next,
you should love human beings. Third, you should be careful not to misuse public funds. Matters of
heart, relationships with human beings, and with material are very important. When the Heavenly
Constitution is installed, [these will be its] first provisions. (169:217, October 31, 1987)
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However, life in the spirit should not be misconstrued as a license to sin. Even in a state of complete freedom,
there are still heavenly standards and principles. All the same, a truly enlightened person is one with those
principles and hence does not feel constrained by them.
People under delusion accumulate tainted merits but do not tread the Path.
They are under the impression that to accumulate merits and to tread the Path are one
and the same thing.
Though their merits for alms-giving and offerings are infinite,
They do not realize that the ultimate source of
sin lies in the three poisons within their own
mind.
1 John 3.9
Finite and transient are the fruits of sacrificial rites. The deluded, who regard them as
the highest good, remain subject to birth and
death Considering religion to be observance
of rituals and performance of acts of charity, the
deluded remain ignorant of the highest good.
Having enjoyed in heaven the reward of their
good works, they enter again into the world
of mortals. But wise, self-controlled, and tranquil souls, who are contented in spirit, and who
practice austerity and meditation in solitude and
silence, are freed from all impurity, and attain by
the path of liberation to the immortal, the truly
existing, the changeless Self.
Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.7-11 (Hinduism)
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All things are lawful for me, but not all things
are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I
will not be enslaved by anything The body is
not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and
the Lord for the body.
1 Corinthians 6.12-14
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of love? Were there no formulas, there would be no way to govern the people streaming into the
Kingdom from every corner of the world. (170:256, November 22, 1987)
Duality
Duality is a consistent theme throughout the cosmos. All existing beings display duality or polarity:
male and female, light and dark, heaven and earth, mind and body, subject and object, the self and the whole,
being and non-being. The dynamic interactions between these poles are a source of generative and creative
power. This is seen in the regular cycles of nature, the alternation of day and night, and the changing seasons.
Duality is portrayed mythically by the cosmic union of god and goddess, and recognized by science in the
electromagnetic interactions that construct atoms and molecules. Some religions, notably Confucianism and
Taoism, regard the polarity of yang (masculine) and yin (feminine) as a governing principle of nature, one that
can instruct human beings on the proper way of life.
Father Moon devotes considerable attention to duality, which he develops into a systematic relational
ontology. He observes the interactions in nature and sees in them the basis for the principle of altruism; as
giving precedes receiving in all successful relationships. Even the forces of repulsion in nature have the effect
of reducing threesomes to twosomes, thus protecting the realm of creative and loving relationships that duality provides. On that basis, he also critiques the Marxist dialectic for teaching a flawed conception of reality,
rooted in conflict.
Quran 51.49
The Great Primal Beginning generates the two primary forces [yang and yin]. The two primary forces
generate the four images. The four images generate
the eight trigrams. The eight trigrams determine
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For what purpose did God create the universe with duality? The Creator separated all things
into masculine and feminine so that the two could join by giving and receiving love. All species
increase their numbers and carry on life through acts of love. (201:204-05, April 9, 1990)
The universe emerged out of relationships between up and down, right and left, and front and
back. Therefore, from insects to animals and humans, heaven and earth exist in a pair system.
Even the five sensory organs exist in a pair system. So do the hands, feet, mind and body
(however our mind and body are not united as one, and this is a most critical problem). Our eyes blink
together. Our nostrils breathe together. Our lips move together when we speak. Sound resonates in
both ears when we hear. We use both hands to make things. We cannot walk with one foot alone but
require two feet. Everything in the universe needs a partner in order to function and act. Nothing
can function alone. Hence, a being by itself cannot resemble God. (391:174, August 21, 2002)
When God created, He worked centering on human beings. With human beings as His model, He
expanded the creation in all directions. Hence, He created all creaturesminerals, plants, and animalsin pairs. The act of creation proceeded by weaving together in pairs the vertical paths and
the horizontal paths. Some moved straight, some in a zigzag, others engaged in all manner of actions,
but all were arranged in a pair system to create the natural world. It is teaching material for people
to learn about ideal love. (173:211)
Inside the seed of a plant are two parts in a reciprocal relationship. The two are completely one
inside a single shell. They engage in give and take action through the embryo in order to propagate
life. In an egg, too, there is an embryo between yolk and white, and they form one body within the
single shell. The same is true for the human fetus.
Whether human beings or plants, life forms through a harmonious union of subject and object
partners by means of give-and-take action. These multiply in a way that resembles their causal
being, thus connecting to the foundation of their existence. Ultimately we resemble the First Cause.
Therefore, the First Cause must be the basic model, with subject and object partners forming a
perfect harmonious union, and having the status of Subject Partner in relation to all beings. (89:226,
November 27, 1976)
Even though a person may have many possessions, many children and great power, there is no joy
if he or she lives alone. Likewise, although God is the Subject and the Absolute Being, without a
partner He also is lonely.
Why did God create heaven and earth? God is the Absolute Subject, but He cannot experience
joy as long as He remains alone. Joy cannot be experienced alone; it arises only in the context of a
relationship. Peace, too, and happiness, only exist in the context of relationships. For this reason,
God cannot function as God as long as He is alone. (58:210, June 11, 1972)
Throughout the universe, love is something that no being can possess by itself. Once a being meets
its counterpart, however, and they relate with love, they can obtain all the things that love provides.
For example, even though a couple may love children, until they have children of their own, they
cannot experience parental love. They cannot become the owners of the kind of love that parents
have for their children. From this perspective, we can understand why God created human beings
and the universe: He created them as His object partners in order to realize true love.
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All types of loveincluding the love of children, love of siblings, love of husband and wife, and
love of parentscome about through the unity of subject and object partners. Once subject and
object partners become one, nothing can separate them. If they could be divided, we could not say
that true love is indestructible. Among married couples, there should not be even the thought of
divorce. (True Family and World Peace, March 14, 1999)
God created everything in complementary pairs so that they could receive Gods true love. God
wanted them to receive this one love as a partnership. If a man and a woman perfect Gods love,
embody Gods love, and share that love with each other from the same ground of complementarity
as God, then they will definitely become an ideal couple. (26:155-56, October 25, 1969)
For the sake of love, God created human beings as His partners. God created all things in the universe in pairs so that Gods love may be eternal, mans love may be eternal, womans love may be
eternal, and childrens love may be eternal. They are all Gods family; hence they should be eternal.
(201:193, April 1, 1990)
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There is another pair of dual characteristics in reciprocal relationship, which are even more fundamental to existence than the dual characteristics of yang and yin. Every entity possesses both an
outer form and an inner quality. The visible outer form resembles the invisible inner quality. The
inner quality, though invisible, possesses a certain structure that manifests visibly in the particular
outer form
Let us take human beings as an example. A human being is composed of an outer form, the
body, and an inner quality, the mind. The body is a visible reflection of the invisible mind. Because
the mind possesses a certain structure, the body that reflects it also takes on a particular appearance.
This is the idea behind a persons character and destiny being perceived through examining his
outward appearance by such methods as physiognomy or palm reading. Here, mind is the internal
nature (sungsang) and body is the external form (hyungsang). Mind and body are two correlative
aspects of a human being; hence, the body may be understood as a second mind. Together, they
constitute the dual characteristics of a human being. Similarly, all beings exist through the reciprocal
relationships between their dual characteristics of internal nature and external form
The body resembles the mind and moves according to its commands in such a way as to sustain
life and pursue the minds purposes. Mind and body thus have a mutual relationship of internal and
external, cause and result, subject partner and object partner, vertical and horizontal.
Similarly, all created beings, regardless of their level of complexity, possess an intangible internal
nature, which corresponds to the human mind, and a tangible external form, which corresponds to
the human body. Within each being, the internal nature, which is causal and subject, commands the
external form. This relationship allows the individual being to exist and function purposefully as a
creation of God. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Creation 1.1)
This created world in which we live has two axes: a visible axis and an invisible axis. They form a
dual structure. The object partner revolves around its subject partner, but the subject partner also
revolves. An example is the body and mind of a human being engaging in give-and-take action. All
beings exist according to this principle.
Fallen humans in the world must correct their axis in order to be restored. The correct human
structure has the mind at the center of the body and the spirit dwelling in the center of the mind.
The body revolves around the mind and moves in accordance with the minds commands. If his
mind says, Go to the east, his body heads east, and if his mind says, Go to the west, his body
heads west. His body cannot make a move by itself. (136:14, December 20, 1985)
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Ecclesiastes 3.1-8
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There is force of attraction and force of repulsion in this universe. Things are attracted to things
that relate with them and repel those things that contravene them. Gods power of creation18 acts to
protect the universe from anything that tries to harm it. A reciprocal realm can only form in keeping
with this basic logic. When some other being approaches that might harm the reciprocal realm, it is
repelled. The force of repulsion is not a bad thing; it is a secondary protective force to facilitate
and perfect Gods power of creation. If there were not a reaction to every action, it would be impossible even to walk. (227:37, February 10, 1992)
When a wife dies, or a husband dies, why does the surviving spouse feel sorrow? When a womans
husband dies, why does she make a big scene by crying Wah! at the top of her lungs? She doesnt
just cry; she completely loses her mind. Why does this happen? She and her husband formed a reciprocal realm and, centering on love, entered into the universes realm of eternal principle. But the
death of the husband caused that reciprocal realm to break apart, and the wife feels a force pushing
against her with such force that it makes her skin turn red. That force makes her feel sorrow and
pain
Unmarried girls will go around playing, and sometimes you see a group of girls hanging on to
each other, embracing each other and such. The same is true with boys. Wrestling with each other,
rolling around on the ground like calves, they make all sorts of noise in the village. But on the day
one of those young men marries and takes a wife, will he want one of his handsome friends to come
and stand next to him in front of his wife? Would any man want that? No, he will kick his friend
away, saying, Dont ever come here again! Get out of here! Now!
Its not a bad thing for him to tell his friend to go. He is actually telling him, You should do as
I do, and stand in a position where you can welcome the universal principle. By kicking his friend
away, he guides him to the path to perfection. (218:335, August 22, 1991)
Knowing this is the principle, the theory of evolution cannot be sustained. The supposed evolutionary link from amoebas to monkeys to human beings ignores the fact that each of the countless
relationships between male and female had to pass through the gate of love and establish a realm
of reciprocity.
Take sparrows, for example. During the winter, they know nothing about having relationships,
so they play around and all become their own positives. But in the spring, when they start making
nests and forming reciprocal realms, they become absolute. Both the male and the female of an
established pair will repel a third sparrow that approaches. If a female approaches them, the male
will repel it; if a male approaches, the female will repel it. Why is that? They repel the third sparrow
because it threatens to break up their reciprocal realm and is an aggressor on the realm of the law of
the universe. (218:338, August 22, 1991)
Hegel and especially Engels, philosophers who came up with the law of the dialectic, saw universal
law as decreeing conflict and opposition. Unless we successfully resolve the question of the dialectic
within the universe, we cannot find the true formula for the ideal world, nor can we establish peace
and harmony with hierarchical order in organizations structured with up and down relationships.
We must demonstrate the falsity of such principles as survival of the fittest, the strong eat the
weak, and power causes progress. Otherwise, people would think that mistreating others is not a
sin. (132:142, May 31, 1984)
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Some people say the universe is made of energy. It is true that all beings are formed of energy, but
what is needed for that energy to exist?
No being is energy itself. There is always a reciprocal standard or common base. Before we
acknowledge energy, we must acknowledge the common base. If we acknowledge the common base,
we must acknowledge subject and object partners
Relative relationship does not refer to a thesis-antithesis-synthesis relationship, where a
standard called thesis and something called antithesis oppose each other and become unified
as one. Instead, it refers to a relationship where the object partner responds to the subject partner.
That is, it means that a subject and object partner respond to each other and engage in action
centering on a common purpose. When they engage in perfect give-and-take action and achieve a
reciprocal realm, energy comes into being, and only then is the center determined. Even if there is a
great deal of action, if the action is going in opposite directions, it will eventually destroy the world.
(15:53, February 7, 1965)
Interdependence
All beings, great and small, are linked in a web of interdependent relationships. Apart from the whole,
no individual could exist. Therefore, to think of myself as a separate individual is a fundamental error of cognition. Einstein called it an optical delusion of consciousness a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our
personal desires, and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. He said we should free ourselves from this
prison, by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures, and the whole of nature in all its
beauty.
In reality, every being is immersed in a web of cause and effecta chain of concatenation according to
a Buddhist textthat stretches to the ends of the universe. This understanding is the basis of the Buddhist
teaching of no-self. Recognizing that all beings are I and I am all beings, it is the root of the Buddhist
ethic of compassion. It is a remedy for the malady of individualism, which leads people to believe that the goal
is my salvation. In fact, no human being can attain ultimate peace as long as other people are suffering.
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All humans are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of
destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects
all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be
until you are what you ought to be, and you can
never be what you ought to be until I am what
I ought to be.
Martin Luther King, Jr. (Christianity)
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do not conflict with each other. Instead, they function together interdependently. No part of the
body can say that it likes only the hand and does not like the eye. Each organ has its lawful place,
and each accommodates itself to the limitations of its position and rank, relating to the others front
and back, left and right, and above and below. That is the only way it can function; there is no other
way. (49:193, October 10, 1971)
Each human being is like a cell. They do not exist separately, each doing their own thing. Rather,
they come together and form a whole, creating an axis. Then humankind can enter into a partnership with God, the Center of the whole. The force of love flowing in this partnership motivates them
to pursue a common objective. Cause and effect correspond to each other and fulfill their purpose.
When the cause and effect are thus united, God and the whole of humankind manifest their value
and complete their one common purpose. (110:73, November 9, 1980)
The supreme element that we human beings pursue is love. Therefore, we should make it so the
give and take of love proceeds smoothly. The universe should be linked by one axis, formed when
each person centers on his or her subject partner. Then, just like an electrical circuit, everything
can engage in good give and take action through the axis. It is similar to a tree whose parts engage
in give and take action centering on the trunk. Through that axis, every cell, from the bottommost
tip of the central root to the terminal bud at the very top, relate to each other continually. If that
give and take action is good, the tree will grow; if not, the root will shrivel and the whole tree will
decline. (165:177, May 20, 1987)
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though this world seems to tolerate injustice and permit wrongs to go unpunished, scriptures assert that the
ultimate individual recompense is in the afterlife, where he or she is destined either for heaven or hell. Here
Father Moons teachings give a deeper explanation for why sinners are destined for hell, not by the decree of
any angelic judge but by the conditions they made for themselves during earthly life.
Second, there are passages on cause and effect as a universal principle that operates in the growth and
completion of all beings. We learn that the effect is not separate from the cause; rather, they are closely tied
together. The core Buddhist doctrine of Dependent Origination expresses the negative of this idea, as ignorance develops through a causal chain to the whole human condition of suffering (dhukka). A Taoist text puts
it positively, that cause and effect form a circuit, the movement of Heaven. Father Moon teaches that God is
immanent in the world, working everywhere as the cause and revealing Himself in human beings as the effect.
Ultimately, God and humans, cause and effect, are to be united as the Alpha and the Omegathrough love.
Matthew 26.52
There are no special doors for calamity and happiness [in mens lot]; they come as men themselves call them. Their recompenses follow good
and evil as the shadow follows the substance.
Treatise on Response and Retribution 1 (Taoism)
Not in the sky, nor in mid-ocean, nor in a mountain cave, is found that place on earth where
abiding one may escape from the consequences
of ones evil deed.
Dhammapada 127 (Buddhism)
Hosea 8.7
Quran 31.22
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Let not their conduct grieve you, who run easily to disbelief, for lo! they injure God not at all.
It is Gods will to assign them no portion in the
hereafter, and theirs will be an awful doom.
And let not those who disbelieve imagine
that the rein We give them bodes good for their
souls. We only give them rein that they may
grow in sinfulness. And theirs will be a shameful
doom.
Quran 3.176, 178
87
According as one acts, according as one conducts himself, so does he become. The doer of
good becomes good. The doer of evil becomes
evil. One becomes virtuous by virtuous action,
bad by bad action.
But people say, A person is made [not of
acts, but] of desires only. [I say,] as his desire,
such is his resolve; as is his resolve, such the
action he performs; what action he performs,
that he procures for himself. On this point there
is this verse,
Where ones mind is attachedthe inner
self
goes thereto with action, being attached to
it alone.
Obtaining the end of his action,
whatever he does in this world,
he comes again from that world
to this world of action.22
So the mind that desires.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.5-6 (Hinduism)
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For example, if your stomach hurts, it means there is a blockage in a circuit of give and take
action between some subject and object partner. The blockage causes it to be pushed away to the
same extent as it is blocked. A cosmic force to push it out acts on the stomach, and it hurts. All you
need to do is open the place that is blocked, and you will feel fine.
Likewise, the world of our conscience and the entire human world are in pain. Why? There
are elements that do not meet the standards of the cosmic force, and the universe is trying to push
them out. Hence, we feel pain in our conscience. While the conscience was going in the proper
direction, something stood opposing it and blocked the consciences function. We experience a
reaction, resulting in pain. If the problem is not solved, that reaction will send the person into hell.
(165:176-77, May 20, 1987)
The law of cause and effect cannot be avoided in history. America is an extension of Great Britain
thus America is in a position to indemnify what Britain did wrong in history. What did Britain do
when she colonized Asia, especially China? She killed countless Asians through pushing the opium
trade. Britain adopted that policy to dominate the Chinese and profit off of them, while totally
unconcerned that whole populations became helpless addicts. Someone today has to indemnify that
sin. Americans, especially American youth, should indemnify that historical debt; otherwise young
people here will be plagued by drugs as a result. (105:134, October 4, 1979)
God abhors sin, and misuse of love is the sin God abhors the most. God regards sinners who commit such transgressions and do not repent as His enemies, and He visits them with destruction. It is
the Principle that whoever indulges in illicit love will perish. In Italy, the lustful and immoral city of
Pompeii was destroyed by instant calamity. Sodom and Gomorrah perished under the same law. The
Roman Empire once prevailed in the world with unparalleled power, but it collapsed for the same
reason. From the vantage point of history, America today is on the same path. Unless it repents for
its violations of the law of Gods love, it too will perish. (104:141, April 29, 1979)
I was involved in the underground resistance movement against Japanese imperial rule, and from
that perspective the Japanese were my enemies. They were the enemies of the Korean people in general and my enemies in particular. Yet, after Japan was defeated at the end of World War II, I loved
the Japanese. Some time earlier, certain Japanese policemen had arrested me for my activities in the
resistance and tortured me severely. When the war ended I could have reported them, and they all
would have been executed. Yet, when I came across those same policemen running for their lives, I
helped them escape to safety.
Do you know why so many young people in Japan place their eternal lives in my hands and
pledge their loyalty to me? It is because there is a principle of cause and effect, which dictates that
they must return what was given. (True Family and World Peace, February 10, 2000)
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Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense, to repay every one for what he has done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the
last, the beginning and the end.
Revelation 22.12-13
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and the end. If God is the Alpha, we human beings are the Omega. If God is the first, we are the
last, and if God is the beginning, then we are the end. Should the two remain separated? The verse
promises that they are to unite. (69:76, October 20, 1973)
Anyone who denies the Origin cannot bring a result. The origin of all children is their [Heavenly]
Parent, but if the children deny their Parent, it is logical that they cannot become an acceptable
result. When the cause and the result become one, the ideal appears, full of joy. (328:185, August
3, 2000)
When a man connects with his wife in all aspects of her life [and vice-versa], the two become one.
First they orbit around each other; then they meet. When they meet, they are elevated.
In other words, a man and a woman meet together by living for the sake of each other. Then,
once they marry, they should sacrifice for God. We call this origin-division-union action. God divided
people into two different sexes for love; therefore they should come together for love. Thus, their
union should also be the unity of cause and result. Where the cause and the result became one,
there can be a seed. Thus there arises an endless cycle of give and take between cause and result.
Their oneness is the basis for a unified world. (389:303, August 7, 2002)
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Chapter 3
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I was a secret treasure, and I created the creatures in order that I might be known.
Hadith (Islam)
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Psalm 8.4-5
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If we were to ask God to tell us why He created this world, He would no doubt answer, Because I
liked it. Because He liked it. Because it gave Him joy. God created this world to obtain joy. This
state of liking, this joy, is obtained through love.
God wanted to rejoice; therefore He created this world for the realization of love. God wanted
to rejoice over a world of warm and harmonious love, where human beings and all creatures would
dwell as one in Gods love. God wanted to rejoice over men and women who would form true
conjugal relationships in His love, and then build families, tribes, nations and a world of love; and
God would taste the joy of love through the loving oneness of these human beings. This was the
very ideal of Gods creation.
If human beings had accomplished everything for God exactly as He had envisioned and
according to His Will, then God would have become the God of joy, God of glory, and God of
happiness. (113:312)
God did not create human beings as objects for His amusement or as a hobby. It is impossible to
express in words how hard God worked and the efforts He devoted to create human beings and
establish them as the center of all created beings.
In creating human beings, God devoted Himself, making many efforts. He gave them all His
heart and soul and the essence of His life. He totally invested His love and affection. He created
them to be in a relationship that no force can ever undo or sever. Because God created them in such
a way, only when He beholds them [in their original unfallen state] can He finally feel at peace.
(20:207, June 9, 1968)
God created all things in heaven and earth because it pleased Him to behold them.
Many Christians today say, God is the Creator, and we are His creatures. There can be no parity
or resemblance between the Creator and His creatures. This would mean that God is always absolute
and alone, in a position without an object partner. Nothing would be greater unhappiness.
Consider a man of authority, even the president of a country; his wife has died and he lives
alone. Would his son say to him, Father, you must be so happy to be living alone? Surely his father
would reply, You rascal. How can I be happy? Rather the son should say, Father, would you like
me find you a new wife? That would be a filial son. (57:247, June 4, 1972)
Gods purpose in creating the universe was to feel joy when He saw the purpose of goodness fulfilled
in the Heavenly Kingdom, which the whole creation, including human beings, could have established The purpose of the universes existence centered on human beings is to return joy to God,
the Creator. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Creation 3.1)
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Jewish and Christian scriptures teach that man was created in the image and likeness of God. The image of
God speaks to the ideal of holiness, truthfulness, righteousness, and charity. The saint or self-realized person
is like heaven, manifesting the character of God. To reach this ideal requires a transformation of the inner man,
or as Father Moon puts it, a revolution of character.
Father Moons teaching seeks to get at some of the ways that human beings resemble God. He examines
Gods attributes: omnipotence, omniscience, absoluteness, eternity, etc. and explains that human beings strive
for these same qualities. Moreover, possessing these qualities is our heavenly birthright.
Furthermore, the scriptures affirm that men and women are equally in the image of God. Since God created
human beings to be nothing less than His counterparts with whom to share His complete love, human beings
should resemble God to the fullest extent. Thus, had human beings not been marred by the Fall, we could attain
the fullest manifestation of Gods image as a man and woman in the union of marriage.
God is never in any way unrighteoushe is perfect righteousness; and he of us who is the most
righteous is most like him.
Plato, Theaetetus (Hellenism)
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Veiled by ignorance,
The minds of man and Buddha
appear to be different;
Yet in the realm of Mind Essence
they are both of one taste.
Milarepa (Buddhism)
And the Lord said to Moses, Say to all the congregation of the people of Israel, You shall be
holy; for I the Lord your God am holy.
Leviticus 19.1-2
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98
God is the most public-minded being, whereas Satan is the most self-centered being, private and
selfish to his bone marrow. Thus, Gods formula to restore human beings aims for us to become Godlike. This means that we must sacrifice what is personal and uphold what is public. Each of us must
embody the spirit of altruism and service to others.
A selfless and public-minded person will prosper because he or she is the image of God. The
selfish, self-centered person will decline because he is the opposite of God, in the image of the
betrayer. This is a law of Heaven. (88:209, September 18, 1976)
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partners, human beings, to be changeable. Nor would God want His object partners to be limited
in any way. Instead, God wants us to be absolute. God wants us to be unchanging. (77:185, April 6,
1975)
What is Gods purpose in creating human beings? He did not create them just to watch them go
about their daily lives. He did not create them to just grow old and die. God created human beings
to have us build a God-centered haven of love. We are created to grow to maturity in love, communicate with each other through heart, and then build Gods Kingdom on earth. Adam, the male,
represents heaven, and Eve, the female, represents earth. Therefore, when the two become one
horizontally in Gods love, they bring unity to the entire cosmos, heaven and earth. (21:44-45,
September 1, 1968)
Since we human beings resemble God, by the power of Gods omniscient and almighty love we can
do anything. Just as God created Adam and Eve, we human beings receive the power to create when
we give birth to sons and daughters. (57:111, May 29, 1972)
1 Corinthians 3.16
Galatians 2.20
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Smaller than the smallest, greater than the greatest, this Self forever dwells within the hearts of
all. When a man is free from desire, his mind
and senses purified, he beholds the glory of the
Self and is without sorrow.
Though seated, he travels far; though at rest, he
moves all things. Who but the purest of the pure
can realize this Effulgent Being, who is joy and
who is beyond joy.
Formless is he, though inhabiting form. In the midst
of the fleeting he abides forever. All-pervading
and supreme is the Self. The wise man, knowing
him in his true nature, transcends all grief.
Katha Upanishad 1.2.20-22 (Hinduism)
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102
You are already awake. Good morning, Father? You should live with the feeling that when you wake
up, God is already awake, ready to greet you. (92:153, April 1, 1977)
Each human being can contain the entire universe. Therefore, prepare a space within yourself where
God can come and take a nap, comfortably stretching His legs. Become a person within whom God
can feel completely free. Though he kicks and stretches, he feels no walls or obstructions. If you are
like that, you can be Gods temple.
Knowing this, you should love yourself and respect yourself as the temple of God that you are.
(125:101, March 13, 1983)
A human being has a body and a definite shape, while the invisible God has no shape or body.
However, without having a body, God cannot reign over the spiritual and physical worlds. God also
needs a substantial body in order to manifest as the Parent of humankind. God created Adam and
Eve to manifest Himself through these substantial beings.
Thus, unfallen Adam and Eve were not only to be the progenitors of the human race; they were
also to be Gods substantial body through which He could reign over heaven and earth. They were
responsible to exercise dominion over the world on behalf of God in the position of parents. (133:9192, July 10, 1984)
God has no shape or form. Even in the spirit world, you cannot see God. The reason why God created Adam centering on love is because this created world around us has form. [Through Adam],
God was to become a Father with a form.
As a result of God becoming a Father possessing form, that which is invisible and that which is
visible are united into one. This, in turn, symbolizes the unity of the universe. Thus, God created
Adam and Eve so that He could take on form. So, what is the decisive element in His taking on
form? This can only be love. Adam and Eve came into the world with an appearance such that they
could have a form resembling Gods external aspect.
In that case, the features of Adam and Eve would have been elevated to the palace and the
throne of the Kingdom of Heaven. God would have then dwelled within the hearts of this king
and queen, and from there He would have ruled over the physical world and the invisible world.
This would have created Gods Kingdoma kingdom of love. Only love can bring spirit and flesh
together. Nothing else will suffice. (143:93-94, March 16, 1986)
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103
For all who are led by the spirit of God are sons of
God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery
to fall back into fear, but you have received the
spirit of sonship. When we cry, Abba! Father!
it is the Spirit himself bearing witness that we
are the children of God, and if children, then
heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,
provided that we suffer with him in order that
we may also be glorified with him.
Romans 8.14-17
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104
love is my love, Gods life is my life, and Gods ideal is my ideal. This is the first and original fatherchild relationship, where unification occurs. (69:78, October 20, 1973)
After creating Adam and Eve, God showered true love upon them. Who initiated true love? It was
not Adam and Eve. It was God, loving them as His children. It is like a newborn baby who dwells in
the warmth of its parents love; however, it is ignorant of love and thinks that its parents exist for it
alone. It knows nothing of its parents other concerns. Gods parental love encompasses everything,
yet we first come into an awareness of Gods love just as babies come into an awareness of their parents love. They smile to see their parents and are grateful for their protection. This is how the love
of the Parent and His children grows. (149:312, December 21, 1986)
God created human beings out of His absolute love, to be His partners in love. This relationship
forms an axis of love, linking God the Father with human beings as His sons and daughters.
Is there anything higher or more precious than to be a son or daughter of God? If anything were
higher, then surely human desire would aspire to attain it. But there is nothing higher. Do you think
that when the omniscient and omnipotent God created Adam and Eve, He secretly reserved the
highest position for Himself and made Adam and Eve to be only second best? We cannot imagine
that God would do that to His children, to His partners who share absolute love with Him. As our
eternal True Parent, God invested Himself one hundred percent into the creation of human beings
and endowed us with the right to have equal status with Him, to participate in His work as equals,
to live with Him, and to inherit from Him. God bestowed upon human beings all of His attributes.
(September 12, 2005)
God is the Father of human beings, and we are His children. Then suppose someone said to God,
Your child is more handsome than you. Would God be happy to hear that remark, or would it
make Him feel bad? If He were to feel bad, then God would be beneath the level of humans. Of
course, He would be happy. That is the logic of love. (40:343, February 11, 1971)
The horizontal love between a husband and a wife blossoms with Gods ideal love, and the fragrance
of their love oscillates throughout the universe even as Gods love is added on to their love: This is
the truth of the relationship of the Father with His children at its perfection. (101:34-35, October
28, 1978)
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Americans may love material things, but I love people more. The winners are people who love people. Even if you lose all you possess, if you keep your human relations intact, the things will return.
Though we lose money, through people we will be able to obtain money. But if we break our connection to people, we will lose everything. (February 17, 2001)
What is exceedingly valuable in the world? It is not treasure such as gold or silver, nor is it worldly
fame or power. The most valuable thing in all heaven and earth is you.
Nevertheless, when people are asked what certification they have that they are valuable, they
cannot answer. Still, despite their many deficiencies, people want to put themselves before heaven
and earth as the most valuable existence. It is our original human nature to do so.
Maybe you think you are already living for the sake of the nation and the world. However, have
you considered whether other people regard you as a valuable person? If they do not, then you need
to make a new determination and a new beginning. Ask yourself, What do others see as valuable
about me?
Can you become a jewel, one of a kind in the universe, a true treasure that God and Jesus
would long to possess? The myriads of saints who formerly lived on earth, and all the philosophers
who planted their thought in the world, no matter how important they may have been during their
earthly lives, would long for your treasure. All humanity presently living, and even people of the
future, would also want it. They would adore its value. Yet who has believed that they could be such
a jewel? (17:13-14, November 6, 1966)
Psalm 8.3-5
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109
to my posterity thousands of generations into the future. If I were to be broken, my relationship with
God would also be broken. My family would be damaged, as would my clan and the whole world.
That is why I am a microcosm, representing heaven and earth.
My heart desires to embrace Heaven, and my body to possess the earth. I want to be enraptured
by the heart of the Sovereign Lord. I want to be His representative, who cannot be defeated by anyone
or anything in heaven and earth. If I deeply analyze myself in the context of these relationships, I
can understand that I am the greatest being, with infinite value. (8:10-11, October 25, 1959)
The question, however, is whether we are in a condition to receive the value that God intends to
give. If we were beautiful both internally and externally, we would illuminate heaven and earth like
a diamond or a brilliant gem. (352:25-26, September 16, 2001)
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111
Therefore, abortion [within a proper marital relationship] is a sin. Each fetus represents the
parents love, life and lineage. It is human; how can anyone consider it merely an animal? What is
that cell that forms at conception? It is very much a human being! Within that single cell are human
beings love, life and lineage. Therefore, it represents the parents and has the same value as the
parents. The fathers love and mothers love are contained within that would-be baby.10 (230:120,
April 26, 1992)
Suppose a husband and wife give birth to a child with a deformity. Do they terminate its life and say,
Well, we can try again? Is that true love? No, of course it is not. (117:292, April 11, 1982)
Quran 49.13
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112
did not happen, people today cannot attain Gods true love nor can they realize true human value.
(399:153, December 22, 2002)
The ultimate goal of fallen man is to restore the autonomy, dignity and value of the self, the potential that God gave him as the purpose of creation. (Way of Gods Will 2.2)
11
Luke 17.21
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113
Luke 11.34-36
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The conscience always acts to push us to a higher level, saying, Become better! It urges us
to reach for a higher level; it never urges us to sink to a lower level. It acts that we might be better
tomorrow than we are today, and better the day after tomorrow than we will be tomorrow. It acts
that we might be better next year than we are this year, better when we are in our twenties than we
were in our teens, and better during our thirties than we were during our twenties. The conscience
by its operation urges us continually to elevate ourselves and make ourselves increasingly valueoriented. (56:137-39, May 14, 1972)
What is the direction of the conscience, and what is its ultimate purpose? It has to be love
true, unchanging love. The essence of the conscience steers us towards love as our ultimate goal.
(216:311-12, April 15, 1991)
God loves by investing Himself one hundred percent and more. Something of that nature still
remains in the fallen world. It is not paternal love, but maternal love. It remains like a seed fire. If
a seed fire is well guarded, it can be used later to kindle another fire. Likewise, salvation is possible
only because the seed of Gods original nature still remains in us. (199:276, February 20, 1990)
Quran 75.2
To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very
minds and consciences are corrupted.
Titus 1.15
Itivuttaka 25 (Buddhism)
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117
God is the great King of wisdom. He did not place the path to perfection in some far off place.
Instead, He prepared it in the place that is nearest to us, the place that is most private and safe
your conscience.
Ladies and gentlemen, your conscience is your master. It is your teacher. It stands in the place
of your parents. Your conscience is the first to know everything about you. Your conscience knows
all your thoughts. It knows before your teacher, your parents or even God knows. Think how much
advice your conscience gives you over your lifetime. Day and night, every time you have an evil
thought, it scolds you, saying, Hey you! It never grows tired as it works constantly to pull you over
rivers and mountains. The conscience always stands as the true master, protecting you and trying
to help you. Yet, how often have you betrayed your own conscience? What should be done about
your body, which has thoroughly mistreated this precious, irreplaceable teacher that the universe
bequeathed to you? Do you intend to idle your life away, clinging to your physical body and enslaved
by its desires while it continues to brutally trample your conscience? Dont you realize that your
conscience was given to you as the representative of your heavenly Parent, to enable you to inherit
His original love? (May 1, 2004)
You say that you are people of good character. You are self-satisfied and believe that there is nothing
wrong with your conscience. However, your conscience is asleep
Lets wake up our sleeping conscience. Lets wake up the conscience of the nation that sleeps
in ignorance of Gods heart. Lets wake up the conscience of humanity around the world that sleeps
in ignorance of Gods heart. Lets wake up the conscience of people, who cannot avoid their fated
encounter with the Last Days, that they might act in obedience to the Will of God who seeks to
embrace heaven and earth and build one united world.
Is the religion we follow today capable of awakening humanitys sleeping conscience? Do we
have a philosophy that possesses such content? When the conscience is awakened, the shock,
determination, and resolve that rush in must be so strong that in an instant it can properly rearrange
everything in the world. It has no fear of the sword or of death. Who will dare to stand in the way of
the power rising up from our conscience? No one can block it. (10:284, November 6, 1960)
Perfection
Scriptures describe the virtues of a person who is one with the Absolute, who is firmly established in
truth, who is without sin or bondage to worldly corruption, and who exhibits the fullness of sanctifying grace.
He or she may be called a saint, a sage, a Buddha, or a divine man. This state of perfection is not beyond our
reach; it is a goal to be attained, if we only make the effort. Gandhi once said, Life is an aspiration. Its mission
is to strive after perfection, which is self-realization. The ideal must not be lowered because of our weaknesses
or imperfections.
The passages in this section describe the excellent qualities of a person who has attained the state of
perfection. Three characteristics of perfection in particular stand out: The first is mind-body unity. The saint has
dominion over him or herself, having overcome selfish desires and been purified of any feelings of lust, greed or
other cravings. As a result, he only wishes to do what is rightin accord with Gods will and the dictates of
conscience. In Saint Augustines words, he is one who can love God and do what you will.
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Second, perfection is a state of unity with God. God is the pattern and model for the highest human
aspirations. Thus, the saint participates in Gods own perfection and comes to embody Gods attributes
absoluteness, unchangeability, compassion, righteousness, etc.
Third, perfection means to embody Gods true love. Love or compassion is the core of Gods being, as
expressed in His untiring efforts to save sinful people. Therefore, a man or woman of perfection delights in the
well-being of others and selflessly works for their benefit. Saintly love has no partiality, regards no one as an
enemy, but always repays evil with good. (See also Chapter 13: True Love.)
Abu Huraira reported Gods Messenger as saying, The believers whose faith is most perfect
are those who have the best character.
Hadith of Abu Dawud and Darimi (Islam)
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nal nature and external form are united]. That is the meaning of Matthew 5:48: You, therefore,
must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (91:321, March 1, 1977)
Each member of the family first needs to perfect his or her individual character. This requires removing the fallen nature, which has been passed down through the generations since the Human Fall. In
other words, each person must be victorious in the struggle between the mind and the body. Then
the world of harmony will bear fruit in that individuals perfected charactera state of one heart,
one mind and one thought. Fallen nature, which causes jealousy, envy, greed, hatred and all other
evils, will never again take root in a person who has achieved that state. (March 23, 2004)
The purpose of religion is to cultivate people of character who live by the laws of the world of the
heart and all the principles of the cosmos, and thereby govern the emotions of life. (6:349, May 24,
1959)
Unless you can perfectly love yourself, you cannot perfectly love God. (22:97-98, January 26,
1969)
Matthew 5.48
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By fullness of leadership,
the Wise Lord shall grant powerful communion
Of perfection and Immortality,
of Right, Dominion and Good Thought
To him who is a sworn friend;
to him by spirit and by actions!
Clear are these to the man of insight,
as to a knowing one by mind.
He upholds good Dominion,
and Right by words and by actions.
He, O Lord of Wisdom,
shall be Thy most helping associate!
Avesta, Yasna 31.21-22 (Zoroastrianism)
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may feel an urge to sin, we cannot do it. Then, God will be able to take on the physical form of
human beings who are equipped with the character and qualities of lords of creation. Thus we will
enable the incorporeal God to exercise dominion over all things on earththe corporeal worldas
well as over the spirit world. This is why the highest priority and most important element in human
life is to know God with certainty
Once we come to know God with certainty, and know not just the concept of the spirit world
but also its reality, our life can move forward as smoothly as a car on an expressway. Just as the car
reaches its destination safely as long as the driver follows the rules of the road, keeps his hands on
the steering wheel and doesnt fall asleep, so too we only need to live in line with the direction from
our conscience, which is given by Heaven. This is where our mind and body become one. This is
where the flower of human perfection blooms and bears fruit. (May 1, 2004)
What is a true human being? Playing with God, resting with God, sleeping with God and living with
God: whoever wishes to do all these with God is the supreme, true human being. God is looking for
such true human beings. By the same token, we human beings are searching for what is true, and
for a true world. A world where everyone lives with God is a world of true love and true happiness.
(60:284, August 18, 1972)
Matthew 5.43-48
1 John 4.7-8, 16
Galatians 5.23
Be universal in your love. You will see the universe to be the picture of your own being.Complete and total perfection will come about only
when we feel that our perfection is not perfection as long as the rest of humanity remains
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Joy
The search for happiness is basic to human life, and to the religious quest as well. Union with Ultimate
Reality can bring transcendental joy. It is a state variously characterized as bliss (ananda) Nirvana, or even the
mystic marriage with the divine Lover. In the monotheistic faiths, God created human beings for joy. The unity
of God and His creatures makes that joy complete.
The section opens with passages that describe heavenly joy, when the human heart and Gods heart beat
in unison. Second are passages that contrast the greatness of heavenly joy with the paltry pleasures of the
senses. This insight should not be overlooked in discussions of ethics; George Washington once asserted that
there is an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness. We conclude with passages describing the
synergy between a joyous life and heavenly joy. A cheerful and optimistic attitude, accompanied by efforts to
spread happiness to others, can attract the joy of the Holy Spirit. This can be experienced in the mystic connection between conjugal love and divine love. (See Chapter 19: Conjugal Love).
1. Heavenly Joy
Thou dost show me the path of life;
in Thy presence there is fullness of joy,
in Thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 16.11
1 Corinthians 2.9
I am the Tathagata,
The Most Honored among men;
I appear in the world
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What might happen the next time you meet God? God is as smitten with you as you are with
Him, so you can do anything together; it doesnt matter. You and God might hug each other, or ride
around on each others back, or wrestle on the floor one on top of the other. If you took God out
somewhere, He might attach Himself to your hip like a tail. Wouldnt that be the ultimate state of
bliss? God, humanity and all things of creation want to experience it. (111:170, February 15, 1981)
God has promised to believers beautiful mansions in Gardens of everlasting bliss. But the
greatest bliss is the good pleasure of God: that is
the supreme felicity.
Quran 9.72
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Chapter 4
Psalm 24.1
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enjoy all the conveniences of civilized living want to vacation at the beach or camp in the mountains. Why? Their original form is looking for some comparable companion, and nature comes closest. (107:311-12, June 8, 1980)
Human civilization is inconceivable apart from nature. People display their power and authority, yet
without nature nothing is possible.
Nature makes our life valuable; it is absolutely necessary for our life. Therefore, if we do not
feel the heart that flows in nature, we cannot enjoy true happiness. Nor can we be close to God and
partake of His glory.
The next time you look at a flower or a patch of grass, see it from Gods point of view, reflecting
Gods heart. Whenever you look at an insect, a bird or an animal, a feeling should arise within you
that connects you with God. (6:340-41, May 28, 1959)
Father! May all creatures of heaven and earth eternally offer hymns of praise
to Thee, the Lord of the universe.
Every created being is related to Thee.
Owing to Thee, all things of heaven and earth,
molded through Thy heart,
raise up Thy glory,
reveal Thy holiness and profundity,
and display Thine infinite value. (20:243, July 7, 1968)
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Greek philosophy looks at the world as a constant struggle, every creature an enemy to one
another. On the contrary, they are not enemies. Such ideas arose only as a result of the Human Fall.
The Marxist dialectic as described in Das Kapital states that development comes about through
struggle, but that is not true.
Even the vilest germs disappear when faced with their natural enemies. Do you understand
what I mean by natural enemy? A tiger is the natural enemy of a dog. When a dog sees a tiger, it
freezes and trembles and crawls back into its dwelling to hide. Natural enemies balance each other;
thus nature takes care of every circumstance that comes along. (May 10, 2003)
Genesis 1.11-12
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They saw tall persimmon trees, thick with foliage in the summer and bare in the winter. With the
arrival of spring their branches sprouted with new life: first buds, then blossoms, and finally delicious
and fragrant fruit. They marveled at this, and sensed that those trees were better than they.
Where is the fragrance in human existence? Do humans give off a fragrance that beautifies their
surroundings, attracting birds and insects to nest in their branches? No, compared to nature, man is
humbled and recognizes his inadequacy. (November 4, 1990)
When we look at the creation, we feel a religious emotion welling up from deep in our hearts and
naturally bow down before it. Gazing up at the constellations of the night sky or exploring nature
around us, we experience awesome and mysterious feelings surging up from deep in our hearts. This
state is the starting point of religion. While gazing at living things and the phenomena of nature, we
can sing songs that arise from the precious world of the heart within.
Playing natures music, displaying natures art and reciting natures poetry, all living things
resonate in our hearts. Then we can relate with God, who rules the heavenly bodies. Experience the
feeling that you are intimately connected to everything; then you can enter a state of the heart to
rightly appreciate them. You enter a mystical state in which you can feel everything in its reality.
God created human beings to connect with all His creation, which He had made inseparably
interrelated with Himself. Externally we appear to be extremely small and insignificant, but when we
behold nature from this understanding, we can feel a human beings true dignity and value. (5:34445, March 8, 1959)
I once asked God, For whom didst Thou create this universe? God replied, Sun Myung Moon, I
created it for you. As God is my God, so the universe is my universe. These are not only words; I
feel it to my bones.
In springtime, I behold the beauty of the universe in the beautiful flowers and fragrances, and in
the butterflies and bees flying about. These creatures show us Gods love and Gods precious value;
they display the harmony of His angels. I feel connected to everything. A bird chirps; it is asking me
to feed it. It wants me to help it find a mate.
I am very sensitive to the world of nature. When butterflies are fluttering together in pairs, or
when a male and female bird sing together for joy, I see it as a lesson that men and women should
live together with even greater beauty and happiness than these.
When the birds and flowers stimulate me with their joy and love, I would in turn stimulate
God in heaven with my songs of joy and love. I may be penniless and my clothes may be rags, yet I
never feel poor. I think, The sky is my blanket, the flowing brook is my water faucet, and the plants
growing nearby are my food. When you feel that the house of God is your house, how can you feel
poor?
When I see a small stream, I feel behind it the dignity of the great ocean. When I see a blade of
grass, I think its beauty is greater than the greatest masterpieces in the worlds museums. A painting
may cost millions of dollars, but it is merely man-made. It cannot compare with this small creation of
God. Once I caught a bird and kissed it, saying, You are more precious than anything in the world.
(106:137, December 23, 1979)
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One should not injure, subjugate, enslave, torture, or kill any animal, living being, organism,
or sentient being. This doctrine of nonviolence
is immaculate, immutable, and eternal. Just as
suffering is painful to you, in the same way it is
painful, disquieting, and terrifying to all animals,
living beings, organisms, and sentient beings.
Acarangasutra 4.25-26 (Jainism)
The moral person accepts as being good: to preserve life, to promote life, to raise to its highest value life which is capable of development;
and as being evil: to destroy life, to injure life,
to repress life which is capable of development.
This is the absolute fundamental principle of
the moral.
A man is ethical only when life, as such, is
sacred that of plants and animals as well as that
of his fellow man, and when he devotes himself
helpfully to all life that is in need of help.
Albert Schweitzer
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Only those who love the mountains can worship what is high. Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and all
the prophets loved the mountains Indeed, many people treading the path of God's providence
received comfort from nature. (14:102, June 20, 1964)
New York City and the Washington D.C. metropolitan areas are truly dark, living hells. It is better to
live on an island where you have to travel three miles3 before meeting another soul, and if you walk
all day, you might see ten people at most. If you live in such a place, perhaps the eye of your original
mind will open. Even in a rural area where you are with nature for 80 percent of your day and with
people only 20 percent of the time, it is not easy to keep a balance.
I recommend that city dwellers spend time in the wilderness. We must resolve the problems of
air and water pollution; otherwise, how can humanity survive even 300 more years?
Today we can enjoy a civilized life even in a rural area. With the Internet and the telephone,
even if you were to live on top of a 7000-meter-high peak in the Rocky Mountains, you could still
reach everywhere in the world. I am going to the jungles of South America. Although there are
many mosquitoes, there is clear air, clean water and bright sunshine. Sometimes I go to an island in
the Pacific Ocean, where the air is good and the water is clear. I go where the environment is good
and there is no pollution, so I can converse with nature. When I am with nature, I am close to God.
(339:164, December 10, 2000)
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3. Vegetarianism
This is the quintessence of wisdom: not to kill
anything. Know this to be the legitimate conclusion from the principle of reciprocity with
regard to non-killing. He should cease to injure
living beings whether they move or not, on high,
below, and on earth. For this has been called the
Nirvana, which consists in peace
A true monk should not accept such food
and drink as has been especially prepared for
him involving the slaughter of living beings. He
should not partake of a meal which contains
but a particle of forbidden food: this is the Law
of him who is rich in control. Whatever he
suspects, he may not eat. A man who guards his
soul and subdues his senses, should never assent
to anybody killing living beings.
Sutrakritanga 1.11.10-16 (Jainism)
Without doing injury to living beings, meat cannot be had anywhere; and the killing of living
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Nature as Teacher
Nature has much to teach us. From ants industriously storing food to birds sweetly calling for their
mates, observing the ways of natures creatures provides lessons about the basic morality of life. Cultivating
the earth and caring for animals teaches about patience, sacrifice, and Gods dependable grace when the harvest yields its abundance. Father Moon teaches that through plants and animals God provided even the earliest
humans with sufficient instruction to live a life of love and value.
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We can learn by watching the birds loving each other, building their nests to lay their eggs, and feeding their young. We have to do more than birds for the sake of our own children, even hundreds of
times more. Male and female insects mate with each other and bear their young. Some even risk
their lives to raise them. This is how they teach us. (229:287, April 13, 1992)
The salmon has a truly amazing lesson for human beings. It loves once and dies. It becomes food
to nourish its offspring. What a wonderful example of a creature that gives up its life for the sake of
love! (132:81, May 20, 1984)
I discovered 80 percent of the Divine Principle from nature. (374:235, April 10, 2002)
Trees and grass are the best of all natures teaching materials. The seeds that are sown in spring grow,
blossom and bear fruit, thus paying back the farmer for his labor. Then, they die away, yet the next
year, they propagate more branches and bear more fruits for the harvest. Thus, they teach us the way
to grow and prosper. (386:298, July 18, 2002)
In my village, I used to watch flocks of migratory birds come and go with the seasons. People who
live in a big city like Seoul may not be familiar with them. Not experiencing the ebb and flow of
nature, they lack in the area of emotion. Without the opportunity to experience the mystery and
beauty of nature, their heart does not fully develop.
When the season turned and beautiful birds flew around, I would spy on them, observing how
they laid their eggs and hatched their chicks. It was not unusual for me to spend a week observing a
nest. (137:223-24, January 3, 1986)
Do birds recognize national borders? Do they need a visa when they migrate? Would a hurricane
stop in the Gulf of Mexico because it didn't have a visa to enter the United States? Is the weather
constrained by American law? It is amazing when you think of itants and lizards can cross the
Mexican border as often as they please, but human beings cannot cross the border without a visa!
Must American ants and Mexican ants get government authorization to mate? Animals do not
care about national sovereignties, but peoples lives are complicated with such things. (106:138,
December 23, 1979)
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143
What is the source of the correspondence between macrocosm and microcosm? The Upanishads and
other mystical texts describe a primordial PersonPurusha, Metatrona cosmic Man which pre-existed the
creation and gave it shape. Father Moon speaks of a pre-existing human prototype in the mind of God. From
that starting point, it was inevitable that all the elements of nature would recombine in human beings, when
they arose. He goes on to describe the spirit world as shaped like a gigantic Person.
The human form is built into the world structure; indeed, even the cosmos.
Hildegard of Bingen, Scivias (Christianity)
One who knows the inner self knows the external world as well. One who knows the external
world knows the inner self as well.
Acarangasutra 1.147 (Jainism)
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God, the center of the universe. The four fingers symbolize the four compass directions and four
seasons. The twelve knuckles, three on each of the four fingers, symbolize the twelve months.
To strongly make a point, you make a fist and shake it in the air. It is like shaking the whole
universe. To strike something with your fist means that you are striking it as a representative of the
universe. From this, we can see that human beings are the counterparts of the Lord who created
the universe.
These are just a few of the reasons each human being is a microcosm. Although a human body
is very small, it contains everything in the universe. The circulatory system is like the trunk of a tree;
the heart is like its root and lungs are like leaves. Our body is indeed a microcosm, representing all
things of the universe. (54:96, March 20, 1972)
We are born to resonate with the beat of the universe in all its rotations and revolutions. Ocean
waves strike the shore, and my heart beats in time. The wind sighs serenely, and my heart feels
serene. A flower releases a pleasing fragrance; it stirs a fragrance in my heart and I feel enraptured.
(104:123, April 22, 1979)
You are the planet Earth in miniature, a universe in miniature. Your body is composed of all the
Earths elements. Who, then, created you? The universe loaned you all the elements that make up
your body. The universe gave you birth and made you; hence you should regard the universe as your
first parent.
It is amazing! You contain all the elements of the universe. Furthermore, you are mobile, a
universe that can move about, whereas the cosmic universe is stationary. Because you move and act,
you can govern the universe. (105:106-07, September 30, 1979)
If you could see the entire spirit world, it would look like a gigantic Person. As this huge person
unites with God, its Subject Partner, then the spirit world and physical world will intermingle with
each other. Then, when God runs, the earth will also run. When God laughs, the earth will also
laugh.
Each of us can become a center of the universe. What does this mean? Consider the tiny cells in
your finger. Each one of those cells communicates with your entire body. Although your body is huge
in comparison to those cells, their functioning is vital for the body; in that sense they are equal to
the whole body. Do you understand? I am talking about what it means to the center of the universe.
Each of us relates to the universal body as one cell, yet we can be qualified to be its center.
Blood circulates throughout your whole body, from the head down to the soles of your feet.
When that blood that went to the feet comes to the head, can the head say, Dont come near me?
In the same way, as we circulate through the entire universe, there cannot be any discrimination
between black, white and yellow people. The parts of the body are variously colored. Are brown
eyes prejudiced against black hair? Do white nails say to yellow skin, You are of a different kind?10
Just so, if you could go to the spirit world, you would see that all people constitute the body of one
Person. Saints and holy men may perform the role of the eyes or the ears, but even though they have
important roles, they are still only components of that one macrocosmic Person.
Hell in the spirit world is like an infected wound in the body. Do you think God wants hell to
exist for eternity? If you had a wound, what would you do? You would draw out the pus and clean it
up. In the same way God wants to clean up and eliminate hell. (91:280, February 27, 1977)
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When heaven and earth are in harmony, there is mutual affection among all subject and object partners throughout the cosmos. All are linked to the human family, which is the nucleus of cosmos.
Men are larger and stronger, but women have love. The sun is large, but it cannot neglect the
earth. There is mutual give and take everywhere, from which arises joy and all the perfections of
heaven and earth. Thus we can see the larger significance of love between a man and a woman: it
is a microcosm of the solar system and an encapsulation of the animal and plant kingdoms. It is the
epitome of the pair system by which all things exist. The animal, plant and mineral kingdoms are all
based on the pair system. God set up all male-female pairs to be represented by this one nucleus
human conjugal love. What, then, would happen if this center were in conflict?
You would like to be the center of the cosmos, right? Do animals have this desire? Does the
solar system? No; it is evident that humans are the only beings who have this aspiration. (216:157,
March 10, 1991)
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eat also provide ingredients for natural medicines for humans. Creatures on a higher level are meant
to consume beings on a lower level. Without this process, the universe could not exist.
Darwin's theory regarding the survival of the fittest needs to be reexamined in the context
of this logic of love. Even ants and microorganisms want true love so much that they will die to
become part of an entity of greater love. Because of this principle, human beings, created as the
highest partners of Gods love, can consume all creatures. We can enjoy everything we desire, on
one condition: that we do so with a heart that represents the love of God, the Creator. (March 14,
1999)
God created all things with forms, but God does not have any form In order to have dominion
over all beingscreatures on earth and angels in heavenGod needed a counterpart who could be
their master. That is why He created human beings. Adam [and Eve] were to be the center of Gods
dominion over both the spirit world and the physical world. This was Gods purpose for creating
human beings. As they relate with the substantial personal Being, the perfection of Adam [and Eve]
is the perfection of Gods form. Accordingly, God created Adam and Eve in His image, resembling
His character and form. Without humans as His form, God could not have dominion over the world
of forms. (35:157, October 13, 1970)
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What does it mean that human beings are the lords of creation? Surely, God is the Lord of creation.
You understand that God endowed each human being with a spirit. As the human spirit is the chief
among all spirits, humans can have a direct connection to God. That is why a human being can be
the lord of creation.
Nevertheless, a human being cannot be the lord of creation by himself. He is merely a created
being. How can a created being be the lord of creation? Created beings are resultant beings. Apart
from a relationship with the Causal Being, they cannot correspond with the Cause, nor can they
possess the Cause. Rather, the Cause should possess the result. Surely humans are resultant beings.
Nevertheless, we are called lords of creation and the center of all spirits. This indicates that
human beings are supposed to be in relationship with God and become one with Him. (32:137,
July 5, 1977)
To fulfill the ideal of love, God made all creatures and placed human beings at the center of the universe. We are called the lords of creation because we have the privilege of receiving God's love first.
Then, as representatives of the God of love, we are in the central position, acting for the sake of the
entire created world. We cannot be the lords of creation without first becoming Gods counterparts
and participating in the realm of God's love. Our special value derives from having the privilege of
love Without love, everything will pass away. (132:246, June 20, 1984)
Among animals and plants, sex is only for the purpose of reproduction. Human beings are the
exception; within the conjugal relationship they can enjoy sexual love freely. This is a privilege of
human beings as the lords of creation. God blessed His children to enjoy love infinitely. Yet, this
God-given freedom is accompanied by responsibility. What if every person insisted on freely making
love with whomever they wanted? The world would descend into chaos. It is possible for human
beings to attain perfection and realize supreme love only when they take responsibility for their love.
(282:213, March 13, 1997)
1 Kings 17.5-6
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The Earth agreed, and they entered into a covenant. Then the Earth said, God, I long for Thy
love. Thou didst ask me to make mediators who can build the bridge for Thy love. Having agreed
to this covenant, I shall willingly comply with it by investing all of myself. With that, the Earth
provided the material for the human body.
Now, if my body establishes a living connection with Gods love, experiences Gods love and
loves God, then the Earth will say, I am pleased to have created such glorious human beings.
(97:143, March 12, 1978)
The things of creation manifest their beauty to support the original love of human beings. The flowers with their red, yellow and multi-colored hues stimulate our love; they are natures way of praising
love. They are Gods gifts to us
A husband and wife may dance round and round but which ever way they turn, they do not
forget the center. Likewise, all kinds of flowers have one thing in common: amidst the profusion of
their petals, there is a centerthe stamen and pistil. All things exist in pairs, and long to exclaim,
Ah! as they come together.
All things in nature symbolize the ideal of love between man and woman, and all things praise
that love. That is the original purpose of their existence. Flowers and foliage deck themselves out as
best they can to celebrate and welcome the love of human beings. It is the same with animals: birds
sing their love songs to praise human beings in love. The sight of a man and woman loving each
other inspires them to sing with more ardor. And as both male and female harmonize their birdsong
to the couples love, it encourages the couple to love with even more passion.
In loves embrace, all creatures and human beings are united into one, and God, too, sings for
joy This universe is so beautiful! The clouds are love; the breezes blow love; the brooks babble
love; the birds sing of love! If you were to ask a flower, Where do you want to go? Would you
like to go to a place where you can manifest your utmost beauty and make others happy? It will
answer, Yes, put me in the foremost place in the world! Where is that place? Surely it is the master
bedroom of a home where Gods love dwells, where it can praise such love. What a marvelous place
for a flower to be! Nothing is more delightful to a flower than to bloom in the bedroom of a couple
that loves each other with true love. Since God dwells in that place, the flower is not only providing
decoration for that couple, but also for God. What an honor! (146:107, June 7, 1986)
The human body is a microcosm of the universe. There are minerals, plant and animal substances
within your small universe. When true love knocks at the door of the human body, all the billions of
cells are immediately activated and become ecstatic. The five senses come aliveevery cell of your
lips wants to kiss your beloved; every cell in your eyes want to gaze into your lovers eyes
Keep your eyes wide open and observe the life of males and females in the animal world.
Consider also the coupling between pairs in the world of microbes, the world of cells and the world
of minerals. Then, when you become the embodiment of true love, when every cell of your body and
all your senses are alive with true love, what happens? You become like a gigantic magnet, pulling
all the paired elements of nature to you. Everything will line up centering upon you because you are
the center of true love.
Everything in the universe responds to true love. Therefore, all the animals, plants, and minerals
will follow you wherever you go. Nature will protect you and your loving family. In the original world
of true love, there are no barriers. You enjoy total freedom. Wherever you go, you find only harmony
and complete cooperation. (163:44, April 1, 1987)
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In the universe are galaxies, vast beyond imagining. The universe is vast beyond counting; yet, God's
purpose of creation cannot be found by gazing at the universe. Gods purpose of creationto build
a world where all people live with one accordcan be found on the Earth, which is only a small
planet inside the solar system, and within human beings, who when compared to the vast universe
are smaller than dust particles. Have you ever thought about this amazing fact? Once we know it,
we should feel delighted, grateful and glorious! (5:343, March 8, 1959)
Stewardship
The biblical image of mans primordial home is not a wild place, but a Garden. God gave the natural
world to humans as a trustto be tended, maintained and shaped into a garden of abundance. The ethic
of stewardship is described by the passages in this section. They exhort kindness to animals in distress, the
proper management of natural resources, preservation of endangered species, responsible fishing practices and
sustainable development. They teach us to respect natures balance, not to over-fish the seas, cut down the
forests, or pollute the water and air. We should avoid over-consumption and generating excessive waste, but
live in harmony with natures capacity to provide.
However, there is a precondition for good stewardship of nature: we must learn to live in harmony with
other human beings. The biblical promise that the wolf shall dwell with the lamb is predicated on people
living peaceably with one another according to Heavens principles.
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after a long winter of inactivity and poor feeding. Have a heart more tolerant and patient than the
animal, and God will draw near to you. (127:89, May 5, 1983)
Human beings, the center of the creation, want love. Animals also want love; so do plants. Animals
want human love. Plants want love from animals. Humans, as the masters of creation, should love
animals; those animals should love plants and other creatures. True love thus links everything in a
hierarchical order, with God on the top, then human beings, then animals, then plants and finally
minerals. (166:51-52, May 28, 1987)
When I go fishing, I release the first fish I catch. When I release it, however, I ask it a question based
on the Principle: You were born through love, so you should die for love; that is the way. Wouldnt
you like to live and die for the sake of human beings who love you? (93:189, May 29, 1977)
Animals, male and female, should be liberated. Even fish should be liberated. We should build a
world where people prepare food for the animals as their owners rather than kill them and eat them.
(388:270, August 2, 2002)
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six years sow your fields, and for six years prune
your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the
seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of
rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your
fields or prune your vineyards.
Leviticus 15.1-4
When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you shall
not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against
them; for you may eat of them, but you shall not
cut them down. Are the trees in the field men
that they should be besieged by you?
Deuteronomy 20.19
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Already, some species of insects, fish and animals have become extinct. If this phenomenon continues unabated, then in 600 years, or even 300 years, human beings will also become extinct.
(326:152, July 7, 2000)
We should raise fish in farms and then let them loose. We can hatch them from eggs like we raise
chickens. After letting them loose, we love them, then catch and eat them. The things of creation
serve as living offerings to compensate their owner for the love they have received: thus does the
creation provide food for people. Now, instead of just catching fish, we should first farm them
Krill is high in protein; it is a good resource that can be food for animals. This foodstuff exists for
the sake of humanity. By supplying the world with krill, we can solve the worlds food problems.
We can lay water pipelines to the desert and create fish farms. Just as petroleum is brought to
the American mainland from Alaska, it should be possible to pipe seawater or freshwater to any
place in the world. Amazon River water can be piped to the desert. Then it can be developed for fish
farming. We should breed and grow fish with a loving heart, before we eat them.
By creating fish farms in the desert, we can also use the water to irrigate the land to grow
vegetables and grass. Every year, more land is turning into desert. Through human ingenuity, by
establishing fish farms, the desert will become a place of marshes and trees. I am not just thinking
small-scale; I envision transforming a huge desert into fish farms that will produce an infinite supply
of food. (324:114-15, June 17, 2000)
Solutions to the worlds environmental problems cannot be arrived at through the efforts of scientists alone, or by the efforts of any one individual, organization, or nation They call for sacrifice
and cooperation among all peoples of the world, transcending the interests of any one community or
nation. Such a spirit of cooperation will be attained only when all people view themselves as members of the same human family. This revolutionary change in human consciousness has long been
needed, and is vital to humanity's survival today. (74:108-09, November 21, 1974)
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Beauty
Beauty abounds in nature: the majestic mountains, the delicate hues of a flower, the brilliant colors of
a sunset, the sparkle of dew on the morning grass. There is harmony of shape and color, light and shadow,
sound and silence.
Harmony is an aspect of beauty. Harmony is inherent in the very structure of the universe. The ancients
found mathematics to be the basis of music, and today scientists are learning more about the music of the
spheres in the motions of the stars and the properties of the atom. Singing birds and chirping insects sound
natures music as they seek for love. They are expressing its inherent harmony; human music cannot compare
with it. The dissonance of our fallen condition condemns us to strike discordant notes. Were that human beings as harmonious as nature!
Human beings, Gods supreme creations, should manifest supreme beauty. People sing, dance, and create
beautiful art, but more than that, we find beauty in one another, in expressions of love. There is inner beauty
in a loving couple, a filial child caring for aged parents, and a loyal citizen making sacrificial efforts for the
welfare of his or her nation. The beauty that people manifest in these ways also glorifies God, who delights to
see beauty abounding in His works. This inner beauty becomes apparent in the spirit worldwhere beauty
abounds for those who are worthy.
Quran 40.64
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who, even today, ceaselessly tries to find beauty in us, who were created for this purpose.
Allow us, we pray, to return beauty to Thee, for Thy love. (1:102, June 10, 1956)
1 Peter 3.3-4
Boethius
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Life is art.
The whole life of man is Self-Expression.
The individual is an expression of God.
We suffer if we do not express ourselves.
Precepts 1-4 (Perfect Liberty Kyodan)
1 Samuel 16.23
Edvard Grieg
Michelangelo
Agatha Cristie
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sights and sounds, and receive the good in everything; and beauty, the effluence of fair works,
shall flow into the eye and ear, like a health-giving breeze from a purer region, and insensibly
draw the soul from earliest years into likeness and
sympathy with the beauty of reason.
Musical training is a more potent instrument
than any other, because rhythm and harmony
find their way into the inward places of the
soul, on which they mightily fasten, imparting
grace, and making the soul of him who is rightly
educated graceful.
Plato, The Republic (Hellenism)
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Human beings value love more than anything. Have you ever heard of animals creating art or literature? The theme of great literature is simple: the joys and sorrows of love relationships. Great
literature is good at describing lovein history, in society, in ordinary life and in the future.
Next, great literature is good at using metaphors, for instance, a majestic river evokes love flowing
into eternity What better way of describing the beauty of love than using natures metaphors? God
created all things in nature to stimulate our sense of love. All creatures are woven together with love.
A masterpiece of literature has as its central theme a love which connects all of the beauty and
wonder of naturethe heavenly bodies, the beauty of rivers, mountains, trees and flowersall of
which come together to stimulate the expression of human love. A novel may be well written, but
unless it expresses the beauty of love, the reader easily loses interest. The central theme of literature
is always how to manifest the human passion of love. Poetry is no exception; poems just use fewer
words. Young people in particular are sensitive to poetic feelings and are readily intoxicated by the
emotions evoked in poetry and literature. They are responding to the universal human desire to
relate to love. (94:60, July 3, 1977)
How can peoples from diverse nations and languages share their feelings in a short time? It cannot
be done with literature or fine arts. It can be done only through song. A song, though short, can
express all kinds of feelings and capture anyones heart.
What songs make us the happiest? Songs that praise the most precious Central Being of the
universe. They attract the greatest attention of all beings, including all things in nature. When we
sing Gods praises in the evening under the setting sun, we can move Gods heart to empathize with
our emotions. Therefore, when you sing, do not sing casually, but place yourself in the positions of
the composer and lyricist and feel their emotions. Then sing with a heart to praise God.
Some songs are joyful and some songs are sad. When you sing joyful songs with a joyful heart,
you harmonize with Heaven and rejoice alongside nature in the garden of joy. When you sing sad
songs, you should open your chest as wide as possible and sing loudly in order to melt the worlds
griefs and clean up the worlds sorrows. (270:11, May 3, 1995)
2. Harmony
Music expresses the harmony of the universe,
while rituals express the order of the universe.
Through harmony all things are influenced, and
through order all things have a proper place.
Music rises to heaven, while rituals are patterned on the earth Therefore the Sage creates music to correlate with Heaven and creates
rituals to correlate with the Earth. When rituals and music are well established, we have the
Heaven and Earth functioning in perfect order.
Book of Ritual 19 (Confucianism)
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3. Inspiration
Not by wisdom do poets write poetry, but by
a sort of genius and inspiration; they are like
diviners or soothsayers who also say many fine
things, but do not understand the meaning of
them.
When in my most inspired moods, I have definite inspiring visions, involving a higher selfhood. I feel at such moments that I am tapping
the source of infinite and eternal energy from
which you and I and all things proceed. Religion
calls it God.
Richard Strauss
Richard Wagner
Albert Einstein
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Quran 26.224-227
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If one should desire to know whether a kingdom is well governed, if its morals are good or
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stop young people from trying free sex, drugs, violencecopying everything they see in the movies.
If this continues, the family will disappear and the world will soon be doomed
Therefore, we should quickly establish the standard of a new tradition for the building of a new
culture. It is a most urgent matter for unifying the world. (241:197-98, December 26, 1992)
Gods heart of true loveto give and give more, and forget and forget again, to give unconditionally
and live for the sake of othersis the foundation of the world of heart. Gods ideal out of which He
created the world began from His heart. The arts, which spring from this Origin, should resemble
this heart. Hence, in the world of art, there can be no barriers. Art cannot be used as propaganda
or the instrument of a particular ideology. Harmony and unity are its basic principles. Divisions and
conflicts are the fruits of fallen nature. Accordingly, in the world of art, East and West should understand and accept each other, through art whose character is universal and inclusive. (316:70-71,
February 9, 2000)
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Likewise, the reason you feel a pang of conscience is because of the action of this same universal
force. Therefore, you should not do or even think of anything that can cause such a result. (400:113,
December 28, 2002)
Proverbs 17.22
Plato (Hellenism)
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3. Medicine
The physician is Natures assistant.
Galen
Servants of God, make use of medical treatment, for God has not made a disease without
appointing a remedy for it, with the exception of
one disease: old age.
Hadith of Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud (Islam)
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In Korea, among people of the countryside with no formal medical education, there are many
gifted healers. The spirit world instructs them about special treatments for curing diseases such
as AIDS that are incurable with modern medicine. Conventional medicine ignores such things.
(287:38, August 10, 1997)
4. Good Hygiene
Nothing is to be found that can substitute for
exercise in any way Exercise will expel the
harm done by most of the bad regimens that
most men follow. Not all motion is exercise.
Exercise is powerful or rapid motion or a combination of both, vigorous motion which alters
breathing and increases its rate.
Hippocrates
Galen
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Chapter 5
Quran 27.65-66
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each become one of the cells. Once you enter that dimension, God will surely come inside your
heart. When you call, God! He will answer in your heart, Who is calling me? What do you want?
(218:129, July 14, 1991)
Where is the spirit world? Is it outside your body, or does it come inside your body? It penetrates
even inside your body. You are walking around with the spirit world on your shoulders; you are carrying it and holding it wherever you go. Can you get away from it? Impossible. That is why my heart is
always confident wherever I go, and why opposition cannot affect me. (162:116, March 30, 1987)
There are celestial bodies and there are terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one,
and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There
is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the
moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.2
1 Corinthians 15.40-41
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In the spirit world, there is an abundance of flowers wherever you go. Amazingly, the flowers are
laughing and dancing. Yet they receive human beings depending upon the level of their perfection:
laughing and dancing, or dancing but not making any sound, or standing still, etc. On seeing them,
you will finally realize: Ah, I wish I would have understood the Fathers love and practiced it! Yet
by then it would be too late. That is why I am training you and educating you to pass the tests on
earth, to help you be tuned to the right frequency of love. (227:100, February 10, 1992)
The spirit world is still incomplete. Its hierarchical system was originally supposed to be centered on
God, the True Parents and true children. Everyone was supposed to have a position in this hierarchy,
but it is not realized yet; neither is it the case on earth. The hierarchy must be established on earth
first. If the conditions on earth are met, then the spirit world will automatically follow
So far, the spirit world has been organized hierarchically into the Buddhists Club, the Confucians
Club, the Muslims Club, the Christians Club, etc Now, as the work of the True Parents on earth
proceeds at the worldwide level, the boundaries between all the religions are disappearing. The
movement for unification will progress on earth, along with similar activities in the spirit world.
(161:223, February 15, 1987)
Barriers divide the spirit world. There are no nations like Korea, Japan and America; however, there
are different realms based on the different religions. Those who practiced Buddhism [on earth]
dwell in the Buddhist realm. Those who practiced Confucianism dwell in the Confucian realm.
Those who believed in Jesus live in the Christian realm. Those who followed Islam enter the Muslim
realm, and so forth. With the passage of time, the people of each group built up their respective
realms and surrounded themselves with walls. These walls, products of the Fall, stand firm until the
day of Christs return, when he comes to break them down. (89:101, October 4, 1976)
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Our spirit self consists of the dual characteristics of spirit mind (subject partner) and spirit body
(object partner). The spirit mind is the center of the spirit self, and it is where God dwells.
The spirit grows through give and take action between two types of nourishment: life elements
() of a yang type that come from God, and vitality elements () of a yin type that come from
the physical self
The spirit can grow only while it abides in the flesh. Thus, the relationship between the physical
self and the spirit self is similar to that between a tree and its fruit. (Exposition of the Divine Principle,
Creation 6.3.2)
Human beings consist of a dual structure: a mind-like self and a body-like self. The mind grasps the
vertical standard. The body holds a horizontal standard. Consider an ideal person, living by Gods
ideal standard and receiving Gods love. When Gods love sounds vertically in the mind or spirit
self, it resounds horizontally through the body. The spirit self, with its vertical standard, picks up
the vibration of Gods true love and transmits it to the physical self, where it resonates through the
persons relations with his or her surroundings. (177:216, May 20, 1988)
Our spirit self and physical self should resonate like a tuning fork. When a tuning fork is struck, it
makes a nearby tuning fork resonate at the same frequency. By the same principle, once Gods love
moves in our spirit, our body automatically responds.
What causes our mind and body to resonate 100 percent and brings them into the realm of
oneness? It is not Gods wisdom or power. It is only love. (138:255, January 24, 1986)
Both the body and the mind are composed of cells. Do you know that you have a spirit self, and that
it has five spiritual senses? The cells of the inner self and the cells of the outer self resonate with
each other.
The spirit self, our inner self that lives for eternity, and the physical self, our outer self that can
live on earth only, should resonate with each other in love. When they resonate with Gods love,
their spiritual cells and physical cells are linked together in the same vibration. Therefore, as the
cells of the eyes vibrate, they can see everything in the spirit world as clearly as the physical world.
They can see by virtue of their perfect resonance. (171:103, December 13, 1987)
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Quran 87.16-19
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freedom in the spirit world. But once you perfect true love on the earth, you can go there anytime.
(216:116, March 9, 1991)
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Quran 17.18-19
In the evening do not expect [to live till] morning, and in the morning do not expect evening.
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In spirit world we breathe love. Those who fail to love on earth will suffocate in the other world.
Earthly life is a training ground where we train ourselves to breathe in the other world. That is why
we should love others more than our own spouse. (121:294, October 29, 1982)
It takes good nurture in the mothers womb to be born as a good-natured and healthy baby. Likewise,
to be born well into the spirit world from the womb of earthly life, you should grow by taking after
Gods divine heart and character. In the process you should work hard to overcome obstacles, even
if it means risking your life. (14:17, April 19, 1964)
Religion is a means for us to learn the laws of heaven while we are alive on earth. It exists to train us
while on earth to possess the character whereby we can adapt to the laws of the original homeland
when we arrive there one day. (77:189, April 6, 1975)
How precious it is to be alive on the earth! It is only one moment, our only one chance. Compared
to eternity, our earthly life is nothing but a dot, so short. Therefore we should rise above any thought
for our physical life and prepare for the spirit world. (207:99, November 1, 1990)
You all think, I am young. Surely I will live another 40 or 50 years. Do you have a guarantee from
God? Rather, it would be better if you thought you might die soonmaybe within a yearand you
had only a short time left to prepare everything. Live with this kind of concept. The sooner you
expect to die, the better. Then you would be busy preparing the true substance that will enable you
to build your house of eternal life.
How serious would you be if you really believed that you had only two more years to live?
Visit a cemetery; go to a funeral and see death. It is necessary to do this in a life of faith. Jesus
said, Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Expecting to die soon, you would determine to die for Gods Will and for Heaven. Then you will live
eternally. (102:122, November 27, 1978)
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for your family to the world. Your record of loving God and loving people remains to the end and
becomes the measure to decide your property rights in the next world. (127:38, May 1, 1983)
What gifts will you bring to heaven with you? When you arrive at the spirit world, you will stand
before many martyrs and saints of great merit. Can you open your bag of gifts before such great
figures? Please reflect deeply. Could you present gifts that resemble a beggars things? When you
arrive at the spirit world, you should be able to open your gift box and say, This is what I have prepared all my life, so please receive it. Even a woman brings a full dowry when she gets married, so
how can you go to the spirit world empty-handed? (32:71, June 21, 1970)
In the next world, the result of true love that you accumulated throughout your life on earth appears
like a label. You will, therefore, dwell in the appropriate level, depending on the merit that you
accomplished during your lifetime. (211:288, December 30, 1990)
To enter heaven, we should live for the sake of others. We can never enter if we live self-centered
lives. (91:173, February 6, 1977)
What is the final goal of life? It is not merely a matter of meeting the Lord in heaven. The real issue
is whether you are able to dwell together with the Lord. What will be your condition when you meet
Him? Will you be in a state where you can live comfortably with Him?
You will find the Lord in the centermost position. If you want to live with Him, you must be able
to live in the central position.
That central position is the place of Gods love. For this reason, the ultimate goal sought by the
human conscience is to connect with heavenly fortune11 and follow it to the point where we become
one with God and make Gods love our own. (24:17, June 22, 1969)
What you bring to the spirit world is not money Rather, it is the sons and daughters you restore
from Satans world and raise to be loved by God. Through them your merit will be connected to
your ancestors, making a condition to liberate them. This is the greatest gift you can obtain in the
process of restoration.
You should go to the other world after educating many spiritual children on earth. Then the
scope of your activity in the spirit world will be great. You will be the center of an expansive network
of relationships extending throughout the entire spirit world. The spiritual standard you made on
earth will be the basis for your activities there.
If your spiritual standard is lacking, you will be pushed into a corner, barely able to do anything.
Therefore, do you have time to just sleep and idle away your life? Just providing for your family and
raising your children does not count for much in the spirit world. Rather, you should be seeking out
people whom you can raise to heaven. They will become your assets in the Kingdom of Heaven.
(230:24, April 15, 1992)
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the qualities of the spirit self are developed while it abides in the physical self: Sinful conduct during
earthly life aggravates evil and ugliness in the spirit of a fallen person, while the redemption of sins
granted during earthly life opens the way for his spirit to become good. This was the reason Jesus had
to come to the earth in the flesh to save sinful humanity.
We must lead a good life while we are on the earth. Jesus gave the keys to the Kingdom of
Heaven to Peter, who remained on the earth, and said, Whatever you bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven, because the primary
objective of the providence of restoration must be carried out on the earth. (Exposition of the Divine
Principle, Creation 6.3.2)
Is it easy or difficult to change your habits? Yet you have lived with selfish habits, according to the
satanic worlds idea of right and wrong. These habits have congealed in you. They are stronger than
the craving we Koreans have for kimchee.
Ever since the day Satan began his reign over humanity, people have been establishing selfcentered habits and traditions. They are like a rotten root. How can we pull it out? You say you
understand the Principle and know what to do. Yet try as you may to dig a hole and pull out that
root, you cannot. It is taller than you are. It is so long that even if you were to stand at the top of a
tree you cannot pull it out. Can you, nevertheless, loudly proclaim that you have pulled it out? This
is a serious matter.
Do you have confidence to go to heaven? To go to heaven, you must have God-centered habits
and tradition. (213:20, January 13, 1991)
How much you have lived for the Will of God throughout your life will determine your position in
the spirit world. Therefore, you yourself know very well whether or not you can enter the heavenly
realms. For what purpose did you eat and sleep, like and dislike, come and go? This will determine
whether you can enter heaven. (Way of Gods Will 1.8)
The Kingdom of God, the hope of humanity, is composed according to the principle of living for the
sake of others. Like it or not, you are destined to go to the spirit world. Everyone takes that journey
according to his or her way of life. What is the fundamental issue in your life? It is whether you are
living more for the sake of others or for yourself. If you lived more for the sake of others, you will go
to the Kingdom of God. If the opposite is true, you will go to hell. You may be unable to believe this
fundamental formula now, but once you die, you will understand. (74:51, November 27, 1974)
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Dreams
Between this world and the next is the world of dreams. Not all dreams are spiritual, but some
definitely are, and they are often the most vivid and memorable. During such a dream, the spirit leaves the body
for a time and mounts up into the spirit world, where it experiences various phenomena. Some of these are
of God and convey meaningful messages. Other dreams are encounters with low or evil spirits; these include
nightmares, sexual dreams and the like. These passages describe the spiritual process of dreaming and give
instructions on how to discern whether a dream is from God. Through a dream God can reveal life-changing
information and guidance, as He did to Jacob and Joseph in the Bible. Thus, paying attention to significant
dreams is an important discipline of the religious life.
Genesis 28.10-16
Quran 39.42
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If you reach that level, what will happen next? You will receive a revelation (gyeshi) or a direction
(jishi). Revelations require interpretation but directions do not; that is the difference between the
two. God can teach you through a voice or a vision. You may have a vision of a pair of deer drinking
water at a brook and looking at the distant mountains on a beautiful spring day; this is a very good
sign that something good might happen. Soon after you have the vision, a corresponding event will
occur; it is never a coincidence. Through this, God is cultivating the field of your heart.
Beyond the stage of revelations, you will reach the stage of trance (mookshi).14 A trance is like
traveling to the spirit world and experiencing its wonders. When you can connect to that world, you
can even arrive at the realm of Gods feelings. Treasure all these experiences, and apply their lessons
to your life. Your life of faith is precious, and you should cultivate it.
Finally, you reach the point where you can experience the great resultant world of God in
your daily life. At this stage, Gods instructions will be in your mind. You try to talk pleasantries to
someone, but you cannot speak. You want to say a few words of encouragement, but instead you
utter a reproach. When such incomprehensible phenomena take place, you must learn to control
the situation. Otherwise, people might think you are insane. (76:130-35, February 2, 1975)
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the baby utters its first loud cry, and her eyes open wide; she totally forgets her pain. Having given
birth in such pain, the mother naturally loves her child more than anything.
How difficult is it to be born? The amniotic sack that was our home breaks. The placenta that
had nourished us is cast off. Yet these events are not disastrous; they are rather fortunate, for the
sake of our happiness. Yet we do not realize that it was a new beginning of life until after the birth
was over
Again the time comes, after living our earthly life, to kick away from this physical plane and
depart for a new world. Nevertheless, as a fetus does not want to leave the safety of its mothers
womb, we would rather continue to live on earth. We do not want to die. Death comes, and once
again we go through a big tumult.
Yet we will be born into the spirit world, an infinite world. We will escape from the bounds of
time and space, able to travel instantly from one end of the spirit world to the other, faster than the
speed of light. (107:42, January 20, 1980)
On the day of your birth the umbilical cord, the lifeline that was linked to your bellybutton, had to
be severed. Likewise, in the world of air, the spirit self is attached to the body and sucks nutrition
from it like a fetus on its placenta. There comes a day when the physical body becomes too old to
feed it, and it leaves it behind
The fetus that experiences momentary pain as it emerges from its mothers womb grows to
become the object of its parents love. In the same way, our spirit self must leave behind our crying
physical body in order to be born anew as the object partner of God, who is the eternal Spirit.
On earth, the baby can grow up to become the friend of its father and mother because it was born
into the physical world where it can share love with them. Before that, it was merely a fetus swimming
around the mothers womb. In the same way, life on earth is breathing and living in the swaddling
clothes of air After our second birth into the spirit world, we will share love with God our Parent,
who provides our spiritual link with the infinite world. (297:258-59, December 19, 1998)
Once you enter the spirit world, you breathe through the cells of the fontanel located on the top of
the head.15 The atmosphere in the spirit world is not earthly air; it is love. We breathe the elements
of love.
Even while living on earth, it is not enough for us to eat food and drink water. Our earthly
existence is only a shadow of our true self. Therefore, we should use this short time to cultivate a
loving character. More than anything else, what we need during earthly life is love. We pity orphans,
who have no parents to love them, because they do not receive the love that can connect them
to the eternal spirit world. People without love are lonely, and we pity the single person who lives
without a life companion.
At death, we lose the organs of the body through which we breathed during our second life. Yet
it is necessary that one day we should be released from the body, that we might inherit the elements
of love, which are invisible. Therefore, during earthly life we should prepare for the day of death by
cultivating our inner self; this is done through experiencing childrens love, siblings love, conjugal
love and parental love.
As a fetus in the womb grows healthy and strong in accordance with natural principles, people
should grow well on earth by living in accordance with Gods law. Therefore, we should never live a
casual lifestyle. (297:260, December 19, 1998)
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Consider a dragonfly. First it swims in the water as a larva, next it crawls on the land for a short time,
and then it flies, catching prey on the wing. It is an existence it could never imagine when it was a
larva. Yet as it flies around, the entire world is its stage
Why dont human beings, who are the lords of all creation, have wings? Is it enough that
people live limited to the earth? Actually, we have higher-dimensional wings. Once you die and
shed your physical body, you will fly. Death is a happy, joyful gate to the second birth. (297:261-62,
December 19, 1998)
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But what an odd place it is! Instead of seeing people around you as you normally would, they
appear only when you want to see them. Unless you call them, they do not appear. You feel very
much alone.
Then you meet guides, who explain to you, You have died. You have come to the spirit world.
Still, you dont believe them. You have a feeling that you collided with a car far away somewhere as
in a dream, but you do not feel that you have died. You are still connected with the earth.
Dazed, and not believing you are dead and in the spirit world, you think, I must go home. You
try to go to your house in the physical world, but you cannot.
Then your ancestors from some generations back come and explain, You are no longer on the
earth. You have entered the spirit world. You finally say, Ah, so this is the spirit world. (194:4142, October 15, 1989)
What will be your thoughts when you pass into the spirit world? At first you will be welcomed into
a vast world. Yet right away you will recognize that its way of life is not what you were used to in
your small hometown. On earth there was racial discrimination and conflicts among people of different backgrounds and cultures. Some peoples ways were incompatible with yours, and you handled
things by insisting on your own viewpoint and affirming that your own values were best. Now that
you have arrived in the spirit world, you will want to leave those outmoded values behind. But your
past life does not go away. It revives in the spirit world with all vividness.
The more you feel the immensity of the spirit world, the more you long for your home and for
life on earth, because you cannot easily absorb the environment of the spirit based on your limited
sensibility. Yet there is where you will spend eternity. Still, can you ever forget about your earthly
life?
When you first arrive, you will meet only strangers. In the midst of such an unfamiliar
environment, how you will long to meet someone you knew in the past! You cannot escape your
emotional connection to your past life. You think about the people you loved. You wonder how your
mother and father are doing, and how your grandparents are living. Yet it is not easy to meet them.
(187:285-85, February 12, 1989)
Suppose through some misfortune a man died while still searching for the ultimate goal. However,
death does not mean the end of the quest. Once in the spirit world, he would say, I died while
searching for love, and now in the spirit world I will find that love. If a man dies in the bosom of
Gods love, then it is not a miserable death. Did death shatter his love? No. God, the subject of
love, will recognize the value of his death, saying: You died for the sake of the love that I have been
searching for.
Suppose a wife sacrificed her life for her husband. What will happen when he joins her in the
spirit world? Or suppose an elder brother arrives in the spirit world after his younger brother had
died for him. Would they be happier or less happy than they were when they were together on earth?
Can the depth of love they formerly shared on earth even compare with that precious love for which
one offered his life? It would certainly transcend that earthly level of love
So, in searching for the path of love, death is not a problem. Though you die, it would not be
the end, but new life. By this kind of sacrificial death, you would pass through the tollgate to reach
a world of love that is eternal and of a higher dimension. From this perspective, there is no reason
to fear death. (67:173-74, June 3, 1973)
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The Judgment
After the initial passage into the afterlife, there is another, less comfortable event. Each individual
undergoes a judgment where he must review his life with unsparing honesty. There is a ledger recording every
deed, and its consequences on the people it affected. Now that book is opened and read. The movie that recorded the persons life is projected onto the screen of his mind. Everything comes to light.
The main criterion of judgment seems to be the deeds. Did the person live more to benefit others, or did
he use others to benefit himself? Scriptures describe a trial scene, with God as judge, Jesus or Muhammad as
defense attorney, and sometimes the devil as prosecutor. God is bound to pass sentence based upon the evidence. On this point, Father Moon offers a unique insight: to overcome Satans accusation at the judgment, we
should win over the person or persons who most hate and accuse us on earth. He calls it loving Cain.
Scriptures describe a gate that only the righteous may enter, a bridge of the separator that only the
righteous may cross, and a fire that burns up all falsehood and leaves only what is genuine. The spirit world
has various abodes, heavens and hells, welcoming the soul according to its condition. Spirits are sorted out,
and each goes to its appropriate place. No guards are required to keep out the unworthy; no policemen to direct
traffic, for each person naturally goes to the place most fitting to his or her character and past life.
Quran 99
Matthew 10.26
Quran 17.13-14
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John 5.28-29
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the balance, even by just one percent, our life was mainly dedicated for a public purpose, we shall
overcome hell and arrive in heaven. (75:330, January 16, 1975)
Is the standard of a persons conscience able to receive the heart of Heaven one hundred percent?
No, it is not that way at all. In fact, the conscience of a fallen person is oppressed by so many restrictions. Nevertheless, at the entrance to heaven, our hoped-for destination, stands a gate of judgment.
(4:269, August 8, 1958)
It is a gate that only those who lived for the sake of others can pass through. There are guards at the
gate. Please understand well that whatever I ask of you is to enable you to pass through that gate.
(203:193, June 24, 1990)
Heaven is a vast world, and it consists of three levels. Who will go to the highest level? It is those
who most lived for others. It is the law there. If you lived for others, then wherever you go, people
will welcome you.
However, for those who lived for themselves, the opposite scene will unfold. No matter where
a self-centered person goes, the people will drive him out, saying Huh! We dont like your kind of
people. Everyone will reject a person who lived for himself, and everyone will welcome someone
who lived for others. That is for sure.
You should know clearly whether you are on the path to heaven or to hell. This is not my casual
viewpoint. I know the spirit world. People lead all manner of lives on earth, but no one can avoid
death. Those who lived for themselves will go to hell, and those who lived for others will go to
heaven. At death people are sorted into these two worlds. (203:100-01, June 17, 1990)
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Heaven
Conceptions of heaven and hell are found universally among the religions of the world. Descriptions of these abodes are often full of graphic and fanciful imagery, conveying in metaphor a reality that
can hardly be part of the ordinary experience of mortals. Are these realms objectively real? The scriptures are
unanimous in affirming they are. Yet they do not have any physical location: up or down is a matter of
spiritual geography, not of astronomy or geology. The view found in some texts, that heaven or hell is derived
from ones state of mind, does not make it any less real. For the attitudes and desires of peoples hearts, which
may be hidden by the external features of mortal life, constitute the spirit worlds matter.
The worlds scriptures describe Heaven as a place of rest, or as an exalted spiritual state, full of divine grace,
whose inhabitants live in communion with God and in harmony with one another. A number of texts describe
it as a place of fellowship with the spirits of the departed or a fellowship of saints. There are also descriptions
using more graphic and materialistic imagery: gardens of delights, with riches and pleasures abounding. Father
Moons colorful descriptions of heaven are in agreement with these themes of scripture. Whats more, he adds
a distinctive note, affirming that heaven is also a place where families dwell together, enjoying perfect love.
We conclude with visions or tours of Heaven: a Buddhist description of the Pure Land, Muhammads
Night Journey through the seven heavens, an Iroquois Native American journey in the Code of Handsome Lake,
as well as Father Moons own descriptions. They describe a paradisiacal existence, a word of eternal youth and
health where every wish is granted, where the senses are flooded with vibrant colors and melodious music.
1. Realms of Grace
No one who does good deeds will ever come to
a bad end, either here or in the world to come.
When such people die, they go to other realms
where the righteous live.
Bhagavad-Gita 6.40-41 (Hinduism)
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In the spirit world you do not need formal introductions. On meeting someone, you immediately
know who he or she is. That person may have lived a thousand years ago or even many millions of
years ago, yet still you will recognize him or her. People believe that biblical history is 6000 years,
but that number is only symbolic. When you know the spirit world, you will understand the actual
length of human history. It could stretch back millions or tens of millions of years.
You can call for an ancestor from a certain era, and he or she will appear in front of you. You
recognize that person at a glance, without speaking a word. You instantly grasp all the essentials,
including the manner of respect you should use when addressing him.19 Hence, you do not need
formal introductions like on earth. Everyone automatically observes the hierarchical order.
What can keep the order? By living with love. Love determines position. Therefore, unless you
become a child of God, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (208:142-43, November 17,
1990)
3. Heavens Delights
He who enters paradise will be in affluent circumstances and will not be destitute, his clothing will not wear out and his youth will not pass
away.
Hadith of Muslim (Islam)
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they will appear on the table. If you want to wear a golden formal gown, you can have it, too. How
fantastic! After such a delicious meal, your tongue might hang out!
What would your tongue do at that point? It wants to taste true love. It wants to reach a higher
plane, jumping up and up, exclaiming, I like it! I like it! That is enough for me. Now I want to enjoy
these things with my loving spouse. As long as you are standing within loves sovereignty, standing
as one of Gods companions, whatever you desire can be realized in a moment.
Everything looks beautiful, everything sounds wonderful, and you feel content with everything
around you. Sleeping is sound and sweet, and waking up is wonderful.
Yet in the spirit world you do not need sleep. Even in the middle of the night, every cell of your
body can dance. Each cell is like your partner; it dances accompanied by melodies whose beauty far
surpasses any earthly music
In heaven, love connects you with everything. You breathe the air of love, eat the food of love,
and wear the clothes of love. God your Parent provides you with all these, out of His true love.
(217:293, June 2, 1991)
Do you think that people urinate in the spirit world? I am telling you that we do; when you get there
you will see for yourself. What about defecating? Yes, we do, but afterwards the waste immediately
returns to its elements. [There are 107 known elements in the universe.] Hence, it is not necessary
to clean it up. With a mind of love, all you do is make a motion with your hand and all the waste
returns to its origin. (212:30, January 1, 1991)
Hell
No one likes to think that they or their loved ones are destined for hell. Yet it is a painful truth that
most people live out their lives far away from the original standard of Gods love. The human condition is too
often this: we allow our thoughts and desires to be captive to the will of the flesh; our mentality is continually
self-seeking; we habitually ignore the promptings of conscience. We betray those we love and then run away
from facing the consequences, as well as the truth about ourselves. Having lived this way for seventy-plus
years, is there any hope of fitting in to the crystal-clear society of heaven?
What is hell? Some traditions describe it as a place deep underground, with rivers of fire and sulfur. Some
say that hell is but a state of mind, yet as anyone knows who has experienced the pangs of intense loneliness,
remorse, shame, guilt, or loss, such states of mind can be excruciatingly vivid. Furthermore, it is said that in
the spirit world it will not be possible to avoid such feelings, as is usually done while in the body, through
such devices as forgetting, rationalization, or losing oneself in sense-pleasures or drink. There is no respite from
unpleasant feelings, which remain to torture the unfortunate soul continually. To describe such pain beyond
comprehension, scriptures use concrete images: burning fire, boiling water, bitter cold, being crushed, hacked
and dismembered, trampled, burned, and eaten alive.
We conclude with several passages that hold out the possibility of rescue from hell. The Eastern religions
regard all states of hell as purgatories, designed to mete out punishments for a period of time, that evil karma
might be burned up and the soul have a future opportunity to find the Path. Father Moon teaches that God
did not create hell; indeed its very existence is an affront to Gods goodness and a nail driven into His loving
heart. If we have sufficient love, we will do whatever it takes to turn others away from hell. We will even, like
Jesus who harrowed hell during his three days in the tomb or the Hindu hero Vipascit, rescue the people
imprisoned in its dungeons.
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1. Torments of Hell
Hell, where their worm does not die, and the
fire is not quenched.
Mark 9.47-48
Hell is before him, and he is made to drink festering water, which he sips but can hardly swallow. Death comes to him from every side, yet he
cannot diebefore him is a harsh doom.
Quran 14.15-16
Some of the sinful are cut with saws, like firewood, and others, thrown flat on the ground,
are chopped into pieces with axes. Some, their
bodies half buried in a pit, are pierced in the
head with arrows. Others, fixed in the middle
of a press, are squeezed like sugarcane. Some
are surrounded close with blazing charcoal,
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In the spirit world, most people dwell in various levels of hell. How did they end up living there?
Some failed to practice filial piety as befits good sons and daughters. Some had the mission of
patriots yet did not fulfill their mission and live for the sake of their country. Some were chosen to
become saints and live for the sake of the world, but they did not attune themselves to that rhythm
and hence failed to reach that level. (147:183-84, September 21, 1986)
The accusations we could face in the spirit world are far more fearful than the severest persecution
on earth. Because I know that earthly persecution, no matter how heavy, is easier to endure than the
accusations in the spirit world, I am clear about the path I should go. (189:247, April 9, 1989)
Heaven is a world of light, and hell is a world of darkness. You may have enjoyed your earthly life,
but once you arrive in hell the darkness will quickly overcome you. It is like drinking: for awhile
you are in high spirits, but later you feel regret as your conscience tells you it was the wrong thing to
do. It will also ask, Where are you going? People who suffer continually from pangs of conscience
belong to the world of darkness. If only their conscience were pleased with them; then they would
display the original nature within themselves to relate to the world of light. (400:104, December
28, 2002)
This world is in chaos. How about the spirit world? The same confused people live there; therefore,
the spirit world must likewise be in chaos. It is logical. A thief with a criminal record cannot just
drop his bad habits when he crosses over to the spirit world. There too he would be a thief, wanting
to own things without making effort to earn them. People like him are unable to fit in with heaven,
so they went off and formed the realms of hell.
God did not create hell. Human beings formed hell. Do people design their new house to be a
garbage dump? No! They build a nice house, but after living in it for a while it becomes like a garbage
dump. Hell is like that. (148:28, October 4, 1986)
Many people on earth think that there are only two different places: heaven and hell. But in reality
there are many different levels, from very evil places to very good places. Heaven is a place of comfort, but life in any of the levels below heaven is difficult and uncomfortable because the people fight
each other continually, everyone insisting on their own opinion. Each region is filled with people
who are of the same type, so after awhile living there becomes tedious.
For example, people who on earth were accustomed to stealing things dwell in a region of the
spirit world where people are always suspicious, thinking that everyone around them is looking to
steal from them. Their lives are forever filled with distrust and anxiety. Likewise, people who on
earth were accustomed to fighting live in a region where fighting goes on continually
If you descend further into the lower regions, you come to regions of hell that are suffocating,
dark and scary. They smell horribly, worse than the smell of rotten meat or fish. Deformed figures
appear in front of you, biting each other, yelling at each other with hate-filled voices. There is a
region filled with burning holes, and in each one a wrathful person is held fast. The worst regions
are reserved for those who were sexually corrupt or who committed suicide. They seem to be filled
with snakes, but on close examination each snake is an ugly deformed human being slithering about.
People living on the earth do not realize how frightening the regions of hell really are. They would
not be able to stand it even for a minute
From the Kingdom of Heaven to hell, the various regions of the spirit world have colors of
differing hues. The Kingdom of Heaven is a bright realm, transparent and white. It is without any
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stain, clean like flawless white jade. But as we descend the colors become darker and darker and
dirtierfirst beige, then darker shades of purple. Descending to still lower regions the color becomes
brown, then gray, dark gray, black, and pitch black. The more sins committed, the darker the color.
Also, spirits who committed many sins with a certain part of their body show dirtier and darker
colors on that part. (Heung Jin Moon, Message from the Spirit World, January 1, 2002)
People who denied God on earth are more pitiful than people who starve to death. Those who died
of hunger may, depending on their merit, be granted a certain standing in the other world. But
atheists have no standing because they deny the spirit world exists. They become wandering spirits,
wandering about the spirit world like clouds. Just as clouds gather and produce rain, they gather and
create evil influence. They dwell in hell and inflict pains there. (205:355, October 2, 1990)
There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously
every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named
Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with
what fell from the rich mans table; moreover
the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor
man died and was carried by the angels to
Abrahams bosom. The rich man also died and
was buried; and in Hades, being in torment,
he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus in his bosom. And he called out,
Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and
send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water
and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this
flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that
you in your lifetime received your good things,
and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now
he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
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In the spirit world, groups of people with the same mindset live together; this creates a wall. It
is very difficult to go up to the next higher level, and nearly as hard to go down. Most people cannot
even dream of leaving their limited domain. Only the most highly developed spirits can freely travel
down to the hells and back. They have the mind of God, who wants to embrace all people.
Yet Gods situation is difficult. The people on His right are good, while the people on His left
are bad. Although He wants to embrace good and bad alike, He has no other choice but to separate
them. God declares, Anyone who is greedy and selfish will be placed upside-down. Dont you think
this will happen to you if you are self-centered and insist on your own way? Self-centered people
think nothing of trampling and beating up others as they scramble to reach the top. They would
push away the good people and leave them in misery. Therefore, God sets up walls between the
different regions of the spirit world, to keep the evil spirits from breaking through. These walls are
absolutely necessary. Were evil spirits given freedom and equality with good spirits, they would cause
such havoc in heaven that even God would have to escape.
The only way to avoid being blocked by walls in the spirit world is to train yourself during your
earthly life. Once you get to the spirit world, it will take tens of thousands of years to climb up each
step. (November 4, 1990)
The perfection of man and woman is for the two to abide in love with God as the thirdthe unity
of a man, a woman and God. Yet ever since the Human Fall, not one human being could reach
that exalted state of love. Having fallen into a world of darkness, dont people nevertheless aspire
to regain the heights? The goal of true love is extremely high, but in reality the standard of human
life is extremely low. Knowing the ideal but recognizing that they live very far from it, people feel
heartbreak, emptiness and misery. That is truly hell. (92:197, April 10, 1977)
Quran 11.106-08
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Ho! servant of Yama! Say, what sin have I committed, for which I have incurred this deepest
hell, frightful for its torments? Known as King
Vipascit, I protected the earth with uprightness; I let no fighting rage; no guest departed
with averted countenance; nor did I offend the
spirits of the ancestors, the gods, ascetics, or my
servants; nor did I covet other mens wives, or
wealth, or aught else belonging to them. How,
then, have I incurred this very terrible hell?
Yamas officer: Come then, we go elsewhere.
You have now seen everything, for you have seen
hell. Come then, let us go elsewhere.
Thereupon the king prepared to follow
him; but a cry went up from all the men that
abode in torment: Be gracious, O king! Stay
but a moment, for the air that clings to thy
body gladdens our mind and entirely dispels the
burning and the sufferings and pains from our
bodies, O tiger-like man! Be gracious, O king!
Vipascit: Neither in heaven nor in Brahmas
world do men experience such joy as arises from
conferring bliss on suffering creatures. If, while
I am present, torment does not hurt these men,
here then will I remain, firm as a mountain.
Yamas officer: Come, O king; we proceed.
Enjoy the delights won by your own merit; leave
here the evildoers to their torments.
Vipascit, As long as these beings are in sore
suffering, I will not go. From my presence the
denizens of hell grow happy. Fie on the sickly
protection-begging life of that man who shows
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Perhaps two billion? This is serious. When I go to the spirit world, they may say, Reverend Moon,
when you were alive on earth, why didnt you fulfill your responsibility for us? How am I supposed
to reply to them? At least I should determine in my heart to take responsibility to save them, if not
now, then through my followers who come after me. (205:356, October 2, 1990)
From Judas Iscariot and Emperor Nero down to todays communist party,
countless people have betrayed Heaven.
Although we are destined for victory in relating with the entire cosmos,
at this time for the complete dissolution of grief,
we recognize that when the divine judgment befalls them
we cannot just sweep them up and throw them away.
Mayest Thou, through Thy name, and with the solemn authority of Thy universal victory,
enable us to form relationships even with them, as is also our destiny
Although they were hated enemies who pierced Thy heart with nails,
who killed Thy son Jesus, and killed many of Thy beloved people,
let this be a place where we can love them.
Open the gates of heaven and earth and reach out to them with Thy heart,
Thy mind of magnanimous love.
We know that by liberating them, the doors of hell will be opened,
and the way will gradually be paved to abolish hell. (78:18-19, May 1, 1975)
Angels
Angels and spiritual benefactors are a feature of all religions. They may be recognized as gods,
devas, kami, the spirits of animals and mountains (Shamanism), or dignitaries like the Jade Emperor (China)
and the Buddhist bodhisattvas. In the latter group are the spirits of human beings who lived exemplary lives
on earth and were then elevated to the status of deity and assigned the mission of angels. Nevertheless, in the
monotheistic faiths these benefactors, no matter how exalted, are regarded as subordinate to and servants of
the one Ultimate Reality.
In many traditions, these benevolent spirits dispense blessings to the human world and protect people
from harm. Angelic visitors communicate Gods instructions, as the angel Gabriel spoke to Muhammad and
to the Virgin Mary. Thus angels take the role of ministering spirits, serving God and assisting human beingsGods children.
Angels have power, and hence they are often the objects of worship. Yet within Judaism, Islam and Christianity are teachings that human beings are superior to angels. Along this line, Father Moon teaches that the
angels assisted God in every step of creation, up to His ultimate goal of creating human beings. God placed
angels in the Garden of Eden to educate and assist Adam and Eve as they grew from childhood to mature adulthood, when they were to become perfect and fulfill the ideal of creation. Chief among them was the archangel
Lucifer, who however became corrupt and caused his charges to fall. (See Chapter 6: The Devil and His Activities) It still remains for human beings to judge the angels and regain their lost dignity.
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Quran 42.5
Quran 53.4-10
Quran 55.14-15
Quran 41.30-31
Luke 1.26-31
Lord Scripture Glory says, For seventeen generations I have been incarnated as a high mandarin, and I have never oppressed my people
nor maltreated my subordinates. I have helped
them in misfortune; I have rescued them from
poverty; I have taken compassion on their
orphans; I have forgiven their transgressions; I
have extensively practiced secret virtue which
is attuned to Heaven above. If you are able to
keep your hearts as I have kept mine, Heaven
will surely bestow upon you blessings.27
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and substantial angels in the physical world should work for their liberation. Liberation is not possible only through the activities of angels in the spirit world. We need to create a substantial world
of [people fulfilling the mission of] angels. (62:247, September 25, 1972)
Revelation 12.7-8
Say: It has been revealed to me that a company of the jinn gave ear. Then they said, We
have indeed heard a Quran wonderful, guiding
to rectitude. We believe in it, and we will not
associate with our Lord anyone. Heexalted by
our Lords majesty! has not taken to Himself
either consort or a son.
The fools among us spoke against God
outrage, and we had thought that men and jinn
would never speak against God a lie. But there
were certain men of mankind who would take
Quran 72.1-15
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Behold, your Lord said to the angels, I will create a vicegerent on earth. They said, Wilt
Thou place therein one who will make mischief
therein and shed blood? while we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy name?
He said, I know what you know not.
And He taught Adam the names of all
things; then He placed them before the angels,
and said, Tell me the nature of these, if you are
right.
They said, Glory to Thee! Of knowledge
we have none, save what Thou hast taught us:
in truth it is Thou who art perfect in knowledge
and wisdom.
He said, O Adam, tell them their natures.
When he had told them, God said, Did I not
tell you that I know the secrets of heaven and
earth, and I know what you reveal, and what
you conceal.
Quran 2.30-33
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God gave the commandment not to the Archangel but only to the human beings. God wished
to exalt the dignity of human beings as bestowed by the Principle of Creation, which entitled them
to stand as Gods children and govern even the angels. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Fall 3.2)
1. Spirits among Us
Do not say, They are dead! about anyone who
is killed for Gods sake. Rather they are living,
even though you do not notice it.31
Quran 2.154
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states of trance and perceive the realities of the spirit world. They give people revelations and the
gift of prophecy. They can also give deep inspiration to the soul. In these various works, spirits act
on behalf of the Holy Spirit, guiding people on the earth to accomplish the Will of God. (Exposition
of the Divine Principle, Resurrection 2.3.1)
If you went to the other side, to the spirit world, do you think you would see people living happily
or people fighting each other? Murderers and their victims are there together. Dont you think they
would be ready to fight, brandishing swords or knives and seeking revenge? However, there are many
walls that block them. For this reason, evil spirits go to the descendants of their enemies and cause
sudden deaths by accidents in order to fetch them to the spirit world.
The quarrels between spirits should all be resolved. Yet for this to happen, the resolution must
first take place on earth. It requires that we offer something precioussomething more precious
than the memory of their murder or their grudge against their enemy. Only in this way can quarrels
among the spirits be resolved.
With what offering can the spirit world be liberated? With what can God be liberated? Our
ancestors bound themselves, thus making a mess of the spirit world. Therefore, we, their descendants,
should now resolve our ancestors wrongdoing.
We have learned the proper tradition of filial sons and daughters: we should pay back our
parents debts. In that light, who should knock down all the walls that our ancestors erected in the
spirit world? We should do it. In doing this work, we have to make our ancestors come down to meet
us directly, and teach us. It sounds like a dream, but it is real.
We are not alone. If I look at you, I can see what kind of people your ancestors are, and what
they did. The faces of your ancestors appear and quickly disappear. I can distinguish which of them
are good spirits and which are evil. (191:205-06, June 24, 1989)
During Jesus advent on earth, there was a special opportunity for good spirits who had lived previously to resurrect. They could rise from the form-spirit level of the spirit world to the life-spirit level
of the spirit world. Likewise, your ancestors in the spirit world also have a special opportunity36 to
resurrect by returning to earth, based on the condition afforded by your earthly life.
Your ancestors are eager to return to earth and do the work of returning resurrection. Isnt it
wonderful that you give them that opportunity? Among the ancestors of your family and clan were
loyal patriots, filial sons and faithful wives. Call them in prayer, and they will come. They can come
because the time is right, when your ancestors should cooperate with you. (14:22-23, April 19, 1964)
The question is whether we have set the standard to mobilize the spirits of the spirit world, and have
them bear witness. The spirit world is also demanding to be mobilized. The spirit world is aware of
the heart of God. Therefore, if people on earth appeal on behalf of Gods sorrowful heart, then the
spirit world will mobilize many spirits. They will help in the work of realizing the teachings of the
Kingdom of Heaven.
Why cant spirits in the spirit world come to this earth plane? It is because the earth is beset by
barriers of lamentation. If the earthly environment were free of the conditions of lamentation, if we
were free from the miserable conditions that beset our flesh, and if we would enter a state of peace,
unafraid of Satans threats, then God would help us. (4:60, March 2, 1958)
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Reincarnation
Belief in reincarnation is common to the religions born in India: Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. This
is the belief that the individual soul passes from one earthly life to another, each life conditioned on the deeds
of the previous lives. Differences in fortune, wealth, social position, and endowments are the consequences of
actions done in previous lives. As the cosmos revolves in its cycles, the wheel of samsara turns for each human
being as he or she rises and falls through countless births and deathssometimes as humans, sometimes as
animals or even insects.
On the other hand, Christianity largely rejects reincarnation, holding that God provides everyone the opportunity for salvation within a single lifetime. Even the Buddha spoke against easy reliance on reincarnation as
a comfort to misbehaving sinners, thinking that they could easily obtain a second chance.
According to the doctrine of reincarnation, souls have the opportunity to progress to the ultimate goal of
perfection only when they are incarnated as human beings. Thus, spirits seek out human bodies in which to be
reincarnated, in hopes of a chance to right wrongs and make progress on the path. Father Moon also teaches
that spirits can only progress while linked to a human body. However, instead of souls transmigrating from
one body to another, he describes a process of spirits descending to cooperate with earthly people, which he
calls returning resurrection. Through assisting people on earth who face similar difficulties, spirits can resolve
their unfinished business and be liberated to rise to a higher level. Sometimes this is a painful and even punishing encounter for earthly people, who have to deal with ancestors whose agonizing experiences they never
imagined. Believers in reincarnation simply misconstrue the spirits thoughts and experiences as if they were
their own deeds in an earlier lifetime. Regardless of where the truth lies, to see oneself as inextricably bound up
with the lives of othersextending from the distant past into the future endless futureleads to an attitude
of humility and patient endurance.
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In order to go over even one stage, a price, called an indemnity condition, must be paid. Suppose
a person cooperated in Gods providence to reach a certain point. Yet he or she cannot automatically
rise to a next stage. There may be an indemnity period, requiring a principled number such as 7
years, 40 years, 70 years, or even several centuries. Since that person cannot be elevated any further
until the indemnity period has matured, he or she passes on to the spirit world. That person, now a
spirit, would then want an earthly person, lets call him A, to complete laying the foundation. Then
if that person also dies before fulfilling it, he would work through another person, B, whom he had
chosen. Thus the same spirit cooperates with both person A and person B.
For example, suppose the spirit is Saint Paul. For Saint Paul to be elevated to a higher level,
he has to return to someone of his choosing on earth, person A. However, if person A dies without
fulfilling his mission, he will have to return again to a person B and cooperate with him. If this person
B finally completes his mission on earth, then the spirit, Saint Paul, can resurrect to a higher level.
There must be an indemnity period based on principled numbers. This period cannot be
completed in a short time. Thus, if even person B, the second person chosen for the mission, does
not complete it, the spirit will have to return through returning resurrection to assist yet a third
person, person C. Some people might regard person C as the reincarnation of Saint Paul. At the
same time, if person B had left some writings or special works, people might claim that he was the
reincarnation of Saint Paul
In such a way, the spirit of Saint Paul might come down and work with a number of different
people throughout the world. Some people, seeing the phenomenon superficially, call it reincarnation.
But if they could grasp the whole picture they would not regard it so. (54:277-79, March 26, 1972)
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Psalm 82
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2. Dangers of Occultism
Men of ignorance worship spirits and ghosts.
Bhagavad-Gita 17.4 (Hinduism)
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Why do the gods in the spirit worldthe angelic worldtry to relate with the world of human
beings? You have heard of mediums, fortune telling and superstitions. They are religious forms that
do not make clear distinctions between good and evil. As God prepared religious forms, Satan too
prepared religious forms as a countermeasure.
More than 80 percent of mediums and fortune-tellers are women. With whom are they working?
When Eve fell, she was overcome by the power of an angel to do wickedness. The same path is
repeated during the time of restoration: definitely, there are angels in the spirit world who descend
to the earth to relate with women and instruct them. The work of fortune-tellers and mediums
is to teach what angels instruct them to say. Just like fallen Eve, they live with spirits. (76:95,
February 1, 1975)
If a spiritualist with low spirituality treats your ailment, the spirits in the spirit world will be temporarily comforted, but the problem will not be fundamentally resolved. Your soul will be comforted
and peaceful for a while, but after some time passes it will be disturbed with the same problem.
(293:249-50, June 1, 1998)
Evil spirits have power over fearful men but cannot disturb the fearless.
Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti 7 (Buddhism)
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Principle. It is a pity that many religious authorities, in their ignorance, condemn the works of good
spirits by lumping them together with evil spirits. This may place them in inadvertent opposition
to Gods Will. In the present era, spiritual phenomena are becoming ever more prevalent. Unless
religious leaders can correctly distinguish the works of good spirits from the works of evil spirits,
they cannot properly instruct and guide those who experience spiritual phenomena. (Exposition of
the Divine Principle, Fall 4.4)
Do you think that when I meet spiritualist ladies, I simply follow their advice? No way. They do not
know the whole picture. They can testify to the present situation, but they do not know how things
operate. (68:276, August 5, 1973)
Spiritualists differ among themselves because they each insist on their own viewpoint. This is a
common problem among spiritual people. One hundred spiritualists will have one hundred different
viewpoints. Being self-centered, each believes that his or her view is the best one. However, they
should be the best by centering on the Center, not on themselves. (325:289, July 2, 2000)
Through spiritualists, shamans, fortune-tellers and the like who are in touch with the spirit world,
the spirit world has been taking advantage of earthly people. In the future this will no longer be permitted. The time is coming when earthly people will have dominion over the spirit world. (219:78,
August 25, 1991)
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have been restored to the original state. Tragically, with the Fall of human beings, who should have
served as the center of universal harmony, the give and take between the physical and spiritual
worlds was severed. The two worlds have been rendered utterly unable to achieve integration and
harmony. Since they remain divided, Paul continued, the whole creation has been groaning in
travail. (Rom. 8:22) (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Creation 6.2)
The spirit world and the physical world should be united by true love. Yet because true love did not
appear, the spirit world and physical world were not united; because true love did not appear, the
mind and the body of each individual were divided; and because true love was not erected, religions
and politics were separated.
Through true love, all can be united. Through true love, individuals, families, societies, nations,
the world and cosmos can be connected. We must make it happen. Otherwise, we cannot inherit the
original Kingdom of Heaven in the spirit world and on earth. (216:105-06, March 9, 1991)
If there is a man who can gain dominion over Satan, he can liberate both the spirit world and the
physical world. (161:243; February 22, 1987)
You should be able to mobilize the spirit world. However, when you reach such spirituality, you will
face things that are difficult for you to handle. In that situation, your attitude should be, I am acting on behalf of God. It is not enough for you to do things by your own power; the question is how
you can mobilize the spirit world, and carry out your mission in multi-dimensional ways. (102:117,
November 27, 1978)
There are people in this world who can perform wondrous feats. Some can fly through the air. Some
can walk on water. Some can travel thousands of miles in an instant. Soon the day will come when I
will summon them from the Himalayas and other places where they are pursuing the path to enlightenment. (60:195, August 17, 1972)
To restore the physical world and spirit world means to bring them back to their original state. It may
cost me 70 to 80 years of my life to restore both the earthly world and the spirit world. I could have
become a successful businessman, yet there is no greater business than this. I have spent my entire
youth trying to accomplish it. (15:146, October 3, 1965)
Without unifying the spirit world, it is impossible to bring unity on the earth. If unity is not attained
on earth, oneness will also not be found in the spirit world. They share a common destiny.
It is a very good thing that Western people are marrying Asians and Asians marrying Westerners.
When their ancestors look down from the spirit world, how pleased they are! Why? In the spirit
world, white people have clustered only among white people, black people dwelt among other blacks,
[and yellow people lived only with others of the yellow race]. The spirit world has been all divided,
therefore on earth the races have been in conflict continually. But because earthly people are now
marrying interracially, those in the spirit world are being softened up to the idea of becoming one,
and unification is proceeding there. All are being unified, making one world. Like the prayer, Thy
will be done on earth, as it is in heaven, because this is happening in the spirit world, even more of
the same will occur on the earth. (99:188, September 18, 1978)
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Part Two
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Chapter 6
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The first man of our race did not bide his time,
desired the favor of marriage before the proper
hour, and fell into sin by not waiting for the time
of Gods Will.
Dreams of falling are most frequently characterized by anxiety. Their interpretation when they
occur in women offers no difficulty, because
they nearly always accept the symbolic meaning
of falling, which is a circumlocution for giving
way to an erotic temptation.
Nothing can be brought to an end in the
unconscious; nothing is past or forgotten.
Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams
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hands or mouths instead. It is human nature to conceal ones faults. Thus, the act of covering their
lower parts shows that these parts, and not their mouths, were the source of their shame.
In Job 31.33-34, it is written, If I have concealed my transgressions like Adam, by hiding my
iniquity in my bosom. Adam concealed his lower parts after the Fall; this indicates that his blemish
was in his lower parts. Adam and Eves sexual parts were the source of their shame because those
were the instruments of their sinful deed.
In the world before the Human Fall, what act would one be willing to carry out even clearly
at the risk of ones life? It could be nothing else but the act of love. Gods purpose of creation,
described in the blessing be fruitful and multiply, (Gen. 1.28) can be achieved only through love.
Accordingly, from the viewpoint of Gods purpose of creation, love should be the most precious
and sacred act. But because the sexual act was the very cause of the Fall, people often regard it
with shame and even contempt. In conclusion, human beings fell through an act of illicit sexual
intercourse. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Fall 1.3.2)
Everything in the universe is created to be governed by God through love. Thus, love is the source
of life, the key to happiness, and the essence of the ideal to which all beings aspire. The more one
receives love, the more beautiful one appears to others. When the angel, created as Gods servant,
beheld Eve, the daughter of God, it was only natural that she looked beautiful in his eyes. Moreover,
when Lucifer saw that Eve was responding to his temptation, the angel felt the stimulation of her
love to be deliciously enticing. At this point, Lucifer was seducing Eve with the mind to have her,
regardless of the consequences. Lucifer, who left his proper position due to his excessive desire, and
Eve, who wanted to open her eyes and become like God before the time was ripe, formed a common
base and began give and take action. The power of the unprincipled love generated by their give and
take led them to consummate an illicit sexual relationship on the spiritual plane.
All beings are created based on the principle that when they become one in love, they exchange
elements with each other. Accordingly, when Eve became one with Lucifer through love, she
received certain elements from him. First, she received feelings of dread arising from the pangs of
a guilty conscience, stemming from her violation of the purpose of creation. Second, she received
from Lucifer the wisdom which enabled her to discern that her originally intended spouse was to be
Adam, not the angel. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Fall 2.2.1)
How did Eve feel while the archangel Lucifer was raping her? She felt pangs of conscience. She disliked what was happening, but let herself be pulled along as he seduced her.
When we make love, we are supposed to feel joy with every cell in our body. Our passion should
be like a flower at the height of spring. Eve, however, grimaced as she made love, her heart shriveling
and her every cell withering. (33:330, August 23, 1970)
Eve was to become the future wife of God. This is because Adam was to be one body with Godthat
is, God Himself From this perspective, the Fall was Satan violating Gods wife. (22:208, February
4, 1969)
Once Eve had united with the Archangel through their illicit sexual relationship, she stood in the
position of the Archangel with respect to Adam. Thus, Adam, who was still receiving Gods love,
appeared very attractive to her. Seeing Adam as her only hope of returning to God, Eve turned to
Adam and tempted him, playing the same role as the Archangel had played when he had tempted
her. Adam responded and formed a common base with Eve, and they began give and take action
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with each other. The power of the unprincipled love generated in their relationship induced Adam
to abandon his original position and brought them together in an illicit physical relationship of
sexual love.
When Adam united in oneness with Eve, he inherited all the elements Eve had received from
the Archangel. These elements in turn have been passed down to all subsequent generations without
interruption and humanity has multiplied in sin to the present day, perpetuating the lineage of
Satan. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Fall 2.2.2)
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Were you to truly know love, you would be well acquainted with everything. You would not only
know the facts of the earth plane, but also your spiritual eyes would be open and you would understand the cosmos in all its dimensions. You would reach the level where you could experience God
directly. God endowed human beings with the potential to develop their senses of love to that
degree.
However, Adam and Eve fell before they could reach that level. (137:129, January 1, 1986)
When Adam and Eve were in adolescence, at the age of 16, 17 or 18, their eyes were not supposed
to wander about. They were supposed to look into each others eyes and say, You are the one I have
been looking for! It was you all along! Gazing into each others eyes filled with mystery and touching each others noses, they would have felt a spark of electricity. Would their minds and body have
been completely united at that moment? Yes they would have been.
When a man and a woman become one in the mind and the body and establish goodness in
the universe, they are like flowers in full bloom. The fragrance of their love fills the entire universe,
enthralling all its creatures. Every creature stretches its body and perks up its nose to smell the alluring
scent. What about God? He would exclaim, Wow! This is awesome! Even God is captivated. He
is naturally drawn to them. He gives them all His attention. He urges them on.
Up to the moment when God joined Adam and Eve, they were not prepared to experience
the electricity of love. They would have felt clumsy around each other; their physical touch would
have come as a shock. But once their minds and bodies would be totally united in Gods love, once
the threeGod, Adam and Evewould be united as one, they would have experienced love like
a flash of lightening. At that moment, they would have become the nucleus of the universe. They
would have orbited about each other in love, forming the nucleus for governing all things by love.
Yet Adam and Eve were derailed from this orbit
Had Adam and Eve become the nucleus, God would have nestled them in His bosom. He would
have been with them always. Even if His body tried to leave, His feet would have stayed with them.
The couple would have been inseparable, ever embracing each other. Their sons and daughters would
have been connected to them by cords of love, and wherever they went they would come together
again The families, tribes, peoples, nations, and world descended from them were supposed to
be established from that nucleus. As descendants of a man and woman in complete oneness, they
too would have embraced one another in true love as they built their own families, tribes, peoples,
nations and world. What a wonderful world it would be! Everything would be marvelous. It would
be the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Dont you think so?
Am I a dreamer, or do I speak truth? My elucidation of the Human Fall as the reason for the
[corruption] of love is logical and correct, based upon a proper assessment of history. Knowing it, we
can resolve all human problems. Even so, it is not an easy task.
Because the nucleus of love was not established, and instead the Fall occurred, the whole world
became contrary to Gods ideal, its unity shattered into pieces. Stemming from that initial disorder,
all human beings became separated from one another. We cannot deny that the world today is beset
by divisions. That is to say, we are all fallen. It is only appropriate to conclude that we are living in
the world that resulted from the Fall.
Since people live in a condition of separation, they deny that God exists. Moreover, they deny
their parents, their brothers and sisters, their husband and wives. The world is in chaos. In such
a state, human beings can never achieve oneness by their own efforts. Although there are always
people who seek for the ideal, they cannot possibly attain it Meanwhile, others despair, saying
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that humanity is facing destruction, that there is no hope, and that utopian ideals are merely vain
figments of the human imagination. (128:88, June 5, 1983)
If the first human beings did not fall, they would have received Gods vertical love, and they would
have become, as it were, the bodies of God. It would be as if God were the bones, and Adam and
Eve the flesh.
God would be the internal Parent in the internal position, and Adam and Eve the external
parents in the external position. The internal and the external would become one through love
Without the union of vertical and horizontal love, no one can be perfected.
Our first ancestors should have become the human beings whom God intended to create
according to His original Will. We should have descended from such persons. We should have been
born from persons with a divine nature. Then we would possess both Gods divine nature and our
parents human nature.
Adam and Eve could become perfect and bear perfect fruit only when connected to the love of
God. Without that connection, it is not possible. The connecting point of Gods vertical love and
Adam and Eves horizontal physical love was to be the very root of our ancestors lineage. All of
humanity was supposed to have arisen from that beginning point.
The Fall, however, severed mans love, womans love and Gods love. Because of the Fall, mans
love, womans love and Gods love were not connected. If there had been no Fall, man and woman
would be tied together by Gods lovewithout doubt.
Why do a man and a woman try to become one? They do it for love. What do they want after
uniting in love? They want to receive Gods blessing. That is the purpose. (184:71, November 13,
1988)
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When Adam and Eve begot children, the firstborn was the son of the serpents slime. For two
beings had intercourse with Eve, and she conceived from both and bore two children. Each
followed one of the male parents, and their spirits parted, one to this side and one to the other,
and similarly their characters. On the side of
Cain are all the haunts of the evil species, from
which come evil spirits and demons and necromancers. From the side of Abel come a more
merciful class, yet not wholly beneficialgood
wine mixed with bad. The right kind was not
produced until Seth came, who is the first ancestor of all the generations of the righteous
Cain rose up against Abel and killed him
because he inherited his nature from the side of
Samael, who brought death into the world. He
was jealous of Abel on account of his female,
as indicated by the words, and it came to pass
when they were in the field (Gen. 4.8), the
word field signifying woman. According to the
text, Cain was angry because his offering was
not accepted, but this is a further reason.5
Zohar 1.36b (Judaism)
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contained fewer evil elements, while Cain was the fruit of the first love. God took Abel because
Adam and Eves relationship was more principled than the first relationship between Eve and the
archangel.
The original order of love was to flow from God to Adam and then to the archangel. Hence the
positions in restoration must also be ordered: first God, then Abel and last Cain. By restoring these
positions, relationships, to the original order, God intends to restore the lost principle
God led the providence to restore the birthright of the elder son through these two brothers.
Cain must go down to Abels position, and Abel must go up to Cains positionthe first sons
position.
However, Cain killed Abel. His action was a repetition of Adam and Eves fall. It repeated the
condition by which Satan came to control Adam. It was the opposite of restoration. (55:109-10,
April 1, 1972)
The Bible attests to the discrimination between first- and second-born sons. For example it is
written that God loved the second son Jacob and hated the first son Esau even while they were
still inside their mothers womb. (Rom. 9.11-13) They were placed in the positions of Cain or Abel
based solely upon the distinction of who was to be the firstborn son. When Jacob was blessing his
two grandchildren, Ephraim and Manasseh, he crossed his hands and laid his right hand on the head
of Ephraim, the second son in the position of Abel, to give him the first and greater blessing. (Gen.
48.14) According to this principle, God placed Cain and Abel in a position where each could deal
with only one master, and had them offer sacrifices.
When Cain and Abel offered their sacrifices, The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,
but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. (Gen. 4.4) Why did God accept Abels offering
but reject Cains? God received Abels sacrifice because he stood in a proper relationship with God.
Also, he made the offering in an acceptable mannerthrough faith (Heb. 11.4) and in line with
Gods Will. In this way, Abel successfully laid the foundation of faith in Adams family. He serves as
an example that any fallen person can make an offering acceptable to God provided he satisfies the
necessary conditions.
God did not reject Cains sacrifice because He hated him. Rather, because Cain stood in a
position to relate with Satan, which gave Satan rights over the sacrifice, God could not accept
Cains sacrifice unless he first made some condition justifying its acceptance. (Exposition of the Divine
Principle, Foundation 1)
When Cain found out that God accepted only Abels offering, he struck and killed Abel out of
hatred. You have to understand, however, that already while they were preparing their offerings,
Cain nursed feelings of resentment against Abel. Cain did not strike Abel in a sudden flash of anger
over God accepting only Abels offering. Rather, even before that incident, Cain hated Abel and
wanted to kill him. (3:205, November 1, 1957)
It seems that God was discriminating between Cain and Abel, but that was not the case. If Cain
had even the slightest desire to go through Abel, who represented Heavens position, then God
would have accepted Cains offering. Although his acceptance would have come later, God desired
to relate to them in fairness.
You must not repeat the mistake of Abel, who prolonged the providence of God by not being
able to cope with the mission Heaven gave to him. (3:205, November 1, 1957)
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Cain should have appealed to Abel, asking him to show him the way to approach God that his offering might also be accepted. He should have kept a mind of absolute faith, absolute love and absolute
obedience to God; then he would have totally united with his brother. Only then could he have
entered the realm of God. (378:206-07, May 12, 2002)
God placed Abel in the position to save Cain. God expected that Abel would love Cain, and share
with him all the love that he received from God, as well as his own love. (18:277, June 12, 1967)
When God accepted only Abels offering, Abel became arrogant. Through that condition, Satan
could make accusation against him. Satan influenced Cain to lose his temper and his reason, driving
him to kill his own brother. (374:12-13, April 4, 2002)
All the conflicts and wars that the world has witnessed since the beginning of history have been, in
essence, battles between the Cain side, which is relatively evil, and the Abel side, which is more on
the side of goodness. (299:105, February 6, 1999)
Yet Cain and Abel must never be divided. They are like the right hand and the left hand. Everyone
should live with the attitude, My God is also your God; The God who loves me also loves you.
(3:207, November 1, 1957)
Think about the moment when Cain killed Abel. The pain of it seared Gods heart, and His tears
continue to this day. God intended that the elder son love his younger brother, but instead he
murdered him. That one murder broke Gods heart. Yet look at the world today: every day tens of
thousands of people are being killed or dying of starvation. Do you think Gods heart is at peace?
(March 2, 2003)
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Belief in the power of the Devil does not imply dualism, although in some religionsZoroastrianism
most notablyGod and the Devil are in eternal rivalry. For the monotheistic faiths that teach the goodness of
Gods creation, the demons themselves are resultant beings, angels who fell from their original status as Gods
servants to become the enemies of God. Father Moon explains that the fall of the angel Lucifer occurred at the
Human Fall, at which time he becomes Satan, the powerful demon who asserts dominion over human beings.
Following these are passages describing the Devils nature and the various temptations and stratagems
he uses to capture human beings. We should be aware that the key to overcoming Satan is to purify ourselves
of every characteristic that resembles himselfishness, arrogance, greed, craving for sensual pleasuresand
instead live a life fixed on God and eternity.
And when We said to the angels, Bow yourselves to Adam, they bowed themselves, save
Iblis; he said, Shall I bow myself to one whom
You have created of clay? He said, What do
you think? This [creature] You have honored
above me, if You defer me until the Day of
Resurrection I shall assuredly master his seed,
save a few.
Said We, Depart! Those of them that follow
yousurely hell shall be your recompense, an
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Ephesians 6.12
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The Devil demands that others live for his sake. That is the reason why all dictators throughout history have demanded that others serve them. (222:138, October 28, 1991)
A human beings essence is spirit. When you go to the spirit world, you will vividly realize that the
essence of being human is to live for the sake of others. Why, then, do people treat every matter so
selfishly? It is because humankind has a blood relationship with Satan, the angel that violated the
law of Heaven. (2:138, March 17, 1957)
Evil started from Satan, who infused into Eve the attitude, I am the subject; I am the center. It
started with the mentality to boast of oneself, which is evil. Gods original Principle of Creation is,
Live for the sake of others. Satanic fallen nature is, Live for myself.
You must know the origin of good and evil clearly. Evil people expect others to live for them;
God wants to tear down this nature. Jesus also wants to it tear down; that is why he taught: Do not
be arrogant, live for others and serve others. (69:84-85, October 20, 1973)
The Fall means that human beings fail to connect with Gods vertical true love and cannot fulfill
horizontal true love in their relationships with others. This is because the archangel Lucifer invaded
human horizontal love.
As the result of the Fall, God lost His children, and we were born into a dysfunctional life,
suffering from conflict between mind and body. On this condition, the Devil can inappropriately
subjugate human beings. (198:158, February 1, 1990)
In John 8.44, Jesus says: You are of your father the Devil He is a liar and the father of lies. Our
lineage from Satan is a result of the Fall. Lucifer (who became Satan) seduced Eve, who then seduced
Adam. As a result, human history began with a tragedy brought about by deception. (73:202-03,
September 18, 1974)
When Eve united with the archangel Lucifer and they fell, the archangel became Satan, the Devil,
and Eve was bonded to his blood lineage. Originally, Adam and Eves children should have been the
elder and younger sons of God. However, once Eve had fallen with Satan, he claimed her body as
his. According to the Principle of Creation, love determines ownership. By this principle, once two
people enter into a love relationship, each partner has ownership rights over the other. Therefore,
once Eve fell, the archangel could rightfully claim ownership over her and over all her descendants,
fallen human beings. (110:216, November 18, 1980)
Due to the Fall, human beings could not become temples of God; instead, they united with Satan
and became his dwelling places. By being united with Satan, they failed to cultivate the divine
nature; instead, they acquired an evil nature. People with evil nature have propagated evil through
their children, constituting evil families, evil societies and an evil world. This is the hell on earth in
which we have been living. In this hell, we cannot properly form cooperative horizontal relationships with one another because our vertical relationships with God have been severed. We perform
deeds harmful to others because we cannot feel the pain and suffering of our neighbors as our own.
Since humans are living in hell on earth, after shedding their physical body, they naturally
enter hell in the spirit world. We have not built the Kingdom of God, but instead established the
sovereignty of Satan. For this reason, Satan is called the ruler of this world (John 12.31) and the
god of this world. (2 Cor. 4.4) (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Eschatology 1.1)
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Father! We cannot feel in our daily life how much the foundation of Satans power and
authority remains.
We go about our walk of faith, hour after hour, day after day,
yet we do not recognize the extent that Satans power and authority
has invaded our daily life and the circumstances in which we live. (19:185, January 17, 1968)
And the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like
him on the earth, a blameless and upright man,
who fears God and turns away from evil? Then
Satan answered the Lord, Does Job fear God
for naught? Hast Thou not put a hedge about
him and his house and all that he has, on every
side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands,
and his possessions have increased in the land.
But put forth Thy hand now, and touch all that
he has, and he will curse Thee to thy face. And
the Lord said to Satan, Behold, all that he has
is in your power.9
Job 1.6-12
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will confine Satan in a bottomless pit signifies that Satan will be utterly incapable of any activity,
since there will no longer be any counterparts with whom Satan can relate. (Exposition of the Divine
Principle, Fall 4.2)
Why doesnt Satan release his claim on human beings? He asserts to God, Didnt You set up the
principle of creation that dominion is based on love? Whether my love was lawful or unlawful
doesnt matter; I definitely loved Adam and Eve. Isnt love the original basis for dominion? Since I
loved Adam and Eve, I have a right to claim them [and their descendants] under my dominion. I
will not relinquish my claim over human beings to You unless You love me more than I loved them.
(128:90, June 5, 1983)
God says to Satan, Satan, when human beings were originally created you could not accuse them;
you could not even put one finger on them. Satan counters, I already know that. However, according to the Principle, once we come to love someone, we should belong to that person for eternity.
Isnt that the law of love? I won humans by love, even though it was illicit love, so their relationship
to me has to be eternal. God retorts, According to the Principle, since I created human beings,
they should be My sons and daughters. The relationship you made with them was unlawful. God
is speaking out of truth, but Satan is also basing his argument on the Principle. (111:147, February
10, 1981)
God has been fighting against Satan internally and against evil people externally, but in fighting He
does not act capriciously in violation of His own laws. God never fights in a way that would violate
the laws of the universe. Jesus also never fought outside the laws of Heaven.
Accordingly, when we wage the universal fight in the Last Days, we must understand the laws
of Heaven and learn how to fight in accordance with those laws. Although you might not be aware
of it, Satan also cannot be so insolent as to fight in a way that transgresses the laws of Heaven.
For this reason, when you set conditions of restoration and fight Satan, if you deviate from the
Will of God, then Satan will accuse you. Even Jesus was not exempt. Whoever violates the principle,
Satan will attack without mercy. (2:176-77, April 14, 1957)
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Then, why does God, who aspires to be lord of all creation, not bring Satan under His control?
It is because Satan does not have Gods unchanging naturequite the opposite. God is unchanging
while Satan is always changing to suit himself. God is unique and Satan is not; God is eternal while
Satan is temporal. This, in essence, is their dividing line.
Why, then, are human beings the objects of both Gods desire and Satans desire? People stand
between God and Satan. They have qualities that can relate to both Gods world and Satans
world.
Is someone who changes from moment to moment more on Gods side or Satans side? Is
someone who is constantly creating divisions and fights in the home more susceptible to God or
to Satan? What about the person who is immersed in his daily affairs and does not think about the
whole, or the world, or history, or eternity, or any kind of long-term vision? What about a father who
neglects his wife and children, who only goes off to the local bar and drinks every night, seeking his
own pleasure? Certainly, Satan will claim such people. (124:243-44, February 20, 1983)
We are living in a fallen realm. That is why we need to live a life of faith. Remember this, and always
be aware that Satan governs this fallen world. This is not merely a concept; it is reality. (161:218,
February 15, 1987)
The Bible exhorts us to pray ceaselessly. The Devil can attack us and even work through us twentyfour hours a day. Although God is with us, He stays in a vertical relationship with only the mind as
His base; how effectively, then, can He work with us? Satan can come at us from any direction, from
360 degrees; hence we are bound to be overwhelmed. (200:227, February 25, 1990)
Evil activity in the spirit world had been increasing gradually ever since the Human Fall. But the
situation changed drastically in the 1980s, when hosts of evil spirits descended to the earth and
greatly increased their activities there.
Why did this happen? In former times, when the central figures of the Providence did not know
the identity of Satan, the root of sin, or the nature of the Original Sin, Satan felt at ease and could
take his time creating his self-centered world. However, when the True Parents came into the world
the situation began to change. The True Parents revealed the identity of Satan, the root of sin, and
that the Original Sin was fornication. They figured out all Satans traits and all his tricks, facts that
not even God had revealed to humanity. Then the True Parents began making conditions so that
Satan could no longer stand on his feet on the earth. As they achieved victory after victory in the
Providence of Restoration, Satan was taken aback; then he began to get nervous. In response, Satan
mobilized evil spirits in the spirit world to work with evil spirits in the bodies of people on the earth,
by stimulating their resentment and their desire to take revenge on the descendants of the people
who had caused them pain.11
In particular, Satan watched closely for opportunities to invade Blessed families. Whenever he
found any bad conditions, he put evil spirits into them. He wanted to block them from advancing
and turn them from a God-centered life. God expected that Blessed families would make unity of
heart with God and True Parents by living with absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience.
Satan cannot invade such families. But when Blessed families acted in unprincipled ways, they made
conditions for Satan to invade them. Most of them expected that the victory of True Parents would
protect them; they didnt look deeply at themselves to check whether they had anything for which
Satan could accuse them. They didnt reflect on whether they still had any fallen nature. Therefore,
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at least from now on, we must work hard to purify ourselves from evil and sin and be reborn as
original, true children. (Heung Jin Moon, Message from the Spirit World, January 1, 2001)
Sin
The biblical meaning of sin is to miss the mark. Thus, sin denotes how human beings deviate from
the true standard of life. There are many ways to conceive of sin; here we present four. The first is evil deeds,
which typically comprise murder, stealing, sexual immorality, lying and drunkenness. The worlds religions
are unanimous in condemning these sins. The second meaning of sin is a self-centered mindset, by which we
do harm to others whether intentionally or unintentionally. This is a more subtle understanding; it invites
introspection about the motives behind our behavior and the way our daily life impinges on others. Sin has
power: it binds us and blocks our approach to God. A third way to understand sin is to see it as all-pervasive
imperfection and fallenness, a universal condition of humankind. In this light, Father Moon explains that all sin
is the result of Human Fall, which severed our original relationship with God and left us in a state of alienation
and strife.
Dhammapada 246-47
1 Corinthians 6.9-10
The Prophet said, When a man commits fornication he is not a believer, when a man steals he
is not a believer; when a man drinks wine he is
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and your sins have hid his face from you so that
he does not hear.
269
Isaiah 59.1-2
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Quran 12.53
1 John 1.8
Romans 5.12
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Due to the fall, the relationship between God and humankind was completely severed. No matter
how people try to return to God, they cannot. Likewise, God cannot relate with usthe gap is so
wide.
We are penned in behind a wall, confined behind a boundary line. What is that wall? It prevents
us from approaching God, our Parent, to attend Him. It blocks even God from doing what He would
want to do. That wall is a serious problem for religious people.
That wall also separates each individuals mind and body. That wall, with various historical
contents, comes between husband and wife. That wall divides families, tribes, peoples, nations, and
the whole world. It divides the spirit world from physical world. It stands between heaven and hell.
Even if God dwells in heaven on His glorious throne, unless that wall is removed, people on earth
can never surmount the walls that surround them on every side. This is the tragedy of human life on
earth. (135:268, December 15, 1985)
The Fall meant that Adam and Eve, who should have become one with each other centering on
God, instead became one with the archangel Lucifer, who was a mere servant of God. Instead of
inheriting Gods lineage, human beings inherited the servants bloodline. Therefore, no matter how
much fallen people call God my Father, they do not feel it as true to life. (91:242, February 23,
1977)
The family created by the relationship between fallen Adam and Eve had no relationship to God.
That family became the root of Gods deep sorrow, and the base through which the enemy Satan
could claim his rights and exercise his authority over humanity. One man and one woman caused
the Fall, but its effect was not limited to that couple only. It extends throughout the cosmos and
holds sway throughout all of human history. (46:196, August 15, 1971)
We human beings are still slaves to the fallen nature that we inherited from our first ancestors,
Adam and Eve. We have not escaped that yoke. This is evidenced by the confessions of saints and
sages. Although they spent their entire lives in fasting and abstinence and unceasingly pursued
paths of incredible suffering, they invariably confess that they could not root out the desires of the
flesh before they had to leave this world. Their confessions remain as pitiful cries to their disciples
who still insist on following in their footsteps. (May 1, 2004)
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Buddhism, on the other hand, denies that karma is a deterministic principle. As but one of the twenty-four
factors (paccaya) that condition a persons life, karma need not be actualized when other conditions are fulfilled. Through spiritual discipline and meditative practice, a Buddhist aspirant seeks to attain liberation and be
released from the bonds of karma.
Most other religions, in both the East and the West, recognize sin to be inherited through the lineage. An
individual is burdened by the sins of his or her ancestors, who also bequeath their traditions, attitudes and personality traits, not to mention physical traits. Their lives leave an impression that can endure through the centuries, coloring the experiences of many generations to come. A wise person, therefore, seeks to resolve these
inherited problems, so they will not plague his offspring. He would rather leave merit for his childrens benefit.
Father Moon teaches many insights about inherited sin, how it comes to pass and how it can be resolved.
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Human beings throughout history have committed innumerable sins. First there was the Original
Sin committed by Adam and Eve it is like the root. Even that root is of various kinds: a central
taproot and peripheral roots. From that root has grown a trunk; it started small with but a few
branches but now it has grown and sprouted tens of thousands of branches, all tangled with each
other. The overall amount of accumulated human sin is so huge. How can it be forgiven? Yet this
huge mass of sin is connected to each one of you. (258:84-85, March 17, 1994)
Who do we resemble, that we should look and act the way we do? Each person takes after his or her
parents. Then, who do our parents resemble, that they should look and act as they do? They take
after the grandparents. If we keep going back through the generations, we will eventually come to
humanitys first ancestors. We are the way we are, because of what humanitys first ancestors were
like. Who, then, did the first ancestors resemble that they became the way they were? This is the
question.
You naturally resemble your mother and father. If a person doesnt resemble his parents, then
there must be a trait somewhere a few generations back that was hidden until it made its appearance,
according to the laws of genetics. Traits do not just appear without any connection or source.
You may think that you are in control of the way you develop, but the fact is that thousands of
generations of ancestors already came before you So you can be compared to exhibits in a museum,
where all the physical traits, qualities and values of your ancestors over thousands of generations are
gathered in one place. They are the source of your appearance, personality and values. You are like
exhibits put out by your ancestors, who are saying, Look! This is our descendant. Have you ever
thought of it this way? Each of you is unique in the world. No matter how many men and women
there may be under heaven, each of you was born a unique overall representation and fruit of your
ancestors. (41:139, February 14, 1971)
You all have different ancestries. They took various paths and lived in various circumstances. Some
were evil; others were good; they are all intermingled in your family tree. You are their fruits. Because
of your varied backgrounds, you stand in different positions, with different merits. God is just and
fair. But since each individual has a different background, can God really say, All people are absolutely equal? Is that a correct concept?
It would have been different had there been no Fall. It would have been different if our lineages
had all proceeded within the realm of Gods love. Certainly, we are all destined to find Gods love.
However, since every fallen human being has to travel along a uniquely different life course in his or
her quest to reach the ideal, we cannot expect to find equality among us.
For the same reason, we can understand that people are bound for various destinations in the
spirit world: heaven, hell, or the thousands of different levels in between. They are situated according
to the accumulated good or evil of their own lives added to that of their particular ancestral line.
(91:269-70, February 27, 1977)
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have difficulty being faithful, or get divorced. Ancestors who did not see things about others correctly
and hurt them, or who misjudged others based on bad rumors and violated their hearts, will have
descendants born blind, mute or deaf. In other words, according to the way the pain was givento
a certain part of the bodythe descendants suffer with the same kind of troubles. The heavier the
ancestors sins, the more difficult it is to heal the resulting sickness; it may even be incurable.
If people on the earth do not clear up these sins through paying the required indemnity, the
suffering is passed down to their children. Later, when those people come to the spirit world and watch
their children suffer they regret that they did not clear things up for them. They lament, If only I had
borne my suffering on earth, my children would not need to suffer now. Therefore, unless you clear up
all the sins passed down from your ancestors, as well as your personal sins, your children cannot escape
from sickness and pain. (Heung Jin Moon, Message from the Spirit World, January 1, 2002)
Your ancestors committed a great many sins. On top of it, how much more sin did you commit? If
you truly knew the weight of it all, you would despair. Surely you should do your best to indemnify
those sins [and leave a clean slate] for your descendants. If you cannot cleanse them completely, you
should be willing to devote your life as a sacrificial offering. For example, you might marry an ugly
woman and determine to make your life together with her better than the most handsome couple in
the world. (116:150, December 27, 1981)
The altars of sorrow continuing for six thousand years or more are due to the mistakes of our
ancestors,
but we fear we might leave that sorrow to our descendants by once again not fulfilling our
responsibility today.
Today we learned that we are responsible to stop the history of misfortune in this generation
and to dissolve the grief in Heavens heart unto joy. (8:262-63, February 7, 1960)
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When Jesus stumbled while carrying his cross to Calvary, a black person, Simon of Cyrene, took
up Jesus burden. That act was very significant; when the Last Days come, God will raise up black
people for a great mission. Yet, they should be equipped with Heavens teaching. (91:219, February
20, 1977)
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James 4.1-3
Arjuna: What is the force that binds us to selfish deeds, O Krishna? What power moves us,
even against our will, as if forcing us?
Krishna: It is selfish desire and anger, arising
from the state of being known as passion; these
are the appetites and evils which threaten a
person in this life.
Just as a fire is covered by smoke and a mirror
is obscured by dust, just as an embryo is
enveloped deep within the womb, knowledge
is hidden by selfish desirehidden, Arjuna, by
this unquenchable fire for self-satisfaction, the
inveterate enemy of the wise.
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People feel joy when their desires are fulfilled. The word desire, however, is often not understood
in its original sense, because in the present circumstances our desires tend to pursue evil rather than
good. Desires which result in injustice do not emanate from a persons original mind
Has anyone realized the joy in which the original mind delights by pursuing evil desires?
Whenever such desires are sated, we feel unrest in our conscience and agony in our heart. Would
a parent ever instruct his child to be evil? Would a teacher deliberately instill unrighteousness in
his students? The impulse of the original mind, which everyone possesses, is to abhor evil and exalt
goodness. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Introduction)
Human beings are Gods substantial object partners. Therefore, God wants to rejoice through us.
However, if we are defective partners, always expressing our fallen nature as jealousy, envy and arrogance, how can God feel happiness through us? (Way of Gods Will 2.2)
The human condition has been such that love of the fleshwhich is externalbetrays Gods love,
and betrays the ideal and eternal origin of life based in the mindwhich is internal. Therefore, to
establish unity between mind and body, we have to eradicate this external lovesatanic loveand
in its place inherit internal loveGods original love. (20:179, June 9, 1968)
Ecclesiastes 7.29
Your mind, having become diseased and bewildered because of the false sense-conceptions
accumulated since beginningless time, has
developed many desires, attachments and habits. From these there have arisen, incident to
the ever-changing processes of life, arbitrary
conceptions concerning self and no-self and
as to what is true and what is not true. These
arbitrary conceptions have not developed in a
normal way from your pure Mind Essence, but
in an abnormal way because of the prior false
conceptions that had their origin in the sense
organs, like the sight of blossoms in the air that
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The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17.9
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Our mind and body can become completely one through the power of Gods love, but we have
never really experienced that oneness because of the division between them that resulted from the
Fall of the human ancestors. If not for the Fall, our mind and body would have completely united
based on Gods intrinsic love. In the world of love centered around that intrinsic love, there would
be no need for moral education. God would suffice as a teacher. People would know love without
being taught.
When the mind and body become one, we understand everything. There would be no need
for education about how human beings should live. There would be no need for instruction in
ethics and the rules of morality. Do the animals need to be taught moral lessons? They know how
to protect themselves and group themselves among members of their own species. Why are human
beings, the lords of creation, so ignorant in this regard? It is because of the Fall that we fight and
struggle. (162:223, April 12, 1987)
We have fallen nature. What are the four aspects of fallen nature? They are arrogance, jealousy,
anger and lying. We should remove all of them. (150:126, September 4, 1960)
Eve inherited from the Archangel all the proclivities incidental to his transgression against God
when he bound her in blood ties through their sexual relationship. Adam in turn acquired the same
inclinations when Eve, assuming the role of the Archangel, bound him in blood ties through their
sexual relationship. These proclivities have become the root cause of the fallen inclinations in all
people. They are the primary characteristics of our fallen nature.
The fundamental motivation which engendered these primary characteristics of the fallen nature
lay in the envy the Archangel felt toward Adam, the beloved of God. How can there be anything
such as envy and jealousy in an archangel, whom God created for a good purpose? The Archangel
was endowed with desire and intellect as a part of his original nature. Because the Archangel
possessed an intellect, he could compare and discern that Gods love for human beings was greater
than the love God gave to him. Because he also possessed desires, he had a natural yearning for God
to love him more. This desire of the heart was naturally conducive to envy and jealousy. Envy is an
inevitable byproduct of the original nature, like the shadow cast by an object in the light.
After human beings reach perfection, however, they will never be induced to fall because of
incidental envy. They will know deep inside that the temporary gratification they might feel by
attaining the object of their desire is not worth the agony of self-destruction that would ensue.
Hence, they would never commit such crimes
The primary characteristics of the fallen nature can be divided broadly into four types: The first
is failing to take Gods standpoint. A principal cause of the Archangels fall was his failure to love
Adam with the same heart and perspective as God; instead, he felt jealous of Adam. This led him to
tempt Eve. An example of this characteristic of the fallen nature is when a courtier feels jealous of
the kings favorite instead of sincerely respecting him as one whom the king loves.
The second is leaving ones proper position. Seeking more of Gods love, Lucifer desired to
enjoy the same position of love in the human world. This unrighteous desire caused him to leave
his position and fall. People are induced by unrighteous desires to step beyond the bounds of what is
right and overreach themselves because of this primary characteristic of the fallen nature.
The third is reversing dominion. The angel, who was supposed to come under the dominion of
human beings, instead dominated Eve. Then Eve, who was supposed to come under the dominion
of Adam, dominated him instead
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The fourth is multiplying the criminal act. After her fall, had Eve not repeated her sin by
seducing Adam, Adam would have remained whole. The restoration of Eve alone would have been
relatively easy. However, Eve spread her sin to others by inducing Adam to fall. The proclivity of evil
people to entangle others in an expanding web of crime stems from this primary characteristic of the
fallen nature. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Fall 4.6)
We now know the characteristics of fallen nature: The Fall began, first with self-centered ownership; next, speaking lies; next, an immoral relationship; next, taking all things from God; and finally,
in the second generation, murder. All dictators throughout history lied, violated love, stole others
possessions, and murdered good people. Considering this, we should not follow the same pattern of
historical error. We wish to inherit a heavenly tradition of love by overcoming these transgressions
within ourselves. (121:257-58, October 27, 1982)
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285
Quran 10.44
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286
We find a great contradiction in every person. Within the self-same individual are two opposing
inclinations: the original mind that desires goodness and the evil mind that desires wickedness.
They are engaged in a fierce battle, striving to accomplish two conflicting purposes. Any being
possessing such a contradiction within itself is doomed to perish. Human beings, having acquired
this contradiction, live on the brink of destruction.
Can it be that human life originated with such a contradiction? How could beings with a selfcontradictory nature come into existence? If burdened by such a contradiction from its inception,
human life would not have been able to arise. The contradiction, therefore, must have developed
after the birth of the human race. Christianity sees this state of destruction as the result of the
Human Fall. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Introduction)
The conscience is that faculty of the mind that presents Gods thought. It does not exist for you, but
for the righteousness of Heaven. Your conscience always pursues goodness. The body rebels against
the conscience. Your body is self-centered; it seeks its own comfort; it follows instinctive desires.
Your conscience strives to have your body obey the mind and reproaches it when it does not. From
this point, conflicts and struggles arise within the self. (219:118, August 28, 1991)
Our body has become the stage of Satans activities. It has become Satans dance hall. Had there
not been the Human Fall, our mind and body would be one. They would become one automatically
centering on Gods love, life and lineage. (235:203, September 20, 1992)
Why do human beings need religion? We need religion to conquer our body. Otherwise, due to the
body, human history would be doomed; due to the body, society would be doomed; and due to the
body, humankind would be doomed. Accordingly, you should deeply realize that your body is the
womb of the enemy and the seedbed of sins and evils. (18:322, August 13, 1967)
Regard yourself as the problem. You can be your own worst enemy. If you cannot unite your mind
and body, you become your own enemy. (128:108, June 5, 1983)
Even though [at the Fall] we received Satans evil seed, each person, deep in his original mind, covets Gods original, ideal seed of life. This is the basis of our internal struggles. Within each individual, two opposing elements are struggling: the original mind on Gods side, and the body on Satans
side. For this reason, as long as we do not bring oneness in our mind and body, we cannot enter the
Kingdom of Heaven. (235:203, September 20, 1992)
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In Christianity, pride is regarded as the first step to the fall and rebellion against God. In Buddhism, grasping after the self and the sense of ego is the chief of all cravings and the deepest root of ignorance. In the Indic
religions egoism is a fetter that binds people to the wheel of rebirth.
Father Moon reiterates these universal teachings, but with particular emphasis on the social manifestations of pride and egoism among the affluent people of todays wealthy and powerful nations. He warns
America in particular that it had better repent for its arrogance, which is seeping into every cranny of the social
fabric, or inevitably it will decline. He also links egoism and pride to the Human Fall, which implanted that
wicked propensity deep in the human mind.
Proverbs 16.18
Isaiah 5.21
Selfishness may be sweet for oneself, but no harmony of the whole can come from it.
Osashizu (Tenrikyo)
Dhammapada 62 (Buddhism)
Dhammapada 63 (Buddhism)
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The first step towards the Fall was the appearance of individualism. It was thinking that nothing in
the world matters but me. The next step was to think people have unlimited freedom: Whats this
with God telling us we cannot eat that fruit? Why should there be any rules to restrict us? We can do
as we please. Is it freedom when people do just as they please? It should not be that way. (49:190,
October 10, 1971)
From the day the first human ancestors fell and received the blood of Satan, people unconsciously
became arrogant and have used others to satisfy their needs. They have pursued that direction
throughout human history. (46:142, August 13, 1971)
What is the Fall? It is to unlawfully take what belongs to someone else. Self-centeredness ruined the
world. Knowing this universal principle, human beings should return to the world of oneness, but
instead they continue to play the game of pulling the world for themselves. That is evil. (170:174,
November 15, 1987)
Human beings have inherited Satans nature: the inclination to regard everything, even God, from
a self-centered viewpoint. (91:242, February 23, 1977)
Are Americans proud of their money? Do not be proud of it before God. God can create money as
much as He wants. Nor should Americans be proud of their power and military might: God is allpowerful. God is all-knowing: who can challenge Him with knowledge? It doesnt matter that you
earned a Ph.D. from Harvard; you are all the same when you stand naked before Him. Your knowledge will not gain you admission into the Kingdom of Heaven. All who are proud of these things will
fall into hell. (358:162, October 14, 2001)
I know that American culture upholds individualism. However, there must not be individualism
that disregards the relationship between God, the Subject, and human beings, His objects. Selfish
individualism is destructive, and its prevalence is driving America into a corner.
Now America should recover the essence of Christianity by seeking for Gods original way of life:
The individual lives for the sake of the family; families contribute to the community; communities
give their strength to the nation; nations exist to benefit the world; and the world exists for the
sake of God. These are Gods heavenly ethics. If we practice it, then what is Gods is also mine, and
whatever I do for God also benefits me. Living for the sake of God is ultimately living for my own
benefit. (69:88-89, October 20, 1973)
Selfish individualism is Satans creation, a result of the Fall. As Satan centers on himself, he divides
people by having them center on themselves. Thus one [an individual] becomes two [mind and
body in conflict.] Two [a couple] become four [the mans mind, the mans body, the womans mind
and the womans body.]
Why did America become such an individualistic nation? It is because Satan is exerting
his dominion there. The so-called right of privacy is at the heart of American individualism.
Yet this individualism is causing the family to break down, the society to break down, and the
nation to weaken. Individualism is a most fearful thing; it leads people to hell. (361:234,
November 25, 2001)
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What is the origin of the dirt that has stained human history? It begins from ourselves. Dirt did not
just fall on our first ancestors; they made themselves dirty. How did they become dirty? They thought
of themselves as being the center of everything; egoism and selfishness are what stained them.
If our ancestors had lived in service to what is more precious than themselves, then they would
not have taken the path to defilement. What is more precious than oneself? We are resultant beings;
therefore, we should live for the Causal Being. God is that most precious existence, and we should
live for Him. Had people truly lived for God and thought of God before thinking of themselves, we
could never have become evil. (92:58-59, March 13, 1977)
Many of you soon become arrogant and think, I am a member of the Unification Church. I have
worked for the church for three years, so its about time that Reverend Moon gives me the Blessing.
Then he should recognize me, and so should the church. What a pity if you think that way! In our
church there are two ways of life: arrogance and humility. The way of arrogance leads to hell, while
the way of humility leads to heaven. What about you: do you belong to heaven or to hell? (92:71,
March 13, 1977)
1. Ignorance of God
Be not like those who forget God, and therefore
He made them forget their own souls!
Quran 59.19
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Romans 1.21-25
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Ask young people whether they really love God. If they are honest their answer must be No. Why?
Because their views are different from Gods. Young people like to enjoy their life, indulging in free
sex and drugs, but God does not allow it. As long as they are doing those things, they cannot say
they love God. (91:22, January 16, 1977)
2. False Views
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for
darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5.20
Beings who are ashamed of what is not shameful, and are not ashamed of what is shameful,
embrace wrong views and go to a woeful state.
Beings who see fear in what is not to be feared,
and see no fear in the fearsome, embrace false
views and go to a woeful state.
Beings who imagine faults in the faultless and
perceive no wrong in what is wrong, embrace
false views and go to a woeful state.
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which have at their core the rejection of God. All these are the effects of the declining faith and
spiritual exhaustion of this generation. (135:221, November 16, 1985)
I am not one to condemn humanism altogether, but the problem with the humanism we see today
is that it is based on a thoroughly atheistic outlook. Once we deny the existence of God and the
significance of the Creators creative acts, human beings are reduced to just a handful of dust. It is
a perspective that considers human beings no better than mere machines. This was precisely the
fallacy in Marxist-Leninism. If we say there is no God, and that human beings are no better than
machines or animals, then there is no basis for morality. Without a belief in the spirit and eternal life,
people cease to feel responsible for each other and commit atrocities against other human beings.
(234:232, August 22, 1992)
To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very
minds and consciences are corrupted.
Titus 1.15
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Fools dwelling in darkness, but thinking themselves wise and erudite, go round and round, by
various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the
blind.
Katha Upanishad 1.2.5 (Hinduism)
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Because of the Fall, the sensibility by which we could communicate with Thy heart left us,
and the mind which could love all things through experiencing Thy heart is no longer with us.
(6:298-99, June 14, 1959)
Quran 6.74
Have you seen him who makes his desire his god,
and God sends him astray purposely, and seals up
his hearing and his heart, and sets on his sight
a covering? Who, then, will lead him after God
[has condemned him]? Will you not then heed?
Quran 45.23
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What is a human being? Is there something about human beings that needs to be restored? Do we
need to once again consider the question of God? We are living in a transitional period when these
trends are evident. American young people, hippies and yippies, do all sorts of things, and many are
in search of religion. (103:226, March 1, 1979)
Suffering
The First of the Buddhas Four Noble Truths is that human existence is suffering (Pali dukkha). Suffering is the pervasive human condition, a sort of illness generated by the self through its false attachments.
Buddhist textsechoed in other scripturesdescribe it by the metaphor of a universal fire engulfing the world.
In Hinduism, the human lot is to go through an endless cycle of death and rebirth, conditioned by the results
of past actions.
Ecclesiastes is in many ways the most Buddhist of books in the Bible in its theme of the vanity of human
works. Few are those who ever fulfill all their desires, yet even those who do are not satisfied, ever wanting
more. Akin to this is the observation in Chinese texts that even when people begin with the best of intentions,
their behavior usually degenerates and ends in acrimony, betrayal, or violence.
In Christianity, the doctrine of Original Sin conveys a similar idea: by their fallen condition people are
unable to fulfill their lifes purpose. Father Moon often laments about the interminable misery of the human
condition and explains how the Human Fall brought this about.
1. Sorrow Is Everywhere
The Noble Truth of Suffering (Dukkha) is
this: Birth is suffering; aging is suffering; sickness is suffering; death is suffering; sorrow and
lamentation, pain, grief, and despair are suffering; association with the unpleasant is suffering; dissociation from the pleasant is suffering; not to get what one wants is sufferingin
brief, the five aggregates of attachment are
suffering.26
Samyutta Nikaya 56.11 (Buddhism)
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life and all things. People fell into deep despair, darkness, and unhappiness. Having lost any
vision or hope, tears filled their eyes. With those tears came despair, and utter darkness. (52:36,
December 12, 1971)
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even becomes a world-famous Nobel laureate. However, if we look closely at his life, we find many
miserable things.
Although he has the knowledge of a Nobel laureate, it is all within a small field of specialization.
His research in his field is like digging a small cave in the wide world. Staying within the limits of his
specialization, he realizes that compared with the whole world he is extremely small. Even though
he boasts that he knows something, it is an extremely small thing.
Does knowledge give human beings happiness and peace? No. Knowledge is such that we realize
that the more we study, the more we do not know.
Suppose he becomes a famous professor at the university. Every day he holds a chalk and writes
on the blackboard. He writes books and takes on various academic responsibilities. Yet while he
inhales chalk powder and becomes a leading voice in his field, he has no idea what kind of influence
he has in the world. He does not know what will happen to the world in the future. Lacking the mind
to comprehend Gods Will, he does not think about what perspective he should take in viewing the
world. In fact, he is more ignorant than ordinary ignorant people, because he is so caught up in his
own studies.
Even with all his knowledge, he spends his entire life as a mere bookworm. He lacks the selfconfidence to assert his own ideas; mostly he just represents and compares the ideas of others in
his field. His life commitment consists of little more. Hence, even if he becomes a famous professor,
what is the point? Life is too precious to invest it all for something like that.
Another man covets power; he dreams of becoming a big shot, like the President of the United
States. Yet even if he attains that power, does it last forever? The President of the United States
holds power for only four years. Compared with the expanse of history, it is like the blink of an eye.
Though he enjoys his powereating the finest food, drinking the finest wine, dancingonce the
power is gone, he is nothing. He no longer matters to anyone. People with ordinary aspirations are
better off than he. (98:82-85, April 30, 1978)
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What, then, should we do? We should discover another realm of tears, the tears of Gods sorrow.
We should deeply experience their taste then surmount them. Otherwise we cannot establish the
basis for human happiness. This means learning how to shed tears that transcend our own suffering.
First we should discover God and experience His tears; then we should willingly walk the path to
alleviate Gods suffering. (94:306-10, October 16, 1977)
Gods Grief
If God is our divine Parent and we human beings are His children, then surely God must feel great sadness
of heart over His childrens bondage, degradation and rebellion. Thus, religious traditions that revere a personal,
compassionate God recognize God to have an aspect of sorrow. In Christianity, Jesus Passion has regularly
represented the suffering of God, as the Father is one with His Son. Although the biblical witness to Gods
grief is sometimes eclipsed by the Aristotelian conception that perfection requires that God be impassible,
contemporary theologians are affirming that the Creator also suffers. In Mahayana Buddhism, the compassion
of Shakyamuni and the commiseration of the bodhisattvas for human suffering stems from the heart of the
cosmic Buddha who is the Father of all humanity.
For Father Moon, to know God means to experience Gods painful and grieving heart: broken at the Fall,
sorrowful that His children continue to live in darkness, tortured by the power and arrogance of evil that holds
His children in thrall, and agonized at the thorny path that His saints must walk as they strive to fulfill the
providence and attain liberation. By attaining such knowledge, we can become compassionate ourselves, and
persevering in the struggle to liberate humanity.
1. Gods Grief over the Human Fall and Humankinds Sinful Condition
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every imagination
of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had
made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to
His heart.27
Genesis 6.5-6
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Why is Gods heart full of grief? It is because of Satan. It is because human beings planted Satans
blood and flesh through partaking of his false love. It is because they sowed the Devils seeds, which
propagated as the Devils families. God wished to rejoice, singing, May my families live with true love
for ten thousand years under Heavens dominion! However, with the appearance of the Devils families multiplying throughout the world, Gods dreams were shattered. (214:282, February 3, 1991)
Can you imagine how much it breaks Gods heart to observe human misery every hour of every day?
What happened to Gods dignity when His sons and daughters, whom He intended to glorify as
princes and princesses, became cripples, fell into a pit filled with dung and were stuck upside-down
in hell? What became of the dignity of the omniscient and omnipotent God, of the absolute God?
Can He show His face? (218:240, August 19, 1991)
As long as human beings live in despair, God also lives in despair. As long as Satan shackles human
beings on earth, the world of darkness under his dominion will remain also in the spirit world.
(2:246, June 9, 1957)
The Enlightened One, because He saw mankind drowning in the great sea of birth, death
and sorrow, and longed to save them, for this
was moved to pity.
Because He saw the men of the world straying in
false paths, and none to guide them, for this He
was moved to pity.
Because He saw that they lay wallowing in the
mire of the Five Lusts, in dissolute abandonment,
for this He was moved to pity.
Because He saw them still fettered to their
wealth, their wives and their children, knowing
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again after seeing His children descend into the bottomless pit of the Human Fall. With the power
of His omniscience and omnipotence, He could have judged the world and Satan at once, smashing
them to pieces. Though He has this power, He chose to absorb all the contempt and accusation into
Himself. He voluntarily placed Himself in a prison-like environment, because He is our Father.
Ladies and gentlemen, have you spent even one day before our God, our Father, shedding tears
of repentance because you empathize with Him? How can you stand before God and still close
your eyes as if to block out how He bites His tongue and endures us human beings, who inherited
the lineage of the Devil and became the tools of Satan? How can you be so insensitive to how God
anxiously looks forward to the day of His liberation and release? (May 1, 2004)
When Jesus was on the cross, God had to turn away and allow His beloved Son to be killed. Who
knew the wretchedness in Gods mind and heart at that moment? The Bible does not explain it, but
wasnt there some reason why God could not intervene to prevent His Sons death?
Likewise, we think that God should have stood on the side of His chosen ones. Seeing them
suffer persecution wherever they wentbeaten, decapitated, and burned in pitchwe might ask,
Why was God not able to prevent this?32 Instead, you should think how grievous and distressed
God was that He could not exercise His almighty power to save them. How can we still say that He
is the Most High God? (64:222, November 12, 1972)
What kind of God is our Father? He has walked the most tragic path through the course of history.
He has suffered tragedies more horrible than any human tragedy.
When God saw His children languishing in sorrow and suffering and despair, He did not say, You
deserve it. Our Father worked to save His children pierced with sorrow by placing Himself in greater
sorrow; He worked to save His children moaning in pain by going to a place of even greater pain. He
did not hesitate even to go to His death to save His children who were on the verge of death.
Once we understand this, how should we live? If we see a pitiful old person on the street, bent
over with age, we should think, That is what my Father must look like as He seeks after me.
When we see a laborers swollen hands, we should think, My Fathers hands are even more
torn up and swollen than his. When we see a pitiful beggar, we should think, This beggar is not a
beggar; instead he is my Father, and humbly bow our heads. Gods heart is embedded even in lives
that appear insignificant and wretched. We should shed tears with the understanding that each of
these people is our Father, and then we should cast aside our dignity and help them. This is the only
way we will come to know God. (8:345-46, February 28, 1960)
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God our Parent cannot free Himself from lamentation until all people are free from lamentation.
How can any parents be comfortable while their beloved children are in misery? This explains why
we should liberate God, who exists in such a state.
How shall we liberate God? Since we live in a realm beset by restrictions, which also restrict
God from loving all people, we are responsible to restore the realm of liberation where God can
freely love all people. Since we were corrupted through the Fall, we must liberate God by becoming
children who are victorious over the Fall. (65:100, November 13, 1972)
As long as God, the Center of the universe, is in anguish, human beings have no way to salvation.
Who can lift away the suffering of God? Only someone who experiences the depth of Gods suffering
in his own life and suffers even beyond that. If God were joyful and happy, then all beings immersed
in suffering could hope to find a way to happiness. But how can salvation be possible while God, the
center of the universe, is suffering? Therefore, at all cost, we must not let God remain in suffering.
There is no question that the fall of Gods children, Adam and Eve, was the pinnacle of Gods
suffering. God is the Father of humankind and Adam and Eve were His first children. Their fall had
a direct impact on God. The resulting separation caused God incredible painphysically, mentally
and emotionally. When they departed [from the Garden of Eden], God must have wept bitter tears.
That pain in Gods body, mind and heart was the beginning of human suffering; it has continued
through history
However, Adam and Eve did not understand the seriousness of their sin. They might have felt
some anguish in their minds and hearts because the left the bosom of God their Father, but they
were unable to grasp the gravity of the pain and suffering they caused God. Ever since, God has
had to relate to human beings who lack any perception of His suffering heart. For God, this is the
ultimate agony.
How can you possibly experience Gods heart? By listening to a sermon like this you may feel it
conceptually, but you still do not feel His sorrow down to your bones. Consider a woman who loses
her parents, husband, and children, as well as all her possessions, in a tragic accident. How would
she feel? Although during her lifetime in the fallen world she could see and experience many types
of evil and sin, her pain and grief at losing her entire family would be unbearable. How much more
shock and grief God must have felt, being completely pure and never having experienced any sin,
suffering, or crime.
Today many people commit suicide. Do you think the despair that drives people to commit
suicide can be compared to Gods despair at the moment Adam and Eve fell? No one but God is
truly entitled to use the word suffering We may experience tragedies in our life, yet as time passes
the pain and grief will ease. However, God is a spiritual being. He has no concept of time. During
one thousand years or even ten thousand years, the pain of the Human Fall has never left Gods
mind and heart. Nevertheless, could God not simply cast His suffering out of His heart? More than
omniscient and omnipotent, God is absolute in love. (94:34-36, June 26, 1977)
How many tears have you shed for God? Have you ever sought out a way to take on suffering and
toil on behalf of Gods pain and toil, even though your own limbs might be torn off? You have not
tried. In seeking to become Gods sons and daughters, you have to shed tears for the purpose of the
whole. When you meet God, you should comfort Him with unending tears. Representing the original ancestors, you should say, Father, I am Thy son (daughter). How great was Thy sorrow upon
losing me! How many times throughout history until the present day hast Thou suffered humiliation, pain and extreme hardship from my descendants!
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The almighty, all-knowing God certainly has the authority to judge the entire world and even
Satan. Yet God cries out in pain, knowing that even though He is capable of bringing judgment,
He cannot destroy the world He toiled to create. Our hearts break when we think of God in this
situation. God is not dwelling in a heavenly place. He stands lonely and desolate, accused by Satan,
robbed of His foothold by the satanic world How much have you wept in sympathy with Gods
situation? The issue comes down to this. (51:111, November 18, 1971)
Father! Humankind knows not Thy sorrowful heart permeating the earth.
Humankind does not know Heavens sad tears soaking the footprints of human history;
hence we are ignorant of Heavens endless lamentations encircling our minds and bodies.
We confess that we are descendants of rebellion
who cannot establish our dignity before Heaven or be trusted by Heaven.
Father, no one on earth can stop Thy tears;
no one can hold and comfort Thee in Thy sorrow;
no one can protect Thee on Thy path.
Therefore, the grief on this earth is Heavens grief permeating the earth;
the sorrow on this earth is Heavens sorrow permeating the earth;
the frustration on this earth is Heavens frustration permeating the earth
When in these last days we despair,
we turn towards Heaven and cry out, O God, please help us!
Father, please have compassion on humankind!
Yet who in this age clings to Thy heart, sharing Thine anguish?
Who clings to Thy mind, weeping with Thee?
If there were such a person,
Thou wouldst call him Thy true son or Thy true daughter,
grasping him or her as Thine object partner on earth. (6:235-36, May 24, 1959)
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Chapter 7
Salvation Liberation
Enlightenment
Grace
Due to humanitys fallen and degraded condition, it is difficult if not impossible for people to attain the goal and purpose of life unaided. In fact, help is available; Gods grace is sufficient support on the journey
of faith. The scriptures often emphasize the priority of divine grace; it is present prior to even a glimmer of faith,
prompting faith in people who would otherwise be lost and unable to escape their miserable existence.
We have selected passages that describe God as the savior of sinful people. Grace is entirely Gods initiative, given regardless of a persons attitude or merit. Furthermore, Gods grace far overshadows the merit gained
by good works; indeed, nothing can come of a persons good works or austerities endured for the purpose of
salvation, in the absence of divine grace.
The section ends with the two parables of the Prodigal Son, one from the New Testament and one from the
Lotus Sutra. The teachings of these two stories differ in some respects, yet the theme of divine compassion for
errant humanity shines through both. The Buddhist parables depiction of the father as searching desperately
for his son and then patiently working to recover him whole over many years is a fitting description of Gods
toil through human history to save fallen humanity, according to the teachings of Father Moon.
Abu Huraira reported Gods Messenger as saying, There is none whose deeds alone would
entitle him to get into Paradise. Someone said,
Gods Messenger, not even you? He replied,
Not even I, but that my Lord wraps me in
mercy.
Hadith of Muslim (Islam)
313
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Now, if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which was laid from the foundation of the
world, there could have been no resurrection of
the dead. 1
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We have nothing that would enable us to relate with the all-knowing and almighty Being. Born as
fallen people, our eyes are defiled. Our five senses and all our emotions belong to the secular. We
have nothing that would enable us to relate with God. By the principle of heavenly righteousness
we have nothing. And yet, one path remains through which we can relate to God: by the principle
of love. (149:37, November 11, 1986)
Salvation fundamentally begins when we connect with Gods love. However, we became fallen
human beings having nothing to do with Gods lineage. Atonement is required; this means nothing
less than the removal of the original sin. However, since the original sin is carried in the lineage, we
fallen human beings cannot resolve this problem on our own, no matter what we do. That is why we
need the Messiah. (35:159, October 13, 1970)
Not due to our own will do we exist,
not due to our own selves do we enjoy the glory of life,
and not due to our own efforts can we rejoice today in the presence of our Father,
but due to the grace mercifully bestowed by our Father,
who hast toiled through thousands of years of history. (2:280, June 23, 1957)
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him, Son, you are always with me, and all that
is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and
be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is
alive; he was lost, and is found.3
Luke 15.11-32: Parable of the Prodigal Son
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Even among fallen people today, whose love is below the line of the Fall, the parent-child
relationship suffers when children are not dutiful. Imagine, then, how miserable it would be for
parents who had never fallen. When we think about the difficult relationships between parents and
children around us, we can fathom something of Gods situation.
God surely intended to love His children with a love above the line of the Fall. How strong
would that love be? Yet since no one has ever stood above the line of the Fall, nobody knows. (62:20,
September 10, 1972)
Heavenly Father has been searching for His lost children for six thousand biblical years, while enduring suffering upon suffering. However, if the children whom He finally found were weak and pathetic,
how would He feel? It is conceivable that God might lament, It would have been better had I not
found them. Are you confident that you are not children like that? (Blessing and Ideal Family 7.4.1)
Allow us to feel Thy merciful touch,
the touch of our Father who seeks us,
carrying the burden of providence for 6,000 years.
Still, Thou hast not cast us aside,
although we are foolish and inadequate. (3:258-59, January 12, 1958)
Forgiveness
Soiled by sin and unworthy to enter the presence of God, or corrupted by evil deeds and hence unable
to realize our true inner nature, we cry out to God for forgiveness of sins. The experience of divine forgiveness
and pardon is universal, reaching to supplicants in all the worlds religions. God is always desirous to forgive
sins; it is His loving will to do so as our loving Parent.
The opening passages express Gods forgiving nature; the concluding texts describe removing sins as a
process of cleansing.
1. Gods Forgiveness
O My servants who have transgressed against
their souls! Despair not of the mercy of God:
for God forgives all sins: for He is Oft-forgiving,
Most Merciful.
Quran 39.53
Though a man be soiled with the sins of a lifetime, let him but love me, rightly resolved, in
utter devotion. I see no sinner, that man is holy.
Holiness soon shall refashion his nature to peace
eternal. O son of Kunti, of this be certain: the
man who loves me shall not perish.
Bhagavad-Gita 9.30-31 (Hinduism)
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Father! Please purify the minds and hearts of all Thy children who kneel before Thee.
Work with Thy purifying touch in the soul of each one here.
Please reveal all that is in each of our minds and bodies, Father, and sanctify everything.
Since it will not do unless all improper elements are separated out and cast away,
O Father, please personally be the Lord who purifies us
and the Lord of our hearts. (1:162, July 11, 1956)
Atonement
Sin cannot be removed unless someone takes responsibility to make expiation for the transgression. This is the concept of atonement. Atonement is required because of Gods lawful nature, which requires
that the object of His love be worthy to receive it. The predicament of the sinner is made worse by Satans accusation, which serve to remind God of sins he might rather overlook. Therefore, some act of sacrifice is needed
to pay the debt, clear away the sin, and remove the obstacle to full forgiveness and fellowship between God
and human beings.
In Christianity, Jesus Christ offers himself on the cross as atonement for sin. This is the ultimate atonement: a sinless man dying to save sinners. And yet, Jesus atoning death on the cross is an example of a larger
principle, as vicarious atonement can occur in many situations: a priest offers a sacrifice for sins of the worshippers, a good man pays with his life for the sins of the community, or a patriot sheds his blood on the altar of
his nation. In each case, a righteous persons sacrifice provides atonement for many.
goat on which the lot fell for the Lord, and offer
it as a sin offering; but the goat on which the
lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before
the Lord to make atonement over it He shall
kill the goat of the sin offering which is for the
people, and bring its blood within the veil, and
sprinkle it upon the mercy seat and before the
mercy seat; thus he shall make atonement for
the holy place, because of the uncleanness of
the people of Israel And Aaron shall lay both
his hands upon the head of the live goat, and
confess over him all the iniquities of the people
of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their
sins; and he shall put them upon the head of
the goat, and send him away into the wilderness
by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The
goat shall bear all their iniquities upon him to a
solitary land And it shall be a statute to you
forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth
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will receive many blessings. That is, to deserve blessings a price must be paid. This is by the law of
cause and effect: it applies everywhere.
When God lets one central person, worthy of one thousand people, go the path of death, if
those one thousand people are moved by his love and are determined to live like him, taking after
his example, they will enter that persons realm of benefit. People want to follow the path of a patriot
or a saint because they want to enter the same realm of benefit.
Last year, many of our church members went to the spirit world, and it will be the same this year
as well. Although I do not speak of it, I am already aware it will happen. Why is it so? Every time we
take another step forward, we must pay indemnity for it. (33:11, July 28, 1970)
You should become like a chief priest, repenting of the past on behalf of your people and making an
offering of atonement before God. In order to make such an offering, you should share your peoples
path of tribulation. This is a principle in approaching God. (13:265, April 12, 1964)
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that organization, this society and that society, this nation and that nation. Jesus willingly offered
himself to eradicate sin; otherwise we could not see the glory of God on this earth; nor could we
know the love of God or the life of God. (1:167, July 11, 1956)
When someone owes a huge debt, if the creditor displays good will in forgiving a portion of the
debt, then the debtor can pay back less than the total amount and still satisfy the entire debt. The
outstanding example of this is redemption through the cross. Merely by fulfilling a small indemnity
condition of faith in Jesus, we receive the much greater grace of salvation, which entitles us to participate with Jesus in the same resurrection. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Restoration 1.1)
Many Christians believe that the omniscient, omnipotent, benevolent and loving God forgives us
even though we commit sins tens of thousands of times. Then as soon as they go outside the church
door they start fighting again. A church is not a house of forgiveness, dispensing forgiveness to
people who commit sins unceasingly.
If God could forgive sins so lightly, why would He not forgive the one sin that was committed
in the Garden of Eden? Furthermore, if God could find a way to forgive Satan, would He not have
done it? Surely He would. Nevertheless, God cannot forgive Satans sin, which transgressed the
core principle of the universe. For God to forgive that sin would be to fundamentally undermine the
universal law of love, causing the world, which was created for love, to fall into chaos. Satan violated
God Himself. This cannot be forgiven.
This is why God had to set up the Providence of Restoration to enable humans to reach the
standard prior to the Human Fall. By this means, when people reach that standard, Satan can be
expelled and a new perfect Adam can appear. It has taken God six thousand years to prepare that
foundation. (19:161, January 1, 1968)
Enlightenment
Enlightenment means dispelling the darkness of ignorance. According to the manner in which
Reality is perceived in the different traditions, enlightenment may be either the intuitive grasping of inner
wisdom, illumination by the truth of the Word, or direct apprehension of transcendent Reality. The true self,
formerly obscured by false habits of thinking and vain desires, is suddenly revealed. The inner eye, which was
blinded by defilements of worldly living, opens to a vision of the true Reality. From that moment life can never
be the same, as the enlightened person begins to live by the knowledge he has acquired.
There is rational enlightenment, the cognition of truth. Knowledge of Gods Word enlightens the mind,
lighting a marked-out path to a person formerly lost in the darkness of ignorance. Father Moon is one with the
Christian tradition in teaching that the Word of God can transform lives.
A second group of passages describe enlightenment as self-realization, the inward experience of finding
ones original mind, the God within. This describes the experience of salvation in Hinduism and Buddhism,
yet is common to most religions. This can be a soul-shaking experience, as the mind opens to receive massive
amounts of energy. Having stripped away everything false, the enlightened mind corresponds to the standard
of the Divine Mind, setting up a powerful connection. Father Moon encourages every person to gain such an
experience on the path to wholeness and completion. He teaches that no amount of conceptual knowledge or
faith can substitute for realization of the God within.
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Finally, there is shamanistic enlightenment, which opens the five spiritual senses and enables one to see,
hear and sense the invisible spirit world. With proper training, anyone can access this knowledge and source
of spiritual power.
John 8.12
You will know the truth, and the truth will make
you free.
John 8.32
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The heart of God: His heart of joy at the time of creation; the broken heart He felt when
humankind, His children whom He could not abandon, rebelled against Him; and His heart of
striving to save them throughout the long course of history. (Exposition of the Divine Principle,
Introduction)
Today the world is in need of a great spiritual enlightenment. Individuals, nations and the world as
a whole must achieve a new understanding of the existence of God. We should have an encounter
with God, through which we can restore and secure our original inseparable relationship with Him.
(234:241, August 22, 1992)
The day of the Second Coming is the time when we wake up to the reality that God is our Parent,
and we shed tears with Him. We open our eyes to discover that God is our True Parent, and for six
thousand years He has grieved over the sorrow of humankind and wandered in search of us. God
grieved for us long before we knew of our plight. When everything that has inflicted deep pain in the
historical heart of God is thus revealed, I can truly call God My Father and He can call me My
son. This is the day of the final awakening.
On that day, our hearts are filled with tremendous hope and determination to right the wrongs
of history and stand up for Gods providence. On that day, we experience joy as if Gods entire
purpose were fulfilled. It is like the feeling we would have experienced had we reached perfection,
never having fallen. (6:155, April 19, 1959)
2. Inner Enlightenment
Brahman is all in all.
He is action, knowledge, goodness supreme.
To know Him, hidden in the lotus of the heart,
is to untie the knot of ignorance.
Mundaka Upanishad 2.1.10 (Hinduism)
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How can we humans escape from the painful cycle of suffering, life after life? How can we escape
from our miserable lifes destiny that ends in the cemetery? This is the homework given to each of
us. In order to solve this, we have to receive training to enter the realm of resonance.
When mind and body have the same power, they fight. We must establish the mind over the
body. There are two ways: The first way is by weakening the body through conditions such as fasting,
prayer vigils, etc., and then to drag about the weakened body for several months. After a while, even
when the body is comfortable, it will obey the mind out of its newly acquired habit. If you reach that
state, you will experience Heavens help bringing you success in what you do
The second way to establish the minds dominion over the body is to give more energy to the
mind. Make continual efforts to give energy to the mind. When these efforts accumulate to a certain
point, the door of your mind will open. Once that door opens, you will gain immense power. If you
strengthen the minds power at least three times over, then you will have no problem with the body.
People make many conditions in the religious life to focus the minds power to lead the body.
Once you attain spiritual enlightenment, you gain great power in your mind. Then, if you yield
to your bodys desires, you will feel nauseous and want to vomit. A person who has attained spiritual
enlightenment has strong mental power; hence his body follows the minds desires automatically
All religions teach this as the way to reach an advanced stage in the life of a human being.
Following this way, and centered on Gods love, you will enter a realm of high dimensionwhen you
realize on your own that you are sons and daughters of God. That is why Buddha said, In heaven
and earth, I alone am the Honored One. A person who has attained enlightenment is the source of
his own authority; that is why he has the right to boast of how precious he is.
By becoming a son or daughter who receives the unique love of God, you are in a position to
inherit everything that is Gods. You realize that you are of yourself an elevated being. The path of
every human being ends here, in the realm of Gods love. (38:270-73, January 8, 1971)
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Liberation
The spiritual freedom experienced by people who are released from the fetters of desires and attachments to worldly things is called Liberation (moksha). It is an inner experience of freedom that can arise
regardless of the persons external circumstances: The saint is free even in prison, while people living in comfort
and affluence may be caught in dire bondage to runaway desires, addictions, and bad relationships. The Christian scriptures speak of a comparable experience of Christian liberty.
Yet liberation goes beyond the individual. Jesus spoke about liberating the prisoners and a Kingdom of
freedom. When people live in the spirit of love and self-giving, they can be very free with one another. If everyone in a family or society enjoyed the inner freedom of a God-centered life, they then could live and act
in freedom. Therefore, Father Moon teaches, liberating others also expands our own realm of liberation. That
liberation should expand to encompass societies, nations, the entire world, and beyond to the realm of God.
Jewish Kabbalistic doctrine describes the task of liberating of the divine sparks residing in each thing, that
they may rise up and rejoin the divine unity. Gods liberation is contingent upon human liberation, teaches Father Moon, because human suffering and oppression binds God in fetters of grief and pain. Liberating humanity
also liberates God, and when God is liberated, humanity can be truly free.
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This bondage is manifest as the persistent struggle between our mind and body. If human
beings were made from the beginning with their minds and bodies in conflict, it would be
absolutely impossible for them to perfect their character or attain liberation. In fact however,
humans were created with harmonious internal elements, by which they could have attained
the ideal state of liberation. They only fell into bondage during the course of their growth,
when as a result of the Fall they were driven into a state of disorder, where we remain to this
day. Therefore, it is entirely possible to be liberated from bondage and attain the ideal state.
(85:227, March 3, 1976)
What does it feel like to experience the being of God? The interminable struggle between your mind
and the body, which formerly plagued your self-centered life when you put yourself as number one
in everything you did, will completely disappear. Instead, you will live the life that God wants you
to live: living for the sake of others and giving yourself for the whole. Then, true love will continue
forever, and Gods joy will be displayed in the spirit world. You will experience such satisfaction and
happiness as you have never felt before, because it will be connected to the whole. Thus, you will
discover yourself in the state of liberation. (329:301-02, August 11, 2000)
The body has a limit, but the mind is infinite. The world of the mind is beyond form, beyond any
philosophy or viewpoint. Still greater than the mind is the world of the heart. It has no restrictions. The world of the mind has certain restraints, conditioned by its relationships. Yet nothing
can restrain the world of the heart. What could ever restrain a parents love for his or her children? Even a barrier as daunting as a huge mountain cannot block the way. (7:246, September
20, 1959)
It is written in the Bible, Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Cor. 3.17) The
Father is a Spirit of freedom, liberation and unification. How, then, can the spirit of freedom, which
transcends any trials, be instilled in your hearts? How can you find the point of liberation where you
overcome all the walls of suffering? When will you experience that peaceful moment of total unification, which is your ultimate hope?
In thinking about these important questions, consider that God is not free. Since God is not
free, liberated and unified, the freedom people pursue today is not true freedom. The liberation
people are proclaiming is not complete liberation, and the unification people are promoting is not
complete unification
God created us. Therefore, the complete freedom, liberation and unification that we desire
can be realized only when God is free and becomes the master of liberation and unification. Gods
freedom, liberation and unification are the standards for humanitys freedom, liberation and
unification; that is only logical. (4:314-15, October 12, 1958)
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2. Universal Liberation
And [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had
been brought up; and he went to the synagogue,
as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he
stood up to read; and there was given to him the
book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book
and found the place where it was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to preach
good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the
captives
and recovering of sight to the blind.
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the acceptable year of the
Lord.
And he closed the book, and gave it back to the
attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in
the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began
to say to them, Today this scripture has been
fulfilled in your hearing.16
Luke 4.16-21
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EmptinessNirvana
Emptiness, nirvanathe ultimate state of inner peace in Buddhismis a state without self, without passions, without desires. It is a state beyond thought, beyond words, beyond any intellectual attempt
to grasp what it is. Yet paradoxically, in this emptiness there is fullness, fearlessness and enlightenment. It is a
marvelous, mystical state, almost impossible to describe.
Father Moon calls the state of Emptiness the zero point. He explains its mystical feeling as a resonant
connection with God, who also dwells in Emptiness when He creates the world. Father Moon also teaches an
active way of self-emptying in the service of others. Self-giving, living for others, giving even when it is difficult
to give: these practices can lead to the zero point just as surely as meditation.
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without doubt. It is our inevitable destiny to do so as we walk the path of restoration, which leads to
salvation. (356:301-02, October 21, 2001)
Although we yearn for God and seek to love Him as the Subject of our faith, our experiences of
Him are vague and indistinct. We still wonder, Where can we find God? Although He is definitely
present, we cannot perceive Him with the certainty that we perceive things with our five physical
senses. How, then, can we see God? We do not begin by looking at God, but rather by looking into
ourselves.
When we look into ourselves, we find that we exist as mind and body. We should not focus on
the body, but look into our mind.
Among a thousand fallen people, their fundamental nature may be the same, but each one has
a different mind, a different personality each with different qualities.
When drawing a circle, you first draw a horizontal line and then a vertical line. From the point
where they intersect, you draw the circle around it, starting from one degree, two degrees, and finally
covering all 360 degrees. The horizontal line and the vertical line determine a 90-degree angle.
How, then, do we make our mind a perfect circle? Depending on their personalities, each person
draws their horizontal line in a different place. Just as our faces are different from one another, our
inborn natures are different.
When drawing our circle through 360 degrees, we begin from zero degrees and trace it based
on that standard. However, if the baseline of our minds is not properly fixed, we will not have the
proper standard for measuring the degrees of the circle. Indeed, the baselines of peoples minds are
not the same. Why? As peoples faces, interests and feelings differ, they each draw their horizontal
and vertical lines in a different way.
How, then, can you form a circle covering all 360 degrees? You should find the zero point.
Where is your zero point? Everyone has one. It is within yourself, within the core of your heart
there you will find it. When you draw a horizontal line from the zero point, you can properly fix the
vertical line perpendicular to it.
We are to stand as object partners before God, our Subject Partner. Surely He has endowed
human beings with a base to respond to Him as object partners. Therefore, upon the base of the
horizontal mind, we should find the vertical direction, the true perpendicular. Surely there must
be one.
You see the horizon in two dimensions, but if you try and estimate the perpendicular your
measure could easily be off the mark. How can you find the accurate measure? If your horizontal is
too high you must lower it; if it is too low you must raise it, to fix it at the zero point.
In an electrical power plant there are many meters, and each one is calibrated to a zero point.
That neutral point must be set properly in order to adjust the positive and negative voltages and to
measure the power levels. We, too, must accurately calibrate our zero point.
Where is our zero point located? It is a position that exists but seemingly does not exist. People
who practice Zen meditation say that they attain the state of no-self. That is what I am talking
about. We should reach that spiritual standard, the zero point state. Once we attain it, our horizontal
standard will become responsive to all things. (76:125)
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Spiritual Union
Spiritual union is the final goal of the religious mystic. The experience of this unity is profound; it
can hardly be described in words. A person in this state is united with God and united with all existence, All
distinctions dissolve between subject and object, knower and known.
Mystical union is less common in conventional religion, particularly in the Abrahamic faiths whose uncompromising monotheism requires an absolute distinction between the infinite God and even the most saintly of His creatures. Yet the scriptures of Judaism and Christianity speak of a Beatific Vision, an encounter with
Gods presence that transforms the viewer. In Islam, traditions attributed to Muhammad himself undergird the
unitive experiences of Sufi mystics.
Father Moon affirms all these varieties of unitive experiences. By learning to live in love, he teaches, we
can draw close to Gods mind and heart, share Gods experiences, and move as appendages of Gods body. We
dwell in God, God dwells in us, and we experience mystic oneness with all His creations.
John 14.10
Meditate upon Him and transcend physical consciousness. Thus will you reach union with the
Lord of the universe. Thus will you become identified with Him who is One without a second. In
Him all your desires will find fulfillment.
2 Corinthians 3.18
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Love alone can solve everything. Love alone holds the privilege to possess the ideal vertical axis.
Love brings the right of possession, the right to equality, and the right of participation. When I have
true love, God dwells within me, and I in God. God belongs to me, Gods love belongs to me, and
Gods universe belongs to me. We can have such a concept of possession. Since each of us has such
a value, we have an original desire to display ourselves proudly to the entire creation. (179:169,
August 1, 1988)
People who experience the heart of God in their lives cannot come before God without shedding
tears, no matter where they are. They know the original Will of God and struggle to become His
sons and daughters. If you are among them, sharing Gods will and desire, He will visit you and weep
with you.
Where are the roots of Gods grief? They are inside us. They are inside our nation, this world
and all things of creation. We must carry on a movement to eradicate them and restore Gods joy.
For us, the center of our life of faith should be to experience Gods grief.
When we live shedding tears for God, we can perceive Gods eternal love and fulfill the mission
as Gods representatives. Immersed in Gods sorrowful heart, we do not need to pray. We do not
need to rely on doctrines. Before we pray, we already feel the heart of God
Do not hold a grudge against anyone. Rather, weep for them. Then you shall receive the benefit
of paying indemnity. Today you enjoy the privilege of being the first people to experience Gods grief
and shed tears for Him. Know, however, that God shed tears for you first. (4:60, March 2, 1958)
Father! Please reach out to each of us
and hold us with both arms in Thy loving embrace.
How anxiously hast Thou looked forward to this,
hoping for this moment?
Now I can fully envision Thy heart!
Now I can fully envision Thy heartbreak. (9:160-61, May 8, 1960)
The infinite joy of touching the Godhead is easily attained by those who are free from the burden of evil and established within themselves.
They see the Self in every creature and all creation in the Self. With consciousness unified
through meditation, they see everything with
an equal eye.
I am ever present into those who have realized
Me in every creature. Seeing all life as My
manifestation, they are never separated from
Me. They worship Me in the hearts of all, and
all their actions proceed from Me. Wherever
they may live, they abide in Me.
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Healing
The condition of fallen humanity has been likened to an infirmity and a disease of the soul. Our
hearts are heavy with pain and suffering. Hence, salvation may be regarded as healing the soul of its infirmity
and restoring it to health where it can realize its true potential. Religious teaching may be regarded as a sovereign remedy, and the founder who bears the truth likened to a master physician.
Yet there is also a causal, psychosomatic relationship between the health of the soul and health of the
body. Physical health is thus a welcome by-product of spiritual health. Moreover, the power of God can cause
miracles to happen: old women bear children, the blind see and the dead are brought back to life. Jesus performed miraculous healings and exorcisms; as did Buddha and the saints of all religions from ancient times to
the present day.
Father Moon speaks realistically about the spiritual causes of disease and the way people may align themselves to mobilize Gods healing power. He also warns against the careless use of healing power, for miracles
come with a price.
Hosea 6.1-2
Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders
of the church, and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
and the prayer of faith will save the sick man,
and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has
committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore
confess your sins to one another, and pray for
one another, that you may be healed.
James 5.14-16
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Goseigen (Mahikari24)
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As a result of Lucifers invasion, human beings were first of all diseased spiritually and secondly
diseased physically. Approximately seventy to eighty percent of all illnesses have a spiritual cause.
(Sang Hun Lee, Lucifer: A Criminal against Humanity 2.2)
When someone gets sick, the doctor first finds out the cause of the illness; then he can prescribe a
treatment that will result in a cure. However, no person in history has known why we human beings
are fallen. Hence, no one could come up with an effective treatment for the problem. Satan knew
it, because he caused it. God also knew, but [by Himself] He could not correct it. Therefore, until
the Savior comes as Gods messenger to humanity and reveals the truth, humanity has no way to be
saved. (367:293, January 24, 2002)
What is the most fearful among all diseases, even for God? It is the disease resulting from the Human
Fall. Do you have this disease or not? Yes you have it, but most people do not even realize that they
are afflicted.
These days, everyone fears cancer. In its early stages a person may not realize that he is ill.
He only recognizes that he has the disease when it becomes painful, but by then the cancer has
progressed to a lethal stage. Still, at least a cancer victim knows he has the disease before he dies.
With the disease of the Fall, however, people do not recognize that they are ill until after they die.
That is the problem. (92:185, April 10, 1977)
2. Miracles
When Elisha came into the house, he saw the
child lying dead on his bed. So he went in and
shut the door upon the two of them, and prayed
to the Lord. Then he went up and lay upon
the child, putting his mouth upon his mouth,
his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his
hands; and as he stretched himself upon him,
the flesh of the child became warm. Then he
got up again, and walked once to and fro in the
house, and went up, and stretched himself upon
him; the child sneezed seven times, and the
child opened his eyes.
2 Kings 4.32-35
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Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a
man lame from birth was being carried, whom
they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is
called Beautiful to ask alms of those who entered
the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go
into the temple, he asked for alms. And Peter
directed his gaze at him, with John, and said,
Look at us. And he fixed his attention upon
them, expecting to receive something from
them. But Peter said, I have no silver and gold,
but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, walk. And he took him by
the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And
leaping up he stood and walked and entered the
temple with them, walking, and leaping, and
praising God.
Acts 3.1-8
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The unity of mind and body generates a mysterious, invisible power. When you enter that state,
miracles occur When you are united with Gods love, you can perform miracles. Healing fire
comes out of your open palms. You can move your audience simply by willing it so You can revive
those who are [spiritually] dead
What power is this? It is the power of love. All this is possible only through the power of love.
Love is such that the more you practice it, the greater it becomes. But there is a condition. To obtain
that power, you must subjugate your physical body. (282:229-30, March 26, 1997)
With absolute faith, anything is possible. Suppose while walking on the street you met a sick man.
Feeling deep compassion for him, without a second thought you stretch out your hands over him,
place your hands on him and pray for him sincerely with tears. Then, a miracle will happen.
Yet I do not want to be involved in miracles. Jesus performed many miracles, yet people did not
appreciate their value. Despite all the miracles, he was driven to death. It is no use to heal those who
are not worthy. More than miracles, what they need is truth. Truth is unchanging and eternal, but
signs and miracles are fleeting. What is temporary cannot govern what is eternal. (252:258, January
1, 1994)
It is possible to revive a dead person by breathing his or her spirit self back into the physical body. Yet
certain conditions are required. First, the person should not be dead for too longnot more than
three daysso that the flesh has not decayed. Within that period, if the spirit is called back into the
body the person can come back to life; it is not very difficult.
However, bringing someone back to life on earth after God has called that person to the spirit
world requires paying a suitable price. It should either be compensation of greater value [than the
persons life], or something to benefit the whole purpose. Maybe to revive that one person, three
or four others might have to die. Therefore, you should carefully consider the benefit of bringing
someone back to life. If you do not take responsibility for doing it, you will violate the heavenly law.
All in all, performing miracles is not necessarily good. (15:176, October 7, 1965)
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1. Judgment by Fire
I will put this third into the fire,
and refine them as one refines silver,
and test them as gold is tested.
Zechariah 13.9
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Jesus came into the world to cast this judgment, as he said, For judgment I came into this world.
(John 9.39) Jesus also said, I came to cast fire upon the earth. (Luke 12.49) Fire here represents
the means of the judgment for which Jesus came into the world. Nevertheless, there is no record
that in his time Jesus judged the world with literal fire. The verses referring to fire must be symbolic.
It is written, Is not my word like fire, says the Lord? (Jer. 23.29) Therefore, judgment by fire represents judgment by the Word of God. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Eschatology 3.2.2)
The words you are familiar with are connected to Satan. Your beliefs and thought processes have not
escaped a relationship with Satan. All elements in the satanic world were created from a humanistic
perspective, not from Gods perspective. They cannot go beyond Satans realm. That is why we need
to renovate everything through the new Word of God.
Once we know Gods Word, can we also live in harmony with the old words and move on with
our lives? Absolutely not. We must completely rid ourselves of the old words. We must clean out all
our satanic ideas, beliefs and habits. Then, by living according to the Word of God and its absolute
standards, we must establish a new tradition. (21:327, January 1, 1969)
To acquire true love, you should invest yourself totally. You should be willing to burn your own
name, your pictures, even your own clothes.27 (398:328, December 17, 2002)
Oh Father! Look upon us with Thy fiery eyes,
and allow not the bitter roots of sin and death to remain deep in our hearts.
Look upon us with Thy fiery eyes,
that today we may pull out all the roots of sin and be unified before Thee. (20:10, March 31, 1968)
Father! We pray Thou wilt remove all that is humanistic and private.
Born as descendants of the Fall, we used to wear masks as we saw fit and relied upon our own
views.
Purge us of all these elements as we come before Thee. (21:132, November 17, 1968)
2. Heavens Discipline
My son, do not despise the Lords discipline
or be weary of His reproof,
for the Lord reproves him whom He loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.
Proverbs 3.11-12
We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us, because Gods
love has been poured into our hearts.
Romans 5.3-5
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Father Moon experienced divine deliverance on numerous occasions, notably when he was a prisoner in
a North Korean labor camp. He explains why people normally receive divine help only if they have the mind
of devotion and faith. Gods heart of love extends to everyone. However, due to the activities of Satan, whose
accusations can cause God to withdraw His protection, people oftentimes must overcome a trial before they
can receive divine assistance.
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When we cannot go one step further, yet are willing to endure still more, God appears and blesses
us, saying, My son, my daughter, you dont have to endure any longer. You can rest now. This is
the path of our restoration course. As we endure on our journey with hymns of thanksgiving, God
comes to us and tearfully says, Where else can I find a son or daughter like you? I will now appoint
someone else to carry on for you. Then He gives us a place of rest and heavenly rewards from His
fatherly heart. (44:29, May 4, 1971)
We should know at what point God works with us and at what point Satan is likely to attack us.
There are always these two kinds of works. In fulfilling the will of God, people should climb up by
their own efforts to the point where God can help them. That is the human portion responsibility.
God gets directly involved only after human beings have reached a certain level; he does not help
them below that level. As we approach that level we may receive a little help, but only when we
reach it does God provide us with maximum support.
When you spin a hoop vertically on a stick, the hardest thing is to get the hoop to go over the
top. As it spins upward, it almost comes to rest on top before it accelerates on the way back down.
Likewise, you assemble your efforts on the way up and strain to go over the top Yet you could not
have made it to the top based on your own efforts alone. You could succeed because God added His
power to yours.
However, at the top, Satan waits in ambush. At the moment you reach the goal, God no longer
supports you. If He did, it would be in violation of heavenly law. At that moment, when God lets
you alone, you are liable to face Satans attack. God and Satan each keep to their own territory and
do not interfere with each other.
In other words, when you are making effort to fulfill your mission, you can gain Gods help. But
at the moment of success, you will face Satan. But because God and Satan do not appear at the same
time, when it is time to face Satan, God withdraws. This is unavoidable. In order to give you the
opportunity to fulfill your portion of responsibility, you must go over this test because of the law of
human responsibility and because human beings are responsible to subjugate Satan. Knowing this,
you should be alert at this critical point. It is when problems most commonly arise.
Then, you will meet another problem when you are coasting downhill. Having reached the
summit, it is easy to relax and descend without making effort. If so, you will just continue to descend.
But like spinning a hoop, to reach the next top you have to add more force on the downward cycle.
The more force you exert as the hoop goes down, the faster it rises as it loops back up. From this
perspective, know that you need Gods support while you are descending just as much as you need
His help when you were climbing. Yet since you are still in that dark area where Satan holds sway,
you have to make a special prayer condition for a certain period of time; otherwise Gods help will
not be forthcoming. By this method, you can gain an added spurt of Heavens power to rise up even
faster towards the next goal.
Such is a formula. For instance, after the Israelites enjoyed a time of blessing, it was followed
by a time of oppression. Without fail, after each blessing they faced attacks from Satan. (73:268-70,
September 29, 1974)
As we followed the path Thou hast walked,
we found it was the path of the cross.
Yet as we continued on this untraced way and struggled with the heart of pioneers,
we discovered it was not the way of destruction.
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On August 1, 1950, more than 100 B-29 bombers bombed Heungnam Prison Camp [where I was
incarcerated], damaging it severely. Because God had alerted me that this was about to happen, I
protected the other prisoners. God told me that He would protect anyone who stayed within 12
meters of me, so I instructed my followers to stay close by. While the bombs were exploding, I was
in silent meditation. I did not think about the bombing; rather I was contemplating the ideal world
that would come in the future. It would be a cosmic loss to God if someone like me, who was fulfilling a mission for restoration, were taken to the spirit world. For this reason, God wanted to protect
me at all costs; indeed, He was obliged to do so. (35:189, October 13, 1970)
Heungnam was the first place where U.N. troops landed in North Korea. It was because the Son of
God was there, and God was urgent to rescue him. The communists were gathering groups of prisoners and taking them out of the camp, promising them food but in fact intending to execute them.
The prisoners did not know it and even fought with each other to go, tempted by the promise of a
good meal. But I knew of the deception and thought, You are going on your final path, but I shall
not die. Even if all of you die, I shall not. No matter what tragedy and misfortune I face, even if I am
led to the execution ground, I shall survive somehow!
On October 12, 1950, about 70 prisoners who were serving sentences of at least 7 years were
taken to a mountain some 7 miles32 away from the prison camp and executed. Since I had been
sentenced to 5 years, I knew that two days later it would be my turn to be taken. Given that
circumstance, God must have hurried to rescue me. On the evening of the 13th, I looked outside
and saw that the situation had already changed. Rumors spread that UN troops had landed in
Heungnam, and the communist guards were busy packing their belongings. The next day, October
14th, they were gone and we remaining prisoners were free. We then set off on the road to the
South. (22:129-30, February 2, 1969)
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crime to making amends for a breach of trust, from the standpoint that it is my responsibility to restore harmony with my brother, even when the original problem was not my fault. It concludes with complete restoration, the reversal of the Original Sin that happened at the Human Fall.
Matthew 23.12
1 Samuel 2.4-9
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Historically, evil people have lived better than good people. Originally, good people should
prosper while evil people should decline. These positions should be switched. The zero-point is the
time of transition when good people go up while evil people decline. Now is the time when this
transition is taking place. (218:187-88, July 28, 1991)
In America, quite a few people live perverted lives. Grandfathers have sex with their granddaughters
and fathers with their daughterseven while they live with their wives. This is the fruit of Satan,
who in the beginning reversed the direction of human life 180 degrees from the plan of God. In a
world that abides by Heavens principles, could homosexuality exist? Lesbianism, alcoholism, drug
addiction and such came to exist because human beings suffer from emotional misalignment. They
suffer in this world, which is hell on earth. We, on the other hand, are living 180 degrees different
from them, as we strive to live in Gods Kingdom. (243:192, January 10, 1993)
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The sage awakes to light in the night of all creatures. That which the world calls day is the night
of ignorance to the wise.
Bhagavad-Gita 2.69 (Hinduism)
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desires in all areas of life must be changed into their opposites. What, then, should be our way of thinking? Thus far we have been thinking about our family for how it can benefit ourselves, and we have
been dealing with our nation in ways that advance our self-interest. However, from now on we should
think, I exist for the greater wholefor my family, not for me; for my nation, not for me; for the world,
not for me. Do you understand what I am saying? We must change fundamentally. White people
should live for black people and yellow people, and yellow people should live for white people and
black people. Likewise, Christianity should live for Islam, and Islam for Christianity. (May 1, 1978)
The Human Fall took place because the first human ancestors were caught up with consciousness of
self. Conversely, restoration requires that our awareness be reoriented away from the self and toward
the cosmos and its ideal purpose. Therefore, the path to liberation requires that we willingly bear
other peoples burdens and take responsibility for the common good. (396:178, November 7, 2002)
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Rebirth
Jesus said, You must be born anew. Rebirth in Christ transforms a worldly person into a child of
God. He or she now experiences an intimacy with God and has the indwelling spirit of Christ. The reason why
people must be born a second time, according to Father Moon, lies in the Human Fall. The Falls negative effects, experienced in every generation, derives from its corruption of the lineage of the human race at its root.
Through the fall, Satan was able to usurp God and occupy the position of humanitys false father. To break the
devils persistent hold over human life, we must be born again as children of God. For this purpose, God sent
the Messiah, a man without sin, representing the Father, and the Holy Spirit, representing the Mother. Out of
their love we can be born anew.
In eastern religions, to enter the path of the spiritual aspirant is often understood as a second, spiritual
birth. In Hinduism and Buddhism, people become twice-born by receiving religious instruction. Their biological parents brought them forth into a world of the senses, but after their second, spiritual, birth their life
is now grounded in the Dharma. Father Moon, however, treats rebirth as a specifically Christian doctrine, one
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that applies strictly to the work of the Messiah to sever us from the lineage of sin. He would regard the broader
concept of spiritual conversion through instruction in religious truth under the concept of resurrection.
Father Moon also speaks of the conditions to be made in order to receive rebirth: repentance and renouncing worldly ways. Thus, he also likens the process of rebirth to engrafting: Before attaching the new shoot, first
the arborist cuts off the old branches; likewise we must deny ourselves and cut off everything false. Then we
receive the new shoot containing the life and love of God. If the tree is properly pruned, that new shoot will
produce new fruit and propagate Gods lineage. Thus, although rebirth is a gift from above, it requires responsibility and dedication on the part of its recipients.
He from whom the pupil gathers the knowledge of his religious duties is called the teacher.
Him he should never offend. For he causes the
pupil to be born a second time by imparting to
him sacred learning. The second birth is the
best; the father and the mother produce the
body only.
Apastamba Dharma Sutra 1.1 (Hinduism)
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Gods lineage. They inherited Satans lineage instead. Therefore, all people should understand that
they have false life flowing though their lineage, which began as the result of false love. This is why
Jesus said in John 3:3, Unless one is born anew, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. (313:220,
February 10, 2000)
Jesus told Nicodemus, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3.3) Rebirth means to be born a second time. Why must fallen people be born
anew?
Had Adam and Eve realized the ideal of creation and become the True Parents of humanity,
they would have borne good children without original sin and formed the Kingdom of Heaven on
earth. However, Adam and Eve fell and became evil parents, multiplying evil children who created
this hell on earth. Hence, as Jesus told Nicodemus, fallen people cannot see the Kingdom of God
unless they are first born anewas children without original sin.
We cannot be born without parents. Who, then, are the good parents through whom we can be
born again, cleansed of original sin and able to enter the Kingdom of God? Parents who have original
sin cannot give birth to good children who do not have original sin. Certainly, it is impossible to
find sinless parents among fallen humankind. These parents must descend from Heaven. Jesus was
the Parent who came from Heaven. He came as the True Father in order to give rebirth to fallen
people, transforming them into good children, thoroughly cleansed of original sin and fit to build the
Kingdom of Heaven on earth For this reason, the Bible speaks of him as the last Adam (1 Cor.
15.45) and the Everlasting Father. (Isa. 9.6)
However, a father alone cannot give birth to children. There must be a True Mother, as well as
a True Father, for fallen children to be reborn as good children. The Holy Spirit came as the True
Mother. This is why Jesus told Nicodemus that no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is
born anew through the Holy Spirit. (John 3.5)
There are many who have received the revelation that the Holy Spirit is feminine. This is because
the Holy Spirit comes as the True Mother or second Eve. Since the Holy Spirit is the feminine aspect
of divinity, without first receiving her we cannot go before Jesus as his brides. Being feminine, the
Holy Spirit consoles and moves the hearts of people. (Rom. 5.5, John 14.26-27; Acts 9.31) She
cleanses peoples sin, thereby atoning for the sin which Eve committed. Jesus, the masculine Lord,
works in heaven (yang), while the Holy Spirit, his feminine counterpart, works on the earth (yin).
(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Christology 4.1.1)
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fact, to be reborn you need to love Jesus more than anyone else. Satans dominion over humankind
is based on his false love, so unless your love centered on God surpasses any human love in the fallen
world, there is no way for you to connect to God. (114:28, May 14, 1981)
Christianity began from Jesus blood on the cross. Why is Jesus blood so meaningful? Jesus came
as the True Father. Jesus blood signifies the blood of the perfected father, with no trace of the Fall.
However, can a father alone bequeath a lineage? Not without a mother! That is why the goal of the
Old Testament was to have the Marriage of the Lamb. (193:57, August 20, 1989)
In Christianity, the Holy Spirit has been taking the role of mother. We are born again on the spiritual
level through the mother, the Holy Spirit, and the fathers spirit, Jesus spirit.
Of course, we were born from our mothers womb. However, even beyond the womb, our life
originated from our fathers seed. Hence, while going back to the mothers womb exchanges the
false lineage for the true lineage, it does not yet give us the fathers seed.
Therefore, Christians have been longing for the True Father, who appears as the Second Coming
of the Lord. He is the origin of new life. As Adam before the Fall already held in his body the seed
of his children, the True Father holds within His body the seed that will bear fruit as the sons and
daughters of God. (55:117-18, April 1, 1972)
Resurrection
The resurrection of the dead prophesied in the Bible and the Quran holds out the promise of a
blessed future life with God. Resurrection is not simply a matter of the souls natural transition at death from
this world into the afterlife. It is Gods saving act to raise the soul from the realm of death to life eternal. In
resurrection, we gain not simply a new opportunity to live; we gain a new quality of life. Father Moon teaches
that we are raised spiritually from a hellish existence within the realm of death to a blessed existence in the
bosom of God.
Resurrection requires some condition on our part to claim the new life that God offers: dying to self, confirmed faith, even martyrdom. This is the death to self that severs our ties with Satan, in order that we may
more completely relate with God. Just as Jesus died on the cross as a precondition to his resurrection, so we
too may face a trial. Jesus triumph over seeming defeat at the hands of the Romans demonstrates that God
can turn defeat and even death into victory and life.
Scripture speaks of a Day of Resurrection in the end times, when all the souls of the righteous will be raised
up to heaven. The Bible speaks of the 144,000 saints of the first resurrection. This means that even in the
afterlife, spirits are languishing in darkness, oppressed by evil conditions until the future day of their liberation.
When the Messiah comes and defeats and binds Satan in prison, on that day all souls in heaven and earth will
taste the freedom of resurrection and new life. But as Father Moon makes clear, the purpose of the first resurrection is not to reward certain believers with eternal glory at everyone elses expense. Rather, the saints at the
first resurrection will join in the struggle to defeat all the powers of evil, until, in the words of Paul, the last
enemy to be destroyed is death, that is, until not one soul remains in the realm of death.
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Jesus was resurrected because he denied his own life. Jesus could not resurrect himself; it was God
who raised him. (307:167, November 8, 1998)
1 Thessalonians 4.16-17
Revelation 14.1-5
1 Corinthians 15.22-26
Revelation 20.1-6
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The hope of all Christians is to participate in the first resurrection. But who in fact shall
participate? It will be those who are the first to believe in, serve and follow Christ at the Second
Advent. They will assist him in fulfilling all the indemnity conditions worldwide and in accomplishing
the providence of restoration. In the process, they will be the first to have their original sin removed,
become divine spirits, and fulfill the purpose of creation
In order for Christ at the Second Advent to complete the providence of restoration, he must
find a certain number of people who can restore through indemnity the missions of all the past
saints who, despite their best efforts to do Gods Will, fell prey to Satan when they failed in their
responsibilities. He must find these people during his lifetime and lay the foundation of victory
over Satans world. The total number of saints whom Christ at the Second Advent must find to
accomplish this task is 144,000. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Resurrection 2.2.7)
What is the secret that will enable us to chase out Satan from everywhere? It is to live for the sake of
others, die for the sake of others, and practice altruistic love. When we do that, Satan will certainly
flee, breaking down all the barriers and national borders that he had erected.
What will happen next? Once Satan is gone, souls who had been headed for hell will be given
the opportunity to resurrect and enter heaven. Eternal life will finally become a reality.
As people who know God and the Kingdom of Heaven, we will call on God, the Source of
love, as our Father. We will earnestly desire to practice Gods tradition of living for others, and will
continue to do so for tens of thousands of years. This is the tradition of eternal life, established in
people of the eternal lineage. It is for us to share. (August 18, 2000)
Eternal Life
For many, the goal of religion is immortality or eternal life. People have always chafed under the limitations of mortality, and have found in religion the means to transcend the death which seems to proscribe the
possibilities of human existence. As with resurrection, eternal life is not simply about the survival of the soul
at death and its journey into the afterlife. Eternal life is not about eternal existence per se, but rather about the
quality of that existence.
We find that the scriptures of many religions give two meanings to the terms life and death. There
is physical lifeexistence on this earthly plane, and there is spiritual lifethe state of blessedness which
endures from life to life and transcends death. There is physical deaththe dropping of the body which is an
event in the voyage of every soul, and spiritual deaththe condition of distance from God, ignorance, and a
hellish existence in the hereafter.
Eternal life and immortality are thus ciphers to describe the condition of blessedness. This condition is
present already in the physical life of the person who realizes Truth or lives in Gods grace, and it will continue,
unabated, in the hereafter. The person who gains eternal life has accomplished the goal of life, and hence death
is not to be feared as a limitation, as it is for a worldly person who has tied all hopes to his possessions and
pleasures in the world. We note, however, that Buddhist scriptures generally avoid speaking of this state of
blessedness as eternal life, for Buddhism views the desire for life as a kind of grasping, and hence a fetter to
liberation. Instead, they speak of Nirvana.
Father Moons teaches that eternal life is rooted in our relationship with the eternal God, based upon
Gods love for us and our love for God. Eternity does not exist apart from true love, he states. Then he
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expands upon this concept to describe the relationship between human lovers as aspiring for the eternal. This
is so because we human beings are designed for eternal life, eternal love with God, and eternal community with
the ones we love under God.
The Supreme Being does not die; I will therefore not die.
Akan Proverb (African Traditional Religions)
Self. They do not die like the others; but realizing Brahman, they merge in Brahman. So it
is said:
When all the desires that surge in the heart
Are renounced, the mortal becomes immortal.
When all the knots that strangle the heart
Are loosened, the mortal becomes immortal,
Here in this very life.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.6-7 (Hinduism)
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Eternal life does not mean that we merely exist forever in the spirit world. It means we eternally
live. How do we cultivate such a life?
As human beings, each of us was created to be an object of Gods loveGods beloved partner.
God cherishes true love more than Himself. Hence, although God is the center of absolute and
eternal life, His ideal of true love is even more absolute and eternal. It is the very core of God. We
are the object partners of that true love.
How do we come to be in such a precious, eternal position? Love is the attribute that brings
subject and object into oneness. Love unites a family. It unites the nation. In the unity of love, we
can participate in anything our beloved does, follow him wherever he goes, and inherit everything
he or she possesses. In the same way, we can inherit Gods eternal life. We can inherit Gods heart
his heart of love by which He longs to dwell within each of us and also in the creation. How precious
it is to find such great value within ourselves!
What joy! What amazing grace! What an unparalleled blessing! Now we can dwell in the same
position as God. Now we can participate in Gods eternal love. (216:115, March 9, 1991)
[Originally,] human beings are born from true love, grow in true love, live in true love and die in true
love. We are not meant to just disappear into a void. Since God, the Subject of all created beings,
is eternal, unchanging and unique, we who are His partners of love should live eternally. This is the
starting-point of the logic of eternal life. Life does not begin from life. Life originates from true love,
not the other way around.
If God creates something He regards as most precious, would He discard it ten years or one
hundred years later, or would He want to keep it for eternity? Obviously, He would create it to last
forever. Thus it is with human beings. Would God create human beings to be born and die, and their
death is the end? No, He created human beings to live forever. Why? They are the object partners
of the absolute God, with whom He can share joy in absolute true love
Suppose you were fleeing to a refugee camp; if you had a precious possession, would you take
it with you or leave it behind? You would want to take it with you. Once in the camp, you would
treasure it. You would not enjoy it for a few days and then throw it away. You would keep it until you
die, and then bequeath it to your descendants for eternity. That is human desire.
It is the same with God, the Absolute Being. God is eternal, and He desires that His object
partners, whom He loves, should live eternally. That is why human beings want to live forever. For
this reason also, the absolute God never ceases to seek for His children. Each human being has the
value of eternity. (290:143-44, February 18, 1998)
If God only liked humans for one or two days, or even for one hundred years, and then discarded
them, it would not be true love. The more you love, the more you want to be with your beloved one.
For this reason you sometimes find a man whose wife died young who never remarries, preferring to
live alone until his death while treasuring some article of his wifes clothing
That is why God created human beings, His precious children, to live forever. However, for love
to last forever, people should stand on the foundation of actions that can generate greater output
force. In other words, as time goes by loves power gets stronger, generating more give and take
action instead of consuming energy. Hence, the lovers joy never ends, but only grows and develops
more and more, to infinity. Such is the ideal world, the Kingdom of Heaven in which God dwells.
(39:42)
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Universal Salvation
The compassion and grace of God know no bounds. The heavenly Fathers heart yearns to save
all His children. These passages from scripture praise the extent of Gods saving work and predict it eventually
to embrace all humankind. In Buddhist terms, the essential purpose of absolute Truth is to liberate all sentient
beings, and Mahayana Buddhist scriptures express the universality of grace in the bodhisattva vow of the Buddha Amitabha to save all beings.
Salvation may come to all people through one central point: thus in Abraham shall all the families of the
earth be blessed (Gen. 12.3). For those who believe in one religion as the only way, the divine mandate to save
all humankind is a powerful impetus to missionary activity. On the other hand, God may express His saving will
by sending multiple prophets and sages to all nations, warning each to return to God using the means suitable
to their different cultures.
If salvation is to be available universally, to every soul who has ever lived regardless of his or her earthly
life, the doctrine may appear at odds with beliefs about hell and the Last Judgment. If God is most essentially
just, how can the wicked ever receive salvation? On the other hand, if God is most essentially gracious and
compassionate, how can He permit any creature to suffer in hell eternally? To understand the heart of God our
heavenly Father, Father Moon asks us to imagine how we would feel if one of our children were a condemned
criminal. We would want to save our child, even take his place at the gallows.
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Father Moon also discusses the difficulty of the path of salvation in terms of the methods which God is
constrained to use, because He created human beings with the sovereign freedom to live and mold our lives as
each sees fit. Nevertheless, ultimately Gods purpose shall be done: all people will be saved and even hell will
be emptied of its occupants.
The daily concern of the Parent is singleheartedly how best I can advance arrangements
to save all of you.
Ofudesaki 14.35 (Tenrikyo)
Genesis 12.3
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God is a God of love. When God looks down from His throne and sees spirits in hell crying out to
Him in their misery, Please, God, save me! what would He say? Would He say, You deserve a lot
worse? Or does He have mercy on them? Surely, God will do everything possible to liberate hell.
(98:116, May 7, 1978)
Imagine you have a son who committed murder and was sentenced to death. As he is going to his
execution, would you say, You deserve to die. Good-bye. At last we are rid of you! Would any parent think like that? On the contrary, you would rather want to die in his place.
Imagine now you have many children, and they are dying tragically one after another. Do you
think any parent could just watch them die without doing everything possible to rescue them?
Loving parents would be desperate to save their children. They would keep on trying, even though
it may take an eternity.
This gives you some sense of Gods misery. As He watches His children entering hell and eternal
death, God is infinitely sorrowful and anxiously tries to liberate them to eternal life. Only by so doing
can He fulfill His responsibility as our Heavenly Father. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that in
the end God will liberate every soul in hell. (62:51, September 10, 1972)
To believe, as some do, that all humanity will receive judgment and only 144,000 Christians will be
saved at the Rapture is an unusually self-centered way of thinking. (245:97, February 28, 1993)
The Unification Churchs viewpoint of salvation is not for a husband to go to heaven while his wife
goes to hell. Both have to go to the Kingdom of Heaven together. It is not for us to enjoy heaven
while our father and mother languish in hell. We should dwell in the Kingdom of Heaven with our
sons and daughters and parents together. (34:359, September 20, 1970)
Gods providence of salvation is to bring [evil] to voluntary surrender. If God could have used force
as He pleased, why has the providence taken thousands of years? He could have finished everything
in short timea few weeks. However, since God does not use force, instead He endures a heartbreaking situation. (394:16, October 6, 2002)
Even fallen parents cannot feel joyful when one of their children is unhappy. How much more so for
God, our Heavenly Parent? It is written, The Lord is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any
should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Pet. 3.9) Accordingly, hell cannot remain
forever. No trace of hell will remain in the ideal world, which is the fulfillment of Gods deepest
desire. In the Last Days, when the time is ripe, evil spirits will descend to evil people on earth of the
same spiritual level and assist them to accomplish Gods Will. Indeed, even the demons testified that
Jesus was the Son of God. (Matt. 8.29). (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Resurrection 3.3.3)
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Chapter 8
Religion
The Purpose of Religion
All religions share certain purposes in common, though with different emphases. For Western
religions, the primary purpose of religion is salvation. The etymology of the word religion derives from a Latin
word meaning to re-bind with God. Human beings are fallen and broken, and therefore God has established
religion as a means of repairing our brokenness, restoring us to our original goodness, and re-connecting us
with God. In contrast, the Eastern understanding of religion is contained in its Chinese characters, which mean
foundational teaching. This describes the purpose of religion as the basic teaching for cultivating a good and
virtuous character.
Father Moon recognizes both meanings, inasmuch as fallen human beings cannot finally cultivate virtuous character without resolving sin and rebinding with God. He distinguishes two valid aspects of religion:
first, providential religions (Judaism and Christianity) whose purpose is to welcome the Messiah who comes to
solve original sin and restore full communion with God, and second, religions the world over whose purpose is
mainly to train people in virtue. The Kingdom of God is built on both of these foundations.
Religion also has a social purpose: to cultivate community. Religion teaches the ways of love and reconciliation that enable people to live in peace and harmony. By extension, the ultimate purpose of religion is to establish world peace. That is, because God is the Creator and Father of all humankind, religions that take us close
to God enable us to feel part of the universal brotherhood and sisterhood that flows from His parental love.
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382
Dhammapada 75 (Buddhism)
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383
For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober,
upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting
our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of
our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave
himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and
to purify for himself a people of his own who are
zealous for good deeds.
Titus 2.11-14
What is to be avoided most in our life is vacillation and frivolity; what is most excellent is
a reverential heart. Therefore, we Confucians
endeavor to preserve sincerity of heart and consider reverence as most essential. It is needless
to say that sincerity and reverence make us companions of heaven and earth, gods and spirits.
There is, however, another class of people who
adopt Buddhism as their guidance. They bow
before the Buddha and recite his sutras, always
bent on preserving reverence and awe. They will
never relax the vigilant guard over the heart,
which will by degrees become pure and bright,
free from evil thoughts and ready to do good.
This enlightenment is called their most happy
land. What is necessary, then, for Buddhists as
well as Confucians is to avoid vacillation and frivolity, which will render you unreliable. Keep the
heart always restrained by reverence and awe.
Otherwise what can be the use of the recitation
of sutras or the discourses of Confucius?1
Tract of the Quiet Way (Taoism)
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384
mature character; it doesnt happen automatically. Nor does school: even if you attend a good college and then go on to earn a doctors degree, it will not restore your character. That is where the
church has a role. (25:126, September 30, 1969)
Through religions, God has been teaching people how to strengthen a God-centered spirit and
reverse the bodys control over the mind; these further our character development. This is the reason why religions recommend that we fast, sacrifice and serve, be meek and humble, and so on. It is
to weaken the power of the body and to have the body submit to the spirit. It normally takes three
to five years for a person leading a life of faith to free him or herself from a body-centered, habitual
lifestyle and establish a spirit-centered lifestyle. (201:208-09, April 9, 1990)
Each religion that has appeared on this earth emerged from the deep will of Gods providence to
teach the nature of love. (Way of Unification 1.1.4.1)
Heaven is our original homeland, where we are meant to go. We fallen human beings are exiles from
our original homeland, and hence our destiny is to return there. We cannot, however, enter heaven
by ourselves, so through the course of history God has to set up paths to enable us to return. This
is why God created the various religions: to be training grounds for heaven, illuminating paths for
every people, culture and tradition. Religions are meant to train and polish people to be qualified to
enter the region of the original homeland. To cope with humankinds many different cultures, God
set up paths in many directions, yet with each path related to the one standard. In this way, God is
leading these various paths toward one unified religious world.
What do all religions teach to guide people to the original homeland? They promote the path of
living for the sake of others. The higher the religion, the more strongly it emphasizes the importance
of living for others. For example, religions teach us to be humble. Why? Because to live for others,
we should be able to lift other people above ourselves. Religions also teach us to sacrifice and serve.
Why? Through these ways, religions train people to fit the rules of the Kingdom of Heaven. (78:117,
May 6, 1975)
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385
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386
1. All Religions Worship the Same God and Serve His Great Will
The Hindus and the Muslims have but one and
the same God;
What can a mullah or a sheikh do?
Adi Granth, Bhairo, p. 1158 (Sikhism)
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Those who believe in the Quran, those who follow the Jewish scriptures, and the Sabeans and
the Christiansany who believe in God and
the Last Day, and work righteousnesson them
shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
Quran 5.69
Quran 5.82-83
Other religions found everywhere try to counter the restlessness of the human heart, each in
its own manner, by proposing ways, comprising teachings, rules of life and sacred rites. The
Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and
holy in these religions. She looks with sincere
reverence those ways of conduct and of life,
those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds
and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of
that Truth which enlightens all men.
Vatican II, Nostra Aetate (Christianity)
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388
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389
Looking at the world today, what would be Gods wish? His desire is that these four religions not
remain separate; He would unite them and present one religion on the world stage. That religion
should represent Gods true Will to the world. (113:313, May 10, 1981)
There is not a single person whom Thou hast not touched,
or country that Thou hast not guided in hope.
Thou hast been leading all peoples,
transcending national borders,
to the present point on the path to the original world,
Thine eternal ideal. (76:86-87, February 1, 1975)
Some Hindus had brought an elephant for exhibition and placed it in a dark house. Crowds of
people were going into that dark place to see
the beast. Finding that ocular inspection was
impossible, each visitor felt it with his palm in
the darkness.
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390
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Religion
391
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392
By extension, governments are to respect religious freedom and avoid any manner of compulsion in matters of faith. Most people think of religious freedom as a feature of modern democracy, emerging as it did after
a long period of religious intolerance marked by wars and crueltythe Crusades, the Inquisition and the 30Years War. Still, each of the great civilizations has enjoyed periods of religions tolerance: in India under the
tolerant Buddhist King Ashoka (3rd century B.C.) and the enlightened Mughal emperor Akbar (16th century), in
10th century al-Andalus (Spain under Muslim rule), and in Song dynasty China (10th-13th century). Nevertheless, it was with democracy that the ideal of religious freedom became firmly established as a global value. Father Moon regards the establishment of religious freedom one of the hard-won victories of divine providence.
Beyond tolerance and beyond religious freedom is the higher vision of cooperation and solidarity among
religions. This largely modern ideal was born out of peoples growing familiarity with the worlds religions and
the efforts of religious leaders to dialogue with each other in order to resolve disputes and eliminate ancient
prejudices. Religious unity has long been advocated by the Bahai Faith. Relations between Christians and Jews
were transformed after the horrors of the Holocaust led to a widespread re-evaluation of Christian doctrines that
had overtones of anti-Semitism. Still, until the late 1990s the predominant opinion was that the trend towards
secularism would one day make religionand hence religious intolerancea relic of the past. Today that view is
obsolete. Flare-ups of religious extremism and terrorism have made people realize that interfaith cooperation is a
necessary condition for world peace. Yet for more than fifty years, without fanfare, Father Moon has worked for
the goal of the unity of religions, regarding it as one of the chief goals of Gods contemporary providence.
Like the bee, gathering honey from different flowers, the wise man accepts the essence of different
scriptures and sees only the good in all religions.
Quran 29.46
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393
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394
2. Freedom of Religion
Congress shall make no law respecting the
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof.
United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, Article 1
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assembly. America is the representative democratic nation, and in the American Constitution the
most absolute among all freedoms is freedom of religion. It states that the Congress and government
shall not make any laws that restrict religions. (100:246, October 19, 1978)
Gods spiritual providence of restoration during the two thousand years since Jesus day has prepared
a democratic social and legal environment that will protect Christ at the Second Advent. Jesus was
killed after being branded a heretic by the Jews and a rebel by the Roman Empire. In contrast, even
if Christ at the Second Advent is persecuted as a heretic, in the democratic society to which he will
come, such accusations will not be sufficient grounds for him to be condemned to death. (Exposition
of the Divine Principle, Moses and Jesus 3.3.2)
I am grateful to God that He is using me as His instrument to ignite a movement to spiritually
awaken America, to call her to protect religious freedom in this most difficult time in human history.8
(133:213, July 19, 1984)
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396
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397
In the Orient, people go in search of the state of Emptiness or No-self. Therefore, they look for quiet
places where they can release their attachments to worldly things. In the West, on the other hand,
people make efforts seeking for money and material things. Therefore they want quick results, and
their eyes become large Oriental people are small, with small eyes [that look into the distance],
noses and everything. Their legs are short, too. From this, we see that the West is external and the
East is internal.
One of Satans goals is to permanently separate the internal from the external. God, on the
other hand, tries to link the internal and external in a harmonious relationship. Thus we can foresee
that when the West tries to unite with the East, Gods day of fulfillment is near. This is gradually
coming to pass. (118:46, May 2, 1982)
The purpose of religion is to lead us to a united world. Although different religions have different
names for God and different ways of worshipping Him, the central Being each religion worships is
the one and only God. Therefore, the purposes and directions for human life taught by each religion
inevitably converge towards one standard. Ultimately, each religion has to manage its own path
in order that all religions may enter the era of reformation at the same time. (140:10, February 1,
1986)
With the progress of Gods providence, we witness that already in the spirit world there are no barriers between the four major religions at the level of their founders. Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed and
Confucius communicate freely with each other and often visit each others realms. Because I know
these things well, I strongly encouraged all clergy to transcend their denominations and sects and
to unite as one. (May 8, 2001)
When all religions are as one familyliving in one accord, cooperating as one body and treasuring
the same ideathen all will be liberated. In that day, self-cultivation will no longer be necessary.
(393:183, October 3, 2002)
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398
son, he does not cast dogmatic condemnations on Shamanism and Animism in the manner of Bible-centered
Christians. Rather, he regards Shamanism as an authentic stage, albeit a low one, on the path of humankinds
spiritual development.
Notable also is Father Moons teaching that Shamanism and polytheism are servant of servant religions,
whose original objects of worship were fallen angels. This can be seen rather clearly in Greek and Hindu mythology, where the gods amorous activities with earthly women are of a piece with Satans seduction of Eve at the
Human Fall. Nevertheless, God still taught through these forms by empowering devoted practitioners to rise
above their gods and attain a higher moral plane. In this way, human beings transcended the position of servants servants to become their masters, thus opening a higher stage of religious development. Passages from
Hinduism and Shinto illustrate how these traditions were thus elevated over time to form higher religions.
Sansang suira!
There are eight peaks within the inner mountain,
and thirteen famous places in the outer mountain.
Within these famous mountains and the great
heavens of all Buddhas,
the great altar of the nation is protected by the
great generals.
Was not General Chae Yong one of them?
The famous general of Korea,
who was favored by his people
Oh, I am the great mountain god.
If I sit down, I cover three thousand li [the
entire land of Korea].
If I stand up, I stretch over ninety thousand li
[the whole world].
If I look down with my clear mirror, I can
observe ten thousand li.
Oh, I am the great mountain god.
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400
Shamans are possessed by servant-level spirits, confined within the realm of the fall. Yet through
their revelations they can sometimes give accurate information from the spirit world to earthly people. There are groups of people on this earth who connect with the spirit world in this way. (76:95,
February 1, 1975)
The spirit world is the world of angels. Why do the angels of the spirit world want to relate to the
human world as gods? You have heard about shamanism, fortunetelling, superstition and such. They
are religious forms in which there is not clear discernment of good and evil. As God leads the providence through religions, Satan also prepared religious forms to guard his world.
In general, more than eighty percent of fortunetellers are women. Who do they contact? At the
time of the Fall, the archangel led Eve and caused her to bring evil into the world. Likewise, during
the course of restoration the same path is repeated: angels in the spirit world come down to the earth
to lead and teach women, uniting with them. Hence, a shamans or fortunetellers work is to follow
the direction and teachings of angelsbut this time for good. (76:95, February 1, 1975)
In the development of history, we see that there was always some sort of faith. The birth of faith lay
in ancient beliefs that modern people would call superstition. For example, when people saw a big
tree, they revered it. When they saw a magnificent mountain, they revered it. Although most people
do not recognize them, guardian deities actually exist in those places. (176:287, May 13, 1988)
People in ancient times had a close relationship with nature. Then the natural world and the spirit
world were close to human beingsnot distant and foreign as they are to people living in modern
times. When people entered a grove of giant trees, they looked at them reverently and thought,
For thousands of years these trees have been here; through countless cycles of quickening in spring
and dying in autumn they remain unchanged; their shade makes a pleasant environment for all
creatures. Observing them, they recognized that they were deficient in many aspects, and so they
worshipped tall trees, great rocks and high mountains.
They saw tall persimmon trees, thick with foliage in the summer and bare in the winter. With the
arrival of spring their branches sprouted with new life: first buds, then blossoms, and finally delicious
and fragrant fruit. They marveled at this, and sensed that those trees were better than they.
Where is the fragrance in human existence? Do humans give off a fragrance that beautifies their
surroundings, attracting birds and insects to nest in their branches? No. Compared to nature, man
is humbled and recognizes his inadequacy. (November 4, 1990)
History knows that this is the age when the sun rises in the East. All people are turning in the direction of the light and lighting their own lamps. Some are doing it centering on God, but others are
centering on low-level spirits. Even shamans are receiving the light based on their spiritual senses
and experiences. Between shamans and non-believers, who is better? Believing in even low-level
spirits is better than having no faith at all. (194:315, October 30, 1989)
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401
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402
Human history can be considered to span at least 850,000 years. Even during the most primitive
times, the religious movements that sprang up received persecution. Who initiated such work? It
is God. He developed religions to separate human beings from the servant. God separated us from
Satan step by step, starting from the very bottomthe level of a servant of servants.
Humans are created to be masters, but at the servant of servants level, the servant dominates
the master. In order to take our rightful position in the Kingdom of Heaven as the masters of that
servant, humanity must inevitably receive persecution from the entire servant world and triumph
over it. (124:69, January 23, 1983)
Among shamans, especially the men, some had formerly led a promiscuous love life. Then as shamans they leave their former life and strive on the path of morality. This led to the development of
a [higher] realm of religion. From that starting-point, they could recognize that people should live a
straight way of life and form faithful families. At least they recognized that it was not good to live a
loose lifestyle, and sought after a proper way of love. Such efforts at laying the right path developed
into the worlds higher religions. (295:172, August 28, 1998)
Buddhism
Father Moon has the highest respect for Buddhism, a religion that has deeply influenced the culture
of his native Korea. He regards the Buddhist teaching and practice of self-denial is at the summit of world religious teachings for recovering our true original self from the mire of our fallen condition. To reach that state of
emptiness, what Father Moon calls the zero point, is true enlightenment.
In Father Moons view Buddhism is lacking two essential points: knowledge of a personal God and full
comprehension of the ideal of true love. Nevertheless, it was God who taught the Buddha and set up Buddhism
to give light to the Orient. People of all faiths can learn much from Buddhism, particularly about the way of
self-denial to overcome false ego and uncover the true self.
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403
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404
The Buddhas entire philosophy is based on law (dharma). However, the object of dharma is the
circumstances of human beings as objects, not the human being himself. Actually, the measure of a
human being is love, not law. But the Buddha taught a standard based on law; hence his teachings
are called Law Sutras.17
Buddhism teaches self-realization, but what should happen after attaining self-realization? Is
that the end of it? That is why, even though Buddhists live solitary lives deep in the mountains and
work hard for self-discipline and self-realization, they still are ambiguous about the ideal world of
love. (50:116, November 6, 1971)
2. Buddhist Enlightenment
Strive and cleave the stream. Discard, O
Brahmin, sense-desires. Knowing the destruction of conditioned things, be a knower of the
Unmade.
Dhammapada 383
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405
Shakyamuni in his mystical state, when he could declare, In heaven and on earth, I alone am the
honored one, is far from the normal thinking of ordinary people. When your committed efforts to
reach the state of resonance of mind and body awaken your own self, you will attain the state in
which you could say: I am the best under the sun. (141:235, February 26, 1986)
Where does God dwell? God is the lord of the zero point. That is where God wants to dwellin
the king zero point. Since God has such a nature, to meet Him you must become even lower than
zero. Then you must guard that king zero point. The king zero point is like the mind, and as the flesh
surrounds the mind, you should surround and protect the zero point.
Have you reached the state where you can guard the zero point? It is easy to answer yes, but
in reality it is not easy. Mind you, all religions have been seeking to reach God or a position where
we can correspond to God. This is what Buddhist meditation is aboutto search the God-like mind
for the deepest point. (230:134, May 1, 1992)
Diamond Sutra 21
Lankavatara Sutra 61
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Confucianism
Confucian ethics are at the core of East Asian culture. Today with the rapid Westernization
of Asia many are discarding Confucian values and codes; nevertheless for thousands of years its moral
philosophy has guided family life and molded the conduct of kings with the values of benevolence, righteousness and propriety. Father Moon has high regard for Confucian moral teachings; he calls them close
to the laws of Heaven. The Confucian Five Relations of parents and children, ruler and subject, husband
and wife, elder and younger siblings, and among friends define what he believes is a superior ethic for all
humanity.
Father Moon holds that God inspired Confucianism. He affirms that in its concept of Heaven, Confucianism presents a notion of God, however vague. Confucianisms weakness, he explains, is its vague understanding of God (Heaven) and as a consequence its inability to properly link Heaven and earth in daily life. Then,
with profound insight, he proceeds to offer a solution that utilizes the best of Confucianism: The relationship
between God and human beings is a parent-child relationship, and its ethic is one of Confucian filial piety. In
other words, we should attend God as we would our own parents, and the Confucian ethic supplies the best
description as to what that attendance requires.
1. Confucian Ethics
Oh, how great is the divine moral law of the
sage Confucius. Overflowing and illimitable,
it gives birth and life to all created things and
towers high up to the very heavens. How magnificent it is! How imposing the three hundred
principles and three thousand rules of conduct!
They await the man who can put the system
into practice.
Doctrine of the Mean 27
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407
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408
Providentially, Confucius teaching was like the proclamation of the heavenly archangel.
Through the elements of Confucian morality, Heaven sought to establish social conditions that
would protect against Satan and set up a society resembling the external form of Heaven. (205:179,
August 28, 1998)
Who is a son of filial piety? According to Confucianism, he attends his parents with his life out of his
deep love for them. What is a loyal subject? He offers himself for the kings service and even sacrifices his life for his king, who represents Heaven. (143:153, March 17, 1986)
Throughout Korean history, Confucianism taught the duty of filial piety. When the parents passed
away, according to custom their children would mourn for three years while living in seclusion on a
mountain. They truly had a heart to do so.
What can the Korean people be proud of before the world? Regardless of their position and
worldly success, when their parents passed away they abandoned everything to fulfill the duty of
filial piety. Confucianism established this good tradition. It was in fact Gods preliminary education
for the Korean people to go his way. There can be no objection to it. (181:217, October 3, 1988)
Our relationship with God should be a parent-child relationship. What is the nature of this relationship? It is a vertical relationship. The teachings of Confucianism provide a correct understanding.
Our relationship with God our Father is as undeniable and indisputable as the relationship
with our parents. We are our parents children: could either physical force or theoretical arguments
persuade us otherwise? Likewise, the knowledge that we are born as sons and daughters of God our
Heavenly Father cannot be contested by anyone. (198:298, February 5, 1990)
In our individual lives, shouldnt we relate to Heavenly Father as filial children? As regards the
national-level providence, shouldnt we relate to Him as loyal subjects? The traditional Confucian
valuesthe Three Bonds and the Five Moral Disciplinesmake sense. Filial piety and loyalty
towards Heavenly Father are based on these traditional values. We cannot be filial children to
Heavenly Father if we are not first filial to our parents. We cannot be loyal subjects of Heavenly
Father if we do not first demonstrate loyalty to our nation. (7:66, July 12, 1959)
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Analects 9.5
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410
not knowledge, not power and not money. We desire accomplishments of love: Love between teacher
and disciple, love between parent and child, love between king and subjectdoes not love enter
into all these relationships? By the same token, Heaven also needs loving sons and daughters. Hence
the Principle speaks of love between Heaven and the sons and daughters of Heaven. (185:272,
January 17, 1989)
Judaism
As the first great religion in Gods providence, Judaism holds a unique place among the worlds religions. In ancient times, in an age darkened by idolatry, God called the Israelites and made with them an eternal
covenant. Many Jews today are zealous to keep the laws of the covenant out of an intense faith and awe at
Gods favor and their special destiny as the chosen people. Yet this uniqueness has always been balanced by
a conviction that Judaism has a universal mission. The prophets declared that the Jews were not chosen for
their own sake, but to bear the light of Gods truth to all nations. Amidst this tension between universalism
and ethnocentrism that runs throughout Jewish history, Father Moon consistently calls on Judaism to take a
global perspective.
The Jews have also suffered more than any other people. For two thousand years they wandered
without a nation, oppressed and persecuted, culminating in the Holocaust of six million. How could they
continue to cling to God in the midst of their suffering? What meaning could it have in the context of
Gods saving history? Father Moon addresses this question in several ways: it is Gods course of training
to make them strong; it is to unify the Jewish people and draw them closer to God; it is to make them fit
to lead the world to God.
Christians have always had difficulty coming to terms with Judaism, on account of its rejection of
Jesus as the Messiah. Nevertheless, there is no excuse for Christian anti-Semitism, particularly since Jesus
and the disciples were themselves Jews. Still, the genuine anguish of Saint Paul, who never ceased to care
for his Jewish brethren even though in his view they lost their way by not receiving Christ, is echoed in
Father Moons teaching. However, unlike Paul, Father Moon does not emphasize the conversion of the
Jews. He teaches that Jews can fulfill Gods contemporary Will through interfaith solidarity, whereby
Judaism, Christianity and Islam each retain their identity even as they forgive each other, love each other,
and unite for world peace.
Father Moon is supportive of the modern State of Israel as a particular homeland for the Jewish people, but
not at other peoples expense. He teaches that Israels survival and prosperity is possible only in the context
of genuine peace and reconciliation with its Arab neighborsthereby resolving a conflict with deep historical
roots extending back to Israels biblical origin. Consistent with his restorationist approach, he calls for Jews
and Arabs to extend themselves to each other in love, going beyond self-interest.
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411
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412
God appointed the Israelites to a central role and wanted all people to honor them. He wanted all people on earth to follow Israels example; then they would praise Israel just as God would. However, the
Israelites could not set up such an exemplary historical tradition. Israel began from Jacob, who was Gods
champion of love. However, subsequent generations of Israelites could not maintain his tradition.
The Israelites should have been superior to any other people in the world in loving God and
fulfilling Gods Will and providence. However, while they raised their awareness of being the chosen
people, they forgot their mission and their calling for the Will of God.
What is the purpose of the chosen people? The chosen people should love the world on Gods
behalf and, as Gods representatives, set the example for all in loving the world. However, the people
of Israel did not fulfill their exalted calling. Though they were supposed to give Gods love to all the
world, they wanted to receive love instead. That was the problem. (169:265-66, November 1, 1987)
What is the path that God has decreed for Israel and Judaism? It is a path with universal significance. It is a universal mission. God chose the one specific people, Israel, to fulfill a mission not only
for themselves but for humankind. (168:304, October 1, 1987)
Besides Judaism, there are numerous religions in the world, such as Buddhism, Confucianism and
Hinduism. The religions differ, but they must not fight one another; instead, they must travel the
road to one unified world. Likewise, the peoples of the world must not fight one another, but become
one. There must be one teaching that can lead all the religions not to fight, but to unite.
The Jewish people in particular, who have the responsibility to lead the worlds peoples and
unite them into one, should have such a teaching. Because the realization of Gods ideal of creation
is universal, Judaism and the Jewish people should uphold a teaching that corresponds to Gods ideal
of creation. (168:304, October 1, 1987)
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414
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Isaiah 62.1-4
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416
the midst of such division, symbolized by the two thieves on the right and on the left of Jesus at the
crucifixion. Now that conflict expanded to the world level, at which time the Christ at the Second
Advent comes to resolve the situation and unify the world
Currently, are not Judaism and Christianity enemies? In the Middle East, Israel and the Islamic
nations are enemies. We should bring peace to the region. (250:331, October 15, 1993)
Christianity
Christianity is Father Moons own religious heritage; hence he has more to say about it than any
other religion. His main teachings concern the essence of the Christianityits core tradition, the unity of the
Church, and Christianitys mission to the world.
Following Christs example, the core tradition of Christianity is love and sacrifice. The Christian is not
reluctant or afraid to take up his cross and suffer for the sake of Gods will, as Jesus did. Therefore, Christianity
is not an easy or comfortable religion, but one that demands commitment, courage and conviction. Christian
love is the second essential core tradition. Jesus taught his followers to love their enemies and forgive those
who hurt them. The fellowship of Christians who practice the love of Christ is a beautiful thing.
However, because this love is practiced only imperfectly, and often does not extend to believers of other
churches, the problem of disunity has plagued Christianity since its early days. Placing doctrinal purity and
denominational self-interest ahead of Christian love, churches have quarreled and persecuted one another,
causing great damage to Christianity as a whole. Father Moon has dedicated himself to restoring church unity
through the practice of reconciling love and a clarification of essential Christian truth.
Christianity has a worldwide mission, to save all humankind. For Father Moon, this is not only a matter of
preaching the Gospel and converting the heathen. In todays world of many religions, democratic values and
the ethics of love and charity are Christianitys contributions to elevating the level of all civilizations around
the globe. Ultimately, the mission of the church is to prepare the way for Gods universal Kingdom on earth,
based upon these values, which will be established when Christ returns.
The section concludes with a glimpse at Christian history, which can be viewed as a record of the churchs
successes and failures in fulfilling its mission. It is a history that is mostly found wanting. The church has
consistently failed when it has lived by the secular values of power, wealth and worldly authority. It has made
progress when it returns to Christs tradition of sacrifice and the search for true freedom of faith. In the course
of this history, God has attempted to establish a sovereign Christian civilizationfirst in the Middle Ages
through Roman Catholicism, and today through Protestantism centered on the United States of America.
Medieval civilization perished when the Vaticans leaders were more intent to pursue power and worldly glory
than to live by Jesus core tradition of love and sacrifice. America, as the current representative Christian nation
with a calling to lead the world into the Kingdom, faces the same test.
Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you
falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for
your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5.11-12
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Acts 2.42-47
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Christianity has been to win the world through self-sacrifice and martyrdom. It is the time-honored
way that God has been seeking for lost humanity. (10:281, November 6, 1960)
Today Christianity should learn to digest the sufferings that lie ahead. We should be able to say,
Jesus courageously overcame the pain of the cross with the heart of God and blessed sinful humankind. Should we ever face that situation, may we have the same attitude as Jesus! That is the crucial matter. (7:96, July 19, 1959)
Why could Christianity become a worldwide religion? More than any other religion, Christianity is
compatible with Gods will and has inherited Gods internal heart. Christianity has correctly identified the core point of Gods providence and has cherished that content through the ages. God is
a worldwide God, so it is reasonable that Christianity, by virtue of its love for God, would develop
throughout the world.
Do you know what is the core of Gods will? God professes love. Jesus proclaimed before heaven,
earth and humanity that God is not the Lord of judgment but the Father of love. Christianity is the
only religion that recognizes God as the loving Father. (Gods Will and the World, May 10, 1974)
2. Christian Unity
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you
were called to the one hope that belongs to
your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one
God and Father of us all, who is above all and
through all and in all.
Ephesians 4.4-6
You are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus
himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole
structure is joined together and grows into a holy
temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built
into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Ephesians 2.19-22
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We cannot unite the churches by human power. It is possible only by the power of the Holy Spirit,
through mobilizing the hosts of heaven. (113:97, May 1, 1981)
2 Corinthians 5.19-20
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God desires that all of you should become sacrificial offerings. As an offering, it is not proper for you
to raise your head until the day when God and all humankind rejoice. If a Christian church raises
its head before God is happy and before all humankind rejoices, it will perish. Christianity has the
mission to serve all people. It exists as an offering for humanity. If not, it has not been fulfilling its
mission and needs to be reformed without delay.
Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Crown Prince of Heaven, came as such a universal offering.
Therefore, although he looks from heaven and sees believers on earth rejoicing in his grace, he
cannot be happy. The day will finally come when Jesus can rejoice; it will come only after God and
all humankind rejoice. That is the day of the Second Coming. But first, he will have to lead the
church on the sacrificial path of an offering. (5:79-80, December 21, 1958)
Jesus was chased out on the road of death, yet his road followed the way of Heaven. His path
was not that of a worthless life, but rather a path of lofty and infinite value. It lifted the standard for all humankind. It contains the core teachings sought by the whole world. Jesus teachings are definitely the standard that humankind must seek, and his path is the path humankind
must follow. Indeed, his teachings are the basis of todays democracies and world community.
(41:70, February 13, 1971)
Christianity will form the worlds dominant cultural sphere in the Last Days. Centered on Christian
civilization, the nations of the world will join in a world community. (39:44, January 9, 1971)
We should enlist the cooperation of all Christians throughout the world to build Gods nation on
earth, just as Jesus in his day was to fulfill his mission to build Gods Kingdom by enlisting the
cooperation of Judaism. Christians today should understand that they have a mission to accomplish: to build Gods Kingdom on this earth. Christian thought is the basis of democracy worldwide. Christians should uphold Christian thought to build Gods Kingdom based upon democracy.
(3:123-24, October 13, 1957)
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When ecclesiastic love waned, when waves of capitalistic greed surged across Christian Europe,
when starving masses cried out bitterly in the slums, the promise of their salvation came not from
heaven but from the earth. Its name was communism. Christianity, though it professed the love of
God, had degenerated into a dead body of clergy trailing empty slogans. It was then only natural
that a banner of rebellion would be raised, arguing that a merciless God who would allow such suffering could not exist. Hence, modern materialism was born. Western society became a hotbed of
materialism; it was the fertile soil in which communism flourished. (Exposition of the Divine Principle,
Introduction)
The first thing the Pilgrim Fathers built was a church. They invested all their effort to build it, giving
everything they had. Next they built the road to the church. For the sake of God they worked day
and night. They prayed, God, we pledge ourselves to build a place where You can dwell, surpassing
anyplace in the Old World. We pledge ourselves to establish Your ideal nation, surpassing any nation
in the Old World.34 The Pilgrims suffered a great deal, but the more they suffered, the more determined they were to build Gods Kingdom, a godly society transcending what existed in Europe.
After their church, they built a school. For they resolved to educate their children well,
surpassing what they could learn at schools in Europe. Last of all, they built their homes. Yet even
these they built not for themselves, but dedicated them to God. Thus they created a society where
God dwelt in the church, in the school, in the family, and even in the workplace. They surely lived
a God-centered way of life, entrusting everything to God
George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War,
was defeated in many battles. When he faced the heartbreaking winter at Valley Forge, I am sure
George Washington prayed like this: God, You led this people from Europe and brought us to
America, where there is freedom of faith. You would not wish to deliver this people back into the
hands of England, to suffer under its monarchy and the yoke of state-enforced religion. Please bless
this nation to become the land that You desire to build, upholding freedom of faith and laying the
foundation for Your ideal world. In his prayer, George Washington must have pledged that he
would lead his nation to become the land desired by God.
Isnt it true that very day your Congress is convened in prayer? America is not merely the land
where Americans live; it is the nation blessed by God. In this respect, America is unique. Your
money is imprinted with the inscription, In God We Trust. Does any other nation in the world
do that? Americans promote the motto, One nation under God. Does this motto refer only to
America? Ladies and gentlemen, the Kingdom of Heaven should occupy the whole world. It was for
this reason that America was born: as a nation composed of all the peoples of the world, it should be
the model for one worldwide nation. Why did America establish freedom of religion where the new
Protestant faiths could thrive? For what purpose did America throw off the state religions of Europe?
It was not just for Americas sake, but to save the world. To save the world!
Americans, do not think that you are prospering because you yourselves are great. God did not
bless this nation so that you can enjoy an affluent life. You should remember Gods original purpose
in blessing America, to use this nation as His instrument for saving the world. (69:102, October 21,
1973)
Christianity in the Middle Age should have embraced all people regardless of class, and integrated
them based on its religious ideals. However, it failed in doing so, and instead corrupted itself by
becoming politicized. As a result, God had to strike it.
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Had the Roman Papacy not become corrupt, and had it instantiated the teaching of living for the
sake of others before seeking for its own benefit, with a sense of mission that it existed for the world
and humankind, it would not have fallen down. However, due to its failure, God struck Catholicism
externally through the Renaissance and internally through the Protestant Reformation.
Then the Puritans sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to the new continent of America and
built a new nation based on Christian ideals. Americas liberal democratic ideology that prevails
throughout the democratic world is based on an integration of Roman political ideology, Christian
religious ideas and Greek philosophy.
However, for America to fulfill its responsibility she should give up her idea of being Number
One in the world. For the people of the United States this is the most essential thing. (5:22-23,
November 9, 1958)
Islam
Today Islam is playing a major role in Gods unfolding providence. Father Moon finds in Muslims a firm faith and moral clarity that is sorely needed in this relativistic age, when Christianity has grown
feeble. He totally rejects the clash of civilizations scenario that would see the Muslim world as an enemy of
the West. Because Islam is a higher religion, it has the spiritual blessing to be one of the pillars of the Kingdom
of God.
Islam is a righteous religion, and holds itself above Judaism and Christianity, which it regards as filled with
errors and hypocrisy. Nevertheless, what is required in this age is reconciliation between these three religions
as the spiritual mainstays of humanity. Father Moon identifies the source of their conflict neither in doctrine
nor in the events surrounding Muhammads ministry, but rather in the crucifixion of Jesus, which sowed the
seeds that have borne their inevitable fruit in the contemporary world. Resolving the mistakes of that time
will require the concerted efforts of allChristians, Jews and Muslimsthe descendants of the actors in that
drama.
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had been sent down to us, we should have followed its guidance better than they. Now then
has come to you a clear proof from your Lord,
and a guide and a mercy; then who could do
more wrong than one who rejects Allahs revelations and turns away from them?
We have given them. Such are the true believers. They shall be exalted and forgiven by their
Lord, and a generous provision shall be made
for them.
Quran 6.155-157
O you who believe, be upright for Allah, bearers of witness with justice; and let not hatred
of a people incite you not to act equitably. Be
just; that is nearer to observance of duty. And
keep your duty to Allah. Surely Allah is aware
of what you do.
Quran 8.2-4
Quran 5.8
And the Jews say the Christians follow nothing true, and the Christians say the Jews follow
nothing true; yet both are readers of the same
Scripture. Even thus speak those who know
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Quran 5.116
Quran 9.29-33
Quran 5.13-15
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These days, Islam is expanding more rapidly than Christianity. They are strong! Their values are
strong and their faith is firm! They do not sway back and forth, compromising like Christians do.
Ishmael and Isaac are brothers, both sons of Abraham. Yet their descendants became adversaries
and fought throughout history. After the Jews lost Jerusalem, Christians and Muslims fought over
the city at the time of the Crusades. The land of Israel should be restored for all these brother
religions. However, this must not be accomplished by fighting and bloodshed.
That is why Reverend Moon, representing Christianity and as founder of the Unification
Church, gave his hand to Minister Farrakhan; and also to President Wahid of Indonesia. I wanted
to join President Wahid and Minister Farrakhan as brothers. I also helped Minister Farrakhan at the
Million Family March. White people opened their eyes in alarm, saying that I should by no means
ever help him. But I said to those people, You oppose me now, but wait and see who is right. Just
follow me as I guide you, and something good will definitely happen, something that pleases God.
Close your eyes and pray. Dont open your mouth.40 (June 21, 2001)
Jesus taught us to love our enemies. Minister Farrakhan may be an enemy to Christianity but
since we are taught to love our enemies, I am loving him. Does China love America? Does the
Soviet Union love China? Between these enemies there is no love, but taking Gods standpoint I
love them all. That is why I have no enemiesneither Christians nor Muslims, neither blacks nor
whites. (339:156, December 10, 2000)
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We imparted unto David the Psalms; and messengers We have mentioned to you before and
messengers We have not mentioned to you
messengers of good cheer and of warning, in
order that mankind might have no argument
against God after the messengers. God was ever
Mighty, Wise.
Quran 4.163-65
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for if he did it could cause many troubles. As a king of the mouth, he is careful about the words
he speaks. He knows that whatever he says could become the law; it could sway the destiny of his
nation. (118:44, May 2, 1982)
What is the definition of a saint? A saint is someone who transcends national boundaries. The saints
of history did not live merely for their own people or for their own tribe. They transcended national
boundaries to live for the sake of all humanity. They could say, I will die for the sake of all humanity. I transcend all the boundaries that separate the thousands of ethnic groups and nations. I am
beyond nations, beyond religions, and beyond races. Before they went to their deaths, these saints
forged a connection to all humanity on a worldwide level. (38:350, January 8, 1971)
The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he
had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place; but they kept mocking the messengers
of God, despising his words, and scoffing at his
prophets, till the wrath of the Lord rose against
his people, till there was no remedy.
Mark 6.4
Matthew 8.19-20
2 Chronicles 36.15-16
Quran 43.22-25
Quran 25.30-31
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Moses received the Torah on Sinai and delivered it to Joshua, and Joshua [delivered it] to
the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and
the prophets delivered it to the men of the Great
Synagogue.5
Mishnah, Avot 1.1 (Judaism)
Mention Abraham in the Book. He was a truthful prophet when he told his father, My father,
why do you worship something that neither
hears nor perceives, and does not benefit you
in any way?
When he moved away from them and what
they worshipped instead of God, We bestowed
Isaac and Jacob on him. Each We made a
prophet. We bestowed some of Our mercy on
them and granted them a sublime tongue for
telling truth.
Mention Moses in the Book. He was sincere,
and was a messenger, a prophet. We called out
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Noah
Noah is the first biblical father of faith. His remarkable work to build an ark, believing Gods command
that a flood was about to destroy humanity, showed faith far beyond the ordinary. Father Moon emphasizes
the incredible faith of Noah, which was difficult to comprehend even for his wife and family. Another quality
of Noah was his compassion for the people whom he knew to be doomed, enabling him to follow Gods command that he announce to the very people who were mocking and persecuting him that the judgment was
imminent and invite them into his boat.
The story of Noah goes far back in the historical record. Diverse versions of the story go back 5,000 years, to
ancient Sumer and Babylon. There is reason to believe that the account is based on historical fact, from evidence
of a massive flood that wiped out a whole civilization in the region of the Black Sea some 7,500 years ago.
The biblical story of Noah ends with the sin of his son Ham. Father Moon regards this as a serious setback
for Gods providence. Always viewing history from a family perspective, he sees Hams mistake as fracturing
the unity of Noahs family such that it could no longer serve in Gods providence.
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God did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with
seven other persons, when he brought a flood
upon the ungodly.
2 Peter 2.5
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Satan. God abhors evil! If even a few people who are comfortable living in the satanic world have a
small amount of faith in Him, God would not be pleased. In Gods sight, the things that are precious
to people who compromise with evil would only defile His world.
Even ordinary people have such a feeling. We do not like anything about our enemy; we do not
even want to see him. If so, would the absolute God be pleased to receive praise from the evil world?
Hence, God worked in a way that made it impossible for the people of the fallen world to have faith
in Him. (69:94-95, October 21, 1973)
For one hundred and twenty years, Noah tolerated the faithless people who opposed and ridiculed
him. Even when God told him to warn them that the earth was about to be judged, he accomplished
his duty to God in faith. Because he was a righteous man, he was deeply concerned and saddened
for the corrupt society in which he lived. While most people were living for their personal comfort, Noah alone struggled to uphold the commandment of public righteousness; Noah alone was
concerned about the will of God; and Noah alone grieved in circumstances no one would want to
endure. (3:169-70, October 25, 1957)
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We can thus understand that when Noahs sons felt ashamed of their fathers nakedness and
covered his body, it was tantamount to acknowledging that they, like Adams family after the Fall,
had formed a shameful bond of kinship with Satan and were thus unworthy to come before God.
Satan, like the raven hovering over the water, was looking for a condition to invade Noahs family.
He attacked the family by taking Noahs sons as his object partners when they in effect acknowledged
that they were of his lineage. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Foundation 2.2)
Our forefather Noah worked alone. He built the ark with absolute faith, but his family did not unite
with him. Because of this, everything fell apart. If Ham had become one with his father in love, why
should he have felt shame? If Ham had been one in heart with Noah, he would have had no reason
to feel ashamed at seeing his fathers nakedness. Wouldnt it have been wonderful if Ham had lay
down to sleep naked beside his father? If so, when Noah awoke to see him naked, dont you think he
would have blessed him, saying, My son is just like me? (268:293, April 3, 1995)
If only Noah had been more prudent after the Flood and had not lain naked! Had he been more
prudent, would he have done it? Had he been more persevering, would he have allowed himself to
get drunk? Certainly not! (99:38, August 27, 1978)
Abraham
Abraham is the source of the three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He is the ancestor of the Jewish people; for Christians he is the father of faith (Romans 4.1-3); in Islam he set up the Kaaba
in Mecca and is the father of the Arab people through Ishmael. Abraham is renowned as the first monotheist,
who came to the truth of the one God despite growing up in an idol-makers household. Then he left home at
Gods command and obediently followed to an unknown land. He put his life and his future in Gods hands,
trusting that He would provide. Though sojourning as a stranger among the peoples of Canaan, he showed
remarkable compassion for them, particularly when he interceded for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Father Moon teaches that God entrusted His entire providence to Abraham, and looked to him as a partner
to make the conditions on earth needed to advance the work of salvation. Therefore, every act, every offering,
every prayer of Abraham was fraught with significance. When Abraham did well, as when he left home at
Gods command without hesitation, Gods providence advanced. When Abraham made a mistake, as when he
failed to cut the birds in two at the important sacrifice described in Genesis chapter 15, Gods providence was
set back and prolonged. When there was a quarrel in Abrahams family, as between Sarah and Hagar, it created
a negative condition for enmity between Jews and Arabs that has persisted to this day.
Abraham passed through many trials in his walk of faith. The culmination of these, when God asked him
to sacrifice his son, is treated in the next section.
make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who
curses you I will curse; and by you all the families
of the earth shall bless themselves.
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Abraham was the most-loved son of an idol merchant, and he lived well under his parents care.
However, one day God called him saying, Abraham, Abraham! You must leave from the house of
your father Terah and go to the land I will show you. God did not give him any advance preparation; the order came to him suddenly, like a bolt out of the blue. Yet in that circumstance, Abraham
was not supposed to hesitate. He had to leave at once, as if he had been waiting for Gods order. He
could not say, Lord, please give me some time to get ready. He had to depart immediately. Had he
not done so, it would have been a grave mistake affecting many generations and even the course of
human history. In other words, had Abraham delayed, it would have been a condition that Satan
could accuse, nullifying all Gods historical efforts heretofore. Knowing this, those who are to attend
Gods command must act right away. (43:270, May 1, 1971)
Suppose Abraham had gone to his parents and said, Father, Mother, God has commanded me to
leave Ur and travel to an unknown land. I intend to obey Him. They undoubtedly would have said,
Are you crazy? Therefore, he could not say a word about it. Moreover, his instructions were not
just to visit a nearby village. God instructed him to journey to a strange land, as far away as Egypt.
Abraham could overcome these obstacles and leave home because he had absolute faith in
Gods words. His love for God was absolute, greater than his love for his parents, his relatives or his
homeland. To Abraham, nothing was more important that Gods command; he cherished it more
than his own life. I am sure he stole away in the middle of the night. Suddenly he found himself
wandering like a gypsy. He lived in self-denial; he had given up everything. (69:95, October 21,
1973)
In the land of Canaan, God trained Abraham. As God advanced the dispensation, He put Abraham
in circumstances where he would weep, not only for his own people but also for other peoples and
even his enemies
God conducted His work by having Abraham wander about like a gypsy in a foreign land.
Though a stranger, he prayed sincerely, in tears, for the peoples salvation. That is why God could
establish Abraham as the ancestor of faith and to bless his descendants to prosper greatly like the
stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. (52:53, December 14, 1971)
In the wilderness, Abraham our ancestor, awaited the coming of the day when Gods reign could be
established. He left the fertile rivers of his homeland in hope, looking towards the day when the sons
and daughters whom God had blessed would multiply and fill the earth like the stars in the sky and
the sand on the seashore, and smite the evil world.
Why should we care about Abraham? We, too, are enslaved in the country of the enemy, behind
its prison bars. We, too, should feel thoroughly disgusted with our lives in this fallen environment.
We should also feel goose bumps at the prospect of freedom. If you cannot feel this, then you are not
worthy to be called true believers before Heaven.
For what purpose did God raise Abraham? It was not for just himself and his descendants. It
was to create a bridge for God to reach out to distant peoples living in the enemy camp, in Satans
world.11 Abraham was to make a foundation for Gods providence to expand outward. However,
because the connection between Heaven and earth was still fragile, God had to begin by working
through Abrahams direct lineage. Thus, He referred to Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob
God blessed Abraham on the condition, You must not compromise with Satans world. You
must not assimilate into Satans world. You are My chosen people. Your life should be different; your
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feelings, desires and ideals should all be different. Your descendants shall live only if they overcome
lifes challenges by relying on Me. This was the nature of the blessing Abraham passed on to Isaac.
Isaac kept it and conveyed it to Jacob, and Jacob likewise conveyed it to his descendants. (7:215-16,
September 13, 1959)
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Abraham said, My Lord! Make safe this territory [of Mecca], and preserve my sons and me
from serving idols. My Lord! Truly they have led
many of mankind astray. But whoever follows
me, he truly is of me. And whoever disobeys
mestill, You are Forgiving, Merciful.
Our Lord, I have settled some of my posterity
in an uncultivable valley near your Sacred
House, Lord, that they may establish proper
worship; so incline some hearts of men that they
may yearn toward them, and provide them with
fruits in order that they may be thankful.12
Quran 14.35-37
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Americathis Sodom and Gomorrah-like hell! Unless I can deal with it and restore it, the Kingdom
of Heaven cannot be built. It has every element that can ruin the youth of the world. It is the breeding place of drugs, promiscuity, and all manner of corruption. I am trying to clean it up with my own
hands. (105:324, October 28, 1979)
Since I came to America I have been working as hard as I can, and also I am pushing Americans to
go through many hardships. Nevertheless, if we can prosper, it can be a blessing to America, and an
indemnity condition that can cover the failure of America to fulfill its God-given mission. Then, I
can pray to God, Heavenly Father, please have regard for these Thy children and forgive America
for their sakes. Although America deserves to perish, because these children are devoted to Thee,
please save this nation. It is similar to Abrahams prayer when he pleaded with God to spare Sodom
and Gomorrah if ten righteous people could be found. (103:200, February 25, 1979)
Isaac
Of all the tests of faith that Abraham faced, surely none was more difficult than the command that he
sacrifice his son as a burnt offering. Yet, Abraham was obedient to Gods order. He journeyed with his son to
Mount Moriah, bound him and placed him on the altar, and was about to kill him only to be stopped at the
last minute by an angel. The Bible identifies this son as Isaac, although in the Islamic tradition he is thought
to have been Ishmael.
On the way to Mount Moriah, Isaacs faith was tested as much as Abrahams. He was old enough to
understand what was about to happen; yet he was determined to unite with his fathers wishes even at the
cost of his life. He was an exemplary son in this regard.
Father Moon challenges us: Do we have the faith of Isaac, ready to die on Gods altar? Do we have the faith
of Abraham, ready if need be to send a beloved child into the face of death for the sake of Gods will? Have we
raised our children to have the faith of Isaac, ready to support their parents in faith?
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Jacob
Jacob is one of the most victorious figures in the Bible, and one of the most problematical. Clever
and ambitious, he tricked his brother into selling him his birthright and deceived his father Isaac into giving him
his brothers blessing. Yet, as he went through hardships in Haran and was himself deceived and mistreated by
his uncle Laban, we sense a growing maturity that comes to fruition when he is able to win over his hostile
brother with gifts and genuine humility. Through all the vicissitudes in his life, we can see his genuine faith in
God and his desire to guard and perpetuate the godly tradition of his forefathers Abraham and Isaac.
Father Moon has the highest regard for Jacob, whom he regards as the most successful providential figure
in the Old Testament. In reconciling with his brother Esau, Jacob is the first person in biblical history to win
over his enemy with love and sacrifice. In Father Moons view of Gods providence as a course of restoration,
to turn right-side up all the things turned upside-down by the human fall, Jacob restored much: By defeating
the angel he restored for the first time Adams defeat by the angel Lucifer, and by winning over his brother Esau
he restored for the first time the failure of Cain and Abel. Jacob is a role model to Father Moon, and to anyone
who understands that God entrusts to us a certain portion of responsibilityto exert ourselves to overcome
adversity and restore the mistakes of the past. Therefore, his appellation Israel, meaning he who strives with
God is well deserved.
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Here we must know that even though Jacob was in the loneliest of situations, still he thought
of nothing else but Gods Will. Because of that, other things in his life did not matter; the important
thing was to accomplish Gods Will. He grew farther from the world but came to receive more love
from God. (52:64-65, December 22, 1971)
After being chased out and spurned by his relatives, how did Jacob overcome his difficulties? He
never forgot the blessing he received from God, and he kept unwavering faith in God. He vowed
he would not change no matter how his circumstances changed. Jacob had such faith that, even
if Heaven did not believe in him, he was determined to make his family believe in him. He was
determined to complete the unfinished task of the blessing given to him, and thus laid the foundation upon which God could advance His providence. With a burning desire to inherit the will of
Heavens principle that God had tried to establish through Abrahams family, Jacob could form a
family of faith and return after twenty-one years. (4:139-40, March 30, 1958)
You are in the position of Jacob. You knew that Gods blessing was yours, and with faith in this movement you left your homes. Those of you who faced opposition and persecution from your parents
and siblings, raise your hands. After leaving his home, could Jacob go directly to God? No, he
had to go to Haran. You, too, must go to your own Haran, the world where you must experience
drudgery and there restore people and possessions. (67:123, May 27, 1973)
striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. Then Jacob asked him, Tell me, I pray,
your name. But he said, Why is it that you ask
my name? And there he blessed him. So Jacob
called the name of the place Peniel, saying, For
I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is
preserved. The sun rose upon him as he passed
Penuel, limping because of his thigh.22
Genesis 32.24-31
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Both God and Satan were watching that scene. Jacob was desperate, knowing that this was the
final showdown. Hence, even when the angel struck him in his hip and his thigh, he did not release
the angel from his grasp. He thought, If I die, I die. Even if we both die, I will not let go of you. It
was nerve-wracking for God to watch Jacob in that battle. Since the angel was fighting on behalf
of Satan, God did not want Jacob to give up, but He could not say anything to Jacob. Imagine how
anxious God must have been to watch each moment ticking during the battle between the two?
Jacob did not give up even to the last moment. He would not let go of the angel no matter
how desperately the angel tried to shake him off. At that point, God publicly acknowledged Jacobs
victory, and the angel, as Satans representative, had to acknowledge it as well. Hence, he blessed
Jacob with the name Israel. At that moment, all the hosts of heaven shouted for joy. They deeply
exhaled, now that anxiety over the outcome was relieved.
Jacobs love for God, that enabled him to hold onto Gods neck, shedding tears for Him for
twenty years, far surpassed Gods relationship with Adam and Eve before the Fall. Therefore, he
could receive the name Israel. (20:229-30, June 9, 1968)
If Jacob had not been so well trained in Haran under the servitude of Laban, he would not have
been able to defeat the angel at the ford of Jabbok. Jacob knew that those 21 years of bitter struggle
were all for this moment. He knew that what happened this night would determine victory or defeat.
That is what enabled him to persevere until the end and win. The strength cultivated during his
21-year course also enabled him to subjugate Esau. Then, he could be reunited with his parents.
(67:126, May 27, 1973)
The Human Fall occurred when an angel, Lucifer, subjugated human beings; therefore, in restoration humans must subjugate an angel. For this reason God sent the angel and let him attack Jacob.
Once Jacob defeated the angel, it would open the door to defeating Esau, the substantial being of
the archangel who was under the control of the spiritual Satan
What was the meaning of Jacobs victory over the angel? It was a spiritual victory over the entire
angelic world. From that time on Jacob was assisted not only by God but also by the angelic world wherever
he went. Most importantly, Satan could no longer spiritually control Esau, so when Esau confronted
Jacob the next day, he was bound to submit to his younger brother. (92:285, April 18, 1977)
Why did the angel strike the hollow of Jacobs thigh? The human fall was caused by the misuse of
the lower parts; therefore, the blow to the sinful part of the body was an act of restitution by the
principle of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Once that restitution was complete, the angel
was free to bless Jacob. (55:113, April 1, 1972)
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Jacob knew his brother Esau was ready to kill him. So he resolved to offer his wealth and servants
to his elder brother. He wanted to give them all to Esau, all the things that he had earned during his
entire life. Jacob prayed to God not to punish Esau, but asked God to bless Esau as He had blessed
him. Because of that heart, Esau was moved to relinquish his desire to kill Jacob; and he too received
Gods blessing. (52:64-65, December 22, 1971)
When Jacob returned home and wanted to claim the position of the elder son that he had been
blessed with years before, who should publicly acknowledge him? Who should sign the certificate?
It is Esau, in the position of Cain, who should signify his approval. Without Esaus approval, Jacob
could not receive the blessing from God.
During his twenty-one years in a foreign land, Jacob had prospered and gathered his own clan.
He knew he had to make a superior foundation in every aspect in order to overcome Esau That is
why Jacob worked hard to gain cattle, servants and property; he needed to have more wealth than
his brother. Then he could send gifts of servants and possessions to his brother, and to his elderly
parents as well.
Through these gifts, Jacob wanted to make his elder brother think: My brother is a fearful man.
Indeed, God blessed him. It was my mistake that I sold my birthright so cheaply; hence I deserve
to be less successful than my younger brother. So, when my brother comes, I should not reject him.
I should rather welcome him. In this way, Jacob could move Esau to recognize that God was with
him, and to acknowledge that he was in the position of Abel.23
This is the path we should walk; this is the tradition we should follow. It is a formula, applicable
in any situation and in every age. (106:183-84, December 30, 1979)
The Bible records that God hated Esau from the womb (Romans 9:11-13), but this was only because
he had been given the role of Cain, who was on Satans side, for the purpose of setting up an indemnity condition in the providence of restoration. When he fulfilled his portion of responsibility by
submitting to Jacob, he restored Cains position and thus at last was able to receive Gods love.
(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Foundation 3.2)
Only after the reunion with his brother Esau could Jacob meet his parents whom he had missed for
so many years and enjoy the peace he had longed for. We, too, can enter Gods kingdom and meet
God and True Parents only after we have gone through the course of Jacob and made oneness with
the Esaus in our life, for such is the restoration of Cain and Abel. (67:135, May 27, 1973)
Joseph
Joseph, the dreamer, was hated by his brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt; yet years later when he rose
to a high position and his brothers came to Egypt to buy food, he had the opportunity to help them in their
distress. Josephs troubles with his older brothers, and their eventual reconciliation, mirrored Jacobs life-long
struggle with his older brother Esau. But Joseph is also a story of a godly man rising to a position of great
power. Unlike Jacob, Joseph had the power to get revenge on his brothers, and indeed he used it to discomfit
them and make them admit their former crime. Yet in the end he forgave them and helped them, because he
saw some goodness in themthat they truly cared for their father Jacob.
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Father Moon identifies with Josephs life of misfortunes and supposedly chance encounters that turned
out to be part of a larger divine plan. He is particularly interested in Josephs motives for forgiveness, and he
applies it to his own situation, as a leader who has endured persecution from his Christian brothers.
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These phenomena occur when the spirit world descends and tries to teach you. It may employ
one of several distinct types of messages: God or Jesus may appear, an angel may convey a message,
or one of your ancestors may appear and speak to you. It is not always easy to understand the
meaning and significance of such dreams. (91:274, February 27, 1977)
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happened? She would say, Its amazing! I am so glad that my ankle was broken. Thank you, ankle!
Amen! and add proudly, In all of history, there is no one who was witnessed to the way I was!
Therefore, do not pray, Please God, guard me from getting into a car accident. Instead, think
that a car accident could be the opportunity that opens the door to many unexpected blessings.
Who knows the future? You cannot see it. So how do you know whether to complain about your
situation or be grateful? Since you do not know, be grateful. That is the attitude of a wise person.
(November 4, 1990)
People in prison fit into two categories. One category is criminals who violated the legitimate interests of society for selfish reasons and broke the law. Even Satans world25 does not like such people.
The second category is godly people who are disliked by people in Satans world. Since people in
Satans world are Gods enemies, they target the people on Gods side for imprisonment. Everyone in
prison, everyone who is executed under Satans sovereignty, belongs to one of these two categories.
This has been so throughout history.
God uses the imprisonment of godly people to cut the satanic net that covers this world and, by
casting Heavens net, to connect all people to the rope of Gods love. Even though the powers of the
satanic world put a godly person in prison, they cannot handle him or digest him. Eventually, they
will have to pay a penalty.
When a person whom Satans world imprisons loves God more intensely than Satans people love
in their self-centered way, he creates a problem for Satans world. It will have to pay compensation a
million-fold. Why? Satan knows that he should belong to God and be under the authority of Gods
realm of true love. Therefore, as long as God is alive, when someone is exhibiting true love, Satan
cannot show his face. If he nevertheless causes any harm to come to that person, he will have to pay
a heavy price for eternity.
This is the very strategy of God. Often in the past, God sent His beloved children into a situation
where they would stand up for righteousness and purposefully make problems for the evil world.
They would be imprisoned and sometimes even executed. Yet by killing Gods children, the satanic
world has had to pay compensation for thousands of years. By this strategy God could expand the
foundation of religion throughout the world. (167:305-06, August 20, 1987)
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Joseph forgave his eleven brothers when they visited him in Egypt because, despite their evil, he
knew that they cared for his parents during his absence. Likewise, we cannot help but bless the
Christian churches that oppose us because they served God before the Unification Church came
into being. (Way of Gods Will 1.3)
Moses
Moses led an adventurous life, from the comforts of the palace to the hardships of exile in Midian, from
the heady days when he led the Israelites in their exodus from Egypt to his painful struggle to keep them united
during their long years of wandering in the wilderness. Yet two constants guided Moses every step of the way:
his zealous love for his people and his firm faith in the transcendent God who is mighty to save.
The Bible says that Moses alone knew God face to face. Father Moon focuses on this aspect of Moses
inner life, explaining that Moses was keenly aware of Gods anguished heart over the plight of His people and
knew Gods burning desire to free them and establish them as a nation in Canaan. Hence he was willing to
sacrifice everything to relieve Gods anguish and establish the Israelites in a way that would be acceptable
to God.
Now Moses was keeping the flock of his fatherin-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; and he led
his flock to the west side of the wilderness,
and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
And the angel of the Lord appeared to him
in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush;
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All the footsteps Moses took were adventurous. Because he kept the transcendent center of Gods
providence close to his heart, his whole life transcended reality. All that he saw, and all the battles
he fought, transcended reality.
As Moses was journeying to Pharaohs palace at Gods command, one would think that God
would have blessed and protected him. Instead, He blocked Moses path and tried to kill him. Why
did God try to impede and kill Moses, who was, after all, carrying out His orders? This is something
incomprehensible.
According to common sense, if God blocks your way there should be no way to pass. However,
Moses was determined; his heart yearned to fulfill Gods will even at the risk of his life. Therefore
he overcame this test, one that had been set up by God and Satan. Moses, who believed firmly in
the transcendent God, was an adventurous revolutionary on the universal scale, unprecedented in
history. With the same conviction, Moses, went on to perform more than ten miracles in Pharaohs
palace.
With his transcendent faith, Moses did not succumb to anyones opposition. That is why he
could lead the six hundred thousand Israelites out of Egypt. Looking at it, the whole of Moses life
was a path of transcendent adventure. (1:267, December 2, 1956)
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Deuteronomy 9.11-29
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When Moses gave the law to the Israelites, he introduced the God of authority, power and judgment instead of the God of love. The reason he did so was to protect and raise them with the law
as Heavens people. It was to lead them to the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey,
and thereby accomplish Gods Will of restoration. (35:260, October 25, 1970)
Moses did not act centering on himself. From important strategic decisions to trivial details, he
did nothing without seeking Gods direction first. In this way, Moses could enter the palace of the
Pharaoh, perform miracles and bring on ten plagues, and lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into
the wilderness.
In that danger-filled wilderness, the Israelites should have united with Moses. The wilderness
and its privations should not have deterred them. They should have been of one accord with Moses,
who had freed them from slavery and was leading them to the land of Canaan. There should have
been no disputing with him. Nevertheless, they did not unite with Moses, but deviated from Gods
path and perished.
Why did the Israelites perish in the wilderness? They did not know Moses hidden devotion, who
as their leader continually appealed to God on their behalf. What is more, they did not recognize
the hardships and ordeals Moses suffered on their behalf, from the day he rescued them from Egypt
through the years of shepherding them through the wilderness. Consequently, they felt estranged
from Moses, and eventually they perished in the wilderness
Whenever he faced the Israelites mistrust and lack of faith in him, Moses first repented in front
of God for his own lack of ability. For example, [after the Israelites fell to worshipping the golden
calf,] Moses again went up to Mount Sinai and offered a forty-day fast and prayer. He cried out,
Father, why is this people not able to enter the land that Thou hast promised, even when it lays
before their eyes? Who does the blame fall upon? The responsibility lies with me. I could not fulfill
my responsibility to lead them well. Therefore, please accept me as the sacrifice and keep the people
from going down the path to destruction. If the Israelites had known that Moses was fasting with
such an anguished heart, not for his own sake but for theirs, they would not have made the golden
calf and worshipped it. (1:143-144, July 1, 1956)
When they were in the wilderness, they had no way to survive unless they followed Moses. But
once they reached the Jordan River, Moses told them to cross ahead of him. It was beautiful to
see them excitedly crossing the river and dashing into Canaan. However, Moses remained behind.
Did Moses complain, How could you do this to me, crossing the river and leaving me behind!?
No, Moses only felt, It is alright for me to die here. You, my children, should go and occupy the
land with Gods blessing forevermore. He lifted up his hands and prayed, God, look at these
Israelites, more courageous than I. Please protect them and give them a hopeful future! God was
astonished to hear Moses prayer and exclaimed, Moses, you are a great leader. Please take a rest
now. I will see that your prayer is fulfilled. What a wonderful death Moses had! (189:249-50,
April 9, 1989)
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1. Sarah
Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram
went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about
to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, I know
that you are a woman beautiful to behold; and
when the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is
his wife; then they will kill me, but they will let
you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well
with me because of you, and that my life may be
spared on your account. When Abram entered
Egypt the Egyptians saw that the woman was
very beautiful. And when the princes of Pharaoh
saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the
woman was taken into Pharaohs house. And for
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tomorrow. Thinking of her difficult life, Sarah could have felt, What a lousy husband! He has only
brought me misfortune morning, day and night. And now he asks me to call him my elder brother,
not my husband
Despite such ordeals, Sarah maintained a hopeful heart and united with her husband. They did
not fight during their long journeying. Beside every great man there must be a great woman. Since
she was such a great wife to Abraham, if he were ever to take her for granted and try to strike her,
God would have been angry with him. (49:144, October 9, 1971)
What about Abraham was better than Noah? Abrahams wife Sarah obeyed Abraham when he
asked her to pose as his sister. Noahs wife, on the other hand, opposed Noah when he asked her to
support him in doing something beyond common sense. From this perspective, Abrahams wife was
better than Noahs wife. Noahs family members opposed Noah. His son Ham treated his father with
contempt because his mother who raised him was filled with complaints against her husband. Isaac,
on the other hand, was raised in the bosom of his mother Sarah who was united with her husband
Abraham; hence he willingly obeyed his father even in a situation where he was to be killed. Sarah
is the reason why Abrahams family was better than Noahs family. (46:322, August 17, 1971)
Without knowing it, Abraham walked this providential course to restore the positions in Adams
family. When the Archangel took Evecapturing under his dominion all of Eves descendants and
the natural worldAdam and Eve were still brother and sister. For Abraham to make the indemnity
condition to restore this, he was deprived of Sarah, who was playing the role of his sister, by Pharaoh,
who represented Satan. He then had to take her back from Pharaoh as his wife, together with Lot
as the representative of all humanity, and wealth symbolizing the natural world. This course which
Abraham walked was a model course for Jesus to walk in his day.26 (Exposition of the Divine Principle,
Foundation 3.1.2.1)
2. Rebecca
Now Rebecca was listening when Isaac spoke to
his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field
to hunt for game and bring it, Rebecca said to
her son Jacob, I heard your father speak to your
brother Esau, Bring me game, and prepare for
me savory food, that I may eat it, and bless you
before the Lord before I die. Now therefore, my
son, obey my word as I command you. Go to the
flock, and fetch me two good kids, that I may
prepare from them savory food for your father,
such as he loves; and you shall bring it to your
father to eat, so that he may bless you before
he dies. But Jacob said to Rebecca his mother,
Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I
am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel
me, and I shall seem to be mocking him, and
Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and
Esau said to himself, The days of mourning
for my father are approaching; then I will kill
my brother Jacob. But the words of Esau her
older son were told to Rebecca; so she sent and
called Jacob her younger son, and said to him,
Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself by
planning to kill you. Now therefore, my son,
obey my voice; arise, flee to Laban my brother
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Jacob worked hard for that, of course, but his mother worked even harderhundreds of times
harder. She worked hard to change their attitudes, making sure they pledged repeatedly not to
kill Jacob. How much rested upon Rebecca! She fulfilled a vital mission to make the restoration
possible. (244:240-41, February 14, 1993)
A woman, Eve, fell by uniting with the archangel. She denied her father God and Adam her intended
husband. Therefore women, be on your guard! You should expect to take the lead in the course of
restoration; you will go first on this path ahead of the men. Woman must rise up who can face down
opposition from their fathers and their husbands in the satanic world. Unless you can be steadfast,
the men in your life cannot return to the original world.
Religions have been developing through this formula; they are in the role of the bride. Hence,
in general, women are more fervent in religious persuasion while men are more worldly. Whenever
faithful women seek for God, they are bound to face opposition from both Satan and the men in
their life. (89:208, November 22, 1976)
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4. Tamar
Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and her
name was Tamar. But Er, Judahs first-born, was
wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord
slew him. Then Judah said to Onan, Go in to
your brothers wife, and perform the duty of
a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring
for your brother. But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in
to his brothers wife he spilled the semen on
the ground, lest he should give offspring to his
brother.30 And what he did was displeasing in
the sight of the Lord, and he slew him also.
Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law,
Remain a widow in your fathers house, till
Shelah my son grows upfor he feared that he
would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and
dwelt in her fathers house.
In course of time the wife of Judah, Shuas
daughter, died; and when Judah was comforted,
he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he
and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. And when
Tamar was told, Your father-in-law is going up
to Timnah to shear his sheep, she put off her
widows garments, and put on a veil, wrapping
herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim,
which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw
that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been
given to him in marriage. When Judah saw her,
he thought her to be a harlot, for she had covered
her face. He went over to her at the roadside,
and said, Come, let me come in to you, for
he did not know that she was his daughter-inlaw. She said, What will you give me, that you
may come in to me? He answered, I will send
you a kid from the flock. And she said, Will
you give me a pledge, till you send it? He said,
What pledge shall I give you? She replied,
Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is
in your hand. So he gave them to her, and went
in to her, and she conceived by him. Then she
arose and went away, and taking off her veil she
put on the garments of her widowhood
About three months later Judah was
told, Tamar your daughter-in-law has played
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5. Rahab
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the
son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was
the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob,
and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah
by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and
Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father
of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of
Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon,
and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and
Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the
father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the
king. And David was the father of Solomon by
the wife of Uriah
Matthew 1.1-6
Joshua 2.1-15
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6. Bathsheba
It happened, late one afternoon, when David
arose from his couch and was walking upon
the roof of the kings house, that he saw from
the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was
very beautiful. And David sent and inquired
about the woman. And one said, Is not this
Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of
Uriah the Hittite? So David sent messengers,
and took her; and she came to him, and he lay
with her. (Now she was purifying herself from
her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her
house. And the woman conceived; and she sent
and told David, I am with child.
So David sent word to Joab, Send me Uriah
the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David
David said to Uriah, Go down to your house,
and wash your feet. And Uriah went out of the
kings house, and there followed him a present
from the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the
kings house with all the servants of his lord, and
did not go down to his house. When they told
David, Uriah did not go down to his house,
David said to Uriah, Have you not come from
a journey? Why did you not go down to your
house? Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel
and Judah dwell in booths; and my lord Joab and
the servants are my lord are camping in the open
field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to
drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and
as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab,
and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he
wrote, Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest
fighting, and then draw back from him, that he
may be struck down, and die. And as Joab was
besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place
where he knew there were valiant men. And the
men of the city came out and fought with Joab;
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Heavens will. In other words, she believed that King Davids act was not done out of ill intent, but
rather to fulfill a greater purpose of God. Further, Bathsheba was a patriot who prayed for her nation
to be victorious even if her husband Uriah might have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Bathsheba thought that although her husband was killed, it was honorable for him to die as
a loyal subject. Moreover, it was to his honor that she accepted being offered to the king with joy.
She had such a high-standard viewpoint. She thought, It is my duty to my husband that I offer
myself to the king with loyalty and devotion. With this attitude, she married King David. On this
foundation, she could give birth to King Solomon. (40:97, January 24, 1971)
King Solomons mother was Bathsheba. She had been the wife of Uriah, but King David stole her
from him. How, then, could the child from that union become King Solomon? Bathsheba was in
the position of a second wife.32 In terms of the providence to restore the positions in the Garden of
Eden before the Fall, David was in the position of Adam and Uriah was in the position of the archangel. But the position of Eve had to be restored through a woman in the position of the wife of the
Archangel. The archangel caused Eve to fall by stealing her from Adam, her original partner, and
possessing her with false love. In order to indemnify this, David, Uriah and Bathsheba should repeat
this triangular relationship and reverse it. The child born on the foundation of having fulfilled this
condition according to the standard of the Principle would be a child of glory, blessed with Heavens
love. That child of glory was King Solomon. (35:168, October 13, 1970)
7. Mary
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent
from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was
Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgins
name was Mary. And he came to her and said,
Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you! But
she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this
might be. And the angel said to her, Do not be
afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and
bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
He will be great, and will be called the Son
of the Most High;
and the Lord God will give to him the
throne of his father David,
and he will reign over the house of Jacob
for ever;
and of his kingdom there will be no end.
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Luke 1.26-42, 56
The angels said, Mary, God gives you good tidings of a Word from him, whose name is the
Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in the
world and in the Hereafter, and one of those
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me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (Luke 1.42-43) With these words she testified
to the coming birth of Jesus.
In this way, God let Mary, Zechariah, and Elizabeth know about the birth of the Messiah
before anyone else. All of them had the absolutely crucial mission of following the will of God and
serving Jesus. Zechariahs family let Mary stay in their house. Jesus was conceived in the house of
Zechariah.
Elizabeth and Mary were cousins on their mothers side. But according to Gods providence they
were considered sisters, with Elizabeth as the elder (Cain) and Mary as the younger (Abel). Mary
received Elizabeths help in the presence of Zechariah. Through this cooperation, Zechariahs family,
on the national level, indemnified the lack of unity between Leah and Rachel in Jacobs family. This
allowed Jesus to be conceived. For the first time in history, there could be born on earth, free of
satanic accusation and through a prepared womb, the seed of the Son of Godthe seed of the True
Father. In this way, the only begotten Son of God, the owner of the first love of God, was born.
Mary had to achieve something that could not be understood by common sense, nor easily
tolerated under the law of those times. Mary, Elizabeth, and Zechariah had been spiritually moved.
They were to follow the revelation that came from God, and unconditionally believe that it was the
will and desire of God. (277:206-07, April 16, 1996)
8. Mary Magdalene
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to
Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had
raised from the dead. There they made him a
supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of
those at table with him. Mary took a pound of
costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the
feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair;
and the house was filled with the fragrance of
the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said, Why
was this ointment not sold for three hundred
denarii and given to the poor?
John 12.1-4
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Him rejoicing with his Bride, receive Gods marriage Blessing and become the True Parents but
Jesus departed this world without receiving the Blessing by which he could restore the position of
humanitys true ancestor. This is the sorrow of both God and Jesus. (5:187, January 18, 1959)
Among the disciples, Jesus loved Judas Iscariot in particular. He made Judas his object partner,
through whom to restore Gods primary Will. Jesus intended to use him in order to erect a woman in
the position of Eve, but to do this they should fulfill the roles of the personages involved in the Fall.
Specifically, Gods Will required that Jesus set up Judass wife as the new Eve. This woman was Mary
Magdalene. She had been Judas lover, but now as a disciple she was absolutely obedient to Jesus. So,
just as Satan had taken Eve from Adam, Jesus [as Adam] planned to take Judass woman to be the
new Eve. That way the three of them would fulfill Gods will according to the Principle.
Accordingly, Jesus first acknowledged that Mary Magdalene belonged to Judas Iscariot. Then
Jesus commenced the providence by choosing her to be his Eve. While this fundamental providence
was going on, in the meantime Satan was fully on the attack, mobilizing the Pharisees and scribes
against Jesus. Regardless, had Judas Iscariot trusted, obeyed and attended Jesus in this matter,
they would have established the foundation for the fulfillment of Gods Will. But Judas was full of
discontent and confronted Jesus. That was the beginning of his rebellion against his Teacher, which
culminated when he sold out the One Man unique in all human history for a mere 30 pieces of silver.
(Wolli Wonbon 242-43)33
Buddha
Father Moon honors Shakyamuni as the greatest saint of Asia. His life is a model for anyone who
leaves family and friends behind in the search for truth. He was also persecuted during his ministry for attracting young people who abandoned their families, wives, children and wealth to become monks and nuns and
follow the path to enlightenment. That blissful state, experienced by the Buddha and many Buddhists since,
brought him to the summit of the universe. Everyone would do well to emulate his spiritual practice and find
that state.
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483
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One, blessed and worthy, abounding in wisdom and goodness, happy with the knowledge
of the worlds, unsurpassed as a guide to erring
mortals, a teacher of gods and men, a blessed
Buddha. He thoroughly understands this universe, as though he saw it face to face The
Truth does he proclaim both in its letter and in
its spirit, lovely in its origin, lovely in its progress, lovely in its consummation. A higher life
does he make known in all its purity and in all
its perfection.
Dhammapada 153-54
Confucius
Born into a era of incessant warfare, the sage Confucius saw beyond the troubles of his own
day and sought for the universal principles of morality that could be the basis of a peaceful world. He gathered
a circle of disciples and traveled from kingdom to kingdom, seeking to interest the rulers in his ideas. Though
he was rejected again and again, Confucius maintained an optimistic attitude, based on the faith that Heaven
was using him for a higher purpose. Though not accepted in his day, Confucius teachings became the foundation of East Asian civilization.
Father Moon respects Confucius for his faith in God, which he called Heaven, and his single-minded
focus to seek a higher truth transcending his meager circumstances. He regards Confucius as a counterpart
to Jesus: he taught the outward form of social relations in the Kingdom of heaven, while Jesus taught and
embodied its inward spirit.
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Analects 9.5
Though his food might be coarse rice and vegetable broth, Confucius inevitably offered a little
in sacrifice, and always with solemnity.
Analects 10.8
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Jesus
Sun Myung Moon regards Jesus of Nazareth as the greatest of all the religious founders. He has
made an exhaustive study of his life and work; his speeches about Jesus take up many volumes. He does not
view Jesus from the conventional Christian perspective as the Savior who fulfilled everything through his atoning death on the cross. No, Father Moons Jesus knew he had a much greater missionto live and establish
Gods Kingdom on earth during his lifetime. The crucifixion cut short his mission, frustrated his aspirations,
and prolonged the centuries of suffering and wars while the Kingdom tarried until the days of the Second Coming. It is through this lens that he views scripture passages about Jesus person, preparations for his coming,
his relations with his family, his ministry, the cross, and the resurrection.
Father Moon knows Jesus as the man of sorrows. He asserts that even in his youth, during the 30 years
prior to beginning his public life, Jesus was misunderstood and ridiculed by his family and his village. The fact
that Jesus never married, when it was customary for all Jewish men in their twenties to do so, is taken not as a
mark of special holiness but rather as the painful lot of a man of questionable birth and strange behavior who
was not regarded as marriageable.
When it came time for Jesus to begin his ministry, all Heavens attempts to prepare the Jewish people to
welcome him ended in failurenotably the ministry of John the Baptist. Consequently, Jesus was never able to
preach what he set out to preach: the gospel of the Kingdom of God in plain language. Instead he had to speak
in obscure parables. He was never able to do what he set out to do: lead a spiritual and political movement to
win Israels independence from Rome and establish Gods Kingdom throughout the world.
Jesus sorrow only increased as the forces opposing his ministry grew stronger and he was compelled to
take an alternative course, the way of the cross. His grief was exacerbated by the weakness of his disciples, who
fled and scattered leaving him alone at the end. In the Garden of Gethsemane he prayed desperately, knowing
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the sorrow of God and the sufferings of generations to come that would ensue if he took that path and died
without completing his original mission. But by that time the peoples rejection was unalterable; the die was
cast and he obediently accepted the cross as Gods will.
Yet Jesus never changed his heart-felt love for the people, even for those who were killing him. When he
forgave his enemies on the cross, it was an earth-shaking moment that changed history forever.
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand. And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel
of the kingdom and healing every disease and
every infirmity among the people.
Matthew 4.17, 23
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Moreover, more than anyone else, Jesus lived a truthful life for the sake of God. Disregarding
his personal life, he sought to elucidate the fundamental questions of the universe. Disregarding his
own glory, he labored and sacrificed endlessly to fulfill the will of God. By virtue of his consistent
heart and life, he was elevated before Heaven as the foremost torchbearer, representing all of history.
That is why he could confidently cry out, Believe in me. (3:14, September 8, 1957)
Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. What a bold statement! Was his way a treacherous mountain trail? No, it was a firm and solid road. Was his truth dim and obscure? No, he clearly
knew everything that he spoke. He intended that his truth should be welcomed by all peoples, and
it should become the measure of all truth. Was his life one of dying or thriving? He lowered himself
to serve others, yet as he said, those who humble themselves will be lifted up. (106:13, November
4, 1979)
People in a state of imperfection cannot establish the ideal world. People ignorant of the truth cannot lay its foundations. Therefore, God promised to send to Israel the Messiahthe one perfected
person with complete knowledge. Jesus would be the beginning of the God-centered sovereignty
and nation; this would be possible once the Israelites united absolutely with him.
That is, by attending38 the Messiah, immature people were to proceed on the path to individual
perfection and establish families, communities and a nation united with Jesus. They had to obey
Jesus will in its entirety. However, the Israelites who met the Messiah did not understand that God
had sent him. Neither did they know that Gods work for Jesus was to save not only his own people
but also the world. (54:41, March 10, 1972)
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God also hoped to see the appearance of the one being who could represent Him and act on
His behalf. This has been the center of Gods hopenot only during the course of the providence
of restoration since the Human Fall, but even since the beginning of creation.
The being God and creation hoped for would come as the incarnation of the Word Due to
the Fall of Adam and Eve, Gods Word returned to Him without being manifested on the earth;
meanwhile, separated from the Word, human beings still live on this earth. Therefore, God would
once again bestow His Word upon humanity. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Christology 4.1.1)
Because Jesus was born on the foundation of a purified lineage, having nothing to do with Satan, he
is indeed the Son of God. He could finally claim: I am the only begotten Son of God. No one like
Jesus had ever appeared before in human history
There have been other religious founders and saviors in history, but none of them was born
relating to God as a son to his Parent, because they did not have a purified lineage, unstained by
Satans polluted blood. Neither Buddha nor Confucius nor Mohammed came from such a background.
Therefore, Jesus birth on earth was truly the hope of all humankind. It is through the glory of his
person that we can receive new life and resurrection. (53:205-206, February 21, 1972)39
Hebrews 5.7-9
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hell on earth. Hence, as Jesus told Nicodemus, fallen people cannot see the Kingdom of God unless
they are first born anewas children without original sin.
We cannot be born without parents. Who, then, are the good parents through whom we can be
born again, cleansed of original sin and able to enter the Kingdom of God? Parents who have original
sin cannot give birth to good children who do not have original sin. Certainly, it is impossible to
find sinless parents among fallen humankind. These parents must descend from Heaven. Jesus was
the Parent who came from Heaven. He came as the True Father in order to give rebirth to fallen
people, transforming them into good children, thoroughly cleansed of original sin and fit to build the
Kingdom of Heaven on earth Jesus came as the True Father whom Adam had failed to become.
For this reason, the Bible speaks of him as the last Adam and the Everlasting Father. (1Cor.
15.45, Isa. 9.6) (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Christology 4.1.1)
Jesus said that the value of a human life cannot be exchanged for the entire universe Yet many
Christians say that God is very high while we human beings are sinners. They say that Jesus is God
while humans are creatures with no value. If that were true, how could we possibly be connected to
God? How could we realize our full potential to become God-like people? That teaching creates an
unbridgeable gap between God and human beings.
To connect us to God, Jesus should stand on the side of human beings. If he stood on the side
of God, we would have no hope. We read from the Bible, For there is one God, and there is one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Tim. 2.5) The passage is correct. Because
Jesus is a man, he provides the way for us sinners to approach God. If Jesus were God and not man,
we would have no way to approach Him. This is a fundamental issue; it requires the correct and
logical understanding.
Jesus is a sinless person while we are sinful peoplethat is the difference between him and us.
Because Jesus is sinless, he can relate with Gods love, life and ideal; and as the mediator, he can
connect us to Gods love, life and ideal. (69:80-81, October 20, 1973)
Let me ask you a question: Was Jesus a man or a woman? Of course he was a man. When Jesus
looked at a woman, do you think he saw her as a woman, or as a man? Of course, he saw her as a
woman. Then, do you think he sometimes felt an attraction? There is always the force of electricity pulling plus and minus toward each otherit is the law of nature. While Jesus was standing
there, an attractive woman would approach him. His body must have shaken like this [demonstrating]. His hand must have shaken, but his feet were firmly planted. He felt frustrated, but he
did not move his feet. He knew that if he moved he might fall, so he remained still and unwavering. Ordinary people respond to temptation, but Jesus never budged, even if his hand might have
touched her.
No matter how great we may be, we cannot consider ourselves to be greater than Jesus. Jesus
experienced the vulnerability of his human nature, but each time he drew the line and said, No,
I cannot do it. No, it is not permitted. I had better cut it off. By continually overcoming
temptation, he reached the point where he could say, Now I am in oneness. (128:78-79, June
5, 1983)
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4. Preparation for Christs Advent and the Responsibility of John the Baptist
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Who are little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
Micah 5.2
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Jesus said, Among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet
he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. (Matt. 11.11) What did he mean by
this? The mission of prophets through the ages was mainly to testify to the Messiah. Prophets in the
past testified from a distance of time, but John the Baptist was the prophet contemporary with the
Messiah, the prophet who could bear witness, in person, to the living Christ. Therefore he was the
greatest among prophets. However, John failed to love and serve the Messiah. Even the least of the
prophets then living in the spirit world knew that Jesus was the Son of God and served him. That is
why John, who was given the greatest mission and failed, became less than the least.
From his birth, John should have lived and died in the service of Christ, but instead he died over
involvement in a trivial matter, the affair of Herodias. Was that the path God intended for John the
Baptist?
Jesus said, From the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven has advanced
forcefully, and forceful men lay hold of it. (Matt. 11:12) In other words, Jesus said that during days
of John the Baptist just prior to the appearance of Jesus, there was the possibility that the Kingdom
of Heaven could be taken and claimed by forceful men.
If John the Baptist had believed in Jesus, he certainly would have become Jesus chief disciple.
Jesus 12 disciples and 70 disciples would have been the leaders of John the Baptists group. As Jews
of good reputation, they could have won over the scribes and priests to Jesus side.
One day Johns followers came to him and asked, Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the
Jordan, to whom you bore witness, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him. (John 3.26) They
carried concern in their question: Look at all the people going to Jesus. What about you? John
replied, He must increase, and I must decrease. (John 3.30) Usually this passage is interpreted as
evidence of Johns humility. But what it really means is that John and Jesus were not united in heart
and action. If Jesus and John had been united, their destiny would be to rise or fall together. Know,
then, that the reason Jesus died on the cross was due to the failure of John the Baptist. (69:139,
October 23, 1973)
The ancient children of the East were possessed of a wisdom which they inherited from
Abraham, who transmitted it to the sons of
his concubines, as it is written, Unto the
sons of the concubines that Abraham had,
Abraham gave gifts, and he sent them away
eastward, unto the country of the children of
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Matthew 8.11
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Luke 2.41-51
Mark 3.31-35
John 2.1-4
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Mary did not help Jesus with the wedding he desired. She even opposed it. Jesus words to Mary during the wedding at Cana, O woman, what have you to do with me? reveal his reproachful heart
toward his mother, who helped in the weddings of others but neglected to help her own son receive
a bride. Yet for Jesus to marry was the most important requirement of the providence. With this perspective, we can understand why Jesus asked, Who is my mother and who are my brothers? (Matt.
12:48) (277:210, April 16, 1996)
In those days it was customary for males to marry at around 18 to 20 years of age. Why did Jesus
not marry? Why was he still single even at the age of 33? In fact, when Jesus was 17 years old he
honestly told Mary the providential reason why he must marry: Adam fell around age 16, to restore
the Human Fall he had to marry, and a certain procedure would be required. Three times he spoke
of this to his mother: at age 17, then again at age 27 and again at age 30. But his mother would not
listen to him. (266:193, December 25, 1994)
The reason why Jesus had to go the way of the cross was only secondarily because the leaders of
Israel betrayed him and the Jews went against him. The primary reason was that Josephs family
could not prepare the day for Jesus to be blessed in a holy marriage. Had that one day come, Jesus
would not have died on the cross. (30:173-74, March 22, 1970)
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Jewish people as wellhe carried a heart of sorrow the like of which no one on the earth had ever
experienced.
Jesus appeared as the only Son of God, who came to resolve the 4,000-year history of Gods
providence. He came as the seal of victory that God could boast about before that generation and
countless generations to come. Yet it was with a sad heart Jesus that walked into the wilderness
alone, without a friend, leaving his family, the chosen John the Baptist, the religious authorities, and
his people behind.
Jesus set out, filled with determination and sense of mission to pay the debts of history. What
did he think about during his 40 days of fasting? He felt an acute sense of responsibility to restore
through indemnity, by himself, the rueful course of his forbearers
No one ever had more determination and resolution to fulfill Gods will than Jesus Christ. He
went to the wilderness with a burning heart to capture and subjugate Satan. He stood alone on that
mountain with a firmer determination than any ancestor in history. (5:194-96, January 25, 1959)
Satan tempted Jesus three times. First, while he was fasting for forty days, Satan tempted him with
food. He appeared before Jesus and asked him to change a stone into bread. This would be good
news to a starving person, but Jesus refused. He clearly stated, Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. This means that Jesus refused to yield any
conditions to Satan pertaining to the necessities of life.
Throughout history up until that time, people had been fighting over material wealth. However,
Jesus victory over Satans first test made it possible to bring and end to this interminable struggle
for material goods.
What trial did Jesus have to face next? Satan led him to the top of the Holy Temple. There he
tested him, saying, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. Jesus came with the religious
teaching that could educate Judaism and the people of Israel. When Satan said, throw yourself
down, he meant for Jesus to bow down before the conventional Jewish doctrines and traditions and
abandon his role to educate and lead them. But Jesus did not fall for Satans test. Instead he won
the victory.
What was the third test? The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the
kingdoms of the world and their splendor. All this I will give you, he said, if you will bow down
and worship me. Here Jesus rejected Satans demand in order to fulfill the Will of God. Far from
needing Satans help, Jesus came bearing the universal teaching by which he would build Gods
nation, the Kingdom of God. (3:121, October 13, 1957)
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Luke 14.16-24
John 15.4-11
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should we love Jesus more than our own family members? By so loving Christ we become people
with greater love than people in the fallen world, and through our bond of love with Christ we are
entitled to enter heaven. Meeting this condition is a requirement of Gods Principle; therefore Jesus
had to say these words. (93:326, June 17, 1977)
Hunger and suffering creates a bond of heart between us. Just socializing together while we wear
good clothes and lead a comfortable life does not link us together. Rather, you and I should experience the misery of persecution and oppression, working day and night in difficult circumstances as
we shoulder the enormous burden of fulfilling our responsibility. There is no way to build a bond of
heart except through tears You talk about a relationship of heart with Jesus or with True Parents,
but where can you find it except through suffering? There is no other way. (94:233, October 1,
1977)
When people receive revelations about Christ at the Second Advent or hear his words, they will
respond in ways similar to the way the Jews in Jesus day responded. God did not reveal the news of
the birth of Jesus to the priests and scribes, but to gentile astrologers and pure-hearted shepherds.
This is like the case of a father who, due to the ignorance of his own children, has to confide in
his step-child. Likewise, God may well reveal the news of the return of Christ first to lay people,
to marginal spiritual groups and churches which the mainstream treats with disdain, or to conscientious non-believers. Only later may the news reach the mainstream Christian clergy who are
unthinkingly keeping to their conventional ways of faith. In Jesus day, those who sincerely received
the Gospel were not the Jewish leaders, but simple common folk and Gentiles. Likewise, at Christs
return, simple Christians and non-Christians will accept the Lords words before the Christian leadership, which regards itself as Gods elect. This is the meaning of Jesus parable of the marriage feast.
(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Second Advent 4)
10. Jesus Performed Miracles, but They Were Not Conducive to Faith
The apostles returned to Jesus and he said
to them, Come away by yourselves to a lonely
place, and rest a while. For many were coming
and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
And they went away in the boat to a lonely place
by themselves. Now many saw them going, and
knew them, and they ran there on foot from all
the towns, and got there ahead of them. As he
landed he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep
without a shepherd; and he began to teach
them many things. And when it grew late, his
disciples came to him and said, This is a lonely
place, and the hour is now late; send them away,
to go into the country and villages round about
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The multitudes that followed Jesus believed he was the Messiah and their Savior when he showed
them the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Yet when Jesus was about to be killed, everyone abandoned him and scattered.
If the people who followed Jesus had understood his internal heart toward Heaven, if they had
understood that he possessed a deeply penetrating heart toward God, and that he came to take
responsibility for the whole of the Gods historical providence, they would have understood his
predicament and followed him to the end. (3:291, January 19, 1958)
11. Jesus Wept Out of Love for the People and Agonized Over Their Unbelief,
Even as His Closest Disciples Proved Faithless
Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and
saw him, fell at his feet, saying to him, Lord,
if you had been here, my brother would not
have died. When Jesus saw her weeping, and
the Jews who came with her also weeping, he
was deeply moved in spirit and troubled; and he
said, Where have you laid him? They said to
him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. So the
Jews said, See how he loved him!
John 11.32-36
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appreciate Jesus words of love, but 2,000 years ago, Jesus did not have anyone to whom he could
give his love. (3:58, September 22, 1957)
Jesus lived barely thirty years, a life filled with sorrow. Jesus spent three years of public life, offering
everything he had; yet who knew his heart, and who knew his situation? Not even one person.
Even the disciples, who attended him as their teacher, who shared his joys and sorrows, who were
sad when he was sad and lonely when he was lonelythey did not know, either.
The disciples, who should have clung to Heaven and appealed with earnest hearts, concerned that
their teacher might go the path of death, instead were confused, asking, Who is Jesus? (7:45, July
12, 1959)
On this earth, who knew the heart of Jesus? Not a single person recognized Jesus, a man filled with
apprehension, who experienced and felt keenly Heavens sorrow, who felt Heavens lament over
humanity. Jesus did not have even one disciple who exclaimed, My Lord! intimately feeling Gods
heart
Enable us to sympathize with the heart of Jesus, who had to leave behind disciples ignorant of his
great sorrow, with the heart of Jesus, who died without seeing his life bear fruit, even though he lived
his entire life for humankind. (5:137-38, January 11, 1959)
Matthew 16.21-23
And he came out, and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the
place he said to them, Pray that you may not
enter into temptation. And he withdrew from
them about a stones throw, and knelt down
and prayed, Father, if thou art willing, remove
this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but
thine, be done.
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And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his
departure [his crucifixion] which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. (Luke 9:30-31)
When Jesus later informed Peter that he would suffer in Jerusalem and be crucified, Peter
violently protested, God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you! (Matt. 16:22) Then Jesus
lashed out at him, saying, Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the
side of God but of men. (Matt. 16:23)
Conventional Christians understand this passage to mean that Jesus was supposed to die on
the cross, and because Peter tried to stop him, Jesus called him Satan. What Jesus actually meant
was this: Peter had witnessed the trance-like scene on the Mount of Transfiguration alongside Jesus;
hence he should have heard sometime during that event, the instruction to Jesus that he should go
to his death. However, Peter had dozed off and never heard it. Yet now that Jesus death was decided,
Peter had no business telling Jesus what to do or not to do.
The decision [to alter Jesus course] been made on the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus had
originally come to fulfill Gods Will both spiritually and physically, but he was driven into a situation
where unless he sacrificed himself, he would have to turn the nation and the people over to Satan.
In that situation, by going the way of crucifixion God strove to lay at least a spiritual foundation.
In other words, God had determined to lead him on a secondary dispensation, one that would give
birth to Christianity. (73:218, September 18, 1974)
Jesus walked a wretched path, the path of the cross. Evil men whipped and beat him. They ripped
his clothing, drove him along the street, and forced him to the ground. In that situation, if Jesus had
been like Elijah, he might have said to the people, I am the only one of the Lords prophets left.
(1 Kings 18:22) But when Jesus left his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane and went to pray, he
said, My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou
wilt. (Luke 22:42) This was his greatness. He understood that his body was a sacrificial offering for
the nation, a sacrificial offering for humanity and a sacrificial offering for Gods providence.
Therefore, although Jesus felt his own bitter sorrow, he was more concerned for Gods sorrow.
God had sent Jesus for the sake of the nation; instead he felt Gods sorrow to see him betrayed by his
own people. Jesus was the Messiah. He was the Crown Prince of Heaven and the central personage
of the entire universe. If he chose, he could have given way to self-pity and lamented his miserable
fate. He could have set the entire universe in lamentation with him. Yet, he understood that his
position was not to sigh in despair. Instead, he even went so far as to feel apologetic toward Heaven
for having been rejected.
Jesus bore the responsibility to rally the religious establishment, rally the nation, build the
Kingdom of Heaven and return the world to the Fathers bosom. Yet when he was forced to abandon
that mission and walk the way of the cross, he did not feel enmity toward anyone. He did not pray,
Let this cup pass from me, for fear of death. Rather, he prayed this way because he knew his death
would add to the grief of the nation and to Gods grief.
Jesus knew that if he died on the cross, there would be an even heavier cross remaining for the
future generations. It would mean that humanitys sorrowful history would not end. He knew that
the path of Golgotha would not end with him; those who followed him would also have to go the
same way. Jesus knew that an even more difficult course lay beyond the cross.
As he was made to wear a crown of thorns, and the nails were hammered into his hands and
feet, and his side was stabbed with a spear, Jesus knew that these events would have impact far
beyond his own death. When he turned to God and said, It is finished, he did not mean that the
worlds path of the cross was finished. He meant that his hearts tearful plea of concern over the
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cross had reached Heaven. We need to know that Jesus comforted God by offering himself as a living
sacrifice and taking upon himself all the mistakes committed by past prophets and patriots.
More than that, as he neared death Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they do not know
what they do. (Luke 23:34) God had a mind to pass judgment immediately, a judgment even
more terrible than in Noahs time. But Jesus died clinging to the nation, clinging to the religious
establishment and clinging to the cross. For this reason, God could not abandon humanity, but
held on to us. Because this bond of heart existed between Jesus, the future generations of humanity
and the remaining people of Israel, God could not abandon the religious organizations that turned
against him, nor the people of subsequent generations. Instead, God has clung to them. (378:314,
May 21, 2002)
When Jesus fell exhausted while carrying the cross to Golgotha, none among his disciples offered to
shoulder the cross in his place. Neither did anyone from among the chosen people of Israel. Rather
it was Simon of Cyrene, a Gentile, who shouldered the cross and participated in Jesus tribulation.
For this reason, Christianity flourished among the Gentiles, not the Jews
How must Jesus have felt when he looked at Simon of Cyrene? His disciples, with whom he had
shared all his joys and sorrows, had all disappeared, leaving this Gentile to suffer on his behalf. Jesus
must have felt deeply embarrassed and sorrowful.
If any man among the twelve disciples had stood up to shoulder the cross in his place, then by
looking at him, Jesus could have forgotten the hardships of death. He would have overcome his
own agony by feeling compassion for his disciple. When this did not happen, Jesus felt even greater
sorrow. (2:275, June 16, 1957)
Although the Roman soldiers nailed him to a cross and pierced him with a spear, Jesus asked Gods
forgiveness for them. He endured his pain with the attitude, I am dying on their behalf. I am willing
to be sacrificed on their behalf. From that moment a new realm opened; a new world was born that
had never before existed in history.
Before Jesus time the rule was to take revenge on your enemy, based on the law, an eye for an
eye, a tooth for a tooth. No one before Jesus had ever taught that we should love our enemies. Jesus
demonstrated something totally new to the world when he loved his enemies on the cross. This was
something amazingly great. From that single event sprouted a new era, a new world of Gods desire.
(130:232-33, January 29, 1984)
Can you fathom the agony in Gods heart when Jesus was dying on the cross? Here, the children of
the enemy were killing His only begotten Son, and yet God could not treat them as enemies. Can
you imagine how difficult it was for God to swallow His pain and maintain a loving heart towards
them? Jesus understood Gods painful situation; he knew that God had to maintain unconditional
love even for the enemy Satan; therefore he loved the enemy soldiers who were killing him and
prayed that God would forgive their sin.
Because Jesus passed this test, Satan could be separated. Because Jesus kept Gods tradition of
unconditional love even for Satan, Satan had no grounds to accuse either Jesus or God. This was the
condition to make a division between good and evil, to lift up Christianity beyond Satans grasp.
Gods providence can progress only on the condition of loving Satan and the individuals and
families under Satans dominion. Even in the place of death, we should love and pray for them, as God
does. Otherwise there can be no restoration. For this reason, Christian martyrs throughout the world
have followed Jesus example and prayed for their persecutors, Heavenly Father, please save them.
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This goes back to the principle that Satan was originally an archangel, who was to receive love
from God, Adam and Eve. Although he fell to become Satan, we should not change our love for
him. By following this principle, we can be fully restored and be qualified to enter the Kingdom of
Heaven. (244:154-55, February 1, 1993)
Why did Jesus appeal to Heaven, My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? (Matt. 27.46)
The first human beings abandoned God, and Jesus had the mission to restore their betrayal through
indemnity. That is why God forsook him.
Nevertheless, although abandoned, Jesus kept a grateful heart. He prayed, Nevertheless, not
as I will, but as Thou wilt. (Matt. 26.39) Because Jesus wanted to become one with God and digest
death and whatever hardships confronted him, no enemy could dominate him. Because Jesus did
not change even in death, even when God and humankind turned their backs on him, he opened
the door to resurrection.
Likewise, even if God were to turn away from you, you must be determined to cling to the
Father and attend Him to the end. That is the only way you enter the blessed realm of resurrection
that Jesus Christ opened for us. (4:144-45, March 30, 1958)
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Do you know Jesus heart when he subjugated Satan? It was a heart full of compassion for God, compassion for all humanity, and compassion for all creation: How pitiful is God, who lost His sons and
daughters! How pitiful is creation, which lost its owners! How pitiful are human beings, who lost
their value, purpose, and position! Because Jesus heart exploded with such pity, Satan retreated.
(9:181, May 8, 1960)
1 Corinthians 2.8
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Israel, who called themselves the chosen people, did as they pleased to the Messiah whom Heaven
had sent and to John the Baptist whom Heaven had prepared
Today let us know: It was not because the people of Israel at that time were inferior to us, that they
betrayed Heaven, nor was it because their desire to live for the sake of Heaven was not as great as
ours, that they forgot Heaven.
Let us understand: They had a concept about the Messiah, thinking that the Lord to come would
appear as a great man, but because in reality the Messiah who appeared was haggard, pitiful and
unimpressively small, they rejected him.
Let us consider our position now: Today we commonly speak ill of the historical people of Israel, and
like to criticize how they handled the situation at that time, but please let us understand: between
the situation now and the situation then there is no difference. May we have the mind to admit:
if we had been alive at that time, we would have done the same as they. (5:284-85, February 22,
1959)
After preparing humanity for four thousand years to receive the Messiah, his death was not in Gods
original plan. Satan was the one who dragged Jesus to the cross and killed him. The crucifixion was
a total loss. Everything was lost: Israel, Judaism, John the Baptist, the twelve disciples who betrayed
Jesus No one remained on the side of Jesus or Heaven.
There is no Christianity at the place of Jesus cross. Christianity began on the Day of Pentecost.
You must know that the cross was the victory of Satan, not of God. Gods victory came with the
resurrection by the power of the Spirit.46 (73:220-21, September 18, 1974)
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Muhammad
Living in polytheistic Arabia, Muhammad saw the truth of the one God and accepted his calling to be
Gods apostle. Though he knew the stories of the Bible from childhood, the Jews and Christians living in his
area did not impress him, for they lacked the conviction or zeal to confront the ruling polytheistic tribes. Muhammad went through the streets of Mecca proclaiming the message of Islam to anyone who would listen.
Though he suffered persecution and exile, he also found supporters. Muhammad and his companions were welcomed in Medina, where they defended the young faith against overwhelming odds. Muhammad was devoted
to God and uncompromising with evil. Father Moon honors him as one of the foremost founders of religion.
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Quran 68.1-7
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about God! In that situation were the believers tried; they were shaken as by a tremendous
shaking
And God turned back the unbelievers, for
all their fury; no advantage did they gain; and
enough is God for the believers in their fight. And
God is full of Strength, Able to enforce His will.
Quran 33.9-25
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will become of ethics and morality? Such a hurricane of chaos will sweep the world that people will
lose any sense of direction. People will not be able to tell right from wrong and good from evil. When
that time comes, it is the Last Days. The Last Days are here right now!
You will see incidents where children kill their parents and parents kill their children. You
will see ministers killing members of their congregation, and acrimonious battles between church
members and their ministers. Everyone will be divided. Why is that? The seed of enmity sown by
Adam, Eve and the archangel has resulted in the world becoming a battlefield. (50:213, November
7, 1971)
All religions have lost their footing. Because Christianity did not completely fulfill Gods will,
Buddhism, Confucianism and Islam are also going through a tough course. As a result, families,
societies, nations and the world have become like hell. Gods ideal realm of love is nowhere to be
found on earth. Even in a vast country like America, God cannot find a true son or daughter whose
mind and body are truly united. God cannot find a husband and wife who are united according to
the original standard that God has desired since before the Fall. In every family, parents and children
are fighting. The decline of religion has led to a world of selfish individualism in which everyone is
divided. (January 13, 2001)
Without a clear vertical standard, the concepts of male and female are hazy. That is why, along with
free sex, we see so much sexual confusion in the Last Days. It is neither this or that, neither man
nor woman the Devil and evil spirits cause this devastation, leading people into chaos. (189:127,
April 1, 1989)
Since the Human Fall took place at the completion level of the growth stage, the completion stage
remains unfulfilled.3 The period of that stage is seven years We are indemnifying this with a sevenyear course. The seven-year course is what Christians call the seven years of the great tribulation.
The great tribulation is when a family, which is in the domain of the Fall, receives persecution in
order to be restored and rise up to become a family that has nothing to do with the dominion of
the Fall. It is the great tribulation because the families receiving persecution and hardships are the
families with whom God longs to dwell
When Adam and Eve fell in the period of indirect dominion, Satan invaded the domain that
had been reserved for human beings and came to dominate the entire realm of indirect dominion.
To restore this, the seven-year great tribulation is not a time of suffering for those who deserve to
suffer. Rather, it is a time when suffering comes to people who do not deserve it. (Blessing and Ideal
Family 5.1.2)
In the free world today, many people are unwilling to marry. They live together without a legal marriage, jumping from one relationship to another It seems like everyone is perishing, but through
it God has a strategy to save them all. This trend somehow makes sense if you look at it from Gods
perspective. In Gods view, our spirit and body is supposed to become one centered on true love,
not on false love. Therefore, as people live together who have not found the origin of true love they
will continue to be restless, with spirit and body divided. Once they pass through that stage, after
awhile they will yearn for the marriage Blessing, the Blessing that only Heaven can give. (91:184,
February 6, 1977)
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Society will be engulfed by ravaging wars, overflowing with havoc and devastation. In the
beginning the conquerors will feel very happy
over their successes and booties gathered
therein, but it will all have a very sad end. I warn
you of the wars of the future, you have no idea
of the enormity of evil which they will carry.
Nahjul Balagha, Khutba 141 (Shiite Islam)
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The satanic world is one step ahead of God. If God has a family, Satan already has a nation.
Hence despite the dispensations from Adam to Abraham, in the history of the Israelites and
in the centuries after Jesus, the wrongs committed in those ages did not disappear but instead
accumulated
Even after two thousand years, the responsibility of Christianity remained unfinished. How could
it be indemnified? This was the purpose of World War I and World War II; they were dispensations
to make restitution according to the law of indemnity.
That is why at the end of World War II, the two sides could unite centered on Christian
civilization. Germany, Japan, and Italy joined with the United States, England and France to form
one global sovereignty, unified based on Christian values. (292:180, April 12, 1998)
After World War II, humankind was struggling to overcome the pain of war and find the way for
all nations to live in peace. At that time, God commanded me to start a world-level movement to
establish Gods Kingdom on the foundation of two thousand years of Christianity. The main point
God revealed to me was the formula course to establish the True Parents and [unite humankind] as
one true family.
However, to Gods great disappointment, the Korean Christian leaders did not accept this truth.
As a result, I had no choice but to walk the path of hardship. Although I had committed no crime,
I was persecuted, opposed and imprisoned. This mistake of Christianity became the condition and
spiritual foundation for evil to gain power in Korea. Herein lay the internal and providential reason
for the Korean War and the division of Korea that has persisted for over half a century. (288:166,
November 27, 1997)
not find it; they will long to die, and death will
fly from them.
In appearance the locusts were like horses
arrayed for battle; on their heads were what
looked like crowns of gold; their faces were
like human faces, their hair like womens hair,
and their teeth like lions teeth; they had
scales like iron breastplates, and the noise
of their wings was like the noise of many
chariots with horses rushing into battle. They
have tails like scorpions, and stings, and their
power of hurting men for five months lies
in their tails. They have as king over them
the angel of the bottomless pit; his name in
Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called
Apollyon.4
Revelation 9.1-11
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We must be concerned about this in the Last Days, too. You must reflect on yourself whether you
stand in the position of the antichrist. Now is not the time to reproach others or interfere with the
affairs of others. The problem lies with you, yourselves. Other denominations that oppose us are
not the problem. You must worry about the fact that you might become a satan in the Last Days.7
Throughout the course of history, those people who blamed others for their problems have all lost
themselves. (2:277, June 16, 1957)
Father! The Day of Judgment now approaches for this city of death.
Faced with such a period,
struggling in this world of fear,
wandering about without knowing which way to go,
humankind has lost its center.
People do not know what troubles they will face;
they cannot find a place to rest.
Please have compassion for all humankind,
and guide them to return to Thine embrace. (5:60, December 21, 1958)
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standard through which judgment can be carried out. Jesus lamented, I came to cast fire upon
the earth; and would that it were already kindled! (Luke 12.49) As the incarnation of the Word
(John 1.14), he was grieved that the people of Israel did not receive the life-giving words which he
proclaimed. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Eschatology 3.2.2)
What is the great judgment? It is to purify our entire body, beginning with our eyes, which has inherited Satans blood lineage. The great judgment is not to kill Satan. It means to dissolve everything
inside us that arose from immoral and unlawful norms, norms contrary to the conscience, norms
that Satan has been promoting and that have defiled human history. (378:149-50, May 9, 2002)
In the future, there will surely be a new world, founded on the truth. To enter, we must pass through
the judgment of truth. Next, we must pass the judgment of character. Unless our character is in
alignment with this new world, we could be cast out from the trend of the age. Then, after bringing our character into oneness with the truth, we will pass through a judgment of heart. In the last
days, we shall have to pass through the judgments of truth, of character and of heart. (14:179-80,
October 3, 1964)
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by upholding the Word of God through fulfilling their responsibility. Only in this way can we be
restored to the original ideal purposed by God at the creation. (Exposition of the Divine Principle,
Fall 4.2)
Quran 14.48
2 Peter 3.10-13
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New Revelation
The revelatory phenomena of the Last Days begin with a spiritual awakening. The twentieth century
saw the birth of Pentecostalism, exhibiting speaking in tongues and other phenomena of the first Christian
church. Throughout the world, many new sects have arisen based on special revelations to their founders. This
spiritual awakening takes many forms, East and West.
Moreover, in the Jewish and Christian scriptures there are hints that God will reveal deeper aspects of His
truth in the Last Days. They indicate that humankinds current state of knowledge of Gods truth is imperfect
and clouded by error. What of Islam, Buddhism and other religions? Truth is inexhaustible. Yet disputes over
doctrines and teachings among the various denominations and sects have plagued each of the worlds great
faith traditions. It stands to reason that in the Last Days a new expression of truth will come to clearly distinguish truth from error, put an end to religious disputes, and guide all humankind on the path to God.
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It may be inevitable that many believers attached to conventional doctrines will reject the new truth
when it first appears, as has happened at the birth of every religion. Nevertheless, if the truth is broad enough
to embrace the essential teachings of all the worlds religions with respect and appreciation, it should attract
support from all quarters and not become the basis for yet another new sect.
For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes,
the imperfect will pass away. When I was a
child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child,
I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I
gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in
part; then I shall understand fully.
1 Corinthians 13.9-12
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In the future, such spiritual phenomena will sweep across the world, the peoples and the
churches. (6:184, April 26, 1959)
Among the disciples of Jesus, there was not one who was overly attached to the Old Testament
Scriptures. Rather, they all responded to the spiritual experiences which they sensed through their
inner minds. In the Last Days, people who lead an ardent life of prayer or who live by their conscience will feel intense anxiety in their hearts. This is because in their hearts they vaguely sense a
spiritual calling and want to follow the providence of the new age, yet they have not come in contact
with the new truth which can guide them to act accordingly. These are the chosen ones who, once
they hear the new truth, will be awakened simultaneously in their spirits and intellects by spirit and
truth. They will then fully understand Gods providential needs concerning the new age and will
volunteer with great enthusiasm and delight.
We who are alive today are living in the Last Days. We should cultivate a humble heart and
make the utmost effort to receive divine inspiration through prayer. We should not be strongly
attached to conventional concepts, but rather should direct ourselves to be receptive to the Spirit,
in order that we may find the new truth which can guide us to the providence of the new age.
(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Eschatology 5.2)
2. The Truth of the New Revelation Eclipses the Truths of Former Dispensations
The glowworm shines so long as the lightbringer has not arisen. But when the shining
one has come up, its light is quenched, it glows
no longer. Such is the shining of the sectarians.
So long as the rightly awakened ones arise not in
the world, the sophists get no light, nor do their
followers, and those of wrong views cannot be
released from Ill.
Udana 73 (Buddhism)
Now if the dispensation of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such splendor that
the Israelites could not look on Moses face
because of its brightness, fading as this was, will
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sunlight means the light of the words of Jesus, and the moonlight means the light of the Holy Spirit,
who came as the Spirit of truth. (John 16.13)
For the sun to be darkened and the moon to lose its light means that the New Testament Word
given by Jesus and the Holy Spirit will lose its luster. How can the Word as revealed in the New
Testament possibly lose its light? The Old Testament Word was eclipsed when Jesus and the Holy
Spirit came and gave us the New Testament Word, which fulfilled the Old Testament Word. (2 Cor.
3.7-11) Likewise, when Christ returns and gives the new truth in order to fulfill the New Testament
Word and build a new heaven and new earth, (Rev. 21.1) the Word which he gave at his first coming
will lose its light. It is said that the Word will lose its light because, with the coming of a new era, the
period of the mission of the old truth will have lapsed.
The prophecy that the stars will fall from heaven signifies that in the Last Days many faithful
Christian believers will make a misstep and fall from Gods grace. At the time of Jesus, the leaders
of the Jewish people were all yearning for the coming of the Messiah, but they met their downfall
when they did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah and opposed him. Likewise, Christians who have
been anxiously awaiting the return of Jesus are likely to make the same misjudgment and fall when
he actually returns.
Jesus asked, Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth? (Luke
18.8) On another occasion he said he would declare to devout believers, I never knew you; depart
from me, you evildoers. (Matt. 7.23) Jesus gave these warnings to the Christians of the Last Days
because he foresaw that they would be likely to disbelieve and trespass against him at his Second
Advent. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Eschatology 3.2.5)
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1. No One Knows When the Last Days Will Arrive, Making Speculation Fruitless
As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when
will this be, and what will be the sign of your
coming and of the close of the age? And Jesus
answered them, Take heed that no one leads
you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many
astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of
wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must
take place, but the end is not yet
But of that day and hour no one knows,
not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but
the Father only.
Matthew 24.3-5, 36
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The secret of the time, place and manner of his return will be revealed to the faithful people
who are vigilant, that they may prepare for the day of the Second Advent. In the providence of
restoration, God always revealed to His prophets what He would do before He carried it out.
(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Second Advent)
2. Unless People Prepare Well, They Will Not Recognize the Day When It Arrives
When the Son of man comes, will he find faith
on earth?
Luke 18.8
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Revelation 20.6
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Seventy weeks of years are decreed concerning your people and your holy city, to finish
the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to
atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and
to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore
and understand that from the going forth of the
word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be
seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall
be built again with squares and moat, but in a
troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks,
an anointed one shall be cut off, and shall have
nothing; and the people of the prince who is
to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the
end there shall be war; desolations are decreed.
And he shall make a strong covenant with many
for one week; and for half of the week he shall
cause sacrifice and offering to cease; and upon
the wing of abominations shall come one who
makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured
out on the desolator.
Daniel 9.24-27
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During the two-thousand-year period from Jesus until the Second Coming, humanitys spirituality
and intellect developed to the growth stage based on the Word revealed in the New Testament.
Hence, this period is called the growth stage of the providence, or the New Testament Age.
During the period when the providence of restoration is to be completed after the Second
Coming of Christ, humanitys spirituality and intellect are to develop through the completion stage
based on the Completed Testament Word, which will be given for the fulfillment of the providence
of restoration. Hence, this period is called the completion stage of the providence, or the Completed
Testament Age. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Restoration 2.2.1)
Paul said in I Corinthians 13, And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of
these is love. We human beings, however, lost hope and faith through the Fall. By losing hope and
faith, we also lost God-centered love. The six-thousand-year history of the providence of restoration
was for the sake of restoring this love
Examining these six thousand years, in the Old Testament Age people exerted effort in hope.
In the New Testament Age people made effort in search of faith. The coming Completed Testament
Age is the age for making effort in search of love.
In the Old Testament Age, circumcision was the condition made by the chosen people as they
lived in hope. In the New Testament Age, baptism of water and the fire of the Holy Spirit established
faith before God. In the coming Completed Testament Age, you will be able to enter into a loving
relationship with God by receiving His seal of love. (5:108, January 4, 1959)
Matthew 24.32-33
Quran 43.61
Jeremiah 30.3
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As the time of the True Parents advent draws near, all the nations in the world are inspired to join
in brotherhood. Hence, after the Second World War the victorious countries liberated the defeated
nations. They felt towards them like elder brothers. In a family, when the elder brother beats up his
younger brother, afterwards he feels sorry for him and wants to deal kindly with him lest his father
punish him. That is why the end of the Second World War saw events unprecedented in history.
History unfolded in this way with the hope and goal of meeting the True Parents and to prepare
their way. (51:354, December 5, 1971)
The worlds cultural spheres are converging toward one global cultural sphere based on one religion. Concurrently, nations are moving toward forming an apparatus for international governance,
having progressed from the League of Nations to the United Nations. Today, people are envisioning
plans for a world government. In the sphere of economics, the world is moving in the direction of
establishing one international market. Highly developed transportation and communication technology have overcome the separation of time and space. People today can travel and communicate
with each other almost as if they were all living in the same village. People of all races, from East and
West, can meet with one another as easily as if they were members of a large family. People on all six
continents are crossing the oceans seeking friendship and brotherly love. However, a family can be
formed only when there is a father and a mother; only then can true brotherly love arise. Only when
Christ comes again as the Parent of humanity will all people join together in one great family and
live harmoniously in the global village.
As these events unfold, we may know that today is surely the Last Days. There is yet one final
gift that history must present to humanity: it is the universal teaching which can bind together all
the strangers of the global village into one family through the love and guidance of the same parents.
(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Eschatology 4.3)
The Messiah
Scriptures of many religions speak of a coming leader who will consummate the fulfillment of
the divine will on earth. He will manifest in his person the righteousness and compassion of God, bring about
the final defeat of evil, and establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. The Hebrew title MessiahChrist in
Greekmeans anointed one, that person specially chosen by God for this mission and empowered to accom
plish it.
While the term Messiah is specific to only Judaism and Christianity, prophecies that a leader will come
and accomplish such a mission are nearly universal. Buddhists anticipate the coming of the Maitreya Buddha,
and Hindu prophecies speak of a future avatar named Kalki. Muslims expect that the second advent of Jesus
will be as a Muslim Imam, and Shiite Muslims look to a future Imam Mahdi. Zoroastrian scriptures prophesy
the coming of the Saoshyant, and Confucian texts speak of a True Man who will bring peace to the world by
perfectly instituting the Way of Confucius. Nevertheless, as this world is growing smaller and cultures increasingly interrelated, the task of world salvation should encompass all religions. Hence it is likely that God will
send one person to fulfill all these religious hopes.
The next group of passages offer some specific prophecies about the Messiahs coming, along with samples of Father Moons extensive teaching on these matters. Will the Messiah come supernaturally, as it were on
the clouds, or naturally, born and raised as a human being on earth? Does the Messiah come in glory, or does
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he take the road of suffering and humiliation as did Jesus before him? Is the Messiah uniquely divine, or does
he appear as the first fruits of a new, God-like humanity? How is the Messiah likened to Adam, and in what
sense is he a new Adam? What is the meaning of the Marriage of the Lamb? Does the Messiah have a special
mission to Israel?
The final group of passages consists of prophecies by Nostradamus and Asian mystics that speak of the
Messiah appearing in the East, and even specifically in Korea. Especially the Korean prophecies relate directly to
Father Moons self-understanding of his messianic mission.
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Christianity looks forward to the return of Christ; Buddhism hopes for the return of Buddha as the
Maitreya, while Confucianism predicts the appearance of the True Man. Each religion describes in
its way the return of the Lord.
When he comes, he will not simply restate the words of the Bible or repeat the words of an
already established faith. The returning Lord awaited by these religions will come with a new truth
of higher content. (7:198, September 6, 1959)
In Gods sight, the world is one, only one. Therefore, the time will come when God will establish
one prophet for the entire world. He could be an Asian; he could be a Westerner; he could be an
African; he could be anyone. Whoever he is, this prophet will have a worldwide responsibility.
Through his leadership, the diverse religions of humankind will converge eventually forming
one world religion. The four major religions existing today will unite in one line, once they have
ceased emphasizing the discordant elements that have kept them apart.
This will require the efforts of a central figure to pave the path for their unification, from
bottom to top, and save all people on the planet Earth. God recognizes that person as the Messiah;
therefore, we on earth proclaim that he is the Messiah. He comes as a universal religious leader,
bringing a teaching that connects with the teachings of all religions.
The Messiah comes with a clear mission: to complete Gods Will by fulfilling the purpose for
which God created humankind. The failure of Adam and Eve broke this purpose, preventing God
from establishing His Kingdom in the beginning. Therefore, the Messiah comes with the mission to
attain the perfection that Adam did not attain and to complete the Will of God that Adam did not
complete. Thus, the Messiah comes to consummate the Will of God on earth. (97:276, February
27, 1977)
2. The Mission of the Messiah to Vanquish Evil and Establish Gods Kingdom
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white
horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and
True, and in righteousness he judges and makes
war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his
head are many diadems, and he has a name
inscribed which no one knows but himself. He is
clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by
which he is called is The Word of God. And the
armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white
and pure, followed him on white horses. From
his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to
smite the nations, and he will rule them with a
rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the
fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his
robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed,
King of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 19.11-16
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3. The Mission of the MessiahTo Restore True Human Beings and True Families
In the messianic future the Holy One will heal
the injury [of Adams sin]. He will heal the
wound of the world.
Genesis Rabbah 10.4 (Judaism)
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My teaching is that you should stand in the same position as Jesus and become a messiah to your
tribe. (79:104, June 22, 1975)
The Messiah establishes the model for the ideal family of true love, which should expand to all families. All individuals are to be kings and messiahs. All individuals are to become true parents.
God is the True Parent, the True Teacher and the True Owner. Inherit the teaching of True
Parents by practicing true love. Fulfill your role as a true teacher. Become like God, become the
true owner. Truly, all my teachings are to enable you to fulfill the Ideal of the Three Great Subject
Partners. (222:140, October 28, 1991)
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Jesus words and deeds based on their narrow understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures. Their
mistaken judgment led them to deliver Jesus to the cross.
Similarly, the purpose of Christ at the Second Advent is to build a new heaven and a new earth
(Rev. 21.1-4) upon the foundation of the spiritual salvation which had been laid by Christianity
in the New Testament Age. When he returns, he will not merely repeat the words of the New
Testament given two thousand years ago, but will surely add new words of truth necessary for the
founding of a new heaven and a new earth. However, those Christians of today whose minds are
narrowly attached to the letter of the New Testament will criticize the words and deeds of Christ
at his return based on their narrow understanding of the Scriptures. Therefore, it can be expected
that they will brand the Lord a heretic and persecute him. This is why Jesus foretold that at the
Second Advent, Christ would first suffer many things and be rejected by his generation. (Luke
17.25) (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Second Advent 4)
I, Reverend Moon, stood between God and Satan, always fighting to eliminate Satan. How could
I proceed in this work without confronting Satans accusation? I took the burden of restitution on
myself, taking the required indemnity as my portion of responsibility. This is the human portion of
responsibility [to defeat Satan], which people were not able to fulfill until now.
Satan knows that is the responsibility of the Messiah; therefore he mobilized all of his forces to
attack me. By enduring and overcoming these attacks, I could destroy Satans wall in the individual,
the family, the tribe, the people, the nation, the world and the spirit world. It is the Messiahs
responsibility to go through the entire course of indemnity. (131:70-71, April 16, 1984)
5. The Messiah Establishes Peace in the Middle East for Jews, Christians and Muslims
Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when
I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,20 and
he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall
execute justice and righteousness in the land. In
his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell
securely People shall no longer say, As the
Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel
out of the land of Egypt, but As the Lord lives
who brought up and led the descendants of the
house of Israel out of the north country and out
of all the countries where he had driven them.
Then they shall dwell in their own land.
Jeremiah 23.5-8
Allahs Apostle said, The Hour will not be established until the son of Mary [Jesus] descends
amongst you as a just ruler, he will break the
cross, kill the pigs, and abolish the jizya tax.22
Money will be in abundance so that nobody will
accept it (as charitable gifts).
Hadith of Bukhari 3.656 (Islam)
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Matthew 24.27
Kyeok Am Yu Rok
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The surprising fact is that in the spirit world, the Founders of the five major religions gathered and
declared that God is the Parent of humankind. They declared that Reverend Moon is the Savior
and Messiah, the Second Coming of the Lord, and the True Parent. They also affirmed that the
Unification Principle is a message of peace for the salvation of humanity. They declared that its core
teaching, that we live for the sake of others with love, transcends religion, nationality, and race, and
that practicing its teaching of true love will complete the peaceful unification of the cosmos. They
further resolved that they would attend the True Parents and unite with one accord, devoting themselves for the sake of Gods Kingdom and world peace. (July 11, 2003)
Zechariah 14.9
Quran 22.56
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Revelation 11.15
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one God, stemming from the one True Parents, they will relate as brothers and sisters in one global
family. Blessed central families, who have restored their lineage, the realms of ownership and heart,
and who are united with the True Parents language and culture, will take the lead in establishing a
world of freedom, peace and unity. There, all people will live in interdependence, promote mutual
prosperity and share universal values, immersed in the culture of Gods heart.26
Therefore, this world will have nothing to do with corruption, injustice, war or crime.
Humankind will eliminate the sources of pollution in the global environment, and love and protect
nature as its true owner. People will labor and perform their daily tasks joyfully and with a loving
heart, always aiming to serve and benefit others. This will gradually equalize peoples standards of
living. Education will include highly developed technological and scientific material; but before
knowledge, sports or technology, priority will be given to education of the heart and norms of blessed
family life, in order to raise the chosen people who can follow the way of Heaven. (269:156-57,
April 3, 1995, New Hope Farm Declaration)
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After you realize the Kingdom of Heaven as a couple, would you be satisfied? No, you would want
to realize the Kingdom of Heaven as a family. When father and mother become totally one and love
each other, their son will think that he wants to marry a bride just like his mother, and the daughter will
think that she wants to marry a man just like her father. The father and mother acting as a plus guide
their sons and daughters as a minus: that family unity is the Kingdom of Heaven as a family.
Once we realize the Kingdom of Heaven in our families, finally we will be able to establish the
Kingdom of Heaven on earth, which is Gods ideal. (96:29, January 1, 1978)
The original Garden was to be an ideal place. There the spirit world and physical world would be
open to each other, and the feelings of siblings could be communicated freely all the way to the ends
of the universe. It would not be like the present-day world, divided among ethnic sentiments, where
national sovereignties clash, and where ideologies and religions are at odds with each other. In that
world, people would discuss all matters from the heart. The heart does not discriminate by race,
nationality, or other such things. Hence, people would easily be able to reconcile their differences,
such as economic disparities and cultural misunderstandings. (7:37, July 5, 1959)
From perfected individuals and families up to the perfection of the cosmos, a beautiful world will
emergethe Kingdom of Heaven on earth and in spirit world. It will be a world of freedom. God
also will be free, and He will be able to visit your family anytime He desires. Until now, there were
barriers everywhere, blocking everyone from going where they wished. Now all the walls and barriers
that Satan created will be torn down and everywhere will be level. Then God will form the same perpendicular connection with everyone. Around that ninety-degree axis, everythingfront and back,
left and right, high and lowwill relate freely. All will enter the realm of liberation and unification.
That is the Kingdom of Heaven. (313:243, December 19, 1999)
4. A Kingdom Encompassing Both the Earthly World and the Spirit World,
Where There Is No Death
Then comes the end, when he [Christ] delivers
the kingdom to God the Father after destroying
every rule and every authority and power. For
he must reign until he has put all his enemies
under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed
is death.
1 Corinthians 15.24-26
The victorious World-Renovator and his helpers shall make existence renovatedageless,
deathless, never decaying, incorruptible, ever
living, ever benefiting, ruling at will. The dead
shall rise up, life shall prevail indestructible, and
existence shall be renovated at the will of God!
Avesta, Zamyad Yast 19.11 (Zoroastrianism)
The holy man told them, Ill give you something to eat that will kill you, but dont be afraid;
Ill bring you back to life again. They believed
him. They ate something and died, then found
themselves walking in a new, beautiful land.
They spoke with their parents and grandparents, and with friends that the white soldiers
had killed. Their friends were well, and this new
world was like the old one, the one the white
man had destroyed. It was full of game, full of
antelope and buffalo. The grass was green and
high, and though long-dead people from other
tribes also lived in this land, there was peace.
All the Indian nations formed one tribe and
could understand each other. Kicking Bear and
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Part Three
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Chapter 11
Quran 84.6, 19
The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and
rise night and day, and the seed should sprout
and grow, he knows not how. The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then
the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is
ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the
harvest has come.1
Mark 4.26-29
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The desirable is called good. To have it in oneself is called true. To possess it fully in oneself is called beautiful, but to shine forth with
this full possession is called great. To be great
and be transformed by this greatness is called a
sage; to be a sage and to transcend the understanding is called divine.
Mencius VII.B.25 (Confucianism)
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described in the Bible as six days. As one of Gods creations, human beings are also bound to this
principle. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Creation 5.2)
We should not think that when God created Adam and Eve from clay, He created them as adults.
Rather, God created them as infants. God went through the same process as a mother who gives
birth to her baby, cradles it and raises it.
Everything in the universe develops through three stages, and humans are no exception.
Beginning from infancy, Adam and Eve grew through childhood and their teenage years. The next
step was to be their maturation
An individual proceeds from an infant to an adult, marries and becomes a parent. In a human
beings stage-wise growth, God wants to see the embodiment of His own lengthy growth process
his youth, His adulthood and His advanced age. Thus, every child is the substantial manifestation
of Gods invisible history. This shared experience binds the child and his or her vertical Parent into
one. (225:198-99, January 20, 1992)
God Himself must have gone through stages of growthinfancy, childhood, etc. You should know
that your wife is the invisible God grown into a substantial physical being
As parents watching your children grow, you will relive the days when you were growing up.
It is the same with God. God watched with amazement as Adam and Eve grew and created their
horizontal sphere of life.2 Likewise, when you have your children, you will experience a force of love
that will expand your (horizontal) world. (297:151-53, November 19, 1998)
For a tree to bear fruit, it must go through a summer season when the growing fruits absorb vitality
elements from its root, trunk and branches. Through this process it gains the perfect life force to
produce fruit that will bring forth new life. In this regard, we sons and daughters should search
deeply within ourselves as to whether the fruit in our hearts is full of the power of life, by which we
can be born again happily into a new world.
No matter how many years go by, how much it rains or how fiercely the wind blows, our inner
life force must not be invaded by the evil of our environment but must go the path of continuous
development. That is the only way we can welcome the spring and become a seeda matrix to
produce a second life wherever it is planted. (32:37, June 14, 1970)
To yield good seed, you have to go the path of love. This means that you must be born in love, grow
with love as the purpose of your life, and walk the path of love your whole life long. Even at the
moment when you depart this world, you should leave with the intention to return to love. (138:99,
January 19, 1986)
Spiritual growth can be compared to education When someone is studying for a Ph.D., does he
deny what he learned in kindergarten? Not at all. All his prior learning, well digested, formed the
foundation for his efforts to earn the Ph.D. (111:129, February 8, 1981)
You must receive an education in Gods love. For how long? Until you can understand all the
Fathers values and standards. In other words, you grow by receiving your parents love until you are
fully mature. (51:172, November 21, 1971)
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Gods central concern is with human beings internal nature and character. He intends that, as we
experience true love, we will come to reflect His true love and grow to perfection. God created the
power of love to be the strongest among all internal forces. Through experiencing the power of
such love within the realm of Heavens love and law, people are to increasingly resemble God, their
Parent. (279:206, August 20, 1996)
We need to embody true love. The way to embody true love begins by living as a filial child, then a
patriot, a saint, and finally a divine son and daughter of God. At that stage we can experience the
innermost emotions of Gods heart. (September 12, 2005)
Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom
of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not
receive the kingdom of God like a child shall
not enter it.
Hebrews 5.12-14
Luke 18.16-17
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Ecclesiastes 12.1-7
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of life, and continue into old age, will our family have in its bosom descendants who will be able to
greet new springs, see new summers, and prevail through the following winters without difficulties.
(31:139, May 3, 1970)
I Ching 42 (Confucianism)
Epictetus (Hellenism)
Engage in Torah and charity even with an ulterior motive, for the habit of right doing will lead
also to right motivation.
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This Atman, resplendent and pure, whom sinless disciples behold residing within the body, is
attained by unceasing practice of truthfulness,
austerity, right knowledge and continence.
Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.5 (Hinduism)
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You can attain heaven only if you have unity within yourself. Therefore, do not be arrogant. Be
humble. Be a sacrifice. That is why we are taught to discipline the body through the path of religion. Although you dislike it, you should do fasting and make sacrifices for more than three years.
(245:58, February 28, 1993)
2. Good Leads to More Good, while Neglecting the Good Leads to Evil
Make haste in doing good; check your mind
from evil; for the mind of him who is slow in
doing meritorious actions delights in evil.
Dhammapada 116 (Buddhism)
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Decision
THE MORAL LIFE IS A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; IT REQUIRES A DECISION. People do not become good automatically; those who just drift through life are liable to drown in its evil currents. At every turn we encounter
two paths, the better and the worse, and it is our responsibility to choose between them. The scriptures
describe it as a decision between life and death, between the narrow gate and the broad road, or between
two masters.
Father Moon teaches that each person stands in the midway position, pulled in two directions by the opposing powers of good and evil. It is a contest between God, who speaks to us through the conscience, and
Satan, who prompts us to satisfy our self-centered desires. Under these difficult circumstances, it is up to each
of us to choose our path and keep to it.
Both the good and the pleasant present themselves to a man. The calm soul examines them
well and discriminates. Yea, he prefers the good
to the pleasant; but the fool chooses the pleasant out of greed and avarice.
Katha Upanishad 1.2.2 (Hinduism)
Behold, I [Moses] set before you this day a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the
commandments of the Lord your God, which I
command you this day, and the curse, if you do
not obey the commandments of the Lord your
God, but turn aside from the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods.
Deuteronomy 11.26-28
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Quran 90.8-17
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tries to lead us towards good thought and a good direction. It says, Serve others. Have an affectionate heart for others. Sacrifice for others. Live for others. Such is the path of goodness. (65:14,
November 13, 1972)
If you act as your body desires, you are connected to hell. On the other hand, if you act as your mind
wishes, you are connected to the Kingdom of Heaven. You alone are the dividing line between the
Kingdom of Heaven and hell. (214:283, February 3, 1991)
Do you know what spiritual food is? Even when you are hungry, if you have to choose between spiritual food and physical food, you should feel that spiritual food is tastier than physical food. Then you
can survive and stand on the side of God. Living your life based on spiritual power should be much
more appetizing than the taste of life lived with physical power. (131:211, May 4, 1984)
Looking back at my youth, I remember how serious I was. I was at the point of deciding what to do
with the rest of my life. At that crossroad, I knew that I should not let humanistic concerns determine my decision. Instead I concluded that I had to make my decision in accordance with Gods
Will. (211:134, December 30, 1990)
If I had not taken this path, surely I would be a powerful and respected man in some secular field.
I would be recognized for my intelligence. I have the ability; I could have risen to leadership in my
nation. Yet, instead, I chose a life filled with tears and sorrows. Ever since I came to know God, I
have shed tears for Him.
Do you think I am not capable of avoiding persecution? Yet I endure and tolerate the persecution
because I know Gods situationHe has gone through far greater tribulations than mine. Do you
think that when I was a young man I did not have any personal dreams and ambitions? I certainly
had great ambition and dreams. But once I decided to go this way I cut them off, and ever since I
have never nursed any personal ambition. That is how I could become who I am today. (Gods Will
and the World, May 1, 1977)
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It is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong.
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By the criterion of goodness, we can classify all people in the world into three groups: first, people
who oppose goodness; second, people who know goodness but dont actively pursue it to make it
their own (they end up living in the buffer zone between heaven and hell); and third, people who
want to take responsibility for accomplishing goodness. It is people of this third group whom God
needs to accomplish His will. (Way of Gods Will 2.2)
What makes someone a good person? Someone who just takes a bite out of what he receives is an
evil person, while someone who adds to what he receives and passes it on to others is a good person.
This is why every parent wants their children to grow up to be better than themselves. (315:211,
February 2, 2000)
Does the president of the United States think centering on himself or centering on the United States?
Does he act for his next election or for the future of the nation? These matters determine good and evil.
To go one step further, if the president focuses only on the benefit of the United States, then
he will only be a respected president within the United States. However, if he centers on the world
and the benefit of the world, then the world will admire him as an American president who has
worldwide influence. Otherwise, although he serves his nations best interests, his actions will cause
friction in the rest of the world.
All human beings are subject to this law and will be judged accordingly. What will ensnare you
in the judgment? The main thing is the self-centered thinking. You will be judged for focusing on
yourself. How can you confidently say that you will not be caught by this universal law? You will be
liberated from the law when you become the type of person about whom people say, He does not
live for himself. He lives for the welfare of the world. (93:302, June 12, 1977)
Matthew 15.19-20
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Good or evil can come to existence depending on the direction and the way of your mind. The direction and way of your mind will make the distinction between good and evil. (37:116, December 23,
1970)
A nations constitution, which is inspired by its highest ideals, is the basis for determining right and
wrong, good and evil within a nation. Likewise, as regards our own behavior, we need some basis or
standard for distinguishing right from wrong. Think about it. How can someone who is always drunk
determine whether his drinking is good or bad? He cannot be his own standard. This is the case for
all of us. We find all kinds of justifications for everything we do, whether good or bad. How can we
judge rightly?
Today throughout the world people do many evil things and justify them based on their own
way of thinking. Hence, the world is in chaos. This state of affairs will continue as long as there is
not a clear and accepted standard of good and evil. There should be one standard, and it should be
absolute, unique, eternal and unchanging. (March 1, 1981)
Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery,
enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing,
and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things shall not inherit
the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against
such there is no law.
Galatians 5.19-23
All who commit crimes, robbing, stealing, practicing villainy and treachery, and who kill men
or violently assault them to take their property,
being reckless and fearless of deaththese are
abhorred by all.
The king says, O Feng, such great criminals
are greatly abhorred, and how much more
detestable are the unfilial and unbrotherlyas
the son who does not reverently discharge his
duty to his father, but greatly wounds his fathers
heart, and the father who can no longer love his
son, but hates him; as the younger brother who
does not think of the manifest will of Heaven,
and refuses to respect his elder brother, and the
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Individual Responsibility
RESPONSIBILITY IS CENTRAL TO WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN. Other creatures have life, consciousness,
and even intelligence, but only human beings are responsible to choose their manner of life and hence their
destiny. Individual responsibility implies an attitude of self-criticism. We should not blame others for our own
difficulties, but rather look for the cause within ourselves.
All the religions of the world emphasize, in one way or another, individual responsibility in matters of
faith and practice, although the definition and limits differ. Buddhism and other non-theistic traditions regard the journey on the path to liberation as entirely the responsibility of the individual. Each individual is a
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lamp unto himself; each works out his own salvation alone and by himself. There is explicit rejection of reliance upon a savior from without, as both Buddha and Muhammad rejected characterizations of themselves
as saviors.
On the other hand, in the monotheistic faiths, the context of individual responsibility is prevenient grace.
As a person works out his own salvation, at the same time God is at work within. Salvation is a gift, yet it is
our responsibility to receive it and not reject it. Father Moon characterizes this joint responsibility in numerical
terms: 95 percent is Gods responsibility and 5 percent is the human portion. In this view, responsibility ennobles human beings. It means that each of us has a role to play in our own perfection, and even an indispensable role in completing Gods work of creation. This responsibility contains the gift of freedom. Several passages
explore this teaching in light of the Human Fall and divine forbearance in not intervening to prevent it.
Many religions hold that an individuals destiny is at least partly determined by factors beyond his or her
control: Gods predestination, past karma, or the burden of inherited sin. Nevertheless, several texts reject the
notion that such conditions impinge in any way on ones individual responsibility. Arguing against fatalism,
they maintain that with every situation comes the opportunity to improve our lot by the exercise of responsibility. Father Moon goes one step further: he teaches that inasmuch as our individual selves are the results of
many generations, fulfilling our responsibility benefits not only ourselves but countless ancestors as well.
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When you have understood the most valuable teachings, then you yourself will cross the
ocean.
Sutta Nipata 1063-64 (Buddhism)
583
Mans main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is. The
most important product of his effort is his own
personality.
Erich Fromm7 (Humanism)
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through the growing period (the realm of indirect dominion) and attain perfection only when they
have completed their own portion of responsibility. Because God Himself created human beings in
this way, He does not interfere with human responsibility.
God endowed human beings with a portion of responsibility for the following reason. By fulfilling
their given portion of responsibilitywith which even God does not interferehuman beings are
meant to inherit the creative nature of God and participate in Gods great work of creation. God
intends human beings to earn ownership and become worthy to rule over the creation as creators
in their own right (Gen. 1.28), just as God governs over them as their Creator. This is the principal
difference between human beings and the rest of creation. (Exposition of the Divine Principle,
Creation 5.2.2)
The path of life is not a way I go at anothers urging,
nor because someone leads me;
I realize I can only walk this path if I cope with it by myself.
It is a principle of nature:
I feed myself when I am hungry
and drink for myself when I am thirsty. (42:90, February 28, 1971)
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Ambrosia can be extracted even from poison; elegant speech even from a child; good
conduct even from an enemy, gold even from
impurity.
Laws of Manu 2.239 (Hinduism)
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586
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587
yourself for every good thing. This way of thinking is the problem. You do not understand
what is wrong with you, yet you complain about what is wrong with the world. (140:25,
February 1, 1986)
Regardless of whether a problem stemmed from your father or your grandfather, put them all on your
list. Then, put your life on the line to save your ancestors, for it is Heavens will that their problems
have come to you. With that, get rid of all the blemishes from the past and build a bridge to the new
heaven and earth. (310:126, June 15, 1999)
Hundreds of thousands of years of history are coalesced in you. You exist on the foundation of many
countries and the sacrifices of billions of people. You are composed of all their resurrected cells; they
exist in you. Therefore, if you fail to fulfill your responsibility, your ancestors and the world will suffer
on your account. (124:78, January 23, 1983)
However, when you overcome all difficulties and become a victor, it polishes a glorious path for your
descendants to follow because you, their ancestor, once walked it. (98:213, August 1, 1978)
As an individual, each one of us is a product of the history of the providence of restoration. Hence,
the person who is to accomplish the purpose of history is none other than I, myself. I must take up
the cross of history and accept responsibility to fulfill its calling. To this end, I must fulfill in my lifetime (horizontally), through my efforts, the indemnity conditions which have accumulated through
the long course of the providence of restoration (vertically). Only by doing this can I stand proudly
as the fruit of history, the one whom God has eagerly sought throughout His providence. (Exposition
of the Divine Principle, Restoration 3)
From the Emperor down to the common people, all must regard cultivation of the personal
life as the root or foundation. There is never
a case when the root is in disorder and yet the
branches are in order.
1 Timothy 3.2-5
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588
Predestination
THE DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION PROVIDES an explanation for the fact that people have different fortunes,
moral endowments, are born into different circumstances, and respond differently to religion. It ascribes these
differences to the hand of Godwho is omnipotent and controls all, and who is omniscient and sees the future. Someone who degenerates into a sinner does so because God eases him into sin. Someone who becomes
a hero of faith can be so because God strengthens him. Absolute predestination holds that a persons eternal
destinyto salvation or damnationis predetermined before his birth. It is already written down in Gods
ledger along with the span of the persons life and the day of his death.
A believer who recognizes the hand of destiny never regards the occasions in life as accidental. Everything
that happens, happens for a reason. An apparently chance meeting may have been decreed long ago. A sudden
death or a stroke of good luck are not random events, but happen by Gods decree. Since all human plans and
designs only bear fruit if they are within Gods will, Muslims commonly say, inshallah, if it is the will of God.
Day by day we can examine every event to discern the hand of God, and make every effort to conform our lives
to the flow of His destined Will.
How is predestination reconciled with human free will? One answer that is consistent with absolute
predestination counsels us to accept human ignorance as the context within which we strive in freedom. The
omniscient God who knows everything through eternity already knows the outcome of our life, however as we
can never possess such foreknowledge, we should still make our best effort. Then there are qualified doctrines
of predestination, for which human freedom enters into the calculation of destiny. Such doctrines describe God
as apportioning blessings and hardships as He wills, and then permitting us limited freedom to make the best
of our lot. Father Moon, who rejects absolute predestination, teaches such a form of qualified predestination:
God predestines everyone to salvation, but requires human responsibility as a necessary condition to realize
that destiny.
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589
Quran 76.29-31
Romans 9.10-16
Exodus 33.19
Romans 8.28-30
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590
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591
2. The Seemingly Chance Events of Life Are Actually the Workings of Destiny
No man bruises his finger here on earth unless it
was so decreed against him in Heaven.
Quran 18.23-24
James 4.13-16
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592
Wherever you lived before you came here, Heaven checked your background [and determined that
you had merit]. (November 4, 1990)
Despite all the difficulties and sufferings I endured after I came to America, I knew that I was
destined to meet there with people who would appear out of the countless destined relationships15
that composed Americas history. It was my mission to guide them all to the path of Gods blessings. Since I knew these things with certainty, I accepted every challenge and took it as my cross
to bear, in order that in my lifetime I could give blessings to the people who represented such
greatness.
I thought that I would meet some direct descendants of the Pilgrims, born of survivors among
the 102 souls who endured such tribulations that half of them died either at sea or during that first
winter. I thought about how fascinating it would be to meet them. The knowledge of what they went
through encouraged me to overcome the obstacles in my path. No amount of rejection, persecution
and cursing could weaken my determination to fulfill my responsibility to seek out and care for the
descendants of the Pilgrims who came to my church through the working out of their destiny.
When I was released from the prison at Danbury, I did not want to return to Korea straight away.
I preferred to stay in America one more week, even one more year, in hopes of meeting someone
beloved of Heaven. I waited in America because still I sought to inherit her historical tradition.
Even now, whenever I meet someone new, I think about how long his or her ancestors have waited
for this moment. Since they waited, should I not also wait to receive them? Do you understand what
I am saying?
When you have that kind of attitude throughout your life, you have no cause for complaint.
If you bump into someone on the street, even a troublemaker who tries to pick a fight with you,
you should think, What is this situation going to bring me? Instead of rejecting it, be open to the
moment as an opportunity for the unfolding of destiny. Maybe you look around and suddenly see
a long-lost relative, separated fifty years ago during the Korean War when you both had become
refugees. What is the likelihood of such an accidental meeting? If that person had not bothered
you on the street, you would have missed your only chance to meet your long-lost relative. Yet what
was behind that incident? What made that man accost you? He may not know himself; he was
playing a part in the unfolding of destiny.
When something like that happens, you should stop and think about your involvement in
the encounter. If you did not keep an attitude to welcome destiny, it would have passed you by.
Since a seemingly chance encounter may be fraught with destiny, you should not take anything
casually.
You know the story of Joseph. His brothers put him in a well thinking to kill him, but they
sold him instead and he was brought to Egypt as a slave. There the wife of his master Potiphar
tried to seduce him, and when he would not be tempted she had him imprisoned. While in
prison and waiting for the day of his execution, he interpreted Pharaohs dream and was raised
to the rank of Prime Minister of Egypt. How, in the midst of his misery, could Joseph have even
imagined that such good fortune would befall him? Yet these things opened the way for him
to save the Israelites. Who could have known that it would turn out that way? (November 4,
1990)
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594
persons five percent responsibility must be accomplished together before the person can complete
his given mission and fulfill Gods Will. If the person does not complete his responsibility, he cannot
become the person God has purposed him to be. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Predestination)
No matter what people may say or do, they are subject to the rhythm of heavenly fortune, which power
flows throughout the universe. No one has the power to stand against it, so they are inclined to follow
along with it. People who follow the right path in alignment with heavenly fortune grow and prosper
along with it. Since they move with its rhythm as it pulses throughout the universe, they are bound to
live forever. Nevertheless, many Western people want to be masters of their own destiny, but since they
disregard the rhythm of heavenly fortune, things will not go as they want. Therefore, clever and wise
Westerners will align themselves with the Principle that governs the universe
No one wants to perish. No nation wants to perish. Nevertheless, today so many people are
perishing, and nations are on the path of decline. Why are they perishing? It is not because of
anything I do. But when the very universe opposes them, how can they stand against it? Only
people who are aligned with heavenly fortune and who are obedient to the Principle that governs
the universe can expect to survive and prosper. This has been the case for the heroes and saints
throughout history. Wouldnt you like to become a hero or a saint? (94:19-20, June 19, 1977)
Philippians 2.12-13
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595
Quran 13.11
Hadith (Islam)
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596
God creates to the level of 95 percent and then human beings should add their efforts in accordance
with Gods basic rules for creation in order to establish a value standard of 100 percent. In this way,
God wants to give human beings the value of having participated in the completion of His Will.
(130:19, December 11, 1983)
The proportion of five percent is used to indicate that the human portion of responsibility is extremely
small when compared to Gods portion of responsibility. Yet for human beings, this five percent is
equivalent to one hundred percent of our effort
We should recognize how minuscule the human portion of responsibility is in comparison to
Gods toil and grace, which is His portion of responsibility. On the other hand, when we consider the
fact that over and over again central figures in the providence could not cope with their responsibility,
we can appreciate how extremely difficult it was for them to fulfill even this comparatively small
portion. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Predestination 2)
No matter how great the saving grace of the cross of Christ, the salvation knocking at our door will be
for naught unless we fortify our faith, which is our portion of responsibility. It was Gods responsibility
to grant the benefit of resurrection through the crucifixion of Jesus, but to believe or not to believe is
strictly ones own portion of responsibility. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Creation 5.2.2)
We are endowed with the nature to empathize with God. We should develop that nature; then when
God rejoices we also will rejoice, and when God is sorrowful we also will be sorrowful. Unless you
become a person who can intimately experience Gods deep inner heart, you are in no position to
become one with God and live in harmony with God, regardless of how much God loves you. (39:89, January 9, 1971)
God has borne all the responsibility for His sons and daughters on the road of restoration. But now
surely the time has come when we should take on that responsibility. God has borne all that responsibility to help us, but now, by taking on Satans attack, we can stand up as Gods sons and daughters.
(31:50, April 12, 1970)
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597
1 Corinthians 9.24-27
Luke 14.28-31
Ephesians 6.10, 13
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598
You should have a definite sense of what kind of work you will do by the time you reach your twenties. You should be able to say with certainty, This is what I will do, and fight to achieve it throughout your lifetime. That is the only way you can become an historic person, a person who contributes
something to the world. If you only try to accommodate to circumstances and simply go with the
flow, you will be carried away by the current and disappear.
After determining exactly what you will do, you will need a heart bold enough to continue
fighting for your goal no matter what difficulties may arise. Instead of saying you dont like this or
that, you must have the guts to digest whatever comes. (120:229, October 20, 1982)
Even if Heaven has prepared everything, it will not work unless we have prepared a corresponding
foundation in our minds and bodies. (7:287, October 11, 1959)
Each morning when you go out into the fallen world, prepare your eyes, nose, ears, and every cell,
even your mind, like armament ready for battle. (122:266, November 21, 1982)
To live is to compete. We cannot develop without competition. Losing a competition makes us miserable, but it can spur us to strive for the capability we need in order to win. To gain that capability,
we need time to prepare and train
A student studies to prepare. Especially adolescents should prepare, while carrying big dreams
By preparing intellectually, you can conquer the mental world. Then you are ready to act and utilize
your well-honed capabilities to win in the competition. (Blessing and Ideal Family 7.5.5)
All of you want to be successful. How do you gain success? You have to prepare well. You should prepare, with enough material that you are able to digest the existing world, for upon it you are to erect
your own new foundation. Your new foundation should exceed the old foundation; otherwise, you
will not succeed in establishing it. This is a lesson of history. It is true in the path of our individual
lives and in the life of our nation.
Look at the Unification Church: We face difficulties and persecution, yet in the midst of it all
we are preparing for the future. Today I am fighting alone against America, a superpower with a
population of 240 million that is feared the world over. Yet none of its leaders know of my work;
none of them help me; none is my friend. In this situation, I cannot fight blindly. I prepare myself. I
must prepare thoroughly and completely.
What preparation do I need? First, I must prepare mentally, to have an indomitable spirit that
will never be defeated. Second, I must make more effort than anyone else in history to contribute to
Americas well being. Third, I must make concrete preparations for specific actions.
I must have a thoroughgoing and complete teaching, and then I need to strive. I cannot sit
and rest with only a teaching. Having equipped myself with the truth, I must make limitless effort.
Moreover, my effort cannot be self-centered. To generate the subjectivity required to surpass the
existing system will require unending struggle. The guardians of the old order are not about to
welcome a new system. Every new movement in history is tested in the crucible of conflict, where it
either flourishes or perishes.
I try to find a way to overcome every difficulty. I proceed regardless of the price I must pay. It is
an effort not to be absorbed by others, but to absorb them. Furthermore, I need a consistent praxis.
As a religious leader, my method cannot involve violence. I work quietly. If others work eight hours
a day, then I work twenty-four hours
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599
I cannot afford to lose! I must prepare myself, even with blood and tears. In the midst of
tears, I must prepare! Though I am starving, I must prepare! Though I weep bitter tears, I must
move forward! Though I may have to sleep on the streets, I must move forward! I do not believe
that Heavens victory is possible without making such a commitment. (133:217-226, July 19,
1984)
Tao Te Ching 64
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600
Ecclesiastes 7.14
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One should preserve, without the slightest diminution, the faith which one had at the time of
renunciation. One should not be swept away by
the eddies of a mercurial mind.
Acarangasutra 1.36-37 (Jainism)
601
you must never give it up until you have thoroughly understood it. It matters not what you try
to think out, but when you once try to think out
a thing you must never give it up until you have
got what you want. It matters not what you try
to sift out, but when you once try to sift out a
thing, you must never give it up until you have
sifted it out clearly and distinctly. It matters not
what you try to carry out, but when you once try
to carry out a thing you must never give it up until
you have done it thoroughly and well. If another
man succeed by one effort, you will use a hundred
efforts. If another man succeed by ten efforts, you
will use a thousand efforts. Let a man really proceed in this manner, and though dull, he will surely
become intelligent; though weak, he will surely
become strong.
Doctrine of the Mean 20 (Confucianism)
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602
No matter how tired I may feel, once I think of the responsibility I have yet to fulfill, all that feeling
of fatigue dissipates. (Way of Gods Will 1.5)
The way of religion is prolonged endurance; the way of religion is continual sacrifice. When in faith
we endure and sacrifice, we can find the world of great love that God has been working towards.
This is definitely true. Therefore, when we say that God is love, we should understand that sacrifice
and endurance dwell in it. (112:51, March 29, 1981)
Which is the good side? The good side waits for a long time, keeps patience for a long time and keeps
hope for a long time. The evil side has no patience. If it is at a disadvantage, it will try to punch
the other and jump to action at once. The good stays patient and endures even through struggle
and frustration. Whatever comes, it maintains hope and does not fall into despair. A good person
is patient and enduring not only for himself; he is also patient and enduring for those who are not
patient. (93:112, May 21, 1977)
What was the secret of Jesus victory over death? He lived for the sake of others and established a
path of endurance through his own example. If in the Garden of Gethsemane he had said, Father!
Take this cup away from me! Please, I insist on it! he would have lost everything. Yet instead he
said, Nevertheless, not my will, but Thy will be done. Because he endured and went on, he was
victorious. That is his greatness. (76:227, March 2, 1975)
No torture or punishment could make me deviate from the heavenly path. Nor could six imprisonments stand in the way of the True Parents search for His children. As I sat in a cold prison cell and
watched drops of water fall from an eave, I pledged to myself, Just as those droplets will eventually
bore a hole through a boulder, the day will certainly come when these hot tears that fall from my eyes
will melt Gods heart that is frozen in grief and bring Him liberation and release. (May 1, 2004)
God has the mind to forbear with patience, in order to one day embrace the satanic world and even
hell. That is why even the demons in hell will bow their heads before His presence. Therefore, if
you desire to become champions at the last, the Fathers sons and daughters at the last, then in your
minds and bodies you must feel Gods patience as your patience and Gods endurance as your endurance. (4:243, May 18, 1958)
Father, what Thou doest, we Thy children should do,
and on the path Thou goest, we too must goit is a destined way.
Therefore, please do not allow us to become exhausted on the way,
and give us unwavering hearts to persevere and endure
until the day we can receive the blessing,
the day of Sabbath when Thou canst say,
You have won the victory, and you are Mine;
all heaven and earth belong to you,
My sons and daughters. (13:236, March 22, 1964)
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603
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604
You cannot complete your life of faith in one morning or one day. It is a lifelong path. In a life of
faith, the main issue is to maintain your dedication with a constant mind and heart with a view
towards eternity, beyond death. Your center core must be unchanging. No matter how difficult,
sorrowful or painful, it can never change. To follow the path of faith you must discover this core in
yourself, something you can never deny. (59:234-35, July 23, 1972)
Even though you have forbearance, you may realize that it is far from the terminal point. Today
many who have been supporting our church say that they are too tired to go on. You hear people say
that the Unification Church is good, but its way is too difficult to follow Indeed, it is hard to go
this way. It is a path of tearstears over what we see, tears over what we feel, and tears in the midst
of struggle. Some think that now the time has come for the tears to stop, but it is not yet.
I know that the tears must continue; I know that the heart of God is waiting for more tears of
forbearance, waiting for us, the plaintive ones. I cannot lift my face before Him even though I have
endured thus far. Though I have endured from 1945 until today,21 I have never thought about when
I might reach the limit of patient forbearance.
I do not even wish for the days of endurance to end. It is a normal experience in the life of faith
that once you start wishing for something to end you start looking after yourselves, and from that
point on you feel anxious. (6:89, March 29, 1959)
God is eternal. Once He determines to do something, He never alters His course in the middle.
What about you? You may be determined, but how long will you continue? For a month, a year,
several years, ten years? Or will you continue for your entire lifetime? Your determination is bound
to change. Sometimes you say to yourself, If I like it, then I will do it. If I do not like it, I will not
do it. However, truth is truth whether you live or die; it is eternal. Truth is beyond death, beyond
changeability.
Therefore, in order to be a true person, with the steadfastness of unchanging truth, you have
to be beyond death. To be beyond death, you first have to conquer death. This means there will
be a collision at some point between your changeability and unchangeability. When they collide,
your changeable elements will shatter and only your unchanging elements will remain. It will be a
collision between life and death. At that time you must overcome death; then you will have life. It is
reasonable that you must pass through this stage on the path to making a relationship with God.
When will the moment of truth come for you? It will be the time when there arises an opportunity
to be unchanging and changing at the same time. Both life and death appear before you. That is
when the truth emerges. (66:43, March 18, 1973)
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Chapter 12
Morality
Self-Control
SELF-CONTROL IS THE BASIS OF ALL VIRTUES. Unruly thoughts, attractions of the senses, lustful desires,
anger, covetousness, and avarice constantly arise in the mind of the person who has no mental discipline; and
these impel him to do evil deeds. If a person cannot even direct his own thoughts, desires, and actions, how
can he possibly have integrity in his relations with others? How can he keep his life on the path of truth? The
philosopher John Locke said, The discipline of desire is the background of character.
The passages in this section feature two nearly universal metaphors employed to describe self-control:
military conquest and the horse and rider. The conquest of self is the most difficult of all conquests, yet the
most important. Father Moon teaches that regardless of ones high-minded motives to change the world, all
efforts are futile without the foundation of having mastered oneself. The task of gaining self-control is also
likened to a rider on a wild horse. The higher mind or conscience, like an experienced rider, must gain control
over the beast within. He may have to employ the bit and bridle of self-denial and asceticism, yet at all costs
he must tame and subdue the lower self with its wanton desires.
Proverbs 16.32
Hadith (Islam)
Aristotle1 (Hellenism)
605
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606
Han Yu (Confucianism)
Psalm 32.9
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Morality
Know that the Self is the rider, and the body the
chariot; that the intellect is the charioteer, and
the mind the reins. The senses, say the wise, are
the horses; the roads they travel are the mazes
of desire
When a man lacks discrimination and his mind
is uncontrolled, his senses are unmanageable,
like the restive horses of a charioteer. But
when a man has discrimination and his mind
is controlled, his senses, like the well-broken
horses of a charioteer, lightly obey the rein.
Katha Upanishad 1.3.3-6 (Hinduism)
607
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608
Therefore, religions throughout history have taught people methods to strike the body. Religions
are training grounds to enable us to control our bodily desires and have the body to surrender to
the mind. They train and guide fallen people to become the men and women God intended at the
creation. (219:118, August 28, 1991)
Before you desire to have dominion over the universe, you must first have dominion over yourself: I regard this as the most important matter. The three requisites for achieving this are to overcome the three enemies: food, sleep and sex. (366:287, January 17, 2002)
Despite every effort at self-cultivation, people are often caught by love. When they respond to the
temptation of a handsome man or beautiful woman, they are caught. Human beings cannot claim
to have attained self-mastery in matters of love. It is possible for people to control their sexual desire
when they become one with God, but as long as they are self-centered they cannot overcome it.
Even in movies, when a woman is being raped at first she fights, No, no! but once her passion is
aroused she embraces the man. The power of love makes people give in to their enemies. (306:196,
September 23, 1998)
Due to the Human Fall, love today is basically self-centered. That selfcentered love does not originate from the mind, but rather is centered upon the body. The body is where Satan conducts his
activities. The body is Satans dance hall; it is Satans mooring post. The mind represents Gods
dwelling placethe subject position. But the body, which should assume the object position, tries
to make itself another subject. It continually asserts itself, alluring or deceiving the mind. In human
life, it is crucial to correct this relationship.
Therefore, God established religion to restore fallen humans. Through religion God is teaching
people how to strengthen their Godcentered mind and reverse the bodys dominion over their
life and character. That is why religion requires fasting, sacrificial service, and a meek and humble
attitude. These are methods to reduce the power of the body and make the body submit to the mind.
Normally in religious life it takes about three to five years to overcome the habit of a bodycentered
life and create a new, spiritcentered way of life. (201:209, April 9, 1990)
When I put myself at the zero point and completely deny myself, at that point my mind and body
can achieve perfect unity. (October 21, 2001)
Your goal is for the mind to be in control 100 percent. It is not enough for the mind and body to be
50-50. [After death] such a person will end up in the mid-level spirit world, in a buffer zone. If a person follows the body 60 percent of the time, he will undoubtedly go to hell Always keep in mind
that I am the womb that brings forth both good and evil. (37:122, December 23, 1970)
Are Gods mind and body fighting?4 No, they do not fight. How about you? If your mind and body do
not become one, you can never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (305:111, April 19, 1999)
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Morality
609
Restraint
THE PATH TO SELF-CONTROL BEGINS WITH RESTRAINT. Restraint has several aspects. First, we should avoid
situations that would tempt us to sin. This requires self-knowledge; since by knowing our weaknesses we can
avoid compromising situations. Second, we should restrain ourselves from acting on the promptings of anger,
arrogance and other momentary impulses. Thus Father Moon, knowing that he has a temper, says that he must
make continual effort to restrain himself from exploding in anger because he recognizes the harm it would
cause others. Third, religious teachings of non-violence and meekness, of preferring to be beaten than to harm
others, train us in the discipline of restraint. Fourth, Father Moon teaches of Gods restraint and forbearance
in the face of constant insults and aggravations over thousands of years as an inspiring example for us as we
strive to be people who restrain ourselves.
Verily God forgives my people the evil promptings which arise within their hearts as long as
they do not speak about them and did not act
upon them.
Hadith of Muslim (Islam)
Abu Huraira reported Gods Messenger as saying, The strong man is not the good wrestler;
the strong man is only he who controls himself
when he is angry.
Hadith of Bukhari and Muslim (Islam)
Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil (Song 4.3): The emptiest
of you are as well packed with religious observances as a pomegranate with seeds. For everyone who has the opportunity of committing a
sin and escapes it and refrains from doing it performs a highly religious act. How much more,
then, is this true of those behind your veil, the
modest and self-restrained among you!
Canticles Rabbah 4.4.3 (Judaism)
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610
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Morality
611
daughters, should you not resolve to endure for His sake? It will take much endurance to become
the core ancestors who embody the Fathers tradition and bequeath it for thousands of generations
to come. (363:254, December 25, 2001)
If we cannot forbear, then we cannot pay back the debt we owe to God and cannot resolve the grievances within His bosom. Because the fortune of heaven and earth moves along with Gods providence, when we remain with God, sharing His bitterness, indignation and sorrow, then judgment
can fall on the satanic world. This is the reason Heaven teaches us to restrain our anger, be gentle
and modest, and persevere in our life of faith.
Satan will invade if we fall out of step with God and create a gap between Gods providence and
ourselves. Therefore, we who have the faith must unconditionally sacrifice and obey, following only
the internal aspects of love. (1:113, June 10, 1956)
Integrity
INTEGRITY REFERS TO AN UNCHANGING CHARACTER. Regardless of the circumstances, a person of integrity
maintains his purpose, keeps his promises, and does his duty. More than that, a person of integrity becomes
the moral and spiritual center of his or her family and community. Others depend on him, trust him and rely on
him. As Father Moon teaches, just as diamonds and gold are valued for their unchanging brilliance, a person of
diamond-like value has an unchanging character.
One great test of integrity is duty; another is adversity. They place principle above expediency, as did Rama,
the hero of the Hindu Ramayana who refused a kingdom rather than disobey his fathers wishes. It is tempting
to regard fulfilling a duty as an opportunity for wealth or personal advancement. It is a challenge to maintain
a friendly disposition in adverse circumstances. It is even more difficult to fulfill ones obligations when to do
so puts one at risk of life. However, a person of integrity disregards the circumstances and fulfills a duty for its
own sake. Having taken on a task, he or she pursues it to the end with an unchanging mind.
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612
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Morality
613
The saints and sages who appeared in history are the best historical examples of true people. Why do
we call them true? Something true is not only true in the present. It must be true in the past, true
in the present and true in the future. Its truth transcends all circumstances. Therefore, a true person
stands at the center of the past, the center of the present, and the center of the future.
Among the people in the world, who is nearest to being true? Is it a parent or a teacher you
once had? Countless people have lived and died, but the person who should establish the basis
of truth is none other than you yourself. Where, then, is your closest link to the truth? It is your
conscience. We often say of a person, He is conscientious. He has an upright mind. What does it
mean for ones mind to be upright? It is upright in the past, it is upright in the present, and it will be
upright in the future. (28:159, January 11, 1970)
March forward, trusting yourself. You should have the integrity to go forth absolutely alone. (Way
of Gods Will 1.4)
All a gentleman can do in starting an enterprise is to leave behind a tradition which can be
carried on. Heaven alone can grant success.
Mencius I.B.14 (Confucianism)
The moral man conforms himself to his life circumstances; he does not desire anything outside his position. Finding himself in a position
of wealth and honor, he lives as becomes one
living in a position of wealth and honor. Finding
himself in a position of poverty and humble circumstances, he lives as becomes one living in a
position of poverty and humble circumstances.
Finding himself in uncivilized countries, he lives
as becomes one living in uncivilized countries.
Finding himself in circumstances of danger and
difficulty, he acts according to what is required of
a man under such circumstances. In one word,
the moral man can find himself in no situation
in life in which he is not master of himself.
In high position he does not domineer over
his subordinates. In a subordinate position he
does not court the favors of his superiors. He
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holds onto me because I know Gods Will and devote all my life, day and night, to its fulfillment.
That is the only reason God needs me.
Likewise, do I need you because I want to use you to make money? Do I want to use you to gain
power? No. The reason why I need you more than any power or authority in America is because I
sense your zeal for the Will of God. This connects us like a string, but it is stronger than anything
else. (77:16, March 23, 1975)
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Righteousness
RIGHTEOUSNESS MEANS A LIFE UPHOLDING HIGH PRINCIPLES and dedicated to public service. Righteous
people are the spiritual and moral pillars of a society, bestowing its vision and setting its values. By their courage, moral rectitude, and devotion to public service they demonstrate the exemplary qualities of a good citizen.
Righteousness is often demonstrated by concern for the greater good: for the community, the nation, even for
the world. Father Moon calls this being a public person, living a public life. He teaches that we should strictly
live with a mind to serve the greater good and never fall back into acting with selfish, greedy motives.
It is not easy to be a righteous person. Righteous people invariably place public duties ahead of personal
gain. They are serious about the propriety of every action they take. When society is corrupt and decadent,
such righteousness is not always welcomed, and righteous people face persecution. Yet the value of righteousness is so great that in the Old Testament story of Sodom and Gomorrah, God was willing to spare those sinful
cities for the sake of 10 righteous men. Every community needs such people.
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John 2.13-16
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Why? It is because humans fell. Having fallen from our original position, you must climb back
up, and in order to climb back up, you must struggle through it. It will not do to stay still. Otherwise,
you will never be able to greet the new world that humankind desires. You will not leave a mark
of goodness in history, and history will not be able to progress. That is why, as people who would
advance the cause of goodness, you must fight. (33:42, August 1, 1970)
It is a principle that the side of justice grows stronger with persecution and difficulty. Therefore,
when we are hit we will develop even more. (93:134, May 21, 1977)
When good people pursue a certain goal, they are often uncertain about their objective, and on
the path they find little support to stimulate and strengthen their aspiration for goodness. On the
other hand, evil people find help every step of the way and relationships to encourage them from
the beginning to the end. Therefore, a person who is seeking truth inevitably finds him or herself in
situations of loneliness and sorrow.
The path of the person who upholds goodness will not be a smooth one. Not many people
welcome an individual who strives to cultivate a character of exceptional goodness, especially as
he tries to assemble an environment that meets his standard. There will be opposition when that
person tries to build a family of goodness, and even stronger evil forces will surround and oppose any
attempt to build a tribe of goodness. (36:52, November 15, 1970)
Father! I am going forward as a strong man,
bold and magnanimous;
I will not be put to shame.
Please, watch over me on my path;
I will make Thee proud of me. (134:142-43, February 25, 1985)
2. A Righteous Person Leads a Public Life and Identifies His Welfare with the Public Good
Do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or
What shall we drink? or What shall we wear?
For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your
heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things shall be yours as well.
Matthew 6.31-33
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Isaiah 42.2-4
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The public-minded person speaks from public-mindedness; he sees, hears, feels, thinks, eats and
sleeps and does everything from the public-minded standpoint. When you look at the world with a
public-minded eye, you come to love everything. (111:244, February 22, 1981)
Whether your work is small or big, regardless of the task, you should not relate to it personally. In
other words, your mind should be intense. Your state of mind should be like a ball that is completely
round after the air has been pumped in, with pressure. Your mind should keep that pressure like a
completely round ball, and never go flat. If instead your mind is uneasy or self-centered, dominated
by personal greed, it is like a sharp edge forming in that round, ball-like mind. (40:278-89, February
7, 1971)
Genesis 18.23-25
Jeremiah 5.1-3
1 Kings 19.18
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If you do not perceive the sincerity within yourself and yet try to move forth, each movement
will miss the mark.
Romans 12.9-10
Abu Huraira reported Gods Messenger as saying, God does not look at your forms and your
possessions, but He looks at your hearts and
your deeds.
Hadith of Muslim (Islam)
To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very
minds and consciences are corrupted.
Titus 1.15
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Human beings still affiliated with the fallen realm must complete a revolution of conscience. This
means that they must maintain a tradition of true love, true life, and true lineage in accordance with
the predisposition of the original mind endowed in us by God. They must do this without even the
smallest deviation, regardless of whatever worldly sovereignty or ideology they may encounter. They
must live a life of high noon settlement, where they do not leave any shadow or even a speck of
shame in the presence of God or the creation. The revolution of conscience is completed when our
lives reach a state of one mind, one body, and one thought, and so establish an eternal and unchanging tradition as the ground of our pure love and pure lineage. The age of unity and harmony will
blossom from that point. (January 27, 2004)
Honesty
HONESTY INCLUDES TELLING THE TRUTH, speaking truthfully what is on our mind and heart, keeping promises, and acting in accordance to our words. Honesty before God requires confessing our sins and confronting
our particular propensity to do evil, along with repentance and the pledge to reform. Thus, Father Moon teaches
that our prayers should be honest reports to God about our thoughts, words and deeds, plus setting goals and
making determination about how we shall think, speak and act in the future.
Straightforwardness and honesty in the activities of ones body, speech, and mind lead to an
auspicious path.
Tattvarthasutra 6.23 (Jainism)
Ephesians 4.25
One should speak the truth and speak it pleasingly; should not speak the truth in an unpleasant manner nor should one speak untruth
because it is pleasing; this is the eternal law.
Laws of Manu 4.138 (Hinduism)
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Therefore, you should be honest. People who try to hide their mistakes cannot develop. On the
other hand, honest people develop because the universe pushes them and supports them wherever
they go. Whether in the East or the West, in the past, present or future, an honest person is everyones
friend. (100:87-88, October 8, 1978)
Be an honest believer. You should be able to report honestly about yourself to God and say, Father, I
will be honest with you, so treat me honestly. You were honest with me when I appeared before you
in righteousness. Now that I stand before you carrying the burden of an unrighteous heart, will you
treat me the same way? Regardless, I will face you with the reality of what is in my heart. Deal with
me according to your righteous judgment. (45:242-43, July 4, 1971)
I teach honesty, purity, and sacrifice from the standpoint of the Principle. First, a person must be honest in the presence of God. The Unification Principle teaches that falsehood separates us from God. I
emphasize to our members that they are Gods emissaries and must identify themselves as my followers,
even if it means they will be severely persecuted Whoever does not have the courage to do so, we
have no need of them. People who do not identify themselves out of fear of harassment will miss out on
all the blessings that come as a result of persecution I can understand that people who face constant
harassment do such things, but I do not praise such behavior. (91:128, February 3, 1977)
2. Keeping Promises
When a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears
an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not
break his word; he shall do according to all that
proceeds from his mouth.
Numbers 30.2
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Making excuses [for not fulfilling ones word] is not the way to have many virtuous friends, to be
positively recognized by ones superiors, or to be trusted by ones subordinates. People who make
excuses are generally losers. You should not make excuses whenever something unexpected happens. I never make excuses, even in the face of death. If confronted with the facts of the matter, I
might wince with the answers, but I will never make excuses Only honest people will survive and
prevail over circumstances. We need to become honest believers more than anything else. (45:269,
July 4, 1971)
A person of character fulfills his promises. If you say, You forced me to make that promise, and
therefore I do not have to keep it, then you are not a person of character. In the law, a contract is a
promise made and agreed to in public. All the parties to the contract must keep their promises. After
signing a contract, a person who does not fulfill his promise is punished by public regulations; hence
keeping it is the responsibility of any law-abiding person. (31:13, April 8, 1970)
You should become a person who can be entrusted with a precious treasure. (Way of Gods Will 2.2)
A monk should step carefully in his walk, supposing everything to be a snare for him.
Uttaradhyayana Sutra 4.7 (Jainism)
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Rabbi Akiba said, Laughter and levity accustom a man to immorality. Tradition is a fence
for Torah. Tithes are a fence for riches. Vows
are a fence for saintliness. A fence for wisdom
is silence.
Mishnah, Avot 3.17 (Judaism)
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of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the
wise replied, Perhaps there will not be enough for
us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy
for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the
bridegroom came, and those who were ready went
in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was
shut. Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, Lord, lord, open to us. But he replied, Truly,
I say to you, I do not know you. Watch therefore,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Matthew 25.1-13
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The road to misfortune does not ordinarily start from a major crisis. More often it is a trivial matter that opens the door to great unhappiness. It is hard to overcome even a small difficulty as long
as your thinking is self-centered. Therefore, you should think twice about what you are doing. In
analyzing great mistakes or serious crimes we invariably find that if the person had thought of the
impact his actions would have on the well-being of others, he probably would not have committed
such a blunder
Particularly when we are faced with making an important decision, you are liable to choose the
path to misfortune unless you stop to think twice before you act, to check whether your thinking is
public or self-centered. Those who reason from selfishness are truly their own worst enemy. (93:298,
June 12, 1977)
The fall of Adam and Eve was not the result of a planned failure that took one year or ten years.
Their failure was brought forth in one moment, and that failure of a moment became the base for
the corruption of the Kingdom that had been in preparation for millions of years. When we think
about this, we realize how fearful one moment is.
Due to the failure of a single moment, people walking the religious path in every age have
had to pay a price of great suffering. Numerous secular people too have been ruined by a single
misstep of a moment. All their subsequent suffering became part of a tremendous sacrificial
offering, for indemnity. When we understand this, every hour that we ordinarily live so casually
becomes fearful, even a single second within that hour, and we want to exert ourselves to make
it a success.
Every hour in your daily life is fearful, even each minute of every hour. Know how to struggle for
every moment. For apart from one moment, Heaven cannot exist. (37:219, December 27, 1970)
If only Noah had been more prudent in the days after the flood, he would not have become drunk
and lain naked. Would he have done such a thing if he had thought it over a bit more? With just
a little more prudence and patience, he would not have allowed himself to get drunk. We can
definitely say his mission would have succeeded if he had continued to be prudent. Likewise, when
Abraham was making his offering, why did he only divide two of the three offerings and neglect
to cut the birds? He would not have made the mistake if he had thought more carefully as he was
arranging the offering. (99:39, August 27, 1978)
When Jacob was receiving his trial from Heaven, he never relaxed his mental vigilance for a moment.
(3:337, February 9, 1958)
Prudent Speech
A LOOSE OR MALICIOUS TONGUE can cause much suffering. Evil speech can destroy friendships, ruin reputations and generate needless prejudice. It can be argued that if Jesus hadnt been surrounded by rumors and
gossip, he could have won far more acceptance by the people of his day. Since talk can cause damage to others
and to oneself, ones words should be weighed carefully.
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Therefore, before we speak, we should carefully consider whether our words will be edifying or damaging to others. Before we repeat a tale we have heard, we should first ascertain whether it is true. Before we
talk about doing something, we should carefully consider if we are ready to do it ourselves. Therefore, a wise
person is one of few words. Good parents train their children to be well mannered and not speak overly much
at meals.
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Quran 49.6-12
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dawns twilight and the morning sunshine.17 Is not the dawn a time of tranquil silence? (325:117,
June 30, 2000)
In the past, noble families trained their children not to speak carelessly, especially in the morning.
They taught them to speak only when spoken to. Such manners are also required in our life of faith.
(40:73-74, January 24, 1971)
If you work much and speak little, you will be a winner. But if you do little and speak much, you will
be a loser. (Way of Gods Will 2.2)
Moderation
Moderation is universally regarded as a virtue. Excessive behavior of any kindstinginess or profligacy, mortification of the flesh or licentiousness, self-righteousness or abject submissivenessshould be
eschewed in favor of the Golden Mean or Middle Path.
However, each tradition has its distinctive emphasis. Aristotles classic statement of the Golden Mean
emphasizes the work of reason in finding the middle and keeping to it. The role of wisdom to know the mean
is reflected in the popular Christian prayer, God, grant me the serenity to accept what cannot be changed, the
courage to change what should be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference. The Buddhas Middle
Path defines the religious life as threading a line between grasping at being and taking refuge in nothingness.
Throughout the history of Buddhism, philosophers and practitioners have sought to define this middle way
between withdrawal from the world and social engagement, between effort at spiritual growth and attacking
the pride that can arise with its attainment, and so onan enduring dialectic. The Confucian mean is about
personal balance, which is manifest in ones actions and in the harmony of ones relationships.
These traditional expressions of the mean are about individual behavior. Father Moons description of the
mean, on the other hand, has a global outlook. The mean is achieved when a persons individual balance is
substantiated in harmonious relationships with others and then pursues actions in society to bring together
high and low, rich and poor, black and white to form a level horizon of life.
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Remember, no human condition is ever permanent. Then you will not be overjoyed in good
fortune nor too scornful in misfortune.
Socrates (Hellenism)
That things have being, O Kaccana, constitutes one extreme of doctrine; that things have
no being is the other extreme. These extremes
have been avoided by the Tathagata, and it is a
middle doctrine he teaches.19
Samyutta Nikaya 22.90 (Buddhism)
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Sin, destruction and evil arise from taking a personal standpoint. If a persons personal property
exceeds a certain limit, it becomes evil. There is a limit to how much of a persons life should be
devoted to personal affairs, and once a person transgresses that limit, his life becomes evil. Then he
is bound to decline, sinning more and more. (31:165, May 24, 1970)
God gives each person a certain quota of material substance to consume here on earth. Suppose
you were allocated a large amount, but you say, No, I dont need that much. I will use as little of
it as possible. In that case, all the rest of the material wealth that God allocated to you would be
transferred to your children and your posterity. Any people or nation with this kind of attitude will
prosper. (161:126, January 11, 1987)
A well-rounded person is one who fits the four directions. (Way of Gods Will 2.2)
Lets say that the white race represents the day and black race represents the night. Then if white
people dont like black people, it is like the day not liking the night. Can this situation continue?
The cycle of day and night is balanced, half and half. Any people that goes against nature will
perish.
Does one of your eyes look up and the other look down? No, they are at the same level. When
you breathe through your nose, can one nostril point up and the other down? No. Everything on
your face is in harmony and balance. Likewise, people who disregard the balance of the universe will
disappear. Therefore, those WASPs who insist on white supremacy are scoffed at by young people
throughout the world; they are in decline.
Likewise, American young people are dying and American families are breaking down because
there is a fundamental imbalance between the individual and the family. (339:139-40, December
10, 2000)
Something new and great emerges from the union of the East and the West. For this reason, many of
the children born from international couples are geniuses. (376:277, April 19, 2002)
Without a horizon, the equilibrium that is conducive to unity cannot last. Hence, we must preserve
the horizon and keep it level. To establish a level horizon, we begin by finding balance in a subjectobject relationship. Subject and object partners exist to make absolute balance.
Next, the balanced subject and object partners make their surrounding horizon level. We cannot
make it level all at once. It requires balancing the high and the low, and making adjustments along
the way.
After making our surroundings level, we attain the standard for eternal settlement. Unity
emerges at this point, unity around the [subject and object partners] at the center.
Hence, you should understand that balance, the horizon, and unity form a trinity. Among these
three where does God abide? He dwells in the unity. Yet unity requires a level horizon, and a level
horizon requires balance. The world of balance, horizon and unity breaks apart if even one of them
is lacking. (298:168-69, January 1, 1999)
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Modesty
SCRIPTURES CONCERNS ABOUT MODEST DRESS and minimal use of makeup are for promoting a chaste inner
life. Ones outward appearance reflects ones mind. A painted face and immodest dress are advertisements
for a wanton mind, while simple apparel and a natural, unadorned face are characteristic of a gentle and
pure spirit.
Beauty can be divine or a cause of temptationit depends upon the motivation. In this regard, Father
Moon asks some revealing questions: For whom do you put on makeup, for your husbands or for other men?
and Do you adorn yourself to attract others to love you or to spread your love to others?
1. Modesty in Dress
Women should adorn themselves modestly and
sensibly in seemly apparel, not with braided hair
or gold or pearls or costly attire but by good
deeds, as befits women who profess religion.
1 Timothy 2.9-11
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Isaiah 3.16-17
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Do singers like Elvis Presley and sports champions fulfill a good purpose or an evil purpose?
Generally these superstars influence the world in a satanic way. Men and women who carefully
groom their appearance and dress in the most elegant fashions generally have a satanic effect on the
world. (122:263, November 21, 1982)
Chastity
CHASTITY IS TO CONTROL ONES SEXUAL DESIRE: to refrain from premarital sex and to have sexual relations only with ones spouse. Chastity requires the institution of marriage for its most joyful fulfillment. The
extreme asceticism of a celibate monk or nun is a vocation only for the few, those who are willing to sacrifice
continually the God-given desire to love and be loved. God created us to love, form families and raise children
to propagate the human race. In this regard, sexuality within marriage is a wonderful gift, a joyful experience
and a blessing of God.
However, as fallen human beings we do not naturally discipline our sexual desires to be employed in a
faithful marriage bond. That requires training, and religions have traditionally served this purpose. Religions
teach that adultery is among the most serious sins. They train the mind to subdue the desires of the flesh, and
set boundaries on behavior to avoid temptation to sin. They lift up marriage as a holy institution. However,
in todays secular society, people have forgotten the discipline of desire. Promiscuity and free sex are everywhere, promising instant happiness but yielding disappointment, heartbreak, and broken homes. Marriage
is under attack, and many young people are cohabiting rather than marrying, largely because they no longer
believe that they can make a lasting marriage. As the original standard of faithful marriage is forgotten, homosexuality and lesbianism are gaining acceptance as alternative lifestyles.
Father Moon speaks passionately and directly about this topic. Based upon his teaching that the Human
Fall was an act of illicit love, he sees the misuse of love as the root of all sins, crimes, unhappiness and suffering
in human life. (See Chapter 6) The Fall caused people to devalue love and use it wrongly. Therefore, he calls us
to elevate love to its original, heavenly purpose as the linking point between human beings and God. Sex in
marriage should be a holy act, what he calls absolute sex. Love between husband and wife should have the
same absoluteness as Gods love for us. Anything less creates separation from God.
Quran 25.68-69
But fornication and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as
if fitting among saints. Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity,23 which are not
fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving.
Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure
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Four misfortunes befall a careless man who commits adultery: acquisition of demerit, disturbed
sleep, third, blame; and fourth, a state of woe.
There is acquisition of demerit as well as evil
destiny. Brief is the joy of the frightened man
and woman. The king imposes a heavy punishment. Hence no man should frequent another
mans wife.
Dhammapada 309-10 (Buddhism)
641
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from unchastity; that
each one of you know how to take a wife for
himself in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like heathen who do not know
God.
1 Thessalonians 4.3-5
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two minds; thus it is right to call such a man with two minds Satan. He is no different from Satan.
(Blessing and Ideal Family 1.2.6)
The sexual organ is the most fearful of the senses, because love was the cause of the Human Fall.
That is why religions treat adultery as the most serious sin. The free sex that we see in the modern
world today is an extension of hell. It is hell on earth and hell in the spirit world. It will entirely
perish. (261:303-04, July 24, 1994)
Love, life, and lineage want to attach themselves to the sexual organs of men and women. They are
the place to connect with God. They are the place where the Original Parent of all human beings
comes and visits us. The sexual organs are the palace of love, palace of life, palace of lineage, and
the palace of conscience. They are the starting point. Without them, we cannot find love; without
them, we cannot find life. Without them, there would be no way for the life in a man and the life
in a woman to meet as one. They are where a man and a woman meet and where a lineage comes
into being. Your conscience, too, must be in accord with your sexual organ or it cannot manifest
correctly.
Each of us has love; each of us has life, and each of us has a lineage. Inquiring where they come
from, we learn that they are linked to our parents sexual organs. They are linked to the love that
is in our parents sexual organs. That is how precious these organs are. The core of all the ideal
traditions of the universe flows through their gates. The living water of eternal life flows from them.
To become eternal living water, there must be love. So love is the most important. That is how
precious these organs are. In nature, precious things, treasures, do not lie in plain view. Instead, they
are hidden. Is this not true of gold? It is hidden, distributed in layers of feldspar or other rocks.
However, as the result of the human fall, all this was turned upside down. Each woman now
thinks that her sexual organ is her own, but it is not hers. A man can never perfect his love without
his wifes sexual organ. Likewise, a woman cannot maintain her love forever unless she has her
husbands sexual organ to bring love to her. As long as men and women regard their sexual organs
as their own, they cannot realize eternal love. Rather, they must exchange their sexual organs. The
owner of a mans organ is his wife, and the owner of a womans organ is her husband
Will a new key fit two different locks? These days some knuckleheaded professors talk about
free sex, and say this represents the liberation of love, or the emancipation of sex. They are thieves,
and this world has become hell on earth because of such thinking. (300:320-21, April 15, 1999)
So shun youthful passions and aim at righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those
who call upon the Lord from a pure heart.
2 Timothy 2.22
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The time has come when it is no longer acceptable for an elderly man to have a secret affair. A mans
philandering will ruin his entire clan. Once you understand the Unification teaching, you cannot do
that. (Blessing and Ideal Family 1.2.6)
I am thinking that your children should be married at an early age, because I want them to be certain
of marrying their first love. If each of you had met your spouse during adolescence with your first
love intact, you would be so happy. First love is so pure! You would approach your spouse like a pure
child loving its mother and father. Such a loving man and woman create an ideal couple and give
birth to wonderful children. (118:310, June 20, 1982)
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Which is better, for men and women to have frequent physical contact or to refrain from
touching until they are fully mature? When the electricity sparks, would you rather it be 50 volts or
100 volts? Therefore, you should wait. What do you think? Should young men and women go on
dates, hold hands and kiss each other before marriage? You should wait and refrain from touching
until you are fully ripe, like an apple that has turned totally red. Then even at the touch of your
partners hand you will feel an exciting electrical spark. Yet most American women never experience
the full sensation of first love, because having dissipated their electricity, the remaining charge is
only at 50 volts or even 30 volts. Now what do you think of American style love?
Satan uses this and many other methods to invade the realm of high-intensity love. To a pure
teenage boy, a girl is like a palace of mysteries. Likewise, to a pure teenage girl, a boy is like a palace
of mysteries. But these days, where is the mystery? Boys and girls behave like animals. They love
each other like cats and dogs, without any vertical love. (125:103, March 13, 1983)
The religious life is one in which your conscience tortures your body until it surrenders. Once the
flesh is completely dead, your conscience should occupy it so it can never come back to life again.
Thus, the mind must dominate the flesh.
Therefore, you should turn your habitual way of seeing inside out and see straight. Your eyes,
which have been looking at things 180 degrees opposite the way they ought to, should now turn 180
degrees opposite their former way of seeing. Whereas, before, when you were on the satanic side
you looked through the left eye, now you should look through the right eye. In other words, your
eyes, which could not see properly because they were 180 degrees off, should be united with your
conscience and return to their original place, coming back to the right side after having rotated 360
degrees. From that time on, your eyes are welcome to view anything because you see with the eyes
of the original mind. (261:303-04, July 24, 1994)
Leviticus 18.22
Quran 29.28-29
Romans 1.26-27
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Free sex is what Satan likes most. God is the opposite. God wants absolute sex. Archangels do not
have partnersthat is why homosexuality and lesbianism has emerged. With God, on the other
hand, there is absolute partnership.
Now is the Last Days, when we are harvesting the seeds of free sex that Adam and Eve sowed
in the Garden of Eden. That is why free sex is rampant throughout the whole world, especially in
America. That is why families are breaking down. These are the satanic fruits of the Last Days. In
this world full of free sex, people say, Its okay for men to marry each other because they do not
have an absolute partner of love. (282:27, February 16, 1997)
Satan has worked to break down the basis for lasting love; hence free sex, homosexuality and
lesbianism are rampant. Homosexuality and lesbianism grew from the seeds of the archangel;
that is why they do not have eternal love partners. Satan is making people around the world
expose their bodies more and pulling them in the direction of death. Humanity is experiencing its ultimate fate as descendants of the archangel, who instigates death to all. (279:121,
August 1, 1996)
Could homosexuality exist in a world that abides by Heavens principles? Lesbianism, alcoholism
and such exist because people suffer from emotional misalignment. They suffer in this world, which
is hell on earth. We, on the other hand, strive to live in Gods Kingdom, so our way of life is 180
degrees different from them. (243:191, January 10, 1993)
If you practiced homosexuality before joining the Unification Church and you have still not
ended such relationships, you will go straight to hell. Once you are deeply moved by the truth,
everything of that old lifestyle should flee away. You have been born again. Now, no matter how
much you formerly enjoyed it, your heart says no. Therefore, you have nothing to do with it. If
you cannot subjugate those feelings, you should repent and pray and wail with tears. (219:233,
September 8, 1991)28
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Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5.18
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Morality
The Gambler:
These nuts that once tossed on tall trees in the
wind
but now smartly roll over the board, how I love
them!
As alluring as a draught of Soma on the
mountain,
the lively dice have captured my heart.
My faithful wife never quarreled with me
or got angry; to me and my companions
she was always kind, yet Ive driven her away
for the sake of the ill-fated throw of a die.
Chorus:
His wifes mother loathes him, his wife rejects
him;
he implores peoples aid but nowhere finds pity.
A luckless gambler is no more good
than an aged hack to be sold on the market.
649
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Satan deploys his weapons. First, he deploys his air weapontobacco. Next he deploys his liquid
weaponalcohol, and finally his solid weapondrugs. With these weapons he rots peoples spirits,
rots their bodies, and through the nostrils he rots the lungs. Therefore, we do not drink alcohol. We
do not smoke. We do not take drugs. These three are Satans weapons to destroy humanity. They are
fearsome weapons because they block the spirit from communicating with the divine Being. (126:71,
April 10, 1983)
Tobacco is a weapon of temptation. When a woman asks a man for a cigarette, casual sex is the usual
outcome. In the Orient the men smoke, but it is regarded as disreputable for a woman to smoke. A
woman asking a man for a cigarette is inviting him, Lets have sex! The cigarette is the bait. A man
inviting a woman to share a drink together is another way of asking for sex. It is the same with sharing drugs. Once they are intoxicated, the man does as he pleases with her, and she does whatever she
wants with him. What do they do? They engage in free sex. (287:118-19, September 19, 1997)
A man may be a husband and a father with many responsibilities at home, yet he continually neglects
his wife and children and goes off to the local bar, seeking only his own pleasure. Is that person more
susceptible to Satan or to God?
While he is drinking, he may be very happy. He might even jump up on top of the bar and dance
to express his joy. However, such joy can never last. It has no element of the future, of eternity. His
happy moment of drunkenness passes, and before long his family and his world lie in ruins. (124:244,
February 20, 1983)
In the Orient we have a saying, Ju-saek-jab-ki: Liquor, women and gambling lead to mischief.
Liquor, women and gambling are the causes of all the worlds crimes. Is there a major criminal case
where alcohol, drugs, women or gambling are not involved?
Drugs are simply a stronger form of liquor. In a drug-induced intoxication you have no control
over anything, including your behavior with women. Drinking and drugs destroy any wholesome
relationships between men and women. And at the gambling casino thousands of years of
achievement can wash away overnight. (230:115-16, April 26, 1992)
When Chinese people gamble, they sometimes bet everything. If a man runs out of money, he may
bet his house and even his wife. He may lose his wife! If a master gambles with his servant and loses
to him, the master has no choice but to pay off the money he beteven all his property. What does
he do next? He quietly drinks poison and dies. Then his servant can claim his house, his wife, and
all that he had. Gambling is that formidable. (124:157-58, February 6, 1983)
Do you have true love in your home? I do not sense much confidence in your answer. You say yes,
but you have yellow tobacco stains on your fingers and the smell of alcohol on your breath. If you
had true love, your body would be fragrant. (215:244, February 20, 1991)
In todays families, husbands and wives are quarreling, parents are quarreling, children are quarrelingall are at odds with each other. This inevitably leads to a world where people find joy only
in free sex; all their higher emotions are impoverished. To rekindle their emotions, people resort
to hallucinogens and heroin. First they stimulate themselves with marijuana, and to continue the
stimulation they graduate to opium and narcotics. (243:251, January 17, 1993)
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Loves intense power activates all the cells, stimulating them all with one vibration. At the moment
when mind and body, man and woman, are completely engaged in giving and receiving the power
of love explodes one hundred percent. Loves intense electricity is so intoxicating; that is why love
is good. It is far more stimulating than the artificial intoxication that comes from drinking alcohol
or taking opium. (117:76, February 1, 1982)
Whether in America, England, Japan, Germany, or anywhere in developed world, people lack any
direction in life; they dont know which way to go. Having lost vertical true love, people desperately
seek love on this horizontal plane. Unable to find it, they end up resorting to free sex. Every human
being has an antenna that picks up loves emotion. It could link them with the high-dimensional
universe of true love, but that world has vanished. Therefore, to supplement the paltry stimulation
of fallen love, people take drugs and engage in free sex.
However, drugs and free sex are no substitute for true love. The more people pursue them,
the farther away they are from love. Accordingly, they find that having free sex is not satisfying.
Then they turn to drugs, yearning to feel that moment of loves rapture. Through drug-induced
hallucinations they can feel imaginary love, but the feeling lasts only until the drug wears off.
The stimulating effect of the strongest drug cannot be compared to true love. Even drugs lean
on true love, we can see that. Love creates an electrical vibration between heaven and earth. The
touch of loves vibration rings out through the universe as if through the speaker of a giant radio.
[Connecting to the drug world is like turning on a broken radio and hearing a faint noise, but
with true love we tune in to the clear signal.] When the true love loudspeaker booms, Wah-ah,
the whole world gets excited. Everybody in the universe stands up and dances to its music. You
may think the Twist is an exciting dance, but in the true love dance you even fly! (247:126-27,
May 1, 1993)
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Chapter 13
Love
True Love
TRUE LOVE IS THE SUPREME LOVE. It is highly desired, yet rare in the world. These passages can only begin to
describe this ideal love, whose various attributes will be treated at length in the following sections.
Most essentially, true love is grounded in divine love. Love or compassion, being the core of Ultimate Reality, is manifested by the saint who can rise above self-centered attachments and desires. As God created for the
sake of His creatures, so true love is totally committed to the welfare of the beloved. As God is absolute, eternal
and unchanging, true love never changes and cannot be defeated by the vicissitudes of life. As God is the Parent
of all humanity and the creator of all things, so a person with true love is impartial and all-embracing. Therefore,
true love is displayed to individuals who are deeply united with God and fulfill Gods purpose for their life.
True love is beyond the reach of most people, who are caught up in self-centered pursuits. Yet it is not so
far off, for everyone has within him or herself the potential for love. A parent who gives everything for the sake
of his or her children has tasted it. Maybe he had habitually lived for his own pleasure, but with the birth of a
child his life goes through a total reorientationfrom self to the other, from taking to giving. Parental love is
close to Gods true love, and hence we call God our Father. This inborn potential is illustrated by the Chinese
character for benevolence (), which contains elements signifying two () people (); the same elements
that are combined to make the character for Heaven (). Thus love is innate in our being, through love God
dwells with us, and by loving we resemble God.
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The infinite joy of touching the Godhead is easily attained by those who are free from the burden of evil and established within themselves.
They see the Self in every creature and all creation in the Self. With consciousness unified
through meditation, they see everything with
an equal eye.
I am ever present into those who have
realized Me in every creature. Seeing all life as
My manifestation, they are never separated from
Me. They worship Me in the hearts of all, and
all their actions proceed from Me. Wherever
they may live, they abide in Me.
When a person responds to the joys and
sorrows of others as if they were his own, he has
attained the highest state of spiritual union.
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completely? Have you loved your husband or your wife completely? Have your loved your teacher
completely as his disciple? Have you loved your nation completely? No one, not a single person, has
loved completely.
Therefore, just as in a factory a single mold is used to cast thousands of parts, we need a model
human beinga true personfrom which to propagate true people throughout the world. That is
why God promised to send the Messiah. (Way of Unification 8.4.1)
What is true love? It is Gods love. What is the path to true love? To become the owner of true love,
we must possess God and His attribute of eternity. It is as simple as that. Why? True love has the
quality of eternity. Therefore, to meet the condition of [true] love, we should be eternal. We will
have true love between us only when our love is eternal. Therefore, on the path to love it is obligatory that we become eternal and unchanging people. Thus, love is eternal. It is eternal, unchanging
and unique. Therefore when we have that kind of eternal heart for Heaven, our path will lead us to
true love, to love that is all in all. (123:328, January 9, 1983)
What is the holiest thing in the world? It is true love. True love begins from God. God desires the
path of true love above all, not any other path. God wants to see, hear, eat, and touch through true
love. Were you to receive a kiss from God, you would feel such joy and happiness as if your insides
were about to explode. (Blessing and Ideal Family 1.3.8)
When God exercised His power as the Creator, He created everything centered on love. God relates
to everything with true love. In the spirit world, the connection of true love makes you the leader
of all things. You can create anything. Therefore, it is our aspiration to relate to everything in true
love. Unless you make a connection with true love, everything you do will be in vain. (147:116,
August 31, 1986)
Ultimately, the original source of love is not in human beings, but in the first causal Being, who is
absolute and unchanging. That is why a family of love is a God-centered family. Such families are the
basic units for the realization of the ideal in human society. Beginning with families that realize the
highest ideal of absolute love, love can expand to the nation and the world. The world of unity that
is formed in families that perfect and complete love will surely expand to bring about Gods promise
of an ideal world of eternal happiness. (89:227, November 27, 1976)
Suppose a husband and wife give birth to a child with a deformity. Do they terminate its life and say,
Well, we can try again? Is that true love? No, of course not. By the same token, a husband cannot
think that if his wife displeases him, he can simply divorce her and marry someone else. Rather, he
should determine to stay with her through thick and thin, always compensating for her shortcomings and her faults. That is the proper course, and such love will pass muster in the spirit world
where love is more visibly dominant than it is on earth. Such a person can be called a true husband.
True love is not seen when it is easy to love. True love becomes evident when you love someone
even though it is difficult.
The same principle of love applies in a students relationship to a [difficult] teacher and viceversa. It also applies in the relationship between a nations president and its people. (117:292,
April 11, 1982)
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If God has a creation that He cherishes and thinks most valuable, does He intend to throw it away
after spending just one day, 10 years or 100 years with it? Or did He create it to be with Him eternally? Surely this applies to human beings, whom God created to live with Him eternally. We are the
object partners of the absolute God, who created us out of absolute love for His good pleasure.
Likewise, if a man takes pleasure in a woman for a few days, 10 years or 100 years, and then
discards her, it is not love. If it were love, the more he loved her, the longer he would want to be
with her.
There was once a man whose wife died young. He stayed single the rest of his life, always
carrying her handkerchief. Nehru, the Prime Minister of India, always wore roses on his clothes
because his wife had loved roses. (39:342-43, January 16, 1971)
True love is love that continues forever. It is love that does not change, whether in spring, summer,
autumn, or winter. It does not diminish when a person is a child, middle-aged, a senior citizen, or has
passed on to the eternal spirit world. True love does not change. (194:303, October 30, 1989)
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If you step on a strangers foot in the marketplace, you apologize at length for your carelessness. If you step on your older brothers foot,
you give him an affectionate pat, and if you step
on your parents foot, you know you are already
forgiven. So it is said, Perfect ritual makes no
distinction of persons; perfect righteousness
takes no account of things [wealth]; perfect
knowledge does not scheme; perfect benevolence knows no [partiality in] affection; perfect
trust dispenses with gold.3
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grandmother and grandfather will shout, Oh, no! and the mother and father will shout, Oh, no
and make a tremendous fuss. But will the great grandfather shout, This brat humiliated me! You
must punish him for this! No, he cannot. He will just laugh.
What great power and authority can do this? Only the unsurpassed power of love! Love is
like a huge pot that melts everyone together and creates harmony. What a wonderful melting pot!
(139:209-10, January 31, 1986)
Quran 39.10
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Men and women were not created to live for their own sake, but for the sake of their partner of the
opposite sex. A man is born for the sake of a woman. Likewise, whether or not a woman is beautiful, or even if she hates men, she was born for a man; just look at the way her body is shaped. God
designed each sex to live for the sake of its opposite.
Likewise, when parents live for the sake of the children and the children live for the sake of the
parents, there is circular motion. The more they live for each others sake, they faster the motion
becomes. This is the ideal formnot a square, but round and three-dimensional. Each member
adds to the others energy; hence the more we live for each other, the more dynamic our circular
motion becomes. The family forms a sphere that can continue this way for eternity.
This is why circular forms are so widespread in the world. The face is circular. The eyes are
round. They must engage in complete give and take. Veins and arteries also engage in give and take.
Sickness occurs when the balance is broken, when there is giving but no way to receive. In sum,
all beings that move must establish the principle of living for the sake of another. Otherwise, they
cannot continue to exist. (69:83-84, October 20, 1973)
Love, especially true love, involves a spiral action. As two elements revolve, they penetrate each
other and rise at the same time. Nearby objects are drawn into the swirl. The spiral action takes
place due to the power of give and take action. This is how Jesus could say that he was in the Father
and the Father in him. Through love, Jesus is in us and we are in himit is entirely possible. God,
Jesus and us combine in a great sphere. (124:51, January 23, 1983)
When something is rotating, its vertical and horizontal axes unite only at the most central point.
When you and your partner come together at that central point, the entire universe resonates.
You can even come to know the spirit world clearly. The world of love has no need for a system of
education, nor does it need anyone to dominate and govern it. Love governs us. Doesnt even God
completely submit to love? And if we are headed in the wrong direction, the world of love corrects
our direction and sets us on the right way. We automatically know the way we should go. (214:233,
February 2, 1991)
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True love moves at the zero point. The zero point is where the mind and body become one. There,
every void is filled and every excess flattened. There the mind and body have perfect rest. At the
zero point, only love has the power to move us. Nothing else works. At the zero point both the wifes
mind and the husbands mind are at zero; therefore they can become one, they can become totally
one. At the zero point, neither the wife nor the husband clings to their own concepts. Abiding there,
they have no concept of two, only one. What does it mean? They are living for each other. That
is the zero point. In that state they free in everything; wherever they go and whatever they do they
are free. (230:103, April 26, 1992)
A person who does not love himself cannot love God. A person who does not love himself cannot
love his parents. A person who does not love his parents cannot love his country. You must first love
yourself to be able to love your parents, love your country, love the world, and love God. (22:97,
January 26, 1969)
According to the ideal of love, all love relationships in the animal and plant kingdoms are for reproduction only. Human beings are the sole exception. Humankind enjoys freedom in the conjugal
relationship of love. This is humanitys special privilege as the lord of all creation. God blessed His
sons and daughters with the infinite joy of love.
However, the true freedom that God allowed requires human responsibility. If an individual
were to insist upon and practice freedom of love without responsibility, how much confusion and
destruction would take place! Achieving the highest ideal of human love is possible only when one
takes responsibility for love.
We can think of this responsibility in three ways. The first responsibility is to become a master
of true lovetruly thanking God for the freedom of love and knowing how to cultivate and control
ourselves. We do not take this responsibility for a love relationship merely because of law or social
convention. Instead, a person should establish this responsibility through his own self-mastery and
self-determination within a committed vertical relationship with God.
The second responsibility is toward our partner of love. By nature, people do not want
their spouses love to be shared with others. Horizontal conjugal love, which differs from the
vertical love between parents and children, loses its potential for perfection the moment it is
divided. This is because the Principle of Creation requires husband and wife to become one in
absolute love. Each spouse has the responsibility to practice absolute love, living for the sake
of the other.
The third responsibility of love is toward our children. The love of parents is the basis for
childrens pride and happiness. They would wish to be born through the total and harmonious
unity of their parents in true love, and they would wish to be raised in that kind of love. The
highest responsibility of parents is not only to rear their children externally, but also to offer them
life elements of true love that can perfect their spirituality. This is why the family is so valuable.
(277:201-02, April 16, 1996)
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1. Helping Others and Caring for Others Is the Fundamental Ethic of Human Life
Bear one anothers burdens, and so fulfill the
law of Christ.
Galatians 6.2
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The universe was created by investing, based on love for the sake of others. Hence, when a person
lives for the sake of others, he aligns himself with the original activity of creation, and this brings him
into oneness with God. This person will not perish, because God will never perish. He will surely
become an owner of the universe, because God is the Owner of the universe. Seen this way, it is clear
that the person who lives for the sake of others becomes a central figure. (270:165, May 29, 1995)
I know that the American people respect individualism. However, individualism that lost sight of
relationships between subject and object partners cannot endure. That is why America has reached
a blind alley. How can we save America? We have to remind her of the essence of the Christian
life, which is Gods original way of life. There is no other way. In this sense, even though you do not
welcome Reverend Moon, you need him. He teaches Gods principle: You individuals should live for
your families, families for your communities, communities for your nation, your nation for the world,
and the world for God. (69:88, October 20, 1973)
Matthew 20.25-27
Philippians 2.3-4
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today dont understand how happy it would be to be ruled by a subject who lives absolutely for his or
her objects. You can never imagine how glorious it is to be under the direct dominion of God in the
spirit world. This is the true subject-object relationship.
Third, we know that love and ideals are more precious than life itself, yet we tend to think we
produced them and they belong to us. This is a big misunderstanding. Love and ideals come from
your partner. Because they come from your object, the principle of living for others is necessary. God,
the King of Wisdom, knows all of this, so He made this principle. (73:326-27, August 10, 1974)
3. In Creating the Universe, God Gave Everything for the Sake of His Creations
We love, because he first loved us.
1 John 4.19
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existence of a counterpart, the origin of ideal existence does not begin at the position where we exist
for our own sake but where we exist for the sake of our partner.
This is the reason God invested completely in creating His partner. God wanted to create
an object partner of greater value, more complete and ideal. After creating Adam and Eve, God
determined that He would exist for their sake. He made the transition from living for Himself to
living for the sake of His partner.
For this reason, we cannot hope to attain our ideal as long as we put ourselves first. We can
attain our ideal only by living for the sake of others, especially for the sake of our partner. This
principle stems from the origin of the universe. (69:82-83, October 20, 1973)
Sacrificial Love
TRUE LOVE IS SACRIFICIAL LOVE. It calls forth self-sacrifice in the service of others. Love prompts us to get
involved in the knotty problems of the world, gives us the strength to bear with the failings and weaknesses
of others, and moves us to help others regardless of the cost. We have the example of Jesus Christ, who
out of love, offered his life to redeem sinful humanity. Moses in his time, and Muhammad as well, endured
persecution and exile, risking their lives to enlighten and liberate their peopleall for the love of God and
humanity.
Out of Buddhism comes the figure of the bodhisattva, who vows to devote himself to save all beings. He
regards his own happiness as incidental to the happiness of others, and would rather not enjoy the fruits of his
own spiritual progress before first liberating others.
On this topic, Father Moon describes the root of sacrificial love in God, who invested Himself endlessly
at the creation to make a beautiful home for His children. God, who ever since the fall, has continuously and
sorrowfully devoted Himself as would a loving Parent to rescue prodigal humanity from the pits of sin and
grief. Such divine love is manifested every day in the human love of parents, who willingly sacrifice for their
childrens future.
Matthew 20.28
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and
gave himself up for us.
Ephesians 5.1-2
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Likewise, a couple that sacrifices for each other finds their love constantly renewed, revived by
the power of sacrifice. A husband and wife who share their suffering with each other can become
one eternally. True friends also, are those who sacrifice themselves for each other. The position
of love can be established when one sacrifices oneself and gives himself for others. Thus sacrifice
accompanies love. (September 11, 1972)
Love embraces all. Love goes beyond the law. Because it goes beyond the law, not even death can
stand in its way. Love can penetrate any wall, even a wall tens of thousands of years in the making.
Though the wall is so strong that no army can invade, love can push its way through safely. The
most formidable wall will crumble when you attack it with the weapons of self-sacrifice and investing everything, for the sake of love. (49:52, October 3, 1971)
You should sacrifice the person closest to you. What principle has God employed in His efforts to
restore this world? To save this sinful world and all the wretched people of the earth, God sacrificed
the person He loved most.
God sent His servants as offerings, and when the time came God offered up His only Son. This
has always been the way of Gods providence: He sacrifices the most beloved on His side for the
sake of Satans tribe. Can you possibly experience how God must feel, to sacrifice His beloved ones
to liberate the followers of His worst enemy? Yet He perseveres in this providence for the sake of the
world and for the sake of His enemies. Therefore, the entire human race should give God honor and
glory. (33:298, August 21, 1970)
When an individual sacrifices him or herself for the sake of others, the others will recognize him as
a virtuous person. If a certain family lives sacrificially for other families, those families will respect
it as a virtuous family. If a community sacrifices itself for other communities and dedicates its full
energy for them, then they will honor it as the most virtuous of communities. Likewise, if a nation
seeks to sacrifice itself for all nations in the world, then the other nations will honor that nation as
the most noble among nations.
This principle is Gods Will, and God sent Jesus to establish it. Christianity is spread throughout
the world. If Christians were living this way, sacrificing their own nations to save other nations, and
giving everything they owned for the sake of saving humanity, then surely the churches would today
be fulfilling the Will of the God of goodness. (69:86, October 20, 1973)
A man should share in the distress of the community, for so we find that Moses, our teacher,
shared in the distress of the community.
Talmud, Taanit 11a (Judaism)
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Love
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves; let
each of us please his neighbor for his good, to
edify him. For Christ did not please himself; but,
as it is written, The reproaches of those who
reproached thee fell on me.
671
Romans 15.1-3
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The Messiah never dreams of living happily in the Kingdom of Heaven alone. He is willing to
enter the Kingdom only after he has liberated all humankind on earth and all the inmates of hell,
because he knows Gods sorrow. God does not feel comfortable to see hell. By creating the Kingdom
of Heaven on earth and in heaven, the Messiah will release God from having to see hell. Only when
he knows that God can relax upon seeing the work of salvation completely finished, will the Messiah
enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (188:283-84, March 1, 1989)
Universal Love
TRUE LOVE IS UNIVERSAL. IT HAS NO LIMITS. When we are immersed in the love of God, we can experience
that everyone is our brother or sister. Here is a major distinction between absolute, true love and the relative
love of fallen people: true love is impartial and universal, while fallen love is partial to kith and kin, to friends
and compatriots. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., An individual has not started living until he can rise
above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.12
Yet is love for humanity enough? Not if we mean only a general sentiment that can be satisfied by acts of
charity and political efforts to benefit the downtrodden. The real stage of love is actual relationships. How can
we love strangers and people of faraway nations with the same intensity and concreteness as we love members
of our own family? Here scripture speaks of extending to strangers the way we treat members of our own family.
Father Moon is very clear on this score. To demonstrate universal love that transcends race, he recommends
that we give one of our children in marriage to someone of another race. By digesting every difficulty in relating
to our in-laws, we become people whose love truly goes beyond the racial barrier.
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2. Loving Others with the Same Heart as We Have for Our Own Family
As a mother protects her only child at the risk of
her own life, let him cultivate a boundless heart
towards all beings.
Khuddaka Patha, Metta Sutta (Buddhism)
The bodhisattva, the great being, having practiced compassion, sympathy, and joy, attains
the stage of the best-loved only son. For example, the father and mother greatly rejoice as
they see their son at peace. The same is the
case with the bodhisattva who abides in this
stage: he sees all beings just as the parents see
their only son. He greatly rejoices when he sees
them practicing goodness. So we call this stage
the best-loved.
For example, the father and mother
are worried at heart as they see their son ill.
Commiseration poisons their heart; the mind
cannot part with the illness. So it is with the
bodhisattva, the great being, who abides in this
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3. Love Especially the Stranger, the Foreigner, and Those Whom Society Despises
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord
of lords, the great, the mighty, and the terrible
God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.
He executes justice for the fatherless and the
widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food
and clothing. Love the stranger therefore; for
you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 10.17-20
A lawyer said to Jesus, Who is my neighbor? Jesus replied, A man was going down from
Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers,
who stripped him and beat him, and departed,
leaving him half-dead. Now by chance a priest
was going down that road; and when he saw him
he passed by on the other side. So likewise a
Levite, when he came to the place and saw him,
passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as
he journeyed, came to where he was; and when
he saw him, he had compassion, and went to
him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil
and wine; then he set him on his own beast and
brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
And the next day he took out two denarii and
gave them to the innkeeper, saying, Take care
of him; and whatever you spend, I will repay
The bodhisattva should adopt the same attitude towards all beings, his mind should be
even towards all beings, he should not handle
others with an uneven mind, but with a mind
which is friendly, well-disposed, helpful, free
from aversions avoiding harm and hurts, he
should handle others as if they were his mother,
father, son, or daughter. As a savior of all beings
should a bodhisattva behave towards all beings.
So should he train himself if he wants to know
full enlightenment.
Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines
321-22 (Buddhism)
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Suppose you have three sons. You could marry one to a German wife, one to a French wife, and
one to an African wife, and take in all three couples to live in your home. You would have three
daughters-in-law each from nations that have been enemies to each other. How could you create an
atmosphere where they will not fight or quarrel?
Have everyone eat food out of the same pot. What if a morsel falls back into the pot from your
African daughter-in-laws mouth? Are you going to clean it off, or not mind and keep on eating?
Some of you would not like it in the beginning; you would rather not eat at all, but you must. Why?
You cannot love African people without eating what they eat. When you can eat that spilt food
without it bothering you, God will dwell in your home and Gods love will dwell in your home.
(99:134-35, September 10, 1978)
Americans should not say, Only Americans, and Oriental people should not say, Only Oriental
people. No good comes from favoring family members, or the people of our tribe or nation. We have
to digest the problem of racial discrimination with the love of Heaven. How do we prove we are
doing it? By international and interracial marriage. (112:86, April 1, 1981)
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Hadith (Islam)
The good deed and the evil deed are not alike.
Repel the evil deed with one which is better, then
lo!, he between whom and you there was enmity
shall become as though he were a bosom friend.
But none is granted it save those who are
steadfast, and none is granted it save a person of
great good fortune.
Quran 41.34-35
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his or her enemies and invests him or herself completely for that purpose will be able to live near
Gods royal throne.
From this standpoint, the most precious education is to learn to love your enemies. The noblest
training to cultivate your mind is to train yourself to always make effort to love your enemies.
(124:155, February 6, 1983)
What is true love? It is Gods love. What is Gods love? In Jesus words, it is to love your enemy.
If white people love other white people, there is nothing special about that. When a white person
loves a black person, however, that is close to true love. Loving your enemy is true love, without a
doubt.
Why is loving your enemy true love? It is true because no one can criticize or complain about it.
It is always round and can flow everywhere. Whether that love goes towards one side or the other,
it is all good. Wherever it goesinto the eyes, into the nose, into the mouthwherever it goes, it
is good. (115:315-16, November 29, 1981)
What is the difference between love in the satanic world and love in the heavenly world? Satanic
love repays evil for evil, while heavenly love repays evil with good. When we love even our enemy,
Satan runs away.
That is why Jesus went a paradoxical way, and taught believers to walk a paradoxical way. They
had no choice because everything is turned upside-down. West had become East, East had become
West. South had become North, and North had become South.
Therefore, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven unless you love your enemiesyour
individual enemies, your familys enemies, your clans enemies, your nations enemies, and your
worlds enemies. God likewise is in this situation. (130:161, January 8, 1984)
I am teaching you to love those who hate you. If you love them, sooner or later they will come to like
you. If you return good three times for every time someone does you wrong, eventually that person
will bow his head. Try it yourself and see if I am right or not. Everyone has a conscience. (39:302-04,
January 16, 1971)
True love has influence on the enemy. If you overcome the first, second, third and fourth difficult
situation with love, the enemy will disappear. Jesus loved his enemies knowing that love has such
great power. (121:173, October 24, 1982)
Did you ever take pity on someone who opposed you and persecuted you? Did you ever think that
he might be jealous of you on account of your many blessings? Did you ever think that the reason he
persecutes you is because he is jealous of you? (105:31, July 8, 1979)
The reason why God does not punish an enemy, even though He would want to kill him, is that He
is thinking of the enemys parents, wife, sons and daughters who love him. God cannot bear to strike
that enemy with His whip because He would experience the painful hearts of all those good people
as they wept many tears out of their love for him. Gods love is like that.
When you really feel this heart of God, could you take revenge on your enemy? If you really knew
all the precious love connected with that person, instead of hitting him you would get someone to go
and help him. Thus you come closer to the great way of the universal Principle, which instructs us
to embrace everything with love. When you practice it, heaven and earth will shake and even God
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will cry out with tears, You truly resemble Me. How happy I am! This is how we should understand
the teaching to love our enemies. Where can we find the power to love our enemies? The source is
neither knowledge, nor money, nor earthly power. It is only true love. (201:150, March 30, 1990)
You should love your distant relations more than your immediate family. God gave His own Son,
Jesus, to be killed because He was living for the benefit of Israel ahead of His own Son. Even though
Israel had turned against His Son, God loved Israel more. Likewise, even on the cross Jesus loved his
enemies. He interceded for the Roman soldier who pierced him with a spear, saying, Father, forgive
them, for they do not know what they do. He did not say this to make peace with Rome, but to find
the peace of God and the peace of Gods family. (235:224, September 20, 1992)
How much does God love His enemy? Gods love is such that He sacrificed His own Son in order
to save His enemys children If you can love your enemies more even than you love your own
children, then Satan will surrender to you, exclaiming, I could never do that. I could never be
worthy to receive such love. At that point Satan will retreat. You should know that this is the path
of Abel.
As Jesus was dying on the cross, he prayed for his enemies rather than for himself; he prayed
that his sacrifice would become the source of their blessing. Can any being with a conscience not
bow his head and yield to such great love? However vicious the enemy may be, he cannot help but
bow down and surrender. By practicing this you can completely separate yourself from your enemys
wrathand you will discover that you have no enemy.
Then Satan has no choice but to issue a certificate signed, This son or daughter of God loved
me, their enemy. Therefore I cannot stand in the way of God loving this person. Satan can no
longer hold on to his grudge, but when he sees God embracing and loving the person, he must say,
Amen! This is how you must clear your relationship with Satan. (118:172, May 30, 1982)
Why is God on my side? It is because I have tried to love even those who opposed me. I have not
sought revenge on the enemies who stood against me. I do not want an eye for an eye, a tooth for a
tooth, or a life for a life. I try to digest everything with love. (168:204, September 20, 1987)
When I doubt people, I feel pain.
When I judge people, it is unbearable.
When I hate people, there is no value to my existence.
Yet if I believe, I am deceived.
If I love, I am betrayed.
Suffering and grieving tonight, my head in my hands
Am I wrong?
Yes, I am wrong.
Even though we are deceived, still believe.
Though we are betrayed, still forgive.
Love completely even those who hate you.
Wipe your tears away and welcome with a smile
Those who know nothing but deceit
And those who betray without regret.
Oh Master! The pain of loving!
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Look at My hands.
Place your hand on My chest.
My heart is bursting, such agony!
But when I loved those who acted against Me
I brought victory.
If you have done the same thing,
I will give you the crown of glory. (The Crown of Glory)
Forgiveness
A LARGE-HEARTED ATTITUDE OF FORGIVENESS to those who have done us wrong is advocated in all the
scriptures. Forgiveness is at the heart of Jesus message; indeed according to The Lords Prayer it is incumbent
upon the Christian to forgive. God is most forgiving. It states in the Quran that people who seek to draw near
to God should likewise be full of forgiveness. Forgiving is natural to a parent; therefore if we can take a parental
heart towards others, akin to the heart of God our Father, we can forgive them. While it may be difficult to
forgive people who do us grave injustice or injury, it is far preferable to holding a grudge, which would only
fester and poison the spirit.
Yet how can we forgive? Forgiveness is not a natural thing. It will not do to simply forget a wrong or sweep
it under the rug. Such easy or ritualistic forgiveness is phony and can mask deeper feelings of lasting resentment. As theologian Paul Tillich wrote, Forgiving presupposes remembering. And it creates a forgetting not
in the natural way we forget yesterdays weather, but in the way of the great in spite of that says: I forget
although I remember.19 Father Moon teaches that we need to find a positive reason to forgive, a reason to make
a new beginning in relating to that person in spite of the painful memory of previous wrongs. Thus he explores
the reasons why God forgives us, and searches for that point of weakness and pathos in the wrongdoer that
can evoke the heart of compassion.
Matthew 6.14-15
Luke 17.3-4
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The truly great man must forgive people without being forgiven by them.
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John 8.3-11
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Joseph forgave his brothers, although they were his enemies who had sold him into slavery. Yet
Joseph forgave them for his fathers sake, because they were all his fathers sons. Put yourself in
Josephs position. Like Joseph, we have many enemies, yet we have no choice but to forgive them
because they are all the children of our Father, God. We forgive them for Gods sake, because we
believe in God. (146:125, June 8, 1986)
Among the countless people I have been leading, many have committed transgressions. I deal with
them with the attitude, I will forgive you one hundred times. This is the fatherly heart.
Suppose your own son were arrested as a robber and a murderer and was facing execution.
Would you as a parent say, as you watched your son walking toward the execution chamber, It is a
good thing that you are about to die. You should be killed quickly? No, you would look for every
possible way to win him a pardon. That is the heart of a parent. You would forgive him, even a
thousand or ten thousand times. (157:259-60, April 10, 1967)
You leaders who live with your members, if one of your members is wrong, do not tell him he is wrong
to his face, but look for how you can forgive him. Look at his wife; is she worse than her husband?
Look at his children; are they worse than their father? Then look at his mother and father; are they
worse than their child? No, among his family some are good people.
Thus thinking of his familys good qualities and their love for him, you can find a way to love
him. Then the blessings gathered in that family will be joined with you. If you live this way, you will
not perish. Heaven will protect you. (308:208, January 5, 1999)
God does not strike someone who is defeated. Rather, God shows mercy to those who recognize their
sin and repent. God exists; therefore anyone who raises a sword to strike a defeated person will bring
ruin on his descendants. Instead, we should pray for him and give him guidance with the heart of a
close friend. (25:333, October 12, 1969)
Among the Christian martyrs who were thrown to the lions in the coliseums of Rome, there were two
kinds of people. One kind prayed, God, take revenge upon my persecutors. Punish them! May they all
perish! Their mind was to resist the unjust Caesar up to the moment of death. The other kind prayed,
Forgive their sins! Forgive the Caesar! May Rome one day become Gods nation on this earth!
Compare the destinies of these two kinds of martyrs. Those who prayed for their enemies, for
Rome and Caesar, are dwelling in an exalted realm among those who are victorious over Satan. But
those who died with the self-centered desire to receive salvation and held a grudge against Rome are
dwelling somewhere below the realm of Rome. (130:233, January 29, 1984)
When Jesus taught us to love our enemies, do you think he meant that we should forgive Satan? You
should be clear about this question.
When someone asked him, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?
As many as seven times? Jesus answered, I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
If Jesus, the Son of God, could forgive people to that extent, should he not also forgive Satan? Yet
he cannot do that; it is impossible.
When Jesus prayed for his enemies, the object of his prayers was not Satan but rather the people
whom Satan invaded. Evil people are merely victims of Gods enemy; therefore he forgave them and
sought for them, as God was seeking for them. Yet, this does not mean that he should forgive Satan.
(92:187, April 10, 1977)
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O Source of all goodness! I earnestly pray that Thou wilt forgive through Thine infinite love and
magnanimity the many religious believers of this nation for their past acts of persecution against the
children of the Unification movement. [Because of their actions,] some who joined the movement
for a time grew tired and lonely and fell away, unable to endure the persecution, unable to find even
one person to console them on the lonely path. And I know that many who remain on the path are
exhausted.
Thinking of how they ought to be bowing their heads and begging Thy forgiveness, my indignation
against them is hard to bear, and I long to resolve the grudges in Thy heart. Still, thinking about Thy
merciful path of restoration, as Thou seekest to recover the children of the enemy, I know that Thou
canst not help but bless them again and therefore I pray that Thou wilt forgive them.
Father, I earnestly ask Thee to please forgive and once again extend Thy grace to the pitiable
churches that betrayed Thee. (27:301-02, December 28, 1969)
A Good Heart
LOVING-KINDNESS AND COMPASSION spring naturally from a good heart. Hence, cultivating a good heart
ought to be a priority in life. A number of passages praise a loving heart as superior to faith, knowledge, dedication to the truth, and all other virtues.
A loving heart is rooted in Godwhat Father Moon calls Gods heart (Korean: shimjung). Shimjung is
Gods irrepressible impulse to lovethe very motivation for His creation. (See Chapter 1: Divine Love and
Compassion) In human terms, it is closest to the heart of a mother, who cannot help but love her child. A
good heart is impartial and all embracing, able to digest evil and unpleasant people as well as kind and virtuous
people. Therefore, it is indispensable to reconciling opponents and resolving conflicts.
1. Loving-Kindness
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4.32
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The Dwelling of the Tathagata is the great compassionate heart within all the living. The Robe of
the Tathagata is the gentle and forbearing heart.22
Lotus Sutra 10 (Buddhism)
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love toward their parents cannot be the standard, because in the beginning we betrayed God from
the position of children. Hence we lost the emotional basis to relate to God as His children. On
the other hand, God loved Adam and Eve even at the moment of their Fall. That original nature
remains in our hearts. It remains the basis for parents to act according to their original mind in loving their children. Therefore, among people living in the fallen realm, only parents love toward
their children remains as an original, prelapsarian standard of love. It shall remain as an eternal
standard. (23:206, May 25, 1969)
If parents have a child with a handicap or birth defect, they are heart-broken yet make special efforts
to take care of that child. The love of even worldly parents unmistakably reflects Gods heart. That
is why restoration is possible when you are filial toward your parents. (99:127-28, September 10,
1978)
Right now what we need most is the glow of love. Gods love is like the guide rope of a net. That
love should set its anchor in me. Where should we set the center of our character? Not in the truth,
but rather in the heart (shimjung). (33:68, August 8, 1970)
Good Deeds
GOOD DEEDS ARE A MANIFESTATION of a healthy spiritual life. Good deeds promote friendship and harmony
in our dealings with people. Good deeds create merit for heaven and improve our relationship with God. While
religions often emphasize faith as the key to salvation, all genuine faith is manifested outwardly in transformed
behavior. Father Moon recommends unflagging efforts to do good deeds, whether they are appreciated or not,
both to fulfill love in our hearts and as spiritual training to love more profoundly.
Many garlands can be made from a heap of flowers. Many good deeds should be done by one
born a mortal.
Every selfless act, Arjuna, is born from the eternal, infinite Godhead. God is present in every
act of service. All life turns on this law.
Dhammapada 53 (Buddhism)
Every persons every joint must perform a charity every day the sun comes up: to act justly
between two people is a charity; to help a man
with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up
his belongings onto it is a charity; a good word
is a charity; every step you take in prayers is a
charity; and removing a harmful thing from the
road is a charity.
Quran 5.93
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Good or evil in the conduct of the physical self is the main determinant of whether the spirit self
becomes good or evil. This is because the physical self provides a certain element, which we call the
vitality element, to the spirit self. In our everyday experience, our mind rejoices when our physical self performs good deeds but feels anxiety after evil conduct. This is because vitality elements,
which can be good or evil according to the deeds of the physical self, are infused into our spirit self.
(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Creation 6.3.1)
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The accumulation of wealth is the way to scatter the people, and the letting it be scattered
among them is the way to collect the people.
Great Learning 10.9 (Confucianism)
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life. All ten people say he is their very best friend. Since they like him, they introduce him to their
mother and sisters and all their relatives.
The bad man thinks that his friends exist to serve him. By the time he tells them three times,
Hey you! Serve me! every one of his friends would run away; they would want nothing more
to do with him. Isnt that true? It is universally true: A self-centered way of life leads you down
the road of self-destruction, to hell. But those who give, living their lives in service to others,
will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. They are living in accordance with Gods Principle. (69:86,
October 20, 1973)
God created all creatures in heaven and earth by investing completely His heart of love. It means
He gave. Because God has this nature, it is certain that a counterpart will come into being who also
has such a heart. As a result, human beings can form a relationship with God, and through that
relationship, to manifest Gods love. By living this way, we can only prosper.
Our conscience does not understand this fact logically and with certainty, but nevertheless it
tells us to love each other and live for the sake of each other. Similarly, religions teach us to sacrifice
ourselves for the sake of others. Thus our conscience, in agreement with morality and ethics, tells
us to live for the sake of others, sacrifice ourselves for the sake of others, and love others. (112:300,
April 25, 1981)
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The root of true love is the eternal cycle of giving. The power of giving multiplies; taking only
makes things get smaller. It is a mysterious fact. In ordinary physics, energy dissipates when it is put
to work, but the principle of love is that giving leads to increase. Everything you give moves in a
cycle and ultimately comes back to youwith interest! For example, Abraham left his home as one
man carrying a blessing, but after thousands or years it has multiplied to touch billions of people.
(183:324, November 9, 1988)
Your partner is the foundation for your hopes, the foundation of your happiness, and the foundation
for your everything. When God created heaven and earth, He created all things and human beings
as His object partners. The principle of give-and-take action governs action, movement, and law in
the universe. It states that nothing comes back until it has been given completely. Isnt that so? For
a wife to love her husband completely, she first must feel that he loves her completely. Only then
will she say, Im going to really love him. You begin to give back completely when you receive completely. That is the principle of heaven and earth If you begin to return before you have received,
then it will not come back to you in its entirety. (60:232, August 17, 1972)
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You give and then forget. You do not keep an account of what you gave, but forget it. When you give
and forget, you are elevating your beloved above yourself. Give and forgetthats the idea. As soon
as you remember what you gave, it breaks the circuit of giving.
Unity does not exist where there is self-assertionwhere a husband asserts his rights or a wife
asserts her rights. God created the universe by investing without limit. Therefore, when a man gives
limitlessly for the sake of his wife, and the woman likewise gives limitlessly for her husband, they
can achieve total unity. You couples can become completely one by giving and forgetting, following
Gods pattern. (267:301-02, February 5, 1995)
God desires a free, peaceful, and happy place where giving has no accusers and receiving has no
conditions attached. Gods purpose is to expand this place worldwide and bring all humankind to
live there. (13:249, April 12, 1964)
Charity
CHARITY TO THE POOR AND THE NEEDY is a traditional virtue encouraged by all religions. Our relationship
to the Highest Good creates a natural bond of family among all members of the community, rich and poor. We
can experience Gods love and compassion for all his children, and especially for those who suffer from poverty,
disease, war, famine and natural disasters. Giving alms and charity is a concrete expression of this spiritual
bond of love. Texts such as the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats from the New Testament liken helping a
poor man to giving offerings to God or the highest saints. Charity is not excused even for the poorest giver,
according to several texts.
Some passages describe the attitude one should take in giving charity. The dignity of the transaction
should be upheld by all means. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing describes the
value of anonymity for both the donor and the recipient: for the donor to eliminate any occasion for boasting
and for the recipient to preserve his dignity. An even higher form of charity, according to Maimonides, is to extend interest-free loans and other forms of aid to help the poor man get started in a business or trade and thus
earn his own living. In a modern version of the adage, Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.Teach a
man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime, Father Moon has been developing oceanic fishing enterprises
with the intent to help the people of Africa become self-sufficient in food.
They sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need.
Psalm 41.1
Acts 2.45
Quran 76.8-9
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have an abundance of fish. If only the people of Africa could harvest them, they would have food to
spare. How then could they possibly die of starvation?
Sixty thousand people starve to death every year, mostly in Africa. Ask your own conscience.
These people are starving due to the want of food, whereas here in America you eat so much that
you become as plump as a cow and then have to work hard dieting and exercising to reduce that
weight. Should you not be punished by God? (261:307, July 24, 1994)
And in their wealth and possessions they remembered the right of those [needy] who asked and
those who [for some reason] were prevented
from asking.
Quran 51.19
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When I was a student in Seoul, my home was outside the city, in Huk Suk Dong. For a nickel I could
ride a streetcar to school. The ride took only a short time, while on foot the journey took over an
hour. Every day I walked, in order to save that nickel to give to some needy person on the street.
By the time I came home, the nickel was gone, not to the train conductor but to a needy person.
(244:25, January 29, 1993)
I observed the beggars closely; there were many on the street by the Noryangjin Station and the
Hwasin Department Store. As I walked, I would quickly distinguish the old ones from the young
ones. I would not give to the young ones; I only gave to those who were handicapped, blind or
elderly. Likewise when you give alms, give to those who truly need it. (50:308, November 8, 1971)
Hospitality
HOSPITALITY TO GUESTS, ESPECIALLY TO TRAVELERS seeking food and rest, is a traditional virtue from ancient
times. Abraham was exemplary in his hospitality to strangers, three of whom turned out to be angels. Father
Moon describes the custom in his parents home, where hospitality to strangers was a rule firmly enforced
by his father. The best families create such a loving atmosphere in their home that it attracts people and even
animals from miles around.
Even families of little means should give their best hospitality to guests regardless of the hardship it might
cause them; this is illustrated by three texts lauding exemplary hospitality in extremis, by Lot who defended his
guests against molestation by the people of Sodom, by a companion of Muhammad who gave his last morsel
to a guest of the Prophet, and by a Hindu householder who preferred to die of thirst rather than withhold drink
from a thirsty stranger.
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels
unawares.30
Hebrews 13.1
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A man came to find the Prophet and the latter asked his wives for something to give him to
eat. We have absolutely nothing, they replied,
except water. Who wants to share his meal
with this man? asked the Prophet. A man of
the Companions then said, I. Then he led this
man to his wife and said to her, Treat generously the guest of the Messenger of God. She
replied, We have nothing except our childrens
supper. Oh, well, he replied, get your meal
ready, light your lamp, and when your children
want supper, put them to bed. So the woman
prepared the meal, lit the lamp, put the children to bed, then, getting up as if to trim the
lamp, she extinguished it. The Companion
and his wife then made as if to eat, but in fact
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compete in the practice of hospitality. Families will want to become famous for hosting guests from
the neighborhood, the county, from around the nation and from overseas. People do not practice
hospitality because they are materially wealthy; they practice hospitality because they are wealthy
in heart and love. There is happiness in hosting others, even though you may be eating hard bread.
(244:49, January 29, 1993)
Your home should be a place where passing beggars want to sleep or even lean against your doorstep
to take shelter from the cold. Even the neighborhood dogs want to lie down there, and birds want to
take shelter. There should be bird-droppings on your doorstep from the birds that nest in your eaves.
When you make your home like that, you will flourish and God will be with you. Why? Because the
place where Gods love dwells attracts all living things; it is a place of peaceful Sabbath rest for all
beings. (100:299, October 22, 1978)
My family had a tradition: Nobody passing by our house left with an empty stomach. Our home was
widely known to every beggar in the district; they all visited and received our hospitality. When my
mother served our grandparents their dinner, she also served the beggars. [It was a heavy physical
ordeal for my mother. Yet on one occasion when she neglected to feed a beggar, my father took his
own meal and gave it to him. Thenceforth my mother had to feed the beggars or else my father
would go hungry.]32
I am grateful to my mother, who did not complain though she labored to feed these strangers.
It became a motive for a person like me to lead a movement to feed the world. (130:276,
February 5, 1984)
All the beggars that lived in or near our district used to visit our house. Our house was like a meeting place for beggars. There were always a few of them sleeping in the guestroom. There was an old
mill in our village where beggars would congregate. I made friends with many of them. When our
family made rice cakes I always took pity on them and brought them some.33 When a beggar left our
house in the morning, I thought, Who will give them lunch? Since there was no one, I often fed
them. Without asking my mother for anything, I took the food she had set aside for my lunch and
shared it with the beggars. It was a good deed. Thinking about it now, I think I did well. (127:111,
May 5, 1983)
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and mother, and then you give your utmost love to your brothers and sisters. That family will be
a happy family.
God wants to dwell in the family whose members love the Lord their God with all their heart, all
their soul and all their strength, and then love their brothers and sisters in the same manner, even
more than they love [God] their Father. If we establish our family like that, God cannot help but
dwell there. (101:153-54, October 29, 1978)
The second commandment is to love the people of the world like your own self. Just as you should
love God by offering even your whole life, you should love your neighbors even by sacrificing your
life. Just like you stake your life to protect yourself, you should become a person who can risk his or
her life to love and protect all people. (143:137, March 17, 1986)
Jesus said, Love your neighbor as you love yourself, but what does it mean? Specifically, it means
that when you go into the world, you should love elderly people as your own grandparents, middleaged people as your own parents, and youth as your own children. You love the people in all these
positions: above and below, right and left, and front and rear. (128:23, May 29, 1983)
Who is your neighbor? Are your neighbors only those who also believe in Jesus? No. Your neighbors include people at the ends of the earth. Even the people in the bosom of the Devil are your
neighbors. When Jesus said to love your enemies, he included the Roman soldiers. Actually, you
should not think of your neighbors as neighbors, but as your older brothers. It is a principle of the
Unification Church that you have to restore Cain. Every Cain-type person is actually your older
brother. (138:187, January 21, 1986)
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Chapter 14
Wisdom
The Primary Ends of Education
WHAT ARE THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION? Classical education in all cultures of the world was concerned
primarily with cultivating virtue. Education was about cultivating the soul, developing a civilized character and
forming good citizens. However, in todays schooling the focus is on technical knowledge and the skills needed
for the complex modern workplace. Character and values get short shrift. Theodore Roosevelt is said to have
warned, To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.1 Study of the worlds
scriptures leads us back to consider educations primary ends.
Father Moon distinguishes three levels of education: first, education of heart cultivates the emotional basis for unselfish love; second, education of norm deals with the morality of good relationships; third, academic
and technical education follow on these two foundations. Much of the first two levels of education is done
at home as the responsibility of parents. Yet schools can also play a part, particularly by providing character
education and marriage education. Given that deficiencies in character and marital problems can detract from
performance in the workplace, educating for these ends need not be seen as in contradiction to the career
orientation of modern schooling.
Ovid (Hellenism)
Confucius said, The superior man extensively studies literature and restrains himself with the rules of
propriety. Thus he will not violate the Way.
Analects 6.25 (Confucianism)
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that is wrong, this honorable and that disgraceful, this holy and that impious; do this, dont to
that. If he is obedient, well and good. If not,
they straighten him with threats and beatings,
like a warped and twisted plank.
Later on when they send the children to
school, their instructions to the teachers lay much
more emphasis on good behavior than on letters
or music. The teachers take good care of this,
and when the boys have learned their letters
they set the works of good poets before them on
their desks to read and make them learn them by
heart, poems containing much admonition and
many stories, eulogies, and panegyrics of the good
men of old, so that the child may be inspired to
imitate them and long to be like them.
Plato, Protagoras 325c-e (Hellenism)
Deuteronomy 11.18-19
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We have a general idea that people who are good-hearted and sacrificial lead a better life. Moral
education everywhere in the world aims at the cultivation of character to this end. Why? In their
condition of fallenness, people aspire to rise to a higher state. Yet since Heaven cannot instruct each
person one at a time in detail, it resorts to implicit teachings using symbols and metaphors. Despite
the diversity of human cultures, the result of Heavens work is that all moral instruction today tells
people to do right and accumulate virtuous deeds. (65:118-19, November 5, 1972)
One does not need any education to become an evil person. If a person wants to do evil or become
evil, he will do it whether you teach him or not; so what is the point of educating him? No one
teaches him to do evil; still he becomes evil without thinking about it. On the other hand, it is not
easy to become a good person. To become a good person, someone capable of practicing goodness
throughout a lifetime, education is indispensable. How nice it would be if we could walk that road
easily! However, since good and evil travel in exactly opposite directions, the path to goodness is not
easy at all. (39:23, January 9, 1971)
Conventional schools do not teach about marriage, even though it is a very significant matter. Marriage
education is not given much space in the curriculum compared to the seriousness of its problems.
There is a lack of education about the needs and aspirations of the opposite sex. There is a lack of
education concerning the issues that typically arise after marriage. The schools disregard questions
of how to build happy marriages or how to properly educate children. Instead, they focus on teaching
science and mathematics. This is certainly an aberration. (Tongil Segye 108, March 9, 1978)
Let us create childrens educational materials about keeping purity before marriage.2 Let us create
educational materials on how to make good fraternal and peer relationships, educational materials
on marriage and on parenting, and educational materials on developing ideal families, extended
families and clans. (233:336, August 2, 1992)
The family is the school of love; it is the most important school in life. Within the family, children
cultivate the depth and breadth of their heart to love others.3 It is education of love and emotion
that only parents can provide, and it becomes the foundation stone to form the childrens character. The family is also the school teaching virtues, norms and manners. It is the way of Heaven that
people receive academic education, physical education and technical education on the foundation
of this primary education of heart and norm. (271:80, August 22, 1995)
Children surely need to be educated about love. They do not necessarily need their parents to educate them in knowledge, but their parents are essential to educate them about love. Are they providing an education about love when the mother and father fight? Parents should teach by example
how two people can become one with each other. Hence, the mother and father should be pleasing
to Heaven; the father should be pleasing to the mother and the mother pleasing to the father. They
should like each other and be parents whom the children like. Likewise, both parents should like all
their childrenit should not be the case that the father likes only some children and not others
That is why we must receive an education about love in the presence of God and centering on
Gods love. This education does not begin with human beings. God is their Heavenly Parent, so
God should educate human beings about love. God would want to continue this education until
people can fully grasp all the values of their Heavenly Parent; at that point they can be said to have
reached maturity.
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But is it recorded in the Bible that Adam and Eve grew up receiving Gods love? There is
nothing about their receiving love; instead the Bible begins with an unpleasant story about their
Fall. (51:172-73, November 21, 1971)
Koreans know well how to face death because they have been well educated about it. Teaching
people how to conclude their lives well is the essence of education. (25:158, October 3, 1969)
2. Education Broadens the Mind and Opens New Possibilities for Advancement
A good, all-round education, appreciation of
the arts, a highly trained discipline and pleasant
speech; this is the highest blessing.
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survival. In light of this, the goals and philosophies of education will have to undergo a profound
transformation. (74:109, November 21, 1974)
James 1.5
Dhammapada 45 (Buddhism)
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2. Know Thyself
An unexamined life is not worth living.
Socrates, in Plato, Apology 38 (Hellenism)
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Dhammapada 63 (Buddhism)
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Thinking is like drilling a well; if we are persistent we will reach clear water. At first it must be
muddied, but by gradually scraping away it will
naturally become clear.
Chu Hsi (Confucianism)
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Before I began my path of life, I asked the question, Does God exist? Only after I could give a clear
answer, Definitely, God exists, did I begin my course. (13:201, March 15, 1964)
When searching for truth, it is not enough to just accept what you read in the Bible. We need to be
able to measure the truth with precision. I searched for truth like a researcher who does experiment
after experiment to prove his results. The Divine Principle contains many such well-tested discoveries. (May 1, 1977)
What did God teach me when I was a boy? Do you know what a hard time God gave me? Step by
step I had to verify for myself the two fundamental axioms: love passes through the shortest distance, and the origin of the universe is the father-son relationship. Then from these two truths I had
to work out everything else.
I had to elucidate the truths of the world of the principle from this new starting-pointthe
original father-son relationship that has nothing to do with the lineage of the secular world. Hence,
I could not understand anything without knowing the particulars of the Human Fall. Now I have
uncovered the origin, and from it, I have revealed the law of the universe, the heavenly law. (376:315,
April 29, 2002)
Once I started seriously questioning a certain passage in the Bible, I would strive continually even
for three years to solve the mystery of it. Until I could shout, Eureka! I would push myself to penetrate the root of the problem. (35:38, September 27, 1970)
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Tradition
TRADITION CONTAINS THE ACCUMULATED WISDOM of the generations. It is bequeathed through the study
of history, the recitation of proverbs and folklore, in public ceremonies and at home. Some of its best teaching
material consists of the lives of great men and women, as well as ordinary citizens who lived lives of exemplary
goodness and self-sacrifice. Tradition can be hard to find in todays culture of celebrity and instant fame, yet
its importance can hardly be overlooked.
Family lies at the heart of tradition. Parents pass on their values and morals to their children through teaching and example. Good parents encourage their children to keep their ways and even surpass them. A stable
family structure maintains and strengthens tradition, passing on its wisdom to succeeding generations.
Tradition endures.
Akan Proverb (African Traditional Religions)
Without proverbs [traditional wisdom], the language would be but a skeleton without flesh, a
body without a soul.
Zulu Proverb (African Traditional Religions)
If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.
Isaac Newton
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Not only that, you should also teach this tradition to others. Teach it to your children, your
husbands and your wives. For example, it is my tradition that husbands and wives should respect
and praise each other, saying, My husband is a great person; my wife is a great person. A married
couple that practices this tradition will educate their children to do the same. (113:303-04,
May 10, 1981)
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Deuteronomy 6.6-9
Know that he who reads and recites the Lawflower Sutrathat man has adorned himself
with the adornment of the Buddha, and so is
carried by the Tathagata on his shoulder.
Lotus Sutra 10 (Buddhism)
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It is Gods responsibility to give us His Word and guidance, and it is our responsibility to believe and
practice it in order to fulfill the providence. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Resurrection 2.1)
Jesus instructed the people, Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes has passed
from death to life. (John 5:24) Why are we judged when we do not believe in Gods Word? In the
Garden of Eden the first human ancestors disbelieved in Gods Word and fell. To be restored to life
we must believe in Gods Word with greater faith than our disbelieving ancestors. We cannot be
restored unless our faith is stronger than their will to rebellion. (69:128, October 23, 1973)
When you read the Bible, you should look at the saddest things. Not the sections about heaven or
the Book of Revelation, but the saddest contents. To become someones close friend, dont you need
to empathize with the most painful moments in his life? It is the same principle for us who would reconnect with God as His sons and daughters: we have to understand Gods most painful moments.
Then when you listen to Gods Word, you will feel deep, bottomless sorrow in the core of your
soul. You will weep your eyes out with heart-felt grief without understanding why. You may not be
able to stop weeping after ten days, a hundred days, even a thousand daysyou will want to weep
endlessly. Only when you understand Gods Word in this light will you begin to understand the core
of Gods heart. (10:137, September 18, 1960)
Wherever you go in the world, you should gather and study the message God revealed to us; it is
called Hoondokhwe, the education that pleases God.10 When you enter a new town, you should
regard setting up a gathering to read Gods word as more important than introducing yourself. Those
who enjoy gathering and reading the hoondok scriptures will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
God dwells with us where we read His words. When we diligently keep hoondokhwe, the spirits
in the spirit world descend and participate with us, thereby receiving the benefit of returning
resurrection. Thus, keeping hoondokhwe is the way to mobilize the heavenly spirit world. Through
keeping hoondokhwe you will make your family a true family. You will revive the church through the
works of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of studying Gods word is to resemble God and True Parents,
the original forms of the Word. Keeping hoondokhwe unites the True Family; likewise, by keeping
hoondokhwe your family may become one with the True Family. (321:32, February 14, 2000)
Quran 39.27
Knowing that all the living have many and various desires deep-rooted in their minds, I have,
according to their capacity, expounded the
various laws by which these [desires] could be
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The biblical tales are only the Torahs outer garments, and woe to him who regards these as
being the Torah itself!
Zohar, Numbers 152a (Judaism)
part, desiring dissension and desiring its interpretation; and none knows its interpretation, save
only God.11 And those firmly rooted in knowledge
say, We believe in it; all is from our Lord; yet
none remembers, but men possessed of minds.
Quran 3.7
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world of heart remains forever. It is the alpha and omega, the first and the last, the beginning and
the end. (8:305-06, February 14, 1960)
Some prayerful people consider nature to be the number one Bible. It does not take second place.
The Bible that describes the history of Israel does not always give a clear message. Do you know how
much I shook my head as I read it? It can be very ambiguous; people understand what they want
from it, as if it were a fortune-teller telling their fortune. For some it is a way to escape from reality.
So the natural world created by God is better than the Bible at carrying out the hard task of judging
the facts and clarifying everything from beginning to end. (20:270, July 7, 1968)
Why does the Bible sometimes seem to be leading us toward the Kingdom of Heaven and sometimes
not? The present world is not the Kingdom of Heaven. It is encircled by the satanic world Gods
champions today, like the prophets and sages of Israel and the saints of the early Christian church
whom we know from the Bible, are like Gods secret agents sent on missions in the satanic world.
When the CIA and the KGB send their agents into enemy territory, they take pains not to
reveal their plans to the enemy. The CIA bureau chief notifies his agents about their missions using
a secret code that he alone knows. Likewise, the Bible contains Gods most important directives to
His operatives, but as coded messages that God alone understands. For example, in describing the
Last Days Jesus said, But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the
Son, but the Father only. (Matt. 24.36) Hence it stands to reason that when the Last Days arrive,
God will send another prophet to decipher the code, as it is written in Amos 3.7, Surely the Lord
God does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets.
To have that secret revealed to you, you must directly connect with God. That is why it is said
that you should go into your secret chamber, anoint your head with oil, and have a show-down
prayer with God. Now that we know the Bible contains coded messages, it is evident that we will be
judged if we interpret its symbols and parables carelessly. (73:207-08, September 18, 1974)
3. Do Not Get Caught up in the Letter of the Scriptures; the Letter Is but a Gateway to the Spirit
The written code kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3.6
Mahamati, let the son or daughter of a good family take good heed not to get attached to words
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spiritual path; hence much religious practice, such as Zen Buddhism, is aimed at blocking the intellect. For
instance the Zen koan, Has a dog the Buddha nature? only leads the questioner into a welter of mental confusion until he realizes that the way out is beyond any conceptual understanding whatsoever. Nevertheless,
Father Moon regards both the paths of rationality and spirituality as having their place in the Kingdom, and
seeks for a balance.
The final texts return to the opposition between secular knowledge and divine knowledge, focusing particularly on the damage caused by science and technology when it is not restrained or directed by spiritual
wisdom. Ultimately science and all secular knowledge needs to be guided by what Father Moon calls absolute
values,the true love of God that seeks to benefit humanity and the whole creation.
A thousand and hundred thousand feats of intellect shall not accompany man in the hereafter.
Adi Granth, Japuji 1, M.1, p. 1 (Sikhism)
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secular knowledge for a few years, but you cannot get the diploma of love even after 30 or 40 years,
because the field of love is without limit. Love keeps expanding, only to circle around and return to
the starting-point. You can spend an infinite amount of time studying love. Nevertheless, you never
grow tired of it. It is just fun, filled with more happiness, gratitude and dignity than anything else in
the world. (113:324-25, May 10, 1981)
If you are so cocksure of your intellectual prowess, go ahead and see where it leads you. The story
of your demise will simply become another cautionary tale in the textbook for raising true sons and
daughters. (60:75, August 6, 1972)
Absolute value relates to love and emotion, not intellect. Love is the highest value, containing
the purpose of existence and the perfection of existence. True love is such that both the giver and
the recipient are happy. Love is not something to be learned. It should sprout and be experienced
directly in a persons original mind.
The world of intellect develops through cognition, but the world of emotion does not. Therefore,
absolute value remains in the dimension of absolute love, not intellect. From this perspective, the
First Cause cannot be found within the sphere of our cognition but is experienced in an emotional
dimension.
Values lacking love do not last forever; they are changeable and someday will vanish. Philosophies
and teachings up to the present time have been helpful to humankind in some respects, but in other
respects they have misled the development of thought and the progress of history. Hence, it is
inevitable that we re-evaluate our value systems. (102:59, November 25, 1978)
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Albert Einstein
Love without wisdom means love without discrimination. Wisdom without humanity means
knowledge not translated into action. Therefore,
humanity is to love mankind and wisdom is to
remove its evil.
James 3.13-17
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As long as men in high places covet knowledge and are without the Way, the world will
be in great confusion. How do I know this is
so? Knowledge enables men to fashion bows,
crossbows, nets, stringed arrows, and like contraptions, but when this happens the birds flee
in confusion to the sky. Knowledge enables
men to fashion fishhooks, lures, seines, dragnets, trawls, and weirs, but when this happens
the fish flee in confusion to the depths of the
water. Knowledge enables men to fashion pitfalls, snares, cages, traps, and gins, but when
this happens the beasts flee in confusion to
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The Teacher
TEACHERS SHOULD SET A GOOD EXAMPLE of integrity in their own teachings and impart moral teachings in
accord with their own high standard of conduct. They should have mature faith, rich experience, and discernment to treat each student in the way that best suits the students individual temperament and interests. They
should regard their task as not merely to impart knowledge, but also to motivate and inspire their students
with a vision for their lives. Most of all, the best teachers have the heart of a parent, training their students as
they would their own children.
The ability to teach is a gift from God, and teachers are in a sense partners with God the divine Teacher.
Therefore, good teachers show Gods unconditional love by devoting themselves to all who wish to learn
regardless of their ability to pay. When they lecture, they are mindful that God may wish to use them as His
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mouthpiece. The final passages thus describe teaching as a divine calling. These include examples of Father
Moons advice to pastors about delivering a sermon.
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Wisdom
That which gives a sage his sageliness is fondness for learning and inquiry from inferiors.
Take Shun: From the time when he plowed
and sowed, exercised the potters art, and was a
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Discipleship
A student should seek out a good teacher to receive instruction and submit to discipline. He becomes
more than merely a recipient of knowledge; he becomes a disciple. Discipling is a valuable part of education.
It recognizes that a good education engages a students entire being, to be molded and shaped by a course of
training and instruction.
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The relationship between teacher and disciple is typical of Eastern religions, which conceive of truth as
embodiment more than as words. But we also find it in medicine and any field where learning requires mastering an art through a long apprenticeship.
This section concludes with passages that recognize the variable capacities of students to receive the
truth. Again, this is not a matter of intelligence but rather of the heart. God tries to fill us with new wine, but if
our wineskins are old they will burst. He wants to plant His seed in our hearts, but if our hearts are rocky soil,
it will not take root. Therefore, a major task for the student of any spiritual path is to clear away the debris and
make his or her heart ready to receive and respond to spiritual truth.
Approach someone who has realized the purpose of life and question him with reverence and
devotion; he will instruct you in this wisdom.
Once you attain it, you will never be deluded.
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Mumonkan 17 (Buddhism)
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2. Understanding Does Not Take Root without Properly Cultivating the Self
Jesus said to them, No one puts new wine into
old wineskins; if he does, the new wine will burst
the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will
be destroyed. But new wine must be put into
fresh wineskins.23
Luke 5.37-38
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is the same with her womb: it starts out small, but look how it expands! A ten-pound baby can grow
within its watery bag. I thought, How much can her womb stretch? The sac of my heart should
stretch even more.
Ladies, have you ever thought that the baby in your womb might die because your womb could
not stretch enough to accommodate it? Then what about your heart? When Gods seed is planted
in the sac of your heart and starts to grow, it should grow to be as big as God Himself. But what if the
sac of your heart cannot expand enough to contain God in all His immensity? What would happen
to God, who is growing inside? If something goes wrong with the baby in your womb, you have a
miscarriage after three months. Would God like to go into the sac of your heart if He thought it
would miscarry in the middle of His growth? Would God want to plant His seed there? (110:325-26,
January 4, 1987)
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Wisdom
No one who really has knowledge fails to practice it. Knowledge without practice should be
interpreted as lack of knowledge No one
should be described as understanding filial piety
and respectfulness, unless he has actually practiced filial piety toward his parents and respect
toward his elder brother. Knowing how to converse about filial piety and respectfulness is not
sufficient to warrant anybodys being described
as understanding them. Or it may be compared
to ones understanding of pain. A person certainly must have experienced pain before he can
know what it is. Likewise to understand cold one
must first have endured cold; and to understand
hunger one must have been hungry.
How, then, can knowledge and practice be
separated? It is their original nature [to be in
accord] before selfish aims separated them.
Wang Yang-Ming, Instructions for Practical Living
(Confucianism)
Vainly understanding without practice is understanding that has no use. It is nothing but
empty understanding. Vainly practicing without
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Human beings cannot become the object partners who inspire God with joy unless they understand His will and make effort to live accordingly. Hence, human beings are endowed with emotional sensitivity to the heart of God, intuition and reason to comprehend His will, and the requisite
abilities to practice it. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Eschatology 1.1)
I do not have the right to teach you anything unless I have first practiced it. (134:203, July 20,
1985)
Teaching is not just a matter of repeating what you have heard. You have to speak from experience;
then the knowledge becomes real. (205:130, July 9, 1990)
I believe that anyone who would become a world-level leader, in charge of many people, should
first have many life experiences before the age of thirty. You should acquire unforgettable stories
from having gone through many challenging life experiences. That is my conclusion after experiencing it all.
Then, when you ask your people to do manual labor, you can appeal to them with the heart you
felt while you were a laborer. For example, suppose you once worked at a job where you carried loads
of clay across a narrow bridge using poles to balance yourself. When you tell your story about that
job and the dangers you faced, your workers will become serious.
An expert is someone who explains and teaches everything on the basis of his or her own
experience. (65:302-03, March 4, 1973)
This teaching is not just a theory. I tested everything through my own experience, which involved
all kinds of suffering. I have put this teaching to the test and applied it in practice. (133:83,
July 8, 1984)
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Chapter 15
Faith
Faith
IN THIS WORLD AFFLICTED WITH SIN, most people are not in touch with their true selves. God cannot easily be felt or experienced. Truth cannot easily be understood or practiced. Relying on ourselves, we wander
aimlessly in a sea of vain desires and false conceptions. Human beings need a star to guide them through the
darkness, a map by which to navigate in uncharted waters. This is faith.
Faith begins with belief in the tenets of religion and effort to orient our life in accord with Gods commandments. A religions creed may be only a few words, yet those few words can rightly guide us into a relationship
with God.
As we go deeper, we realize that our faith itself is a gift of God. It is the way God provides out of His love to
reconnect with fallen human beings, who are in no condition to save themselves. Here is St. Pauls distinction
between faith and works. A similar doctrine was taught by Shinran, the Japanese Buddhist saint who placed
his faith in the Power of Another. This is pure faith, uncontaminated by self-seeking. There are no grounds for
pride, even in ones ability to have faith. Father Moon affirms that as all people are contaminated by sin and
stem from a sinful lineage, no one can possibly pay off the debt of sin by his own efforts. Hence the only proper
basis for a relationship with God is to rely on Gods gracious love for us, His children.
Faith matures into a mutual relationship with God, characterized by trust and faithfulness (Heb., emunah).
As we strive to live the way that God would have us live, we can overcome adversity knowing that God is
faithful to us. Yet as we relate to God as our Subject of faith, we can ask whether God can equally count on our
faithfulness to Him. People are so double-minded, vacillating between faithfulness and faithlessness from one
day to the next. To become the sort of person whom God can trust to remain faithful through any adversity
requires absolute integrity and self-mastery (see Chapter 12). God searches out such people, to whom He assigns great missions.
Father Moon calls us to absolute faith. This is the unshakable faith that remains firm despite the vicissitudes of life. It is not compromised by the believers personal preferences. Opposition, tragedy and loss can
shake a person of weak faith. The pleas of family and loved ones cannot turn back absolute faith. Like Peter, who
denied his lord, in a crisis the person of weak faith runs away or even loses faith altogether. But with absolute
faith we can move mountains, overcome any adversity, and even triumph over death.
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In our life of faith, the most critical issue is God, the object of our faith. At the same time, God,
as the Subject of faith, has human beings as His objects. While we human beings place God as the
object of our faith, God treats us as the objects of His faith. This intersection forms the gateway in
which we stand. Therefore, we should uphold Gods essential teaching, sharing life and death with
Him. And at the same time, we should uphold the value of people, sharing life and death with them.
(59:237-38, July 23, 1972)
People make a great mistake when they think that all they have to do is just believe in God and
Jesus in order to receive Gods overflowing blessings. They believe they can have everything they
want, without doing anything in return. That attitude of faith is like that of a thief, who takes things
without earning them.
Why did Jesus undergo the way of suffering? He did it to save the world. The Bible says, For
God so loved the world God needed Jesus to undergo his difficult course in order to prepare
an environment in which God could love the people of His nation, and through them to love the
world. Shouldnt we who believe in Jesus join with Jesus in taking responsibility for this? (124:296,
March 1, 1983)
What does Heaven long for? Not for believers, but for those who practice and substantiate their
faith in their daily life. (6:84, March 29, 1959)
You cannot go this path having an old-fashioned faith, just believing and expecting everything
will be solved and accomplished by itself. We must go forward with the right attitude of faith
with determination to survive and neutralize the powers of death that may confront us. Passion,
faith, endeavor and enduranceall these are necessary to receive the first level of inheritance from
Heaven. (6:131, March 29, 1959)
Ephesians 2.8-10
Quran 48.4
Abandon all supports and look to me for protection. I shall purify you from the sins of the past;
do not grieve.
John 6.65
Quran 49.7
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Galatians 3.2-7, 11
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You must know that self-centered love and arrogant, self-centered values are evidence that God
is already leaving you. (32:21-22, June 14, 1970)
God created humankind and has believed in us unfailingly. God has maintained that standard
throughout history, no matter how often people betrayed His trust. Fallen parents in this world
believe in their children, even though they are not trustworthy. They continue to believe in their
children even after being deceived and lied to again and again. This is the very heart of God
What happens when you believe in someone who cannot be believed, love someone who is
unlovable, and stay by the side of someone you cannot live with? Even though they may leave you,
once they realize your love for them, it will move their heart and they will return. God has been
walking the providence of restoration with that heart. (Way of Unification 8.4.8)
With what heart did God create this world? God created this world with a heart that longed for all
things to become worthy of His infinite trust. He longed for human beings to become worthy of His
infinite trust
God tried to believe in people, believing that they could be in such oneness as to not even be
conscious of the word faith. With this heart God sought for people of eternal faith. Yet due to the
human Fall this heart of God has remained unfulfilled. (4:71, March 9, 1959)
We know we appear unworthy.
When we critique and analyze ourselves
we know we do not measure up as beings able to offer something to Thee.
Yet let us not forget that we are already Thy children.
It is our destined relationship,
which cannot be broken whatever we do. (24:245, August 24, 1969)
Habakkuk 2.4
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James 2.14-17
I do as I talk
and live up to my words in deed;
take a balance and weights in your hands
O my Lord!
If my words and deeds
should differ slightly
by even a barley grain,
you kick me and go,
O Lord Kudala Sangama!
Basavanna, Vacana 440 (Hinduism)
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Among people of faith, which of these three will God side with: The person who believes but does
nothing? The person who has the conviction to act but acts negligently? Or the person translates
his faith 100 percent into action, even courageously dedicating his life? Which type of person do you
want to be? (92:312-13, April 24, 1977)
What is the most important experience in a life of faith? It is to feel that you are living a subjectobject relationship with God. You experience that God exists, that He loves you. Then, honoring
God as your Subject of faith, you become very serious to act in ways that make God take notice of
you and support what you are doing. You must feel Gods presence with you so much that whenever
you pray you feel gratitude to Him. Then indeed He is with you. You may not experience this in the
beginning, but when you reach a certain level in your life of faith, you will feel it naturally. (58:312,
June 25, 1972)
You have to remain faithful and keep your integrity towards Heaven even though you live in the
satanic world. Have you ever regarded the children you are raising as Gods children? Have you ever
thought that you and your spouse belong to God? Have you ever considered that your parents, your
ancestors, your people, and your country all belong to God? Ignorant people on this earth are not
aware that Heaven is moving the world towards this standard. (8:85, November 8, 1959)
May we gathered here today become people about whom Thou art able to say:
You are the person I have hoped for.
You are someone I can trust and someone I can love. (1:101, June 6, 1956)
Luke 9.59-62
Genesis 19.26
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Romans 8.38-39
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When you walk with absolute faith, even if your nation comes against you, you must never yield.
Although your family may oppose you, with absolute faith you should not be defeated. Even if your
loving spouse persecutes you, you must hold on to the attitude of absolute faith. Why do we live our
life with an attitude of absolute faith? Quite simply, the way to goodness requires that we overcome
the evil environment. (29:206)
The purest and most trustworthy person does as God does: although belief seems impossible he
never stops believing, although loving is difficult he never stops loving, and although he cannot
stand living with his partner he continues to live together with her. That kind of person will definitely become a victor over any circumstances. (Way of Unification 8.4.8)
How serious are you, as you stand before Gods tremendous Providence which He has been conducting through history? How much are you united with Gods Will? Are you leading a life of absolute
faith, centered on Gods Will? You should be able to say, Though winds and tempest blow, and
though I may perish, my conviction is firm. I could be wrong, but Gods Will can never be wrong.
You should have such a rock-solid conviction. It is folly to desire for the Kingdom of God when your
faith is ever changing from morning to evening. (46:74, July 25, 1971)
Where do we connect to love? It is at the point where we become absolutely zero, where there is
no trace of self. To find perfect love, there is no place for me. It is the same with faith. As Gods
object partner I believe in my Subject absolutely, and God as my Subject partner believes in me as
His object partner absolutely. In faith, there is no self. In absolute faith, there is no place for me.
Faith is absolute at the zero point.
When you unite with your partner in absolute love, there is no I. Likewise, when you unite
with your partner in absolute faith, there is no I. This is how two become one. Follow this way, and
you will become completely one. (279:146, August 4, 1996)
At the time of creation, God created with absolute faith. When God spoke, He determined according to His Word that created beings would become His object partners. In other words, He spoke
based on absolute faith. Furthermore, the objects that God created by His absolute faith were for the
sake of His absolute love. (273:298, October 29, 1995)
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1 Samuel 17.33-36
Mark 14.66-72
Job 1.13-22
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Absolute faith! It is the subject of my prayer these days. Not the faith of Peter, but absolute faith.
Absolute faith! With absolute faith, you can go on even though you are dying. Prison is nothing;
not even death can stop you from continuing on the path. Jesus prayed, My Father, if it is possible
let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt. Even though he died away
from home, he died not for himself, but for the sake of the Father. He became a glorious offering.
Do you understand what your limitations are? You have to be courageous even in the face of
death. Then a leap will occura leap. When you have made up your mind to die and go forward
even at the most difficult point where you cannot escape either down into the earth or up into the
skyGod will surely appear. Hence, I am not bothered by the question of whether or not God exists.
I experience so many of His worksworks like in dreams. God always works as He desires for His
people of absolute faith. (126:238, Unification Family Life 3.3.2)
Because our first ancestors fell due to disbelief, to go forward we have to overcome disbelief. We can
go over the line where our first ancestors fell when we act out of absolute faith. What is the meaning
of absolute faith? It means to go forward in the face of death, go forward even though you are dying,
and continue even after you are dead. (126:35, April 10, 1983)
Today throughout the world Christianity appears to be fading. Even the United States, this gigantic
nation, seems to be sinking. What kind of people does God, the unchanging Subject, look for to be
His object partners? He cannot work with people who dance to the worlds tune and accommodate
themselves to it. People change and the world changes, yet God looks for people who determine
never to change, who say, Even though the world may perish, we will not change. God is expecting
us to be such people, who stand on firm ground and who demonstrate both faith and zealous deeds.
(66:47, March 18, 1973)
You call upon God, you cry out for Gods Will, you seek after Gods truth, and you fight for Gods
glory. What is the purpose of such a life of faith? First, its purpose is to make you absolutely firm and
resolute. God cannot trust you unless you have the conviction that no suffering can overpower you,
and no historical sorrow can defeat you, for the foundation laid in your mind and body is unshakable. Unless God can trust you, He cannot use you to bring an end to the evil state of affairs of your
generation. (12:304, August 11, 1963)
Witness
MOST RELIGIONS ENCOURAGE EVANGELISM, sharing the truth with others with the aim of leading
them to salvation. The religious mandate to bear witness to the truth grows out of loveconcern for
that persons eternal life, based upon the conviction that the truth of religion is liberating and will bring
out that persons higher potential. Witness begins by example, to let your light so shine before men.
Through good deeds and a compassionate heart the believer demonstrates living faith that is attractive
to others. Next comes preaching and teaching the doctrine. Although evangelism sometimes meets with
opposition, nevertheless it should be carried out with a pure mind and upright conduct while always
trusting in Gods guidance.
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The Exalted One said Go you forth, brethren, on your journey, for the profit of the many,
for the bliss of the many, out of compassion for
the world, for the welfare, the profit, the bliss of
devas and mankind!
Go not any two together. Proclaim,
brethren, the Norm, goodly in its beginning,
goodly in its middle, goodly in its ending. Both
in the spirit and in the letter make known
the all-perfected, utterly pure righteous life.
There are beings with but little dust of passion
on their eyes. They are perishing through not
hearing the Norm. There will be some who will
understand.
Vinaya 1.21 (Buddhism)
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Jesus shed tears of compassion for the people on earth, even after suffering injustice and mistreatment at their hands. In the Last Days there must emerge many believers who will do the same.
When you meet a good person, love and serve him well. When you make the acquaintance of
bad people, be worried and anxious for their sake. Go forward bearing a cross for each of them, for
the sake of creating heavenly families, a heavenly society and world. Persevere while embodying
the heart of Jesus Christ, and be victorious in fulfilling the Will of God. (1:254-55, November 25,
1956)
Let God lead your way. Then you will feel the heart of God in front of you, leading you always.
In such a state you can teach a crowd, no matter how large. God will coach you, and you will
speak in spite of yourself. You hear what you are saying, but at the same time you marvel at
what you say. In that state of mind, everything happens spontaneously. Every movement of
your body and every facial expression is natural and in sync with your spoken words. Continue
to have such experiences, and a life-giving movement will arise from your labors. (96:168,
January 3, 1978)
Sometimes you feel a spiritual connection to a person passing by. You feel something familiar
about him even though you see him for the first time. You think, Have I met that man before?
Do not miss this opportunity. Approach him and make a connection. That person is absolutely
necessary for you. Speak to him with your utmost sincerity; invest your heart for him more than
you ever did for God, and do not let go of him. Then you will form an inseparable relationship.
By this method, you will expand the base of love that bonds all of your companions. If you do
this often, you will become a bearer of grace and draw near to the Kingdom of Heaven. (308:213,
January 5, 1999)
When you experience the living God, you will go out witnessing even if people tell you not
to do so. It is because witnessing produces the most stimulating and new results. If you carry
on a sincere conversation with ten people, all ten will become new people. After that, go to
church and pray. See what happens: when they make progress, you will also advance. (30:154,
March 21, 1970)
As you wake at dawn, pray and shed tears for the people of your district You will find yourself
shedding tears, because you realize that when God looks down upon that village, He too is weeping, knowing that everyone there is heading toward hell. When you enter a state of resonance
with Gods sorrowful heart, then the whole spirit world will be mobilized to help you. (96:282,
February 13, 1978)
May we awaken this people which is asleep,
that they may become Thy sons and daughters.
We appeal to Thee:
May we save all the people of the world,
being swallowed by the darkness. (2:335, August 4, 1957)
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Hope
Hope is integral to faith in God. A hopeful view of the worlds future follows from faith in the God of
history who is moving forward to fulfill His promises. God has promised an end to violence and oppression,
poverty and sorrows. Even though people do not always see the realization of their hopes in this world, they
can still hope for a future beyond death, a new life in the eternal world. Therefore, God created human beings
to hope, and by keeping hope alive we can draw closer to God.
Father Moon teaches that in the religious life we should keep a positive and hopeful attitude, ever maintaining our vision and our hopes regardless of the circumstances. We should keep our minds fixed on eternity,
with a hope that transcends even death. We should carry the torch of hope, following in the footsteps of
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and others who, in the words of the Letter to the Hebrews, possessed the
conviction of things unseen, assurance of things hoped for. Above all, we should hope for the fulfillment of
Gods Kingdom, especially in these days of the advent of the True Parents.
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God works through the person who lives for the future, studies for the future, fights for the future,
hopes for the future, and goes forward to make a new future. (97:241-42, March 19, 1973)
A person entertains all kinds of hope in his life. However, in the end he runs into death. He passes
away having left behind all the hopes he had fostered. Although he wandered through life seeking new hope, wishing to live today and tomorrow, when he runs into death he goes the last path
in despair.
Self-centered people may seem to have hope, but they lack the hope that can carry them over
the hill of death. As they approach the time of their death, they lose all hope and just fade away.
Shall we die in this manner? Or shall we find the one hope by which we can go beyond death,
scoffing at death and even delighting in it? This is the most crucial question for human beings living
on earth today.
Heaven has made limitless efforts to equip earthly people with a hope that transcends death, in order
that they might live with their eyes fixed on the eternal world. Therefore, people who lead a religious
life should not live embracing earthly hopes, but should live entertaining the hope of transcending
death. They should dream of a world where hope springs eternal. (6:45, March 22, 1959)
While enduring suffering and hardship, we keep a hopeful spirit. We get down on our knees and
pray, O God, please let our hope be realized. We inherited this spirit from our forebears, and we
will pass it down to our descendants. We are not like ordinary people, who when facing the same
circumstances, would easily blame God saying, If God exists, why does He let His people suffer?
(168:52, September 1, 1987)
May we go forth with a bold and vibrant attitude as Gods hopeful sons and daughters, going towards
the nation of peace, the peace of the Kingdom of Heaven. (33:273, August 16, 1970)
Today is the day of the proclamation of the True Parents. Although this is a world without hope,
where people do not believe in anything or hope for anything, one sprout of hope is blossomingthe
True Parents. (202: 341, May 27, 1990)
Snow and cold wind of the bitter dark night,
lift off the weight of your cold ruthless hand.
Spring breeze will chase you and bring flowery fragrances,
breathing new life to the suffocated hills.
Though you most ruthless of winter winds blow,
doomed in a moment you too shall be calmed.
Spring breeze will chase you and bring flowery fragrances,
breathing new life to the suffocated hills.
Butterfly awake and you meadow lark of spring,
our land has suffered this nightmare too long.
Spring breeze will chase you and bring flowery fragrances,
breathing new life to the suffocated hills.7 (Song of the Spring Breeze)
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Assurance
A PERSON WITH CONFIDENCE IN GODS PROVISION need not bother about worldly cares. God is in control
and will perform His purpose regardless of what people may do. Why should we be anxious about money or
having lifes necessities, when at any moment God can provide what we need? Why should we be anxious
about the results of our efforts, when God is the Shaper of destinies? Even the prospect of death is of little
import from the standpoint of eternal life. Jesus tells us that God who provides for the birds of the air and lilies
of the field will provide for us as well, as long as we seek His Kingdom and His righteousness. In other words,
the key to experiencing the peace of God is to have a selfless mind-set and live utterly for His sake.
Father Moons particular understanding of Gods provision adds the dimension of mutuality: As God
provides for human needs, He longs to find people who will comfort Him by concerning themselves about
His needs and His situation. Thus, Father Moon experienced God calling him to share in His suffering. When
through such experiences we experience Gods bitter heart, we recognize that our sadness and worry over our
personal situation pales in comparison to Gods sadness and worry over us. Our greatest satisfaction, then,
is to comfort God even in the midst of our own suffering. In such times, we can feel assurance and support
coming from Gods deepest heart.
My Lord, boundless as
The sun and moon
Lighting heaven and earth;
How then can I have concerns
About what is to be?
Manyoshu 20 (Shinto)
How many animals do not carry their own provision! God provides for them and for you. He
is Alert, Aware.
Quran 29.60
Philippians 4.11-13
Matthew 6.25-33
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Faith
Those who surrender to God all selfish attachments are like the leaf of a lotus floating clean
and dry in water. Sin cannot touch them.
Renouncing their selfish attachments, those
who follow the path of service work with body,
senses, and mind for the sake of self-purification.
Those whose consciousness is unified abandon
all attachment to the results of action and attain
supreme peace.
763
The man who has had his feet cut off in punishment discards his fancy clothesbecause praise
and blame no longer touch him. The chained
convict climbs the highest peak without fear
because he has abandoned all thought of life and
death. These two are submissive and unashamed
because they have forgotten other men, and by
forgetting other men they have become men of
Heaven. You may treat such men with respect
and they will not be pleased; you may treat
them with contumely and they will not be angry.
Only because they are one with the Heavenly
Harmony can they be like this.8
Chuang Tzu 23 (Taoism)
Psalm 127.1-2
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[When I was beaten in prison] I lost so much blood that I was more dead than alive. How did I survive? I did not pray to God asking, Father, please let me live. I was determined not to show weakness even at the point of death. I am not a common weakling. I prayed, Father, even if I die, I die
for Thee. Do not worry about me. Not even once did I pray asking God to deliver me from suffering.
God already knew my suffering. (93:321, June 12, 1977)
God created foods to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
For everything created by God is good, and
nothing is to be rejected if it is received with
thanksgiving; for then it is consecrated by the
word of God and prayer.
1 Timothy 4.3-5
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Ah, children
Be not arrogant, but
Assist the deities of
Marvelous spirit power
In their work.
Even the grains, and the
Teeming grass and trees
Even these are favored with
Blessings from Amaterasu,
Great Goddess of the Sun.
Morning and evening,
At each meal you take,
Consider the blessings of
Toyouke-no-kami,
You people of the world.
The blessings of the
Gods of heaven and earth
Without these,
How could we exist,
Even for a day, even for a night?
Forget not the grace
Of generations of ancestors;
Be not like those who honor their gods in prosperity and curse them in adversity. In pleasure
or pain, give thanks!
Mekilta to Exodus 20.20 (Judaism)
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though the entire world opposes me, I am grateful, knowing that it is severing my relationship with
Satans realm.
It is natural that we receive opposition as long as the enemys realm exists. Therefore, let us not
complain. Let us be grateful for everything and every circumstance, and let us go our way in silence.
(September 11, 1972)
Today God is examining us, looking at whether our hearts are truly thankful. It is like in a courtroom: when a criminal is being sentenced, if he or she accepts the sentence with gratitude, the judge
and even the prosecutor will want to show mercy and reduce the penalty. (104:279, June 1, 1979)
2. Our Debt to God, to Nature and to Our Forbearers, Which We Repay by Helping Others
All human bodies are things lent by God. With
what thought are you using them?
Matthew 18.23-34
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Quran 3.102
Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his
judgment has come.
Revelation 14.7
Exodus 14.30-31
Quran 39.23
Romans 3.14-19
Isaiah 8.12-1313
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Divine things,
Proceeding from the mind
Of the unseen kami
How awesome, and
Not to be taken lightly!
Norinaga Motoori, One Hundred Poems on the
Jeweled Spear (Shinto)
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Doubt
FAITH IN THE INTANGIBLE IS INEVITABLY MET BY DOUBT. Doubts arise from faiths unrealistic claims, from the
challenges that living a life of faith entails, and from the skepticism that abounds in todays secular environment. Unresolved doubts can weigh down and even sink a believer sailing on the voyage of faith, as symbolized
by Peters unsuccessful attempt to walk on water.
Every believer is responsible to confront and overcome his or her doubts. Intellectually, we can find answers to satisfy our unresolved questions. Ultimately, we should graduate from the level of belief to attain
knowledge of God based upon lived experience.
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conqueror of tomorrow. Sometimes doubt conquers faith, but it still contains faith. Otherwise
it would be indifference
The fundamental symbol of our ultimate
concern is God. It is always present in any act of
faith, even if the act of faith includes the denial
of God Atheism, consequently, can only mean
the attempt to remove any ultimate concern
to remain unconcerned about the meaning of
one's existence. Indifference toward the ultimate
question is the only imaginable form of atheism
Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one
element of faith.
Paul Tillich (Christianity)
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We must truthfully confess all our doubts to the Subject of our faith. The act of confession is
a sacred thing. With utmost sincerity, challenge the limits of conventional thinking and call out,
Father! Father! Then your Father will surely respond. God is responsible to deal with people
like you
The reason Adam and Eve fell was because they doubted. Hence, during the process of
restoration, whenever we have any doubts we should clarify them. A doubt that is allowed to grow
large will preoccupy the mind. Therefore, you must have the courage and determination, even the
audacity, to get clarification from God for any question you have. (3:11-13, September 8, 1957)
We who believe in the existence of God should be able to see real evidence of His existence in our
daily life. We should be able to demonstrate the reality of God beyond any doubt to this unbelieving
world. (120:100, October 5, 1982)
Hypocrisy
WHEREVER PEOPLE SUBSCRIBE TO A RELIGION or doctrine of moral excellence, there is always the danger
of hypocrisy. The hypocrite wishes to enjoy the approval of his peers and even the benefits of a religious office
by appearing outwardly moral or religious, while inwardly he is not. Where religion makes serious demands
upon peoples lives, such as Jesus call to love your enemy, Islams call to jihad or Buddhisms strict precepts
of monastic discipline, the hypocrite tries to circumvent these demands while appearing outwardly righteous.
The hypocrite does not pay the price of commitment to the religious life and hence does not reap its spiritual
benefits; hence he remains at a low state.
Furthermore, when hypocrisy becomes prevalent and lowers the standards expected of religious people,
it brings religion itself into disrepute. In Father Moons survey of history, he teaches that the decline of the
Christian spirit, accompanied by hypocrisy of the rich who tolerated and justified widespread poverty and racism, was the direct cause for the spread of materialistic ideologies in the 19th and 20th centuries. (See Chapter
8: Christianity) Only by recovering the true godly spirit of religion, Father Moon teaches, can we establish a
spiritual civilization that can bring lasting peace to this planet.
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Quran 107.4-7
Shinto-Uden-Futsujosho (Shinto)
Matthew 6.1
Luke 4.23
Quran 2.8-12
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of God and uses that money unscrupulously for himself is a thief. The same applies to anyone who
takes church property for his own use without getting permission. Such people will be destroyed
from within. (Gods Will and the World, April 3, 1983)
What is the purpose of religion? It is to clean out Satans den within my body that causes me to
struggle. All of us need to do this, and that is why we need religion. Yet many believers only try
to discern evils in the world out there while they cover up their own faults. They think that they
will attain goodness when they get to heaven. However, this does not make any sense. (131:23,
March 11, 1984)
It is time to overcome the hypocritical faith in Gods name that lacks true love, and abandon all selfish works that violate original human rights and result in injustice. (400:95, December 27, 2002)
Although Christian doctrine teaches that all humanity descended from the same parents, many citizens of Christian nations who profess this doctrine will not even sit together with their brothers and
sisters of different skin colors. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Introduction)
As religious people, we should feel responsible for the shaky spiritual foundation of this generation,
and should deeply repent. Throughout the long history of religion, we have not made a convincing witness for the living God. We have been negligent in the practice of love. As a result, we have
allowed atheism to prevail and communism to flourish throughout the world. As religious people,
we should take responsibility for this.
Today God is calling us. All religious people, standing on the internal foundation of deep selfreflection, should challenge the evils of our world and work creatively in order to realize Gods Will
on earth. The living God does not want to relate with us not merely in the context of scriptures
and rituals. He wants to dwell in the hearts of people who keep Gods Will in their minds and live it
twenty-four hours a day. (135:222, November 16, 1985)
Heresy
THE MOST INSIDIOUS CAUSE OF DEVIATION from the religious path is the lure of false teaching, or heresy.
The scriptures of every major religion warn against it. Heresy means opinion, and the wisdom of Gods
revelation to the founding saint of the religion is not something to be altered or revised on the basis of
someone elses opinion.
It is true that every genuine religion at its birth was branded a heresy by the leaders of the orthodox establishment. Yet in addition, heretical offshoots of these new religions usually sprang up within a generation of the
Founders passing, or even in the Founders lifetime. Yet by the Will of God, the mainstream religions became
established while the heresies that beset them did not. Nowhere do we find that a heresy ever defeated a major
religions line of orthodox development. Despite their theological attraction, there must be good reasons why
heresies were branded as such.
A number of the passages gathered here attack false prophets and heretics for having base motives: they
are hypocrites using religion for worldly gain (although orthodox teachers could have the same flaw). Some
attribute these false teachings to the work of demons and evil spirits. Others point to their rotten fruits: licen-
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tious living, greed, and the sowing of dissension. On the other hand, some heresies deceive through advocating
a standard of conduct even more austere or a faith even more extreme than what is called for in the correct
pathDevadatta being a prime example. Still other passages attack heretics for fomenting schism and breaking
down the unity of the faith.
Mara the Evil One will expound to the bodhisattva a counterfeit of the Path.
Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom 382 (Buddhism)
Matthew 7.15-16
Had falsehood been allowed to show separately from truth, seekers of truth would have
easily discerned it, and would have kept away
from falsehood. And had truth been allowed to
appear distinct from falsehood, people would
not have found [it] easy to criticize religion.
But unfortunately men started mixing parts of
truth with falsehood, and Satan exploited this
situation, and got complete control over the
minds of its followers. Only such persons can
escape its trap, who have advanced with the
help of God towards sober and rational ways of
meditation.
2 Peter 2.1-3
1 Timothy 4.1-2
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Faith
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ
and turning to a different gospelnot that
there is another gospel, but there are some
who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from
heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary
to that which we preached to you, let him be
accursed. As we have said before, so now I say
again: If any one is preaching to you a gospel
contrary to that which you received, let him be
accursed.
Galatians 1.6-9
779
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780
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people who are at this stage the revelation that they are the Lord, in recognition that they have
reached the level of maturity at which He had once blessed human beings with dominion over the
universe.
Believers in the Last Days whose devout faith entitles them to receive the revelation that they
are the Lord stand in a position similar to that of John the Baptist. John the Baptist came with
the mission to make straight the way of Jesus. (John 1:23) In the same way, these people of faith
are given the mission to prepare, in their particular areas of responsibility, the way for Christ at the
Second Advent. Since they are to act as the Lords representatives in their respective fields, God
gives them the revelation that they are the Lord.
When someone who is gifted with spiritual communication receives the revelation that he is the
Lord, he should understand this phenomenon through the teachings of the Principle. He should not
act wrongly, mistaking himself for Christ at the Second Advent. Otherwise, he may end up playing
the role of an antichrist. For this reason, the Bible contains prophecies that in the Last Days there
will appear many antichrists
People who contribute to the providence of restoration usually are responsible for only a part of
the providence. Focusing only on their vertical relationship with God, they are often not sensitive
to their proper horizontal relationship with other spiritually attuned people. Strife can break out
among them, as each thinks that the Will of God which he serves is different from that which the
others are serving. Their conflicts are aggravated when each of them receives the revelation that he
is the best. Yet God offers such encouragement to spur each on to do his very best in carrying out
his particular mission within the greater providence. God also gives such revelations because each
is, in truth, the one best suited for his respective area of mission. (Exposition of the Divine Principle,
Resurrection 2.2.6)
God did not create denominations or religious sects. In fact, religion itself is a byproduct of the
Fall. It is Satan who fosters denominational schisms and religious divisions. In heaven there are
no walls between nations, denominations or religions. It is a world composed of one huge family.
(May 8, 2001)
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In all these encounters, the prophets and sages of old showed the way to relate to God while upholding
their personal integrity. They argued based upon righteousness and deeply held beliefs. They stood before God
with a clean conscience and took their life in their hands to challenge the conventional doctrines, because they
knew that God transcended the limited human teachings about Him.
When the angel raised me [through the heavens], said the Prophet, then God prescribed
for my people fifty prayers [a day]. As I came
back with this regulation, I passed near Moses.
What has God prescribed for your people?
he asked. He has prescribed fifty prayers, I
replied. Go back to the Lord, said Moses, for
your people will not be strong enough to endure
that. So I went back into the presence of God,
who reduced the number by half. Then when
I came near Moses, I said to him, They have
been reduced by half. Go back to the Lord, he
said, for your people will not be strong enough
to endure that. I went back into the presence
of God, who reduced the number again by half.
Coming back to Moses, I told him of this new
reduction. Go back to the Lord, he replied, for
your people will not have the strength to endure
that. I went back into the presence of God and
He said to me, There will be five prayers then,
but they will be worth fifty in my eyes, for nothing can be changed of what has been spoken in
My presence. I went back to Moses, who said to
me again, Go back to the Lord. I am ashamed
before the Lord, I replied.16
Hadith of Bukhari (Islam)
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Faith
Rabbi Eliezer brought forward all of the arguments in the world [in favor of his position on a
certain matter of ritual cleanliness], but his colleagues did not accept them from him.
783
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784
still does not work, add 4 more hours and work 24 hours a day. If that still does not work, call on
God seriously, saying, Father, shouldnt Thou be helping me? This work is Thy Will as well as mine.
Thou didst promise that if I ask, I shall receive, and if I seek, I shall find, and if I knock, it shall be
opened. (54:325, March 31, 1972)
Didnt Adam and Eve betray God? To restore that history through indemnity, you should ask God to
betray you. Make such a determination and declare, God, You can say to me, I do not know you.
Although You do not recognize me, I will fulfill the duty of a filial child up to the last moment of the
struggle. I will not deviate from this course. (31:49, April 12, 1970)
In the late Middle Ages, mans original mind was repressed, its free development blocked by the
social environment of feudalism and the secularization and corruption of the Roman church. Faith
is the path each person must walk in search of God. Faith should be nurtured through a direct vertical relationship between God and each individual. Yet in that age, the papacy and the clergy, with
their rituals and dogmas, constrained the peoples devotional life
According to the Principle of Creation, we are created to attain perfection by fulfilling our given
responsibility of our own free will, without Gods direct assistance. We are then to attain oneness
with God and acquire true autonomy. Therefore, it is the calling of our original nature to pursue
freedom and autonomy
[Believers] protested the medieval view that faith required unquestioning obedience to the
dictates of the Church in all areas of life, which denied them the right to worship God according
to the dictates of conscience based on their own reading of the Bible. They also questioned the
otherworldly and ascetic monastic ideal which devalued the natural world, science and the practical
affairs of life. Out of these grievances, many medieval Christians called for the revival of the spirit
of early Christianity, when believers zealously lived for the Will of God, guided by the words of Jesus
and the apostles. This medieval movement exploded in the Protestant Reformation. (Exposition
of the Divine Principle, Preparation 1)
Those believers who receive divine inspiration through prayer are able to grasp spiritually the providence of the new age. Even though this may put them at odds with the doctrines of the old age,
they will still respond to the promptings of the spirit and follow the calling of the new providence.
Among the disciples of Jesus, there was not one who was overly attached to the Old Testament
Scriptures. Rather, they all responded to the spiritual experiences which they could sense through
their inner minds. In the Last Days, people who lead an ardent life of prayer or who live by their
conscience will feel intense anxiety in their hearts. This is because in their hearts they vaguely sense
a spiritual calling and want to follow the providence of the new age, yet they have not come in contact with the new truth which can guide them to act accordingly. (Exposition of the Divine Principle,
Eschatology 5.2)
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Testing
EVERYONE ON THE PATH OF FAITH WILL BE TESTED. Scripture records that the great people of faith were
tested many times. Abraham endured ten trials of faith. Satan tested Job with loss of family and property. Muhammad had to overcome many obstacles as he struggled to proclaim the message to the idolators of Mecca.
Jesus was tempted in the wilderness and tested again on the way to the cross. Hindu and Buddhist saints as
well faced life-and-death trials, and with absolute faith overcame them.
Overcoming tests gives us strength and toughness of character. Testing also accompanies grace, either
before or afterwards, to qualify us to receive the grace and retain it.
Father Moon explains the reason why people of faith encounter testing by referring to the Book of Jobs
account of the bargaining between Satan and God. Since human beings fell away from oneness with God, God
accedes to Satan, the Accuser, the right to test human beings in order to prove whether they are indeed worthy of returning to Gods realm. Satan ruthlessly looks for any hint of selfishness that would disqualify them
and give him a claim over them. Only the most faithful and selfless people can pass his tests.
Sometimes a test requires us to deal with an inconceivable situation. The famous Quranic passage of
Moses and al-Khidr, the Green Man, presents a trial where Moses must believe in things entirely contrary to
common sense; but he cannot. In the Hindu Ramayana, Sita the wife of Rama proves her fidelity by jumping
into a blazing pyre, and in a Buddhist sutra a seeker throws himself off a cliff to certain death; both pass the
test and are unharmed. And how inconceivable was it to Abraham that God would ask him to sacrifice his son?
We include accounts of several of the tests in Father Moons life.
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On your path you will encounter many trials from Satan. Especially if you become open to
communicate with the spirit world, you will face many trials. If you fail Satans tests, Satan will
accuse you, saying, You are not qualified, and block your way. (3:210, November 1, 1957)
Consider the suffering of Job. First, his happy life vanished when he lost his possessions and children.
Then he was cast into a situation where his friends scorned him and his wife accused him, and where his
whole body was covered with wounds and itched so that he had to scratch it with tiles. Yet through it all,
he never held a grudge against God. Instead, in silence and contemplation he overcame the pain, and
through his illness he experienced something of Gods love. Because Job was that kind of man, Heaven
could bless him with possessions and children even more than before. (2:114-15, March 10, 1957)
Satan originally belonged to God. Therefore, he knows the original way he should go, and through
which the universe becomes one. Yet why did he become Satan? It was because he was self-centered.
Instead of centering upon God with true love, he set himself up apart from God and lived with selfish love. Satan knows that God is entitled to claim every person who has true love. Therefore, when
a person of true love appears, Satan will give him back to God, saying, He does not belong to me;
he belongs to You.
But for love to be true love, it has to transcend every barrier, whether in the individual, family,
tribe, nation or world. If you want to become a true person who possesses true love, you must go
beyond all these levels and connect with the cosmos. That is the principle. Therefore Satan says
to God, You may choose Your man, but he still lives in my world. Before You can count him as
belonging to Your nation, he has to overcome all kinds of persecution, even beyond the national
level, in order to prove himself worthy of Heaven.
When Satan gave this condition to God, God had to answer, You are correct. Satan continued,
Anyone who is dedicated to the greatest, universal purpose, and who consistently lives for the
sake of others with Gods love, belongs to Your nation. Nevertheless, I will be there to claim him
as my own if I find any evidence of self-centeredness or attachments to the things of my realm.
(124:65-65, January 23, 1983)
Satan sometimes tests you based on the original content of creation. The question is whether or not
you have become a person of the original standard. If you resist, Satan will say, God, this person
has the wrong concept and does not meet the original standard. To prove it, give him to me and let
me thrust him into hell. I am sure he will fall. Job was tested ten times, yet still he was grateful and
said, Naked I came from my mothers womb, and naked I shall return; the Lord gave, and the Lord
has taken away. Job always went to zero. Thus he fulfilled the formula.
Because of this, Job received new blessings a hundred-fold and a thousand-fold. He was a model
of a victorious person during the age of restoration. Although he was struck ten times, he always kept a
grateful heart, remained at the zero point, and held on to absolute faith in God. Therefore Satan drew
back from Job, and Job could be revived and granted all his desires. (246:20-21, March 23, 1993)
Satan tempted Jesus three times. First, while he was fasting for forty days, Satan tempted him with
food. He appeared before Jesus and asked him to change a stone into bread. This would be good
news to a starving person, but Jesus refused. He clearly stated, Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. This means that Jesus refused to yield any
conditions to Satan pertaining to the necessities of life.20 (3:121, October 13, 1957)
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Throughout my life I experienced tribulation. Satan came against me with all his power, using the
cruelest methods. Just as in the story of Job in the Bible, Satan told God, He is only able to achieve
something because You blessed him. I demand to test him by taking everything away from him; then
I will see if he is so strong. Satan made that demand concerning me several times, and God had to
push me into life-threatening situations.
Likewise, you must face the fact that God will not help you directly. Instead, you will encounter
terrible difficulties and feel completely helpless. You will think that although you deserve Gods help,
God is nowhere near you and does not help you at all. However, if you overcome that trial, Gods
help will surely arrivealthough indirectly. (117:160-61, February 28, 1982)
Although Reverend Moon may be a person of some importance, and although God loves him, he
is not exempt from the course that human beings must go through during which they are to take
responsibility to indemnify sin without Gods help. In other words, I had to overcome Satan on my
own. In the beginning, Adam was given his appointed task to subjugate Satan and Satans world in
order to establish the realm of Gods ideal. Therefore, I should likewise overcome my environment
to reach the realm of Gods ideal. Do you understand?
To pay my portion of indemnity, I had to be driven out, stripped of my clothes and chased out
into the cold. Therefore, I discarded my coat and gave away my meager portion of food. I willingly
paid that price, to the point that even Satan took pity on me and had someone offer me a coat. That
was a wonderful moment, when Satan gave me that coat. It meant that no one in the satanic world
would ever take away my clothes ever again
We all have to go through such a battle. We go through hardship and persecution, are
stripped of our clothes and beaten, but then people on Satans side appear who will dress us and
bind up our wounds. By going through such a course, people will come to our side. (124:303-04,
March 1, 1983)
Satan said, I will see how strong Reverend Moons love really is, and tested me by taking my
son Heung Jin. Satan tested me in this: in this moment of grief, who would I love more, God and
humankind, or my own son? I could not seek revenge against Satan. I would not give him an opening. I only devoted my efforts to liberate the nations I determined to make Heung Jins passing
an offering to mobilize the spirit world and lay a victorious foundation for Heaven to advance the
work on earth
I understood one principle: the priest who offers a sacrifice to God does not shed tears. Through
the offering he should glorify Heaven, support humankind and strive to establish the conditions to
restore everything in the satanic world. Therefore, there were no tears on my face as I offered up
my beloved son and laid him to rest. I stood proudly in my public position. When Satan saw this, he
could not help but respect me. He had to acknowledge, Reverend Moon, you are indeed a man of
Heaven. Hence, even though the realm of death struck the life of Heaven, I made up for the loss
and went beyond it with the power of love. (130:162-63, January 8, 1984)
No matter how Satan tries to test you and jump on you, if you sacrifice yourself there will not be
any problem. If you make excuses for yourself, however, Satan will overpower you. (Way of Gods
Will 3.4)
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Quran 2.154-57
Genesis 22.1-2
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Faith
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792
Jacob did not give up even to the last moment. He would not let go of the angel no matter
how desperately the angel tried to shake him off. At that point, God publicly acknowledged Jacobs
victory, and the angel, as Satans representative, had to acknowledge it as well. Hence he blessed
Jacob with the name Israel. At that moment, all the hosts of heaven shouted for joy. They deeply
exhaled, now that anxiety over the outcome was relieved. (20:229-30, June 9, 1968)
Even God Himself kicked Reverend Moon to test him. He said, Reverend Moon, you are a heretic.
I dont know you! Yet no matter how strangely God treated me, I had already grabbed onto Gods
coattails. I told Him, Heavenly Father, no matter how Thou dost treat me, Thou canst not dissuade
me from my path.
This dispute dragged on for forty days. Since God opposed me, Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, and
all the saints in spirit world also joined in, Reverend Moon, you are a heretic! We will not accept
you until you change your teachings. Yet throughout those forty days, I did not change one iota. I
was steadfast as a rock. They all saw that I would not change even if they persisted for 400 years.
After 40 days the atmosphere cleared; the showdown had to end. God had to resolve the dispute
and issue a decree. He stepped forward and said, I have been testing Reverend Moon during these
40 days and I can now declare before heaven and earth that he is the greatest victor in all of
history. (161:41-42, January 1, 1987)
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Faith
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794
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Chapter 16
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796
will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him
up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another,
and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man has great power in
its effects. Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently that it might not rain,
and for three years and six months it did not rain
on the earth. Then he prayed again and heaven
gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit.
James 5.13-18
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When you make a request in prayer, it passes through several stages before it is answered. And
when it is answered, the answer may come in an unexpected way. Furthermore, when you pray for
a blessing, depending on your condition, you may receive a certain amount of blessing, only to have
something else taken away
We are also praying for the world. When your personal devotions and efforts at spreading the
Word do not go well, do not worry that your prayers are ineffective. Continue praying, and far away
something in the communist world crumbles. Yet it takes time. So pray for something that will not
come to pass in your lifetime but thousands of years from now. I am praying such prayers; therefore
the work of God will continue to flourish for thousands of years after I am gone, until my prayers are
fully answered. (104:110, April 15, 1979)
Quran 11.114
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Through prayer you should know the invisible enemy and discern the enemys manifest works.5
(19:146, January 1, 1968)
Through prayer, your mind should completely subjugate your body. Through prayer, your conscience will
receive energy and become one with God vertically; then Satan will surely flee away. Through a life of
prayer, you cultivate the path for uniting mind and body and for connecting with God, becoming one with
Him. Then God will be within you, and Satan will have no choice but to run away. (229:7, April 9, 1992)
Prayer is an act of daring. How else could a mortal utter a prayer before the Kings of Kings?
Nachman of Breslov (Judaism)
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4. How to Pray
Call on your Lord with humility and in private.
Quran 7.55
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800
Matthew 6.7-8
Quran 5.6
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801
1 Thessalonians 5.17
Quran 20.130
Quran 73.1-8
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802
6. Unselfish Prayer
He who prays for his fellowman, while he himself has the same need, will be answered first.
Talmud, Baba Kamma 92a (Judaism)
Sitting cross-legged,
They should wish that all beings
Have firm and strong roots of goodness
And attain the state of immovability.
Cultivating concentration,
They should wish that all beings
Conquer their minds by concentration
Ultimately, with no remainder.
When practicing contemplation,
They should wish that all beings
See truth as it is
And be forever free of opposition and
contention.
Garland Sutra 11 (Buddhism)
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803
directly take action; otherwise God cannot act. As long as we stand in a sacrificial and sorrowful
situation, and our true heart corresponds with Gods desire, then God will recognize us and be merciful to us. (18:269, June 12, 1967)
Meditation
MEDITATION CLEANSES THE MIND OF ALL OBSTRUCTIONS and opens the door to Ultimate Reality that lies
within. The various techniques of meditation all have in common the restricting of the body and sense stimuli,
controlling the minds wandering thoughts and feelings, and finally attaining a pure state of stillness where the
true Self-nature can reveal itself.
While most of our scriptural sources on meditation describe its practice in the Eastern religion, meditation
is also widespread in Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Mystics, monastics, Sufis and Kabbalists all developed
meditative techniques to raise practitioners to a higher state of communion with the Spirit of God. Silent meditation is often employed as preparation for prayer, as a time of quiet when the mind is calmed and clarified and
its spiritual senses heightened before communing with God. Father Moon values meditation in this context.
He sometimes calls it prayer, but what he means is a meditative, stilling technique that is an element of
effective prayer.
The topic of meditation is vast, and one can practice it for a lifetime without getting to the end of it. Some
aspects presented here include: quieting ones thoughts, focusing on the breath, developing intense concentration, the discipline of mindfulness of ones body, feelings, and thoughts, visualization of a divine image, and
the shamanistic quest for a supernatural vision.
1. One-Pointed Concentration
Concentration is unafflicted one-pointedness.
Nagarjuna, Precious Garland 437 (Buddhism)
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804
Mumonkan 1 (Buddhism)
undivided my in-breathing,
undivided my out-breathing,
undivided my diffusive breath;
undivided the whole of me.
Atharva Veda 19.51.1 (Hinduism)
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Wherever the mind wanders, restless and diffuse in its search for satisfaction without, lead
it within; train it to rest in the Self. Abiding
joy comes to those who still the mind. Freeing
themselves from the taint of self-will, with
their consciousness unified, they become one
with God.
Bhagavad-Gita 6.26-27 (Hinduism)
Psalm 46.10
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808
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810
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811
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813
these connections ourselves. If we do not have the attitude to make connections with others, we
cannot improve the environment in which we live.
For this reason, you should all have a mind to anticipate new things. When praying in the
morning, you should feel, Today, something good will happen. But do not just think that good
things will just happen. You have to seek for them. This attitude of seeking should be your life of
faith. Experience and continual practice bring relationships to life. Yet it all stems from cultivating
a dream-like state in meditation.17 (76:129-133, February 2, 1975)
Sometimes we hold all-night prayer vigils, focusing on God and leaving all worldly matters aside. We
do not sleep, but try to enter a state beyond sleep. As we cultivate the mind and repress our consciousness, remnants of our flesh mind sink down and our spirit rises to the surface like pure water.
Then although we are tired, we reach a state beyond sleepa state where we are half sleeping and
half awake. We can hear sounds, but not precisely; we can see things, but not clearly. Dream-like
phenomena unfold, and God can instruct us.
We hold prayer vigils to disconnect from carnal desires and unify the spirit. Your spirit will be
elevated to the point where God may give you a glimpse of your future. After many of these vigils,
you will arrive at a state where in prayer you see visions and hear voices. Your eyes see events both
spiritual and earthly; your ears hear sounds both spiritual and earthly. Then you can direct events in
the spirit world and on earth. (91:275, February 27, 1977)
At the next level, we can receive oral directions or symbolic visions. Visions require careful analysis. Directions are directly given, but visions require interpretation, and this is where we meet with
problems. Heaven often teaches us by words, but sometimes it is through a vision. For example,
you have a vision of a beautiful spring-like day; a pair of deer drinks at a stream and then looks far
off at the mountains. That vision is a very good sign, and you can expect that something good will
happen.
This is not a coincidence. God is working to cultivate the field of your mind. Why so? The field
of your mind is not flat like glass. It is rough and uneven. It may appear flat, but look closer and you
see that its surface is rough. When the light of Heaven hits a rough surface, it is not reflected, but
scatters in all directions. That is why revelations are received and interpreted differently. Therefore,
to properly discern Heavens guidance, we need to cultivate the various aspects of our mind, piece
by piece. This requires our effort.
Beyond the stage of revelations as oral directions or symbolic visions, we arrive at the stage of
direct revelations in silence. Like John in the Book of Revelation, you can have spiritual experiences
all day long, journeying into the other world and exploring its mysteries. Eventually, everyone is to
be connected to the spirit world, reaching the realm of Gods heart and feelings.
Unless you experience such things in your life of faith, you cannot carry out Gods great Will
on the stage of your own life. Therefore, I do not trust believers who have not had actual spiritual
experiences. Please understand how important it is for you to have these spiritual experiences for
cultivating your life of faith
God works when you pray, sending His spiritual power like electricity. But since this high-voltage
energy is stronger than your consciousness, it will lift your consciousness to feel the supernatural.
However, when supernatural and divine emotions come inside you, your body, imbedded with
fallen nature, rebels against Gods original divinity. Fallen people do not naturally harmonize with
Gods divine energy, no matter how strongly it tries to penetrate. As a result, the energy does not
come all at once. Like alternating plus and minus energies, like a spreading sound wave that is
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sometimes strong and sometimes gentle, the energy comes as a series of vibrations. They overwhelm
your conscious mind and display their spiritual power. That is how God performs His work.
When God is working with you all the time like this, what happens? Your body-centered fallen
nature is gradually purified, and eventually it will accept Gods indwelling activity naturally and 100
percent. Then, when God ceases sending His spiritual power in this way, your own spirituality will
exceed Gods work in you. At that point God will be with you, and He will teach you without your
realizing it.
You should reach this level of total purification, after going through all these stages: the dreamlike state, oral directions, revelations, and so on. At this level, your mind will fully direct you. You
may want to chastise someone, but your mind will stop you. You may want to say something sweet,
but instead you say words of admonishment. Such phenomena can seem incomprehensible. You
need to learn how to adjust to them, otherwise, you could be regarded as an insane person.
You must absolutely experience something like this in your life of faith. People who experience
these things in their life of faith, always testing and experimenting, will become strong. They have
first-hand knowledge and do not need to believe what others tell them. Experience and practice are
the most necessary elements in our life of faith. (76:133-136, February 2, 1975)
Praise
WORSHIP SHOULD BE ARDENT AND EMOTIONAL; and there is no better way to generate emotional power
than by praising God in songs and chants. Praise is a natural expression of our love for Him. Hymns and psalms
give poetic and heartfelt voice to the word, penetrating the soul more deeply than any theological discourse.
Singing can elevate us into an exalted spiritual state where we experience the mystic glories of heavenly choirs
of angels. Chanting a sacred syllable or repeating the Lords holy names attunes our mind to Ultimate Reality
and call forth its mystic power.
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The elements of word OM are fourths, the elements: the letter A, the letter U, the letter M.
The waking state, the common-to-all-men, is the
letter A the dreaming state, the Brilliant, is the
letter U the deep-sleep state, the Cognitional,
is the letter M The fourth is without an element, with which there can be no dealing, the
cessation of phenomena, benign, without a second. This AUM is the Self indeed.21
Mandukya Upanishad (Hinduism)
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All creation praises God: even the insects, birds, fish and beasts praise Him. (269:171, April 17,
1995)
May we become Thy sons and daughters who sing songs of Thy love, after fulfilling all Thy hopes
and all Thy Will!
May we become true children who comfort our Father with songs of joy and glory, who have
accomplished Thy hope, Thy work and Thy thought, and who forever live with Thee! (5:280,
February 22, 1958)
Psalm 100
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Now the light of glory arises like the sun that shines on high;
Now awaken into freedom, O revive, you spirits, O revive!
Wake the mountains and the valleys; bring alive the springs of the earth.
Light the world forever with the Light of your rebirth.
Light the world forever with the Light of your rebirth.
We are called to bring back the glory to the life of God above;
Now the Lord in His greatness fills the universe with tender love,
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Devotion
DEVOTION MEANS TO WORSHIP GOD OUT OF LOVE. Love can be volitional, expressed in acts of dedication and sacrifice, as in the biblical commandment, Love God with all your heart, with all your soul and with
all your mind. In the Abrahamic faiths, devotion is primarily expressed in acts of loyalty and dedication to
Gods will.
Love for God can also be an emotional experience. Devotional worship is expressed in joyful and emotional
outpourings of praise and song and in the constant longing for Gods sweet presence. This powerful mode of
religious consciousness is particularly manifest in the Hindu and Sikh bhakti tradition, the dancing and song of
Sufi Muslims and Hassidic Jews, and in the outpourings of the Holy Spirit in Pentecostal Christianity.
Many passages of scripture describe this mystical emotion as a transfigured sublime love of a bride for
her beloved, as in the Song of Solomon in the Bible, in the loves of Radha and Krishna or Sita and Rama in the
Hindu tradition, and in the devotion of Mary Magdalene to Jesus. Father Moon teaches that there is a fundamental link between the love of man and woman and the joining of heaven and earth.
Father Moon also adds a new, minor key to this longing to experience Gods love by bringing in the element of Gods suffering heart. If Gods real circumstances are full of suffering and pain, then the longing for
emotional unity with God should also take us into the experience of divine sorrow. His prayers are full of tears,
commiserating with God. Knowing that God is in pain also motivates us to act in this world to alleviate His
suffering by saving our brothers and sisters from sin, oppression and despair. At this deep level, heart and action become one.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, and with all your
might. And these words which I command you
this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall
teach them diligently to your children, and shall
talk of them when you sit in your house, and
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history? If we are to succeed in pulling out that root, we have to dig beneath it. That means we must
go to a place of suffering more intense than the pain of God. If God is sleeping, we should be awake.
We should willingly stand in a position hundreds of times more painful than what Gods heart experienced at the time of the Fall; only then can we pull out Satans root. Our heart of devotion should
go that deep. (308:208, January 5, 1999)
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O Rama I wish to be with thee! I shall experience no fatigue in following thee, even if I may
no longer rest near thee on a luxurious couch.
The harsh grass, the reeds, the rushes and thorny
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to find and establish such people. You need to clearly know that this has been the providence of
salvation and the purpose for sending the Savior.
Before we wish for the Kingdom of Heaven, we should desire for Gods heart; and before we
wish for Gods heart, we should first reflect on how we should live or lives. First of all, we should
have a heart of attendance. It is the original character of human beings to long for what is exalted
and precious, and on finding it, to bow our heads before it. We human beings fell, but we were
created with a heart that desires to relate with the exalted and precious heart of Heaven. We learn
how to communicate at this level of heart through a life of attendance.34 Therefore, anyone who
has never experienced a life of attendance does not have even the slightest connection with the
Kingdom of Heaven. (8:291, February 14, 1960)
Father! Today please let our bodies move, our minds move
and our thoughts move in the garden of Thy heart.
We realize Thy heart is a heart of infinite love,
a heart of infinite sorrow pierced with an infinity of wounds
Exceedingly sorrowful Father;
Thou hast worked exceedingly hard,
and still even now Thy heart feels exceedingly anxious!
May we become sons and daughters who offer our full devotion,
giving our entire minds and bodies,
until we can be recognized as having no inadequacies before Thy heart.
We do not want Heaven to give us anything material,
we do not want Heaven to understand our situation,
and we do not want Heaven to give us grace
only allow us to know Thine innermost heart. (8:262, February 7, 1960)
Purity of Intention
SINCE THE ESSENCE OF WORSHIP is the disposition of the heart, the intention we bring to an act of worship
determines its value. Even when the outward form of an act expresses faith and obedience, a persons inner
intentions become manifest in the end. Progress on the path to God requires purity of heart and sincerity of
mind.
Intention begins our life in the world. When the Israelites approached the Temple and sung the psalm,
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? they were declaring that in their daily lives they had been obedient
to Gods commandments to live ethically and justly. From that pure starting-point, we can cultivate a mind
conducive to worship by placing our practical concerns in second place to the affairs of Heaven. As we glorify
God in our minds and dedicate our bodies to His service, our sincere intention opens the door to an authentic
relationship. For the antithesis of sincerity, see Chapter 15: Hypocrisy. For more on the role of sincerity in everyday life, see Chapter 12: Sincerity and Authenticity.
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A man becomes pure through sincerity of intellect; thereupon, in meditation, he beholds Him
who is without parts.
Psalm 24.3-6
Revelation 3.15-16
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We cannot overcome with tricks or by talent, but only with a sincere heart. The question is how
much sincerity you invest in loving and serving God, with how much sincerity you long for Him,
with how much sincerity you seek to know His inmost feelings, and through these experiences how
much you can restore a father-son relationship with Him. (42:228, March 14, 1971)
Regardless of whether anyone is watching, you should fulfill your responsibility. You should keep
your promise with God. (104:112, April 15, 1979)
True sons and daughters should show sincerity, not mainly about the practical things of everyday
life, but rather sincerity of hope in God, sincerity to glorify God, sincerity in their filial piety to our
Heavenly Father, and sincerity in submission to Gods will. If you practice all these forms of sincerity, then heaven will become your heaven and Heavenly Father will become your Heavenly Father.
(17:245, January 29, 1967)
Some people forsake everything for a doctrine or abandon their own views for the sake of an ideology, but if they are not doing it to find the truth that can elevate their minds, then they cannot make
a worthy relationship with Heaven. What must we do to enter the nucleus of the divine mind and
cleanse our defiled minds that have inherited our ancestors lineage of sin from the beginning of history? We must give our utmost; as Jesus said, Love the Lord God with all your heart, and with all
your soul, and with all your mind. (2:194, May 19, 1957)
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The Dharma is without taint and free of defilement. He who is attached to anything, even to
liberation, is not interested in the Dharma but
is interested in the taint of desire. The Dharma
is not an object. He who pursues [the Dharma
as an] object is not interested in the Dharma
but is interested in objects The Dharma is not
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Rabbi Meir was once asked, Why do the scriptures tell us in some passages that sacrifice is
very pleasant unto the Lord, while in others it is
said that God dislikes sacrifices? He answered,
It depends whether a mans heart is sacrificed
at the time he brings the sacrifice.
Baraita Kallah 8 (Judaism)
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Do you know the story of Ananias and Sapphira in the Bible? After selling their property to offer
it to the church, they hid some of the proceeds and donated only half, claiming that it was everything. For this, they were punished. When it comes to making an offering, everything means
everything. If you hold something back, you will pay a price for it and be punished. You are not
permitted to have a lingering attachment to the offering or think of it as your own possession. If
you have such an attitude, you should clean it up before the time of judgment arrives. (122:22-23,
October 31, 1982)
When you make a donation at church, you should not use money left over after buying something to
eat. That money is defiled. God is not present with donations given out of the change you received
after buying things at the market. (48:86, September 5, 1971)
I hear that in some Christian churches, those who make large donations are chosen to be elders
and deacons. We should not have such motives. We should give our donations in the spirit of giving
our lives for the sake of our nation and the world, and [confirm them] by loving our nation and the
world. (166:71, May 25, 1987)
Today in Christian churches they circulate baskets for the donation. What would you call this way
of collecting donations? Are they beggars? Shall we also receive donations in this fashion? The congregation should make donations in a donation box placed at the entrance door as an expression of
sincere gratitude for having offered their utmost devotion and received grace from God. (166:319,
June 14, 1987)
2. Tithes
All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of
the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lords;
it is holy to the Lord.46
Leviticus 27.30
Leviticus 27.32-33
Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But
you say, How are we robbing thee? In your
tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse,
for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you.
Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that
there may be food in my house; and thereby put
me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will
not open the windows of heaven for you and
pour down for you an overflowing blessing.
Genesis 28.20-22
Malachi 3.8-10
A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor?
And if I am a master, where is my fear? says
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Ritual
FATHER MOON TEACHES THAT GOD INSTITUTED RITUALS in every faith as a means by which people might
approach Him. All rituals, therefore, have value. When performed with pure intention and following precisely
their prescribed form, ritual offers respect to heaven and establishes for the believer a foundation of faith.
There is no way to do justice in this book to the wide variety of rituals and rites by which the peoples of
the world worship God and show their respect to Heaven. Some of the types of rituals included here are: keeping a sacred timethe Sabbath, the Eucharist or sacred meal, circumcision, baptism, worship at holy places,
worship by images and symbols, and dietary laws.
Let us do it
the way it is usually done
so that we may have the usual result.
Yoruba chant (African Traditional Religions)
Habakkuk 2.20
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We earnestly pray that Thou wilt allow this place, where we bow to Thee with hearts rejoicing and
which is guarded by angels and the heavenly hosts, to become an altar of wondrous blessing that can
lead our whole lives to victory. (7:12, July 5, 1959)
Please let this place become a holy sanctuary where we become one with Thy mind. Please allow it
to become a holy place where only Thou canst take dominion, and where we can be close to Thy
heart, be moved to tears by Thy situation, and be in harmony with Thy hope. (21:132, November
17, 1968)
2. The Sabbath
And the Lord said to Moses, Say to the people of Israel, You shall keep my Sabbaths, for
this is a sign between me and you throughout
your generations, that you may know that I, the
Lord, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath,
because it is holy for you; everyone who profanes it shall be put to death; whoever does any
work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among
his people. Six days shall work be done, but the
seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy
to the Lord; whoever does any work on the
Sabbath day shall be put to death. Therefore the
people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a perpetual covenant.
It is a sign for ever between me and the people
of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven
and earth, and on the seventh day he rested,
and was refreshed.47
Exodus 31.12-17
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share a sacred meal with Him. This became a source of Gods pain and grief. To dissolve this pain,
we bow and recite the Pledge and eat the meal with a heart to praise and honor God. (280:289,
February 13, 1997)
3. The Eucharist
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took bread, and when he
had given thanks, he broke it, and said, This is
my body which is [broken] for you. Do this in
remembrance of me. In the same way also the
cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new
covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you
drink it, in remembrance of me.
1 Corinthians 11.23-25
4. Circumcision
This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between
me and you and your descendants after you: Every
male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be
circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it
shall be a sign of the covenant between me and
you. He that is eight days old among you shall be
circumcised; every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with
your money from any foreigner who is not of your
offspring shall be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.
Genesis 17.10-14
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blood lineage was transmitted at the Fall. It is cut to indemnify Satans invasion of the male sexual
organ at the time of Adam. (277:264, April 18, 1996)
God gave the Israelites the commandment that all their males be circumcised. Circumcision is done
by cutting the tip of the male organ and letting out some blood. Thus sanctified, the Israelites could
live in the realm of Abrahams blessing. Sin infiltrated humankind through the male organ, so circumcision, by letting blood from the male organ, restored the sin by indemnity. It fulfilled the law
of indemnity as it was practiced in the Old Testament Age, that is, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a
tooth, a wound for a wound. Thus, circumcision established the condition to return to God. Now
you know why circumcision was necessary: to separate human beings from the blood relationship
that was made at the Fall. (54:143, March 22, 1972)
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Holy water is the water of victory, the water of sanctification. Its sanctifying power removes Satans
blood and introduces Heavens lineage. (215:347, March 1, 1991)50
Jeremiah 50.4-5
Quran 2.197
Quran 22.26-29
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it will be your shame in the spirit world. In the future, Unificationists will regard it as Mecca for
Muslims or as Jerusalem for Christians. (Way of Unification 8.3.4.3)
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In Buddhism today, many people pray for blessings in front of the Buddhas statue. The external difference between the worshipper as the object partner and the statue as the subject partner is enormous. However, in the world of the heart, there is no difference. When people believe and relate
to the statue as God, moved by the feelings it inspires in them, then God inspires their minds and
fulfills their wishes. (6:342, June 28, 1959)
By wearing a cross around their neck, people show themselves to be Christians. If you carry a picture
of True Parents, it symbolizes that you are their son or daughter. It begins with a symbol, then image,
and finally substance. [People who carry the picture] enter the realm of the formation stagethe first
of the three stages of formation, growth and completion; hence they are protected. Therefore, as tribal
messiahs, you should give True Parents pictures to everyone in your clan. (212:109, January 2, 1991)
Deuteronomy 14.3-21
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When you sit at the table you may enjoy the food, saying, These are wonderful dishes you prepared
today. It tastes good, so you eat it. You think you know enough, but you do not know how it was
prepared. There could be many stories behind the scenes. You do not know whether the rice was stolen, or from whom was it brought, or what kind of people grew it and prepared it. Maybe the farmer
who grew the rice once slept with your wife. Maybe the machinery used to cultivate it was made by
a gang of your enemies. If you knew these things, you would not be able to eat.
God knows it all; therefore He instructs us to purify the things we eat. Without cleansing and
purifying the things we eat, we who yearn for Heaven while living in the midst of Satans world
cannot reach Heaven. (138:183, January 21, 1986)
We use Holy Salt to sanctify what we eat and wear. Since the land we live in is not Gods nation,
Gods sons and daughters should not eat the harvest of the land without first sanctifying it. Would
that we lived in a land where we could eat freely of its fruits without needing to sanctify them!
(48:252, September 19, 1971)
Beyond Ritual
WHEN RITUAL IS OVERLY RELIED UPON, it may imbue an aura of sanctity not matched by deeds or wisdom.
Ritual is no substitute for authentic piety, love of ones neighbor and personal realization of God. Nearly every
religion has its own internal critique of ritualism. Even when the founder of one religion is apparently criticizing
the ritualism of another religion, the passage was originally a prophetic word to his own people.
Father Moon concurs in these critiques, and adds two more: First, ritual can create a barrier between different denominations and faiths, which runs contrary to the will of God for religious unity. In this time of coming
together, the barriers of ritual should be transcended. Second, acts of pious devotion to God and Jesus do not
often grant the inner knowledge to know their heart and will. For example, many Christians revere the cross as
the sign of salvation, when for Jesus it was the accursed instrument of his death and the source of millennia of
grief and frustration that he could not have lived to complete his mission to build Gods Kingdom on earth.
Chief among the religious rituals in ancient times was animal sacrifice, yet, with a few exceptions, animal
sacrifice is rare in religion today. Religions have come to regard acts of devotion, study, and charity the essence
of the ancient ritual sacrifices that are required by scripture but no longer practiced. Thus, the Talmud regards
charity to ones neighbor as the equivalent of sacrificing a lamb as a sin offering. In a similar vein, the Buddha
criticizes animal sacrifice as creating evil karma by killing life, and instead teaches a spiritual meaning of sacrifice as fulfilled in honoring parents, caring for family, and giving charity to monks.
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Mark 2.23-28
Of old, one of the ancestral gods was roaming through the land of his descendant gods,
and he came to Mount Fuji in the province of
Suruga, just as it was becoming evening, so he
went to the home of the gods of Mount Fuji
and begged to be provided with a place to stay
for the night. The god of Mount Fuji, however,
replied, Unfortunately, today is the day that
the first fruits are being offered to the gods, and
all of my family are under taboos of purification
and abstinence. As a result, it would not be fitting for us to put up an unknown stranger. On
this day of all days, please excuse me from being
more courteous to you.
With this, the other deity was filled with
resentment, and said, I am your ancestor! Even
so, will you not put me up? For this I will make
it snow both winter and summer on this very
mountain in which you live, cover it with mist
and cold the year long, so that no person may
climb it to give you offerings!
And with these words, he ascended instead
Mount Tsukuba in the province of Hitachi, and
Udana 6 (Buddhism)
People under delusion accumulate tainted merits but do not tread the Path. They are under the
impression that to accumulate merits and to tread
the Path are one and the same thing. Though their
merits from alms-giving and offerings are infinite,
they do not realize that the ultimate source of sin
lies in the three poisons within their own mind.60
Sutra of Hui Neng 6 (Buddhism)
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2. With the Changing of the Age, Old Rituals Are Replaced by Purer Forms of Devotion
Once, as Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai was coming forth from Jerusalem, Rabbi Joshua followed
after him and beheld the Temple in ruins. Woe
unto us, Rabbi Joshua cried, that this, the
place where the iniquities of Israel were atoned
for, is laid waste!
My son, Rabbi Yohanan said to him, be
not grieved. We have another atonement as
effective as this. And what is it? It is acts of
loving-kindness, as it is said, For I desire mercy
and not sacrifice [Hosea 6.6].
Talmud, Abot de Rabbi Nathan 6 (Judaism)
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And in every place offerings are burnt and presented unto My name [Malachi 1.11]. In every
place! Is this possible? Rabbi Samuel ben Nahmai
said in the name of Rabbi Jonathan, This refers to
the scholars who devote themselves to the study
of the Torah in whatever place they are: [God
says], I account it to them as though they burned
and presented offerings to My name.
Bless the Lord, all you servants of the
Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord in
the night seasons [Psalm 134.1]. What is
the meaning of in the night seasons? Rabbi
Johanan said, This refers to the scholars who
devote themselves to the study of the Torah at
nights: Holy Writ accounts it to them as though
they were occupied with the Temple service.64
Talmud, Menahot 110a (Judaism)
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Chapter 17
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Acts 9.3-18
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here? I would tell them, When people are sick, they send out for a doctor. Since the American
people are sick, I came from the East as a doctor to heal America. America is burning. I am the firefighter who will put out the flames. This is what I am fulfilling. (123:320, January 9, 1983)
Each of us should think: God has expectations for me; He tells me to build a new world. He commissioned me with the responsibility to resolve all the complicated problems of the past. Then, what
is my position? I am not an ordinary individual who is perishing; now I belong to humankind, the
world, and my Heavenly Father.
Our hearts should be awe-struck over the fact that we have been called, although we are an
unworthy people and an unworthy lot. While countless others who volunteered themselves in
service of their nation were not chosen, God chose us and made us His children. For this we should
have grateful minds and reverent hearts. (9:344, January 30, 1960)
What more could I ask for, that in these historical Last Days, I could be appointed as an object partner to my lonely God? Is there anything more I could ask for? Even if I die, my bones crushed into
powder and dispersed in the wind, could I hold any resentment? The world will always have plenty
of worthless lives, people who die like pigs and dogs. (62:140, September 17, 1972)
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If any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised
on the eighth day, of the people of Israel as
to righteousness under the law blameless. But
whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the
sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as
loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as
refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be
found in him, not having a righteousness of my
own, based on law, but that which is through
faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that
depends on faith; that I may know him and
the power of his resurrection, and may share
his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
that if possible I may attain the resurrection
from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained this or
am already perfect; but I press on to make it my
own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
Brethren, I do not consider that I have made
it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what
lies behind and straining forward to what lies
ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let
those of us who are mature be thus minded; and
if in anything you are otherwise minded, God
will reveal that also to you.
Philippians 3.4-15
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May we may be intoxicated with our sense of mission, that we might receive Heavens commands
and fulfill our responsibilities completely.
To establish Heavens Will on earth, let us become sons and daughters who know only to fight
without resting or deviating, who know the laws of Heaven and the laws of this cosmic battle, and
who will represent the unchanging Center, until the glory of restoration and the ideal of the eternal
God are revealed in all things of creation. (2:180, April 14, 1957)
After receiving the call to walk the way of Gods Will, you should always search with sincerity for the
objective you are meant to fulfill. I am moving forward with the entire problem of the providence of
restoration; that path is not peaceful. I have to surmount many disturbing and ever-changing situations, beyond anything I could have imagined when I started.
As you walk this way, purge your mind of greed and rid your heart of pride. It is impossible to
succeed with the mind of I am going to try this; I am going to attempt that. Even if your plan
succeeds, it may contradict the Providence since it was planned from a human perspective. (40:77,
January 24, 1971)
Father! Thou knowest the direction that we, Thy sons and daughters, should go; Thou knowest the path we shall have to walk. Our minds do not begin from within ourselves, for we have
been chosen as Thy helpers, not for ourselves. Since it is for others and for Thee, Father, we
pray Thou wilt take dominion over our hearts and not let them change to the very end. (6:62,
March 29, 1959)
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Quran 2.112
Deuteronomy 10.12-13
Romans 6.16-23
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When you are working in a company, what would happen to you if you took the attitude, This work
is inane. I will do what I want to do? Living in America, suppose you took the attitude, This country has too many laws that restrict what people can do. I will simply ignore them! What would happen to you? No good can come from denying the rules of work or the laws of your nation. Likewise,
no good can come from denying the tenets of religion.
Everyone must come under the rule of law and the regulations of the workplace, but the laws
we follow in the religious life are different. The former are promulgated in this world, but the laws
of the religion originate from the other world. The religious life is actually to live in two worlds. Do
you understand? You are actually living in two worlds. (92:298, April 24, 1977)
When you go to the hospital, two beings know your condition well. One is the germthat is Satans
position. The other is the doctorhe represents God. Should you relate with the germ (Satan)? No,
you should team up with the doctor (God). Then, you have to do what the doctor says. You must
absolutely obey; that is the only way. What if you said to the doctor, Ill do whatever I want? You
would have to pay a price. (189:49, March 12, 1989)
Father! We face the reality that we are far too distant from Thee
sublime, majestic, dwelling at the center of the universe, Lord of the ideal, Center of love.
To span this great distance we know the path that lies before us:
not the original, natural path but a path going the opposite way
the grief-filled course of restoration. (110:65-66, November 9, 1980)
Quran 5.35
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Jesus showed us obedience and complete submission. Obedience is following an order when the
circumstances allow, and complete submission is obeying even in impossible circumstances. Jesus
taught the dutiful way of obedience and complete submission to the disbelieving people. By this he
showed us the way to block Satans basic nature and life elements.
The satanic world incessantly tries to exploit and take advantage of human beings and the
creation, but Jesus took the opposite direction. Jesus lived a life that Satan could not livehe was
meek and humble, he practiced obedience and complete submission, and he lived a life of sacrifice
and service. Because he lived with these qualities, Satan had to surrender. Jesus is the representative
of all human beings. Likewise, unless you can live as Jesus taught in your daily life, being meek and
humble, practicing obedience and complete submission, and ever sacrificing and serving others,
know that you still belong to Satans tribe. (3:188-89, October 27, 1957)
Throughout the long eons of history, God has been carrying out a providence to set up ways by
which people ignorant of the human portion of responsibility could claim that they have fulfilled
their portions of responsibility. This has always required absolute obedience. The original portion of
responsibility was not fulfilled because Adam and Eve failed to obey Gods commandment. Obeying
Gods Word is the first condition to complete the human portion of responsibility. For Adam and
Eve, they could have completed their portion of responsibility by absolutely obeying Gods command, Do not eat of the fruit.
Therefore, those seeking the way of restoration must absolutely obey Gods words. You should
not just obey to some extent. You should say you will obey even at the cost of your life. Step forward
on the path of obedience and climb over the summit of the satanic world. That is what Jesus meant
when he said, He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves
son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (139:255-56, January 31, 1986)
Self-Sacrifice
SELF-SACRIFICE IS TO OFFER ONES ENTIRE SELFbody, mind and spiritto the service of God and the fulfillment of His will. In times of oppression, self-sacrifice may mean literally to give up ones life as a martyr. In times
of relative ease, self-sacrifice means to be a living sacrifice, dedicating every action to the divine purpose.
Jesus offers a model of self-sacrifice in his death on the cross, and teaches the same by the commandment he gave his followerstake up your cross and follow me. As individuals, each of us has a cross to bear,
maybe several, and religion commends that we deal with our burdens with an attitude of submission and selfsacrifice. However, Father Moon, like other great saints before him, takes up public crosses, putting his life on
the line to save others and confront the evils of the world. This is the noblest way of life.
Romans 12.1
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paradoxical nature. The size of ones love always becomes apparent in the degree of sacrifice. That
is what determines whether a love is great or small. The greater the sacrifice, the greater is the love.
A small sacrifice only demonstrates a lowly love. (63:25, October 1, 1972)
When you see things with the mind of love, you do not think of yourself but deny yourself and go the
way of sacrifice. You must become a perfect minus in front of a perfect plus. When a perfect minus
appears in front of a perfect plus, another plus is attracted to it. For example, if I am a perfect minus
before a nation, the ultimate plus, God, will be attracted This is a principle of heaven and earth.
Therefore, the tradition of patriots is one of blood, sweat and tears. The tradition of filial piety is
one of blood, sweat and tears. It is the same with the way of virtuous women, virtuous men, patriots
and saints. This is the mainstream tradition: only through sacrificing our blood, sweat and tears are
we connected with the Kingdom of Heaven, the world of unity. This is an infallible truth. (113:118,
May 1, 1981)
Many people worship Thee hoping for Heavens blessing;
others make devotions to become Thy children;
but today, even after six thousand years have passed,
it is difficult to find devoted people, Thy true sons and daughters,
who want to be offerings to Thee. (5:8, November 9, 1958)
Matthew 16.24-25
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So far the basic error of religious teaching has been this: though religion has taught the basic value
of sacrifice and service, it has valued sacrifice mainly for the purpose of receiving salvation. The
purpose of self-sacrifice ought to be to liberate God and humankind; people have been ignorant of
this truth. Instead of sacrificing for the selfish purpose of attaining a high place in heaven, we should
sacrifice for God and humankind. The purpose of sacrifice determines whether a believers religious
path ends up being good or evil. (102:234, January 1, 1979)
This is our motto: Let us go forth with the heart of a parent in the shoes of a servant, shedding
sweat for the earth, tears for humankind, and blood for heaven. Why do we need this motto?
The eternal God has been weeping countless tears as He seeks to eradicate the path of pain, path of
sorrows, and the path of death. As God has shed His sweat, tears, and blood first, today we should
take up that task in His place. (14:244, January 1, 1965)
I worked to accomplish this task oblivious to rain and snow. Nightfall was like dawn, and I would
even forget to eat. I could not take things lightly because I knew God and felt the serious responsibility that comes with knowing God. More than anybody else, I knew how sorrowful God was. Thus,
even if my body were torn apart, crumbled into dust and blown away, all those scattered cells could
still cry out as Gods cells. I grappled with this path of death, accepting it as a worthy death for a
man. (137:178, January 1, 1986)
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tion swarmed about meeven when I was in a position of utter loneliness due to persecution and
suffering. This is what I can take pride in. (193:73, August 20, 1989)
I did not pray to God asking Him to save me even when I collapsed under torture. When people
were pursuing me, I did not pray to God asking Him to protect me on my path or to save me from
my pursuers. As a man of character, I have my own reserve of strength. I have the spirit and inner
strength to fight. I say to my self, God will probably save me if I collapse unconscious due to lack
of strength. But before that, with my own power I know that God is waiting, preparing things in
advance before I go. (138:358, January 24, 1986)
Each of you should pledge, I will win Gods victory. What is your attitude? Is it, When the battle is joined, I will be the first to volunteer. When a Goliath appears, I will be David? (118:129,
May 9, 1982)
Twelve men representing the twelve tribes were sent to spy on Canaan. All except Joshua and Caleb
reported that they would not be able to defeat seven tribes of Canaan. While the Israelites had lowered their flag to half-mast, Joshua and Caleb proclaimed, God is alive. Believe in Him, who parted
the Red Sea for us and kept us alive thus far. They proclaimed that the only way for Israel to survive
was to believe in God, who does wonders for His people. Know that it was on the basis of Joshua and
Calebs faith that God opened the way for Israel. (19:240, January 15, 1968)
Our situation is analogous to David and Goliaths. We dont have weapons and we didnt receive any
military training. We are like the humble shepherd David, a mere child, who had no armor but wore
only patched-up rags. His only weapon was a sling; ours is the Word of God.
Whether in America, Korea, the Middle East or Russia, we will clash with Satans forces and keep
fighting until we win. We are training and focusing our strength for the battles to come. Although
my forehead is crushed, my eyeballs pop out and my lifeblood drains out, I have to go this path for
the sake of Gods work.
United Nations soldiers from sixteen nations fought and died for the sake of Korea. Perhaps
Unification Church members throughout the world may have to shed more blood in the fight
against communism than those United Nations soldiers did in the Korean War. Regardless, we must
go forward. If we retreat from the challenge, then God will lose any basis for hope in this world.
Therefore we march forward, knowing that the destiny of heaven and earth is in our hands. (88:32333, October 3, 1976)
With the forceful and courageous sound of my pledge, the sound of my youthful heart beating, and
the uproar of the corps running towards the enemy camp, I hold on to the thought, Everything
depends on this moment!if you have this attitude, billions of spirits in spirit world who have
been waiting for this moment will welcome you with applause. Even the spirits in hell will say,
Please, please be victorious. We will help you even if we have to crawl.
In a few years, such a breathtaking moment when all heaven and earth are mobilized will come
to this land. Then you should fight courageously, even if you fall down on the battlefield and vomit
blood. Fight to the end for the cause of righteousness. If in the battle you must offer your life as a
loyal subject of Heaven, your sacrifice will resolve countless sins. On that battlefield will begin a
new history.
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We have been preparing ourselves for that final, critical moment, always maintaining a
righteous and courageous standard and cherishing the desire to secure the final unification. Have
we not willingly endured rejection by our own family, our own nation, and numerous religious
denominations? God, history, and all humanity have been waiting for that final day. For its sake have
we not suffered the sacrifice of many loved ones, wishing that they too could realize that solemn
and magnificent victory? Now, when everything can be consummated by the stroke of my sword and
by my own words and deeds, is this not a moment unprecedented in history? To fight on the actual
battlefield, witnessing it with my own eyes and feeling it with my senseswhat life can be more
fruitful than this? (57:352, June 5, 1972)
2. Spiritual Warfare
Though we live in the world we are not carrying
on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to
destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and
every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God,
and take every thought captive to obey Christ.
2 Corinthians 10.3-5
Humility is my mace;
To become the dust under everyones feet is my
dagger.
These weapons no evildoer dare withstand.
Adi Granth, Sorath, M.5, p. 628 (Sikhism)
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The enemy we must fight against is not a certain person on the earth, but rather Satan, who grasped
the height of authority, raised the banner of rebellion against God, and has been accusing God
throughout the course history. (3:180, October 27, 1957)
The kind of fighting we are involved in is more intense than physical fighting with guns. We are
using ammunition of love, while Satan is shooting arrows of jealousy and slander. My determination
is this: the more the forces of evil shoot at us, the more intensely we have to return volleys of love.
Our love must be greater than the enemys opposition. Their weapons are ineffective against us;
their bullets they just bounce off us. In contrast, our bullets are extremely powerful; whomever they
strike are melted in love and born anew.
The more people harass me, the more progress I make. The more they pursue me, the more I
advance. Look at this court case: the United States government versus Reverend Moon, a religious
leader. Its absurdity has become apparent to almost everyone. The governments arrogance makes
the contest more dramaticlike David versus Goliath. (119:111-12, July 4, 1982)
God works through one good person to make ten evil people surrender. It is Gods will for evil to
surrender voluntarily. When evil obeys goodness absolutely and without any reservations: that is a
real victory. Therefore, God requires us to go through such difficulties that even evil people will take
pity on us. God is still searching for such sons and daughters whose determination to gain victory
on this earth is such that they will induce the evil side to surrender before the good side. (41:115,
February 14, 1971)
In order to build the ideal world, there should appear people on Gods side who are stronger than
any individual, family, tribe, people or nation, stronger even than the entire fallen world. God and
Satan are fighting over human beings, who stand in the midway position. Even though a person may
be on Gods side, he cannot remain if he can be broken when someone on Satans side strikes him.
But if a person overcomes no matter how much he is oppressed, persecuted and driven to the point
of death, then Satan himself will testify, He is a person on Gods side, and God also will acknowledge him. Sons and daughters should emerge who are victorious in this battle, overcoming Satan,
the angels, and any person who comes against them. (54:36-37, March 10, 1972)
Father! We have gone through the exhausting historical age of indemnity, and a new age is before our eyes.
We see that all our enemies, who were once so powerful, who carried such authority when they took
the offensive against us, approach the setting of their sun. However, we should not wish them to
quickly perish.
We now realize that Heaven left them in their positions in order to save everything at once, to expand
the domain of the Providence, and to establish the standard to divide good from evil in this age
by which every sin can be liquidated. Therefore, we will have to open a way for even them to live.
As Jesus, while he was dying on the cross, asked for blessings on the Roman soldiers who nailed him
to the cross, we pledge anew to take upon ourselves the mission of the Savior, who saves people in
their actual situations. (75:244-45, January 5, 1975)
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War is an evil thing; but to submit to the dictation of other states is worse Freedom, if we
hold fast to it, will ultimately restore our losses,
but submission will mean permanent loss of all
that we value To you who call yourselves men
of peace, I say: You are not safe unless you have
men of action on your side.
Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War
(Hellenism)
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Child, who dare to undertake a rebellious enterprise; Heaven has given the charge to destroy the
sovereign of Hsia for his many crimes.
Now, you multitudes, you are saying, Our
prince is not compassionate to us but is calling us
away from our husbandry to attack and punish
Hsia. I have indeed heard these your words. But
the sovereign of Hsia is guilty and, as I fear God,
I dare not but punish him.
Now you are saying, What are the crimes
of Hsia to us? The king of Hsia in every way
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delivered them into the hands of the Assyrians. (2 Kgs. 17.23) We must understand that Gods
only intention by these events was to obliterate the sovereignty of evil and restore the sovereignty
of good. Therefore, fights between individuals within the same good sovereignty on the side of God
are evil, because they can weaken and even cause the disintegration of the good sovereignty itself.
On the other hand, wars conducted by a good sovereignty to destroy an evil sovereignty are good in
that they further the fulfillment of the providence of restoration. (Exposition of the Divine Principle,
Eschatology 4.2)
Do you respect King David? Did he do a good deed when he killed Goliath? Or was he no better
than a common street fighter? From Gods point of view, David did well. For by that one deed he
saved the foundation of Israels nationhood that God had labored for 3,000 years to build. (103:18182, February 25, 1979)
Persecution
SACRIFICE IS OFTEN THRUST UPON A MAN OR WOMAN in the form of persecution. Few desire to be mistreated, misunderstood, slandered, ostracized and harassed. Yet persecution often follows righteous believers like
a shadow. Persecution is of no value if it crushes us. However, those who can persevere with faith and digest these
troubles without complaint or resentment can attain the highest goal of fellowship with Heaven.
Persecution can be a blessing, because it pushes us into the realm of total self-sacrifice and self-denial. Its
circumstances allow us to attain an unsurpassed degree of selflessness beyond what we could achieve by our
own efforts. In view of the beatification which comes through sacrifice, it is not surprising that people who are
persecuted in faith often lose any negative feelings of hate or vengefulness toward their persecutors and even
develop compassion for them. Selflessness begets holiness and relatedness to the divine. Hence the paradoxical
fact of history that religions thrive in times of persecution.
Father Moon also teaches that God and Satan have, as it were, a contract between them: If Satan unrighteously persecutes innocent believers, God has a right to claim compensation for damages. In this way,
throughout history goodness at first suffers attack but triumphs in the end. God takes this principle to its
logical application: Believers should welcome maltreatment and even consciously embark on a course leading
to persecution as a way to advance the divine purpose.
Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you
falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for
your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5.11-12
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We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us, because Gods
love has been poured into our hearts.
Romans 5.3-5
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and taking up the course of persecution, I could continue to prosper and build an ever-stronger
foundation of victories. (249:105, October 8, 1993)
Just as religions developed the most when they struggled under the threat of martyrdom, we are free
of corruption when under persecution. (Way of Gods Will 3.4)
As long as your thinking is self-centered, Satan, the second subject, is your lord. That is why religions require complete self-denial. You cannot sever your relationship with Satan if you insist on
yourself.
How does God create the circumstances where we can fulfill the condition of self-denial? We
cannot do it by ourselves. Certainly, religions teach people to deny themselves and lead a life of selfdenial, but in the end, we cannot do it by ourselves. The standard of self-denial must be created
within reciprocal relationships. If someone else pushes you into the position of being negated, it
is equivalent to self-denial. In this way, God creates the sphere of denial for religious people by
arranging for everyone to oppose them. This is the motive behind persecution.
When a person comes to believe in God and religion, he or she is often opposed by the people
closest to himhis parents and loved ones. It is a case of Satan, the second subject, attacking God,
the first subject. When someone strikes a righteous person unjustly, it sets a condition that must be
repaid. Because of this repayment, the development of religion is secured. (Gods Will and the World,
April 3, 1983)
True people of faith accept persecution and trials as nutrition for their spiritual growth, rather than
as a source of resentment against those who persecute them. (129:303, November 25, 1983)
Bear every cross. Willingly be the first to be hit by the stones thrown by people in the villages. Be the
foremost target of all their curses and accusations, and the first to receive their beatings. (96:123,
January 2, 1978)
Does true love break when hit with a fist? Which would break, true love or the fist? The bones of
the fist would break. If it hits again and again, it will disintegrate. That is why God permits Satan to
keep striking. Every time true love is struck, the one who strikes it is weakened.
Why does God not stop persecution? Why doesnt He remove the persecutors? Because He
knows that the more they strike, the faster they will decline. In this way, the persecution will
completely cease. Then it becomes fertilizer. Once it rots, it will become good soil. (230:131,
May 1, 1992)
You should experience many tears. The underside of revolutionary history is always filled with blood
and tears. It is full of accusations, persecutions, abuses and beatings. It is the path that I, Reverend
Moon, also have walked. Yet no matter how many tears you weep, Gods sorrow is millions of times
greater than your sorrow. A human beings two-dimensional sorrow cannot be compared to Gods
three-dimensional sorrow. (11:227, September 20, 1961)
Running my course ever grateful to Thee,
I am nearly 70, having reached old age.
In the prime of my life when I was healthy and strong
I burned up all my passion attending Heaven;
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Martyrdom
WHEN PEOPLE OF FAITH ENCOUNTER HOSTILE AUTHORITIES who feel threatened by their convictions and
values, some may pay the ultimate price. Father Moon explains from a spiritual viewpoint that whenever goodness advances, Satan exacts his toll. That is why it is often the best people who are sacrificed.
The word martyr means witness. In their steadfastness in the face of death, the martyrs bear testimony to
their faith and to God who inspires such faith. The example of the martyr, who places God above his or her own
life, is powerful and inspiring. Martyrdom, therefore, strengthens the community of faith, deepening its roots
and furthering its growth. Tertullian famously wrote, The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.
Today some regard fighters who die in the course of offensive operations that take innocent lives, e.g.,
suicide bombers, as martyrs. If that is martyrdom, it is the weakest form. The highest form of martyrdom stands
on the foundation of goodness and mercy, even as Jesus blessed the Roman soldiers who nailed him to the
cross.
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Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some
of those who belonged to the congregation of
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liberate all the people. Then you will surely create that foundation. When the time comes, instead
of ten thousand people dying, God will fulfill His promise to you and save the important people in
your family and tribe. Your sacrifice is that important. As long as your foundation remains, future
generations will stand on that foundation and rise up. (218:236, August 19, 1991)
At the time of Jesus death, Israel and Rome were his enemies, but rather than curse these enemies
Jesus loved them and taught his disciples to love them. He resolved, Rome may be my enemy today,
but in the future Rome will surely be blessed through my followers. That blessing was more than
enough to save Rome. Jesus wanted more than anything to give Rome this blessing. Thinking of
Romes future, he forgave the Roman soldiers and blessed them. (101:151, October 29, 1978)
A person who becomes a martyr in order to enter heaven will fall down to hell. However, a person
who is willing to go into hell in order to send the whole world to heaven will be brought into the
Kingdom of Heaven, even if he protests. (39:197, January 10, 1971)
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Be humble, be harmless,
Have no pretension,
Be upright, forbearing;
Serve your teacher in true obedience,
Keeping the mind and body in cleanness,
Tranquil, steadfast, master of ego,
Standing apart from the things of the senses,
Free from self;
Aware of the weakness in mortal nature.
It is humble people whom God protects and liberates; it is the humble whom He loves and consoles. To the humble He turns and upon them
bestows great grace, that after their humiliation
He may raise them up to glory. He reveals His
secrets to the humble, and with kind invitation
bids them come to Him. Thus, humble people
enjoy peace in the midst of many vexations,
because their trust is in God, not in the world.
Hence, you must not think that you have made
any progress until you look upon yourself as
inferior to all others.
Thomas Kempis, Imitation of Christ 1.2
(Christianity)
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Satans basic nature is arrogance and wrath. That is the way he deals with people in the world. Jesus, on
the other hand, came before the people with meekness and humility. Satan ultimately acknowledged
Jesus because he knew that humility is in accord with the heavenly law. When you act with gentleness and humility, the satanic world naturally surrenders. Jesus knew this principle, and therefore he
assumed the posture of gentleness and humility. You, too, can open up a new way to reach God when
you remain always gentle and humble. Examine yourself: are you living by Jesus teachings of gentleness and humility, meekness and obedience, and sacrifice and service? If you are not practicing these
teachings in your daily life, know that you still belong to Satans tribe. (3:187, October 27, 1957)
I examined the Book of Life in heaven. I saw that the people whose names are recorded in that
book were all simple and lowly. Millionaires, famous preachers and politicians are not found there.
(107:21, February 21, 1980)
The Garden of Eden is not a world filled with disputes. It is not a world where people promote themselves, but a world full of humility and love. (98:31, April 8, 1978)
How can we hold on to individualism? There is not one part of us that we can claim as our very
own. When we were conceived from our parents love and grew beginning from our mothers ovum,
99.999 percent of our being was our mothers bone, blood and flesh, and the other 0.001 percent
was added from our fathers sperm. No one at the time of their birth has the concept, I belong to
myself. (299:113, February 7, 1999)
At the Fall evil began first and rose up, so we must carry out a strategy to push evil down and pull
goodness up. How shall we carry this out? First, we must take control of our arrogance. The Fall
occurred when the archangel Lucifer and human beings pushed God aside and attempted to elevate
themselves. Arrogance was Satans original nature. Arrogance is the desire to elevate oneself without regard to law, discipline, obligations, or the affect on the surrounding environment. It is the
desire to live unconstrained by justice or law.
How do we describe a person who lives in accordance with the law? Do we say he is arrogant?
No, we say he or she is as an honest person We must put a stop to behavior that ignores the law
and disregards ones position and surroundings. We must suppress arrogance and take on the quality
of humility. (37:112, December 23, 1970)
When you are in a high position, there is no way to unite your mind and body. It is better to let
yourself be stepped on. God has trampled on me for forty years, lest I get above myself. As you are
stepped on, those elements in you that want to exalt themselves are smashed and brought back to
unity. Do you understand this?
You should be cursed, trampled on and mistreated, just like the vagrant Bamboo Hat Kim.
Regardless of how you are treated, you should discover the self that can accept all these tribulations
gratefully. (144:231, April 25, 1986)
I never asked for blessings in my prayers. I never said, God, please give me some money. I thought,
I need to suffer more since I have not undergone enough hardships. God likes such thinking.
(102:314, February 21, 1979)
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Matthew 18.1-3
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America emerged as the fruit of history, but now she must go back and connect with the Cause of
history. In other words, she must rediscover God.
America is the most powerful nation in the West, but on its way back should it continue
increasing? Or should it decrease? This is a question. In seeking for God, America should
lower itself.
Why do arrogant people need to learn humility? It is to return to the Cause. However, you [who
are returning to the Cause] should not only be humble. Sometimes you need to assert yourselves.
You cannot just be humble all the time. Powerfully march forward! This means advance to the
result. (117:93, February 14, 1982)
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He who, without anger, endures reproach, flogging and punishments, whose power and potent
army is patiencehim I call a Brahmin.
Romans 12.19-20
The Lord is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should
reach repentance.
2 Peter 3.9
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Jesus was condemned; he carried with him all of historys pain and injustice; yet he went his way
in silence. Nevertheless, he reappeared as the historical victor. Why? It is because he did not fight
with the evil. (80:34, October 4, 1975)
Jesus said, But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also, (Matt. 5.39)
because when giving totally it is necessary to go that far. If you give completely, everything will
come back to youthis is Heavens principle. Jesus blessed the Roman soldiers who nailed him
to the cross and pierced his chest with a spear because he had determined to give himself completely before he passed on. He knew that by doing so, even the country of his enemies would
return to him. And indeed, the Roman Empire eventually became a Christian kingdom. (69:88,
October 20, 1973)
The person who wins by striking someone three times will be subjugated by the person who yields
ten times. Jesus followed this principle; isnt it true in todays world as well? Good people yield and
sacrifice themselves. Those who use their fists well are not good people. The person who tries to win
another over with love even as he is being beaten, who endures without complaint or regret, and
who loves even at the sacrifice of his familythis is a good person.
Why is that? It is because God is that way. The One who is the center of the universe follows
this path; therefore it is the standard of goodness. We take this path as we journey toward the world
of goodness. (101:68, October 28, 1978)
Never pray like this: O Lord, send a legion of angels to attack the people opposing me, so they cannot oppose me anymore. You should rather pray, O Lord, please save my enemies, for they are in
need of Thy mercy and Thy blessings. Why? They are in the position of Cain, and as Abel it is your
responsibility to love and embrace Cain. Once you achieve oneness between Cain and Abel, you
will prosper and not decline.6
The New York Times and The Washington Post oppose me and slander me, yet whenever I need to
take out a newspaper advertisement I instruct my people to give them my advertising dollars. It may
seem strange, but I always maintain the magnanimous position of Abel.
We do not really have enemies. Even though people insult us, we patiently endure them and
keep advancing. We have no need to avenge ourselves, because God will take care of everything.
(89:114, October 4, 1976)
Without maintaining the standard of eternal love, God would have no basis to someday exercise His
authority over Satan. Therefore, God had to set up the condition of loving Satan no matter how
viciously Satan opposed God.
Thus, Gods philosophy is one of non-resistance. Why is that? Until the world of heavenly
ideal is fulfilled on this earth, God must love the archangel, who became Satan, regardless of the
circumstances. (316:79, February 10, 2000)
God has the power to sweep away all satans in an instant. Yet what would happen then? Gods
omnipotence would be broken. That is why, in order not to be invaded by Satan, God always
retreats when Satan shoots arrows at Him. God is omnipotent, but only by patient endurance can
God eventually subjugate Satan and set him under His dominion, where Satan cannot escape no
matter how much he tries with all of his power. Only then can God secure His position and His
omnipotence.
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What would happen if God were to say, I cant take it any more! and turn everything upside
down? The universe would be gone. God would become unthinkably miserable. Now can you
appreciate the incredible value of patience?
In this aspect, patience can be the incentive for renewal and re-creation. In other words, by
enduring our enemys insults, we can forgive him. In doing so, we can gain dominion over him.
Always. (76:219-20, March 2, 1975)
Repentance
REPENTANCE IS THE FIRST STEP on the road to recovering our relationship with God and realizing our original
self. Sins, attachments, and mistaken views must be acknowledged as such; then it is possible to turn away
from the old life and set out on the new path of faith. Since accumulated sins and delusions form a barrier
obscuring the presence of God, repentance is a condition for God to forgive the sin and eradicate illusion, that
the divine Presence may once again grace the penitents life.
Repentance begins with words of contrition uttered in prayerheart-felt and accompanied by tears. The
forgiveness, release and insight that follow should awaken the will to make amends for previous wrongdoing
and lead to changing the direction of ones life.
Father Moon teaches that repentance goes beyond expressing remorse for ones individual sins. People are more than just individuals; each human being contains within him or herself the fruit of history,
and furthermore each represents his or her society, nation and world. Therefore we should repent for
more than just our individual selves; we should repent for our ancestors sins, our nations sins, and the
worlds sins. Going deeper still, when we recognize how distant we are from the divine ideal, and how
much God suffers, longing to embrace us in His bosom but unable to reach our hearts, we can repent for
that as well. Thus, repentance becomes a journey of self-discovery that penetrates ever deeper into the
depths of the soul.
Quran 2.222
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It is a normal fact of lifewhen a child hurts or offends his mother or father, he has to apologize with
tears before the parent will forgive him. It does not matter what country you live incrime leads
to punishment, and punishment, whether by inflicting pain or physical restraint, causes suffering.
What is the purpose for giving punishment? Repentance.
Therefore, when you repent you have to shed tears. You should feel much pain in those tears.
Your repentance is not genuine unless you feel more pain over your mistakes and sins than if someone
were giving you a beating as punishment. (99:76, September 1, 1978)
Have you repented? How can you help others unless you have thoroughly repented, and God has
accepted your repentance? How can you save others? Can you become the judge of others sins if
you have not yet been forgiven of your own sins? Have you ever deeply experienced that you are a
sinner?
You do not just carry your own sins. You must understand that you carry the sins of history, sins
committed by past generations. Also, you should understand that you are responsible for the sins of
the present world. Furthermore, you should recognize your responsibility for the sins of the future.
You bear these three levels of sin [on top of your own]. (99:90, September 1, 1978)
People go to the church and pray, Father, I committed such and such sins. I repent of them and
pray for Thy forgiveness. We should rather pray, Father, please forgive me for having destroyed the
heavenly order, for having violated the original relationship with Thee, for having violated relationships with other people, for damaging the creation, and for all other sins that I personally committed, especially violations of the heart.
If you make such repentance, receive Gods forgiveness, bring victory and gain Gods approval,
then everything will be solved. Heaven is looking for the individuals who make such repentance
You should understand that there is no sin greater than having violated someones heart. Today,
fathoming Gods heart, you should understand that you are sinners who violated Gods heart of love,
sinners who rejected the heart of all creation, and obstructionists who blocked the fulfillment of the
world of heart. I hope you understand this and repent from your hearts. (9:160, May 8, 1960)
In American society you have a strong sense of freedom. You interpret the meaning of freedom to
mean, I can do whatever I please; why should I feel ashamed or feel pangs of conscience?
Yet suppose your father was a thief or a traitor, would you still be able to hold up your head?
Suppose your father was a felon, would you still be proud? What if you were the offspring of an
adulterer? If you were to face your own sin, and also realize that you are descendants of sinners,
could you still proudly say, I am free; I can do whatever I please?
The answer is only too clear. Before enjoying your freedom, you proud people had better die and
be resurrected. You had better first cleanse yourselves by atoning for these sins, going the reverse
way, so that you may be forgiven. (66:14, March 11, 1973)
Inadequate as we are, how dare we show ourselves before Thee?
How can we raise our heads before Heaven?
Even if we died ten million times,
it would be a deserved penalty.
We are held prisoner by the chains of sin,
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2 Chronicles 7.14
Jonah 3.3-10
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Expiation and repentance, to a man who continues to commit sinful acts, knowing them to
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Judge Not
SCRIPTURE CAUTIONS US NOT TO JUDGE another persons faults, even when they are evident, because neither are we perfect and free from error. Scriptures of all faiths echo Jesus teaching, not to regard the speck in
your neighbors eye before removing the log from your own eye. Father Moon teaches the rule of three: before
criticizing another person once, criticize yourself three times. Furthermore, before we correct another person,
we should first invest in loving and helping them.
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Censuring others and praising himself, concealing good qualities present in others and
proclaiming noble qualities absent in himself,
he causes them to have low status. Disparaging
himself and praising others, proclaiming
qualities which are present in others and not
891
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892
Self-Denial
PEOPLE ARE BLIND TO THEIR OWN SELF-CENTEREDNESS. We know that selfish and greedy people are far from
goodness; yet, everyone is tainted by selfishness to some extent. This self-centeredness needs to be exposed and
beaten mercilessly; otherwise our goodness is superficial and ephemeral. Therefore, we should deny ourselves.
A life of self-affirmation and pleasure seeking leads, in the end, to emptiness and loss. Self-denial seems to
lead to death and loss, but in fact it leads to abundant life with God. Thus we encounter the paradoxical truth,
in the words of Jesus, whoever would save his life would lose it; and whoever loses his life will save it. These
teachings are common to all the world-level religions.
Father Moon affirms the value of self-denial. He explains why human beings should have to travel such a
paradoxical and unnatural course to reach the goal of life based upon his insights on the Human Fall. Although
God created humans to manifest the character of love and altruism, because of the Fall we are infected by Satan,
whose nature is pure self-centeredness. Hence, we face the predicament that in order to restore our original
selves we must first deny our existing selves that are stained by satanic elements.
He who has no thought of I and mine whatever towards his mind and body, he who grieves
not for that which he has not, he is, indeed,
called a bhikkhu.
Dhammapada 367 (Buddhism)
They are forever free who renounce all selfish desires and break away from the ego-cage
of I, me, and mine to be united with the
Lord. Attain to this, and pass from death to
immortality.
Bhagavad-Gita 2.71 (Hinduism)
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Knowing that this body is like foam, and comprehending that it is as unsubstantial as a mirage,
one should destroy the flower-tipped shafts of
sensual passions [Mara], and pass beyond the
sight of the King of death.
Dhammapada 46 (Buddhism)
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religion to seek after enlightenment and the method to attain unity through the way of love.
(214:65, February 1, 1991)
Satan exists nowhere else than in myself. Since ego exists, suspicion, jealousy, excessive desire
and anger come about. Therefore, kill your ego. Everything that has to do with I is Satan. Scoff
at yourself and judge yourself. Satan always invades through someone close to you or the things you
like most. (Way of Gods Will 3.4)
Living for the self ends with the self, but living for others continues forever. Therefore, for goodness
to continue, you should live for your counterpartthe greater whole. This is particularly the case
when you are in a position of leadership
Therefore, the public road begins with denying the self. Denying the self does not mean the self
disappears. Goodness begins when you try to find yourself in another and value that relationship.
This is the principle law and way for goodness to develop. (57:63, May 28, 1972)
The religions of Asia traditionally taught self-denial and rejection of material possessions. Conversely,
Western people seek to raise themselves up and gain material prosperity. The end result of such a
self-centered life is material wealth but emptiness of spirit. (97:67, February 26, 1978)
As long as you insist on keeping to the ways you grew up with, you can never unite with people of
other societies and nations and who have different ways of thinking. The simple way to unite with
them is to forget totally about yourself. By completely denying yourself you can make relationships
everywhere. (360:192, November 16, 2001)
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Colossians 3.5-8
Quran 47.14
Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.
Tao Te Ching 19 (Taoism)
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difficult to lead the life you led in the past. You will gravitate towards living an upright life according
to your conscience. This is the purpose of the religious life. (38:272, January 8, 1971)
Religions present teachings on how to conquer the body. They instruct us: Be forceful in restricting
your body. Do not give in to what the body wants to do. For this reason, religions direct us not to go
to theatres or walk through red-light districts. They command men not to chase after women, and
advise women to consider men as thieves and to avoid paying attention to them.
Can you ladies in the Unification Church date? No, you cannot. Can you men date? No, you
cannot. Do I use force to keep you from dating? No. Go ahead, try dating if you want to, but you will
find you cannot do it. If someone was stopping you by force, you would do it all the more. Go ahead
and try it, and fall on your own back.
What should you do with your body? You should subdue it. Seeking for goodness requires you to
subjugate your body. That is why I am asking you to twist the neck of your bodily desires. The body
likes to be arrogant. It demands that others serve it. Its philosophy is: Mine is mine, and yours is
mine. (39:193, January 10, 1971)
You young men should cut off your desire to have every attractive woman you see. You should cut
off the music you enjoy listening toeverything the world delights in. Religions direct you to strike
the body. The highest religions advocate denying the flesh completely. Throughout history, religions
have taught asceticism and sacrificial service. Why? There is a reason for it. To enter the Kingdom
of Heaven, we have to realize heaven in this hellish human world.
Is this world a place of misery or of happiness? It is a world of misery. Can this world of misery and
turmoil ever become a world of happiness if everyone keeps on eating, playing, drinking and dancing?
No, the world will only become more miserable. Therefore, anyone seeking the world of happiness
should go to a place of misery and there make a break-through. The way forward can only be found in
a place of misery. If it is not there, then God does not exist. (91:286-87, January 30, 1977)
We strike the body to eliminate Satans influence. We strike the body to allow the Holy Spirit to take
control. To strike our body is to strike Satan. When we strike Satan, the Holy Spirit can occupy what
Satan had previously ruled. (1:126, June 27, 1956)
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You should recognize that based on this blood relationship, Satans realm of power is controlling
you in order to trample upon your original character. Furthermore, Satan desires through this lineage
to dominate you for millions of years to come.
What can you do about this alarming fact? Your country cannot remove Satan for you. You have
to do it yourself. (214:285, February 3, 1991)
Satans blood flows in my veins. Satans greed and Satans selfishness are in me. Recognize this fact,
and always consider that Satans love, Satans greed, and Satan himself occupy your very self. Pull out
this Satan! Pull out Satans blood lineage, Satans desires, and all self-centered satanic elements.
With what can you pull them out? For this purpose God set up religions and has been leading
the providence of restoration and salvation. (115:42, October 28, 1982)
There are two types of love: love that is pleasing to Satan and love that is pleasing to God But
if you are going about seeking temporary love, you will arrive at death. Whenever you feel an urge
for temporary love, you should whip yourself and pray single-mindedly to strive only for eternal life,
while thinking of the darkness of death that awaits you if you gratify that urge. (Blessing and Ideal
Family 1.4.3)
Many times Eve was left alone. When she made a fuss, crying out loud under the shade of a tree,
the archangel was there to comfort her. Sometimes he carried her on his back. Sometimes he sat her
on his lap. When she was sitting on his lap face-to-face, his sexual organ would almost be touching hers. They had often seen animals mating and knew it was how they came to have their young.
Under those circumstances, all the archangel had to do was push his organ into hers, and she would
feel, I like it! Man and woman feel pleasure when their sexual organs touch. The thing was bound
to happen sooner or later, and that is exactly how the Fall took place.
You men, if a woman comes to you, sits naked on your lap, and touches your sexual organ, would
you accept it? Suppose she were very attractive; when she touches your organ, would it be erect, or
not? Your love organ should not be hard and erect. No, it should remain limp. If you ever face such
a temptation, know that it is an opportunity to restore through indemnity the action of the Fall.
Therefore, even if a very attractive woman tries to force your organ into hers, you should push her
away with such force that she tumbles to the ground, and chase her away to a far off place where you
will never see her again. (285:201, May 4, 1997)
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900
Father Moon links the religious teaching of non-attachment with his philosophy of true love. He explains that Gods love begins from the foundation of non-possessiveness, while people who are attached
to possessions find that their possessions get in the way of expressing love. This principle applies not only
to our relationship with God and in daily life with our loved ones, but also to the well-being of nations and
this planet Earth.
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The worlds developed nations, while seeking for the ultimate material civilization, have fallen into
its trap. Obsession for material wealth dominates the mind and spirit; the human soul has become
the slave of matter. The result is a collapse of true love. Although cities are lined with skyscrapers
and the people enjoy material abundance, the lives of city-dwellers have become like a barren desert. In such desolation, an oasis of true love is nowhere to be found. Without true love, our society
is a breeding-ground for selfishness.
The most grievous victim of this selfishness is nature. The natural environment is devastated,
the water and air are polluted, and even the ozone layer, which has been protecting humanity, is
damaged. If this situation continues unchecked, humanity will reach the point where it cannot
escape self-destruction, all due to the material civilization it has erected for itself.
The twenty-first century is the time to return to the original world that God desires. The age
of material civilization will give way to an era of spiritual civilization, where spirit and mind are
ascendant. The twenty-first century will arrive in just five years. At this juncture it is my earnest
desire that developing countries do not repeat the same mistake of developed nations and fall into
the trap of material civilization, but take a lesson from them and dash into a world where the mind
and spirit rule. (271:95-96, August 23, 1995)
Matthew 19.21-24
Itivuttaka 18 (Buddhism)
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God will remember and love the person who would gather up all of Americas wealth and give it to
Africa. (91:24, January 16, 1977)
When you amass wealth, do not think about using it to benefit your children. Before bequeathing it
to your children, you should devote it for the sake of the world. After all, your children should live for
the sake of the world. Therefore, your first priority should be to offer your wealth to the world; then
you can provide for your children. God will bless you and your family if you have a heart to provide for
your family members only after offering your wealth to your people and nation. Do not worry that your
children will go without; God will feed them and care for them. (26:52-53, October 18, 1969)
Money is the result. Yet everyone is concerned about money without looking behind it at its cause.
Why do we need money? We do not need it just to eat and live; we need it to connect with the purpose of the cause, and to connect with the world. Nevertheless, people do not have such a concept.
Although they are resultant beings, people do not recognize that their purpose, and the purpose of
their money, is to make the Causal Being happy. If they did, they would understand that they should
use their money to serve their parents, to share with their siblings and relatives, and to benefit their
nation and the world. This is a universal law.
If your nation is pleased that you are wealthy, and if your parents and siblings are pleased as well,
then you can freely enjoy your wealth. Wherever you go, everyone will be pleased. But if others are
resentful of your money while you alone are pleased with it, then you are bound to decline. From
this perspective, business conglomerates that operate based on pragmatism, amassing great profits
on the backs of their workers, will surely decline. They will be punished by Heaven. (117:101-02,
February 14, 1982)
Moses lived in the opulent palace of the Pharaoh, but he belittled it, saying, So what? and thought
more of his people. Therefore, he could become the leader of his people. (Way of Gods Will 1.3)
People in the everyday world can purchase a home, appliances, furniture, and live a comfortable life
just by working eight hours a day. We Unificationists work 24 hours a day, yet we do not own our
own homes and barely have enough money to live on. My goodness! We are like beggars. Do you
realize that we are different from the world? We are 180 degrees different. Yet under these circumstances, are we in despair? No, we live in hope. That is our pride. (107:83, April 6, 1980)
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worthy of me. Father Moon explains that separating from family and friends is necessary in the course of
restoration, which requires a fundamental reorientation of the self from the customary fallen love of the world
to the higher love of God.
O believers, take not your fathers and brothers to be your friends, if they prefer unbelief to
belief; whosoever of you takes them for friends,
thosethey are the evildoers.
Say, If your fathers, your sons, your brothers,
your wives, your clan, your possessions that you
have gained, commerce you fear may slacken,
dwellings you loveif these are dearer to you
than God and His Messenger, and to struggle in
His way, then wait till God brings His command:
God guides not the people of the ungodly.
Quran 9.23-24
Every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for
my names sake, will receive a hundredfold, and
inherit eternal life.
Matthew 19.29
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Thus, a person of conscience may isolate himself and tell others not to come near him.
Eventually, others will recognize that person; even the universe will protect him as he strives for
oneness. On the contrary, the universe will attempt to expel the person who constantly creates
problems and who pollutes his surroundings by his evil actions. He will quickly travel down the
road to destruction.
Nature knows that human beings are evil. Therefore, do you think it will be sympathetic to the
person who lives as he pleases, not caring about how he affects others? Or to the person who lives a
solitary life over concern that he might be polluted by human relationships?
Have you ever had a friend whom you disliked and wished would never come around,
but who visited you constantly? Maybe the first few times you would talk to him, but if he
came repeatedly you would slam the door in his face It is out of these considerations that
asceticism emerged in the religious life. People seeking solitude would go deep in the mountains
and live as hermits, desiring to sever any relationships with other human beings. We can view
the emergence of such asceticism as a natural thing Nature finds something hopeful in such
people. (November 4, 1990)
It is extremely difficult to leave your beloved children behind to follow the lonely path of Heaven,
where no one welcomes you, but that is my life story. When I went to North Korea, I abandoned my
wife and infant child. I did not go because I wanted to. I went at Heavens command, because God
required it. I resisted and agonized for about a day or two, but because I knew Gods situation was
worse than my troubles, I went. (64:148, October 29, 1972)
You have struggled over your attachment to your family. Everyone loves his or her own sons and
daughters. So do dogs and pigs, and people as dull as trees and stones. Reverend Moon is no different. It is not that I lack the heart to love my children; my love for them is as strong and sensitive as
any parent.
Towards my mother I am very sentimental. I loved her dearly. However, when my mother visited
me in prison, I glared at her fiercely and shouted, I am not your son. My mother is no longer alive.
When I learned that she had passed away, I felt I had been an undutiful son.
However, that son worked for Gods Will and to uphold the heavenly law. He worked for the
sake of the nation and the world instead of working for himself and the happiness of his clan.
(168:148, September 13, 1987)
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Do not serve mean ends. Do not live in heedlessness. Do not embrace false views. Do not be
one who upholds the world.
Dhammapada 167 (Buddhism)
Romans 12.2
Matthew 16.26
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I Ching 12 (Confucianism)
Vimalakirti wore the white clothes of a layman, yet lived impeccably like a religious devotee. He lived at home, but remained aloof from
the realm of desire, the realm of pure matter,
and the immaterial realm. He had a son, a wife,
and female attendants, yet always maintained
continence. He appeared to be surrounded by
servants, yet lived in solitude. He appeared to
be adorned with ornaments, yet always was
endowed with the auspicious signs and marks.
He seemed to eat and drink, yet always took
nourishment from the taste of meditation. He
made his appearance at the fields of sports and
in the casinos, but his aim was always to mature
those people who were attached to games and
gambling He engaged in all sorts of businesses, yet had no interest in profit or possessions. To train living beings, he would appear at
crossroads and on street corners, and to protect
them he participated in government.
Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti 2 (Buddhism)
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You should possess an earnest heart, rooted in the eternal world beyond time and space. With such
a heart, you should be able to endure, overcoming worldly labors, hardships, and even the fear of
death. To gain victory on your individual path, you should be able to deny all attachments, despise
all pain, and walk forward with dignity. (7:97, July 19, 1959)
We will not trade our commitment to God for any amount of gold or all the power in the world. We will
not sell ourselves for money, power or women. We are not so cheap. Rather than lead a treacherous life
on a worldly throne, I prefer to be unchanging and live as a beggar. (124:253, February 20, 1983)
Give up your desire for material possessions, your hopes for your children, your love for your spouse,
and even your self-love. Do not hold on to these attachments; then you can go beyond the world.
Only when you cut off every element within yourself that is conducive to ambition and to human
attachments can you become an offering for the sake of the world. (2:118, March 10, 1957)
Those who cherish their worldly situation and relationships cannot avoid the judgment of the Last
Days. To avoid the judgment, you must turn away from the world and escape its ways. You should
not follow worldly trends. For this reason, religions teach: Abandon the world! Cut off all relationships with the world! Do not associate with the world! Dont compromise with the world!
Cut yourself off from the world! Deny the world and seek higher awareness! Only people who
follow this path will see the dawning of a new ideal. By not compromising with the world, religion
cultivates the determination to go beyond the mistakes of the past, press forward in the present, and
break through to a new future. (21:136-37, November 17, 1968)
People who have inherited the satanic lineage characteristically put themselves first. America these
days, despite its Christian cultural roots, has become a nation of individualism. With so-called
secular humanism, people are confused about their direction in life and seek happiness by external stimulation. What are the consequences? They fall off the cliff as lepers. Men and women love
and cuddle with each other day and night, but they are bound to acquire AIDS, wither, and fall.
(187:241, February 11, 1989)
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quickly ending deception, a speedily fading light, a hurrying shade, and a weak and
unreliable protection. It is so deceptive that
it waits till those who abhor it start taking
interest in it, and those who do not know its
deception are attracted by it, and are satisfied
with it, then it shows scanty regard for them,
it snares and captivates them, and tying the
rope of death round their necks drags them to
their graves.
Nahjul Balagha, Khutba 86 (Shiite Islam)
From endearment springs grief, from endearment springs fear; for him who is wholly free
from endearment there is no grief, much
less fear.
From affection springs grief, from affection
springs fear; for him who is wholly free from
affection there is no grief, much less fear.
From attachment springs grief, from attachment
springs fear; for him who is wholly free from
attachment there is no grief, much less fear.
From lust springs grief, from lust springs fear; for
him who is wholly free from lust there is no grief,
much less fear.
From craving springs grief, from craving springs
fear; for him who is wholly free from craving
there is no grief, much less fear.
Dhammapada 212-16 (Buddhism)
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places Gods will as absolute; then you can go to a place that is separated from the satanic world.
Leave this world beset by the opposition of good and evil, and live a life of putting goodness first in
a separated realm. If you practice such a life, then you will live eternally in the good sovereignty in
the spirit world. (36:82, November 15, 1970)
In order to accomplish your responsibility, you should stand firm, denying everything that has an
emotional connection with SatanSatans love, Satans recognition, and Satans lineage. Why?
When Adam was walking the course to fulfill his portion of responsibility, he carried with him all of
Satans emotions. That is why he failed. What about you? In seeking to accomplish your portion of
responsibility, have you cut off all your emotional attachments to Satans world? No, you have not
been able to cut them off. Can you accomplish your responsibility without cutting them off? No, you
cannot. That is why you must deny yourself. (139:250, January 31, 1986)
Pioneers and people who move history do not seek worldly pleasures. They have the spirit of an
explorer who strives to overcome every obstacle on the way to his goal, the promised destination.
(7:87, July 19, 1959)
We should be eternally different from the satanic world. We should be 180 degrees opposite. We
should have nothing to do with alcohol, drugs, free sex, and homosexuality. Instead, we should be
indignant that Satan has destroyed countless good people through these evils, utilizing false love to
leave a trail of sorrow through history. We should be indignant that Satan has compelled Heaven to
make countless sacrifices. (244:148-49, February 1, 1993)
Many American parents encourage their children to date and worry about them if they do not. On
the other hand, I teach, Do not date! Do not touch women! Whose teaching is more in line with
Heaven? (122:263, November 21, 1982)
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and the family ideal that God purposed at the creation. Hence, at the end of this section are passages critical of
the monastic life; such are found in nearly every tradition where it is practiced: asceticism can lead to an overly
severe personality devoid of compassion; monasticism is incompatible with the generative and productive life
of the world which is ordained by God.
Father Moons teaching points to the deeper problem that led God to institute the path of celibacy and
asceticism in the first place: the corruption of marriage at the Human Fall. In the final passages, he describes
the dawning of a new age in which marriage is restored to its original estate and there is no more need for the
discipline of celibacy. While celibacy was a true and noble path in past ages, the time has come for religion to
exalt marriage above the celibate life. Indicative of this sea-change is the decline of monasticism and celibacy
that is being felt all over the religious world.
Udana 43 (Buddhism)
The first degree of humility is obedience without delay. This becomes those who, on account
of the holy subjection which they have promised, or of the fear of hell, or the glory of life
everlasting, hold nothing dearer than Christ. As
soon as anything has been commanded by the
Superior they permit no delay in the execution,
as if the matter had been commanded by God
Himself
Let permission to speak be seldom given If
anything must be asked of the Superior, let it be
asked with all humility and respectful submission.
But coarse jests, and idle words or speech
Let him always wander alone, without any companion, in order to attain [final liberation], fully
understanding that the solitary man, who neither forsakes nor is forsaken, gains his end.
He shall neither possess a fire, nor a dwelling;
he may go to a village for his food, indifferent
to everything, firm in purpose, meditating and
concentrating his mind on God.
A potsherd [for an alms-bowl], the roots of trees
[for a dwelling], coarse worn-out garments, life
in solitude, and indifference towards everything
are the marks of one who has attained
liberation.
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The path of religion is one of denial. On that path we should deny the desire for food, sleep, sex,
and all the things that we like. Give up your sexual desire! Go without food and sleep! Originally,
a human being should eat, sleep, and enjoy things. However, as these desires of the body lead us to
death, we must reject them.
Burst a nuclear bomb in your body! Break and completely subjugate your body! The body wants
to be respected and live in comfort. It dislikes harsh conditions and likes what is easy, soft and plump.
But we should despise all that the body likes. We should love what is difficult, hard and rough. The
body likes a high position. It is happy to eat well, even by taking someone elses money. It does not
care about anyone but itself. We have to destroy such a nature. We have to bring the body down to
be humble, to serve and to sacrifice. (18:66, May 21, 1967)
2. Fasting
On the tenth day of this seventh month is
the Day of Atonement; it shall be for you a
time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict
yourselves [by fasting].
Leviticus 23.27
Quran 2.183-85
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3. Celibacy
[Jesus] said to them, Not all men can receive
this saying, but only those to whom it is given.
For there are eunuchs who have been so from
birth, and there are eunuchs who have been
made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs
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1 Corinthians 7.32-35
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Do angels have spouses? No. That is why religions so far have encouraged the celibate life. The
Buddhas original standard that monks and nuns should not marry is in accord with the Principle.
These days some Buddhist monks and nuns marry, but by doing so they fall short of the standard. In
fact, married Protestant clergy also fall short. (Blessing and Ideal Family 2.2.4)
Archangels are not yet qualified to marry. In the Bible, the Sadducees asked Jesus, There were
seven brothers; the first married, and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. So too
the second and the third, down to the seventh. After them all, the woman died. In the resurrection
to which of the seven will she be wife? For they all had her. Jesus answered, In the resurrection
they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. (Matt. 22:25-30) Jesus
answered that way because it was still the age of restoring the archangelic realm, a realm where people cannot yet have a marriage partner. Because religion has been in the archangelic realm, it could
not exalt marriage.23 This is the reason higher religions have emphasized the celibate life. (50:193,
November 7, 1971)
1 Corinthians 13.2-3
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Unification Church. Its goal is not individual salvation. Consistent with this principle, the church
holds mass weddings. Today these mass weddings are objects of mockery and curiosity, but to anyone
who knows their content, they are amazing phenomena.
Marriage was not recognized during the religious age of the archangel. But we are now entering
the age of marriage, and marriage in the Kingdom of Heaven as well. The time has come when the
married Buddhist priest will win over the Buddhist monk. In the Roman Catholic Church the priests
and nuns are fast disappearing; if Catholic priests and nuns remain single, they will end up in hell.
Now, when universal fortune seeks the bond of bride and bridegroom, Catholic priests and nuns
must get married; otherwise, they will perish. (50:31, October 3, 1971)
If I, Reverend Moon, do not encourage celibate Buddhist monks and Catholic priests and nuns to
marry now, monasteries will very soon become arenas of free sex. Flirtations and illicit affairs will
cause many to fall away. When the Buddhist and Catholic religions bring millions of monks and
nuns to receive the Marriage Blessing, then they will come alive. Otherwise, they will die out.
Some priests are having illicit affairs. Others are getting married despite their vows. Why is
that? Since the time has come, their minds are pulled in that direction. When the high tide comes
in, you have to move with the tide and walk back to the shore; otherwise you will drown. Now the
tide is coming in, and those priests who were used to standing up at low tide are being forced to turn
around and marry in order to keep from swallowing water. (246:24, March 23, 1993)
The internal reason why the higher religions have advocated celibacy is because the True Parents
of humankind had not yet come and instituted marriage before God. But now the Unification
Church has appeared as the first religion in history to promote marriages approved by God, and it
began to hold mass weddings. Hence, from now on Buddhism will have more married monks. The
same is happening in the Catholic Church. The reason why the Catholic Church faces problems
today is because it still does not permit its priests to marry. If it continues this way, they will all
leave the church.
These problems arose particularly after 1960, the year the True Parents were married. From that
year, everything began to change. This change permeated the non-religious world as well, and it
entered the era of free sex. In the non-religious world the family is being destroyed through free sex,
while the sphere of religion is entering the age of marriage. (244:148, February 1, 1993)
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Part Four
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Chapter 19
Family
The Basic Form of Life
THE FAMILY IS THE BASIC FORM OF LIFE. Its relations constitute the environment where people are reared,
molding their character, values and identities. People sometimes try to set up alternatives to the traditional
family, but these fail to persist beyond one or two generations. There is a form to the family; not in the sense
of a precise set of roles, but rather a general principle that even single-parent families, childless families and
families blended with stepparents and other relations take after as best they can. What is the form of the
family? Outwardly, it consists of the pattern of relationships linking parents and children, husband and wife,
and siblings; inwardly, it is the true, godly love that governs these relationships.
There is another sense in which the family is the basic form of life: it is the textbook for relationships in
the larger society. Good family relations are productive of good citizens, who apply the lessons of relating with
elder, same-age and younger family members to their relations with superiors, peers and subordinates.
Father Moon teaches extensively about both aspects of the familys form. He characterizes its structural
pattern as the four-position foundation, a notable teaching because it brings God into the family as a veritable member. He also describes the family spatially as extending in six directions. In either case, the form is
spherical and characterized by equality of all positions. This is possible when the dynamic in all the family relations is true love. Each family member lives for the sake of the others, creating a virtuous circle of giving that
generates energy and equalizes all. Such families are the building-blocks of virtuous societies.
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May in this family discipline overcome indiscipline, peace discord, charity miserliness, devotion arrogance, the truth-spoken word the false
spoken word which destroys the holy order.
Avesta, Yasna 60.5 (Zoroastrianism)
Natural mildness should be there in the family. Observance of the vows leads to mildness
Right belief should there be amongst family
members. Crookedness and deception cause
unhappiness in the family. Straightforwardness
and honesty in ones body, speech, and mental
activities lead the family to an auspicious path.
Purity, reverence, ceaseless pursuit of knowledge, charity, removal of obstacles that threaten
equanimity, service to othersthese make the
family happy.
Tattvarthasutra 6.18-24 (Jainism)
I Ching 37 (Confucianism)
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figure, it is clear that God gave her beauty for the sake of a man. God designed each sex to live for
the sake of its opposite.
Likewise, when parents live for the sake of the children and the children for the sake of the
parents, taking good care of each other, they revolve around each other. The more they live for
each other, they faster they revolve. This is the ideal formnot a square, but round and threedimensional. Each adds to the others energy; hence the more we live for each other the faster our
circular motion becomes. The family forms a sphere and can continue that way for eternity. (69:8384, October 20, 1973)
The family is the smallest unit where we can practice and perfect the Four Great Lovesthe Four
Great Hearts: true parental love, true brotherly and sisterly love, true conjugal love, and true filial
love. A true family is the foundation of its members true love and true happiness. It is where true
life and true lineage sprouts. A true family is the training ground and school to achieve true love and
true character. (294:65-66, June 11, 1998)
Gods love abides where parents, husband and wife, and children are united in love. Where these
three kinds of love come together, God dwells absolutely and for eternity. This family is Gods dwelling-place. Wherever there is unchanging parental love, unchanging conjugal love, and unchanging
childrens love, God is always present. (131:112, April 22, 1984)
What is an ideal family? Some might say, It is a family whose members all trust each other. Some
might say, It is a family whose members know each other well. These descriptions fall short. An
ideal family is a family whose members are connected with an inseparable bond of heart. It is a family
whose members feel each others pain as their own, or even more deeply than their own pain. Hence
they willingly sacrifice themselves to carry the others burden. Such a family can be called an ideal
family. (228:46, March 3, 1992)
Human beings are born from love and should walk the path of love. Even at the point of death, they
should die for love. From this perspective, love is more valuable than life itself; it even precedes life.
That is why people willingly give their lives for love.
Love is eternal. Eternal, unchanging love is celebrated in poetry, novels and great literature.
These prompt us to desire eternal and unchanging love, not momentary love.
A newborn baby automatically searches for its mothers breast, following the vibrations of her
love. The infant does not care whether she is beautiful or ugly; all that matters is that she is its
mother. An infant nursing at its mothers breast is a sacred scene, manifested in limitless variety.
Thus, we are born from love, and we grow by receiving love. Each of us is the fruit of our
parents love and the manifestation of their love. Our parents love us because we are the fruit of
their love. Parental love can expand infinitely, producing innumerable fruits. It is the starting point
on the road to individual love, family love, love for the tribe, love of country, love for the world, love
for the universe and love for God.
After we are born, our parents take responsibility to raise us to become good people for our
sojourn on earth. Our parents provide for us and teach us, acting not only on behalf of the family,
but also on behalf of the nation and the world. They provide us with physical sustenance and
education until we reach the age of individual maturity. That is when we should link to the horizontal
foundation of love, which is marriage.
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Parents take care of us until we marry. In marriage we inherit the love our mother and father
have shared in their life together. When we give birth to our own children and start rearing them,
we finally begin to understand how much our parents loved us, and thus we inherit parental love.
Through this process, we develop into people who can fully give and receive love. This is how each
of us matures as a perfected man or woman.
From infancy to the time of maturity, we grow in the love of our parentsa vertical love.
Then the time comes to experience conjugal lovea mutual, horizontal love. In this way we enter
the integrated realm of love. Heaven and earth together form a spherical world, covering all the
dimensions of top and bottom, left and right, and front and back. When the vertical and horizontal
love relationships are linked, they interact, revolve, become integrated, and finally merge into a
single center of harmony.
The vertical axis of love links Heaven and earth. Once it is firmly secured, there arises the need
for horizontal love. This takes place during adolescence. (298:298, March 19, 1999)
When a husband and wife truly love each other and build a family, it symbolizes the planting of God.
In the original world, the parents represent God, with husband and wife each embodying a different
side of God. Each of their sons and daughters represents another small God. Since God is the original entity of true love, by embodying true love each member of the family becomes one with God.
Parents are the living embodiments of God and thus represent Him [to their children]. Husband
and wife each represent God [to each other], and the children represent Him as well. Thus three
generations, centering on true love, are at the level of God.
This is why all the family membersparents, husbands and wives, and childrenneed true
love. A family formed in this way, centering on true love, is the foundation for the Kingdom of
Heaven. Unless we first make such a foundation, the Kingdom of Heaven can never be established.
This is the formula God, the Parent of the entire universe, abides in the center of these manifold
relationships of love. (298:307, March 19, 1999)
What is meant by saying that in order to establish moral order in his state, one must first
guide his family properly is this: One cannot
convince others of what he cannot convince
the members of his own family. Therefore the
wise governor does not need to go beyond his
family in order to find the principles needed for
governing his state. Here he finds his own sons
respectful obedience to his father, with which a
governor should be served; affection for ones
relatives, with which higher officials should be
treated; and paternal kindness, with which all
people should be regarded.
1 Timothy 3.5
Quran 25.74
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between parents and children is unshakable. The value of the family does not change. I repeat
love is the source of peoples happiness and joy, and the family is the foundation for happiness and
peace. (271:80-81, August 22, 1995)
These days, when we prevent families from breaking down and teenagers from falling, we liberate
Gods sorrowful heart. It brings God the happiness that He could not experience in the Garden of
Eden, where He could not intervene [to stop the Fall]. (305:273, August 21, 1998)
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unified family these seven form a perfect sphere; they constitute a God-centered family with all
elements united in perfect true love. (True Family and World Peace, June 16, 1997)
An ideal family is one whose family members are united as one centered on their parents and in
attendance to God.
Conjugal love is a horizontal relationship; therefore a husband and wife should align their love
on the vertical axis of Gods love. God is the owner of parental love, childrens love, husbands love
and wifes love. Gods love is the ideal love. Since God is the subject of love, if we become one with
God, we can always embody Gods love. Then we can create an ideal family that will never break
apart for eternity. It is logical.
Parental love is focused on children and childrens love is connected to parents. A husbands
love is connected to his wife, and a wifes love is connected to her husband. These different types
of love cannot become one by themselves. The subjective force that can unify them is Gods love.
Once the Subject dwells in them, they all automatically become one. Conversely, without God,
human love is self-centered and cannot bring unity.
Although the family members have diverse relationships with each other, when they are united
in love, they are equally close to one another. Hence there is equality among them. Why? They
participate in a unified entity with a spherical form. The cause and result become one; and the
vertical and the horizontal become one; God and the family members become one. In the world
that runs on the power of love, there is nothing but love. Whatever they do, there is nothing but
love. Such is the ideal world. When families on earth reach that state, they create the Kingdom of
Heaven on earth. This is the ideal of God.
Based on this principle, I teach you to respect your parents as God. Husbands should respect
their wives as God, and wives should regard their husbands as God. Parents should value their
children as God. Likewise, you should experience God as your Parent, your Wife, your Husband, and
your Child. This is the path to the Kingdom of God. (89:154-55, November 7, 1976)
Why does a wife weep when her husband dies? Why are people sorrowful if they have no sons or
daughters? The fundamental principle of the universe is that we have to possess all the directions
of the compass.
Ideal relationships generate the very power that enables the universe to exist. Therefore,
everything engages in give and take. The North Pole and the South Pole engage in give and take; the
stars have give and take with each other. In sum, everything exists in relationship to a counterpart.
The ideal for any existing being is to engage in complete give and take, and thereby gain the
support of the universe. We say that it has the support of heavenly fortune. This is the universes
supporting power that surrounds the existing being and maintains its existence forever. All existence
cooperates with it.
Therefore, it will not do if a family has no children. These days in the West, many people think
that children are unnecessary. But just let them wait until they go to the spirit world; then they will
see whether what I say is true. Wherever a person stands, there is always an above (parents) and a
below (children). Everyone needs to pass through the number 3, that is, through these three stages,
(70:76-77, February 8, 1974)
The family is the smallest unit that connects the past, the present and the future. A family is like
a microcosm of the world. Within it the past, the present and the future are linked togetherthis
refers to the interdependence of grandfather, father and son. When a son has children and becomes
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a father, at the same moment the father becomes a grandfather. These three generationsrepresenting the past, the present and the futureshould be united as one. Such a family can establish
a base for lasting happiness. It has the power to repulse Satans attacks, regardless of the turmoil in
the world. (28:162, January 11, 1970)
Filial Piety
FILIAL PIETY IS THE AGE-OLD MORAL PRINCIPLE that children show respect and honor to their parents. It is
the parents due, for they have sacrificed and labored for their childrens sake, giving them birth, feeding them
and providing them with a good start in life. Therefore, filial children do not regard it as an imposition to care
for their parents in their old age. Ideally this is not regarded as a matter of duty, but as the spontaneous and
natural prompting of a grateful heart.
Among Father Moons extensive teachings about filial piety are these: Filial should be encouraged as an
enduring tradition that links the generations in an unbroken chain of lineage. Filial piety is perfected in a mature
unselfish mind of the adult child who sympathizes with his parents difficulties and sufferings and recognizes
them to be more serious then his or her own small problems. Most importantly, filial piety is a doorway to a
deeper relationship with God, our divine Parent.
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If you resist and complain, Father and mother, I dont like this. What kind of parents are you,
changing your minds so impulsively? then you will not be able to keep the way of filial piety all the
way to the end. Even when your parents do something that seems crazy, you should still follow your
parents direction. It might seem that they are mad, but your parents know what they are doing and
why they are doing it.
Sometimes parents act capriciously to test their children, to pick the most filial child from
among them Therefore, you should take your parents follies as your vocation. (62:32-33,
December 18, 1985)
When educating children, parents should not teach them only to love their parents. They should
explain to their children, I am a loyal patriot who loves this nation. Im not a mother first, but a
patriotic mother; Im not only a father, but a loyal citizen. In order to teach filial piety, parents
should behave with filial piety themselves.3 Otherwise, their children will fall like autumn leaves.
(26:296, November 10, 1969)
People have traditionally brought up their children to put the benefit of their own families first,
but this is upside-down. Rather, we should train our children first to please Heaven, then please
the world, then please the nation and the community, and after that, to please our family. That is
the original principle. But our way of life has become upside-down due to the Human Fall. (8:105,
November 22, 1959)
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Since parents give life to their children, children should be willing to give their lives for their parents. Life came from love. Hence, it is logical that we sacrifice life for love. There is no contradiction
here. (137:76, December 18, 1985)
Children should pay back their parents for the love their parents gave them. When food was scarce
their parents fed them, even while they went about with empty stomachs. They loved them at such
a cost in order to raise children who will do the same for them.
Parents, you should first go the path of toilsome work and difficulties. Then, with that as a
foundation, your children will also go the path of toilsome work and difficulties that can bring
comfort to you. Moreover, because you have been filial to your parents, your children will develop
filial piety towards you. And by raising such children, you can bequeath a good lineage to future
generations. However, if you live only for yourself and neglect your parents, you cannot expect that
your children will be filial towards you.
Who is a filial child? He loves his parents as his parents loved him. A person who lives this
way has a foundation to relate with God The principle of give and take action states that only
when a reciprocal base is formed can there be some return. God comes and abides only upon such a
foundation. It is a necessary foundation for establishing the Kingdom of Heaven.
Therefore, sons and daughters who can live in the Kingdom of Heaven are those who willingly
paid back the debt of their parents love. When your parents became old and senile, you should
willingly and gladly attend them. You can think about how when you were an infant your parents
changed your diapers and wiped you clean. You should not feel anything difficult in doing this; it is
natural for a filial child. (35:241-42, October 19, 1970)
Your parents tell you to be filial. Why? They want you to participate in the same path of love that
they walked, a path that centers on the parents. Yet there is more: The path of parents true love
leads to a relationship with the invisible God. Unity with your parents connects you with both
realms of heartinvisible as well as visible, vertical history as well as horizontal history. That is why
your parents teach you to become a filial child.
Yet today many people question, Why should I live a life of filial piety? Especially, people
in America think that way. They even wonder, Did our parents ever think of giving birth
to me? Or did they just happen to conceive me while making love? They do not know this
principle.
The vertical standard must be set before a horizontal standard can be set. For instance, when
we construct a building, we first make sure that the beams are vertically straight and then we align
them horizontally. Otherwise, the building will fall down. Therefore, while living in the world, we
should connect to the vertical standard. (136:203, December 29, 1985)
Yet these days, children are denying their parents. From that starting point, they go on to flaunt basic
human ethics and morality. This negation of morality is a sign that we are living in the Last Days.
Unification Church members: do not dance to the rhythm of this present trend. Instead, uphold a
firm and true connection with your elders. Parents must establish it, children must establish it, and
educators must establish it. (21:121, November 17, 1968)
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Sibling Love
LOVE AND HARMONY AMONG SIBLINGS is essential for peace in the family. Few matters cause parents more
anxiety than quarrels among their children. Yet with the common propensity for sibling rivalry, harmony is not
easily kept.
Sibling relations are grounded in parental love. Siblings mirror their parents; hence when parents set a
good example in caring for their children, the siblings can readily follow in caring for one another. Furthermore,
sibling relations are a young persons first step to relations in the wider world, with friends and peers. In Gods
family, all people are brothers and sisters. Therefore, sibling love should extend to love for all people. Hence
scriptures words about forgiving and reconciling with ones brother apply not only to siblings in the same
family, but to brothers and sisters in the family of faith, and ultimately to all men and women in the world.
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The eldest son should love his younger brothers as his father loves him, and the eldest daughter
should love her younger sisters as her mother loves her. (66:121, April 18, 1973)
Do filial sons and daughters bring their parents presents, saying, I love you Daddy and Mommy,
while always fighting with their brothers and sisters? No, such children are not filial. Any mother
would think that a good son or daughter is one who loves his or her brothers and sisters more than
her. This principle applies not only in the family, but in the family of humankind. If we live by this
principle, then we can make the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. (95:189, November 13, 1977)
Suppose the president of a nation has a younger brother in his family who is a mere laborer. He
should not say to his younger brother, You are a mere laborer, so you should work for me. If he
were a true brother, he would be sad that his younger brothers position was so far beneath his, and
he would want to do whatever he could to elevate his brother. Such is brotherly heart and love.
(7:38, July 5, 1959)
When you regard your brothers difficulties as less important than your own, the brotherhood relationship becomes distant. (62:188, September 25, 1972)
In a family, when brothers fight, whom do the parents side with? No parent will side with the one
who hit first, or who fights for a selfish purpose. The reason why they do so is because they want their
child to grow up to be good. This is consistent with moral education throughout history. (31:235,
June 4, 1970)
People who have good relationships with their own siblings will be more likely to get along with
their neighbors and friends when they go out into society. They are also bound to have wholesome
relationships with friends of the opposite sex. They will not relate to the opposite sex with sensual or
unhealthy feelings, but rather with brotherly or sisterly feelings. (Tongil Segye 194, p. 16)
If in the past you fought with your sisters or brothers, give them a feast to make them happy and
apologize for your past behavior. Be reconciled with them and love them again as you love your
mother and father. If you do this, how beautiful it would be! Then after your parents pass away, your
brothers and sisters will help, serve, and love each other with the same regard as they had for their
parents. From such a mind and heart, the Kingdom of Heaven starts to become a reality.
You can also see aspects of your mother and father in your aunts and uncles and cousins. Your
aunts and uncles display aspects of your father and mother, grandfather and grandmother. You should
regard them as gifts to show God. You should love them with your life. The Kingdom of Heaven is
where everyone lives together and loves one another. Everyone!
From this point of view, the world is an expanded family. There are people in the community of
the same age as your grandparents, aunts and uncles, parents, and brothers and sisters
In the sight of God, all people in the world are His sons and daughters. Therefore, we should
love all the people of the world as our brothers and sisters. If you see a poor beggar who is about
your fathers age, you should care for him as if he were your father. How beautiful! Is God happy to
see His children fighting? It is the principle of family relationships applied to the whole of humanity,
who are the children of Gods family. (184:65-66, November 13, 1988)
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Cain and Abel must never be divided. They are like the right hand and the left hand. Everyone
should believe that my God is also my brothers God; that the God who loves me also loves my
brother. (3:207, November 1, 1957)
Friendship
THE LESSONS LEARNED IN RELATING TO SIBLINGS find immediate application in making and keeping friends.
Friendship is the natural extension of sibling love. Strong friendships are built on an emotional connection of
empathy and shared experiences, but friendship also has an ethical component: The good friend is honest,
faithful and true, and always seeks to benefit his friends, while the bad friend uses his friends for his own
benefit. The scriptures admonish people to choose their friends carefully, lest they be misled or find themselves
abandoned in times of adversity.
And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends one of another; they enjoin the
right and forbid the wrong, and they establish
worship and pay the poor-due, and they obey
God and His messenger.
Quran 9.71
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There are three sorts of friend that are profitable, and three sorts that are harmful. Friendship
with the upright, with the true-to-death, and
with those who have heard much is profitable.
Friendship with the obsequious, friendship with
those who are good at accommodating their
principles, friendship with those who are clever
at talk is harmful.
941
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If you want to be someones best friend, you should understand his agony and suffering, and comfort
him in his misfortune. If you have a relationship with him through heart and love, you will move
him, and he will move you. (7:306, October 11, 1959)
Dhammapada 78 (Buddhism)
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Conjugal Love
THE MARRIAGE BOND IS DIVINELY SANCTIONED; it carries with it the promise of Gods blessing. The joys
of conjugal love are a gift of God. Through bearing the fruits of conjugal lovechildrenwe participate as cocreators with God. More than that, conjugal love can be a place to meet God and know Gods love in a most
intimate and real way.
Father Moon teaches extensively on this topic: God created human beings to become complete through
marriage. He offers much practical advice on how spouses can strengthen and renew their love. Yet, the mutual
affection between husband and wife is only the half of it; more fundamental is the vertical link between Gods
love and human love that is created through the blessing of marriage. The God of love created the human love
between man and woman to mirror divine love. Hence it should be absolute, unchanging and unique: spouses
should be as faithful to each other as God is to each of us as individuals. These days, when many people are
questioning the value of marriage, people would do well to heed the voices of religion which lift up the place
of marriage within the divine plan of life.
Several scripture passages ground marriage in the original plan which God instituted in the Garden of
Eden. Here is Father Moons unique contribution: he explains how this original conjugal love was damaged by
the Human Fall. As a result, conventional human love inevitably deviates from divine love, putting the ideal
of marriage out of reach. A central purpose of Father Moons mission is to restore conjugal love to its original
blessed state through the Holy Blessing Ceremony which he offers to all humankind.
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your married life, you are on the way to fulfilling the ideal of family. If you actually fulfill it,
upon your death you will certainly go to heaven, because your lives will be heaven. (97:277,
March 26, 1978)
A mans wife represents his mother; she contains elements of his mother as well. At the same time,
she contains elements of his elder sisters, younger sisters, and indeed all the women in the world.
When he loves his wife, who contains all these elements, he is loving his mother, his elder sisters and
younger sisters, and indeed all the women in the world.
Likewise, to woman, her husband represents and contains elements of her father, elder
brothers, younger brothers and all the men in the world. In loving him, she loves her father, her
brothers, and all the men in the world. This is the ideal of the family. (Gods Will and the World,
September 21, 1978)
We marry for the sake of our partner. Therefore, the man should have the attitude that even if he
finds some aspects of his wife unattractive, he will love her even more than if she were beautiful.
This is the principled way of thinking. (97:321, April 1, 1978)
What is the solution for unity? It is the heart to love each other. Love can come from pity as well as
from liking. Few couples love each other from the start.10 Love grows with time. A woman marries
a man who is absolutely stubborn, and thinks the man is totally unlovable. Then the woman takes
pity on him for the many obstacles that he must confront because of the stubbornness. Then, when
her pity turns to love, the man can find solace in her. The woman might even find her husbands
stubbornness useful because she is not stubborn enough herself, and this way, turns his stubbornness
to mutual advantage. So, loves affection can bloom even from pity, and eventually lead to unity.
(41:332-33, February 18, 1971)
Families that live in hardship are not necessarily unhappy. Sharing a single piece of bread, when the
husband feeds his wife even though he does not eat, or the wife feeds her husband even though she
goes hungryhow deep is the love in that family! (216:270, April 7, 1991)
A woman is better off taking a wild and rough man for a husband rather than one who is delicate
and fine-featured. The husband-wife relationship brings together opposites. Therefore, a woman
who takes a wild and tough man as her opposite partner will live happily. The wife who receives
the love of such a husband is a happy wife. You women should not forget this, and encourage your
husbands to be rough and tough.
It is the law of love that the strength of a man becomes like a gentle spring breeze in front of a
woman. Among men matters are determined by the strongest fist, but in front of a beloved woman
that fist becomes as soft as cotton. Therefore, a woman should not be afraid of a man who is wild
and rough. Rather she should think that the stronger a man is, the more worthy he is to receive her
love. (Blessing and Ideal Family 4.1.6)
Do you wish to become a loving couple that shines like the moon and even like the sun? Try
to dig out all the beautiful points in your spouse. It may take a lifetime of digging, and still
you cannot fathom them all. Finally when you arrive in the spirit world, you can plumb loves
deepest core.
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Therefore, wives, study your husbands. You may think he is one way, but then you should
discover another side of him. Study him from every possible angle, and you can see the whole
universe in him. Then you can think he is more amazing than God! When you married him you saw
him only through a small lens, from one direction, not from all directions. As long as you continue
to regard him only from that narrow perspective, you cannot find ideal love. Over the years of living
together you need to study him from every direction.
Do you have an unforgettable memory of your husband at his most charming? What is it? It is
his body. So observe his entire body. After a fight, you glance at your husband and you will see his
eyes blink. They blink just as your eyes blink. Observe carefully his breathing, his eyes, nose, lips
and emotionsall these parts of him are just like you. The man you love exists for you, so you can
never let him go.
If your heart never gets old, your love will never grow old either. Your life will never be boring
and your lineage will endure forever. True love never grows old. It becomes more beautiful the older
it gets. With such a heart you will always see your husband as the best-looking man in the world, and
he will look at you as the most beautiful woman in the world.
It doesnt matter that your wife looks unattractive; through the eyes of love, she is the most
beautiful woman. Regardless of her form on earth, in the spirit world she will appear young and
pretty, transfigured by the light of love that is brighter than any earthly light. A woman who places
great store in her beauty is dismayed to see it fade as she grows old, and when she passes on to the
other world she takes on an ugly appearance. On the other hand, a woman who shares a lifetime
of love with her husband becomes beautiful in the other world. Her husband becomes the most
handsome man.
The light of love is the highest form of light. Because it is the highest, it has the power to beautify
anything. Therefore, think that the wife whom you love is the very light of heaven and earth. She
is your love, your dream, your happiness, your freedom and your peace. Then when you go out of
town, should you meet an alluring vixen you will not be tempted in the least. That temptress would
appear like rotten fish in your eyes. There is no other way to beauty than by the love and light of
God. (297:168-70, November 19, 1998)
A husband and wife are like partners. Just as people have different faces, they have different destinies. If a man has a bad fortune, but he marries a woman whose fortune is good, his fortune can
change for the better. Conversely, if a wifes fortune is bad but her husbands is good, her fortune can
change for the better.
Over time, the husband and wife balance their destinies, as if they are leveling a mountain and
filling in a valley to make a plain. After leveling the ground, the husband and wife can do many
things together, such as plowing the fields and cultivating diverse crops and trees. (Gods Will and
the World, September 22, 1978)
Heaven starts in the family. Unless you can find God in your spouse, you cannot enter the Kingdom
of Heaven. (Way of Gods Will 1.8)
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Genesis 2.18-24
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considered an ideal, happy couple. This is, indeed, correct from the perspective of the basic rule of
the existing world. This is the starting-point for true love. (135:234, December 11, 1985)
Young men and women aspire to become great individuals. They want to build a good family and
become good parents. Yet at the same time, they feel that they are lacking something within themselves. That is why, whether man or woman, they desire to have a good partner in their life. For the
same reason, people wish to have children who are better than themselves. How wonderful it would
be if we could complement our weaknesses through our counterpart! All people, when they love
each other, carry such a desire deep in their hearts. (26:147, October 25, 1969)
Woman has a feminine nature and man has a masculine nature; God made them as divided embodiments of Himself. How can they come together as one? Through love. Having formerly been divided,
when they come together they will experience how strong the love is that God had been holding
within Himself. Otherwise, they would never know Gods love.
You have love within you, but by yourself you cannot know it. You can experience it when you
embrace your spouse. When you love your spouse, you feel all the love that was inside you from the
beginning. (185:187, January 8, 1989)
A husband needs his wife more than any other person in the world. The wife needs her husband
more than any other person in the world. A husband and wife should be each others walking stick,
companions who are ever advising each other. (27:87, November 26, 1969)
Husbands, the woman standing before you is Gods daughter. Also, before she is your wife, she is
humanitys daughter. If you can love her as Gods beloved daughter and a woman whom all humanity loves, then you are qualified to be her husband. Men who do not respect their wives are not true
husbands. Do you have such regard for your wife? If not, you should change, even now.
Wives, you should not think that your husband only belongs to you. First, he is a son of God;
next, he represents all the men in the world. You should become a woman who can love this man
more than all humanity can, and love him more than God loves him
When a woman marries, she should be willing to become like her husbands left foot, walking
in step with him on their familys path of love for God and all humanity. The husband is like the
right foot and the wife is like the left foot. You should not go through life crippled; therefore you
should marry. Your couple should not walk with a limp; both the right foot and the left foot should
be healthy and strong. If it can walk straight, your couple is destined to live a harmonious married
life. (88:318, October 3, 1976)
Many women think it is okay not to marry if they do not want to. Yet if a woman does not marry, her
physical body will not be able to function as a woman, and she will eventually get sick. A womans
body is built with marriage as its normal life state. For a woman to live a single life and never marry
a man is not normal, and to think that it is all right not to marry is not normal thinking. (238:71-72,
November 19, 1992)
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4. Marriage Is a Sacred Partnership, Aligning Two Human Beings with the Divine Image
I am He, you are She;
I am Song, you are Verse,
I am Heaven, you are Earth.
We two shall here together dwell,
becoming parents of children.
Atharva Veda 14.2.71 (Hinduism)
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The sacred partnership of true marriage is constituted both by the will of God and the will of
man. From God comes the very institution of
marriage, the ends for which it was instituted,
the laws that govern it, the blessings that flow
from it; while man, through generous surrender
of his own person made to another for the whole
span of life, becomes, with the help and cooperation of God, the author of each particular
marriage, with the duties and blessings annexed
hereto from divine institution
That mutual familiar intercourse between
the spouses themselves, if the blessing of conjugal
faith is to shine with becoming splendor, must
be distinguished by chastity so that husband
and wife bear themselves in all things with the
law of God and of nature, and endeavor always
to follow the will of their most wise and holy
Creator with the greatest reverence towards the
work of God
The love of which We are speaking is not
that based on the passing lust of the moment,
nor does it consist in pleasing words only, but
in the deep attachment of the heart which
is expressed in action, since love is proved by
deeds. This outward expression of love in the
home demands not only mutual help but must
go further; must have as its primary purpose
that man and wife help each other day by day
in forming and perfecting themselves in the
interior life, so that through their partnership in
life they may advance ever more and more in
virtue, and above all that they may grow in true
love towards God and their neighbor.
Pope Pius XI, Casti Connubi (Christianity)
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954
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Marriage blends men and women into the semblance of the divine unity, so that human beings
might fully become the image of God. God created human beings and all things for the purpose of
consummating His love. Where do you consummate that love? It is while you live on earth, in the
relationship between husband and wife, in the family. That is why your wedding day is the most
joyful day in your lives. (123:217, January 2, 1983)
We do not marry for ourselves, but for the sake of another. What do I mean in saying that marriage is for
the other rather than for ourselves? Heaven and earth abide in a relationship between subject and object.
By this principle, marriage between a man and a woman participates in the joining of heaven and earth.
With the man on the right side and the woman on the left side, their marriage symbolizes the
fulfillment of all the horizontal relationships in the universe. Since the man as the subject partner
is above, and the woman as the object partner is below, their marriage represents the fulfillment of
the vertical relationship between God and human beings. Therefore, marriage is not mainly for the
man, nor mainly for the woman. It is rather to accord with heavenly law. This is also the reason why
men and women were created differently; they were born to accord with heavenly law. (101:38-39,
October 28, 1978)
When a man and a woman embrace in perfect love, they bring perfection to the universe. Were
their love to shatter, it would shatter the order of the universe and bring chaos to the vertical world.
(118:32, April 26, 1982)
Look at this world: The mineral kingdom has positive and negative ions, the plant kingdom has stamen and pistil, and the animal kingdom has male and female. Scientists have found that even germs
are male and female. God created all things so that they can become one at their particular level
centering on love. Seeing this universe of pairs, we understand that they are that way so that all can
be linked to the love of a man and a woman, who come together representing heaven and earth.
Thus all things celebrate the love of human beings.
Just as we lay a foundation before building a house, God created the entire pair system as the
foundation for human beings to love. Doesnt human love have many qualities in common with
the love of animals? For instance, if a male and female are going along together and the female is
attacked, the male will risk its life to defend the female. When they have offspring, they will risk
their lives to defend them. Human love is that way because the foundation on which it was created
is that way. (222:123, October 28, 1991)
Marriage is the union of all virtues of heaven and earth. Encompassing vertical and horizontal,
left and right, and front and back, it is the completion of the whole. Marriage is where we perfect
the ideals of children, siblings, husband and wife, and parents. For this reason, had Adam and Eve
become a true husband and wife, they would have been the parents most beloved of God. They
would have stood in the position of the second creators, inheriting everything that God experienced
as the First Creator. Through raising their children, they would have developed the heart of love as
Gods representatives. After attaining that heart through direct experience, they would profoundly
understand and empathize with their children as they in turn traversed the positions of children,
siblings, husbands and wives, and parents.
Their marriage and conjugal love as husband and wife was to be the origin and starting-point of
Gods love, life and lineage in human beings. It was to be the starting-point for fulfilling Gods ideal,
the Kingdom of God on earth and in heaven.
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God is the root of love, root of life, root of lineage, and the root of the Kingdom of Heaven
on earth and in heaven. At the marriage of Adam and Eve, God would enter into their hearts and
experience with them the love of their conjugal union. Then God would be the vertical True Parent,
and Adam and Eve the horizontal True Parents. Because each of us would be born with the blood
and flesh of these two sets of parents, our minds would be aligned with the vertical and our bodies
with the horizontal.17
This would form the realm of the harmonious oneness of God and human beings in love.
In that realm, people who perfect their love both in mind and body would become Gods sons
and daughters. We would enter into a parent-child relationship with God, become Gods princes
and princesses, and inherit the entirety of His world. Then, when we perfect husband-wife unity
centering on true love, we would form a family that lives in attendance to God. Our family would
be the base of peace and of Gods ideal. As man and woman, each being a half of the whole, we
would come together to form one body; and as Gods partners we would perfect the ideal of divine
love. (254:106, February 1, 1994)
The first union of love between Adam and Eve was to have signified the perfection of Gods own
love. It was to have been a continual feast of happiness where God, Adam and Eve, and all creatures
in the universe would be intoxicated with joy and blessings. Their marriage would most certainly
have been the joyful ceremony to establish the originating point of Gods love, life, and lineage
among human beings. This was Adam and Eves original destiny. Yet instead they covered their
lower parts, hid themselves among the trees, and trembled in fear, because they had formed an
immoral relationship that set the origin for false love, false life, and false lineage contrary to the
heavenly way. (288:127, November 26, 1997)
The issue here is that Gods true love and human beings love must start out from the same point
and become one as subject and object partners. Otherwise, human love will have different directions and purposes than Gods true love. It then becomes impossible to establish the absolute ideal
world that both God and human beings desire.
This purpose of Godto start Gods true love and human true love from the same pointwas
interrupted and blocked by the Fall. False parents came into being as a result of Satans love, and
human beings as descendants of those false parents inherited false love, false life, and false lineage.
These false elements take them to hell. (275:55, October 31, 1995)
The International Holy Blessing Ceremony is the ceremony of resurrection that enables us to uproot
and restore completely all that was defiled in our families because of the Fall, especially the false love,
false life and false lineage we received from the false parents Through the Blessing Ceremony we
receive the enormous grace of being engrafted with the seeds of true love, true life and true lineage,
by which God and human beings can become one through love. I sincerely hope that all humanity
throughout the world will receive this enormous blessing, change to become heavenly families, and
be registered in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. (275:59, October 31, 1995)
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1. The Core Ethic of Conjugal Love: Spouses Are Subject to Each Other
Be subject to one another out of reverence for
Christ. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to
the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife
as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and
is himself its Savior. As the church is subject to
Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything
to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved
the church and gave himself up for her, the he
might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the
washing of water with the word, that he might
present the church to himself in splendor, without
spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might
be holy and without blemish. Even so husbands
should love their wives as their own bodies. He
who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever
hates his own flesh, but nourishes it and cherishes
it, as Christ does the church, because we are
members of his body. For this reason a man shall
leave his father and mother and be joined to his
wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This
mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it
refers to Christ and the church; however, let each
one of you love his wife as himself, and let the
wife see that she respects her husband.
Ephesians 5.21-33
The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not rule over her own
body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not rule over his own body, but the
wife does.
1 Corinthians 7.3-4
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Does a mans sexual organ belong to the man, or to his wife? It was not created for the man, but
for the woman. Do you understand? Since the male organ was created for a woman, it belongs to
the woman. Therefore, you men cannot use it as you wish. Only your wife can use your organ as she
wishes. This is the heavenly law. (130:126, January 1, 1984)
When all men and women recognize that their sexual organ belongs to their spouse and not to
themselves, they will bow their heads and become humble when they receive their spouses love.
Love comes to you only from your partner. If you do not live for the sake of your partner, what you
are doing is not love. (279:123, August 1, 1996)
There is etiquette between husband and wife. A wife should not just walk about the house naked
out of a desire to entice her husband. She should first ask him, Is it okay if I do this? Likewise, if his
wife is fast asleep, a husband should not wake her up saying, Honey, come here! Even in bed the
couple should be courteous and respectful of each other. (225:160, January 12, 1992)
Quran 4.34
Genesis 2.21-23
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Harmony arises when opposites come together. There is harmony among your eyes, nose, ears
and lips because opposites come together. Likewise, only when a father and mother come together
can they embrace everything in the world. The father alone cannot do it; it is impossible.
These days the world puts the man first. Therefore we must promote a movement for womens
liberation, one that deals with the fundamental issue. In the Principle perspective, the husband should obey
his wife for the first three years of marriage. That is the proper course of restoration. Since Adam and Eve
fell together, they must climb up together through a path of re-creation. (21:194, November 20, 1968)
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Wives often lie to their husbands, and husbands to their wives, in order to hide things from each
other. Each tries to possess a realm over which they have sole control. If your family is like this, you
are still connected with Satans world. (396:257, November 10, 2002)
When a wife suggests to her husband, Please do this, he answers, Yes. When the husband suggests to his wife, Please do this, she answers, Yes. Is it right when a husband and wife obey each
other like that? Should the central point of a marriage be the husband, the wife, or their love? It
should be love. (91:220, February 20, 1977)
It is not easy being a husband. Although you come home tired from work, you still have responsibilities toward your wife. Although your work was full of difficulties and aggravations, you still have
responsibilities toward your wife. The greater the difficulties, the greater are your responsibilities
toward your wife. The fact that you are tired is no excuse.
The same is true for you wives. It does not matter whether you like your husband or do not like
your husband; you still have responsibilities toward him. The basic rule is joint responsibility.
Your spouse stands before you as Gods representative on earth. He or she is in a unique position as
Gods representative, more than any other person in the nation or any other person on earth. Husbands
and wives who have thoughts other than this while they live on earth will go to a fearful hell.
Likewise, as parents, you have to be careful that you never cause your children to say, Our
mother and father are always fighting. If your children see you like that, then regardless of how well
you do otherwise, you will end up in hell. Rather, you should act in such a way that your children
say, Our father represents God. He is God in our home. Our father is our homes president. Our
father is our homes saint. They should say the same things about their mother. The sages of old
had a saying, All is well when there is harmony at home. In the Unification Church, we go a step
further and call for harmony with Heaven. We must create harmony with Heaven everywhere in
the cosmos. (101:41-42, October 28, 1978)
A woman who sometimes gets hysterical, crying, Eeek! needs a mate who can comprehend her
ways. When she gets upset at her husband, calling, John! he should calmly reply, Oh, yes? He
should not snap back at her, What do you want now? Instead he should take his time, slowly turn
to face her, and say, Yessss? [making a face].
The rockiest and steepest mountain has the loudest and strongest echo. When you shout at it,
Bee! the mountain answers with a resounding Boo-oom. A husband should give that kind of
echo to his wife. When his wife nags him, Ng, ng, ng, he responds, umm, umm, ummmm. A true
man has such a nature, something that is mysterious to his wife. He should be different from her and
not just react to whatever she says. (118:225-26, June 6, 1982)
When a husband and wife have separate bank accounts and say, This is my money and that is your
money, is that perfect love? Perfect love goes beyond this and says, My money is as much yours as
it is mine.
Would you want to set preconditions on your partner before you get married, or would you ask
only for love? Does a person who requires his or her partner to sign a prenuptial agreement really
trying to love or just pretending to love? Perhaps he or she is using love.
That is not our way; we should live for love. Marriage means gathering together all your power,
knowledge, money, and yourself, and putting everything in one package to present to your husband,
asking only for his love in return. (92:192, April 10, 1977)
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When a true husband or true wife encounters difficulties, he or she does not weep and complain,
Because of that terrible husband or because of that terrible wife, I am ruined. Instead, they
weep repentant tears, saying, Because I was lacking in devotion, I could not make my husband
happy, or I could not make my wife happy. The husband and wife who live together in this manner are a true husband and a true wife. (204:41, June 29, 1990)
Who is a true wife? A true wife determines that she was born for her husband, lives for him and
would die for him. Only in that place, can she be a true wife.
Who is a true husband? A true husband determines that he was born for his wife, lives for her
and would die for her. The ideal of Gods creation lies in this, though most people dont realize it.
As we practice this, we come to understand the principle: We exist to live for the sake of others.
Only by living in this manner can we find true love. Since God set up this principle, it is the only
path for humans to find happiness and hope. (77:293, April 25, 1975)
4. Divorce is Hateful to God; Spouses Should Be Faithful Till Death and Beyond
The lawful thing which God hates most is
divorce.19
Hadith of Abu Dawud (Islam)
God has indeed heard (and accepted) the statement of the woman who pleads with you concerning her husband and carries her complaint to
God; and God hears the arguments between both
sides among you. Surely God is Hearing, Seeing.
If any men among you divorce their wives
by zihar, calling them their mothers, they are not
their mothers; none can be their mothers except
those who gave them birth. They utter words
iniquitous and false.20
Quran 58.1-2
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They continue by legislation to attack the indissolubility of the marriage bond, proclaiming
that the lawfulness of divorce must be recognized, and that the antiquated laws should give
place to a new and more humane legislation.
Many and varied are the grounds put forward
for divorce, some arising from the wickedness
and the guilt of the persons concerned, others
arising from the circumstances of the case in
a word, whatever might make married life hard
or unpleasant Opposed to all these reckless
opinions stands the unalterable law of God,
fully confirmed by Christ, a law that can never
be deprived of its force by the decrees of men,
the ideas of a people or the will of any legislator:
What God hath joined together, let no man
put asunder.
Pope Pius XI, Casti Connubi (Christianity)
965
He was my mate;
And I swear that till death I will have no other.
O mother, O Heaven,
Why will you not understand me?
It floats about, that boat of cypress wood,
There by the side of the Ho.
With his two tufts of hair falling over his
forehead,
He was my only one;
And I swear that till death I will not do the evil
thing.
O mother, O Heaven,
Why will you not understand me?22
Book of Songs, Ode 45 (Confucianism)
A virtuous wife who, after the death of her husband, constantly remains chaste even though
she have no son, will reach heaven just as do
men living a life of renunciation.
Laws of Manu 5.160 (Hinduism)
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God is the absolute being. God is one, not two. Adam and Eve had the characteristics of God,
so they were also absolute beings. Adam was created with Gods male characteristics, and Eve
was created with Gods female characteristicsthese characteristics are absolute. The love that
can unite the inner [male] and outer [female] characteristics is absolute love; even God obeys it
absolutely.
Therefore love regards each husband and wife as the one and only couple in the universe. They
are absolute, eternal and unchanging. Yet because couples do not understand this principle, they
divorce. As long as you maintain your foundation in this principle, you can never divorce. (226:171,
February 4, 1992)
Why do a husband and wife fight? They fight because they each want to receive love. Couples who
only want to receive love will not last. A family whose members only want to receive love will fall
apart. But a family whose members are determined to give love to each other will not break down.
It will survive, even if others wish it ill. Love that prompts us to live for each other is eternal love.
(36:76, November 15, 1970)
If a wife is boastful and despises her husband, she puts herself in hell. What is hell? It is the universes
trash can [for people who lack love]. However, even if a wife is on the verge of plunging into the
deepest hell, if she has a righteous husband who holds on to her hand, saying, I will stay with you,
no matter what, then she will not go to hell. The same is true when a wife does that for her husband. This is the gospel of all gospels. (161:324, March 8, 1987)
When a bride-to-be or husband-to-be is asked, How long will you love your spouse? If he or she answers,
As long as my spouse is young, would their partner be happy with that? Rather, the answer should be,
I will love my spouse until death, and further, for eternity. Eternity encompasses the future and beyond.
When you say that you will love your spouse until your death, it means that you will love and give everything you have to him. Am I right? The term, eternity covers all, and until death means to love everything about your spouse. We can be satisfied with nothing less. (37:24, December 22, 1970)
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There is only one person in the universe whom you are meant to marry. Therefore, consider
that you and your spouse are the only two people in the universe. You should abide in that first
love, which only one man and one woman can share. Then God will abide with you. (265:251,
November 23, 1994)
Parental Love
BEING A PARENT CALLS FORTH THE NOBLEST and most unselfish emotions in ordinary people. Rare is the parent who would not sacrifice his or her life for the sake of their child. Having children is a life-altering experience,
calling forth moral strength to end destructive lifestyles and become responsible role models to their children.
Parenting challenges people as nothing else to be sacrificial, patient, forgivingin short, to develop a love that
more closely resembles the love of God.
Parental love is the highest stage in the family school of love. To enter into that stage, couples have a
duty to have children; it is a duty to love and to their own perfection. Furthermore, parents are responsible to
educate their children in the most basic matters of lifewhat Father Moon calls education in heart and norm.
This education has three aspects, each treated in turn: moral instruction, discipline, and setting an example.
Scriptural wisdom regards discipline to be an essential duty of parents, when done out of love and concern for
their proper growth. Failure to discipline children, on the other hand, is a form of abuse, because it leads to rotten character. A parents example in particular concerns the parents example of faith and devotion to God; it is
key to the children developing their own faith. Next, parents are guardians, protecting their children from harm.
Anyone who has had a teenage daughter knows of the sleepless nights spent worried about her and thinking
about how to keep her safe. The final group of passages speaks about the heart of parents to unconditionally
love their children, forgiving them when they fall short and wanting the very best for them.
Genesis 1.28
Psalm 127.3-5
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There are four directions of love: east, west, north and south, around the center. When love is centered, its root can spread in all four directions and support the tree. (214:12, February 1, 1991)
Why do we need children? It is to know Gods love, His love as our Parent. We need children to
know how to attend [God] as our Parent So we should not only give orders to our children,
we should attend them and live for them [as God lives for us]. Only then can we comprehend
Gods love.
We need our children as a textbook. Without children, we are incomplete. We cannot know
Gods love because we cannot know how much God loves human beings, His children. Just as we
cannot know the love of a husband or wife unless we become a husband or a wife, we cannot know
parental love for children until we become parents. God created us so that we can learn to love
by relating with each other. Hence if we do not have children, we cannot become true parents.
(133:138-39, July 10, 1984)
Mothers and fathers cannot achieve unity without children. Why do parents prefer their childrens
love? They cannot help it. Mother and father love each other as they love their children together,
not just individually. It forms a rope of love that binds mother and father into one. A chain made of
iron will eventually rust and break, but the rope of love lasts forever. Neither money nor food can
bind parents and children. Only love can bind them. (18:329, August 13, 1967)
What is marriage for? It is to establish a family with children. If you do not have children, your relationship may begin to deteriorate. Only after giving birth to children can your family be secure. Even
if a husband might want to divorce his wife out of resentment, if his wife gives him a son, he cannot
easily divorce. He feels committed to keep his family intact. For the sake of our families, we should
have children. (23:25, May 11, 1969)
You should love your children more than you love your spouse. (130:163, January 8, 1984)
If you women are asked, Who do you like better, your husband or your children? the correct
answer should be, My children. You can divorce your husband, but you cannot separate from your
children. Even if you were to disown them and have their names removed from the record of your
family tree, you would still be connected to them in lineage. After divorcing your husband, you
might forget him. Yet if you were separated from your children, as time goes by you would miss them
more and more. Anyone who has children can understand this. (18:112, May 28, 1967)
Parents want their children to be better than themselves. No parent wants his children to be inferior
to him. A good-looking man and a beautiful woman married each other and bore a homely child. Yet
if you say to them, Your child is better looking than you are, they are happy. It is true. No parent
would take offense at that statement. (77:102, April 1, 1975)
True Mother26 gave birth to thirteen children. She once remarked, Nothing in the world has
given me more pleasure than giving birth to my babies and nursing them at my breast. Now
that I have grown old, I look back on those times as the most pleasurable of my life. (44:199,
May 7, 1971)
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There is no multiplication in the spirit world. The multiplication of children happens only on
earth. The earth is the only place where the citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom can be multiplied.
That is why on earth, you should give birth to many children, centering on Gods true love.
(218:200, July 28, 1991)
Proverbs 13.24
Luke 15.20-24
Hebrews 12.7-11
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nature. Iron gets stronger by heating. This is an important lesson to think about when educating children. (Blessing and Ideal Family 7.5.5)
No matter how painful a situation your children put you through, when they come to you with tears
in their eyes and ask your forgiveness, you must forget all the bad memories and once again put on
a happy face. (23:182, May 18, 1969)
What is the essence of love? It is living for others. It is giving what we have to others. Where does
love originate? It originates from God. Since God is the Subject of absolute love, He desires to give.
That is the essence of His love. When viewed from this perspective, parental love is the closest to
the essence of love.
Parental love always strives to give. Although a child turns to wickedness and refuses to listen
to his parents, if the parents continue to love him even more than before, the child will repent.
Were the parent to reproach the child, saying, You still dont recognize my love for you, even
though I have invested so much for you that my back is bent! and strike him with a stick, after
three times the child would pack and run away. However, if the parent weeps in front of the child,
saying, Your problems are all because I could not love you enough. It is my fault for not loving you
more, and showers him with still more love, the childs heart will melt and he will return to the
parent. A greater love has the subjective ability to embrace and digest a lesser love. (48:182-83,
September 12, 1971)
According to spiritual law, the worst crime is for a parent to neglect or abuse his or her children,
driving them into the dungeons of hell. There is no forgiveness for such acts God could never
treat His children that way, so He cannot forgive those who do.
On the other hand, God is moved to see parents who are willing and ready to die for
their children. He will say, You resemble Me; that is the way I have been living, sacrificing
everything for My children. Thus, parents who would die for their children can enter heaven.
(93:335, June 17, 1977)
Genesis 18.17-20
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Even a father who lives a life of crime does not tell his children, I am a robber and a murderer, and
you should follow in my footsteps. No, however evil they may be, parents do not teach their children to be evil. When parents say to their children, At least you should not be bad, it implies that
they themselves were bad; when they say, At least you should do well, it means they themselves
did not do well.
It is right that parents invest everything completely for their children; that way they can leave
a legacy behind. This is an age-old principle of education. It would be even better if the parents left
such an excellent legacy that it should be bequeathed to the society and to the world. If parents act
like that, no one will say they are bad parents.
A while ago, I read that some parents left their children in an orphanage to travel around the
world. That kind of neglect causes children to become bad. If the parents are always with their children,
watching over them and correcting them, they will not become bad. (36:73, November 15, 1970)
Do you want to be blessed? Do you want to live eternally? Then, you should become a public person.
When educating your children, do not love them only as your own children. Love them with the
heart to offer them for the people of the world. When nursing your child in your bosom, consider
yourself the representative of all mothers on this planet earth, and regard your baby as the representative of all humankind. Do not nurse your baby with the heart to love only your child. Rather, be a
mother who loves other babies as if they were also yours. Babies nourished with the milk of such a
mother will definitely become great people. And if your children do not attain such greatness, it will
be a descendant one or two generations later who turns out to be someone who can lead the world.
This is a formula. (31:168, 700524)
When you die, there are three things you should leave behind: First, that you lived by the path of
the Principle, following Gods Will. Second, that you raised good offspring. Third, that you imparted
education to your children that will enable them to achieve greatness in the world. (101:200,
October 30, 1978)
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The feeling of grandparents for their grandchildren can be expressed this way: Our children
are dear to us; but when we have grandchildren,
they seem to be dearer than our children were.
You might say that the grandmother falls all over
herself to try to show her appreciation for her
grandchild. It goes right back to those wishes
that were made for them when they were little
girls: the wish that they would live to become
grandmothers someday. So when the time comes
and they reach grandmotherhood, they do extra
little duties to show their appreciation.
Henry Old Coyote (Native American Religion)
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Grandparents represent God in heaven; their position is like Heaven. As the elders in the family,
our grandparents bring Heaven to us. That is why you need to attend them as the representatives
of God. Think of them as representatives of the King of Heaven and serve them as you would serve
God. This teaching is one of the traditions of the ideal family. (251:219, October 17, 1993)
If the husband and wife fight, the grandfather and grandmother will say, Now, now. Dont do that!
When the children fight or the grandchildren fight, they say, Now, now. Dont do that! In this
way, with love, they play the role of a servant. They live for the sake of the other members of the
family, telling each of them, You are in a high position. You are wonderful. Grandparents play
the role of the servant of love to the greatest extent The greatest, most amazing and most powerful person in the universe is the person who walks the way of the servant of love. (135:121-22,
October 4, 1985)
It is wonderful when a daughter-in-law loves her grandmother and grandfather so much that she
always buys better things for them than for her husband. She may be good-looking, and the old
grandfather and grandmother may be all wrinkled, yet whenever she goes shopping she looks to buy
something for them, something finer than what she buys for her husband, and she does it with a
more joyful heart. What a wonderful scene! If she does that, then the grandfather and grandmother
will give her everything they had hidden awayeverything having to do with love.
Who is the oldest being in the world? It is God. Therefore, you learn from loving your grandfather
how to love God and live for His sake. When you learn this tradition, you can receive all the treasures
of love stored in Grandfather Gods secret warehouse. It is wonderful! (107:329, June 8, 1980)
It is true that many grandchildren and daughters-in-law hate to see the cane their grandfather
carries about.28 Perhaps they wish the grandfather an early death? Rather, good grandchildren and
daughters-in-law who have loving hearts would think, Oh God, when the cane disappears someday, I will be drenched in tears. (184:270, January 1, 1989)
If the people of a nation hold the elderly in contempt, eventually that nation will lose its national
character. A person who doesnt like old people is selling out the character and tradition of his
nation. (21:120, November 17, 1968)
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Chapter 20
Society
Family as the Cornerstone of Society
SOCIETY IS AN ORGANISM WITH FAMILIES as its cells. Let these building-blocks be healthy, and society will
be healthy. On the other hand, when families break down, society cannot but be in turmoil. The prevalence of
family breakdown in our time is a worrying trend, boding no good for a nations future.
Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to construe family values as family-centered. The attitude that
my home is my castle would only be another form of selfishness. The lessons learned in the family school
of love (See Chapter 19: The Basic Form of Life) are meant to be applied at every level of social organization.
Thus, Confucian ethics regards the norm of filial piety as the basis for the ethic of public service: serving
parents at home is training to serve the nation. Likewise, the ways of love for siblings, parents, and children
are to be extended to caring for ones neighbors who are our peers, our parents age, and our childrens
age. In this way, loving relationships in the individual family extend to encompass the universal family of
humankind.
The natural family, stable and monogamousas fashioned by God and sanctified by
Christianityin which different generations live
together, helping each other to acquire greater
wisdom and to harmonize personal rights with
other social needs, is the basis of society.
Pope Paul VI, Populorum Progressio (Christianity)
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surnames. From that love came the right administration of punishments and penalties. Through
that administration the people had the feeling of
repose. Through that restfulness all resources for
expenditure became sufficient. Through the sufficiency of these, what all desired was realized.
That realization led to all courteous usages and
good customs, and from these, in fine, came all
happiness and enjoyment.
Book of Rites 14, The Great Treatise
(Confucianism)
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980
Your parents represent everyone who gives you love: your teachers, your friends, and the Subject
Partner [God]. Hence, you can take them as representing all people. Therefore, serving your parents
is the way to serve all people and receive the love of all people. This is the meaning of the traditional
[Confucian] teaching that virtuous sons and daughters serve their parents with filial piety. (105:108,
September 30, 1979)
True parents do not teach their children that it is enough to have filial piety while ignoring the needs
of their country. They teach them, Go the way of patriots and serve your nation, even at the sacrifice of your family. Go the way of saints and live for the sake of the world, even at the sacrifice of your
nation. Seek the welfare of Heaven and earth, even if you must give up the world; and even if you
have to give up heaven and earth, seek for God. Just as an individual does his filial duty by putting
his familys welfare ahead of himself, to become a patriot he must put the welfare of the nation ahead
of his family. To become a saint, he must put the salvation of the world ahead of his own nation,
and to become a divine son, he must establish Gods Kingdom in heaven and on earth even at the
sacrifice of everything in the world. (May 3, 1997)
When people submit to force they do so not willingly but because they are not strong enough.
When people submit to the transforming influence of morality they do so sincerely, with admiration in their hearts.
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Society
We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution
was made only for a moral and religious people.
It is wholly inadequate to the government of
any other.
John Adams
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Throughout history, saints and great teachers have devoted themselves to guiding families,
societies and nations toward a peaceful and happy world. To take on the challenges of the twentyfirst century, humanity needs true parents, true teachers and true owners who can raise leaders of
mature morality and spirituality. (271:74, August 22, 1995)
An ideal society is characterized by universally shared values. This means that everyone practices
true love, observing universal ethics and morality. All members of society pursue a life of goodness
and righteousness. To establish that ideal, we aim to build a society rooted in moral principles,
whereby all people live moral lives in keeping with the absolute value of Gods true love.
An ideal world presupposes ideal families and mature individuals. An ideal family requires the
harmony of ideal parents, ideal husband and wife, and ideal sons and daughters in true love. An
individual can be called mature when his or her mind and body function in harmony through true
love. When people at that level of maturity practice goodness and righteousness in their family, they
create the foundation for true love. When they practice it in society, which is the extension of the
family, they build the world of supreme love, the world that operates in accordance with the Way of
Heaven. This indeed is the ideal world. (271:78, August 22, 1995)
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trend towards free sex. Humanity is altogether unaware that it is diving headlong into the abyss
We have the mission of preventing this tragedy. (193:306, October 8, 1989)
This world stands at a crossroads leading either to the kingdom of Heaven or the kingdom of hell.
Which way it goes depends chiefly on whether it protects family valuesthe ethical norms that
preserve the purity of the family. Is there any nation on earth that has solved humanitys common
plight: corruption of youth and their continual abuse of drugs, family breakdown and skyrocketing
divorce, the AIDS epidemic, sexual crimes and political oppression? Conventional education, even
religious teachings, cannot meet the challenge.
What meaning is it for a society to enjoy economic prosperity and political freedom when
its families suffer in agony, with no solution in sight? Therefore, people have come to the point
where they are seeking educational material and methods to protect and promote family values.
Promoting family values is the fundamental issue in this age after the end of the Cold War.
(288:140, November 26, 1997)
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Eleanor Roosevelt
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Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid
it, almighty God! I know not what course others
may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give
me death!
Patrick Henry9
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990
and I must be loyal to our country when it is in peril, and even offer our lives for our country. That
is the tradition thoughtful people should pass on to the next generation; it will correct the course of
our nations history. (95:51-52, October 23, 1977)
Labor
THE PRIMARY WAY THAT MOST PEOPLE CONTRIBUTE to society is through their labor. We spend our adult
lives working to provide for our families and ourselves; yet before we receive any benefit, our labor adds to the
overall wealth of the nation. Furthermore, labor is one way by which we take after God, the Maker of heaven
and earth. God created us to find satisfaction in our labor and to enjoy its fruits. By our work we become cocreators with Him.
No society can be prosperous unless its members are educated to have a work ethic and have the opportunity to better themselves through their labor. A practical function of religion is to encourage the virtues
that make for economic success: industry, thrift, dependability, responsibility and integrity in the workplace,
and the love of ones job.
Although certain religious traditions exalt a life of poverty and mendicancy above a productive life of work,
most traditions promote honest work and self-sufficiency, even for members of the clergy. Although most religions reject a life devoted solely to worldly profit, they value work as having divine approval when its gains are
spent appropriatelyin serving others, charity and proper worship.
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992
carried them here. You worked for about two months repairing and painting the building, but it took
the Mormons three years when they first built it. I wish that you would have invested greater love
and effort than the Mormons, but as it is, how can you compare your devotion to this building to
theirs? You who worked refurbishing the building, do you think you are better than them? You say
yes, but are you confident that God, who knows the buildings history, would agree with you?
I had another thought when I walked into the building. The Mormons built this building
with lots of energy and hard work, but then they sold it. They abandoned it and then went out
and built a new temple. The important question is: did they put more heart, tears and sweat
into building their new and bigger temple than their forbearers did for this church long ago, or
did they just put up money and give the plans to a contractor to build it? Did they build it with
their money, or with their heart, sweat and labor? That is an important question, though they
do not know it.
Put yourself in the position of God. Would He rather dwell in a big new marble temple or in a
small and humble temple that was built by the members labor and devotion? To God, the size of
the building means nothing. Whether it is beautiful or plain means nothing. From this perspective,
God would rather be in this building than in the newly built Mormon Temple. If you Unification
Church members are more sincere and dedicated than the present-day Mormons, if you are actively
taking responsibility to save this city, then surely God will continue dwelling in this place that has
a tradition of dedicated believersthe Mormons of oldwho worshiped Him here with rejoicing.
With this in mind, I entered this building. (95:254-55, December 4, 1977)
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Psalm 128.2
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994
If you are a large tree, many birds will build their nests in your branches. Therefore, when you walk
around soiled with dung, you should keep your internal dignity. Be a superb person who can dance
pleasantly to the rhythm of the universe. (Way of Gods Will 2.2)
We should experience fun in everything that we do. Farming should be fun; plowing with sweat running down our faces should be fun; carrying heavy things should be fun, too. I did all kinds of labor.
As long as we are in harmony with nature and deal with every situation and relationship we face, we
can succeed at just about anything. (355:96, October 3, 2001)
You need money to succeed in your mission. No one will give it to you; you have to make it with
your own hands. I built the worldwide foundation for this movement with my own hands; no one
did it for me. Even if I were a castaway on a deserted island I could survive. I know what mushrooms
are edible, which herbs are good to eat and which are poisonous. If I have a string and a hook, I can
make a fishing pole and catch as many fish as I need. I know how to be self-sufficient wherever I go.
My educational philosophy is that before your reach your thirties you should be trained to be as selfsufficient as I am. (117:24-25, January 30, 1982)
There is no work that I, Sun Myung Moon, cannot do. In a mine, I become a miner and endure the
hardships there. It may be difficult, but I think that even in that mine I have to fulfill Gods Will. I
once lived among thieves deep in the mountains. I did not participate in their thievery, but I found a
way to survive there. On the ocean, I am a fishermans fisherman. In the field, I am a farmers farmer.
Wherever I may be on this planet earth, I am a man who is capable of making a solid foundation
within three weeks with my bare hands. (273:305, October 29, 1995)
Those who want to live off the governments welfare benefits will never prosper, no matter how
many years may pass. People who are indebted to others can never be more than servants. Rather,
you should spend your life on earth helping others. If you have helped others in this life, then when
you cross over to the next world you will arrive at a high realm. However, those who live for their
own sake, who prefer to receive rather than to give, and who are in debt to others, will end up in the
dark regions of hell. (248:98, August 1, 1993)
Freedom
THE ASPIRATION FOR FREEDOM HAS BEEN A POWERFUL FORCE in human history. God signaled His love of
freedom to a band of Israelite slaves in Egypt, and by liberating them set the example for freedom-loving people
everywhere. People everywhere aspire for freedom because God created us to be free. God respects human freedom to the degree that He does not interfere with our wrong choices, even when they lead to sin and misery.
Nevertheless, God grants human beings freedom for a purposethat we might attain our full perfection
as His ideal partners. Hence, freedom is not an end in itself, but a means to greater ends: true love, true community, the Kingdom of God. Furthermore, freedom is only meaningful and efficacious when it is conducive to
Gods plan for human life. Freedom when used wrongly as an occasion to sin can lead to bondage. Therefore,
God created us with a conscience as the inner compass to guide our free will in a good direction, and wants to
provide every child with loving parents to educate them in the proper use of freedom.
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The issues surrounding freedom are basic to democracy; hence we include several passages by its seminal
political theorists. Critiques of secular democratic notions of freedom, particularly from the Catholic Church,
are echoed in some of Father Moons negative judgments on the excessive value given to freedom and its widespread abuse in Western democracies.
Finally, we include several passages describing Father Moons unique teaching that God is not free, and
that He is in need of liberation more than anyone.
You will know the truth, and the truth will make
you free.
2 Corinthians 3.17
John 8.32
Our quest for self-determination, justice, freedom and peace in our Homelands and our
Territories is a renewal of what we enjoyed
before the coming of our White Brothers from
across the sea. We lived contentedly under the
Gai Eneshah Go Nah, The Great Law of Peace.
We were instructed to create societies based on
the principles of Peace, Equity, Justice, and the
Power of Good Minds.
Our societies are based upon great
democratic principles of the authority of the
people and equal responsibilities for the men
and the women. This was a great way of life
across this Great Turtle Island and freedom
with respect was everywhere. Our leaders were
instructed to be men of vision and to make every
decision on behalf of the seventh generation to
come; to have compassion and love for those
generations yet unborn.
We were instructed to give thanks for
All That Sustains Us. Thus, we created great
ceremonies of Thanksgiving for the life-giving
forces of the Natural World, as long as we
carried out our ceremonies, life would continue.
We were told that The Seed is the Law.
Indeed, it is The Law of Life. It is The Law of
Regeneration. Within the seed is the mysterious
force of life and creation. Our mothers nurture
and guard that seed and we respect and love
them for that. Just as we love our Mother Earth,
for the same spiritual work and mystery.
Exodus 3.7-8
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996
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heart for freedom, your heart would seek the standard of freedom that all people can enjoy
together. (4:318, October 12, 1958)
Democracy has been promoting the freedom and liberation of human beings. However, we should
now promote the freedom and liberation of God. If this matter is resolved, the liberation of human
beings, not to mention their freedom, will automatically be achieved. (344:54, June 26, 2001)
2. Freedom Starts by Becoming Master of Oneself in Accordance with the Moral Law
No man is free who is not master of himself.
Epictetus, Discourses 2.10 (Hellenism)
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value begins with God. He determined the purpose of human life and how people are to achieve
that purpose. That is the foundation of absolute value. From this absolute foundation emerge moral
principles, which comprise spiritual law. Human beings, created as spiritual beings, are bound by this
spiritual law.
The fundamental purpose of human life is what the Creator purposed us to be, and we exist
on this earth to achieve this purpose. Therefore, our spiritual happiness is realized when we
accomplish our responsibility in accordance with Gods moral law. Should we violate this law, it will
result in self-destruction, just as surely as if we were to disregard the laws of nature. (133:289-90,
November 19, 1984)
The freedom that God grants us is premised on responsibility. If everyone insisted on the freedom to
love as they wished without taking responsibility for their actions, how great would be the resulting
chaos and destruction! Human perfection, the attainment of the sublime ideal of love, is only possible when we take responsibility for love. (277:201, April 16, 1996)
You begin to truly experience freedom when you are completely pervaded by love. Your body wants
to act freely, but it is impossible unless it embodies true love.
The American concept of freedom is so wrong. Historically, the most difficult person to deal
with is your own self. This is why you must be merciless to yourself. Do you understand? Unless you
become such a person, you cannot be free. (203:23-24, June 10, 1990)
Americans have made a mockery of freedom with their pursuit of trashy love. Isnt that so? Americans
have no right to speak of freedom. How can they justify the freedom to party and seek pleasure
everywhere while their children are weeping, their husbands and wives are suffering, and their families are breaking down? Rather than pursuing vain freedom, we should seek for true love. When we
find true love, we will find true freedom as well. (203:12-13, June 10, 1990)
Freedom that departs from the Principle is not true freedom. Freedom that avoids responsibility
is not true freedom. Freedom that produces no results is not true freedom. Thus, any act of freedom must be within the Principle. It must carry responsibility and produce results. A person who
seeks freedom without these conditions is naturally far removed from the heavenly way. (4:318-319,
October 12, 1958)
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What man loses by the social contract is his natural liberty and an unlimited right to everything
he tries to get and succeeds in getting; what he
gains is civil liberty and the proprietorship of all
he possesses.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract
(Humanism)
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around themselves, and within those walls their personalities and interests diverge to such an extent
that they cannot get along together
Today the Western world exalts freedom. Yet you should regard the word freedom as a fearful
word. What is true freedom? If people take freedom as the opportunity to lift up God and the world,
it is well and good. This is freedom that everyone can enjoy. But if people are self-centered and put
everyone down, then where can there be freedom? (107:272-74, June 1, 1980)
Historically the pursuit of freedom was born out of the desire to lift up society to a higher dimension. It was not born to break down and destroy the social order. Yet todays young people say, We
want the freedom to drink, dance and enjoy rock music. Crying out, freedom! they flaunt social
norms, break down the social order and ruin the foundations of society. This freedom is nothing but
self-indulgence. It is one of Satans destructive strategies. (116:102, December 27, 1981)
The greater the freedom, the greater is the need to maintain discipline and respect for law and
order. The greater the precision of a piece of machinery, the more exactly its vertical and horizontal motion must accord with the principles of its design. Freedom yields abundant fruit as long as
laws are obeyed. This truth cannot be denied, particularly in todays advanced social system and
scientific civilization.
Can human beings enjoy freedom while ignoring the social system? No, the social system exists
for the benefit of human beings. Therefore, people need to align themselves to the laws, organization
and structure of their social system and prepare themselves to function within it. They should even
take on leadership roles and protect it. People who fulfill this role can have no dealings with selfindulgent freedom.
To travel anywhere, we need a road. We require a direction. Todays free societies are lacking
direction. How can they have direction, when everyone does as they please? Yet is there such a thing
as a mind without direction? It is the mindset of ruin. (49:190-93, October 10, 1971)
The freedom that most people seek for is not what they can enjoy eternally, nor does it touch the
core of their original mind. Instead, the pursuit of freedom drives people to extreme individualism
and leaves them more and more isolated.
As long as people do not uphold Heavens principles, do not pursue their relationship with
God, and do not lift up the concept of freedom that is perfect and unchanging, the freedom that
people seek for on earth will not be aligned with the freedom Heaven is seeking. Therefore, as the
prevailing trend demonstrates, the more aggressively people pursue freedom, the farther away they
are from it. (4:318, October 12, 1958)
The democratic world seeks to live by Christian teachings, but its way of life is permeated by individualism, bolstered by scientific technology. Hence, the freedom people pursue in todays democratic
societies is fundamentally opposed to Christian teaching.
Christianity teaches freedom for the entire cosmos, liberation for the whole, and unity in the
heart of God. Christian freedom is a state where we can rejoice together with God and the entire
world. However, most people in the democratic world today insist on an individualistic concept of
freedom. As a result, they deny their nation, their society, their community, and even their family
and the relationship of husband and wife. Eventually, they come to deny the very Center of their
mind [God].
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What do they have left? Loneliness. When their loneliness reaches the extreme and explodes,
they no longer trust others or even themselves. Their feeling of loneliness and distrust becomes an
all-encompassing fear and depression, which leads to self-destructive behavior, even suicide. This
trend is ever more evident in contemporary times.
Hence, if we really want freedom, we should not cry out for the irresponsible freedom that people
sought in the past or are seeking today, but we should seek for the true freedom that accompanies
the ideal of Gods love. (4:319-20, October 12, 1958)
Equality
SCRIPTURES OF ALL FAITHS PROCLAIM THE EQUALITY of all people: rich and poor, black and white, men and
women, from the East and from the West. Yet this lofty ideal is rarely matched in practice. Operating from our
limited cultural perspectives, we are prone to treat people who seem alien or different with discrimination and
prejudice. Even in democratic societies that proclaim equality as a central principle, racial and cultural prejudices are still widespread.
What is the basis of equality? First, the Abrahamic faiths ground equality in our common origin in God
the creator and in our common parentage from Adam and Eve. Next, there are ethical and legal provisions to
treat all people equally. Third is recognition that all people regardless of their race or class are equally capable
of achieving enlightenment and self-realization. In Father Moons view, however, none of these are sufficient
for the attainment of true equality. True equality must be grounded in divine love and its practice by living for
the sake of others. His ultimate prescription for bridging the gulf between races and cultures: interracial and
intercultural marriage, where all prejudices are burned up in the fire of love.
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emotional responses. Is there any difference between Korean parents and Japanese parents in their
love for their children? No, there is not. (41:331, February 18, 1971)
2. Racial Equality
Have you not seen how that God sends down
water from the sky, and therewith We bring
forth with it fruits of diverse hues? And in the
mountains are streaks white and red, of diverse
hues, and pitch black.
Men too, and beasts and cattle are of diverse
colors. Even so only those of His servants who
have understanding fear God.
Quran 35.27-28
to be a problem? they say, I know an excellent colored man in my town; or, I fought at
Mechanicsville; or, Do not these Southern
outrages make your blood boil? At these I
smile, or am interested, or reduce the boiling to
a simmer, as the occasion may require. To the
real question, How does it feel to be a problem?
I answer seldom a word.
And yet, being a problem is a strange
experience, peculiar even for one who has
never been anything else, save perhaps in
babyhood and in Europe. It is in the early days of
rollicking boyhood that the revelation first bursts
upon one, all in a day, as it were. I remember well
when the shadow swept across me In a wee
wooden schoolhouse, something put it into the
boys and girls heads to buy gorgeous visitingcardsten cents a packageand exchange. The
exchange was merry, till one girl, a tall newcomer,
refused my card,refused it peremptorily, with a
glance. Then it dawned upon me with a certain
suddenness that I was different from the others;
or like, mayhap, in heart and life and longing, but
shut out from their world by a vast veil.
W. E. B. Du Bois24
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color of our blood is the same. Our flesh and bones look the same. We all have the capacity to love.
Thus, there should be no discrimination based on race.
This is why in accordance with the natural principles, more and more people will marry
interracially. When a black person and a white person marry, it is like the North Pole and the
South Pole coming together. When a yellow person and a black person marry and have children,
both parents contribute their good attributes and their descendants are better as a result. (315:212,
February 2, 2000)
The universe is built to be in natural balance God gave white people blue or light-colored eyes, as
a charming complement to their white skin. See how the blue of the iris blurs the white of the eye.
This is as it should be, emphasizing the pupil and de-emphasizing the white of the eye.
On the other hand, in black and Oriental people, who have very dark or black irises, the contrast
with the white of the eye is an attractive feature. For people with dark complexions, the black iris
makes the whites of their eyes stand out beautifully. If their pupils were blue, it would blur the whites
of the eyes and make their eyes weak-looking.
Also, when black people smile, their teeth are sensational. You black people, smile and see. Your
tongue is very red, to show better against your white teeth. This is why you have thicker lips, tooto
better show your teeth. Everything about black persons face is fascinating!
Today this civilization is mostly trying to destroy or downplay certain original qualities in people
instead of trying to enhance them. But I foresee the time when white people will be crazy about
blacks. White women in particular will prefer the dramatic appearance of black men.
Blacks are identified mostly with ghettos such as Harlem, which seem to accumulate the trash
of humanity. They are like the valley that collects all the soil and debris that wash down from the
hills; there they decay and smell, like rotting manure. But this is not bad; it makes for the most
fertile soil, where life can germinate most abundantly. In America, black people shed their sweat
and blood, becoming the fertilizer to create a new society for white people. You must know that
American civilization was built on the backs of black people.
Yet life germinates powerfully in that manure. It is no accident that black people are passionate
and strong, and have an explosive sense of love. Also, they tend to trust people, as they represent
the valley, accepting everything that washes down.
White people, on the other hand, are like the high mountain top. Nothing accumulates on its
rocky surface, and it is very cold. Hence, white people and not very trusting, and they tend to be
cold-hearted. In the past, when white people traveled on horses, if a horse broke a leg they would
kill the animal and move on. That is not right; it is not in accord with nature. Oriental people would
not do that, and neither would black people. White people have a tradition of dueling for love, in
which one man dies and the woman goes with the winner. Love cannot come through destruction
of life; life must be protected so that it can give love.
This is how we search out the principle to understand and correct all customs and cultural
values to be in accord with the original form. (107:308-09, June 8, 1980)
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Romans 2.9-11
Ecclesiastes 9.2-3
Leviticus 24.21-23
Leviticus 19.33-34
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Abraham Lincoln27
Ephesians 6.5-9
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The way to create equality between the upper class and the lower class is for upper class people to
embrace lower class people and elevate them toward the upper class. This can only happen if there
is a center of absolute value. That is Gods love.
Gods love embraces people of high class and low class alike. It is never one-directional or onesided. Its energy flows in spherical motion, moving freely from the top to the bottom. All welcome
it wherever it appears.
Gods love holds absolute value, whenever and wherever. In Gods love we feel happy, satisfied
and secure. Although you may be a poor working man, you are totally free to love those in high
places. Although you are accustomed to life in the highest position, you can freely love the
people at the bottom. People dwelling in Gods love are welcome wherever they go. (115:172-73,
November 10, 1981)
Just because you are a white person, you should not say, I only like whites. When it comes to the
elderly, I will care for white seniors, but not blacks and Asians. I will care for those who are neat and
well-dressed, but not those who are unkempt and wearing rags. No, you should love them all as you
would love your own grandparents in your home. (130:274, February 5, 1984)
Wherever I go, when I am assigning people to a mission, I do not discriminate against blacks or those
who did not complete college. If you possess true love and practice love for the sake of others, then
you will uphold human rights correctly. This is the mainstream. The creation of heaven and earth
began from this point. I cannot forgive the act of diluting and squandering this main current of my
teaching
You should not neglect your younger brother merely because he is handicapped. You should not
disregard in-laws or relatives. The world tends to treat everyone with disrespect, doesnt it? If you
who graduated from a university disrespect those who only completed high school, you are violating
their human rights. (342:298, January 13, 2001)
The day before yesterday I took a group of about twenty people to a seafood restaurant When
we were about to place our order, the waiter told us that we all had to wear ties to be seated, and
he offered to lend us all ties. But the thing displeased me; I said, No thank you, and walked out
of the restaurant with my group. The restaurant staff saw me as I was driven away in a fancy car.
They must have wondered, Why does a rich person like him object to wearing a tie? They probably realized they had missed a great opportunity, but I will not visit that place again. They should
not discriminate against people for not wearing ties. Even if they offer to make an exception for
me, I will not give them my business. If they treat me like that, how will they treat black people?
I want to stand up for you, because I know you are going through hardships. (Gods Will and the
World, May 1, 1977)28
The democratic world will never enjoy true equality until true love is engrafted to it. With true love,
men and women can be equal, and all people can be free. With true love, we can establish democracy in the true sense. (230:87-88, April 26, 1992)
In the future, the five races will become one. Love is one. Although people differ according to
whether they come from the East, West, North or South, and according to their different social
ranks, the axle on which they turn is one. The flowers that bloom from the heart of red, passionate
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love are varieties of the same flowerthe flower of Gods love Hence, these days many people
believe that it is okay to marry interracially. (101:74-75, October 28, 1978)
Womens Rights
THE MOVEMENT FOR WOMENS RIGHTS and equality of the sexes that began in the last century is a major
force for human betterment. Yet amidst the profusion of feminist ideas and trends, can scriptures instruct us
to discern what is best and most enduring? This section deals specifically with womens rights in society. The
more fundamental man-woman relationship is marriage, and there the matter of sex roles and equality of the
sexes comes up with special forcesee Chapter 19: Ethics of Married Life.
Against the persistent mistreatment of women, scriptures affirm the essential equality and dignity of
both man and woman before God. Scriptures also affirm the right of women to an education and to seek the
highest goal of faithan outstanding Buddhist passage praises the resolve of a nun who defeats the Devils
whispering that women are not fit for enlightenment. On the other hand, the scriptures encourage the traditional womanly role of childbearing as the basis of female dignity. Further, there is scriptural warrant for the
subordination of women as a consequence of the Fall and the first womans sina theme to which Father
Moon adds a unique twist when he attributes womens subordination at least in part to the degradation of
men to the level of archangels.
It is undeniable that men and women are distinctly unequal in their physical stature and abilities. A
Buddhist text ridicules the notion that such external differences have any meaning, based on its perspective
that Mind is the only reality. That wont do for Father Moon, who affirms the reality of the created world.
Rather, he teaches that love is the basis of the equality of men and women. He supports the traditional
value of childbearing, calling it Gods special gift to women, but at the same time he applauds women who
aspire to leadership positions in society and he encourages his women followers to take on traditional male
roles. In this respect his thought resonates with the dreams of the pioneering American feminist Susan B.
Anthony, who is quoted here.
Genesis 1.27
Quran 3.195
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between men and women. Nevertheless, in a fight, a man has the strength to defeat even two
women combined! Dont many women still think, I wish I were born a man?
Throughout history, while men have enjoyed good fortune, a womans lot has been miserable. Is
it mainly women who assault and violate men, or men who violate women? Men violate women. It
has been this way throughout history. In case of criminal assault against the opposite sex, over ninety
percent are committed against women. For this reason, women have been holding a grudge against
men and pursue womens rights.
Why doesnt God solve this problem and establish equality among the sexes? Why doesnt He
make those malicious men surrender, but instead just allow them to continue? This is the issue.
(243:268, January 28, 1993)
How are you going to assure equal rights? By force? External laws? Emotional persuasion? It is
through love. It is through love that women can be equal to men. Through love, a mother can be
equal to her son, even though he may be the president of a nation. Where there is love, everything
can be equal. In this sense, we have to understand that the central core of equality lies in men and
women who hope for a peaceful family centered on true love.
A husband wants to return to his wifes bosom and a wife wants to return to her husbands
bosom and become one. There, nothing is high or low. They are indeed experiencing equality. Can
there be equality in any other place? Equal rights for men and women exist only in a peaceful family
(129:51-52, October 1, 1983)
Equality is born from the concept of we. It does not exist when I am the center. The center must
be we. You must understand this. Equality arises from we-centeredness, in the love among we.
It cannot arise from self-centeredness.
Unfortunately, most feminists have an I-centered concept, and most men who believe in
traditional male superiority think the same way. They are both wrong; the correct viewpoint is
to advocate human rights for all people. To seek equality by putting women first does not make
sense. The only sensible way to seek equality is to uphold the rights of everyone, centered on
love.
I dont favor either the feminist movement or the tradition of male superiority. Men should live
for the sake of women, and women should live for the sake of men. (131:109, April 22, 1984)
Just as human beings want to see God during their lifetime, God also wants to see true individuals. Yet if God called for either the man first or the woman first, the one who was not picked would
complain.
Therefore, God cannot help but make love supreme. In that way, both the man and the woman
can see God together, touch God together, and share God together.
If the most precious thing in the world were some material thing, surely the man and woman
would fight over it; but once they understand that it is love, they will become one and possess it
together, by caring for each other. (True Family and World Peace, March 14, 1999)
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I looked into Paradise and found that the majority of its dwellers were the poor people, and I
looked into the (Hell) Fire and found that the
majority of its dwellers were women.
Hadith of Bukhari 8.76.554 (Islam)
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have a spouse. This is why higher religions have encouraged people to remain single. Men are archangel figures, like the archangel Lucifer at the Fall who seduced a woman when he was not supposed
to have a wife. For this reason, women do not have proper husbands. (39:214, January 10, 1971)
Because Eve drove a nail into Gods heart, archangelic men have been driving many nails into
womens hearts. (302:232, June 14, 1999)
Eve was created as Gods princess, and at the same time as Gods future partner. God created her to
become His beloved partner, even Gods wife.
Why is this? To share love, God needs a body, a form. God has no form in the spirit world. Light
like that of the sun stays in the sky twenty-four hours a day; thus does the incorporeal God manage
everything from above. But it is not possible for an incorporeal being to become the love partner of
human beings who have bodily form.
For this reason, the incorporeal God created Adam and Eve each with a body. They were His
absolute works, created for the ideal of love, as His partners. Whose form does God take? God takes
the form of both Adam and Eve. God is the internal Father embodied in Adam the external father;
God is the internal Mother embodied in Eve the external mother. (199:361, February 21, 1990)
Husband and wife are also equal. Their differences should be respected but not used to justify
the domination of one by the other. In collaboration with society, the Church must collectively
affirm and defend the rights of women.
1 Corinthians 11.11-12
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families and make them into havens where true parents, true couples and true children dwell. In
these ways, let us arise and join in the holy cause of changing this evil world into the heavenly
world. (April 10, 1992)
Justice
INJUSTICE AND OPPRESSION CAUSE OFFENSE to God and humanity. People everywhere will fight for justice,
but believers who know Gods all-encompassing love have a special responsibility to use their influence to promote justice. Scriptures admonish people of faith not to sit idly by and not assist the downtrodden in obtaining
the justice that is their due. Long before oppressed people in frustration take up arms to revolt against their
oppressive circumstances, religious people should strive as societys conscience to prompt the authorities to
give justice to those who have long been denied it.
Father Moon himself often tasted injustice, but he never seeks to avenge himself upon his persecutors.
Instead, he always chooses the method of love and forbearance, firm in his conviction that the way of service
and sacrifice is the surest way to overcome injustice on all sides.
Thus says the Lord, Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong
or violence to the alien, the fatherless, and the
widow, nor shed innocent blood.
Jeremiah 22.3
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Frederick Douglass41
Alexander Solzhenitsyn 39
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Who possesses the central and highest conscience in the universe? God. When a man of conscience
sees injustice, does he sit still? No, he explodes in righteous indignation. Is Gods conscience any
weaker? After seeing six thousand years of injustice His indignation grows hot; He prepares to do
battle. God cannot stand by when sees people committing wickednessdamaging the world for their
own selfish benefit or for their own familys or tribes benefit. He reserves a day to strike them down.
Consider the Roman Empire. For four hundred years Rome had dominated the world, but when
she persecuted Christianity, God punished her. Less than four hundred years after Jesus death,
Rome surrendered. (51:44, November 4, 1971)
I have endured, thinking that justice does not win by fighting, but wins by enduring. There were
times when I was so indignant that my whole body was numb. But I endured, accounting myself
an inadequate and unworthy son and thinking, God has endured far more indignation than me.
(74:252, December 31, 1974)
When young people dedicate themselves to sacrifice and service with Gods true love, they will find
the key to solving world poverty and hunger. They will be able to heal the feelings of animosity and
hatred caused by differences between rich and poor and by different historical backgrounds and
experiences.
Only based on love that loves the unlovable, can we find a clear direction to overcome
the intractable conflicts that plague our age. We can even find common ground to meet the
ideological divide between the advocates of freedom and the advocates of equality. (288:201-02,
November 28, 1997)
Once true love is perfected in the human world, what possible political, economic, cultural, or environmental problems could persist? In the world of true love, every problem can be solved. It is the
world of freedom, peace and happiness, replete with joy. It is the world of Gods ideal. It is the world
where joy and happiness are magnified infinitely and eternally, and where everyone has the right to
equal position, equal participation, and equal inheritance. (294:65, June 11, 1998)
Economic Justice
AS LONG AS A SOCIETY TOLERATES GREAT DISPARITIES in living standards between rich and poor, it cannot
be regarded as a just society. Such disparities weaken the bonds of solidarity between citizens, and generate
class distinctions and their accompanying prejudices. Furthermore, equality of opportunity and equal justice
under the law is a fiction in a society where the wealthy have every advantage over the poor. Visionaries of
every age have sought for economic democracy to accompany political democracy. Socialisms of various stripes
have arisen in response to this perennial desire of the original mind.
Economic justice begins with the commandment not to steal. Thieves are not only those who steal from
other people, but also and more damagingly, those in a position of authority who rob from the public trough.
This leads to the question of what is public and what is private. God created the earth, with its air, water
and mineral resources, and in biblical Israel, all the land belonged to God with the people as its stewards. This
scriptural viewpoint challenges the capitalist concept of private property, and suggests that a just economic
system should involve some notion of shared ownership.
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Furthermore, from Gods perspective, all people are members of one family. How, then, can the wealthy
sleep in good conscience while some of their brothers and sisters go hungry? The early Christians held all
property in common, a tradition that has persisted in utopian socialist experiments to this day. The key to
successful socialism, according to Father Moon, is Gods love, which is the fount of the impulse to charity
and brotherly love. It can prompt the wealthy to share their blessings, creating a virtuous cycle of giving. (See
Chapter 13: Charity)
Communism, on the other hand, sought to institutionalize common ownership through a state mechanism that took from the rich to distribute to the poor. It utilized proletarian resentment to justify what was essentially stealing, enforced with great brutality. It took this despicable strategy, in Father Moons view, because
of its atheism and hostility to religion.
Instead of looking to the state to redress economic imbalances, we can look to ourselves. We can cease
to strive only for our individual profit and instead regard each other as brothers and sisters, members of Gods
family. Then, just as family members apportion income and expenses when making their monthly budget,
people of each village or neighborhood would meet on a regular basis and voluntarily apportion income and
share expenses to promote fairness and equality. By the same token, employers and factory owners should pay
their workers a decent wage, not only to encourage their good industry but also out of regard for their value as
human beings. Likewise, in the family of nations, wealthy nations would voluntarily offer aid and technological
assistance to developing nations, with the goal that all people on the planet would have comparable standards
of living. Supporting this, we should promote a culture that honors people more for their charity than for their
wealth. Father Moon envisions this as a practical way to achieve economic justice.
These acts are included in stealing: prompting another to steal, receiving stolen goods,
creating confusion to overcharge or underpay, using false weights and measures, and
deceiving others with artificial or imitation
goods.
Quran 4.10
Nature has poured forth all things for the common use of all men. And God has ordained that
all things should be produced that there might
be food in common for all, and that the earth
should be the common possession of all. Nature
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If you value your personal property more than public property, you are violating the way of Heaven. If
you value your personal integrity more than public integrity, you are contrary to the way of Heaven.
(51:291, November 28, 1971)
The things that you own, your material possessions, are not truly your own; you are their temporary
steward. (23:334, June 15, 1969)
One of the main teachings of the Unification Church is: What is mine is yours, yours is the nations,
the nations is the worlds, the worlds is Gods, and Gods is mine. (57:272, June 4, 1972)
The Duke sent Pi Chan to ask about the wellfield system. Your prince, said Mencius, is
going to practice benevolent government
It must begin with land demarcation. When
boundaries are not properly drawn, the division of land according to the well-field system
and the yield of grain used for paying officials
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cannot be equitable. Despotic rulers and corrupt officials always neglect the boundaries.
But once boundaries are correctly fixed, there
will be no difficulty in settling the distribution
of land and determining fair taxes I suggest
that in the country the tax should be one part
in nine, using the method of a fixed share of
the produce
A section measuring one li square is divided
into nine plots. The central plot of 100 mu is
public land, while the other eight plots of 100
mu each are held by eight families who share the
duty of cultivating the public field. Only when
the work on the public field is finished do they
turn to their own work.47
Mencius III.A.3 (Confucianism)
Thus it is manifest that the best political community is formed by citizens of the middle class,
and that those states are likely to be well-administered in which the middle class is large, and
stronger if possible than both the other classes.
Aristotle, Politics 4.11 (Hellenism)
1021
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1022
Your financial life should not be centered only on the needs and desires of your own family. You
should live with the others in the community in mindsome of whom are wealthy, some middleclass, and others poorand place yourself in the middle range. Your community should have a
monthly meeting to determine the range of the top, middle and bottom third of peoples incomes,
and what are each familys living expenses. Then through discussion, they should determine the
following months budget, which every family should observe. If we live by this principle, our way of
life will be guaranteed.
When you receive your monthly salary, you will compare your living expenses with the average
of people better off and worse off than yourselves, and based on whether you are in the top, middle
or bottom third, you will give a certain proportion of your salary to help those in need. You will make
this your consistent practice. If you do not, your life can be invaded by the spirit world. The spirit
world operates this way.
You cannot live just accumulating money, as in the world of capitalism. I do not have money
stored up.
In the future, when your children are living with you, they should not live better than your
neighbors children. If you have only three children while the average number of children per family
in your neighborhood is four or five, you should willingly help other families to equalize their standard
of living with yours. Families with fewer children should offer financial help to the families with more
children. Since you are all brothers and sisters [in Gods family], you should think of your neighbors
children as your nephews and nieces. The children should marry each other, strengthening the
bonds between those who offer help and those who receive help. Such relationships expand the
foundation of peace. (324:254-56, July 24, 2000)
The direction of politics should be oriented to true love, centered on the ideal of family. Economics
and all activities of culture should likewise be centered on true love. If they continue as they have
been, things will go wrong again and again. The world should inevitably become one, and do so centering on economy, not on politics. Political systems are based upon a governing class and a governed
class. The world of peace and unification can only be realized when such things disappear, and the
world moves to a system of management based on economic relations
Once the world adopts the paradigm of global family, we will enter the era of equalization.
Arriving at a single standard of living, and the peace that flows from it, is a task for the economy
We should leave behind systems of governance based on the concept of struggle or notions of
superiority and inferiority. Things should develop through relationships based on love. (303:192-93,
August 25, 1999)
In the ideal world established by people who have perfected Gods love, the purpose of the whole
and purpose of the individual will be in natural harmony. Because human beings have desire and
a natural inclination towards love, God permits us to have individual ownership and pursue our
individual purposes. Even so, we would not pursue unlimited wealth or go after deviant purposes
that might harm the purpose of the whole. Perfected human beings would only hold on to property for their individual possession according to their status in agreement with their conscience
and original nature.
Especially, people who have become true owners would pursue all their economic activity in
the spirit of love and gratitude. Hence, there could be no greed or corruption. Neither would they
insist on the interests of the nation or region inconsistent with the purpose of the whole. The aim of
economic activity is the welfare of everyone, rather than the mere pursuit of individual profit. This
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1023
is the way of mutual prosperity, based on Gods true love. Through mutual participation, political life
would realize the ideals of freedom, equality and happiness. (271:77, August 22, 1995)
The system in the spirit world is organized based on life. There is no politics. It is a world where the
family ideal is expanded centered on the direct love of God. Politicians bend according to which way
the wind blows and hold to the concept of struggle. Hence they do not hesitate to use any means to
accomplish their goals. However, such a thing does not exist in the spirit world. The spirit worlds
main concern is how to improve the caliber of human life, based on an economy that promotes an
equal standard of living for all. We should establish such a system on earth as well.
True love transcends politics and economics. True love goes beyond power, money, knowledge
or anything else. How do we live when we center on true love? We help everyone to have an equal
standard of living. We should not accomplish this by political means, through enlarging the power
of government. We do it by expanding the scope of our life for the betterment of others. That is the
Kingdom of Heaven on earth. (303:193-94, August 25, 1999)
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1025
owners, they will put it in one pot. If the labor union members worked harder, then a higher percentage of the proceeds should go to them, but if the owners union members worked harder, then
a higher percentage of the profits should be given to them. Instead of fighting, let them compete.
(342:288-89, January 13, 2001)
The twenty-first century shall be a century of righteousness. It will be a century of spirit and soul,
when wealth will not be the dominating factor. It will be a century when God and human beings live
together as one. A new awareness will come to every personthat living for the sake of others has
eternal value, far greater than living for oneself. In the twenty-first century, selfishness will decline.
The altruistic values of interdependence, mutual prosperity and universally shared values will be
triumphant. (219:120, August 28, 1991)
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1026
The gap between North and South, and between whites and blacks, is largely a problem of wealth
versus poverty. White people are well-off and black people are poor. There must be some extraordinary movement in which white people sell their possessions and use the money to help the poor
black people of the world. If such a movement becomes strong, it will change the whole world. At
the same time, there should be a movement among blacks to no longer blame whites for their poverty, but to say, It is our fault, not the whites fault, that we are in poverty. We should work hard to
overtake white people. (161:19, January 1, 1987)
Communism is completely opposed to the natural law itself, and its establishment would entail
the complete destruction of all property and
even human society.
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1027
on a foundation which denies God. It is also a problem that communist states in practice carry out
their programs according to the private will of a few dictators. (115:169-70, November 10, 1981)
In one aspect the communist world is better than the democratic world: It lifts up laborers and
farmers as the heroes of society. God could take this as a reason to preserve the communist world
even if the democratic world were to collapse. However, communisms problem is that it is atheistic.
(130:103, January 1, 1984)
Today we hear the communist battle cry: Liberate the workers and peasants from capitalist oppression! However, does that cry for liberation accord with the liberation sought by the religion of
God? Is it in accord with the hopes of people of faith who are working to liberate all people, even
God Himself? Does that cry seek to make God the complete Subject of goodness forevermore? The
answer is no.
Communisms hope is based on a materialist conception of reality. Communism rejects God,
calls religion the opiate of the people, and is devoted to stamping out religion. In theory also,
it contradicts its own claim of liberation. It is undoubtedly a liberation scheme against God.
Communism is in fact the flag bearer of the Devil, and is mounting a full-scale offensive against the
flag bearer of Gods own church. (85:230-31, March 3, 1976)
The Communist Party has the motto, Workers of the world, unite! Our motto is, All people with
conscience, unite! The Communist Party denies middle and upper class people, but we the people
of conscience will unite all three classes. We include all the racesblack, white and yelloweveryone. (52:136, December 26, 1971)
The philosophers who came up with the law of the dialectic, Hegel and Engels in particular, saw
a conflicting, confronting nature within universal law. Unless we successfully resolve the question
of the dialectic within the universe, we cannot find the true formula for the ideal world. We cannot discover the way to establish peace and harmony within organizations that have a hierarchical
structure. We must explain the errors of such theories as survival of the fittest, the strong eat the
weak, and power causes progress. Otherwise, people will think that mistreating others is not a
sin. (132:142, May 31, 1984)
The communist system is for the state, and democracy is for the individual. To bridge this gap we
should find a middle way. The nation that develops that middle way will have the ideal economic
system. (52:263, January 2, 1972)
the world are becoming more and more dependent on one another, and it will not be possible
to preserve lasting peace so long as glaring economic and social imbalances persist.
Justice and humanity demand that those
countries which produce consumer goods,
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1029
nations financially, otherwise she cannot continue being wealthy. What belongs to America does
not belong to America alone, but belongs to the world. (13:27, October 16, 1963)
How did America become a nation that is respected throughout the world? It is because after World
War II, she financially helped all the enemy nations that she had defeated. Since she gave it on
behalf of God, her position was elevated. Yet, when she reduced her giving, her position gradually
declined. (26:53, October 18, 1969)
When a famine occurs in one part of the world, then the parts of the world where food is abundant
should rush more food into the hungry areas. We have to build this kind of world. Presently, 20 million people are dying of starvation every year, while America is wasting too much food. This is a
violation of the universal law. (247:94, April 25, 1993)
A nation that promotes only its own interests will perish. A nation that exploits other nations, using
them as its foothold for its own prosperity, will perish in the end. The reason why America is being
accused is because after she provides other nations with some financial aid, she attempts to make
money off of them. (26:294, November 10, 1969)
When offering aid to less fortunate nations, America should offer it with parental heart, shedding
tears for them and taking the role of a servant. When giving to those unfortunates who have shed
many tears, she should also shed many tears for them. America should not look down on them from
the height of authority and power, as she does now. Otherwise, her giving will only foment rebellion
and discontent. The first to shed tears should be the donor, not the recipient. Why? The donor is
in the position of a parent. Therefore, when the donor offers aid, she should do so with tears. If she
gives while belittling the recipients, she will perish
Nevertheless, there is no excuse for the Republic of Korea to say, Well, America, you are
bragging that you used to provide us with financial aid. Someday we will teach you a lesson.
(13:27-28, October 16, 1963)
We can never have world peace until those nations which have been blessed with material and technological advantages willingly share them with the other nations of the world. The blessings of science and technology are meant for all humankind, and they should be shared. Every nation should
have an equal chance to utilize technology for the peoples well being, just as all nations athletes
should enjoy high quality coaching and ultimately compete on a level playing field. Otherwise, the
advanced nations will be resented and hated by those who are deprived. The Unification Move
ment is committed to helping them share the blessings of technology with all nations, and to helping developing nations establish their own industrial base as the key to economic independence.
(November 25, 1988)
In this world poverty is rampant. Hunger and poverty are deep-seated problems. Religious believers have a serious responsibility to deal with this situation. Over the past 20 years or so, I have
been endeavoring to develop the resources of the ocean, personally fishing and investing substantial
amount of funds. As a result, I succeeded in inventing high-potency protein powder a nutritional
supplement for health that is being effectively distributed to Africa and other parts of the world.
In order to eliminate the tragedy of starvation on the earth, I am putting my resolution into
practice. I understand that all religions should unite and cooperate with one another in producing
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1030
foods through agricultural development and ocean industries to help underdeveloped countries.
If religions lead the way in practicing true love through the investment of human resources and
materials, I believe it will be a great hope to the world. (271:71-72, August 21, 1995)
The U.S. administration insists that all trade barriers should be dismantled and excess farm products
should be free to go to any country and be sold at the market price. This is known as the Uruguay
Round. It calls for the poor countries with subsistence agriculture to open up their gates and be
flooded with farm products from wealthy nations. However, I am suggesting that, like farm products,
the population of the world should be allowed to flow back and forth anywhere it wants to go. That
is, all national boundaries should be dismantled. (261:309, July 24, 1994)
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All humans are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of
destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects
all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be
until you are what you ought to be, and you can
never be what you ought to be until I am what
I ought to be.
Martin Luther King, Jr. (Christianity)
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Imagine two enemy families who have cursed each other throughout their lives, people who would never
dream of living together. What would happen if these families joined together by wedding their children
in a Holy Marriage Blessing? A son from one family and a daughter from the other family become husband and wife, love each other and build a happy home. Would the parents in each family curse their own
children? When their son loves this beautiful daughter of a hated enemy, and she as their daughter-inlaw gives birth to Heavens grandchildren as pure and clear as crystal, the grandparents would smile with
pleasure. In time the two lineages that were once soaked with enmity will be transformed.
What method other than cross-cultural marriage will empower Whites and Blacks, Jews and
Muslims, Orientals and Westerners, and people of all races to live as one human family? The ideal
family is the model for living together in peace. The ideal family is the nest where we live and learn to
become one. There we have the foundation of love and respect between parents and children, shared
trust and love between husband and wife, and mutual support among siblings. For this fundamental
reason, you should receive the Holy Marriage Blessing from the True Parents and establish Heavens
tradition of ideal families, even if it means risking your very life. (September 21, 2005)
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1033
Beware lest the desires of the flesh and of a corrupt inclination provoke divisions among you.
Be ye as the fingers of one hand, the members of one body. Thus counsels you the Pen of
Revelation, if ye be of them that believe.
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahaullah 72
(Bahai Faith)
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World Citizenship
THE WORLD SEEMS TO BE MOVING INEXORABLY towards unity, yet centrifugal forces threaten to blow it
apart. Trends towards globalization in communications, education, transportation and trade are tying nations
together into an interdependent network of mutual benefit. Nevertheless, the path to world unity cannot be
forged only on the basis of trade. As long as the world agenda is dictated by the dominant economic powers,
there will be peoples in the developing world who feel the juggernaut of globalization as a mortal threat. Proud
peoples with a glorious history will seek alternative ways to assert their pride of placethe rise of Islamicism
being one example. Therefore, economics does not hold the key to world unity. That key, that central element,
is religion.
Certainly, religious teachings can be divisive. Yet each religion contains teachings that lift up the ideal of
world unity, rooted in God who is the Parent of all humankind. God sees all human beings as His children;
therefore the world is destined to be one family. Religious teachings demarcate the path to make this unity a
reality, for example Father Moons promotion of international, interracial and interfaith marriage.
Quran 49.13
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1037
the whole world at the end of World War II? President Kennedy understood this, and he encouraged
America to help all the struggling nations of the world. (215:200-01, February 17, 1991)
In accordance with my cosmic teaching, we should make the world into one household. A home has
a father and a mother; in this household Heaven is our father and the earth is our mother. A home
also has brothers and sisters; all human beings are our brothers and sisters. (36:296, December 13,
1970)
We are all part of one world family This is the significance of the words [from the Family Pledge],
Our family pledges to build the universal family encompassing heaven and earth and perfect the
world of freedom, peace, unity and happiness.62 It is not about my personal freedom, peace, unity
and happiness, but rather the freedom, peace, happiness and freedom of everyone in the universal
family. The whole world is our family.
When you arrive in heaven, you will not find people separated by national borders. People of
all nationalities are assembled together. Are you prepared to live that way? Do you have such a
universal viewpoint that you can embrace all people from the past, present and future? (260:191-93,
May 8, 1994)
You can enter the Kingdom of Heaven only when you have lived with people of seven different
nationalities. (Way of Gods Will 1.8)
Every being is situated in space relative to what is above and below, right and left, front and back.
In the family, each person stands in relation to above and below, right and left, and front and back.
This same pattern applies to the nation and the world. Thus in the family, each individual should
have a loving relationship with parents above and children below, husband on the right and wife on
the left, and elder siblings in front and younger siblings in back. Similarly in the nation, each family,
beginning with the President, should embrace families from all regions, and then embrace all people
of the world, East and West, and North and South, as their brothers and sisters. We are ultimately
responsible to create the model in our own family, which can be replicated on every level. (True
Family and World Peace, July 18, 1997)63
Through this, we can finally build the providential house of Gods desire. That house will be our
nation, our world, and our heaven and earth. People of all five races will dwell there. Americans,
Germans, French, Italians, British and Japaneseall former enemieswill gather there. Yet
despite their past history as enemies, they will be unable to feel any enmity towards each other
no matter how hard they try. Love will unite them, as they live for the sake of others. (106:83,
December 9, 1979)
A religion which puts its own nation and people first will never be able to realize Gods Will on
the world level. We must go beyond our ethnicity and our nation, beyond our national traditions,
cultures and social conventions. We must seek a society that embraces all the worlds peoples and
a world which can be in accord with Gods Will. For this to happen, all people should be united in
heart and live together as one. Unless the religions of the world work decisively to unite their concepts of the good life and the [ideal] world, religion will not endure.
Therefore, as a church, we should not take delight in the idea that our church should be supreme
in the world; rather, we should delight in lifting up the world. When we look at the course of history
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1038
centered on religion, this present age is at a turning point. A concept which puts me first, a concept
which puts my family first, my nation firstwith such concepts globalism is impossible. (27:179,
December 14, 1969)
Human history has been moving toward one unified world. Therefore, anything that limits your purpose to the individual, family, tribe or nation will pass away. (12:45, September 10, 1962)
A new era has begun, the era of Cheon Il Guk, the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. All peoplein the
spirit world and in the physical world, on the right and on the left, and Muslims and Christianswill
live together as one family. This is the meaning of Cheon Il Guk. World peace can be realized only
when there are no barriers or borders dividing religions.
Our children can build a world of peace through inter-religious and international marriages.
When Jews and Muslims have their children marry each other, and when communists and people
from the free world have their children marry each other, we will eventually become the members
of one family
We must establish one global family under God. The simplest way to accomplish this is through
cross-cultural marriages between Jews and Muslims, and between communists and democrats. For
instance, if the children of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and the children of South Korean
president Roh were to marry each other, the enmity between their two nations would dissipate.
Then world peace would radiate outwards from the Korean peninsula.
I, Reverend Moon, am the champion of interreligious, interracial, international marriage. If
the United Nations were to invite me to give such marriage blessings to all humanity, it would not
take even one week to restore the entire world. I am proclaiming that the solution to the worlds
problems is not far away; it is right here. (March 2, 2003)
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Chapter 21
Quran 38.26
1039
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1040
and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the
left; so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.
Deuteronomy 17.14-20
You, leaning on the Dhamma, honoring, respecting, and revering it, doing homage to it, hallowing it, being yourself a banner of the Dhamma,
a signal of the Dhamma, having the Dhamma
as your master, should provide the right watch,
ward, and protection for your own people, for
the army, for the nobles, for vassals, for brahmins, and householders, for town and country
dwellers, for the religious world, and for beasts
and birds. Throughout your kingdom let no
wrongdoing prevail. And whosoever in your
kingdom is poor, to him let wealth be given.
Digha Nikaya 3.60-61,
Chakkavatti-sihanada Suttanta (Buddhism)
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1041
and based upon Gods Will. We religious people should reflect deeply and recognize that we are
responsible for many of the absurdities and problems in this age. We have not become exemplary in
practicing love. We need to repent that we have not exerted ourselves for world salvation because
we have been preoccupied with saving ourselves or benefiting our tribe. Now, truly, not only should
we have faith, we also need to practice love. (234:273, August 26, 1992)
Who decides whether a policy is good or bad? What standard can you use to assess it? It is not for
the leader of the free world or the leader of the communist world to make that judgment. It can only
be made by the Owner who rules history and moves heaven and earthby whatever name you call
Him. (104:206, May 6, 1979)
Righteous Leadership
AMONG THE REQUISITE QUALITIES OF A LEADER is righteousness. Righteousness is defined as dedication
to the public welfare regardless of the cost to oneself. A righteous leader does not shrink from facing difficult
problems. He is committed to public justice and fights to establish it, overcoming any obstacles along the way.
Moreover, he knows that a great task requires sacrifice, not only from himself, but also from his subordinates.
He never takes their suffering for granted and has the greatest solicitude for the hardships they must endure,
yet he perseveres despite these difficulties. He keeps to the task for the sake of future generations.
On the personal level, a righteous leader has integrity. He does not seek to profit from his office, and he
never misuses public funds for his own benefit. Any corruption is toxic, to be avoided at all costs.
And if God had not repelled some men by others, the earth would have been corrupted.
Quran 2.251
John 2.13-16
Thomas Jefferson3
Exodus 8.1
Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen
and sheep and pigeons, and the moneychangers at their business. And making a
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A man should share in the distress of the community, for so we find that Moses, our teacher,
shared in the distress of the community.
Talmud, Taanit 11a (Judaism)
Deuteronomy 9.16-19
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1043
Duke Ching of Chi asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied saying, Let the
prince be a prince, the minister a minister, the
father a father, and the son a son. The Duke
said, How true! For indeed, when the prince
is not a prince, the minister not a minister, the
father not a father, the son not a son, one may
have a dish of millet in front of one and yet not
know if one will live to eat it.5
Analects 12.11 (Confucianism)
The gentleman weighs his abilities before entering office, rather than the other way around.
Chu Hsi (Confucianism)
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1044
a thousand chariots, it is certain to be by a vassal with a hundred chariots. A share of a thousand in ten thousand or a hundred in a thousand
is by no means insignificant, yet if profit is put
before rightness, there is no satisfaction short of
total usurpation. No benevolent man ever abandons his parents, and no dutiful man ever puts his
prince last. Perhaps you will now endorse what I
have said: All that matters is that there should
be benevolence and rightness. What is the point
of mentioning the word profit?
Mencius I.A.1 (Confucianism)
The king Wu Ting appointed Yueh prime minister. He gave Yueh his instructions:
Morning and evening, send in your
reprimands, and so help me to patch up my
personal virtue. Imagine that I am a steel
weapon; I will use you for a whetstone. Imagine
I have to cross a big river; I will use you for a
boat and oars. Imagine I am a year of record
drought; I will use you as a copious rain
You, yes you, teach me what should be my
aims. You be the malt that works up the brew.
Imagine we are making a good soup, you be the
salt and prunes.6
Book of History 4.8.1-3 (Confucianism)
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1045
The second problem is personnel managementto change peoples positions unfairly and
arbitrarily. Democracies and other regimes as well divide into and perpetuate factionsruling and
opposition parties, and their leaders grant position and status based upon party loyalty. This causes
tremendous damage. Experienced and capable people who were settled into their jobs are crushed
and removedor at least blocked from rising higher so they can offer greater service. Left out of
favor, they flounder about and cannot improve their status. Such misuse of politics will have to
disappear. A new management system must be instituted that provides equal opportunity to all and
rewards people fairly based on their merit. Once again, this requires that public money is distributed
fairly and equitably. (324:253-54, June 24, 2000)
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1046
Do not rob from your organizations funds for your personal use. It is destroying the public environment and every bit as unlawful as robbing the state. Anyone who does such things, no matter how
they try to live a good life, will not succeed. (347:85, July 3, 2001)
If you value your personal property more than public property, you are violating heavenly law. If you
value your private life more than your public responsibility, you are violating Gods will. (51:291,
November 28, 1971)
When you [leaders] arrive in the spirit world, what will be reckoned as the most serious sins you committed on earth? The first is misusing public funds; the second, not doing your very best for your public
mission; the third, violating the Principle. These are the three major sins.8 (97:155-56, March 12, 1978)
You ministers, be careful. Using the church for your selfish purpose is the same as using God. Therefore,
when guests visit your church or when you are out evangelizing, you should never occupy your mind
with the question, Would this person donate a lot of money? (33:164, August 11, 1970)
Exemplary Leadership
THE BEST LEADERS ARE THEMSELVES EXAMPLES of virtue and righteousness. A society will be blessed when its
elite memberspoliticians, business leaders, professors, celebrities and sports heroesrecognize their duty
to be examples of honesty, integrity and morality. When they become role models, the common people will
naturally follow their example.
We can identify three aspects of exemplary leadership. First, it begins in the family. The manner in which
a leader cares for his or her spouse and children and manages the household is the starting point for his or her
work in the wider spheres of government and social responsibility.
Second, it is leadership that governs by educating hearts and minds. In China, Confucius and his followers
set forth the ideal of exemplary leadership against the views of Legalists who taught that leadership flowed
from law and its vigorous enforcement power by the barrel of the gun as Mao Zedong would later put it.
Confucius countered that all the states power would not banish discontent if the leaders were corrupt; on the
contrary, the people would only learn violence and oppression.
Third, we have examples of exemplary leadership in the saints and religious teachers whom God sent to
this earth. Jesus of Nazareth did not just teach through the words of his sermons, but also by his practice of
sacrificial love. The Christian who walks in the footsteps of Jesus asks, What would Jesus do, and does likewise. Jesus loved his enemies on the crossa difficult example to followthus laying the basis for Christians
ever since to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors. When the political leaders follow these saints
examples, they can establish world peace without doubt.
These qualities of exemplary leadership are summarized in Father Moons teaching called the Three Subjects
Thought. The standard of leadership is to be a true parent, true teacher and true owner. Such leaders partake
of the nature of God, our Heavenly Father, who superintends this world as its Owner, cares for all its creatures
with deep parental love, and continually educates us to the true way of life.
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1047
Chi Kang-tzu asked Confucius about government, saying, Suppose I were to slay those
who have not the Way in order to help those
who have the Way, what would you think of
it? Confucius replied, saying, If you desire
what is good, the people will at once be good.
The essence of the gentleman is that of wind;
the essence of small people is that of grass. And
when a wind passes over the grass, it cannot
choose but bend.
Analects 12.19 (Confucianism)
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1048
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What was Gods purpose in sending saints and prophets to this earth? It was to educate all people
about the meaning of Gods true love by demonstrating the character and exemplary life that God
desires. (219:110, August 27, 1991)
What is meant by saying that in order to establish moral order in his state, one must first
guide his family properly is this: One cannot
convince others of what he cannot convince
the members of his own family. Therefore the
wise governor does not need to go beyond his
family in order to find the principles needed for
governing his state. Here he finds his own sons
respectful obedience to his father, with which a
governor should be served; affection for ones
relatives, with which higher officials should be
treated; and paternal kindness, with which all
people should be regarded.10
Great Learning 9.1 (Confucianism)
Heaven, earth and man are the basis of all creatures. Heaven gives them birth, earth nourishes
them, and man brings them to completion
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Family relationships have reached the breaking-point. From this perspective, how can we possibly
attain the true standard of even one of these three subject positionseither as a parent, teacher
or leader? (285:214-15, May 3, 1997)
The principle of true parent-child relationships applies to the philosophy of management. The relationship between an employer and his employees should be viewed in this way, not as a conflict
relationship in the manner of Communism. Problems in labor relations can be solved by practicing parental love. The owner of the company is in the role of parent, and his employees are in the
position of children. The owner should care for his employees as parents care for their children.
Dont parents save money to bequeath it to their children? The owner should likewise think that his
purpose is to bequeath his companys wealth to his employees. (116:121, December 27, 1981)
God expects you to become a true parent, a true teacher and a true leader. What do you think is
the highest standard and absolute model for those three positions? It is God. God is the True Parent
among parents, True Teacher among teachers, and True King among kings. God is the Eternal True
Parent, Eternal True Teacher, Eternal True Leader and King. If we are children of God, we need to
become a true parent first, just like God. We should also follow the way of a true teacher, just like
God. And we need to follow the way of a true leader, just like God. The ultimate model for the three
subject positions is God. (285:224, May 3, 1997)
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1. Servant Leadership
In the happiness of his subjects lies a kings happiness; in their welfare his welfare; whatever
pleases him he shall not consider as good, but
whatever pleases his subjects he shall consider
as good.
The highest duty of a ruler is to protect his subjects; the ruler who enjoys the rewards of his
position is bound to that duty.
I Ching 42 (Confucianism)
Quran 3.159
The man of perfect virtue, wishing to be established himself, seeks also to establish others;
wishing to be enlarged himself, he seeks also to
enlarge others.
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tion. Although that small good condition is far outweighed by the evil he did earlier, on account of
it you can have room to reserve judgment until you can deal properly and comprehensively with the
situation. (72:313, July 14, 1974)
A responsible person even when he knows the truth lets himself be deceived. (324:202, June 24, 2000)
Use clear judgment in handling affairs in your daily life. Then your heart should follow. To be clear
about affairs means to act in accordance with reason. You should never act on a matter when you
are confused or uncertain about it. Analyze well how to handle relationships with those above you
and below you, on your right and on your left, in front of you and behind you. Once that is clear, you
can cultivate affectionate feelings to embrace them all. The cloth of affection can wrap up everyone:
grandfathers, grandmothers, babies, everyone.
The cloth of intellect is one-sided, while the cloth of affection is all-embracing. Look at me: I
love even 80-year-old grandmothers, and they flock to my place. Grandmothers and tiny infants all
rejoice to be wrapped in the cloth of love. They hug each other, the infants resting in the old ladies
arms, never wanting to leave. With the cloth of love you can create that kind of place. (81:328,
December 29, 1975)
State. And it stands to reason that wage-earners, who are undoubtedly among the weak and
necessitous, should be specially cared for and
protected by the Government.
Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum (Christianity)
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Ho, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the
sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves
with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you
do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not
strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the
crippled you have not bound up, the strayed you
have not brought back, the lost you have not
sought, and with force and harshness you have
ruled them. So they were scattered, because
there was no shepherd; and they became food
for all the wild beasts Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the
Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds;
and I will require my sheep at their hand, and
put a stop to their feeding the sheep; no longer
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shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may
not be food for them.
Ezekiel 34.2-10
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In the future, politics will be mainly a matter of good management. There will be no place for politicians to manipulate policies for unrighteous ends, as all people follow the Principle way and live for
the sake of peace. The government will provide an exemplary model of management that serves to
benefit the entire people.
The function of government will be to help people with economic difficulties and provide a way
for everyone to eat and live. People will be categorized into three levels according to their standard
of livingtop, middle and bottomand the average standard of living will be determined. Then
the government will set up an administrative mechanism to equalize peoples living standards to the
middle level
This administrative mechanism will incorporate the ethics of a single household planning
the family budget, in which everyone takes responsibility for each other. Family members who are
spending too much try to lower their expenses, while those in need receive more, in order that
everyone in the family is at an equal level in the middle.14 Likewise in society, those who are blessed
with more will contribute to lift up others. (324:253-54, June 24, 2000)
Today, the industrialized North must reach out to help liberate the South from pervasive impoverishment. The developed nations must lend a helping hand to the support the development of the
developing countries and the new democracies. Each nations attitude must be changed from a selfish one to an unselfish one. That in itself will be a revolution. Nations can do this when their leaders
think of themselves in the role of parents. From that perspective, nations will regard each other as
brother and sister nations. Then a fresh new vision will emerge and new opportunities will open up
before of us. (219:120, August 28, 1991)
3. Democracy
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed.
U.S. Declaration of Independence
I know no safe depository of the ultimate a powers of society but the people themselves; and if
we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion,
the remedy is not to take it from them, but to
inform their discretion by education.
Thomas Jefferson
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From their very origins, the democracies which emerged in England and the United States
were different from the democracy born out of the French Revolution The English and American
democracies were founded by sincere Christians, the fruits of the Abel-type view of life, and were
born out of their victorious fight with absolutism to win religious freedom. Hence, these are Abeltype democracies. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Preparation 3.1)
Democracy is the ideology of brotherhood. It promotes equality by upholding freedom. But is freedom alone enough to secure happiness? No. To secure happiness, love must be the highest value.
(201:73, March 1, 1990)
If democracy were to use love as its basis, then the world would become one. That kind of democracy could become world-level democracy. Even communism, if it were centered on true love, could
also make one world. Where there is love, the word purge cannot exist. (90:311-12, January 15,
1977)
While much in America seems attractive, if you dig deeper you will find some disagreeable aspects.
There is always a taint of racism. People live as isolated individuals and have not become as one
community. The law is not always in agreement with human rights. (90:304, January 15, 1977)
If a black person wanted to run for the presidency, would white Americans support him? What do
you think? Would they elect a capable black candidate?As long as blacks and whites are fighting
over their rights, are there truly human rights?
The democratic world is a world of individualism. It takes no account of relationships, such as
husband and wife. Each individual is his or her own center. Yet in reality, people cannot exist without
relationships. Everything exists in the context of relationships. A society that valued relationships
above all else would encourage everyone to make relationships with their counterparts, for that
is the very nucleus from which the world will become one. First, families become one; then they
build relationships with their neighbors and unify their neighborhood. Based upon this principle,
people would assemble themselves into a single structure, connecting everyone throughout the
world. (228:8, March 1, 1992)
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Laws prescribe punishment as a deterrent to crime and to establish justice. The government in meting out
punishments is a co-worker with God, who is the final dispenser of justice. Indeed, one can regard hell as a
vast prison in the spirit world to restrain evildoers from trampling on heavens domains. Punishment can serve
as indemnity, an opportunity for the criminal to pay the debt of sin.
On the other hand, there should always be an element of mercy in the criminal justice system, should the
criminal repent with sincerity and turn his life around. Father Moon teaches that the chief purpose of prison
should be education and rehabilitation. This was, in fact, the core idea of the twentieth century movement
to convert prisons where inmates languished in cells into penitentiaries where they could be rehabilitated
through work and education. The two poles of justice and mercy form the perspective from which to view
ethical issues such as the death penalty.
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Why should you obey the laws of your nation? You may think, Thats a bad law. I know that some
crooked congressman introduced the bill and got it passed, so Im not going to obey that law. I will
follow my own laws. Nevertheless, laws are made to preserve the freedom of the nation as a whole,
and the nations freedom is a higher good than the preferences of particular individuals or groups.
From this perspective, it is right to obey the law. By the same token, Gods law protects the freedom
and integrity of the entire universe, above and beyond the desires of any of its creatures. (May 1,
1982)17
At the Human Fall evil started first, ahead of goodness. Hence we must make effort to suppress evil
and elevate goodness. What strategy shall we use? First, we must take control over our arrogance.
The Fall occurred when human beings exalted themselves and pushed God aside. That was the
beginning of Satans nature. Arrogance is the desire to elevate oneself without regard to law and
discipline or to how it may affect the surrounding environment or the social order. An arrogant person has no regard for duty or law.
How do we describe a person who lives in accordance with the law? Do we say He is arrogant?
No, we say he or she is as an honest person. The Korean word for honesty (jeongjik) is composed of
two Chinese characters, meaning right and meaning straight. The law establishes what is
straight. With the law we separate good from evil and distinguish between right and wrong.
An arrogant person ignores the law. We must put a stop to behavior that ignores the law and
violates the norms expected according to ones position and circumstances. (37:112, December 23,
1970)
What will be the constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven? It will establish the power of love and
foster the life force of love. All laws in the Kingdom of Heaven will be for protecting love. (111:171,
February 15, 1981)
He is not thereby just because he hastily arbitrates cases. The wise man should investigate
both right and wrong.
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Deuteronomy 19.15-20
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O you who believe! Equal recompense is prescribed for you in cases of murder: a freeman
for a freeman, a slave for a slave, a woman for
a woman.18 But if any remission is made by the
brother of the slain, then grant any reasonable
demand and compensate him with handsome
gratitude. This is a concession and a mercy
from your Lord.
Quran 1.178
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is not made for the just, but for the unjust. The
just man is a law unto himself and he does not
need to summon the law from afar, for he carries
it enclosed in his heart, having the law [of God]
written on the tablets of his heart
The wise man is free, since one who does
as he wishes is free. Not every wish is good, but
the wise man wishes only that which is good; he
hates evil for he chooses what is good. Because he
chooses what is good he is master of his choice,
and because he chooses his work he is free.
Saint Ambrose of Milan, Letter 54 (Christianity)
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the sake of others do not require laws to deter them from doing wrong. We need to reach that level,
where we are liberated from the law.
How shall you live if you want to be confident not to be caught in the net of the worlds laws? If
you live for your own selfish purposes, you are liable to be caught wherever you go. Instead, cultivate
a life of living for the greater good of society. Then you will be liberated from the law. (93:301,
June 12, 1977)
Would that the world was filled with true families! It would be a world governed by the
heavenly way and heavenly laws, with no need for lawyers, prosecutors or even judges.
(April 10, 2006)
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Jeremiah 1.4-10
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important decisions, I urge them to listen humbly to the voice coming from Heaven and look for
solutions through following the heavenly way. (219:110, August 27, 1991)
This world needs prophets, not philosophers. You cant deny it. Did democratic thought originate
with philosophers or prophets? Who were its primary exponents? We need to analyze it and come
up with a clear answer. How about communism? It was put forward by philosophers. People of the
world today follow what philosophers advocate, but we cannot completely accept their theories.
From this viewpoint, the theories of the philosophers will pass away while the words of the prophets
will endure.
Where are philosophers? They are at universities. Where are prophets? They are among religious
believers. Do people give more respect to religion or to universities? They prefer the universities. All
right then, where can we find hope, in universities or in religion? Clearly, in religion. We can find
hope in a nameless religion, rather than at world-famous Harvard, Cambridge, or Oxford.
Among the prophets, were many of them scholars, or were they mostly uneducated people?
They were mostly uneducated people. Yet conventionally, people put more trust in scholars than
in the uneducated people we call prophets. From this viewpoint, we can conclude that the world is
headed in the wrong direction. (79:334, September 28, 1975)
Churches must educate families, tribes and nations to go the right path. They are like the prophets
in the past, who admonished their kings, especially when they were on the wrong track, and guided
them to do right. Likewise, God is utilizing churches as the womb to give birth to families, tribes and
peoples who will lead the future world. (106:35, November 11, 1979)
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the American people. If Nixon had listened to me, America would not have declined as it did and
Vietnam would not have fallen.
In 1974, I met President Thieu of Vietnam and strongly warned him that his country was on the
path of ruin unless it changed direction. I told that he would have to inspire the people of his nation
to sacrifice and put up a determined fight, and that his policy of relying on America would fail.
Gods way is the same throughout history. He always raises a prophet or messenger to educate
the rulers and civil authorities. I did not come to America to be active in politics. I want to educate
the politicians to go in the right direction. This is my way of life.
Do you think I came to America to get rich? Do you think I came here to receive abuse? I am
not so foolish. I am doing this work for the sake of Gods name. God told me plainly, Go to America
and speak out. If the leaders of the nation will not listen to you, then the young people who will
become its future leaders will listen to you. That is how you come to be here listening to me now.
(93:83-84, May 15, 1977)
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[The prophets] suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They
were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were
killed with the sword; they went about in skins
of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, illtreatedof whom the world was not worthy
wandering over deserts and mountains and in
dens and caves of the earth.
Hebrews 11.36-38
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It is an attribute of the possession of the absolute true self to be able to foreknow. When
a nation or family is about to flourish, there
are sure to be lucky omens. When a nation
or family is about to perish, there are sure to
be signs and prodigies. These things manifest
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Chapter 22
Peace
The Peace of God
GOD IS THE SOURCE OF PEACE. When we look around us and see only conflict and war, when we despair of
finding peace on earth, we turn to God, the King of Peace. When God comes to us, He soothes the anger in
our breasts and lets us see our enemy from a different perspective, as a brother or sister. God is love; therefore
with God we gain the power to love even our enemy. (See Chapter 13: Love Your Enemy) Therefore, the key to
peace is to live with God, and to manifest Gods love.
Father Moon adds an additional insight: since Gods love dwells especially in the thick relationships of
marriage and family, the God-centered, peaceful family is the actual building block of a peaceful society, nation
and world.
John 14.27
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What educational materials will God employ to teach people how to realize peace on earth? He will
use materials on love. Since love is invisible, God will find a man and a woman who love each other.
Observing them, we learn that the source of peace in their relationship is love. Only love has the
power to make peace possible. (193:153, October 3, 1989)
The basic unit of a peaceful world is not a peaceful nation but a peaceful family. A man and a
woman, each with mind and body in harmony, who wed with Gods Blessing and make a family
this is the basic unit of a peaceful world. These peaceful families are the families that have received
Gods Blessing through the True Parentsa blessing available for the first time in history. They
structure their lives with true love and establish harmonious oneness. As these families prosper, they
bring peace to their clans, to their communities, to their nations, and to the world. (December 27,
2002)
Human beings were created as temples of God. The Spirit of God was to be dwelling with them every
moment of every day. In that situation, could people possibly make war on each other?
In the original world of creation, fighting among human beings would be as if your right hand
were fighting your left hand, or as if your hand were trying to pull out your eye. In other words,
in the ideal world of Gods creation, war would be impossible. People would only be able to love
each other and live in harmony. Their only challenge would be to compete in ways of glorifying
their Creator.
In such a world there could be no conflict, no misunderstanding. There would only be
harmony, cooperation and mutual assistance. People would be united in the pursuit of truth,
goodness and beauty. It would truly be the world of peace that humanity has been seeking. This
world would reflect the nature of God, whose primary characteristic is unselfishness, unselfish
love, and unselfish peace. In religious terms it is called the Kingdom of God on earth. (219:116,
August 28, 1991)
Inner Peace
PEACE BEGINS WITH PEACEFUL INDIVIDUALS. People who attain inner peace radiate peace to others. They
possess inner strength, clarity and compassion with which to treat others peacefully, even in the face of hostility. By cultivating what Father Moon calls unity of mind and body, people can become vessels fit to receive
Gods abundant love, with which to share with others.
Cultivating inner peace must be the starting-point for all peacemaking efforts in the outer world. No political or economic program can produce a just and equitable peace if the people it seeks to help are full of hatred
and violence in their hearts.
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1. Reconciliation
If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there
remember that your brother has something
against you, leave your gift there before the altar
and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and
then come and offer your gift.6
Matthew 5.23-24
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can bear fruit when there is goodness, with all evils having surrendered. It cannot bear fruit where
there is conflict and complaint. That is why when there is a falling out among brothers, they should
first reconcile before making an offering table for their ancestors.9 (286:209-10, August 11, 1997)
If each side insists, I exist for myself, they can never be reconciled. To achieve the goal of peace,
people on both sides need to take the stance, I exist for you. Then they can come to the point
of consoling one another. Peace can arise only when we say to our opponent, I am here for you.
(60:21, August 1, 1972)
Thus far, nations tried to expand their territory by invading others. However, from now on we should
follow the principle that to reach the world we should deny ourselves. In order for your beloved
nation to lead the world, it must go beyond national self-interest. If your nation cannot do this, it
does not have the philosophy that can unify the world. (26:294, November 10, 1969)
What kind of world would it be if each nation thought, God is on my side, while it treated other
nations as the enemy? It would be a world of continual wars and conflicts.
To become Gods sons and daughters, you have to love the way God loves. You have to love
humanity. I know that God wants enemy nations to reconcile, become friendly, connect with each
other and unite into one. That is why I work to encourage nations to think beyond their borders and
form a united world. (83:312, February 25, 1976)
2. Peacemaking
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be
called sons of God.
Matthew 5.9
Rabbi Baruqa of Huza often went to the marketplace at Lapet. One day, the prophet Elijah
appeared to him there, and Rabbi Baruqa asked
him, Is there anyone among all these people
who will have a share in the World to Come?
Elijah answered Those two will have a share
in the World to Come! Rabbi Baruqa asked
the newcomers, What is your occupation?
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I have the mission to prevent racial conflict and make peace between the races, especially between
blacks and whites. The best way to accomplish this is to inspire white people to humble themselves
voluntarily and serve black people. (124:275, February 27, 1983)
Black people in America walked the path of slavery, taking the role of Abel as their part in the restoration of the heavenly side. It was black people who established America, not white people. Black
people were sacrificed to build this nation; also the Indians were sacrificed. You should know that if
there were ever a racial war, black people would want revenge, and neither would the other colored
races leave the white race alone. Why do you think I, Reverend Moon, came to America? Indians
are like my cousins. We are brothers. They are all perishing, and I have to prevent it. I didnt come
here for revenge, but to save. I am here to help the races reconcile with each other.
Who can reconcile whites and blacks? Can a white person or a black person do it? No, it wont
work. Blacks wont listen to a white person, and whites wont follow a black person. But black people
can listen to someone of the yellow race. Yellow people were also the victims of the white establishment.
If yellow people take the lead in forgiving their enemieswhite Americansand tell blacks to do the
same, they will listen. A yellow man can teach black people to forgive, because their enemy, and the
Indians enemy, is also my enemy. Representing all minorities, I will take the lead in forgiving. I explain
to them that they are Abel, and this is Abels historical path. (106:241, December 30, 1979)
Responsible Christian leaders could not resolve the problems in the Persian Gulf, so as a safeguard
[against a full-scale religious war] I am convening a dialogue between prominent Christian and
Muslim leaders. Most Koreans would say, What has it got to do with me if Iraqis die or a nuclear
bomb falls there? But I know humanitys dismal path, and I want to steer the world to avoid its hidden reefs. Hence, even though I am insulted and ridiculed, I am striving to save humanity through
diplomatic efforts, even spending my own money. I am trying to get America and the Soviet Union
aligned for this purpose. I have also worked for reconciliation between China and Taiwan, and
recently I began efforts to reconcile Israel and the Arab world. (211:13, December 30, 1990)
I have reached the advanced age of eighty-five, by the Korean way of counting. But I will continue to work harder than anyone else until the day the Earth overflows with Gods true families, guns in the Middle East fall silent and give way to fireworks of peace and joy, and shouts of
Mansei celebrating the unification of my homeland Korea echo across the Pacific and are heard
in America.(March 23, 2004)
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have been brought near in the blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, who has made us both one,
and has broken down the dividing wall of hostilitythat he might reconcile us both to God
in one body through the cross, thereby bringing
the hostility to an end.
Ephesians 2.13-16
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to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the
world to himself, not counting their trespasses
against them, and entrusting to us the message
of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5.16-19
Restitution
PEACE FLOURISHES WHERE THERE IS JUSTICE. While justice may not appear the same to people on opposing
sides of a conflict, steps should be taken to right wrongs, pay back debts, and restore trust when it has been
violated. Usually it is not enough to repent for having wronged ones neighbor; repentance should be accompanied by restitution.
Restitution is most effective when it is given freely by the guilty party to his victims, not exacted from
him as the price of defeat. Compare the war reparations that Germany was forced to pay to France and England
at the end of World War I by the Treaty of Versailles with the restitution Germany paid after World War II to
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Jews and other victims of the Nazis. In the former instance where the reparations were forced upon Germany,
it created massive German resentment and fueled calls for revenge that led directly to the rise of Hitler. In the
second instance where Germany felt sincere repentance for its Nazi crimes, the restitution has served to foster
good will between Germany and its former enemies.
Thus it is a principle of peacemaking that we should offer restitution willingly to those we have harmed,
accompanied by genuine repentance for the wrongs we committed. There are also the sins we commit without
knowing, or debts we inherit from the past, or wrongs for which we are collectively responsible; we can also
make restitution for these. Father Moon has developed this concept into a teaching called restoration through
indemnity. He teaches that indemnity is not a fixed amount, like an insurance claim, but rather a matter of
giving whatever is required to assuage the other partys aggrieved heart. It can be small if the other party has a
mind to forgive; or it can be great if the relationship has been strained by years of treachery and mistrust.
The phrase, an eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth can be taken in its original biblical meaning as a
legal formula for making restitution; and it is so understood in Judaism. People know innately that they should
pay back the full amount of their debt. The phrase is often cited wrongly, however, as a justification for revenge.
That is a completely different matter. Revenge by the aggrieved party is a kind of rough justice, but it is not
conducive to peace. It only furthers the cycle of violence. The scriptures teach that it is better to forgive.
Exodus 21.23-25
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Ezekiel 33.14-16
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giving even a glass of water to the least person will not be for nothing. These are lessons about how
we should repay our debts. (85:35, March 2, 1976)
If you owe something to someone, you have to become his servant; otherwise, you will perish. You
can establish your position only when others cannot accuse it, however much they may want to do
so. (Way of Gods Will 3.4)
The vengeful legalism that says a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for
a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, and a stripe for a stripe cannot
stem from the character of the Creator God. God is the God of love and forgiveness.13 (124:202,
February 15, 1983)
God supports me because I loved even those who opposed me. I did not seek revenge against my
enemies. I did not requite an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. I took all the blows
and tried to digest them with love. (168:204, September 20, 1987)
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Why dont religious believers fight back when they are attacked? Why dont we teach people to fight
with those in power? If humanity could find hope through violence, our way would be foolish. The
original way of life in the Garden of Eden has nothing to do with violence or revenge. Gods ideal of
creation is not like that.
We cannot realize the ideal world by the sword. The original Garden of Eden is not a place of
conflict. Its inhabitants are humble and full of love; they do not compete to exalt themselves. Yet
up to the present, God had no choice but to coach with believers who were accustomed to fighting
and struggling for power.
Now that we know how it is to live in the original world, we can clearly see that people who
are self-centered and arrogant have nothing to do with God. True religion does not teach people to
fight, exploit others and dominate others. We should live with love as our motto
We cannot fight, because we have to live as we would in the original world. There we would
be humble, and being humble, we would live for the sake of others and love others. We who pursue
the heavenly nation should live by these three values. Then, although we may face all manner
of opposition, we will gradually expand the realm where people practice this way of life. (98:33,
April 8, 1978)
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Do not fight the people until they initiate fighting, for then by the grace of God you will have
justification, and leaving them alone until they
initiate fighting is yet another justification. Then
if you defeat them, do not kill the one who is
fleeing, and do not finish off the wounded or
expose nakedness or mutilate the dead.
Amir-ul-Mumineen Ali, Daaim al-Islam (Islam)
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They are not aggressors because God is not an aggressor, and they strive to follow Gods example.
Gods people take the beating and endure, never giving up. Then they have the right to seek for
compensation.
Satan is the king of aggressors. He is the father of all aggressors and evil people. God is the king
of defenseless people who take beatings. The more a person is beaten, the more he can shorten the
length of the indemnity period according to the principle of restoration through indemnity.
We can recognize this pattern throughout history: Satan attacks first and loses, while God is
attacked but gains in the end. Look at the example of World War I: Germany started that war, but
they lost. The Germans thought they could win the war; otherwise they would not have started it.
Satan always thinks he can win; that is why his forces start wars. But no one can win by violating
heavenly law. Look at World War II: Germany and Japan started the war, but they lost. God, the
Supreme Judge, admonished the aggressors, You are in the wrong. (91:243-44, February 23, 1977)
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The Duke of Chou said, I make an announcement to all Yin and managers of affairs. Oh, august
Heaven, the Lord-on-High, has changed his principal son [the ruler] and this great state Yins mandate. Now that the king has received the mandate,
unbounded is the grace, but also unbounded is the
solicitude. Oh, how can he be but careful!
Heaven has removed and made an end to
the great state Yins mandate. There were many
former wise kings of Yin in Heaven, and the later
kings and people here managed their mandate.
But in the end [under the last king] wise and
good men lived in misery so that, leading their
wives and carrying their children, wailing and
calling to Heaven, they went to where no one
could come and seize them. Oh, Heaven had
pity on the people of the four quarters, and
looking with affection and giving its mandate,
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will remain to mourn over the graves of a people once more powerful and hopeful than yours.
But why should I mourn at the untimely fate of
my people? Tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the
order of nature, and regret is useless. Your time
of decay may be distant, but it will surely come,
for even the White Man whose God walked and
talked with him as friend to friend, cannot be
exempt from the common destiny. We may be
brothers after all. We will see.
Chief Seattle20 (Native American Religion)
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Throughout human history there have been many great civilizations. Why did they perish? As
their civilizations developed, rather than living for the sake of the world they became self-centered and devoured the rest of the world to satisfy their appetites. Do you think America is an
exception?
America is the leading nation of the world; especially its culture moves the whole world. Yet
America has become arrogant and discriminatory. If she continues this way, she will inevitably
decline. Despite her worldwide fame, internally her children are being struck. Children are a
nations most precious possession and hope for the future, but they are being struck. (97:322,
April 1, 1978)
At one time, Great Britain unified the world under the banner of Christianity. Yet the British thought
the world existed for the sake of Britain. They did not understand that Great Britain was given its
empire for the sake of the world. For that reason, Britain lost its empire. Today the United States
is the worldwide power, but Americans should never think that the world exists to serve Americas
interests. America should serve the interests of the world. Otherwise America, like Britain before
her, will decline. (247:111, April 25, 1993)
History goes around in cycles. People that were oppressed come to rule their former oppressors.
Once they develop a superior ideology or way of life, they come to rule those who once ruled them
It is inevitablea principle in this fallen world. (95:105-06, November 1, 1977)
As the historian Spengler pointed out, civilizations, like the four seasons of the year, repeatedly rise
and fall. Today the age of the Atlantic civilization is passing, and the age of the Pacific civilization is
emerging. (115:171, November 10, 1981)
When there is a low pressure, there is also a high pressure. Does the high pressure tell the low pressure to go away? High pressure will automatically feed the low pressure without asking permission.
This is the natural law. Likewise, when water is high here and low there, it cannot remain still but
seeks the same level.
Does this occur in todays fallen world? One nation is very rich and another is very poor; does
this disparity create a flow like water and air to bring equity? Who, then, is going against the law of
nature? Advanced nations are. If they go against Gods law, they will eventually be destroyed. One
way that God is punishing and warning these advanced nations is through AIDS and drug problems.
He permits unlawful things like homosexuality and free sex, things that Satan loves.
Therefore, to prevent Americas destruction, it should permit leveling to occur. Therefore, I
will encourage the American people to fast occasionally and with the excess food help the starving
people in the poor nations. Like the natural world, the human world has to come into balance and
harmony under the natural law. (260:192, May 8, 1994)
We learn from history that even the powerful Roman Empire collapsed from within because of its
sexual immorality. Ancient Pompeii was wiped out by a volcano, and when it was excavated centuries later it was clear why the city was destroyedits people were focused on sex, drinking and
sensual pleasure.
Whenever a society becomes morally corrupt it faces a quick downfall. This is not my opinion,
but the lesson of history. It doesnt matter whether you are black, white or yellow, this rule applies to
everyone. Moral corruption usually infects nations that have much money, power and knowledge.
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America today is in the same position as the Roman Empire. You think it is the greatest country
with its money, power and knowledge, but its moral standard is worse than in underdeveloped
countries. Internally it has an incurable disease. Once a nation catches this disease, it inevitably
declines. It cannot maintain its culture. Young people lose any discipline in their lives, families break
down, churches lose their authority, and the social order breaks down. Is it or is it not the reality in
America? Looking at the proud American people, I wonder how long their time of prosperity can
last. (103:97-98, February 11, 1979)
Todays climate of free sex leads young people to kiss and sleep around with whomever they please. It
is the path of destruction. America, Great Britain, France, Italy and the whole world have no defense.
And since this is the trend in the advanced nations, the developing nations want to follow.
To protect the world from further harm, God would want to hasten the decline of these advanced
nations. God would do this to protect the rest of the world, especially the relatively unstained third
world nations, from this moral contagion. Dont you think God is in this situation? Thoughtful
people will be searching for a new direction. (117:201-02, March 7, 1982)
God blessed America, but what did God have in mind? It is Gods Will to save all humankind. God
wanted America to become good and strong to be a foundation for world peace and the liberation
of humanity according to Gods Will. God wanted America to use its strength to chase out Satan
and liberate this hell on earth.
When you go about in your fine clothes, do you remember that countless people left their
blood-stained tracks on history, people who went through valleys of misery and wept bitter tears? Do
you realize as you put on your clothes that you owe a debt to these people? Likewise, the house you
live in and the environment you enjoy represent your indebtedness to all humanity.
You Americans were not given these blessings because you are a superior people. Would that
you viewed these things according to Gods Will, Gods heart and Gods ideal for the world, and
think of the heavenly responsibility that comes with them. But since you do not, but just enjoy your
blessings without realizing why you have them, they will surely be taken away. God will give them to
another people who live more for the sake of the world.
Consider the countless American Indians whom your forbearers killed and drove off their
land. Did they just disappear, or are they dwelling in the spirit world and nursing a desire for
revenge? In addition to American Indians, white people invaded and looted many small and weak
nations. Still, America has done better than Europe in serving Gods Will. America surpassed even
England in sending missionaries to the world. America came to Europes aid in the World Wars and
afterwards
Having colonies would not be a bad thing if America served the people of her colonies more
than she serves her own people. God would encourage America to spend more of its treasure to
help the impoverished people of Asia. No one would oppose Americans if they served them, if they
even sold their houses to raise the funds to help them. In that case, the people of the colonies would
welcome Americans. They would say, Thank you, America, and follow the American people as
they would follow God. By such service to the needy of the world, the world could have become
one. That was Gods desire. Yet it didnt happen that way. Americans took the wealth for themselves
and trampled upon the people. America rebelled against Gods work in history. From that point on,
things started to go wrong. (202:332-33, May 27, 1990)
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Spiritually attuned people throughout the world are saying that the world is undergoing a sudden
and dramatic change. Where is the world headed? Ordinary people think the dangers will only grow
worse and the world will deteriorate into hopelessness. Only a very small number of people believe
that the world will reach a place of hope. People have been predicting the decline of Western civilization; many think the world is headed into an age of darkness. As you know, Christianity has been
the backbone of Western civilization, giving strength to its families, communities and nations. But
now it is crumbling.
Young people in particular are pessimistic about the future. Still, we believe that almighty God
will not leave His people without hope. He has prepared a path of hope that leads to a new world.
(103:39-40, February 2, 1979)
I am not the only one talking about the decline of America. Intelligent people, politicians, scholars
and religious leaders confirm what I am saying. What can cure Americas ills? Can the American
military do it? Can the knowledge of science that sends men to the moon cure this illness? Neither
economists nor politicians nor scientists can do it. It is impossible to heal it without God. That is
why God sent me to America. (93:122, May 21, 1977)
World Peace
IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM, with the world facing the global problems of environmental degradation, competition for scarce natural resources, terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the time calls out
for the establishment of world peace. What was formerly only a distant dream of prophets and visionaries
must now become a realityfor humanitys very survival. As this circumstance has only arisen in modern
times, we have supplemented texts from scriptures with statements by significant religious figures and
visionaries of the last century.
God has inspired Father Moon to present numerous practical proposals for world peace. This modern-day prophet has quite a different view from the secular apostles of peace in our time, who held that
through scientific and technological advances humanity would create a world of shared affluence in
which the old prejudices of religion and culture would yield to secular democratic values and the freedom of the marketplace. Instead, Father Moon teaches that peace must be founded in God, and religion
and spirituality must play a central role to move the peoples of the world towards one global family.
As optimistic hope in progress towards a secular utopia has faded, and people are reconsidering the
importance of religion and the internal foundations necessary for world peace, his words have taken on
new cogency.
Father Moon has some rather specific proposals for building world peace, including reforming the United
Nations to add a spiritual dimension, the demise of national borders, the joining of cultures through intercultural marriages, and an international highway linking all the worlds cities. They are each an expression of his
fundamental belief that world peace is built through the practice of true love.
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repent for their preoccupation with individual salvation and narrow denominational interests. Such
practices have prevented religious bodies from giving their utmost to the cause of world salvation.
Our age more than any other demands that we go beyond our faiths, and the interests of particular
religions, and put our love and ideals into practice for the sake of the world.
In particular, God calls upon us leaders, especially religious leaders, in hope that we will stand
against the injustices and evils of the world, and bestow His true love upon the world. Hence, all
people of faith must become one in heart in order to give full expression, both in words and actions,
to Gods passionate desire for humanitys restoration and peace. (332:245-47, August 18, 2000)
From the viewpoint of Gods historical dispensation, humankind is one large family that is to live
by attending God as the True Parent, transcending national boundaries and racial and religious
differences. Humankind is destined to cooperate as a global family and become as a single community. We live in an age when we can no longer feel that we have nothing to do with the problems of our neighbors or the suffering of other countries. We cannot ignore the reality of humanity
ravaged by war, crime, drug abuse, pollution, the destruction of ecosystems, moral corruption and
the scourge of AIDS.
Today, with the eyes of history upon us, we must answer to God. How can humankind, whose
mandate is the realization of complete harmony and unity, overcome the unfortunate reality and
greet the coming millennium with hope? How can we realize a peaceful world, in which everyone
lives for and trusts others irrespective of personal and national interests? What is the new value
system by which we shall attain this ideal? Rather than riding the chariot of science and technology
pulled by the horses of secular humanism, we must humbly seek the answers within our original
mind. If we cannot find the solution on earth, we must find it through listening to the voice of
Heaven. (279:211-12, August 20, 1996)
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1100
In times past, one would be justified in feeling that the public authorities of the different
political communities might be in a position
to provide for the universal common good,
either through normal diplomatic channels or
through top-level meetings, by making use of
juridical instruments such as conventions and
treaties
Today the universal common good presents
us with problems which are worldwide in their
dimensions; problems, therefore, which cannot
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the external reality or body. In this light, it is time for us to give serious consideration even to the
prospect of restructuring the United Nations. For example, perhaps it is possible to envision the
United Nations as a bicameral institution.
The existing United Nations structure, composed of national representatives, may be regarded as
a congress where the interests of each member nation are represented. However, I submit that serious
consideration should be given to forming a religious assembly, or council of religious representatives
within the structure of the United Nations. This assembly or council would consist of respected
spiritual leaders in fields such as religion, culture and education. Of course, the members of this
interreligious assembly will need to have demonstrated an ability to transcend the limited interests
of individual nations and to speak for the concerns of the entire world and humanity at large.
The two chambers, working together in mutual respect and cooperation, will be able to make
great advances in ushering in a world of peace. The wisdom and vision of great religious leaders will
substantially supplement the political insight, experience and skill of the worlds political leaders.
(August 18, 2000)
3. Building a Culture of Peace that Unites the Peoples of the Earth as One
O mankind! We created you from a single pair of
a male and a female and made you into nations
and tribes, that you might know each other [not
that you might despise each other].
Quran 49.13
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Let there be a small country with a few inhabitants. Though there be labor-saving contrivances, the people would not use them. Let the
people mind death and not migrate far. Though
there be boats and carriages, there would be
no occasion to ride in them. Though there be
armor and weapons, there would be no occasion
to display them.
Let people revert to the practice of knotting
ropes [instead of writing], and be contented with
their food, pleased with their clothing, satisfied
with their houses, and happy with their customs.
Though there be a neighboring country in sight,
and the people hear each others cocks crowing
and dogs barking, they would grow old and die
without having anything to do with each other.23
Tao Te Ching 80 (Taoism)
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boundaries. Clearly, it is not God. It was the devil, Satan, who first created boundaries. Wherever a
boundary exists, there is always the devil and his cohorts.
This is a result of the Human Fall, when the first human ancestors switched their lineage, and
good and evil began to diverge from each other. When we look at the division between the East and
the West, we see that different cultural spheres have led to antagonism at their boundaries and that
the devil is encamped there. It was Satan, not God, who created boundaries, by digging all sorts of
traps and enmeshing people in racial discrimination and evil cultures, histories, and traditions.
Gods desire is for a world of goodness and unitya world of oneness in which all humanity lives
as one great family. Boundaries have no place in such a world. In a world without boundaries, there
can be no enemies. The concept of enemy entails the existence of boundaries.
When we love our enemies and make oneness with them, the boundaries between us will
collapse. That is why Gods strategy and tactic has always been Love your enemy. There can be no
greater strategy for peace than this. Throughout history, this incredible fact has escaped humanitys
understanding, and it has yet to be grasped even in modern times. (October 3, 2003)
The spirit world does not acknowledge national borders; it transcends them. We were given the responsibility to lead this dispensation on earth; hence, we all have to go beyond national boundaries We
bring Asian people to live in the West and Western people to the Orient. By virtue of this work,
Oriental spirits are able to live in the West and Western spirits can move to the East. Muslim spirits can
visit the Christian world and Christian spirits can visit the Islamic world. Before [this work was done]
they were separated from one another, but now they can come and go anywhere they want.
Movements to make external unity have come into being, like the European Union that permits
Europeans to travel freely throughout Europe. No power can succeed in blocking this trend. The
world can have a future only when people are free to move about and live anywhere on earth. Yet
still America restricts immigration and the communists prevent their people from leaving. That is
not our way in the Unification Church. We dont say only Whites can join or that Blacks are not
welcome. I come from Asia, but I dont say that anyone who is not an Asian should leave. We are
colorblind and recognize no borders. (101:331-32, November 12, 1978)
Once true love is perfected in the human world, what possible political, economic, cultural, or
environmental problems could persist? In the world of true love, every problem can be solved. It is
a world of freedom, peace and happiness, replete with joy. It is the world of Gods ideal. It is a world
where joy and happiness are magnified infinitely and eternally, and where everyone has the right to
equal position, equal participation, and equal inheritance. (294:65, June 11, 1998)
In the future there will be no fighting. Up to now we have had useless fights centering on the self.
People fought to rob each other. In the unified world under Gods sovereignty where people live for
the sake of others, there will be no need for wars. Brothers do not need to rob each other; rather a
needy person will have to run away as others try to give him more than he can use
Laws will all disappear. When all people govern themselves by love, they will observe the law
automatically. If all people practice love for the sake of others, there will be no crime. Higher and lower
become one, and front and back, left and right, all become one. (224:173, November 24, 1991)
When minorities can receive equal benefit from the system, and when advanced nations supply the less advanced nations with technology in the spirit of helping them become economically
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independent, instead of exploiting them and their resources, then humankind will eliminate war
and starvation. Then the conditions will be right for Gods love to blossom and open the hearts of
all humankind to establish the world of peace.
We should go beyond racism and even overcome the whole world with this thought. In the future,
the five races should become one. Because Gods love is one, and because God beholds beauty in
oneness, Gods interest and affection cannot differ among the lands He created. Interracial marriage
is a symbol of Gods love and will. Even the secular world recognizes that love does not respect
national borders. How much more is it true in Gods dominion? Gods love is fundamentally different
from the tragic bonds of love formed in a world historically dominated by power and authority. Gods
love does not just seek individual security and self-interest. It is the way of dedication for the benefit
of God, the world and all humankind. (Blessing and Ideal Family 6.4.3)
For the sake of peace and human welfare, I propose that we build a passage for transit across the
Bering Strait, where Satan has historically divided East and West, and North and South, and where
the North American and Russian land masses are separated. This passage, which I call the World
Peace King Bridge and Tunnel, will link an International Highway System that will allow people to
travel on land from Africas Cape of Good Hope to Santiago, Chile, and from London to New York,
across the Bering Strait, connecting the world as a single community.
God is warning that He will no longer tolerate separation and division. Carrying out this project
will bind the world together as one village. It will tear down the manmade walls of race, culture,
religion and country, and establish the world of peace that has been Gods cherished desire.
The United States and Russia can become as one. The European Union, China, India, Japan,
Brazil and all nations, and also the worlds religions, can combine their energies to succeed in this
project. The success of this project will be decisive in establishing the kingdom of the peaceful, ideal
world, where people will no longer make war with each other.24 (September 12, 2005)
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Notes
Preface
1. 172:143, January 10, 1988. Father Moons
teachings are conventionally cited by the volume and page number according to where the
passage appears in the Korean collection, Moon
Sun Myung Seonsaeng Malseum Seonjip [Selections
from Rev. Sun Myung Moons Words], 400+ volumes (Seoul: HSA-UWC, 1984- ), as well as by
date.
2. Although all translations were based on published Korean texts, much text-critical work
remains to establish a reliable and accurate original text. The existing Korean text was made from
transcriptions of speeches where the audio was
Invocation
1. Matthew 6.9-13: The Lords Prayer is not only a
supplication; it includes a pledge to live up to the
ideals of a Christian, specifically, to forgive. God
only forgives us if we forgive others.
2. Quran 1: The Fatihah is the chief Muslim prayer;
it is recited with prostrations five times a day.
3. The Kaddish: This is a most important Jewish
prayer, recited at every sacred occasion and especially in remembrance of the dead. It is a source
for The Lords Prayer (above).
4. Rig Veda 3.62.10: The opening syllable OM is
the cosmic sound of Being. When it is chanted
it resonates in oneness with the divine Source.
English translations cannot do justice to mantras
which, when recited in the original language, call
forth spiritual energies through the very sounds
themselves. See Chapter 16, note 21.
5. Khuddaka Patha: The Three Refuges from this
suffering world are the Buddha (the Teacher), the
Dhamma (the Teaching), and the Sangha (the
Taught). These three are also called the Three
Jewels. Invocations and mantras beginning with
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Chapter 1
1. Geddes Mac Gregor, God Beyond Doubt, in The
Living Pulpit 6/1, p. 23.
2. Blaise Pascal, Pensees (1670), in John Gross, The
Oxford Book of Aphorisms (New York: Oxford
University Press, 1983), p. 11.
3. Psalm 19.1-4: There are slight differences in versification among the various Christian and Jewish
Bibles. This anthology has adopted the versification of English-language Protestant Christian
Bibles. In Catholic and Jewish Bibles, this passage
is Psalm 19.2-5.
4. Tao Te Ching 21: The word essence (ching) also
means spirit, intelligence, life force. Through this
in the last line can mean through intuition.
5. John 1.18: For Christianity, the book of nature
and a persons own spiritual experience give
only partial knowledge of Ultimate Reality. Only
through the special revelation of God in Jesus
Christ is the fullness of Gods nature made manifest in the world.
6. Deuteronomy 6.4: The Shema is the Jewish
confession of faith. The word Lord when written in small caps signifies the holy name of God,
written in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) as
YHWH but never spoken by observant Jews.
Some Protestants call the name Jehovah.
7. Lankavatara Sutra: This sutra teaches that the
existing world is created by mind. The world of
appearances, which is characterized by suffering,
is rooted in the seeds of defilements that are accumulated in the subconscious mind. True Reality is
what is realized when all defilements have been
removed and the mind operates with Perfect
Wisdom. The Suchness of existence is thus identical with the essence of Mind.
8. January 16, 1971: The Korean word for God,
Hananim, includes hana, the One and nim,
exalted.
9. November 25, 1982: all phenomena, lit.
all dharmas (); in Chinese and Korean
Buddhism, dharma means a phenomenon or a
constituent of existence, while Suchness (
) is the true reality behind all dharmas (see the
Lankavatara Sutra, above). Father Moon employs
these technical Buddhist terms.
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Notes
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Designer may have worked by repeated experimentation until He got it right. This passage also
points up the effort involved in creation.
33. Maru Sohale: The formless God, who exists without attributes beyond time and space, assumes
attributes as He creates, assumes might, according to the Sikh scriptures. In creating the human
being as his dwelling, God dwells in the mind
beyond the nine abodes of sensation, in the
Tenth, the superconscious mind.
34. Rig Veda 10.129: In this account of the formation of cosmos out of chaos (represented by the
Waters), that One, tad ekam, is void of reality
prior to the creation. The appearance of mind
precedes creation; its motive is Love, the desire
of the One to find fulfillment with a partner.
The first act of creation, dividing being from
non-being, resembles the first day of creation in
Genesis 1, when God divided the light from the
darkness. The bearers of seed and mighty forces
are the female and male principles respectively.
Yet ultimately the miracle of creation remains a
mystery: even the Vedic gods are ignorant of their
origin, since they emerged after Being differentiated itself.
Chapter 2
1. John 1.1-5: In Greek philosophy, the Word is the
logos or plan by which God created the universe.
The Bible asserts that Christ is himself the Word,
the model and plan for creation.
2. Proverbs 8.22-31: Little child is sometimes
translated master workman, but the former better fits the context.
3. January 27, 2004: Certainly the thought crossed
Gods mind after the Human Fall dashed His
hopes.
4. Ambrose of Milan: Flight from the World 3.15.
5. October 29, 1972: Parental love downward to
children nurtures their hearts and induces a sense of
obligation, which matures into filial piety, children
loving their parents. This passage describes several types of relationships and associated aspects
of morality, alluding to Father Moons teaching of
the Four Great Realms of Heart and love: childrens
love, sibling love, conjugal love and parental love.
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Notes
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Chapter 3
1. Genesis 1.26: The plural has been variously
understood as the persons of the Trinity, God
speaking to his angels, or the plural of majesty.
2. Tevigga Sutta: The Buddha did not himself maintain the existence of Brahma as the supreme God;
for no supreme God can be found in Emptiness. Yet
the principle at issue is affirmed: the monk who
has attained the goal of Nirvana is in the image of
Ultimate Reality since his own being is empty. This
argument is an example of the Buddhas skill in
means, expressing the truth of Buddhism in terms
suitable to a Hindu who believes in Brahma.
3. Galatians 2.20: With the advent of Christ, divinity entered humanity and humanity became deified. For Christians of the Orthodox faith, the
highest goal is divinization, oneness with Christ,
as St. Athanasius taught: In Jesus Christ, God
became man that man might be drawn back into
the divine harmony.
4. Vacana 820: Indian temples are traditionally built in
the image of the human body, which is the primordial blueprint of the cosmos. In Lingayat Shaivism,
which seeks to overcome the formalization of temple
worship, the body itself becomes a temple of Shiva in
private worship.
5. Sunnan ibn Majah by Muhammad bin Zayed, a
modern Islamic commentator, is considered one
of the most important books on the Prophets
Sayings.
6. Doctrine and Covenants 93.29-35: While the
human person is essentially spirit or Intelligence,
matter and the body also have a positive role. As
in the Christian tradition generally, scriptures of
the Latter-day Saints teach that Spirit must be
enfleshed to produce Gods temple, and in order
that humans may realize their full purpose.
7. Chang A-han Ching: The first words attributed
to the Buddha after his birth in the Mahayana
tradition.
8. Pope John Paul II: Letter to the American
Bishops, 1979.
9. February 23, 1977: This was Father Moons criticism of the administration of President Carter,
which trumpeted human rights while allowing
communism to expand to its greatest extent.
10. April 26, 1992: This text does not deal with
abortion in cases of rape or extra-marital
affairs. It is helpful to distinguish between the
potentiality of a human being and its actuality, and Unificationism concurs with the widespread Protestant belief that only when the
infant draws its first breath does the spirit
self enter the body (viz., Genesis 2.7), and it
becomes a complete person composed of spirit
and flesh. Hence Father Moons condemnation
of abortion is not based on the view that abortion is the equivalent of murder; rather abortion is a sin because it frustrates Gods creation
and denies the potential value inherent in that
fetus to become a human being in the image of
God.
11. Luke 17.21: This passage has been interpreted in
various ways. The words within you can also be
translated in the midst of you, in which case the
passage means that the people should regard Jesus
and his community which dwells among them as the
incipient kingdom. But the more mystical meaning
of the passage is that the kingdom is within the
minds and hearts of believers.
12. Romans 2.14-16: The conscience is that universal attribute of man that allows everyone regardless of their beliefs to recognize the truthand
their own sin.
13. Mencius II.A.6: Mencius lists the four
Confucian virtues: benevolence (jen), dutifulness or concern for the public good (i), observance of proper social and religious forms (li),
and education (chih). The seeds of these virtues
originate in human nature, which is essentially
good.
14. September 14, 1969: The word true (Korean
cham) is an adjective describing the nature of a
thing as true and genuine. In relation to human
beings, to be true is to embody the truth. We
should distinguish it from the Korean word for
truth in the sense of a propositional truth,
chilli.
15. January 16, 1971: See September 14, 1969,
above.
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Notes
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Chapter 4
1. Manyoshu I: Smoke and sea gulls suggest the
plentitude and harmony among man and nature.
2. Jataka: Mountains, pristine and full of natural
beauty, have always been the preferred environment for ascetics, where they may most readily
strive to penetrate the Absolute. In Asia, Buddhist
monasteries and temples are often associated with
nature preserves.
3. December 10, 2000: Literally, 10 li. A li is a
Korean measure of distance, approximately 429
yards or 393 meters in length.
4. Rig Veda 6.28: This special regard for cows as
sacred animals has persisted in India from Vedic
times till today.
5. Francis Bacon: Letters, To Trinity College,
Cambridge.
6. Book of Ritual 7.3.1: The dual forces in nature
are the yang and the yin. The Five Elements
earth, air, water, fire and metalare the basic
constituents of all matter. The Chinese philosophy of changes combines yin-yang and fiveelement theory, viewing the balance between
them and changes among them as active in
nature, in shaping history and destiny, in the
health of the human body, and in art and culture. Note also the connection to music, with its
pentatonic scale.
7. Aitareya Upanishad 1.1-3.12: The Purusha
formed at the beginning of creation is the macrocosmic Person; His parts are then invested in man,
the microcosm. Likewise, Hindu temples are built
on the pattern of the human body.
8. Aitareya Upanishad 1.1-3.12: The fontanel
on the top of the skull is the place of the Crown
charka and the doorway by which the spirit exits
and ascends to heaven; See December 19, 1998 in
Chapter 5: The Passage Beyond.
9. October 25, 1959: In other words, each person is
a microcosm not only in space but also in time.
11. Quran 33.72: The Trust means the responsibility to choose good and reject evil, to live by Gods
purposes. Among all created beings, only humans
have free will and the responsibility it confers. Yet
we have abused it.
12. Yasna 29.1-9: In this dialogue in heaven, the
soul of the ox complains that he is oppressed
by the wicked. He asks for justice from his creator, but the reply comes that there is no one.
The soul of the ox and his mate pray again to
God, who replies that the ox has been put in
the power of man. But He also decrees laws of
reciprocal service by which the oxen and mankind can live in harmony. The ox, not satisfied,
asks for a righteous protector who will practice
these laws. He is told he must make do with
Zarathustra, who however lacks the power to
actualize the teaching. When, the ox asks, will
that teaching prevail, that he may be saved?
Zoroastrianism in fact abolished the ritual
slaughter of oxen which was practiced among
the Vedic Aryans.
13. Pacittiya 11: This monastic rule refers to monks
living in forest dwellings. It is interpreted to mean
that monks should never cut down large trees to
clear the land; they may only clear underbrush.
14. Isaiah 11.6-9: This image of the Peaceable
Kingdom describes the harmony among all creatures in the Garden of Eden, as well as the world
of Gods kingdom in which this original harmony
is restored. Another interpretation of the passage
takes the wolf and lamb as metaphors for people: cruel oppressors (wolves) and humble believers (lambs).
15. Paracelsus: A physician walks over the leaves
of the Book of Nature through years of experience
in diagnosis and treatment. Both the good and the
bad outcomes are teaching material.
16. June 30, 2000: right sideleft side: literally,
eastwest.
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Chapter 5
1. Hebrews 8.1-5: The sacrifice which Jesus the high
priest offers for the forgiveness of sins in the heavenly tabernacle is said to be in every way superior
to sacrifices at the Jerusalem temple which were
offered to atone for sins according to the Law.
This teaching is rooted in neo-Platonism, which
regards the spiritual realm, the realm of forms,
as Reality, while the earthly realm is but its copy,
shadow, and reflection. Hebrews quotes Exodus
25.40 as supporting this view: God instructed
Moses to construct the tabernacle according to
the pattern of the heavenly tabernacle that he saw
on Mount Sinai.
2. 1Corinthians 15.40-41: Celestial bodies are
those spirits who soar in divine love and grace; terrestrial bodies are earth-bound spirits who remain
attached to worldly desires, but who may be lifted
up through the ministrations of angels and higher
beings.
3. Doctrine and Covenants 76.54-93: This is a
visionary interpretation of the preceding passage
which describes three spiritual realms. Latter-day
Saints and their families who are members of the
priesthood and who make active witness to the
gospel may become celestial spirits. Honorable
and conscientious Christians may become terrestrial spirits, and non-Christians, providing they
do not blaspheme the Holy Spirit or commit gross
crimes, may become telestial spirits.
4. Doctrine and Covenants 88.36-40: This teaches
that people ascend to a kingdom that suits their
level of intelligence, virtue, light, mercy, and
justice.
5. February 27, 1977: For the full passage, see
Chapter 4: Microcosm and Macrocosm.
6. Nectarean Shower of Holy Doctrines: As in popular Japanese Buddhism, the scripture of this new
religion contrasts the realm of appearances and
sense impressions with the realm of Reality. The
body belongs to the realm of appearances, but the
spiritual life belongs to the order of Reality.
7. Bhagavad-Gita 2.19-25: The Selfthe Atman
or all-pervasive Spiritpreexists its incarnation
in the physical body, and will continue to exist
through eternity, clothed in body after body.
Literally,
pay
indemnity
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Notes
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Chapter 6
1. Myth of Pandoras Box: The box can quite naturally be taken as a symbol for the female sexual
organ; thus one can draw a parallel to the forbidden fruit in the Genesis story.
2. Hutu Tradition: Jumping inside the womans mouth is a transparent symbol for sexual
intercourse.
3. Kojiki 4-6: The deities Izanagi and Izanami represent the union of yang and yin, which is the
source of all life, divine and human. However,
these deities at first erred in the ritual of conjugal
intercourse by which they were to create the land
and all things. Their mistake was in allowing the
woman to take initiativea parallel to Eves haste
to eat the fruit in the Genesis story. The leechchild (piru-go) was a monstrosity who was allowed
to die of exposure. Izanami, too, would eventually
die in childbirth (Kojiki 7.22); compare the curses
in Genesis 3.3 and 3.16.
The Japanese philosopher Nishida regards
this myth as the Shinto version of Original Sin.
According to Nishida, as Izanagi and Izanami
were brother and sister, everything in the universe originated from an incestuous marriage.
The procession around the heavenly pillar was a
ritual designed to overcome the incest taboo, but
the error in carrying out this ritual nullified its
effect. Hence all humanity is the result of incest.
The death of Izanami, the symbolic death of their
daughter Amaterasu-omi-kami (Kojiki 15) and
the expulsion of their son Susanoo (Kojiki 17.25)
were punishments endured by the Shinto gods to
atone for this original mistake.
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Notes
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17. Scientology 0-8: Engrams bear the traces of attitudes and behaviors from past lives.
19. Vacana 91: This Shaivite passage opposes the tendency to despise women as responsible for mens
downfall. Rather, men are at fault for their selfbegotten lusts. Guheswara is a name of Shiva.
10. Yasna 30.3-5: Zoroastrianism demands a decision, to choose either the good or the evil spirit
which rage in conflict both within the self and
throughout the cosmos.
11. January 1, 2001: Elsewhere, Heung Jin Moon
explains that every earthly person has evil spirits
living in his or her body. They are the spirits of
people who long ago suffered on earth by the hand
of one of his or her ancestors. Their goal is to get
revenge by plaguing this descendant with negative
thinking, pain and disease. Many more of these
evil spirits have come down to lodge themselves
in peoples bodies since the 1980s.
12. January 13, 2001: The full passage is found in
Chapter 2: The Ten Commandments.
13. Quran 12.53: Not even Muhammad, the best of
men, regarded himself blameless.
14. Bhagavad Gita 18.40: The three gunas or qualities
of matter are goodness or purity (sattva), energy or
passion (rajas), and darkness or inertia (tamas). Every
person contains all three qualities in different proportions, as all light is a mixture of the three primary
colors. As forces operating within the world of matter
(prakriti), the gunas condition human existence and
obscure the way to the Self.
15. Analects 4.6: The last sentence means that it is
the will, not the way, that is wanting.
16. Psalm 51.5: Protestants and Catholics have generally regarded the act of procreation as instrumental in transmitting original sin from one generation to the next. But this does not make the act
itself sinful. According to Vatican II, Guadium et
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fostered a general disdain for visual representations of the divine in Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam. Such satires are perhaps uncomprehending
of genuine image-worship, in which the image is
understood only as a representation of transcendent Reality and a means to focus the mind on
God, who is beyond form. Yet veneration of images
may become idolatry when the images are themselves regarded as having magical powers.
26. Samyutta Nikaya 56.11: This is the first of the
Four Noble Truths, taken from the Buddhas first
sermon, called Setting in Motion the Wheel of
Truth. The five aggregates, or skandhas, are the
elements of the personality to which we cling in
our vain craving for existence. They are: bodyform, feeling, perception, activities that make
karma, and consciousness.
27. Genesis 6.5-6: This passage introduces the story
of the Deluge. It has given rise to numerous reflections on Gods sorrow, illustrated by the next
selection.
28. Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7.28-37: This is a
conversation between God and Enochwho
lived prior to the Flood and who according to tradition was taken up alive into heavenshortly
before God sent the Flood upon the earth.
29. Ofudesaki 17.64-70: In Tenrikyo, sin is not intrinsic to human beings; rather it is the dust that collects on intrinsically pure minds and which needs
to be swept away.
30. Dinka Song: Deng is the ancestor of the Dinka
people and the chief deity, identified with
Divinity as a whole and manifest in the fertilizing rain. Abuk is the first woman, earth, and the
female principle. This song refers to the tradition
of the separation of heaven and earth at the origin of humanity.
31. Upasaka Sila Sutra: The Enlightened One is the
all-pervading cosmic Buddha (Dharmakaya), as
well as the historical Sakyamuni.
32. November 12, 1972: Referring to the Christian
martyrs in particular, as well as the persecuted of
all faiths.
33. Jeremiah 8.18-9.1: The prophet Jeremiah
laments heartsick over his peoples suffering, ignorance, and unbelief. At the same time, the prophet
speaks representing God and expressing the divine
pathos.
34. Israel Baal Shem Tov: The Baal Shem Tov, a title
which means Master of the Good Name, was
the founder of the Hasidic movement.
Chapter 7
1. Book of Mormon, Alma 12.25: The plan of
redemption refers to the inevitable Last Judgment
and eschatological redemption of the righteous.
The ultimate justice of God is founded upon his
Word, which was declared before the creation of
the world.
2. Way of Gods Will: Will, Korean , means
Gods original and unchanging purpose established at the time of creation.
3. Luke 15.11-32: The Parable of the Prodigal Son
speaks not only of Gods grace and forgiveness
(represented by the father), but also of the ethic
that righteousness be accompanied by forgiveness
and compassion for sinners (represented by the
fathers admonishment to the elder brother).
4. Lotus Sutra 4: In the Buddhist Parable of the
Prodigal Son, the rich elder represents the Buddha
and the son is the ordinary person. The Buddha
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Notes
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faculties of the soul: 1) the senses, 2) the imagination, 3) the discriminative intellect, 4) reason, the
faculty capable of abstract knowledge, and 5) the
transcendent prophetic spirit that can apprehend
divine truth. The soul is thus a graded succession of
lights, Light upon light, whose source is God.
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Notes
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Chapter 8
1. Tract of the Quiet Way: Religion in China is syncretic, combining the Three Teachings (san chiao):
Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Although
the Tract of the Quiet Way is a Taoist scripture, the
commentator Pan Chung-Mou is a Confucian,
and he calls for reverence of Buddhist sutras.
2. Quran 5.44-48: The Quran states that it is a
trustworthy standard of truth, a watcher over
other revelations by which their beliefs can be
tested and evaluated. Orthodox Islam goes further
and regards the path laid down in the Quran to be
the one sole path. Where the Jewish and Christian
scriptures differ from the testimony of the Quran,
the error is laid to the interpolations made by corrupt Jewish and Christian divines. But this interpretation goes beyond the letter of the Quran, which
prohibits such disputes between religions. Each is
held responsible only to the truth as found in its own
scripture. Any contest between religious communities should be carried out on the field of good works.
The question of reconciling different doctrines is left
to God.
3. Revelation of Amaterasu: Amaterasu-omikami is the Sun Goddess and chief Shinto deity;
here she proclaims her identity with Vairocana,
the Buddha of the Sun. This edict proclaims the
equivalence of Buddhist and Shinto worship.
4. Quran 5.82-83: Those Christians of the
time of Muhammad exemplified an attitude that is ever essential to interreligious
understanding: they were open to recognize
the truth in anothers religion and rejoice
in it.
5. Udana 68-69: We give a version of this wellknown Indian tale from the Buddhist canon, but
some assert it is of Jain origin. It does illustrate
well the Jain doctrine of Anekanta, the many-sidedness of things.
6. Quran 29.46: Muhammad regarded the People
of the Book as including Jews, Christians and
Zoroastrians, people of monotheistic religions
with a written scripture.
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Notes
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1122
Chapter 9
1. Bhagavad-Gita 4.7-8: Here God (Vishnu) is
speaking of Himself in the first person. This is the
classic verse on the doctrine of avatars. Each avatar comes for a specific mission to save the world
and establish righteousness (dharma), according
to the scriptures. The classical avatars of Vishnu
include Rama and Krishna, but also the Buddha
and the Kalkin who is to come in the Last Days.
5. Avot 1.1: Torah means not only the words written in the first five books of the Bible. This passage
speaks of an oral Torah which was transmitted
through the chain of succession to the rabbis. Its
practical clarifications and inner teachings define
the way of life which is true to the written commandments. The rabbis wrote the Mishnah and
the Talmud as codifications of this oral Torah.
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Notes
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1124
2/1/2007 3:17:08 PM
Notes
1125
death into life. He is not speaking of Christs resurrection, a unique phenomenon when he walked
the earth for 40 days.
47. Quran 33.40: When a document is sealed, it
is complete and there can be no further addition. As the Seal of the Prophets Muhammad
is regarded as the last prophet, completing for all
time the testimony of Gods revelation. For Islam,
Gods teaching will continue in later ages through
reformers, sages, and saints, but no more through
a Prophet.
48. Sirat Rasul Allah: Khadija was Muhammads
first wife and the first to recognize his divine mission. Marriage to first cousins is common in Arab
society.
Chapter 10
1. Lotus Sutra 13: Nichiren, Japans foremost exponent of the Lotus Sutra, believed his own time to be
the Age of Degeneration of the Law (Jap. Mappo,
Skt. Saddharma-vipralopa), which demands a restoration at its end. Hence many have expected the
coming of the Maitreya Buddha, the Restorer, who
will inaugurate a new age. Some sects of Nichiren
Buddhism such as Soka Gakkai and Risshoko Sekai
identify Nichiren himself as the Restorer.
2. August 1, 1996: As there are no female angels,
angels do not live as couples, according to Father
Moon.
3. Blessing and Ideal Family 5.1.2: There are
three stages of growth: formation, growth and
completion. Each stage is subdivided into three
levels: formation, growth and completion.
This makes a total of nine levels. The Human
Fall took place at the completion level of the
growth stage, which is the sixth level, prior to
the completion stage, which consists of levels
seven through nine.
4. Revelation 9.1-11: This plague of locusts with
the stings of scorpions is seen here as metaphorical
for the outpouring of demons and evil spirits from
hell, the bottomless pit. They do not devour
vegetation, but rather consume the human soul.
The star that had fallen from heaven to earth symbolizes Satan, who increases his activities on earth
in the Last Days.
5. April 3, 1972: Contemporary outbreaks of ethnic violence, as in Bosnia and Rwanda, often
have spiritual causes, carried over from the piled
up resentments of the dead who had previously
fought the same enemies. Coming to earth, they
can whip up war hysteria.
6. Revelation 13.1-18: The Beast represents human
pretension to universal power, and imperial powers
in every age have been identified as fulfilling this
prophecy. Originally as written, the beast referred
specifically to the Roman Empire. The pretensions
of the Roman emperor to be a human god, whom
all the world worshipped, were seen as a parody
of Christs true kingship. The seven heads probably represent Rome with its seven hills; other
features of the Beast: the ten horns, parts like a
leopard, a bear, and a lion, resemble the four separate beasts in Daniel 7.2-7. Some scholars identify
the miraculous healing of the wounded head to
a legend which grew up around Emperor Nero,
that he miraculously reappeared after his suicide
in 68 a.d. The number 666 is the total numerical
value of the letters Nero Caesar in the Aramaic
language. Unbelievers and lapsed Christians worshipped the emperor; thus they were marked with
the number of the Beast.
7. June 16, 1957: The original Satan has with him a
host of small satans. These are evil spirits and evil
people who oppose Gods will.
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1126
8. Quran 5.48: This is the conclusion of a longer passage (see Chapter 8: One Truth, Many
Paths.) affirming the divine source of each of the
Abrahamic faiths and discouraging disputations
over doctrinal differences. It offers a tantalizing
hint that in the Last Days, God will reveal His
word concerning these disputed teachings.
9. Quran 16.101-102: This does not refer to the
inner-Muslim controversies over changes in the
Quran, abrogated verses, etc., but rather the
Quran as a new revelation adding to the older
revelations of the Gospel and the Old Testament
Law. Who have surrendered, e.g. Muslims.
10. Book of Certitude, 33-41: In the Bahai Faith,
the Last Judgment is interpreted as the end of the
old dispensations of religion and the beginning of
the new dispensation centered on Gods messenger Bahullh.
11. Hadith of Muslim: In this tradition, Christ will
appear in the flesh as a Muslim Imam. Yet most
people will not heed.
12. Sanhedrin 98a: Rabbinic Judaism, faced with the
seemingly never-ending delay of the Bibles messianic promises and purged of political ambition
after the disastrous defeats in the Jewish War (6870 c.e.) and the Bar Kochba Rebellion (132 c.e.),
transformed the historical promise of the coming
of the Messiah into a personal encounter of faith.
Elijah is a heavenly interpreter of Gods secrets.
13. March 17, 1957: Otherwise Satan would have
a condition to accuse God, as in the book of Job,
that his chosen ones were given the truth without
proving themselves worthy to receive it.
14. Quran 43.61: Based on these words, many
Muslims await the Second Coming of Christ, who
will come to herald the Last Judgment.
15. Digha Nikaya 3.76: The Maitreya [Pali Metteya]
is predicted to be the future Buddha in the scriptures of both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.
Many regard him as the future leader who will
usher in the new age of bliss and consummation.
16. Hadith of Muslim: See note 11, above.
17. Doctrine of the Mean 31-32: These chapters
express the ideal of the Kingly Man who is to
come. To a certain extent they apply to Confucius,
and many hold that these verses were written in
praise of him. On the other hand, Confucius did
2/1/2007 3:17:08 PM
Notes
26. April 3, 1995: Interdependence refers to economic relationships; mutual prosperity refers
to the ethic of good government that transcends
partisanship, and universally shared values
refers to the common ground among all religions and philosophies of life. These are three
essential characteristics of the social life in the
Kingdom.
1127
Chapter 11
1. Mark 4.26-29: This parable represents the growth
of the Kingdom of Heaveninterpreted either
corporately or within the heart of the individual
believeras a natural process that occurs mysteriously and gradually, enlivened by Gods fertilizing
grace. It is likened to the growth of grain in three
stages of formationthe blade, growththe ear,
and maturitythe full grain, followed by a fourth
stage of returning to Godthe harvest.
2. November 19, 1998: Horizontal here probably
means the range of human relationships, as distinct from the vertical relationship with God.
3. Satapatha Brahmana 5.1.1.1-2: The chief difference between demons and gods in this well-known
story is that the demons are self-centered while
the gods are generous and share with others.
4. Jeremy Bentham: Introduction to Principles of
Morals and Legislation (1789).
5. Socrates: Quoted by Plutarch, How a Young Man
Ought to Hear Poems.
6. Pico della Mirandola: The Dignity of Man (1587).
7. Erich Fromm: Man for Himself (1947).
8. Avot 3.18: To be created in the image of God
implies that humans should live by the ethical
commandments that enable them to conform
to Gods goodness and holiness. By making this
known to us, God was giving us a responsibility to
uphold this glorious purpose.
9. Pearl of Great Price, Moses 4.1-4: This passage, also given in Chapter 6, The Devil and His
Activities, points to a central tenet of Latter-day
Saints teaching: the value of human freedom as
Gods special gift. Satan offered to save humanity by compulsionnot one soul shall be lost,
without regard for human free agency and hence
responsibility.
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Chapter 12
1. Aristotle: Quoted in Stobaeus, Floritegium.
2. Hadith: This is an important Sufi tradition. The
lesser jihad is jihad in the ordinary sense: the war
against external foes. The greater jihad is the
spiritual war, whose battleground is the soul.
3. Dhammapada 80: Self-control is as necessary
to the inner life as skill in shaping wood, metal,
or water is required for good industry. Spiritual
training is the counterpart to learning a secular
trade.
4. April 19, 1999: God has no form. By Gods body,
Father Moon means His body-aspect, manifested
through His creations and acts in history.
5. Ephesians 4.26-27: To practice this teaching
by resolving each days quarrels and meditating
to digest each days resentments before going to
bed each night is a valuable spiritual exercise. For
when anger is stored up day after day, it becomes
much harder to eradicate.
6. Igala Proverb: Dont respond to provocation, but
stay out of a quarrel.
7. November 13, 1959: The Third World War
refers to the Cold War. This is an early prediction
of the defeat of communism.
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Notes
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Chapter 13
1. Wadhans: This is a good test of whether an emotion is godly love or ordinary love. Godly love is
all-embracing, while ordinary love focuses on one
object exclusively, thereby inciting jealousy. Godly
love seeks to benefit others, while ordinary love is
tinged with selfish desire.
2. Metta Sutta: This is the classic Buddhist teaching
on loving-kindness.
3. Chuang Tzu 23: Perfect action is spontaneous,
heartfelt, trusting, and intimate; it dispenses with
formalities. It can only exist where there is true
love.
4. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica: I-II, q.
26, art. 2
5. Great Learning 8: Confucianism teaches that one
should be partial towards ones own family and relativesyet only as the starting point for a social ethic
which is an expansion of family relations. To counter
the tendency of partiality to become corrupt, another
aspect to Confucian teaching is the search for a
universal objective basis for action in the world: the
cultivation of personal virtue. Each person should
have a foundation of benevolence within himself
or herself in order that loveboth to family and to
strangersmay be correct.
6. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.4.4-5: The Self
is Atman, or the God within. It is the seat of eternity, and entirely different from the individual
ego. It is related to the Unification concept of the
original mind or heart.
7. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 5.2.2: Prajapati is
the Hindu creator (Brahma). As he is instructing
his students, this passage instructs us about the
Creators character and way of life.
8. Socrates: The story, immortalized by Euripides in
his play Alcestis, was thus: prince Admetus was
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Notes
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Chapter 14
1. August Kerber, Quotable Quotes on Education
(Detroit: Wayne State University, 1968), p. 138.
2. August 2, 1992: Literally, centering on Adam
and Eve.
3. August 22, 1995: Heart to love others: Korean,
shimjung.
4. March 17, 1957: Luke 14.11.
5. Antisthenes: Antisthenes (c. 445-365 B.C.)
was the founder of the Cynic school of Greek
philosophy.
6. November 1, 1957: Abel-like, i.e., with a better
standard of faith.
7. Avot 4.1: Benjamin Franklin quoted this aphorism in the Poor Richards Almanack.
8. Deuteronomy 6.5-9: This is a portion of the central text of the Torah (Deut. 6.4-9), known as the
Shema. Devout Jews observe this commandment
of teaching and study by reciting these verses
three times a day at prayers and devoting many
hours each weak to Torah study. In addition, it
is the basis for ritual use of passages of the Torah
wrapped inside the phylacteries worn on the forehead and the arm at times of prayer, and inside the
mezuzah affixed to the doorframes of every home.
9. Ramkali Siddha Goshti: Veneration and reading
of the Adi Granth, the Sikh scripture, is central
to Sikh piety. Sikhism was originally founded on
the model of guru-disciple, but from the decree
of Gobind Singh, the tenth and last Guru, Sikhs
have relied on Scripture as the embodiment of the
gurus wisdom. Hence the Adi Granth is called the
Guru Granth.
10. February 14, 2000: Hoondokhwe means gathering for reading and learning. The Unification
tradition is to gather every morning as a family
and with neighbors to read selections from Father
Moons teachings, supplemented with words from
other scriptures.
11. Quran 3.7: This verse distinguishes between
verses that are plain, and verses that are ambiguous, or allegorical, and thus subject to a variety of
interpretations. There is dispute among exegetes
about whether there should be a period at this
point (as translated here)in which case only God
knows the hidden meaning. Otherwise it states
2/1/2007 3:17:10 PM
Notes
22. Mumonkan 17: The place of the teacher is important in Zen Buddhism, but straight imitation is
not.
23. Luke 5.37-38: Since Jesus words were challeng
ing to the conventional wisdom, they could hardly
be received by people bound to the traditions of
the past.
24. January 4, 1987: True Mother is the title of
Father Moons wife.
1133
Chapter 15
1. Quran 2.130-36: Islam takes its name from the
word surrender (in Arabic, islam). As one who
surrendered his will to God, Abrahams faith is
exemplary for the Muslim, just as for the Jew and
the Christian. Therefore Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam are called the Abrahamic religions.
2. Awakening of Faith in Mahayana: This description of the four faiths includes faith in the traditional Three Treasuresthe Buddha, the Dharma,
and the Sanghapreceded by faith in the particularly Mahayanist teaching about the Absolute, or
Suchness, which is all-inclusive, unconditional,
transcendent, and immanent. This work, attributed to Ashvaghosha, is among the most highly
regarded of Buddhist scriptures in China and is
used by most of the major schools.
3. Tannisho: Shinran was the founder of the Jodo
Shinshu school of Pure Land Buddhism in Japan.
The teaching that sinners have an easier time
being reborn in the Pure Land than do the righteous is linked to the Buddhas teaching of No-self
(anatta). By throwing oneself entirely on the grace
of the Buddha and accounting ones own accomplishments as nothing, there is no question of any
attachment to self. A wicked person who repents
completely accounts his self as nothing, but good
people are more likely to have residual pride in
their own virtues or attainments and hence are
blocked from the goal.
4. Makkot 23b-24a: Judaism teaches that faith is
the core and concrescence of the lawit does
not accept Pauls characterization that the Law
is opposed to faith. Like Paul in Galatians 3.2-11,
above, this passage also quotes Habakkuk 2.4, but
2/1/2007 3:17:10 PM
1134
Chapter 16
1. Quran 2.186: God is the one who is Close to
man. Close is one of the Ninety-nine Beautiful
Names of God; see note 24.
2/1/2007 3:17:10 PM
Notes
1135
2/1/2007 3:17:11 PM
1136
2/1/2007 3:17:11 PM
Notes
enumerated here
Commandments.
correspond
to
the
1137
Ten
49. Rig Veda 10.9.8: Bathing in the Ganges is efficacious in washing away sins and receiving divine
grace.
50. March 1, 1991: Holy water is sprinkled on couples at the holy wedding ceremony, baptizing them
as they enter a Blessed marriage.
51. Deuteronomy 16.16-17: These were the three
great pilgrimage festivals in ancient Israel, when
throngs of people went up to Jerusalem to worship
at the Temple. They are also known as the feasts
of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles.
52. Jeremiah 50.4-5: This is a prophecy that Jews
would one day offer prayers at the Western Wall,
or the Wailing Wall, in Jerusalem.
53. Quran 22.26-29: These verses sanction the hajj,
the pilgrimage to Mecca, and describe some of its
rites. The origin of the pilgrimage to Mecca, and
the Kaaba that houses the sacred black stone, goes
back to Abraham. The rites had been corrupted
by the pagan Arabs, who installed their idols at
the Kaaba, and only with Muhammad was the pilgrimage restored to its original purpose: to magnify the One God. To journey to Mecca in ones
lifetime is a religious aspiration for all Muslims.
54. Kojiki 39.2-3: These three sacred symbols of
Shinto are in the possession of the emperor of
Japan. But the mirror, a copy of which is placed
at the center of Shinto altars, is especially significant. Besides being a symbol of the sun, it represents the goddess within. The reflection of the self
is the reflection of goddess.
55. Shiva Purana: Puja is the rite of image worship
with its many ceremonies. It is the chief style of
worship in popular Hinduism. This passage is
an extract from a lengthy discussion of the worship of Shiva as represented by the lingam. The
lingam is a stylized phallus, and its base, a vulva.
Nevertheless, these symbols are devoid of any
connotation of sexual license; they symbolize the
cosmic unity of male and female principles. They
have taken on an abstract and aniconic character,
2/1/2007 3:17:11 PM
1138
Chapter 17
1. Quran 4.64-69: This refers to the citizens of
Medina, many of whom were reluctant to submit
to Muhammads authority, first in accepting his
legal judgments, and ultimately in obeying his call
to fight for the defense of Medina. Obedience to
Gods Will is the mark of a sincere believer.
2/1/2007 3:17:11 PM
Notes
1139
Chapter 18
1. Dov Baer of Mezirech: This Hassidic rabbi
expresses the concept of Gods exile, born out of
the Jewish experience of exile. Thus did the Jews
cling to God in the midst of their wandering and
sometimes grinding poverty.
2. Matthew 18.1-3: Christians do not take this text
to mean that the original nature of man is innocent. Rather, the child exemplifies an attitude of
simplicity and innocence by which one can easily
accept the gospel.
3. Tao Te Ching 28: The Uncarved Block is the
state of primitive simplicity without any pretense
or artificiality. It can also mean the purity of ones
original nature.
4. Matthew 5.38: In Jesus day, when Judea was
under Roman occupation, Roman soldiers used to
commandeer civilians whom they met on the road
and require them to carry their cloaks and supplies
for one mile.
5. Romans 12.19-20: In Quran 5.27-32, Abel
refused to strike back when Cain sought to kill
him for fear of God and divine punishment; and
he recognized that Cain would ultimately be the
loser for killing him.
6. October 4, 1976: Father Moon teaches the Cain/
Abel paradigm not as a basis of judgment, but as
a path to restore fractured brotherhood. The religious people whom God has blessed take the role
of Abel, while the secular people who do not know
God and may have grudges against religion are in
the role of Cain. Yet these Cain people have many
worldly capabilities that religious people may lack.
The responsibility of religious people is to embrace
their secular brothers and raise them up so that
united, they can build a godly and prosperous
2/1/2007 3:17:12 PM
1140
2/1/2007 3:17:12 PM
Notes
1141
Chapter 19
1. Doctrine of the Mean 20.8: These are the
Confucian Five Relations, or Five Bonds, which
define human life. Maintaining proper ethics in
these five types of relationships is the measure of
ones humanity. Three of the five concern relationships in the family. They are further explicated
in the next passage.
2. Atharva Veda 3.30: This hymn sets forth the
ideal of the Hindu family.
3. November 10, 1969: The way of filial piety that
begins in the family naturally extends to patriotism on the national level, love for humanity on
the world level, to finally reach the universal level
of a son or daughter of God. See Invocation, The
Family Pledge, clause 2.
4. 2 Samuel 1.26: David spoke these words in an
elegy to Saul and Jonathan after they were killed
in battle. Their friendship was so strong that
Jonathan had more than once saved Davids life.
5. Nupe Proverb: Good friends should share each
others feelings.
6. Akan Proverb: Doing good to each other is the
basis of friendship.
7. Song of Solomon 1.2-4: Christians and Jews
understand these verses as extolling the pure love
of the soul for God as well as the genuine and
faithful love of a believer for his or her spouse.
8. Rig Veda 10.85.35-47: This is the traditional
Hindu marriage vow and blessings. The bride is
Surya, daughter of the solar deity Savitri; she is
the prototype of all brides. Her husband the eleventh means the wife will mother her husband in
his old age; queen describes the wifes status as
head of the household.
9. Book of Songs, Ode 1: This ode begins by
describing a lovers anxiety as he awaits his bride,
and ends with the joy of friends and family at their
wedding. Many interpret the ode as describing the
brides virtue, as shown by her modest disposition and retiring manner. The sound of male and
female ospreys answering each other at a distance
alludes to the distance between the lovers; the
soft duckweed gathered and presented as an offering alludes to their union. Confucius cites this ode
in the Analects (3.20) as a model of restrained
pleasure, of joy not carried to extremes.
2/1/2007 3:17:12 PM
1142
Chapter 20
1. May 11, 1969: These words were spoken in a
year when student unrest was sweeping the world,
including Korea.
4. January 22, 2000: To attend God means to understand Gods suffering and to comfort God by alleviating human sin and misery wherever it may be. It
means to understand and participate in Gods latterday Providence for the salvation of the entire world.
2/1/2007 3:17:12 PM
Notes
1143
21. Dhammapada 396: The Buddha gave new, spiritual definitions to Hindu racial and caste terms
like Aryan and Brahmin. An Aryan is not a member of a light-skinned race, but one who follows
the Aryan Eightfold Path. A Brahmin is not a
member of a privileged caste, but one who attains
the stage of arahant.
22. Amos 9.7: The prophet Amos warns Israel not
to be overly proud of its position as Gods chosen
people. God has been working to save even Israels
worst enemies, the Philistines and the Syrians.
23. Rig Veda 8.51.9: Aryans who form the highest
caste have light skins, while outcastes are a darkskinned people.
24. W.E.B. Du Bois: The Souls of Black Folk (Chicago,
1903).
25. Publius Syrus: A Roman slave who wrote moral
aphorisms.
26. Muhammad Ahmad al-Maula: Umar bin alKhattab was an early convert to Islam, having
formerly persecuted the new sect. He became a
close follower of Muhammad and after his death
became the second Caliph. This is an old tradition
retold by Muhammad Ahmad Jaad Al-Maoulah,
an Egyptian author and scholar (1883-1994).
27. Abraham Lincoln: Speech in Peoria, Illinois,
1854.
28. May 1, 1977: This passage from the English edition of Gods Will and the World is missing from the
Korean text. A search discovered its presence on
the original tape, and it was retranslated.
29. Sioux Tradition of the Sacred Pipe: Wakan
Tanka is the Lakota name for the high God or
Great Spirit.
30. Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti 7: The point of
this story is not that in this world there should
be equality among the sexes. Rather, Buddhism
teaches that sexual differentiation belongs only
to the phenomenal sphere, which is transient and
illusory. In Reality, beyond all appearances, sexuality is transcended. A similar story is found in
chapter 12 of the Lotus Sutra, where the daughter
of a dragon king transforms herself into the form
of a man to attain Buddhahood, thereby showing
Shariputra that he should not regard a woman to
be a filthy vessel incapable of receiving the Law.
2/1/2007 3:17:13 PM
1144
Enemy). Yet Confucius also praises the ideal of universal benevolence in Analects 4.3-4 (see Chapter
13: Universal Love). Apparently, even though a
man may like an evildoer and want to help him,
sometimes doing him a kindness will not be helpful; particularly if that kindness only encourages
him to do more evil. Tougher measures may be
appropriate, but these too should be motivated by
genuine loveout of concern for the wrongdoers
welfare.
41. Frederick Douglass: The foremost AfricanAmerican abolitionist, whose lectures against
slavery both in the United States and Europe in
the 1830s through the 1850s helped turn public
opinion against that evil institution.
42. William Booth: Inscribed at the entrance of the
Salvation Armys office in New York City. Booth
was the founder of the Salvation Army.
43. Quran 5.38: Most schools of Islamic jurisprudence no longer employ this punishment, and
those that do restrict it to the most serious cases
of grand larceny.
44. Derek Eretz Zuta 2.5: Even ones own possessions are not yours because they belong to God;
we have been given them as a trust.
38. Edmund Burke: Burke, a British statesman, supported the American colonies struggle for independence and helped the British accept their
independence. However, this champion of liberty
wrote against the French Revolution, because he
could foresee its excesses and totalitarian tendencies. Considered the father of 18th-century liberalism, what is now called conservatism, he left many
notable aphorisms.
46. Leviticus 25.10-43: In ancient Israel every fiftieth year was a Jubilee Year. In that year all debts
were forgiven, all Hebrew slaves freed, all leases
expired, and all property returned to its original
owners. This practice was based upon the premise that the land belongs to God, to be granted
to the clans and families of Israel in perpetuity; it
is not private property to be bought and sold. It
prevented the impoverishment of poor farmers by
wealthy creditors.
2/1/2007 3:17:13 PM
Notes
1145
62. May 8, 1994: This is from Father Moons explanation of the fourth clause of the Family Pledge
(see Invocation).
63. July 18, 1997: In Korean, this speech is dated
May 3, 1997.
Chapter 21
1. 2 Samuel 23.3-4: These words were spoken by
King David; they were a fitting motto for his leadership of Israel.
2. Book of Songs, Ode 254: The rulers of China
owed their leadership to the Mandate of Heaven.
If Heaven showed displeasure at a ruler by sending
down calamities, it meant that he and sometimes
2/1/2007 3:17:13 PM
1146
2/1/2007 3:17:14 PM
Notes
1147
Chapter 22
1. Luke 2.14: The proclamation of the angelic host
at the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
2. Zohar 3.10b: In Hebrew, shalom includes the
dimensions of peace, wellness and wholeness.
3. January 4, 1976: Center can denote either God
or an earthly central figure (leader or employer) or
a nation that is wealthier or more powerful than
ones own. Each way of construing this statement
gives another facet of its meaning.
4. Chuang Tzu 5: Only a person at peace with himself can calm others.
5. Isha Upanishad: That is interpreted by both
Shankara and Ramanuja as Brahman; this as
the individual soul. Hence, peace arises from the
unity of this and That, the soul and God.
6. Matthew 5.23-24: Not only will God not accept
our offering if we have sinned against others, he
also will not accept our offering if another person
has a grievance against us, though we might think
our actions were justified. Therefore we should
take responsibility for others grievances against us,
and avoid all temptations to self-righteousness.
7. Atharva Veda 7.52.1-2: The Asvins, or divine
Twins, symbolize perfect unity of two.
8. Quran 42.36-43: The Quran exalts forgiveness
as the way in which the best of people respond
2/1/2007 3:17:14 PM
1148
2/1/2007 3:17:14 PM
List of Sources
Sources are listed by tradition in alphabetical order as follows:
1149
2/1/2007 3:17:14 PM
1150
Ancient History
Pritchard, James B., ed. Ancient Near Eastern Texts
Relating to the Old Testament. 3rd ed. Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 1950.
Bahai Faith
Abdul-Bah. The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks
Delivered by Abdul-Bah during his Visit to the
United States and Canada in 1912. Wilmette, IL:
National Spiritual Assembly of Bahs of the
United States, 1982.
Bahullh. Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. Wilmette, IL:
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahs of the
United States, 1941, 1953, 1988.
Bahullh. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahullh.
Wilmette, IL: National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahs of the United States, 1952, 1976.
2/1/2007 3:17:14 PM
List of Sources
1151
Buddhism
Babbitt, Irving, trans. The Dhammapada. New York:
New Directions, 1965.
Bary, William Theodore de, ed. Sources of Indian
Tradition. Vol. 1. New York: Columbia University
Press, 1958. Used by permission of Columbia
University Press.
Bary, William Theodore de, ed. The Buddhist Tradition
in India, China and Japan. New York: Random
House, 1969. Copyright 1969 by William
Theodore de Bary. Used by permission of
Random House, Inc.
Batchelor, Stephen, trans. A Guide to the Bodhisattvas
Way of Life: The Bodhisattvacharyavatara by
Acharya Shantideva. Dharamsala, India: Library
of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1979.
Blofeld, John. Bodhisattva of Compassion: The Mystical
Tradition of Kuan Yin. Boston: Shambhala, 1978.
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1152
Christianity
Alexandrian Christianity: Selected Translations of Clement
and Origine. The Library of Christian Classics.
Vol. 2. Introduction and Notes by John Ernest
Leonard Oulton. Philadelphia: Westminster
Press, 1954.
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List of Sources
1153
2/1/2007 3:17:15 PM
1154
Christian Science
Eddy, Mary Baker. Science and Health with Key to the
Scriptures. Boston: First Church of Christ,
Scientist, 1875; 1934.
Confucianism
Bahm, Archie. The Heart of Confucius. Carbondale:
Southern Illinois University, 1977.
Bary, W. T. de, Wing-tsit Chan, and Burton Watson,
comps. Sources of Chinese Tradition. Vol. 1. New
York: Columbia University Press, 1960.
Blofeld, John, trans. I Ching: The Book of Change.
London: George Allen & Unwin, 1965.
Chan, Wing-tsit, comp. and trans. A Source Book
in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton: Princeton
University Press, 1963.
2/1/2007 3:17:16 PM
List of Sources
1155
Hellenism
Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. Translated by W. D. Ross.
Oxford: Clarendon, 1908.
2/1/2007 3:17:16 PM
1156
Hinduism
Basu, B. D. The Matsya Puranam. Parts 1 & 2. Sacred
Books of the Hindus, vol. 17. Translated by A.
Taluqdar of Oudh. Allahabad, 1917; Reprint,
New York: AMS Press, 1974.
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List of Sources
1157
2/1/2007 3:17:17 PM
1158
Islam
Ahmad, Ghazi, trans. Sayings of Muhammad. Lahore,
Pakistan: Sh. Muhammad Ashraf, 1968.
2/1/2007 3:17:17 PM
List of Sources
1159
Jainism
Bary, William Theodore de, ed. Sources of Indian
Tradition. Vol. 1. New York: Columbia University
Press, 1958.
Bhaskar, Bhagchandra Jain. Selections from Jain
scriptures prepared and translated for World
Scripture: A Comparative Anthology of Sacred
Texts. New York: Paragon House, 1991.
Chakravarti, A., trans. Pancastikaya of Kundakunda.
New Delhi: Bharatiya Jnanapeeth, 1944.
Champion, Selwyn Gurney, and Dorothy Short, comps.
Readings from World Religions. London: C. W.
Watts, 1951.
Ghosal, S. C., trans. Dravyasangraha of Nemichandra.
Arrah: Central Jain Pubishing House, 1917.
Jacobi, Hermann, trans. Jaina Sutras. 2 vols., Sacred
Books of the East, vols. 22, 45. Oxford: Clarendon,
1884, 1895; Reprint, New York: Dover, 1968.
Judaism
Abrahams, Israel. Hebrew Ethical Wills. Philadelphia:
Jewish Publication Society, 1948.
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1160
2/1/2007 3:17:18 PM
List of Sources
1161
Scientology
Hubbard, L. Ron. Handbook for Preclears. Los Angeles:
Bridge Publications, 1989.
Seicho-no-Ie
Taniguchi, Masaharu. Holy Sutra Nectarean Shower of
Holy Doctrines. Rev. ed. Gardena, CA: SeichoNo-Ie Truth of Life Movement, North American
Missionary Hq., 1981.
Shinto
Aston, W. G. Shinto: The Way of the Gods. London:
Longmans, Green and Co., 1905.
Champion, Selwyn Gurney, and Dorothy Short, comps.
Readings from World Religions. London: C. W.
Watts, 1951.
Havens, Norman, trans. The World of Shinto. Tokyo:
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai, 1985.
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1162
Sikhism
Encyclopedia of Sikhism. Vol. 1. Patiala: Punjab University,
1995.
Kohli, Surindar Singh. A Critical Study of Adi Granth.
Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1961.
Mansukhani, Gobindsingh. Selections from the Adi
Granth prepared and translated for World
Scripture: A Comparative Anthology of Sacred
Texts. New York: Paragon House, 1991.
Singh, Harbans. The Message of Sikhism. Delhi: Delhi
Sikhi Gurdwara Management Committee, 1978.
Singh, Kirpal, ed. and trans. The Jap Ji: The Message of
Guru Nanak. 5th ed. Franklin, NH: Sant Bani
Ashram, 1976.
Singh, Trilochan, et. al., trans. Selections from the Sacred
Writings of the Sikhs. London: George Allen and
Unwin, 1960.
Talib, Gurbachan Singh, trans. Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
4 vols. Patiala: Publication Bureau of Punjabi
University, Patiala, 1984.
Society of Johrei
Okada, Mokichi. Johrei: Divine Light of Salvation. Kyoto:
Society of Johrei, 1984.
Taoism
Bary, W. T. de, Wing-tsit Chan, and Burton Watson,
comps. Sources of Chinese Tradition. Vol. 1. New
York: Columbia University Press, 1960. Used by
permission of Columbia University Press.
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1163
Tenrikyo
Nakayama, Miki. Mikagura-uta: The Songs of the Tsutome.
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Japan:
Theosophy
Blavatsky, H. P. The Key to Theosophy: An Abridgment.
Edited by Joy Mills. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical
Publishing House, 1967.
Zoroastrianism
Darmesteter, James, trans. The Zend-Avesta, Part 1:
The Vendidad. Sacred Books of the East, vol. 4.
Oxford: Clarendon, 1887.
Duchesne-Guillemin, Jacques. The Hymns of Zarathustra.
Translated from French by M. Henning. London:
John Murray, 1963.
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