by Kevin Brennan-Ossining NY
This report I give to you in hope that it may help you be better prepared if and when you go there, as I have some sorrows resulting from my lack of certain information during my trip. This should be explained a bit before the "most important idea" (next paragraph). All the holy songs and clapping sessions (usually "Song of the Garden"), the midnight prayer meeting, and most lectures were in Korean only-well, after all, this is in Korea. In addition, on True Day of All Things (May 26), we were tested to write (our choice, Western or Korean letters) two of the holy songs in Korean. Otherwise, how we celebrated True Day of All Things was by a special morning service, without doing the climb to the five holy trees that morning. For the lectures, there was translation into Japanese and English, for which you need a battery-powered radio and set of headphones. If you want to take pictures of the five holy trees, etc., be sure your camera has film; I and others slipped on this point. If for some reason you want a personal appointment with Daemonim, try to find someone who can discuss it with you and who knows how to arrange that even before you start your trip; that way you can plan it better.
The most important idea I heard there is the liberation of evil spirits from attending members and possible only there based on the work of Daemonim and Heung Jin Nim. When members participate well and with right heart in the ansoo (clapping sessions), but also in the rest of the workshop activities as well if with right attitudes, evil spirits which wormed their way into the flesh of members get driven out of the members but in a new way. Realize that if there is nothing for the driven-out evil spirits to look forward to, they will just want to get back into the members, but that is not how it is done at CPL (Chung Pyung Lake). Instead, angels under Daemonim’s direction take these spirits on a tour of spirit world from hell to heaven, which they could never do on their own, and then they persuade them to attend Heung Jin Nim’s 100 days DP workshop in the spirit world. When they see shining good spirits/blessed couples who used to be evil spirits like themselves (which gives them hope to become likewise), and when they realize that God suffered even more than they have, they quickly forget their resentment and accept the path of the 100-days workshop leading to their cleansing and becoming blessed couples. Just in the last year or so alone, there have been hundreds of millions of such couples blessed in spirit world and, by June 13 and after, there are going to be many more of them, some from evil spirits liberated from members and others from elsewhere in spirits world. Father is also giving various directions to mobilize new good spirits/blessed couples to assist the efforts to bring more of earthly married couples to the blessings on earth. With a rapidly growing base like that in the spirit world concerning the blessing providence, it sounds like some dramatic and worldwide changes (for the better) should develop soon on earth.
When evil spirits get liberated from a member and become good spirits/blessed couples, they also become new spiritual children for that member-a completely new way for members to gain spiritual children. We were told that, according to Father, each member has over 3,000 evil spirits, on average, and that even in 40 days of right efforts it cannot be cleaned up completely-but let us do the best we can. After these spirits complete the 100 days workshop, they can join their spiritual parent (the member), but only when the member returns again to CPL; until then, the spirits have to stay there at CPL. However, nobody mentioned whether Father might quickly mobilize many such spirits from CPL for the blessing providence work without waiting for their spiritual parents to make a second trip to CPL which, in some cases, may be long after their first trip.
These reformed spirits, after their liberation, can see that their spiritual parent (member) still has his share of fallen nature, bad habits, etc., and that they need better than that if their restoration is really to be made complete, so they want to help the member do better. Concerning this, we were told that "Daemonim knows everything." With the help of such reformed spirits, the member may improve, but it is also possible, if the member does not improve, the reformed spirits may chastise him.
The preceding describes what I believe is the most important part of the CPL workshop. Like so many other things, however, I realize there are no guarantees that it will actually work for each attending person, depending on his conditions, attitude, taking responsibility, etc. I recall now that as evil spirits get this liberation from time to time during this workshop, the member does not necessarily feel it taking place. Some may have made real headway even in ten days, while others may not, even over 40 days. This time there were maybe a few hundred members in 10 and 40 days together. There were also two three-day workshops, one on each of the two weekends I was there, entirely Japanese and Koreans, swelling the population to about 2,000 the first weekend and to about 3,500 the second weekend, but there was no midweek three-day.
Being on time for everything was very important, according to Daemonim. The daily schedule was to arise by 6am (some including myself got up earlier), climb the mountain to the five holy trees and pray at each (taking me an hour and 15 minutes on average) 600 feet above the workshop halls. Breakfast was 7:30am. Each meal was followed by a 70-minute clapping session (we were asked to come 10 minutes early), and breaks and lectures until the next meal or in the evening until about 11:30pm, followed by the holy candle prayer meeting at the tree of love, 11:45pm-12:15am. During the three-day workshops, the clapping sessions were shorter and some parts of the rest of the schedule were different. Even before the official starting time of the 10-day, everyone was asked to attend the three daily clapping sessions, which implied that the clapping (ansoo) sessions were the most important part of the workshop. Later on, I heard that Daemonim arranged it that the angels do their work best when the participants do the ansoo the same way the leaders do it, whether at the time it be clapping, or on the head, neck or lower parts of the body (in a sequence usually).
On the first day, someone on staff said Westerners do not clap hard enough. Later, by asking around, I got the story a bit different: Daemonim wants members to clap enthusiastically at least (or with right heart and attitude), but not so hard as to cause bruising. I saw some members had various degrees of bruising. Also, members could hit themselves and their spouses fairly hard but should be gentler when hitting others. We were cautioned to be more careful about certain places such as the spine, since that is more dangerous. It was plain to me that some energetic members hit with vigor and others more softly. I would hit moderately hard, partly because I had not enough energy to sustain continued hitting with vigor.
Since there was no midweek three-day, that part of the ten-day schedule surprised me. While the clapping sessions continued, all those lecture time periods became free time for us, with us being asked to responsibly choose any activity which would bring us closer to God. Forty days was not like this; they had a continuous lecture schedule throughout this period. We could pray at the holy trees if we chose, or go to the lectures with the 40-day folk, or study the DP lecture individually, etc.: these choices were up to each of us. Discussions were mostly individual to individual at the mealtimes, etc., except we were asked to not let our discussions become too horizontal.
Initially there was no definite direction concerning how and about what we might pray at the holy trees, but soon the ten-day group got hold of a prayer list, designed for each of the five holy trees, prepared by the 40-day group.
Be ready for all of the 6am to midnight schedule, including the climb to the five holy trees, the clapping sessions, the lectures, etc. Also be ready to sit on the floor throughout most of the schedule. During the more crowded 3-day workshop periods, parts of my feet and legs got sore; I used my jacket as a cushion to bring partial relief.
Some information I needed but didn’t obtain, such as under what circumstances would it be suitable to arrange to see Daemonim. I now realize I may have missed a legitimate chance to see her.
Practical info: try to obtain as much info as possible from those who have been there, because CPL staff are very busy and don’t know much English. Phone 011 82 356 844 335 and fax 011 82 356 844 336 from USA (in Korea you do not need the 011 82).
Be careful how you arrange ground transportation to CPL, because a taxi from the airport to the training center can cost $60-$100 or more. I arranged my trip through a travel agency; I was supposed to meet a group at Kimpo airport to go by van to the training center, but somehow I had no name of anyone from this group and I ended up not finding them. Only because I independently had a few names and phone numbers around Seoul was I able to find my way to another van leaving four hours later for the training center and arriving there after midnight. During daytime hours, but no nighttime, there is public transportation by both bus and train from the airport to within a short taxi ride to the training center. Depending on which way you go, it takes between two and four hours to get there, and you may want to obtain more information before you start your trip, either from the training center or from anyone else who has such information.
There are no laundry dryers (except clotheslines) and the few washing machines have instructions in Korean only, so almost everyone hand washes their laundry. You may want to obtain a copy of the six-page "Meaning of Resurrection in Chung Pyung," not included below and excerpted from Father’s speech given on True God’s Day 1996. Even more informative is the 102-page Chung Pyung Special Workshop Guide, which contains some speeches and information.
Here are some excerpts from Daemonim’s speech at the 269th Chung Pyung Three-Day Workshop:
Restored Blessed Christian Spirits Were Sent to the United States
On May 1 at 10am, great numbers of Blessed spiritual people descended. Not all those who were blessed in the March 20 Blessing could descend because they had not yet completed their training course. Those who have not yet fulfilled their required course have 40 more days of training in the traditions of Blessed Family life.
America is a Christian country so, in order to restore it, we need to witness to more Christians. Therefore, True Parents asked Daemonim and Heung Jin Nim to send those good spirits who were devout Christians from first and second spirit blessings to be sent to work in the USA. On May 3 at 11am, a total of 160 million devout Christian spirits arrived in New York. Soon many Christians on earth will be in a position to be restored through the work of these good spirits.
Therefore, I believe a great number of Christians will come to our June 13 Blessing. Before these good spirits were sent out they were again taught strongly what they are supposed to do. These people led very dedicated lives while they were on earth and some of them were martyrs who died for God and Jesus. They stated that after they completed their 100-day workshop they could really understand the value of the Divine Principle. "We came to the spirit world only waiting for the Messiah, but you have True Parents with you in person and True Parents have taught you everything. Therefore you must live better and be grateful to True Parents. You must be determined to change completely to God’s original ideal, becoming good people who can reach unity with God and True Parents."
This is such a wonderful time. There are multitudes of good spirits here but you don’t see them so you don’t know the value. Therefore, you are not here in great numbers. If you really knew, there would be so many members here it would be overflowing even out to the gate. You wouldn’t even worry about what to eat or where to sleep. If you knew the reality of how valuable these good spirits are, you would fight for this like crazy. Now, these good spirits have to help us who are blind and deaf and mute. They will be guiding us and protecting us.
Now is the time all the people who were religious when they came to Chung Pyung and were sent to Heung Jin Nim’s training center in the spirit world are coming to our side. In the future we will see great things happening. So the more you come and the more spirits you liberate, the more you are protected. This is so important.
Some members are asking me to give them more spirits but I can only give you those whom you yourselves sent up to Heung Jin Nim. True Father said that this is the gate to the spirit world, and it is only here that we can send them up, and only here that they can come down to you. Please come here often so you can receive many good spirits to protect you. Let us pray.
Chung Pyung News
The Third Blessing of Spirit World Couples will be held at the same time as the Blessing ceremony in Madison Square Garden in New York on June 13, 1998.
On the morning of May 9, Heung Jin Nim gathered together many good spirits to have a special meeting. Heung Jin Nim stated that since there would be a 120 million couples Blessing on June 13 on earth, there should also be a Blessing goal set for the next Blessing to be held in the spiritual world. The goal was set for five billion spirit world people to be Blessed in the coming Blessing. He urged all those present to work hard for this goal. Those present pledged their support.
Spirit world participants at the meeting agreed they would work to bring many people to Chung Pyung and help them work hard to separate their spirits from Satan (purify their souls and hearts from evil) while they are on the Chung Pyung grounds. The good spirits said they can do it. They are determined to make the Blessing goal. Therefore, our members on earth should gather many spirits from the environment and come to Chung Pyung to liberate them. Spiritual liberation can be done only through the gate of Chung Pyung. When members come to Chung Pyung, good spirits help them liberate more spirits to go to Heung Jin Nim, enabling them to be Blessed. The more spirit world spiritual children we can gain, the more our lives can be improved and protected. So work hard to gain more spiritual children in the spirit world.
On May 1, at 10am, the Blessed spirits from the second spirit world Blessing held in March descended through Chung Pyung. At this time the True Parents asked that 160 million fervent Christian spirits from both of the previous spirit world Blessings be sent from Chung Pyung to the United States to work under Heung Jin Nim and Jesu Nim (Jesus) for the restoration of Christianity. They arrived in New York on May 3 at 11am.
Also, seventeen key Japanese religious leaders in the spirit world have received the Blessing. Mrs. Erikawa came to Chung Pyung to pick these leaders up to bring them back to Japan. Overall witnessing will be improved. Our members will have these spirit world leaders’ support and companionship when they witness. We must even reduce our sleeping and eating time so we can go out to speak to the people. We should let heaven use our bodies for this purpose. We must be determined to fulfill God’s will centering on God and True Parents.
The following is a prayer list at the five holy trees suggested by someone in 40-day workshop:
1. At the tree of love, repent for: sexual problems, sexual relations, masturbation, pornography, getting too close to one’s spouse before the right time, hatred and resentment, bad motivation in loving others. Prayer for: restoring true love and pure motivation.
2. At the tree of heart, repent for: not being able to understand and comfort God’s heart, and deliberately hurting other people’s feelings. Pray to understand God’s heart (a) at the time of creation, (b) at the fall, (c) during restoration.
3. At the tree of all things, repent for: misuse of things, self-abuse by drugs and eating junk food, stealing, misuse of public money and failure to tithe, and bad attitude toward all things. Pray for: (a) more wealth for members so that they become better able to support God’s work and become better providers but without becoming indulgent, complacent, etc., and (b) fertility, that worthy, prepared, spiritually healthy now-childless couples become able to have children.
4. At the tree of loyalty, repent for: our lack of faith and loyalty to God and True Parents, our not really believing and following True Parents’ words and directions, our not being serious enough for good ancestors, and not being committed enough. Pray to become faithful, loyal and obedient and to become unchanging and absolute in our faith.
At the tree of blessing, repent for: not appreciating the Blessing enough, blocking God from working through us, and failing to do better towards fulfilling the three blessings. Pray: to be able to fulfill the purpose of creation, to become exemplary Blessed couples, to succeed in our missions as tribal and national messiahs, and to be thankful for all blessings in my life.