Sun Myung Moon
Circa 1968
Living Faith in the Era after the Coming of Heaven
Selected Speeches of Reverend Sun Myung Moon
Photo date and location unknown
"Before you desire to have dominion over the universe, you must first gain dominion over yourself" is my life's philosophy. I told myself, before desiring to have dominion over the universe and before starting to create a relationship with things in this world, I must gain dominion over myself. Heavenly fortune comes to you only when you humbly find yourself inadequate before Heaven, even after you would use your body to unassumingly attend and serve your conscience as your master, teacher and parent for a thousand years. Your mind desires to serve your body. However, your body never desires to serve your mind.
All problems stem from inside you not from the society. When you find a problem within your family, it is not because your brother is at his fault, your sister or your father; however, rather, it is your own fault that has caused the problem. Therefore, first, you must correct your own fault. Only then, can you criticize other people's faults as the second or third options. Once your mind and body become as one, you can live in the unified world with your head held high. However, if your mind and body are not one, how can you even approach a place where such unity exists? You will automatically retreat from such a place. You must clearly understand the fact that your body, which tramples down, denies, afflicts pains and causes severe aches to your heart, must not be the master. Only after you capture your body and train it to "live for the sake of others" – like your mind – can real happiness reign inside you. God will dwell in such a person.
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I have guided young people throughout my entire life with the true value system, which reflects the philosophy of "You must live for the sake of others" and "Before you desire to have dominion over the universe, you must first gain dominion over yourself." Thus, you must arm yourself with this Three- Subject Thought –True Parents, True Teacher and True Master. Then, you must build harmony between strong flesh and a healthy spirit like True Parents. Seeing from the Principle's perspective, the perfect person possesses a unified relationship between spirit and flesh centering upon God's Heart and Absolute Value. And his spirit and flesh should function properly and maintain their healthy state.
That is to say, even if you possess a healthy spirit, without having healthy flesh you cannot be perfect. By the same token, although your flesh is well and healthy, if your spirit is not right, you will not function properly as a good person. Therefore, I wish and pray that all of you acknowledge this fact first and then you place yourselves at the front line where you strive forward to bring about this proper unity between mind and body.
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You must understand that it is more difficult to be in command of your immediate environment given to you than occupying the whole world. You should not be afraid of satans who oppose you with national power, satans who oppose you with societal influences, nor the core evil itself. Rather, you must clearly know how fearful is that existence known as "I", who directly confronts and opposes the goodness that is surrounding your original mind. Thus, it is the highest priority for the people of faith to conquer this existence, "I".
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What should your mind accomplish? In order to receive Heavenly Laws as orderly decrees of your life, you must develop your original nature. You must perfect a "self" who can reciprocate with these laws. Are your mind and body responding to each other harmoniously? Or are they at war? If they are in conflict, there will be no harmony. If they start from the state of harmony, any conflicts may be accommodated. However, if the starting point is conflict, there would never be harmony. Accordingly, even though a person exhibits beautiful ideas and deeds, if his mind and body are in conflict, in the end his life would be ruined. You must clearly recognize this fact. Then, if you apply your understanding to your life philosophy, you will never fail in your life. Once you live by this principle and harmonize with the Heavenly ethic, you will never be in rebellion against the Heavenly Ethic but rather you will be a person who lives in accordance with this Heavenly Ethic.