Sun Myung Moon
January 31, 1982
World Mission Center
Translator: Bo Hi Pak
We must realize that an individual's life is not fully under his own control. A person's surroundings and destiny are not something he can regulate, for the environment was there before he ever existed. Of course, each person feels he is important and envisions himself at the center of things. As a rule, people disregard their surroundings in the process of advancing. Without an environment, however, there is no center. Only within an environment can a subject-object relationship exist. This is a universal law of existence.
God created the environment first and within it all things in pair systems of subject and object. This applies to the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms. Finally, God created one person, Adam, in that prepared environment. Adam was a unique creation in that he could harmonize and fit into his surroundings. Since everything around Adam existed in subject-object relationships, Adam also needed an object, Eve.
A person may be proud and boastful as he talks about himself, but upon deeper reflection he will wonder for whom he was created. Each individual exists to harmonize with his environment and create perfect surroundings.
All creation exists in harmonious give and take. Man is meant to be the central point of harmony in creation, but a solitary person would be unable to have the fullest give and take with his environment. Therefore, man alone cannot fulfill his central role as harmonizer. A man and woman together in harmonious give and take can be the center of all creation. Now you can explain clearly why men need women and why women need men: if all of your surroundings exist in subject-object relationships, then you also need an object in order to fit in.
Men and women clearly belong to their environment first of all. In order for your presence to have value, however, you must make a relationship with your surroundings. You lose value if you try to remain isolated. The environment must recognize your worth and affirm that you are needed. Next, you must be recognized by your object. Before you can claim to be the subject, your object must want you to be subject; that is only natural. You should not be subject because you need to be one, but because your surroundings feel that they need you. This should be a key element in your thinking. When this value system is lacking, people find themselves constantly embroiled in struggle. Strictly speaking, you cannot say that God gave you everything for your own sake. Actually, what you were given is also for the sake of your environment. Particularly here in America, people have fundamentally mistaken attitudes about this.
Suppose you asked your eye why it exists. It could not reply that it exists for itself. Certainly the eye serves to provide vision for the body, not just for itself. It exists to fulfill a larger purpose. For your ear to proclaim that it hears for itself makes no sense. Ears listen for a higher purpose.
If your nose wanted to exist only for itself, you would have the right to cut it off. Why would it be needed? It has a purpose to fulfill for the rest of the body. Does your mouth receive food for its own sake? Suppose one day it refused to open up! The mouth clearly functions for the sake of the whole body. Your sense of touch also exists to benefit the entire body.
Obviously, all five senses exist for the whole. Expanding this pattern, we can visualize one person having the position of an eye, another, the position of a nose, existing for a greater whole.
It wouldn't make sense, then, for a man to say that he exists only for himself. A man's masculinity was not created to be appreciated by other men but by someone different -- women. Likewise, women are not shaped for other women, but for someone different -- men. Men and women were both shaped by a creative mind that envisioned them relating to a counterpart. Do any of you women feel you were created for the sake of other women?
In creation we find positive and negative, convex and concave fitting together harmoniously. It is not natural for positive to join with positive, or convex with convex. Upon analysis, this appears to be a simple principle, but it expresses a profound truth. A man is a man in order to fulfill something for the sake of others; women also have a purpose connected with others. The individual exists to satisfy someone other than himself. Everyone is involved in daily activities; you carry on your daily life to satisfy some universal purpose in your environment.
Do you engaged brothers regard your fiancée as your personal possession? Do you sisters feel that you can forget about the church now and depend on your fiancée to take care of you? Do you want to simplify your existence by forgetting the complications of church life?
All of you are anxious to know when I will announce the Blessing. Why do you want me to be involved in your life this way? Am I a good person or a bad person? You have a family environment, a social environment, a national, worldwide and cosmic environment, as well as God's environment. Before the Creator began His work, He already had certain ideals in mind such as a desire for a love-centered environment.
God created mankind to fulfill a central role in the universal environment, so mankind has a unique quality not found anywhere else in the animal kingdom: the ability to think. We function the same as animals, but we are set apart since we can conceive of moral and spiritual values.
For what values do we live: animal or human? Are people today really living according to human values, or are they closer to animal values? What about you? If an engaged member is annoyed that the time of Blessing hasn't yet been announced and gripes every day about how complicated Unification Church life is, can we say he is living closer to the human level or the animal level?
When a husband and wife hold hands and rejoice together, they are representatives of the universe. Our whole environment will find satisfaction in our unity as couples and families. You should realize that your unity is fulfilling a cosmic purpose. All your deeds, including your engagement, are meant to satisfy the rest of creation. You can feel that God, mankind, and all creation take delight in your engagement.
You can delight in truly living on the human level in this way, for this is where human dignity begins. Why do we need such human dignity? It is so we can be welcomed by the environment. When you have satisfied the needs of the environment, God can rejoice and welcome you personally, dwelling in love with you.
Evaluate yourself and ask whether your actions truly represent the nobility of human life. If your five senses did not exist for the whole but only for themselves, why would you need them? A man does not exist for himself, nor a woman for herself. We exist for a universal purpose, and we must harmonize with our surroundings, uniting everything. When you live this way, the universe can help compensate for any shortcomings you may have. Therefore, you don't need to feel discouraged or worry about being inadequate. You don't need to be concerned about your fiancée being less than perfect.
In Unification Church life we have certain rules and traditions, but what is their purpose? I am trying to show you how to harmonize with the universe, not isolate yourself from it. We need to shape ourselves in a certain direction in order to create perfect harmony. The path of this universal principle seems difficult, but by following it, you will ultimately be victorious. If you ignore universal destiny and just try to make things serve your own purpose, nothing will work out; obstacles will block you in every direction.
Should someone who tries to do things his own way be accommodated or rejected? If you make wrong decisions, history will judge you. I want you to make the right decisions and harmonize with the universe. Through this teaching we are rejecting the animalistic way of life, and striving to create heartistic relationships with one another and also with God.
By practicing divine love you can have an eternal relationship with the Creator. Let's use the term "divine humanity" to represent true human dignity. We don't want to bring God into our lives except in the dignity of divine love.
When you join the Unification Church you cannot avoid confronting the rule of subject and object. In order to find fulfillment in the Unification Church, you have to be able to harmonize with Reverend Moon as its subject. If you don't want to harmonize with this subject, the environment will kick you out. There is no way you could remain.
Perhaps after several years you may think, "I have gone along with Reverend Moon for some time now; why doesn't he do things my way for a change?" I have no objection to doing things differently as long as it produces greater achievement of that divine element. In such a case I will become your follower!
I am definitely developing my leadership and traditions according to the universal destiny, never in accordance with my own desire or whim. I feel that eventually the United States will follow this way of life, not because I insist upon it but because it is the only way this country can elevate itself to the level of the divine human life. Whoever opposes that universal goal is only opposing his own well-being.
Universal power supports these principles, not America's present way of life. As long as I live within these principles, I cannot help but prosper, and my opponents will dwindle away. This principle is like a rock and my commitment to it is unshakable. God is in a position to sustain and strengthen this way of life. If God supports it, then judgment has already been passed. Anyone who thinks I am merely trying to justify myself should step forward with a better alternative. This is not just a theory.
We begin in the small environment of the family and then move on to successively greater levels of environment, finally reaching the spirit world and the Creator. You have to harmonize with what the Creator wants you to be. Otherwise, you are simply destroying yourself.
Because I keep moving from one level of the environment to another, people discover new aspects of me as they relate to me. Twenty years ago, the Korean members felt that I would always be with them, talking often until midnight. But now they recognize that I am not just a Korean teacher; I have a universal mission. When Korean members come to the United States, they don't receive all my attention. They miss those times in Korea. Some day you too will talk about the "good old days" when you sat here listening to me.
There are different methods of education for each level of a child's development, each presenting him with varying challenges. But no matter at which level I am teaching you, the central principle will always be that of universal harmony. I want to move with God's destiny, not my own, and receive all the protection of the universe.
Those who examine my life at a given point may feel that I am zigzagging, but if they look at the whole picture it will be clear that I am always following a certain vertical line. Since I have to deal with the reality of this world, I may have to make certain turns, but I never lose sight of the central line. In order to reach people on the right or on the left, I have to move back and forth. When I came to America, for instance, I had to reach out to you where you were. If I had been rigid and unyielding, we would never have made contact. But once my course crosses a certain boundary, the path will lead only straight forward.
The directions I give you may sound too steep, and you might prefer that I demand less of you. But you should know that your present activities are at an elementary school level. The high school and university levels are much tougher. When you finish the Unification Church Ph.D. course you will be truly universal men and women, able to overcome any obstacle.
After your education in the Unification Church is finished, you have another course to undertake: dealing with society and the rest of the world. The Unification Church is not only a place for spiritual training; you also receive social and economic training here.
Many people evaluate themselves from a very pragmatic, materialistic standpoint. "I joined the Unification Church five years ago," someone might say, "and all this time I have really done my best. As far as I'm concerned, I have given everything, but what have I gained? All I can see is that I've gotten five years older. I had several suits when I joined, but now I have only one. I had lots of shoes, but now I have only one pair, and even they have holes in them. I have a fiancée, but she doesn't seem to be anybody special. What's good about this life?" He might even think about the girl he dated five years ago and remember her as being so much better than his fiancée.
You may think you have gained nothing, but once you go out into the secular world, you will find that you excel in many ways. Of course you will excel in spiritual matters, but you can surpass people economically and socially too. In other words, no other kind of education can approach the one you received from five years in the Unification Church.
From a pragmatic viewpoint, members might wonder why the Unification Church way of life keeps getting tougher. "I thought I finished the lower levels and things would get easier," some people might say. "Instead, it's getting tougher and tougher." Once you finish elementary school and enter middle school, the standards are higher and the expectations greater. When you go on to high school, more is expected. All the way up to the Ph.D. level, more and more is demanded. The higher you are elevated, the greater the demands upon you. Do any of you think you have graduated from my school, or are you still in the process of learning? There is no university in America where you can hear this kind of lecture. That's for sure.
When you really listen to what we are discussing, you will realize that we are not talking about some specialized ideas but about the very roots of life. When you understand and absorb the Principle and achieve a high standard in your life, although you may not have a college degree, you will have your "Reverend Moon degree." When you go out into the world and discuss things with professors and people with doctorate degrees, you will realize what a deep knowledge you have gained about all aspects of life. Because of the depth and breadth of the understanding you have acquired, you will even feel confident to teach college professors. The secular world will come to respect Moonies because they have such shining inner strength.
When a little child begins kindergarten, her mother dresses her up in the nicest clothes. But as that child goes on to higher and higher levels of education, the less time she will have to spend on external appearances. Especially at the university level, the exams, term papers, dissertations -- all the demands on students' time leaves virtually no room for worrying about clothing. Sometimes college students have such a demanding schedule they don't even take time to wash or shave! The university student might look back and envy his easy time in elementary school. Just because a student has no time to shave or keep himself attractive, however, doesn't mean he is miserable. There is something within him that is solid, valuable, and growing.
You are in Reverend Moon's university, and you are being called upon to do many demanding things. Under such pressure, you may look pale or even sloppy. However, although you may not appear so great externally, you are like a dynamo internally. In your true, internal self, you are becoming a life-giving force, like the sun.
What about me? I am well-dressed today because I came to give you a sermon. But normally I dress very casually, even carelessly. Does that alter my value? Am I more valuable when I am well-dressed than when I am sloppily dressed? Of course not. No matter how I dress, people respect me for my internal qualities.
Yesterday Bo Hi Pak said, "Father, all the leaders would like to give you and Mother a day of rest during your birthday celebration. We feel sorry that you have to work such long hours every holiday, and we would like to take over your speaking responsibilities for you. However, the truth is that nobody else has the ability to inspire the members the way you do!" Why is it that nobody else can duplicate my role? Am I fulfilling this role with external or internal qualities?
You may look at me and feel you know me, but nobody truly comprehends the entire depth of my internal self. If I were to preach for ten years continuously, do you think I would run out of sermon material? No, I wouldn't.
We talk a lot about the spirit world. You realize that it exists, but how much do you really know about it? Once you reach spirit world, all of you will feel lost and will call out for me to guide you! Then I will come and speak to you. Don't you think there are further things I can teach you in the spirit world? Certain things cannot be explained here on earth, but only there. Ten years of sermons in the spirit world would not even scratch the surface of knowledge about it that I have to share with you.
When you look at me, you see a very mysterious person. I am doing unique and extraordinary things. The main reason the United States is troubled about me is that it cannot measure me or figure me out. Even if the greatest computer companies wanted to run all the data about me through their sophisticated equipment, they wouldn't be able to enter everything into their computers. I wouldn't register on the screen, because I just don't compute!
You may have been following this way of life for the past several years and feel that you have achieved a certain degree of understanding. But knowing that the horizons are unlimited and the realms of knowledge infinite, how can you demand that I do things your way? How can you say you have learned enough from me?
The physical world and the spirit world are linked together. The spirit world is already under God's direction. Being the world of truth and order, the spirit world is controlled by the Principle. In this world, however, I have been treated like a swindler and a charlatan.
In the spirit world, do you think there will be a special Dr. Durst-type of heaven, since he has such a high academic degree, or will the Kingdom of Heaven be a Reverend Moon-type heaven? Do you think heaven will adopt my style or Dr. Durst's style? How about a Bo Hi Pak-style heaven? How about a Rev. Kwak-style heaven? You say Reverend Moon-style heaven, but which would you prefer: a Reverend Moon-style heaven or a God-style heaven? I want to live in a God-style heaven and I am sure you do, too.
There are many leaders in our church: state leaders, national leaders, and directors of various activities. Some of them think, "I want to create my own way of reaching heaven; I want to compromise just a bit on the Principle." But that is crazy. In this respect, I am absolutely logical and scientific.
Some people, without any scientific reasoning or logic, decide they want to go a certain way just because they feel like it. That is superstitious and wrong. We must base our actions on logic and deep philosophical understanding. If someone decides he wants to go off in his own direction, do you think the rest of the world will follow him? Perhaps people in this world will, but what about the spirit world? Will God go along with him?
Many people complain about the way I am going and fight against it. I have created a great deal of controversy and endured much persecution here on earth. But the amazing thing is that whenever someone tries to follow this way, he receives help from the spirit world and from God as well.
The Japanese leaders have followed my direction and have received showers of blessing from the spirit world. But they know that if they begin to be skeptical about what I say, all such assistance will cease.
Many people have their own logic and method of doing things. If you listen to their various ways, you might get confused. Why not just disregard all the other ways and follow this one? And if you don't like to do things this way, then I recommend you try to find another way to do God's will. Since you probably don't have a method of finding God's direction, you will have to rely on someone's expert guidance.
If you want to place an overseas telephone call, could you just dial numbers at random and expect to be connected? Of course not. You must go through certain channels; you must call an operator, who rings another operator and ultimately connects you to your goal. If you said, "I'm going to discover my own, unique way of placing an overseas call; I'm just going to dial the number my way," you could dial all day long and never reach your goal. It wouldn't work. Even though you may not like the voice of the particular operator you have to use to place your call, still you must call her first.
Likewise, in order to go to heaven, you must go through a certain channel. You may say, "I don't like Reverend Moon's way of talking or the things he teaches," but you have to talk to the right operator in order to connect with God.
If you should call the wrong operator, she might plug you into a totally wrong place; you might end up talking to Moscow instead of Norway, for instance. Likewise, the wrong spiritual leader might plug you into Satan instead of God and the good spirit world.
The members of the Unification Church are smart people. You are clever and know where the truth lies. You pay attention to me because you know where the greatest value lies. You are interested in what I have to say. You are curious about what I look like when I laugh; you wonder what makes me angry! Whole new horizons have appeared; an entire new spectrum is visible to you.
When I came to America, I never disregarded the reality of this environment. Each nation has its own head of state and government. When I came, Nixon was President, followed by Ford, Carter, and Reagan. I realize that they faced many serious challenges. My viewpoint is to solve problems on a worldwide level, but the highest consideration of national leaders is usually their own nation. I can offer answers that will resolve not only national problems but the problems of the world as well. Whoever brings universal solutions will become the universal subject.
The three major problems in the world are the spread of communism, the decline of Christianity, and the moral corruption of the young people. Once someone can bring a solution to these three challenges, he will definitely be in a subject position. Heads of state, the world's external leaders, are suffering from an inability to deal with the onslaught of communism. The world's internal leaders the religious leaders, agonize over the global decline of religion, especially Christianity. Young people are the hope for the future. If the youth are corrupted, there can be no hope for tomorrow.
We are tackling all three problems and offering solutions. We are bringing hope for the future by assembling renowned scholars from all over the world to give the world intellectual direction. They have concluded that there is only one power strong enough to deal with communism: Reverend Moon's ideology. The major foundation has been laid. These unique assemblies of scholars and intellectuals have agreed that the hope for the future lies with Reverend Moon's new ideology.
In December 1981, a truly unique conference was convened: a conference on God. Leaders of all major religions, including Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam, assembled for the first time in history. The discussion focused on the Creator, God.
A long time ago, I initiated a World Religious Congress, aiming at the unity of all the world's religions. I announced very plainly that wherever a movement for unity among religions occurred, I would give funds to support it. There are tremendous divisions within all religions, not only Christianity. There are religious leaders who long to find some bond of unity, and I was the only one volunteering to help. So they used the assistance I offered and called this conference. In dealing with the unity of religions, their discussion first focused on their shame that they could assemble only with the help of Reverend Moon.
I want to stimulate unity among all the religions of the world. During this conference, the religious leaders could evaluate themselves and begin to realize how trivial are the things which separate them and cause them to fight each other.
Out of this conference a great movement, World Youth for God, has begun. Beginning this summer, an evangelical team of young people, accompanied by famous scholars, will go from nation to nation and continent to continent trying to create an international movement for unity. When they visit a Muslim country, they will invite all the famous Muslim scholars to discuss the Creator. When they go to Asia, they will examine religious concepts with Buddhist leaders. And when they travel to Christian nations, they will invite Christian scholars to speak to them.
With such a movement, denominational in-fighting will have to stop. Once the various religions begin to communicate with each other, the era of denominational differences and divisions over dogma will cease. What is amazing is that this entire project is sponsored by Reverend Moon. Can they point their fingers at each other, in front of me, and cry heretic? How can they accuse another religion of being inferior or take issue with certain aspects of another belief? They will be unable to accuse and judge each other that way.
Participants at this past conference knew it was funded by Reverend Moon and that Moonies would be there to help them. They came to the conference totally ignorant of my philosophy. They knew only one thing: they were great scholars. They began the conference in a very boastful manner, looking at our members somewhat scornfully. They thought we had nothing to offer them, but within three days, the participants' attitudes had completely changed. They concluded that religious unity in the world was possible. They could feel hopeful.
This was the culmination of many years of hard work and suffering, particularly in the founding of the Unification Theological Seminary, which is the base from which all these things can happen. During 1981 there were at least 30 major academic conferences sponsored by the Unification Church, the International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences being only one of them. Many thousands of scholars and professors became exposed to Unification ideology as well. All of them have concluded that it is an advanced philosophy with unique, extraordinary thought behind it.
They are experiencing the dawn of new hope; they feel that a new day is beginning. They see that we are talking not just about a dream but a reality, and this gives them hope for world unity in the future. They thought that the world had come up against a stone wall, but now they realize that there is a way to push that stone wall aside and witness a new era on the horizon.
It is amazing that Christianity had been confronting Judaism for 2,000 years without any genuine dialogue taking place -- only accusation, hatred and killing. But the Unification Church is now fostering dialogue among the religions of the entire world, including Judaism and Christianity.
On February 4, 40 top Korean Christian leaders are coming to New York as my guests. They will be taking a 40-day tour of the United States and other countries. I want them to open their eyes and realize that the world is far bigger than they assumed.
Until now, all kinds of persecution have been mounted against the Unification Church, but people no longer have any excuse to harass us. The decline and degradation of the religious world is obvious; this has been a dark night for religion and spiritual values. But now all of a sudden, religious people can see the coming of the dawn in the philosophy of Reverend Moon. This has been achieved in a very short time.
We will not have to keep climbing as we have been. We are reaching the pinnacle of the mountain. Soon it will be easier; once we go over the peak, we will pick up speed. As I mentioned, the greatest headache for God as well as for all philosophical and religious people has been the problem of communism. And now we are offering a solution, both internally and externally. We are also bringing a solution to the religious decline by starting a new movement for religious unity. Nobody had thought such a thing possible, but it is happening.
Communism is like a cancer spreading freely all over the world, including the United States. It is even more rampant in Latin America. The world is helpless in the face of this cancer. Consider what is happening in Central America. The people in these countries are looking for an answer but weapons are not the solution; an ideology is needed. Before Unificationism, however, there was no ideology capable of combating communism. Young people are finding new life through Unificationism. What is taking place is almost like a resurrection.
I have one worry: leaders may get so inspired by this new ideology that they will organize a home church system. Then the Moonies will be out of a job! If such a situation arises, however, they will seek out experienced leaders to help them do home church. And whom will they call upon? You.
You may think you are repeating the same activities every day; you may find your duties monotonous. "I am doing home church," you think. "I go fundraising, I witness, and on Sundays I go to hear Father speak." You may think your life is repetitious, even perfunctory, and you don't see many results. But I want you to know that while you are fulfilling your responsibility, the world is changing. When America realizes it has to confront the challenge of communism, it will choose our way.
There are many religious leaders, but they don't stimulate much true excitement, so people will have to come and listen to my teachings. What result do my teachings bring? You bright young people are its fruits. You are so young; you look green and fresh, while other churches are filled with gray people almost ready for the cemetery! Religious leaders will have to notice this amazing difference. When smart young people come and stay, when they are filled with fervent, burning zeal, something must be happening. This is the very thing America needs. Therefore, people will come and ask for my advice.
I have been talking about a global evangelical team traveling around the world. They will hear lecturers from Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and the Unification Church. When people hear speakers from all those religions, which one do you think will be the most convincing?
One feature of our religion is that we deal with the reality of the present society and offer a solution for the future. In many cases, religions are concerned only about the next world. Many religious philosophies have almost no bearing on this world or offer any hope or solution for the future. Bright, idealistic young people long for some solution to the present world and some hope for the future. If they choose a religion, would they choose the Unification Church and the Principle, or Islam or Hinduism?
The Unification Church is a wonderful, extraordinary church. You are part of it, but you don't recognize its value. You tell me, "Father, you are just doing things the Oriental way. You are forcing the Korean way upon us. You give us a bunch of tough Korean leaders who are difficult to deal with." Although you might not think they are desirable, soon people will fight to get these Korean leaders to come to their country! Nations will compete to have the most Korean leaders. Can you envision such a day? Do you think you have too many Korean leaders, too many foreign leaders? Do you think they don't understand the pragmatic, American way? Actually, they are not the problem, they are the solution.
We have been talking about the challenges presented by the rise of communism and the decline of world religion. The third problem is the moral degradation of the youth. You are mostly young people. Let me ask you honestly: do you have the same problems with moral corruption as the young people in secular society? How often do you write to your fiancée: once a week? Once a month? Since the recent engagements, church telephone bills have been skyrocketing. Couples talk about silly things like getting diarrhea! The church cannot keep up with these telephone bills, so I have instructed that people who make long-distance calls should pay the costs themselves. Is this a good system?
The Unification Church can give evidence that we have a solution to the moral decline of the world's young people today. We are not talking about something ten years from now; we mean the reality today. That reality is sitting in this room right now. You are that reality.
The world says all kinds of evil things about me; they are even talking about a new kind of Mafia, a "Moonie Mafia." Satan has such a way of twisting things, inducing people to make all kinds of accusations about me and the Unification Church. But no matter what the outside world may say about us, you shouldn't pay attention to them, because the important thing is what we are accomplishing, Secular society offers no hope for the future, especially for solving the world's three worst problems. But the Unification Church has tackled them, one after the other. It is important to focus not on the opinion of the outside world, but on what we are gaining, what we are accomplishing.
When we have solved these problems, our task will continue. We must lead the world into the Kingdom of Heaven. Part one is finding the solution; part two lies ahead. The outside world doesn't have a part one, much less a part two. When we move forward into part two, will the world still regard us as the Moonie Mafia?
I have already discussed who will play the central role in the environment and how we can become the subjects of our environment. According to this principle, it is only a matter of time until this movement and this philosophy will play a central role in the world. You should be convinced that what we are discussing this morning is not simply a possibility or a potentiality. It is a reality; it is already a way of life, and we should be proud of it. We should thank God and all creation that we have this way of life, that we have the solution, and that we have this wonderful vision and hope for the future. This is truly a blessing.
Since this is a fact, anyone who assists this movement is a wise person. Those of you who are here are the wisest people. Whoever cooperates with this direction is a discerning person, indeed. This is how to distinguish between a wise person and a fool: a wise person recognizes the subject and becomes an object to him and follows him. To live in a harmonious relationship of give and take with your subject is the true way of life.
How can you become the best objects? First, recognize that in the Unification Church, Reverend Moon is the subject. Then use the same approach I took when I came to America. I declared I was going to take on the worst problems in this country. You should do the same, saying that as a member of the Unification Church you want to take on the worst problems in the church. What is the worst problem of the Unification Church? We have two major problems: first, we need a financial base, and second, we need more people. Everything else will be taken care of once we solve those problems. I am always thinking seriously about those two problems. We have no difficulties with our ideology, and certainly we know that we are the channels for God's absolute love. Without a doubt, we have those treasures; the question is how to expand and share them.
The home church system is the basic plan by which we will solve these two problems. In order to gain a result, you need to invest your money, your time, your energy, and your manpower. This principle operates on every level. It begins with two people, then a small family, a tribe, a nation, the world, and the spirit world.
In a school classroom, the teacher is the subject. In order to become great objects in school, you need to solve the concerns of the subject. What are the teacher's concerns? To teach well and for the students to learn well. By working hard and studying, you can return great satisfaction to your teacher and thus become a good object in that environment. A lazy student will never become a good object; only a hard-working, diligent student can do that. The student who suffers the most and focuses on his studies will earn the position of best object.
The same is true in every aspect of human society. If you work for a business and take on the worst problems of the company in order to help the president, you are that company's best object. That is the truth. When you join a company and try to take care of its problems, investing your heart and soul into your work day in and day out until you finally solve the problems, you become the number one object in that company. There is no way to avoid it.
Look at New York City. What is its worst problem? Now there is a garbage strike going on. During the Christmas season the city was almost buried in its own trash. I have been thinking about solving the garbage problem. If we ever did such a thing, we would inevitably become the number one object in the eyes of New Yorkers. But is it easy to become the number one object?
I am pursuing my goals with logic, not according to mere whim or random thinking. I use scientific and logical ways of thinking. When I came to this country, I asked what its worst problems were and I determined to attack them, no matter what. I have tried to help solve the problems of Nixon, Carter and Reagan. Many Americans have looked at me scornfully and said, "You, an Oriental man from Korea, are trying to solve America's problems? Ha!" But it doesn't matter to me whether they pay attention to me or not. Eventually they will come to realize that I was right.
I have dedicated myself to devising solutions to all the major problems of Korea. Take communism, for example. We have been spreading the teachings of Victory Over Communism throughout the nation. VOC provides the only ideology with which Koreans can arm themselves against communism. Education has been another need in Korea. I was the first person to send people out every summer to teach literacy in every village. Also, the New Village Movement which has become so famous in the past decade was an idea which I started ten years ago.
No matter how hard people try to ignore me, it won't work. Sooner or later, they will have to deal with me. If you deny me, you will be denied by the universe. People have laughed, but eventually everything I have said has turned out to be true.
I am a spiritual leader, a religious leader, but I don't act "holier than thou." Wherever I go, I harmonize with the environment. When I am among laborers, I like to sound like a laborer. When I attend some function of high society, I know how to fit in there. I can adapt to the academic world and I can find a common ground for conversation with politicians.
When I work among professional fishermen, I become completely immersed in their world. I smell just like they do! For seven years in Gloucester, I went out on the "New Hope" early each morning and returned late at night. The town folks never expected me to work so hard and dress so humbly. Sometimes when I was standing right beside Daikon, people would ask him: "Where is Reverend Moon?" Not for one moment did they expect Reverend Moon to be dressed so humbly and have such a dirty face! They assumed I would dress well and look like a boat captain. The captain of the "New Hope" was a professional boat captain, but he completely surrendered to me. He simply could not keep up with me in terms of knowledge, persistence and experience. Initially, he would tell me where to go and where to set out the lines. But soon I was directing him and telling him where to place the lines, and he just said, "Yes, sir." The places I chose seldom seemed logical, but that was where the tuna were swimming.
When you say you are a Moonie and a member of the Unification Church you should commit yourself to solving its worst problems. If you don't tackle it, then I myself must do it. I know you want to do it and you will accomplish it. Until this tradition is established and until someone who can outdo me comes forward, I will remain the subject.
When you get married, you are no longer just an individual but part of a family. You women will have responsibilities as a housewife and a mother. If you would prefer studying for a Ph.D. degree and being a career woman to doing what marriage entails serving your parents and all your husband's parents -- that's all right. But do first things first. You must first become a total object to your family, conquering your environment and adapting perfectly to it, before you can move on to another level. If you try to avoid your primary environment, however, you will never make it.
There is one thing which I can do expertly and that is adapt to my environment. When I go to a fanning area, I become a farmer. When I am among fishermen, I become a fisherman. When I am in a factory, I become a factory worker, and so on, no matter where I go.
The Korean word in our title which was translated as "destiny" means the movement of life from one place to another. You want to develop yourself and move on, isn't that true? If you sit idly within the Unification Church thinking, "I don't want to move; I don't want to advance any further," you are a dead person. You contradict the universal principle of life. Life never stands still; it is always moving forward, always advancing. The key word for life is advancement. If you are trying to preserve your status quo, you are like a dead person. You are retreating instead of advancing.
Suppose the Unification Church is the wrong place to be; suppose Reverend Moon is the wrong leader to follow. Even if such a thing were true, as long as you keep moving forward and advancing in life, you are bound to end up in the right place. You will never be a loser as long as you persist in your determination to forge ahead. You cannot lose anything; you will only benefit from such a way of life. If the Unification Church is not the truth, it will pass away. However, the members who diligently apply the principles I am teaching can never be losers. Therefore, you cannot lose anything by going this way.
In my early years, when difficulties came to other people in my village, I never felt it was only somebody else's business. I always involved myself right away in their situations. When I solved a particular problem for the village leader, he had to come and bow down to me and thank me. That is because of the Principle. When you learn to apply such a way of life to every situation, always taking on problems, always advancing, you will be able to swim across every obstacle of life and come out the winner.
Let me give you a good example. When I was in Germany, I went to a port city to buy a boat. The vice president of a shipbuilding company and the captain of a 3,000 ton boat came to welcome me. I was a stranger to them, of course, but as soon as we met I treated them just like friends. I gave them a friendly punch in the stomach and said, "Hello, buddy!" and they totally melted. "'What kind of a man is this?" they wondered. "He acts totally natural with us." Within a matter of seconds, we were transformed from total strangers to friends. This is what I mean by controlling your environment and taking charge of it.
High-ranking executives don't know how to do this. They may struggle for ten years to develop friendships and it takes me only five seconds. For me, it's completely natural. I can walk into the home of a total stranger, sit down at the dining table and start eating and everybody would naturally feel as though I were a member of the family. Instead of asking who I was they would just say, "Hello there, have some potatoes." This is because I know how to make everyone around me feel natural. If I were to walk into such a home, sit down and share their meal, and then get up and wave good-bye, the family would feel that I was just one of them, coming home to eat and then going out again. "We'll see you later," they would feel like saying.
How can I be so natural? Because I really feel that they are members of my family. I honestly feel that such people are my cousins, my uncles and aunts, my brothers and sisters, my mother and father. There have been times when I have walked into the homes of strangers, taken off my jacket, and started to sweep and mop the floor. Those people never felt it was strange. It seemed thoroughly natural to them.
Sometimes I have even argued with someone and it seemed very natural! I once got into a heated argument and my opponent missed me very much when I left. "I wish he would come back and fight me again," he said.
Knowing this secret, I can conquer Satan and deal with the satanic world. You state leaders are in the position to solve the problems of your state. If you look upon it as your home church, you can be the subject of that state.
Each of you is advancing every day. No one is standing still. On God's Day I spoke about the "Victory of Home church." Since then I have talked about home church every Sunday and at every meeting. Members are thinking, "Home church -- what is it?" But before you question it, you should get out there. Go to your area and then ask how you are going to do it! Whatever the most difficult problem of the Unification Church may be, you should tell yourself you are the one to tackle it. You should resolve to do home church so well that even I cannot surpass you. When you become such champions, I will gladly follow you. I must follow the Principle. When you truly put yourself in the object position, you will be able to make the proper decisions.
I have been encouraging international and interracial marriages. Some of you who asked for an international marriage thought it would be sweet, but now you wonder what you did, since you can't even converse with your fiancée! But don't you realize that this is the very reason you have an international marriage? This particular difficulty should taste sweet to you. You should tell yourself. "I was given the responsibility to face the challenges of an international marriage. By overcoming them I will become a champion!" All the international couples of the present and future will come to you and follow your standard. You will become the subject of all international marriages. This is very true.
Some of you don't like fundraising and wish there were no witnessing in the Unification Church. Perhaps you can't stand 5:00 a.m. meetings, either. But I, the subject, like fundraising, witnessing and 5:00 a.m. meetings. If you want to become a good object, you know what you should do.
I trust that when you made mistakes it was because you didn't know any better. But from this morning on, you have no more excuse. Now you know what is wrong with those mistakes. When I hold a meeting at Belvedere on Sundays I ask the church leaders to attend. Many of them do but others think, "How can I make it to Belvedere by 5:30 Sunday morning? I just can't do it." They try to make excuses for not coming. Such excuses indicate that the leader is not doing the right thing.
If your leader tries to defend his absences, you can tell him, "I won't make any excuses. I know what Father's instructions were. You, as the Abel figure, don't want to go to Belvedere? I will lead if you won't." You can give such straight advice. If you say correct things like this and your Abel figure persecutes you, he will be judged rather than you, so do not fear.
.Some Performing Arts members may think, "Oh, I'm an artist; I'm a sensitive, cultured person. I'm so sophisticated I don't need to go to Belvedere. Besides, if I get up too early, my voice gets damaged." One excuse after another. Such people will not remain long in Performing Arts. That is not how the department was set up. Universal principles do not protect such a person; they actually repel him. Like it or not, everyone must comply with the law of the universe; it is the master, the subject, and you are the object. If you do not cooperate with universal principles you will become a loser.
Imagine yourself riding a horse through the pastures, over the hills, and through the valleys and plains. Your life should be like that, always pushing forward toward new, undiscovered horizons.
Now do you know how to receive the inheritance of the master? Because I learned this secret, I am a man of stubborn convictions and total commitment. Regardless of what other people say, universal law will protect me as long as I act in accordance with it, even if nations or the entire world oppose me. Whoever goes against universal law will be excommunicated by the universe!
When Carter became President, I knew that he was not the right man to direct this nation; he would only lead the world toward destruction. I made uncompromising criticisms of him. I could have softened my statements with the thought: "After all, he is the President. If I say strong things against him, he will certainly come after me with revenge in his heart and I will be the one to suffer." But that is not how I think. Truth must be spoken, and I will never shrink from the truth. When Reagan was elected, I knew God's dispensation was being fulfilled, and I had no reserves about speaking to that effect.
I take responsibility for national and worldwide matters. It makes no difference whether other people appreciate my efforts; as long as God knows what I am doing and recognizes my work, that is all that matters.
Since destiny means the movement of life from one place to another, you must keep moving and keep advancing, following the Principle. Do not stand still and accept the status quo. Move forward every day. I will give you the proper guidance, and your life will turn out very well.
Suppose I were to drop in for a visit someplace where people were drinking and dancing. I may not drink or dance, but I would never make those people feel embarrassed. I would at least clap my hands to the music. Without drinking or dancing, I could still harmonize with the situation and feel very natural. That is how to make relationships with such people. Those people need to be saved. How can you help them without even creating a relationship with them?
Don't make blind judgments against such people and call them bad because their actions are bad. You must make an effort to educate them first; only after investing much effort could you make a judgment. Without educating them, how can you call them evil or wrong? Actually you are responsible for them!
Today I have been speaking about topics such as subject and object relationships. In order to stimulate you to live up to these teachings I have been using some judgmental words, but that is the process of education. Love requires me to speak firmly. Do you want to move on? Do you want to advance?
When people leave our movement, they are called ex-Moonies. There are quite a few ex-Moonies. Have you ever seen any of them achieving a life better than a Moonie life? Furthermore, does the rest of the world embrace ex-Moonies and treat them as heroes? They are not even accepted by the secular society! Ex-Moonies are those who flunked the course; they couldn't pass the test or measure up to the standard of the Unification Church. Once they leave the church, they try to justify themselves and say all kinds of twisted things about the church.
I really have nothing against the ex-Moonies, but I would like to hear just one of them say: "I joined the Unification Church and did exactly what Reverend Moon instructed me to do; but I want to do more. There wasn't enough to learn in the Unification Church. I left because I could not advance. I want to start my own church."
If that were the case I would welcome those comments. But so far I have not seen a single ex-Moonie say such a thing. The main reason people leave the Unification Church is that they do not want to follow our disciplined way of life. They don't have enough courage to face the challenges and overcome them. They simply don't have the perseverance and endurance to succeed in the church, and that is why they try to make excuses.
Even within the Unification Church there are people who talk and complain all the time. They are not the doers; they are not people of action. Other members, the doers, are silent. They just go out and fulfill their mission every day. They don't talk about the rules and leadership of the Unification Church. Those who are sitting down and doing nothing are seeking to justify themselves by talking and complaining. They make all kinds of excuses for their lack of action. Which are the majority: the doers or the non-doers?
I would rather hear a different kind of complaint: "Father, I have been to my 360 homes, and it's just too small an area for me to take care of. Why can't I take care of all New York City, or even the whole United States?" I wonder why I don't hear such complaints! The ones who work hard and challenge themselves have eyes shining with hope; they have the energy to climb to greater heights tomorrow.
We are here to continue celebrating True Parents' birthday. I would really celebrate if you made one complaint today: "Reverend Moon, you are 62 years old. What have you been doing for the past 62 years? Is that all? Let me do more. I'm only 35 (or 29, or 25), and by the time I am 62, I will accomplish more than you have." I would welcome such a protest.
Cowardly people, those who try to make excuses for their failures or lay the blame on others, receive terrible treatment in the spirit world. I could never behave in such a way; I couldn't even consider it. You should not whine over trivial matters. Become big men and womenmake big complaints, such as the one I mentioned.
A kindergarten child will have the most trivial problems and complaints, while someone enrolled in a Ph.D. program has an entirely different attitude. Our goal is to save the world. Can you say, "I devoted two years of my life to the movement, and I have given up too much"? Do you think that your two or three years are adequate to move the world? Whoever feels that way is like a thief. It may take 300 years or more to move the world.
If you live this way from now on, people will embrace you and welcome you. Even if persecution comes your way, persevere and overcome it; afterwards the universe will need you. That is inevitable. The victorious way of life is to meet your subject and do his will, not your own. That is the secret of survival and prosperity. Furthermore, when you are in the subject position, you must be like a rock grounded on the Principle. Don't keep shifting; don't be swayed by the opinions of others. This is the Principle and law of the universe and holds true for the past, present and future. If you live by this law today, tomorrow and throughout your entire life, you will never regret it. You will be a winner in life.
What is our goal and what is the fastest way to achieve it? You cannot move in a straight line; there are always ups and downs. However, instead of making such long detours down and up, you can devise a way to jump from one high point to the next, from one pinnacle to another. The most difficult position is that of the follower, the object who tries to take care of the greatest problems of his central figure. Once you have conquered one obstacle, rather than relaxing and taking it easy for a while, you should move right on to the next difficulty. By moving from one challenge to another, you shorten the time span for accomplishing the goal.
When you go to your home church area, the best way to become its subject is to take care of the worst problems in each home. This principle works everywhere. I asked God what His worst problems were, and then I went from one difficulty to another. I have challenged one obstacle after another, going from the individual level to the family level and all the way to the world-wide level. After you embrace each challenge and solve it, you can move on to the next.
After overcoming one peak of difficulty, you could descend to a less difficult level and then try to work your way back up to the next peak. But to leap from one pinnacle to the next takes much less time. You can cover the same territory faster by leaping over the valleys.
When I deal with established Christianity, I inquire into its greatest difficulties. They have to know how to deal with society, for instance, and how to make a relationship with God. I treat one problem after another and solve Christianity's worst headaches.
Another difficulty in the religious world today is that people talk a lot but don't know how to act. There is too much talk and not enough substance. So we have demonstrated a religion of action. God is looking for people who not only know the answers to the universal problems but can act upon them.
Wherever you go, whatever mission you have, do not complain that it is too difficult. Instead, you should ask, "What can I do that is even more challenging? This is nothing! I want something even worse."
I took up tuna fishing because tuna are the most challenging fish in the world to catch. It is very difficult to outwit tuna. They are such smart creatures. After several years, my boat "New Hope" has become known all over the world as the champion tuna fishing vessel. If I ever presided over a tuna fishing seminar, I know that the best tuna fishermen would come from all over the world to hear about my experiences and learn from me. Why? It is because I have overcome more difficulties than any other tuna fisherman, so naturally I know more about it.
We want to jump from one pinnacle of suffering to another. From the Unification Church, we want to take the one final leap into the Kingdom of Heaven, on earth and in heaven. How can we do it? By digesting the worst problems in the Unification Church, by making the best contribution toward solving them.
How many of you have experienced national MET? There are many who haven't. Would you rather not go to MET? When you realize that your present mission no longer challenges you to improve yourself, you should move on to something else. Do you have a home church area? After I have been speaking about it for five years, is it right not to have an area? Some of you may be thinking, "I'm going to leave the Unification Church anyway, sooner or later, so why should I have a home church area?" If after five years you still don't have a home church area, who is wrong: me or you?
Do you think my teachings are logical, or am I just a tricky speaker who can make all kinds of things sound right? What I am saying is the truth, so why don't you try it? Some of you will be able to accomplish things more quickly while others will take longer, but truth is truth. It's just a matter of time. Your achievements will correspond to the effort you make. When you put forth greater effort, the time period will be shortened.
Once I set a goal for accomplishing certain things, I totally commit myself to it. Whether eating, sleeping, talking or walking, I am always focused on that goal, concentrating 100 percent of my attention there. If my strength is not sufficient, I know God will supplement it and I will never get exhausted. This is not just my opinion; it is universal truth and applies to everybody.
When you get married you may face seemingly insoluble problems with your mother-in-law or other relatives. But actually, when you look at such a problem from my point of view, the solution will be very simple: just follow the Principle.
Do you want to take a long time, zigzagging back and forth, or would you rather leap forward from one pinnacle to another? Is it easy to leap? You don't like to take the difficult way, do you? But you know the truth. To become true sons and daughters of God, you need to be champions of leaping from one difficulty to another. I will be the umpire and judge your accomplishments.
Once you decide to take the righteous path you should not stop until you reach the end of your life. Even at the risk of your life, you must follow the course to its completion. Trying to avoid risks is what places you in the greatest jeopardy. That is why Jesus told people, "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it."
This is the moment of decision and commitment. Nobody can make this decision for you, not your wife or husband, not your friend, not even me. The commitment is only yours to make. Those of you who can say, "Yes, I want to leap to the goal of perfection. I will continue, even at the cost of my life," please raise your hands.
You have made this resolution and I pray that God will be with you all the way, just as He has been with me throughout each day of my 62 years. That same Heavenly Father shall be with you every minute throughout your entire life. In your life you shall have hope, you shall have joy, you shall have vision. You have the best future under the sun.
Shall we do home church? Who will make the commitment to do your home church: me? Rev. Kim? Only you can make that resolution. You must push yourself to complete home church, even if it is midnight or 4:00 a.m., it makes no difference. Whether people see you work or not doesn't matter. Just persevere for three years. You love me, but the people in your home church will love you even more, you will gain the authority to become their tribal messiah. Until you go through this route, you cannot link yourself to the nation or the world.
Do you know that you have a destiny to live? Who makes the commitment? You do. You must choose the Kingdom of Heaven or the kingdom of hell. I am not the one to make that decision, you are.
Today is already the last day of January, 1982. This is the year of "Victory of Home church," our slogan for the new year. Whoever says, "I don't want to be persecuted in my home church area," is really a heretic. The greater the persecution you receive, the more assurance you have that you are leaping from one pinnacle to another. You ought to have a competition among yourselves over who can get the most persecution.
If I had come to America and sat here idly and comfortably for ten years, do you think the Unification Church would have advanced to this point automatically? Not at all. I never sat still for one moment. I have always been on the move, visiting all 50 states, going on the 21-city tour and the 8-city tour, speaking at Yankee Stadium and the Washington Monument. I was constantly shocking people and they could not ignore me. In other words, I even instigated controversy. Through such good controversy, I have been introducing solutions to the worst problems of this nation.
Bo Hi Pak has been reporting that although American conservatives have been negative toward me in the past, they are changing. They have been looking for a champion, and finally they see one emerging: Reverend Moon. In the recent past, the power of the conservatives has been very minor, but there has been an upsurge of conservatism which was able to put Reagan in the White House. Since our battles with Fraser and Carter, many conservatives have been giving us a lot of credit because we have been constantly speaking out, injecting good ideas into the American way of life.
We are seated here in a wonderful gathering place; we have a wonderful way of life. My final direction to you today is this: don't behave in a small way. Act like a giant. Go out into the world like a superman or superwoman. Be proud of what you are, who you are, and where you belong. Express that pride. Once you have committed yourself and have succeeded in some project, you will have a great sense of accomplishment. Then go on to another project and carry it out. Then go on to another. Eventually you will feel invincible; you will feel power coming to you directly from God. That is the real way of life of the real Moonies.
Are you strong and committed? You are the master of yourself, the number one person to decide your destiny. Do everything the best way and you will gain the position of subject over your environment. Your destiny is in your hands; you shall be the one to decide.
We are too busy to complain. Once you have made your decision, then act on it. Those who don't act have no right to speak. You can't just follow the ways of the world, taking vacations and enjoying easy times. In all my 62 years I have never thought about taking time for rest and relaxation. Mother has been worried because I push myself so hard, and she constantly reminds me that I am no longer a young person. "So what?" I reply. "Age is no justification to stop and rest. If I go to the spirit world, plenty of work needs to be done there, too, so I will continue to work, whether I am here or in the spirit world."
There are eight stages of restoration, eight decision points and opportunities to leap. If there was a way to make one leap that would cover the entire distance, would you take it? There is such a way: home church. When YOU perfect home church you jump the "A-1" way. Home church is that one leap from bottom to top.
Now persecution is decreasing and our job is becoming easier and easier. This is the time to take up the task and do it well. Can you tell me, "Father, even if you abandon us and go away somewhere, you won't need to worry. We will pursue the mission to its fulfillment and victory. Trust us, Father, we will do it"? Can you show me such confidence? There are many methods; it doesn't matter which one you use. You can devise the best one.
To become a victor in home church is the greatest of all titles you could desire. Won Pil Kim will no longer be needed if you can make your own judgment and decision. Then you are your own leader. That is the best way. You shouldn't wait for anyone else's instructions. Become a dynamic leader yourself. Go out and do it.
We have made the decision and have determined our destiny for the victory of home church. Let us march forward and obtain that victory. Amen! Thank you very much. God bless you.