Sun Myung Moon
June 12, 1983
World Mission Center
Grand Ballroom
Translator - Sang Kil Han
When you are asked if you have a mission, how do you answer? What is your mission? In view of the dispensation, is your mission to restore one person, one family, one nation, or the world? It is easy to answer "the world," but can the world be united overnight? You need a foundation to reach the world. Do you have that foundation?
Do you really know the True Parents? Do you understand our essence? Do you know what we have been doing? Each of you should know clearly what our mission is, what we are doing now, and what goal we are working toward. Also you should have a clear idea about yourself and your own mission.
People have ambitions and desires, but they shouldn't take them to the extreme. Suppose, for example, that an ambitious person goes to the mountains to gather wild berries or plants, determined to bring back only the best. He may spend the entire morning and afternoon searching but if he can't find the best, he will return empty handed. In contrast, another person might spend the day picking all types of berries: poor, average and good. At the end of the day his basket is full, and chances are he brought back top quality berries as well. The second person has the best strategy in this case. He picks all types of plants: A, B and C. Even though type C is not exactly what he wants, they can be washed; he finds many type B plants and an occasional type A. Wouldn't you agree that this is a wise person?
Ask yourself what type of mission you have. Reflect on the type of mission I have given you as a Church member. This is a serious point to consider. You must understand, of course, that I am speaking to all of you in general, and not about the specific mission that you as an individual may have. Each of you should apply these concepts to your specific situation.
Let me give you an example so you can better understand what I mean. I started Tongil Industry from scratch many years ago. My idea or goal was for Tongil to attain the highest standard of technical expertise and production in the world. The foundation for Tongil Industry was 35 years of study and thought. Now Tongil machinery has reached the pinnacle of world technology.
To accomplish this goal, we didn't start out with sophisticated equipment but rather with the simplest and humblest machines. I determined to make the very best simple machines even though I realized there were more sophisticated types. After producing the best on one level, Tongil advanced to the next level and continued in this manner for 35 years until reaching its present level.
Not all of the people working at Tongil, however, had the same concept about how to reach the goal. Some people complacently came to work at starting time, took lunch breaks, and left as soon as it was time to go home.
The attitude I wanted to see was for the workers to rise while it was still dark and think, "Today I will perform even better than yesterday." Then they would arrive at the factory early, before the others, and prepare to work.
It's the spiritual attitude that makes all the difference. If you plan to do just what others do, you can never excel over the competition. You have to make things consistently larger and better. That requires investing energy into a project even if it is something you don't particularly care to do. That is the only way to accomplish it. If you think of your task as just a job, you will never excel. Furthermore, each time you improve the product, you must educate people. All this takes money which you have to make and use wisely, on product improvement and employee education.
Now when people see with their own eyes the kinds of machines built and sold by Tongil, they are filled with admiration. They say, "Father, you are just a wonder-man!" But during the company's development many people didn't believe me. They told me, "Father, you cannot develop that much technology in just a decade, and maybe not even in a century! We have no foundation." Yet, we kept building it up and now people tell me that the accomplishments are amazing.
I have always had keen insight. People took it for granted that German technology is the best and that nobody could rival it. They predicted it would take us centuries to surpass it. "Is that so?", I thought to myself. So I went to Germany, checked around, and found the industry a little shaky. I visited all the machine tool factories and examined their equipment. Machine tools can play a critical role in unifying the world and that is why their development is one of our goals. We are doing it for the sake of the world and for the sake of Germany, but the Germans didn't understand it that way. They were worried that we were trying to infiltrate their technological expertise, although they wondered what I could accomplish by spending only one day visiting a factory.
Even our members in Germany had only a foggy notion of what I was doing. "Oh Father," they said, "you go out visiting for a day and now Germany is all stirred up! Why didn't you just leave them alone?" Even now, can you say that you understand what I am doing? Do you have a foundation to reach out to the world? You say yes, based on my foundation, but do you really know what I am doing? Answer me honestly.
Actually, you hardly know much about anyone other than yourself, and occasionally even that's doubtful! Sometimes you are going in the proper direction and at other times you are heading in just the reverse. You may make a resolution to work for the goal and devote yourself for the sake of God and the world-and then at the next moment you look at what others are doing and decide to take it easy for a while. You are constantly changing, and if you continue living that way, you will become confused and not even know yourself!
This is why it is necessary to spell out in detail the nature of our mission. The overall mission is the same for everyone here although individual missions vary. One person might have a mission as a lookout, watching what is going on; another person might have a mission to witness and give life to people. You should know exactly what your individual mission is.
We are all working to advance God's providence and fulfill His will. If I ask how many of you are willing to sacrifice your life for God's providence and God's will, I know all of you would raise your hands and sincerely mean it. I know you are devoting yourself to this mission, but can you sacrifice yourself for one entire day, morning to night? Right now you may say yes, but at noon you might change your mind! Since you have vacillated in the past and may do so again, your promise is not absolute.
People may have various attitudes in making an offering. Which is better, to offer yourself when you are asked to, or to volunteer on your own? Would you be willing to offer your life to accomplish the goal, even without being asked? If you are willing to offer your life, couldn't you give just one day? You are still young; can you give one year out of your life? And if you are willing as a teenager, will you be sacrificial in your twenties too? if you are willing as a young adult, will you continue to be sacrificial when you are in your thirties? can you pledge to work harder so that if you were to die ten years from now you would have no regrets?
Some might be unwilling to die for the mission because they are working to obtain a blessing on earth. Which would be preferable: to receive a blessing before you die, or to sacrifice yourself and receive a variety of blessings after death? Actually, we need to take the sacrificial path in order to fulfill our mission.
The real content of the mission entrusted to each of us is to liberate God and to liberate mankind. This is not easy. Liberation may take ten lifetimes and we may need to face death ten times!
If we are unable to fulfill our mission of liberating God and mankind during our lifetime, someone whom we have raised up should carry on the mission in our stead. We should be able to say, "Even if I die, my place won't be vacant; my successor will continue the task. Someone better than I will take my place, therefore, I don't have to worry about dying."
Even when we reach our fifties or sixties, we should not expect to take things easy because our bodies are not what they used to be. Rather, we should work harder to make the most of the time that remains. This is how I feel.
With all its accomplishments, the United States is not big enough to liberate both God and Americans. Therefore, we must march on to Moscow. Moscow will be even more difficult than America. My attitude is, if you agree with me, can you take it easy after accomplishing the present mission? Actually, an even harder mission is awaiting us.
If we live this way each day, when the time comes to die we can face death with honor and glory, since every day of our life has been spent preparing for it. But someone whose daily life lacks this quality will be surprised when death visits him and will not know what to do. He may cry out to God to save him. If you can face death with honor, one of your heirs will volunteer to take your place. At the crucial moment, someone you have educated will tell you, "If you go to spirit world I will take your place and do even better than you. Please don't worry, I will complete your mission."
Since we have only one life, how will we spend it? One type of person knows his mission clearly and devotes each day to its fulfillment. The other type of person has a vague idea of his mission, so he just lives one day at a time. Each of you belongs to one category or the other. To which would you like to belong? Why? The first category is preferable because that way of life is more valuable.
There are some older members here who have been in the movement for a long time. As the years go by, some may wish to take it easy since their body is getting old, while others resolve to run ahead of the rest -- just as if they were still in their thirties or forties. When you reach your fifties or sixties, what attitude will you have?
As Unification Church members our goal is so clear. We should be willing to continue our mission joyfully forever, without regrets. We should eagerly await the dawn of each day so we can jump up to work. If we live this way, we won't get tired out or run down. We won't complain about being unable to continue and we won't lose energy.
How do you rate compared to this model? Do you really believe that you have been called by God and that this is your vocation and lifetime task? Could you ever erase all memory of me out of your head? Don't you feel that you and I are inextricably linked? One person might promise to follow me wherever I go, and other might say, "Father, I will not only follow you, but I want to help you." Which attitude is better? [The second] So do you want to help out, in addition to following me?
Actually, you are headed this way because it is your goal anyway -- whether I go there as well doesn't really matter. The correct answer to the last question would be: "Well, Father's goal and my goal are the same. He is going there ahead of me, so I will accompany him and help him reach that goal." You should be convinced that if I had not done all the work in advance, you yourself would have laid the foundation. Since I have already accomplished so much, you should be only too grateful to help me, because it is your work anyway.
You might actually feel like telling me you have a better idea on how to liberate God and mankind and you would prefer to do your mission differently. But as you watch me you realize that I have already laid a large foundation and I seem smarter than you and have a better way of doing things. Therefore, you decide to drop your way and follow mine in order to reach the same goal. This is why you want to follow me. In fact, you should say, "Father, you have already done so much and will continue laboring to achieve the liberation of God and all mankind. When you go to spirit world, I will be happy to take your place and try even harder."
If I go to spirit world without accomplishing everything, I know that my followers will carry on. In preparation for such a day, you should listen very carefully in order to grasp every word I say. You should pay close attention to everything I do because your mission will be to take my place and improve on what I have done! You shouldn't wait for me to go to spirit world so you can do things your own way. You need to absorb every detail and every secret from me while I am on earth so you can fulfill your mission. What you inherit from me will help you accomplish not only the tasks of today but also the projects of the coming decades and centuries. You need to learn from me in order to plan your future course.
If you announce you will accomplish a certain thing by a certain year, will I criticize you for being too ambitious or for reaching over your head? Never. I would be only too happy to hear such a thing that there is an American who thinks that way.
You should pay a lot of attention to where I go and what I say -- not because you are curious but because you are looking for even one more word to add to the internal knowledge you are storing up for the day when you can apply it. Only in that way will you be able to do good work. When you have to tackle something new, you can reflect back on what I have been telling you and you will remember my formula. You will realize that my accomplishments came from following this formula, so you will try it. You may have thought it would never work, but when you put it into practice it does. Then you will gain confidence in your mission.
You might be very tired this morning because last night's meeting continued until very late. Some of you may be dozing off. Others may have stayed upstairs to sleep instead of coming down to listen to me. They don't realize what a precious time they are missing.
Once more, let me ask you my initial question: Do you have a mission? [Yes] What kind of mission? [Liberating God and mankind] Is it easy or difficult? [Difficult] It is very difficult. How are you going to accomplish it? This is the most valuable and worthwhile mission a person can have. Think about what it means for the future. Are you determined to succeed?
I have staked my life on this mission. This has always been my attitude. You might wonder why I remain in the United States when so much injustice has been done to me here. I have had to fight ridiculous court battles. But I am determined, if necessary, to go to prison for the cause. Even U.S. citizens sometimes run away when they know prison awaits them. Why don't I run away? The answer is that I have already offered my life.
What do I need to accomplish in the United States? This country has a vital role to play in liberating the world. Do you really understand that? Do you realize that whether the United States likes it or not, it has a crucial role in world salvation?
Some might reason that since the United States offers the best life in the world, why not stay here and enjoy its privileges. Are you resolved to go to Moscow after fulfilling the task in America? Certainly those who seek pleasure and privilege won't make a determination to go to Moscow. They would rather stay here. Can you fight against communism? I myself am determined to confront whatever challenge is the greatest. Since staying in the United States and educating Americans is the most difficult task now, I chose to stay here. Most Americans have no idea what it means to fight communism or why it is necessary. But I have decided to do it because it is the most critical task.
Since you are intelligent people, you may respond, "Yes, I understand everything you are saying, but if we carry out your directions precisely, will we really be successful in our missions? If you continue what you are doing, can you really liberate God and mankind?" Use your mind to assess what I am saying. What do you think? If you follow my way in every detail, do you think it is possible to liberate God and mankind? Are you sure?
If you are confident that this is the way to liberate God and mankind, what more do you need to be concerned about? Why do you hesitate? Are there any unanswered questions? The liberation of God and mankind should be the motivation behind all your actions. Each day when you eat breakfast think about why you eat. It is to fulfill that day's liberation of God and mankind. That is the same reason you eat, sleep, and use the bathroom.
When you have this attitude, you can give up things which detract from your mission. For instance, you have already resolved to rule out cigarettes, drugs and alcohol from your life. It is very clear, for instance, that smoking will never -help liberate God and mankind. Therefore, since it has no meaning, you quit. You have given up many habits because they didn't help you accomplish your mission. Furthermore, many young people today have problems of a sexual nature, such as homosexuality. When you are tempted, ask yourself if such behavior will help you accomplish your mission. When the answer is no, you should be able to reject it.
Another deciding factor is time. We are very busy in our mission, and many other things take up too much time. There are so many things to do that the only way to accomplish them all is to cut down on sleep, even though we sleep very little as it is.
This is my third speech in 24 hours and my feet are swollen because of it. Why don't I just speak once and then forget about it? Why don't I let someone else give the sermons? Because I want to make doubly sure that every one of you understands. In my thinking, two sermons are better than one and three better than two. Perhaps something in the third speech may make a deep impression on someone and he will make the crucial determination at that time. There is no way to tell this in advance. I repeat things over and over in order to accomplish my mission. So, even with swollen feet, I chose to speak for the third time. I am doing things the best way I know how, and you should try to understand why I act the way I do and what I expect of you.
Whose prayers would God do everything possible to answer: those who happen to be in bed sleeping now or those who are here in the audience? There are hundreds and thousands and millions of people sleeping in New York City at this hour, but to those who rose early and waited for me to come and speak even one word, God will say, "I will help you to accomplish your mission in every way that I can."
If you follow what I have been doing in America and throughout the world, the ideal world of which we have been dreaming will become a reality in the near future. If you don't follow, that cannot happen. God knows that but, are you sure of it? I know that God is helping me and that we are working side by side. How do I know it? Because I have undertaken this clear mission. Furthermore, I am certain that God will also help whoever follows this path with the same determination I have.
Every speech I give, no matter how I start it, I always conclude it the same way: "Challenge difficulties, accept suffering, sacrifice yourself." I make no exception because I know this is the best guarantee that God will be on our side. There is no other way to have God's support.
I know this very well because I have lived this way myself and I have proof that it works. Every day I tell you to sacrifice yourself and endure hardships because it is the best way.
If I'm not here to keep reminding you, don't you want someone else to do it? If you have a husband, for instance, you would want him to keep reminding you to focus on doing more for God and mankind. If you have a wife, you would want her to do the same, wouldn't you? Of course, such advice may not always thrill you but still you appreciate such a spouse, don't you? In addition, if you have sons and daughters, you would want them to be able to inherit everything you have done when the time comes for you to go to spirit world. Your conscience as well urges you to live this way since by sacrificing yourself and challenging hardships you can succeed in accomplishing your mission. I am absolutely confident of this. There is no possibility that I may be mistaken.
Let me give you an example about how to view your activities in terms of your mission of saving the world. When you bring even one person to God, you should have the attitude that you are not just restoring one person but a representative of the world. There are millions of people to restore, so you may think that to bring one person is nothing. But that is not the right attitude. Right now, saving the world means saving that individual. Your attitude should be very serious because your mission is to save the world and at the moment that individual is the world. Every thing and every person is interconnected. The future is the continuation of the present. Time marches on, minute after minute, hour after hour.
Some people have been members of the Unification Church for more than 20 years. It is possible that if you ask one of them what his mission is, he may answer, "To provide a good life for my wife and children." Even after years of painstaking work, his objective may not be the liberation of mankind and the liberation of God. Each of you must prepare yourself and decide what course of action you will take if your spouse or child develops such an attitude. Any Unification Church member may have to face this.
You should know clearly that you are blessed in order to fulfill your mission and help your spouse fulfill his or her mission -- not to be a hindrance to each other. If you are going through struggles or difficulties, you should tell your spouse to continue with his or her mission and not worry about you. Since all aspects of your life are focused on your mission, you need that kind of spouse and that kind of children. When you live with your spouse, and children are born, wouldn't you want your spouse and children to be like that?
In addition, you need to build your foundation so that some day, when you are about to die, you can tell your spouse and children, "This is how I have lived all my life, and I expect you to carry on my work even after I go to spirit world." They will certainly reply, "Don't worry about that. We have known this all along. Just go to spirit world and have a peaceful life there." The great wife is one who has such a husband and children and the great husband is one who has such a wife and children.
Returning to the original question of what is your mission, you may have to admit that you don't know what it is very clearly and you need a specialist to teach you about your mission. So you come here to listen to me! And that is why I speak early every Sunday morning.
There are many thousands of Christian churches who observe Sunday as a holy day, a day of rest. But I work even harder on Sunday so I can teach as many of you as possible about your true self and your mission of liberating God and mankind. When God looks down, does He complain and say, "Oh, this is a holy day, they should take a day off and think about the coming week. These members of the Unification Church always wake up early, go to pledge service, and then gather to listen to Reverend Moon speak for hours and hours-they are violating the law of the Sabbath"? No, God would definitely approve and say, "You are the only people working for me and mankind."
I may seem to violate the law of the Sabbath many thousands of times, but the more I do, the more God will approve because this is a more effective way to achieve our mission than to take the day off. What do you think about that?
Even after giving this third sermon I will not rest -- I will go fishing. No one will expect to see me out there because it is so hot and today is Sunday. It is supposed to be a day for resting and thinking about God. But when I go fishing, I am not just seeking physical fish I am fishing for God and God's heart, and I fish for mankind and their heart, in order to bring them closer to God.
I know that the most difficult life on earth is deep-sea fishing. If you can liberate the fishermen, you can liberate all other workers. For many years I accomplished impossible things on the ocean, and you know what title I received, don't you? "The champion of tuna fishing." Now I can speak to others about what I have done and teach them.
Life is so short, but the depth of experience I have gained in this one area enables me to go anywhere and teach people. Our lives are brief, but, I have been living this way not just for a few days or years, but throughout my life. God knows this very well. Will He say I am overdoing it, or will He approve of how I live? God will agree with me. When I die the ground there will become a holy place because God will hallow it with His presence. I can live with utmost confidence the day of every year because this is the best way of life on earth. I am teaching you this because I want you too to learn the way of sacrifice. I know you are conscientious people and that your conscience is so clear that you will want to follow me wherever I lead.
Another way of thinking about your mission of saving the world is through your Blessing. Why were you women body Some of you might reply that you don't know. Others might reply, "I was born to save God and mankind from the position of a woman." When you look in the mirror, if you think you are rather pretty you might ask why you were born that way. You can answer, "It is so I can do a better job of saving God and mankind." To accomplish your mission even faster, you can think, "I was born for the mission of wiping out racial discrimination. Since I am a beautiful white woman, maybe I will marry the homeliest black man." How wonderful such a woman is!
I feel so proud and grateful when hundreds and thousands of Unification Church members come and bow down, asking me to choose their mate. I know that when people say this, they are thinking not of themselves but of their mission. When a beautiful woman comes to me for matching I know that she probably dreams of marrying a handsome man. However, I may see that for her mission, another type of person is perfect for her and I will match her to him. Although she may be a little disappointed at first, it will only be temporary because she will be much better off eternally with this type of husband. Because I know I am not making a mistake, I can match people with a completely clear conscience. I realize that you may not be happy at the time, but what matters ultimately is what is best for you.
If you marry centered upon the mission, one day you will be the center of your nation. Marriages based on personal attraction will quickly fade in a few years. Marriages based upon your mission will become monuments in the historical annals of marriage. This is what I am pushing for.
When people hear about my idea of marriage, they may think it is cruel and should be stopped. But as time passes, they will recognize that the greatest concepts of marriage came from me. Do you agree that my view of marriage is fantastic, or do you think it is a bad idea and has caused suffering for many Americans? The loudest answers came from Hispanic and black people. What about you white people?
I realize that our way is difficult now. I don't deny it. But it is so much more valuable than the conventional way, and as the years go by its value will increase. In contrast, the world's way of marriage seems good now but its value will gradually diminish.
I am confident that more tears have been shed by people from all five races studying my teaching than by students of all other teachings throughout history. Every Unification Church member knows the reason for these tears. They are not for yourself but for me. As you learn what I have gone through, you are filled with gratitude to God and cry out, "Oh, Father, this is what you must have gone through so many times! I didn't understand it until this moment." What a treasure this experience is!
In moments of desperation, you discover new energy surging up within you and you realize that this is how I devoted my life for the sake of mankind and God. "This is my new beginning," you say. Those of you who have shed tears for the sake of the Unification Church, raise your hands. This is completely normal. Could you separate yourself from me in such moments? On such occasions, you must have thought about how True Parents went through difficulties tens or hundreds of times greater than what you have experienced and feel grateful for what you have learned.
This is absolutely the first time in human history that one individual has brought so many thousands of people to tears. Jesus' accomplishments came only after his crucifixion. Only after his death was his work recognized and valued by others. My work, however, has been accomplished while I am physically on earth, and it will expand in the future to something thousands of times greater.
Even though our physical bodies do not last forever, our work will be continued by successor after successor until God and the last of mankind is liberated. I know this is so because since God and mankind need liberation, they will welcome this effort and make sure that it is continued. They cannot live without it. Therefore, we have the guarantee that as long as we stay on this path, God will come to our aid every time we need help. He cannot do otherwise. So don't you think we have to stay on the right course?
Suppose a woman marries, has children, and works hard for God her entire life. When she is about to die, her prayer is that someone will inherit her life work and improve on it. Holding her husband's hand, she urges him and her children to carry on her mission. God will look with tears upon such a holy woman and cry out for her to be blessed. My goal is to make each of you women into such a wife and mother, and to make each of you men such a husband and father. All of us share this common mission and goal.
Some member may consider the idea of liberating God and mankind foolish and decide to reach the top of some specialized field instead. I cannot see the wisdom in this. Perhaps such a person will rise to that pinnacle, but I can see no lasting value to it. He will wither away afterwards.
Of course the world thinks it is foolish to follow my way, but you will prosper more and more if you do. Your tomb will not be desolate; flowers will bloom on it. After I go to spirit world, nobody will have to tell you to visit my tomb. You will practically want to live there. People will feel the same way about you when you follow this victorious way. No matter how much people may reject, belittle, despise and persecute us, this is the best and most valuable way of life. Even though we have nothing today, our future is guaranteed. Are you beginning to think I may be right, or do you know it already?
Now you have a clear idea of what I mean. But is the ultimate aim just to understand clearly, or to practice it every day? Perhaps you would prefer to let others practice this way of life, while you just watch! Perhaps you think, "This may be great for Father and great for many Unification Church members, but it is not so good for me." Would you rather observe it or practice it? Do you really mean it? If so, raise your hand. If this is your true mission, isn't it fantastic? Is it so fantastic and worthwhile that you can drop everything else for it?
Am I famous? Here is the proof. Very important people, such as bank presidents and government officials who, have heard of my noble ideas and deeds would like to meet me. But I have never met with any person, regardless of how high his position may be, unless I wanted to. As I become increasingly famous, more and more people -- not only Moonies -- will be wanting to meet me.
People with deep concern for their country and profound ideas about how to save the world from its present crisis will want to come and listen to me. There will be hundreds and thousands of such people. Saints and famous people in the spirit world would like to come to earth, if only for five or ten minutes, to speak with me in the flesh. That is how famous I am. How about you Moonies? Are you taking me seriously enough? You may have long faces because I am speaking for the third time in 24 hours. You might be thinking, "Father, I need a little sleep; if I rest a while, I can listen better."
You Moonies are the closest people to me and should be the ones most excited to be with me all the time. But rather, it is the other way around. Those farther away are more anxious to be with me than the Moonies themselves. Actually, this is nothing new or abnormal. Children of millionaires or presidents don't think of their parents as such great people. If the minister of education visits their school, for instance, the children of millionaires may think, "He is greater than my own father." They have no depth of experience or any way to compare their father with others.
Let's assume that you take me very seriously and realize my importance. But how deeply serious are you? You suppose that you can see me anytime you wish. You assume you can come to Belvedere every Sunday; all you have to do is wake up one hour earlier. Is that the right attitude? The opportunity to attend whenever you wish is limited. In the future you will not be able to see me just any Sunday. If there are many world-famous people waiting to enter the auditorium where I am speaking and the seats are limited, do you think I will continue letting you in? I may say, "You have listened enough. Why don't you go out and accomplish, and let the new people come in to listen?"
You should not always expect preferential treatment. You shouldn't complain, "Father, we have been following you for so long and have worked so hard, and now these new people come and get to listen to you every day while we can't." That is the wrong attitude. Even though you may become a servant to some of them in the spirit world, as long as your mission is the same, you should feel honored to serve. You may think these are harsh words. You might protest, "I worked as a servant my whole life on earth, and now in spirit world you want me to continue as a servant working to liberate mankind and God! That is too much for me." Would you say that? Are you sure you wouldn't complain?
If you disregard your individual interest -- because there really is no such thing -- and look at life from all directions, isn't my idea fantastic? Think about it. Don't you suppose that learned and conscientious people will love this philosophy? Doesn't God love it too? If everybody embraces it, no one will be left out.
In case you are worried that you cannot fit all I have said and done into your mind, then throw away all the trash in your thinking and replace it with these concepts! Still you would be unable to contain everything. Would you prefer to hang on to the trash? Can you throw it away without regret? Can you discard everything which is ambiguous and replace it with my thought and advice something which has been thoroughly tested and is guaranteed to produce results?
If you throw away the trash, I would like to see you do it with a happy mind. I don't want you to discard something regretfully and later try to retrieve it. Are you really confident that you want to replace the trash? Those who could do it without regrets, raise your hands.
At the crucial moment when you have made up your mind, suppose your husband or wife comes to distract you. What would you do? I always asked myself this question. I had to divorce my first wife; you have heard about that. I did not want to end the marriage, however; she was the one who left me. God knows the circumstances. Do you think my actions were right? The result was divorce. Is divorce permissible under such circumstances? Righteous living can transcend divorce and even more.
Since you have agreed to live for the sake of the liberation of God and mankind, all your senses must adjust to this mission. Although you may not need glasses, imagine that you have a pair of glasses through which you can see nothing but the liberation of God and mankind. In addition, imagine that you have a hearing device which filters out anything which does not concern the liberation of God and mankind-the liberation of God and mankind is the only thing you want to listen to, and you could do it for 24 hours in a row. Furthermore, imagine that on your mouth you have a device for letting in only food which gives energy to work for the sake of God and mankind.
If you eat something special, such as Chinese food, tell yourself you have to work ten times harder for the liberation of God and mankind! If you wear fancy clothes, you should resolve to do more for the sake of God and mankind. Now imagine that your nose will smell only those odors which will help liberate God and mankind. If that smell happens to be a stench, your nose will be able to change its preferences and choose it over perfume. Your hands used to enjoy touching soft things, but imagine now that they enjoy the rock-hard touch of things of substance.
You must literally learn to reverse your tastes. You must learn a new way of liking things. It takes painstaking effort to learn these new things one by one. It is very difficult and that is why you need prayer.
Your eyes, for instance, are literally your enemies and you need to be able to protect yourself from them. You may tell Heavenly Father that your eyes keep wanting to see the way they did in the past and you need His help to change. You may notice a handsome man passing by and compare him to your husband. If he beckons and you follow him, Satan can snatch you away at that very moment. You may feel horrified that your own eyes can be your enemy, but it is true.
Since your mission is the liberation of God and mankind, your rightful eyes and ears will affirm that mission. As time passes, however, you may hear another voice saying, "You have gone this far and nothing has happened. Forget about this liberation of God and mankind! Listen to me and you can have everything you want: nice clothes, nice food. Your life is too short to waste." When someone speaks to you in an unprincipled way, the words may sound sweet and the ideas tempting.
In that case, cover your ears because you know Satan can invade you through them.
Sometimes your mouth can be your enemy, urging you to eat your favorite foods or to speak some words of complaint. Your nose, your hands, the various parts of your body -- all may be your enemy. You must be able to maintain fight control over them. This task is never easy The greatest man may be tempted by the appearance of a beautiful woman.
Now that you know your enemy, how do you guard against it? The enemy can infiltrate through your five senses. When you realize why you should safeguard yourself, you will know how to control your eyes, ears, nose, mouth and hands. The sixth area is the mind and the sexual organs are the seventh area of vulnerability. A small point of vulnerability in any of these seven areas may eventually bring your downfall. Satan is very confident that you cannot overcome these seven vulnerable areas of sense and thought during your lifetime.
I now we have clearly defined our enemy. Is it outside you or inside you? The enemy is very much inside. You must be able to protect yourself from the enemy within you. If you don't know how to protect yourself, you will become the victim and lose your value.
Without the confidence that you can control yourself, it is nonsense to think about the liberation of God and mankind. You never know when Satan may show up. When everything is going wrong and your determination is shaky, Satan will most likely start talking to you. When things are going bad, you may feel like smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages. It makes no sense to smoke, however. Smoking will never be of any help in liberating God and mankind. The same applies to drinking alcohol. You absolutely need prayer in order to overcome your weak points.
American men, for instance, are very vulnerable to certain temptations. In contrast to men from other nations, American men often have experiences with women from a very young age. Therefore, you need more prayer to protect yourself from such temptations. Did you realize this before, or only now that I have pointed it out? American women are not as bad off, but they are still more vulnerable than women in many other parts of the world.
Oriental women go almost to the other extreme -- they have far fewer problems of that kind. They are always embarrassed to take off their clothing and expose parts of their body. The typical Oriental garments cover the entire body, leaving only the head and hands exposed. This is the traditional dress in the Orient even now. In America, the very minimum is covered -- sometimes even less than the minimum. Women go almost naked. They spend years perfecting ways of laughing and flirting. Many foolish Oriental men have fallen into the trap of imagining that a woman truly liked them because she could wink so enticingly.
I urge American women to protect yourselves from these kinds of temptations. This is the worst enemy you have to face. You have to protect yourself before you can accomplish anything. You Moonie women are a new breed of people. Are you somewhat better than ordinary American women, or far better?
Do you suppose I am a different kind of man because of who I am? I am not immune to temptation. I'm even more receptive to all kinds of sensations. If I didn't know how to control myself, I would react even more strongly than you to such stimulation. So do you think my struggles are easier than yours, or more difficult? I had to fight a hundred times harder in order to control these sensations and gain the victory for God and mankind.
There is one way in which I am different from you: I never considered following a woman. On the contrary, the opposite has happened. Many women have followed me, but I knew how to erect the proper barrier and protect myself. God knows that I have this absolute confidence and that I am qualified to bear the responsibility for liberating mankind, the world, and God.
God knows me inside out. God would never take a chance on me. Therefore He tested me until He was sure that my mouth, ears, nose, eyes, and all other senses were dependable. I made great efforts to prove my trustworthiness.
Consider the effect even music has on one's senses. I think that Westerners who like rock music should try instead to appreciate the slow, calming music of the East. Orientals should listen more to rock music in order to invigorate themselves. This is a serious suggestion, not just empty talk.
To sum it up, it is very difficult to have absolute confidence in yourself and to preserve your sense of mission. Is there any woman here who is completely confident that she can resist whatever weapons Satan might use against her? Can any person claim to be immovable and invincible?
I know very well that there are times when your mind is absolutely confident but your feet start walking of their own accord! Sometimes your mind simply cannot control them. People who feel this loss of control sometimes abandon themselves to temptation, thinking that since they have gone so far, they no longer care what happens. This is a typical reaction to temptation.
It is very important to protect yourself from evil. There is no challenge I haven't thought about and devised ways to overcome. I even tested myself by looking at magazine pictures of beautiful women and asking myself what I would do if one of them crawled into my bed. "I would cut my belly out before I would do anything," I resolved. "When she saw the knife, she would leave quickly!" I considered how I would handle temptation from a beautiful white woman, from a black woman, from an Oriental woman. I considered what special qualities I knew about such women that I could utilize to help me resist their advances. I realized that this was a critical area of temptation because that's how the fall happened.
Even at a very young age, I tested myself daily. When I undertook this mission of liberating mankind, I thought very deeply because I realized that if I could not overcome such temptations, I could not be truly confident. My mission was to liberate God and liberate all mankind. In the process I prayed a lot to make sure that God would protect me and give me the confidence I needed.
Sometimes I was harsh with my eyes. "I really gave you a hard time, didn't I?" I would tell them afterwards. Then my eyes answered, "Yes, you did. But now we are happy because you prevented us from making a mistake." I persecuted my nose, but it said, "Yes, you really gave me a terrible time; I was afraid then, but now I'm glad." I looked at my mouth in the mirror and told it, "You really went hungry until you reached 30 years of age, didn't you?" My mouth answered, "Yes, it was rather difficult to persevere, but I am very grateful that I will never have to go through that again."
My ears heard so many unpleasant things, but they confided to me that they are the happiest ears in the world. I have touched smelly, thorny fish and many other disagreeable things, but my hands don't complain about their misfortune. Instead they say that they are the happiest hands in the world. All my limbs tell me, "You are my true master!" Are you the true master of your eyes, ears, nose, mouth and limbs? Has every part of your body become a true part of your being? If not, you need to pray more.
There is nothing more important than fulfilling your mission. Your mission is everything. You should realize that it is not your nation that hinders you and persecution is not what holds you back. Your real limitations are internal. It is lack of confidence rather than persecution that restricts you. In fact, if you set a very high standard for yourself and force yourself to live up to it, the world will stop persecuting you!
I have absolute confidence, so I am never shaken no matter what kind of persecution comes my way. I stand firm as a rock. Therefore, persecution will eventually fade away. I can apply the principles of the internal discipline I have perfected to external situations. Just as I have fortified myself internally, I will defend myself from external slander, persecution and invasion.
Prayer is essential to winning this victory. When you face difficult and trying times, instead of asking somebody else for advice, go to a dark room and pray to God asking Him what to do. He will give you a much better answer than you will get from your colleagues. Then you should invest your time and energy into solving that problem. Day after day, you should practice overcoming your temptations.
I have spent more than 12 hours a day praying deeply about overcoming temptations. American prayer is five minutes at most. But a few minutes isn't enough time to solve a deep problem. For example, you would have to go through incredibly deep water to reach the bottom of the ocean. It takes more than five minutes just to get to the bottom of a problem, let alone solve it.
Those who develop the practice of praying don't make big mistakes, while others who don't pray enough will make many mistakes and have to spend a lot of time correcting them. You can take my word for it! Once you develop the habit and taste of prayer, you will find it more valuable than eating, listening to good music, or watching a nice movie. After you have experienced deep prayer, you will automatically find solutions to your problems. You won't have to struggle so much to accomplish things. Prayer has tremendous mystic meaning.
Moonies are very spoiled these days. You think because you have such a great Father, you can get away with the minimum of five minutes of prayer a day. But actually that is not enough. You have to overcome the temptation to avoid prayer and the temptation to sleep long hours. Since our mission is obviously so great-the liberation of God and mankind-we need an equally great prayer life to accomplish it.
Even though you may consider yourself a light-hearted American, you should begin to see yourself as one American who needs to be more serious than anybody else in history. You should resolve that no matter what difficulty may lie before you, you can reach your goal through the power of prayer. You should be so focused on the goal that you could offer your life with no regrets.
I have been talking about prayer in the traditional sense of deep prayer. But for Unification Church members, your daily life should be a kind of prayer as well. While you work, sleep, walk, talk, or eat you should develop the habit of prayer. That way you can experience God's abiding presence with you.
If you face some desperate situation and need somebody to help you, you usually think first about someone who is always willing to help, someone who cares for you, prays for you, and never lets you down. That's the kind of person you go to, isn't it? It's the same with God. God too looks for such a person. When God looks around for somebody to visit with, He will seek out people who care about the future of their country, people who seek the liberation of their countrymen, the world, and God. These are the people God will visit most frequently.
To gain God's companionship, you should always think about your lifetime vocation, your mission, and your prayer. Twenty-four hours a day you should be centered on these things. If you are good at prayer and make it a habit, you won't have to wonder what to do. Your mind will automatically direct you properly. You can be confident of your direction and never have to waste time wondering if you are right. Sometimes you may choose what you think is the right way and start heading there and suddenly find your feet swinging around the other way, responding to the automatic direction that your mind developed through prayer. When such things happen, you will realize that God is right beside you.
Such experiences will prove to you that God lives right next to you. It is actually possible for God to live right beside you! Each of you needs to experience this before you can take responsibility for your mission. If you don't develop this relationship, you become a burden to mankind and to God. Unification Church members must not be such burdens. You should want to contribute to others, rather than detract from them. You shouldn't always want to be beneficiaries of other people's help.
This morning I have been talking to you from the perspective of mission and prayer. Wherever you go, if you find yourself alone, concentrate your thoughts and prayer. Then if your senses point someone out to you, witness to him or her, no matter what the circumstance. Don't let consideration of the circumstances keep you from witnessing. Don't postpone witnessing until later. After you try this for a few times, you will learn that your senses never make a mistake, and you will find witnessing very fruitful.
When you live this way, you will become a truly spiritual person and will possess deep knowledge. If you do fundraising or start a business, for example, you will sense where to start and what direction to head in. This is the standard you should aim for. Nothing surpasses the experience of having God with you.
No one who is a burden to mankind and God can contribute to his own liberation. It just doesn't work. Likewise, if you become a burden to the Unification Church, how can you liberate God and mankind? If you become a burden to your country, how can you liberate your country, God and mankind? You should always look for even small ways to contribute to the Unification Church. You should never want the Unification Church to be diminished because of you.
I don't depend on the Unification Church for my support. I always take the independent goal of working for the sake of mankind and of God. I look for ways to help God, rather than asking Him to help me. Likewise, I always try to do things for the Unification Church rather than asking the church to help me.
My way of thinking is so different from yours, often 180 degrees opposite. The other day a long-time member came to me and said, "Frankly, Father, I am disappointed because you did not recognize me." I got angry at that. We are acknowledged only in terms of how we liberate God and mankind. This person should have been concerned not about recognition from me but about how to accomplish more for the liberation of God and mankind. If in addition to disappointing him I had spoken harshly to him, he should have thought, "Perhaps Father needs to be cruel because that may be the only way to unite this harsh world!"
In fact, I am harsh to people on occasion because liberating God takes priority over everything, including nice feelings between each other. You feel bad when others let you down, but you haven't even begun to be concerned with God's problem! My automatic response to frustration is to think about God. Do you ever wonder how much disappointment God feels when we haven't been able to accomplish all He needs to have done?
Sometimes at critical moments I don't even pray to God for help. At such times, I feel that God already knows about the situation and it's up to me to do it. I would rather wait for God to pray for me! By the same token, I would rather have other people ask me for help.
It's time to change a lot of mistaken concepts people have developed over the years without even knowing they were wrong. Almost all your concepts need to be changed! For instance, one Korean leader has been very concerned about the American church. He is always reporting to me about its problems and asking for assistance, but he never says, "Father, don't worry. We will support you in your worldwide dispensation." Before asking me for help, it would be wiser for him to say, "I'm sorry that we cannot help you more." Then I would respond, knowing that his words might be hollow, but still they are good ones!
This weekend we have been celebrating the Day of All Things. Don't think about what you can gain from the occasion, but tell yourself that since you have become spiritually recharged here you can go out and work three times harder on your mission. You should be so eager to go out and work that you would rather not wait around just to listen to me. If you contribute to God, He will surely compensate you, and you will become the kind of person He will call upon for ever more important missions.
Wherever I go, I always stir things up. I always make a big noise. People can't be complacent about me. But since I never fail to bring good results, people don't mind me making a commotion! When I go somewhere, I never let people remain peaceful; I always start something. God knows that this is the only way to stimulate change and produce good results. Therefore, God is always curious to see what I will start next! Two years ago I started Ocean Church and miracles happened. Now it is the IOWC. Soon it will be something else.
Yesterday I told members working on Ocean Church that I disliked all of them! They understood what I meant I said that because they were not contributing enough to our church and to the liberation of God and mankind. I will continue to challenge such people until they change and begin to truly contribute to the highest purpose. You may not like me for that, but this approach endears me to God! If you were me, would you prefer to be liked by the members, or by God and mankind? You always know the right answer!
Now that you know what is trash and what is valuable, why don't you throw away all your trash? Do you think I am indebted to the United States, or do you think the United States is indebted to me? On a one-to-one basis, has the average Unification Church member contributed more to me, or have I contributed more to each church member throughout the world?
From the very beginning I have trusted you Americans. I knew how unpopular I could become by the things I said. Americans -- especially women -- hate it when somebody criticizes them. But I face people and say what needs to be said. You American women have been very tolerant and have never protested aloud. Inside, of course, you were boiling but you never showed it! I think that is very lovable. Now I ask you women whom I have been pounding on for years: whose method is best, yours or mine? If you are willing to go down, you will come up. I myself will lift you up.
My sermon today is about mission and prayer. From now on you can tell yourself, "My mission has one aim: to liberate God and mankind. I will let nothing else bother or distract me. I have made my resolve." All creation will hear your resolve. So can you tell God, "I will head straight toward the goal"? If so, God will be most gracious toward you.
I have been doing all the talking this morning. Now you should talk. Do you promise me that you will head straight forward to the goal? Will you do so only if I keep visiting you and lifting you up? Will you do so only as long as your central figure appreciates your hard work and rewards you from time to time? Will you do so only if your spouse supports you? Actually, only you can reach your goal. You must be capable of being absolutely independent of all these people! I love best the American idea of independence.
We need to make two resolutions: first, to become a contributor everywhere -- to help others even in the smallest situation. Second, to continue doing so for the rest of our life -- even though we may lack food, clothing, or a place to sleep. This is the direction we must go.
Since you are so different from other people in history, you are a new phenomenon. Now that a new theme in history is emerging, God will come around to do some sightseeing. "Are these people really the offspring of the fall?" He will exclaim in wonder. I am not asking you to do something complicated. I have given this much thought and the method is simple.
What do you think: should we all go to Moscow? After Moscow, where do we go? After liberating God and mankind, we must liberate hell. God cares about the people in hell, so it stands to reason that unless we liberate them, we cannot liberate God. This has been my clear goal since I was very young.
Now you know my blueprint and you realize that it is yours as well. To carry it out to the last detail will require all your time and energy. I have devoted myself to this task. The key to success is perseverance. Don't respond or retaliate when people attack. Be prepared to endure whatever comes your way.
This morning you should adopt this plan and begin to put it into practice. Some of you look so serious. You don't always have to look so serious. Try to master the art of trusting God-after a certain point, you can leave things up to God! Why should you worry about everything? There is only so much you can do. You cannot be God; He will do His part.
Sometimes you have been heading in one direction and have to turn around and go a different way. If I tell you go turn around, you should be willing to do so, even though you don't see the reason. Later you will realize why. When I see that a certain direction is not good, I may just tell you to turn around without explaining why. You should be able to do it without feeling hurt.
I'm willing to make sudden changes. For instance, I never notify anyone that I am thinking of leaving the United States until 24 hours before my departure. People may protest, "Father, you have a fantastic foundation which is just about to bear fruit. It would be silly for you to leave now." But I may have a different idea. I know I cannot live eternally in this one country. Eventually I will have to leave it -- set it aside, in a sense -- and when the time comes, I will do it.
It doesn't matter when I leave. What matters is that I will invest my best efforts for the sake of this nation until the very last minute. I stand unashamed before my own conscience, before God and before mankind. I do my best and am satisfied with that. You should have the same attitude. Keep your thinking simple rather than complicated.
I look at all affairs, large and small, from the perspective of destiny. Whatever comes my way, I tell myself that I was born for this. If you are witnessing you should tell yourself you were born to witness, that witnessing is your vocation and nothing can change it. You should not keep hoping to do something else, but be willing to continue witnessing the rest of your life. Then if your mission changes, fine. You will accept your new mission as your eternal mission and not bother thinking about other things. Whatever your mission is, tell yourself that you were born to fulfill it. When you think this way, life becomes very simple.
So have the attitude that you were born to fundraise, or born to witness, period. That is your vocation. It's that simple. This is the best way to live for the sake of God and mankind. Such an attitude suits Americans well because they don't like complicated things! You can do simple things well, but not complicated things!
The contents of your mission are so clear: to liberate mankind, and to liberate God. It is very, very simple. Will you do it? Shall we start from today? Those who pledge to do it, raise your hands. God will be pleased with this simple resolution. God bless you.