Sun Myung Moon
March 12, 1978
Belvedere, New York
Translator - Bo Hi Pak
All of you have your own "selves." Could you say whether that "self" is precious or trivial, good or bad? I'm sure each of you will answer that your "self" is precious and good. There are many who might even say that though they do all kinds of evil, they still consider themselves good. There are also many who are trying to establish themselves as a central figure, wanting people to follow them as the example instead of their following somebody else. People are inclined to want to own anything nice and good and precious for themselves. How about you?
For a moment let us consider "myself", this piece of material which contains life. If someone were to take some dough and shape it to look like you, using two olives as the eyes, and you stood side-by-side with your replica, would there really be any difference between you? The dough actually has more usefulness because we can make bread out of it. What is the use of this body?
This body is easily irritated and it complains a lot. If something tiny blows into your eye it begins to complain and tears start to run and you have to remove whatever it is. When you have a slight cold and stuffy nose, you also feel discomfort. What is this body trying to do? A hammer has a specific use for pounding in nails, and with an axe you chop wood, but what purpose does the body serve? What kind of tool is it? When you really consider it, this chunk of flesh has many problems.
As we live our lives are we giving service to others, or are we becoming indebted to others? Do we always take advantage of things, or do we bring advantage to our surroundings and to nature? Do you create a debt to the world, or do you make a loan to the world? Are we indebted to the sun's rays and to the air? Have you ever thanked the sun for giving such abundant sunlight, or thanked the air every morning for sustaining your life? If someone hands you a tissue when you need it to blow your nose, you say thank you, but you never thank the sun. Compared to the value of a tissue, we would have to say thank you to the sun 24 hours a day. That is how much we are indebted to the sun and air.
Three-fourths of our bodies consists of water. If you are thirsty, you just go to the kitchen and get ice cold water to drink, and you never even think to thank the water. Are you indebted to the water, or are you giving something to the water? What about the ground? You run on it and you have no fear that the ground will sink beneath your feet or swallow you up. You kick the ground, spit at it, relieve yourselves on it and litter the ground with all kinds of waste, but does the ground complain to you?
When we look at the history of all the creation, we see that this earth is completely uncomplaining. Throughout history this earth has witnessed the formidable misery of man-his evil actions, his great bloodshed and sin-but the amazing thing is that the earth always continues to absorb all the dirt and fifth. The earth not only absorbs it but digests it and gives it back to nature as nourishment. When man walked on the earth, he never even thought of expressing gratitude to it. Have you ever thought, "If I really stamp on the earth then it might cave in and the other side of the earth will be shaken"? You know that the earth will quietly absorb that shock as it has all other disturbances.
Let me ask you another question: Who owns your body? Many people resent that type of question and say, "How can you ask such a question? You know it's my body." In human relationships, when some person commits a crime and causes harm to others, those people always demand that the person restore the damage done. It is considered natural to expect him to indemnify the damage, but in the relationship of nature and man, man has always invaded nature and damaged it. If nature had a lawyer to bring a damage suit against man, how many billions of dollars would nature be justified in demanding? Man has no way to reimburse nature. You would have to be auctioned off and declared bankrupt, but who would buy a clumsy man or woman? What use are they? Do you think God will buy you? Why would He need such smelly men and women? Man hates man, and even dogs don't always like humans.
The earth is our first parent
When you look at your hand you know it consists of molecules and atoms, and that the original material actually comes from nature. Each person borrows certain substances from nature to use in his body; therefore, nature can claim that everything you have in your body is a loan. Nature would say, "I invested that much material in you to get some benefit, not to be damaged by you.'' It is logical when you loan someone some money that you intend to benefit by it; you want to be enriched by it, not lose from it. Can you say that you don't owe nature anything?
We have three owners or masters. You never thought of this, did you? Your first owner is the earth. The earth is your first parent because it produced you. When you think of it logically, you will come to the conclusion that everything you have is originally from the earth. The earth is completely justified in saying one day, "Since I gave you so much, you must now return everything to me." We all know that it is our destiny some day to return everything to the earth again.
The day of death is the day we return everything to the earth and liquidate our indebtedness. In that case are you bringing benefit or harm to the earth? When the moment of your death comes, will you have been a son of filial piety, or a son of disobedience to the earth? This is something to think about. You have never heard this kind of concept of being a very faithful, loyal son to the earth, have you? People never knew that the earth was their first master.
The earth willingly loans much to man because it is anticipating something very precious -- eternal, permanent love. It does not yearn for love that exists temporarily and then disappears, but it yearns for the love of God.
A covenant has been made between the earth and God. Sometime ago God said to the earth, "Earth, let's create man. You can invest something into man which will help create a love that will permanently remain." The earth replied, "Yes, God, I want to invest in that." Then God said to the earth, "I want to give my love to you, but I need a mediator to be the bridge of love between myself and you, and that's man. If you want to receive my love, you need to create man and invest some of your most precious things in him." The earth responded, "Yes, God, I really want to be loved by You. I'll obey and do whatever You want me to do." The earth's ingredients were transformed into a man's body, and that body became the temple of God and the recipient of His love, but in reality it is the earth, not man, who is receiving God's love. The earth was excited about becoming the recipient of God's love.
Man contains the essence of earth, and he is the microcosm of this entire earth. When the earth sees men and women happily walking together, it feels joy and thinks, "That's me; that's my essence walking on top of me." The earth is interested in watching you because you are the earth's image and representative. When men and women meet and are happy and converse in love, the earth joins in the conversation and feels the same joy and happiness.
We are not only the essence of the earth, we are the essence of God because we have been made in the image of God. Once we truly center upon God, the happiness of men and women will cause God to come down and dwell. After all, God created men and women for that purpose. Furthermore, all men and women will rejoice over the happiness of their fellow man because we are all part of one life. It is our destiny because each one of us is the essence of all mankind. The entire universe and God are looking for their representative, their essence, the microcosm through which they can express their joy.
How can man respond to all this expectation? By giving the ground some money? If I have the power of the United States President and I have the knowledge of a Harvard professor, do you think that power and knowledge could link everything together to the maximum satisfaction? How can you relate everything? Some may say they will donate their lives to the earth, or to God, or whatever. If God and the earth and mankind owned your life, would they feel happy? No. What is it, then, that everything will rejoice over having? Love. Do you like love? Did you see love? Do you know love? Yes? I have not seen love.
Do you love better than your food, better even than your life? Where is the origin of that love? If God is the originator of love then how can you participate in it with Him so far away? How can you channel that love down to you? By calling every day for love to come down, or by fasting for forty-days? No, that will not make love come. The first step to becoming the recipient of love is to be loyal and faithful to that first parent, which is the earth. God's covenant with the earth anticipated that first of all you would be faithful and loyal to your first parent.
The response to this universal contract, the first action that resulted from it, was your very birth into a life here on earth. Because of your birth, you can relate to the earth; every component of this earth is your relative. You and the flowers are cousins, for instance. This is a very realistic expression. When the world hears you call the flowers your cousins, I'm sure the world will say you are crazy. This is true, however, and it also makes logical sense. Go ahead and even greet the blackboard as your cousin and kiss it! Do you think it would be a crazy act once you know how you are related to creation?
The truth will make you free. Put yourself in the position of the trees and rocks and mountains and all the things of nature. Would they reject having people like you as their cousins or would they feel joyful? If the universe could show facial expressions would all things smile, cry, or be angry at you when you called them your cousin?
Our second parent
Then who is your second parent? The second parent is, of course, your own natural parents. Your bone structure, facial expressions, your height and the color of your skin comes from your natural parents. Would your natural parents only want to look at their children for five minutes and then forget about them the rest of the day? Perhaps it would be adequate to meet their own children in the morning, just greeting them at the breakfast table.
When a father and mother are occupied and very busy during the day, then during those busy hours they certainly shouldn't even think about their children, right? If somehow your parents are trapped by some kind of tragedy and they are about to die, will they only think about themselves at that very moment, or would their minds think back to their children? How do you know this without having your own children? You can know these things through the action of your own parents and how they treat you. Is it true that parents normally forget their children when they are really happy or when they are really sorrowful?
Parents always think of their children, no matter how extreme their state of mind might be. For example, when the parents are really rejoicing over some happening then they wish that their sons and daughters could be there to enjoy the thing together with them. When they are facing utmost tragedy and their children want to try to save them, the parents say, "Get out of here; we're all right. We don't want you to be endangered by it." In each situation they are still thinking about their children. It is parental love that whenever there is some joy parents want to give that joy and increase that joy for the children, and when there is sorrow and hardship and tragedy, they want to bear that hardship and lighten the burden for their children. That's the way parents think, and at the same time that's the way the earth also thinks.
Many newborn babies are nursed at their mother's breasts, sometimes even longer than one year. Nature was made in such a way that babies were suppose to grow with breast feeding. Why does a baby search after his mother's milk? The milk not only sustains life, but love is also conveyed in the act of feeding. At the grocery store you can get a bottle of milk to feed the baby. Whether you pay for the milk or not doesn't make any difference, because actually man steals the milk from the cow; when you think about it, that milk was there for some other baby! When you marry and have your own children, which milk would you rather feed your baby cow's milk or mother's milk? American women need to be educated in this. If 100% of American babies had been fed their mother's milk, I don't think there would be so much of a problem with juvenile delinquency and the generation gap between parents and children.
The world has the impression that American young people are rebellious, particularly toward their own parents. Because American babies generally weren't breast-fed, they didn't receive that most beautiful love coming from the bosom of the mother nor the life that flows through the mother's milk. Even if an apple is rotten and deformed, a farmer still cares about it because he produced that apple, but would you pick up a good apple that was floating down the Hudson River? You wouldn't pay attention to it because someone else discarded it. Feeding a child cow's milk is similar to feeding him the apples you found in the river from a boat that lost its cargo. There is no real love relationship and life relationship between parents and children in that case. Such parents are only worried about getting their baby something to eat so he won't die. That's all there is to it.
Are you very faithful, pious children to your parents? There is not too much confidence in your answer; you don't really know what to say. Here in America the basic problem is that the parents and the young people have departed from their respective positions. What is the most precious thing linking parents and children? Food? Love? Suppose a mother is a very ugly woman, while her son and daughter are very attractive. Could love still connect them? If a child loves his parents then even if they look very ugly, maybe being even crippled and disabled, that child still is excited to invite them to school, proudly taking them to the principal's office to be introduced and then taking them around to meet all the teachers. But if there is no love then a child is embarrassed to have them visit his school.
True love doesn't really care about external appearances; it doesn't make any difference how ugly or small your parents might be. If there is a warmth and flow of love between a child and his parents, he is proud of them because of that love. If parents have no real overflowing sense of love, they are governed by external things instead and a child doesn't want to show off his mother and father. Which way of life is the true expression of love? Which kind of man or woman are you?
Even if you say you are the most loving kind of son or daughter, your parents might say, "No, I don't think my son is like that." You estimate an answer by yourself, saying, "Well, I think I am." If your yes is approved by your parents, then America has hope after all. Are there many pious sons and daughters among you, or are there more rebellious sons and daughters? Unification Church members gathered here are those who uphold genuine love toward their natural parents, right? You only say yes because I asked you.
I am convinced that if your yes is a true one, it is because you would not otherwise have been hand-picked by God to be a member of the Unification Church. If you were really rebellious and a bad apple, you wouldn't be here. You have the ability to show your love. If you had actually shown love to your parents, however, then you wouldn't need a sermon this morning; we would be wasting our energy here. You already know the answer, and now all you have to do is go and put it into practice.
Those of you who feel that you have a good mother and a good father, raise your hands please. Now I have another question, a very tricky one this time. Now you are convinced you have good parents, but what about during your high school days you always think you had wonderful parents? We see that the Unification Church has improved your opinion of your parents, but then why should your parents be trying to kidnap you?
It's amazing to see how people particularly white people, outside our Church are incredibly brainwashed by the media. They think you become a robot when you become a Unification Church member and you don't even have freedom to laugh. Yesterday I heard a report from a leader about his center, and he said that when the members went outside to have fellowship and they started a snowball fight, all the neighbors watched in astonishment, saying, "They are normal after all! They do the same things that ordinary kids do." They just couldn't understand that the Moonies would do the same things that they themselves do. If those same people saw us singing and dancing in joy, I'm sure they would go into shock. People think that the Moonies are a totally different kind of animal. Are we robots, or are we genuine human beings?
People think I am a terrible monster and that I live in luxury while you work hard. Many white people want to get rid of me. You have met me at least once a week, listened to me and received instructions from me. Do you know me better than those people who have only read about me in the newspapers? The world is very deceitful and we should be very firm about not allowing its wickedness to encroach upon us.
Every Sunday morning there are always some people who come, not as dedicated members of the Unification Church, but to see the Reverend Moon who is supposed to be a monster, a person who is destroying America.
Are you that kind of spectator? Why not? Go right ahead and think in that fashion. Why do you protest against being told to do that? For that one thing you refuse to compromise and you cannot yield; you are ready to defend my name and honor because righteousness is as strong as God. Even God cannot rule out the Principle or rule out righteousness.
When you are speaking of the truth and of righteousness, even God has to bow down. When you speak of righteousness, I too, must bow down. You cannot compromise with righteousness. It is our understanding that we've been chosen by God as champions to bring righteousness to the wickedness of the world. No matter what the world might say, I am standing on the side of righteousness and there is no compromise. The world is proud of itself, but you know that it is crumbling and declining fast. We have hope, and we are determined to show the righteousness of what we are doing. That's why I want to get up at 5:00 in the morning. Other Americans only tackle one profession at a time, but we do five or six things at the same time. I want to do everything to the fullest degree.
To be considered a capable person in our Church, you must be good at many different things
Your eyes are shining and you are looking in all directions, with your arms busy doing things and your legs taking you to many duties. Those who think that the Unification Church does too many things and they just cannot keep up, please raise your hands. I noticed a new fashion for women; usually they wear only one necklace, but nowadays they are wearing two and three necklaces at one time. Why are the women trying to wear so many when one at a time is enough? It is like the Unification Church, which is wearing many, many occupations.
Would you sisters want husbands who are single-minded and can only do one thing at a time, or would you rather have men who can tackle ten things at the same time? What about you men? I have created training for husbands and wives here in the Unification Church, and the first qualification to be considered the most capable candidate is the ability to do ten different things simultaneously.
You haven't thought this was so wonderful before now and you have been complaining, haven't you? Get it out and you will be forgiven; don't keep it bottled up inside. Even our Church leaders sometimes are saying yes to me, but inside they are really complaining. Even I myself sometimes say to God, "You ask too much of me. You ask me to do impossible things." Then God answers, "My son, I want you to understand me. I'm in an awkward position, having to create men and women who are liked by the whole universe, so what can I do? I have to push you hard in every area." God made me into a very versatile man, not a single-minded man who can do only one thing.
Young people like me because they are looking for someone with that kind of adventurous character, someone who likes sports, music, wild things, quiet things, art, business and religion. This is why I have more to offer to young people. Those who feel that religious leaders shouldn't be like that, raise your hands please. Why didn't you raise your hands?
Why did you come here so early? There are many great leaders waiting for you to come follow them, people like Billy Graham or Norman Vincent Peale, and they may treat you better than I do. But I think that within a week's time you would get bored in those places. In the Unification Church there is no time to get bored even though you remain in it for many years. There is no time to relax and think empty thoughts. Even if I told you to pack up and go become hippies, some part of you would resist, that part of you which cannot regress.
What about the HSA-UWC Headquarters women -- do you think that what we are doing is good or bad? A refreshing wind should blow through Headquarters and I would like to have a rotation plan there and send part of the staff away for MFT training. When they really show that they are enthusiastic about being on the front line then I will bring them back to Headquarters. It's not good for Headquarters people to see things from only their own point of view. We cannot afford to have the Unification Church only follow the American style, or to fashion it into a pattern that American people will like. We must create the Unification Church that the world needs to solve its problems. You are going to be universal men and women.
Would you women like to have husbands who can only do one thing? Suppose your husband is a student in college, or a teacher, and all he has to do is to pack his books and get his lunch and go to school every day. If you need someone to hang a picture and pound a nail into the wall but he tells you to call the union because that's not his job, would you be happy with him? If your shoe has a hole in it and you show it to your husband, a man for all seasons would say to take it off and let him mend it. He wouldn't tell you to wait and take it to the shoe shop. Sometimes you might have a tear in your skirt and your husband might say, "Let me mend it." Men don't have to do that all the time, but they should be capable of doing anything without hesitation.
Of course, Mother is a very capable mother, but still I can sew shirts and knit hats and do needlework. When I was in prison I even had to improvise a needle because there were none. Even now I can make a needle. In the department stores I see many clothes and knitted materials, but I don't think they are particularly good; I think I can knit something better than those.
When I visited Washington a couple of days ago, I asked the New Hope Singers to sing a song, and afterward I gave them a critique. The conductor was trembling because he thought the New Hope Singers were pretty good, but I gave him suggestions about what to do better, and how to correct certain points. Even a music professor could not have given that kind of critique. I also gave artistic appraisals to the dancing groups in the Performing Arts, both Western ballet and Korean dance.
We are going to make men and women who are multi-purposeful, and whoever really wants to become happy in their lives will want to have a husband or wife trained under my philosophy. With that training men and women can liberate themselves and actualize many talents. Parents will request a son-in-law or daughter-in-law from me. Why did you applaud? Something I said made you feel good, but applause and complaint don't go together too well. Do you complain or not?
When a tough teacher is strict about his students doing a lot of homework, the students may complain about him to each other, and if one day he is sick and can't come to class they will rejoice. Those people who complain and try to avoid taking responsibility and try to avoid learning will eventually end up being servants to someone. They will never become a master. But I am determined to create qualities of leadership in you.
You have the toughest coach
The Dallas Cowboys won the Super Bowl this year, and I'm sure they didn't get up at ten in the morning and take naps when they didn't feel like practicing. I'm sure their coach really pushed them and made them suffer hardship. The Dallas Cowboys probably complained about him many times and criticized him, but once they won the Super Bowl how would they feel toward him? The Unification Church is like a heavenly Dallas Cowboys, and you have the toughest coach. You don't appreciate me now, but ten or twenty years from now when we win the world championship you will appreciate me.
Our battle is going to be a long-range one and by the time we have won I might be long gone and you won't be able to come thank me. Then you will have to go to my tomb and say, "Father, I repent for complaining against you in my heart. You are truly the greatest coach and I am indebted to you." I feel that you think you love me very much, but in most cases it is only lip service. In most of your hearts there is a certain resentment, not real evil intent, but some genuinely uncomfortable feeling because I am very tough on you. When I am looking at you, however, you have to deny it, don't you?
We have been talking about your second parent and we still have another parent to go, but time is running out. What I have been teaching this morning in essence is what America needs, what the young people need. Looking down here on earth, God is nodding, and all of nature and the universe would also nod and say, "Reverend Moon, we need you to recreate these young people of America and the world." American people do not like me, however. Will the universal power eventually be victorious, or will the negative American people overrule the cosmic trend?
I know that even though the American people come against me, the universal, cosmic welcome is already prepared for me. The American people only come against me because they do not understand this. Our job is to instruct and educate the public, and if they still do not understand then I will leave the U. S. and say to God, "I have done my best. You must send someone who can do better than I. Now 1 will leave." But until a certain kind of education is made available on the nationwide scale, I will not retreat. If the American people come to know the real Reverend Moon then certainly there is no way they can come against me. Do you really feel this in your hearts?
I have the solutions to the toughest problems in America, such as juvenile delinquency, labor problems, communist agitation, moral problems and the problem of reviving the Christian churches. I want to enable you to convince the rest of America, not because our ultimate concern is the American people, but because God's concern is for the world. The American people are closer to the world level, and by renewing and resurrecting the American people we can affect the rest of the world.
We can consider America in the position of Abel and the rest of the world as Cain; America is God's special champion and that is the reason I came here. There are many other countries I could more freely visit instead of America and be welcomed in, like Great Britain, for example. In many European countries I don't need a visa, but America treats foreigners in a most high-handed way. For that reason I have no appetite to stay in America. America has never given me a decent welcome, even though I have brought so much to this country.
Outside our Church people think that I am using you to get rich and buy property for myself, but you at least should know the truth. The Korean and Japanese members are suffering much more than any Americans; that is the genuine truth. The American people have deeply misunderstood me. The money that I have poured into this country could have lasted for many, many years if I hadn't spent it here; in my entire lifetime I couldn't personally spend all the money that I have used in the U.S. Nevertheless, the American people have mistreated me. This is not right and justice has to be done.
If I died today then the rest of the world would probably be glad. Would you share their feeling, or would you continue on to revolutionize America and the world in my memory? If you did that then the world would ask, "Why are you Unification Church members coming out now and saying these things? Why didn't you say them while Reverend Moon was alive?" You don't have to wait for me to die; you are going to do it now because the truth is the same, nothing would change. This is the time to go out and educate the people, not because I want it, but because this is what you are dedicated to. How can you falter? The American people are committing unforgivable crimes and we must liberate them
The three sins which receive the harshest judgment
When you go to the spirit world you will see that the harshest judgment is given for three things: First is the misuse of public funds; second is the slander of a public or righteous person; third is violation of the Principle. That's the order in which judgment is given, and you will find that this is so when you get there. Public funds, particularly Church funds, are a fearsome thing. Because I know this is true, I would much rather use my own money instead. Whatever money the Unification Church has, whether it is in Korea, Japan or here in the United States, I do not claim ownership for even one penny of it. Everything belongs to the Korean, Japanese and American churches. I do not want to violate public funds.
Public people are precious people. I love the leaders of our Church from the various countries all over the world; I treat them well and buy them clothes and so forth, but I never spend that kind of money on myself. I spend all kinds of money for them because they are public people. There is no forgiveness for slandering public people or for violating the Principle.
These are public rules and there is no compromise for people who violate them. I don't know how to compromise in that case. For example, some couples who were married before coming to our movement have received the blessing, but they are required to keep a seven-month period of purification before starting married life again. Some people only maintained this period for three months, and now according to the Principle they are not qualified to have the blessing. Furthermore, those people who joined the Unification Church and then left and rejoined again because they could find no hope outside may have repented and become very devout workers, but I will tell them to wait for seven years before they are blessed. That's the Principle and I cannot compromise the Principle.
These are the major three rules of spirit world. When you go out on MFT training, all the money you make is for the public fund and for that reason you should return every penny you make. But at the same time your doing that makes you a public person, and anyone who is nasty to you and slanders you is violating this law and they will be chastised. Because you are a public person, because every bit of what you are doing is for the sake of God, fund raising is not stealing, not at all. Some people try to criticize us by saying that Unification Church members lie and justify it by calling it heavenly deception; I never taught you to do that and I was very angry at hearing such a thing. We don't have to lie. We must be totally honest.
Some members try to hide the fact that they are members of the Unification Church, and that is absolutely no good. Wear your ID and show to the world that you are a member of the Unification Church and that you follow Reverend Sun Myung Moon. Go forward proudly in that capacity and let people contribute to this cause. If someone slanders you when you are a public person then it is the other person who is violating this law and who will be cursed. Therefore, you have to have mercy upon them and tell them to wait and see during the next three or five years. Go out with my dignity.
A public person should act as a public person. You cannot lie or be late for appointments. You must keep time because that is a public thing. If you announce that something will happen at a certain hour then it must happen because that has a public purpose. I have totally organized the pattern of our Church management according to spiritual law. During my whole ministry I have been trying to raise all of our members into the kinds of people who can be faithful members to the Principle; how much you can stick to the Principle is what I am paying attention to.
The worst judgment comes to those who misuse public funds. When you go to spirit world, this is the first thing you will find. The second most severe judgment is for criticism of a public figure or public mission. You should not have a private love or go dating or any of those silly things because you are a public person. We have our public titles and we have a public mission. No matter how trivial you look, in the sight of God you are the most important public figures here in America. No matter how much love you have had in the world outside, once you are drafted by God to be a public person, you must cut your other relationships off. That's the way I have lived my entire life. No public person can do things arbitrarily and at whim.
I know that many of our women here are over the age of thirty, and you know that you cannot marry at your whim in our Church. If you want to do it then go ahead, but see how you feel. You won't feel heavenly happiness. Marriage is supposed to be a very wonderful thing, and in order to have no sting of conscience you must just faithfully fulfill your mission until your time comes. You are not a private person. The public person always sacrifices himself for the purpose of the greater cause and God. I give you orders because you are public people, and I also am a public person.
There seems to be no direct relationship between Koreans and Americans in today's world, but because we are one body under one God I can instruct you on what to do as a public person. You volunteered to be a public person in the sight of God. Do you need to know how to sell the paper when you get married and have a home? Not necessarily. You do it because you feel it is your public responsibility. Before you knew the truth and before you joined the movement you were a private person, but now you are not just an individual.
All of us are in a heavenly army and there is a channel of command through which higher authority has the right to tell you what to do. I want you to know very clearly this morning that I am a public figure whom God has ordained. Even just a few months ago you were people without a great purpose, people whom no one bothered and who could do all kinds of things at any time. Now you are not free to do just anything; you have to be ruled by heavenly law. Your conscience is always the judge of whether you are obeying the law or not. You are always the one who judges yourself.
When you go to spirit world you will know that the words I have spoken are not given on my behalf but on heaven's behalf. Any violation you commit against me will exact a certain price in spirit world. No matter how great a responsibility you had on earth or how good a job you did here on earth, when you violate certain principles you are stuck and have to be retrained. That retraining in spirit world is a hundred, a million times more difficult than what we do here on earth.
Once you get to spirit world you will know how foolish you were to complain and will regret the golden opportunity you had but missed while you were on earth to comply fully with my instructions. That's why I make myself a sacrifice. I am living under the same law so I make myself suffer. I cannot go to bed until I am utterly tired. You are a public figure, and you actually don't even have the liberty to go to the bathroom freely. Finally, we must walk the Principle way. Unless you live this Principle, you cannot cross the bridge between the physical world and spirit world.
Our third parent
Everything has three stages, even the human body. Heavenly structure always has three stages according to Principle, and ultimately God is the parent of your eternal life. The earth is your first parent and it produced you in order to keep love permanently. When your own parents gave you love it was to inherit love, not money or power or anything else. They gave you life for the sake of love. Did you leave love to your parents? Did your parents leave love to you? No matter how educated your parents were, if they loved you, were they better than you or less than you?
No matter how bad your parents were, there was some genuine love in their hearts for their children
Even if parents separate and go different ways, no matter what happens to them, their feeling toward their children will remain the same. Suppose you are the elder son or daughter and the tragedy of your parents' separation splits your home. It might have been possible for you as the eldest to save them from separating. If you were truly a pious child, you would have greeted them in the morning and brought them together in joyful conversation, pleading with them when they felt divided. Then even if they felt terrible conflict as husband and wife, for your sake they simply could not separate but would have to be reconciled. Do you agree that this is a possibility?
American young people usually look at the situation only from their own side and accuse their parents of not giving much love; if the parents want to separate, the children make no objection. This should not be so. The marriage of the parents is always the son's or daughter's responsibility as well; it is a joint responsibility between children and parents, not just between parents. No matter what, you as their children have a debt of love to them. When you become a Unification Church member and your father and mother are living apart, you can feel the power and energy to bring them together again and have hope for them. If you are truly a pious child but your parents disregard you, they will receive grave punishment from heaven. If a son is faithful and loyal, a parent can't possibly turn against him.
Did you leave love in your family or did you inherit love from them, or did you do both? Nowadays people are mostly trying to claim love for themselves, feeling entitled to be recipients of their family's love. In the meantime, however, they don't care about giving love. That is a fearful situation because receiving love places a tremendous obligation upon your shoulders. Love is a tremendous responsibility. Receiving love means not only inheriting love, but responsibility as well. After a loved one dies, you are in a position to fulfill his responsibility.
Suppose a husband really loves his wife; if he dies then his responsibility is laid upon his wife's shoulders, in addition to her own. When a wife who loved her husband dies, he will inherit her entire responsibility. When husband and wife are separated by death, the survivor should normally live singly and take up the responsibility of the dead person. He cannot desire to have another love until his additional responsibility is fulfilled. When the husband, for instance, has fulfilled entirely, the wife might consent to her husband having another wife on earth. With that consent alone can the bereaved husband marry again. That is the law of love in the spirit world.
Since you love your parents and they love you, when they die you take over their responsibility and mission. Love never comes alone; it comes with responsibility and it remains on a permanent basis. It cannot just disappear. When your parents die they leave some will or desire behind, and you as their child should fulfill it. When one half of a couple dies, the surviving partner should fulfill their desire. That is the law of the land and the law of heaven as well. It is the common promise in the law of love. If you obey the law of love on earth then in heaven you can go anywhere, even into the bosom of God. There will be no boundary in all the universe.
By being a recipient of love you establish yourself as an inheritor of God's fortune and God's world, and wherever God is and whatever He has you can freely claim as your own. For that reason God is supreme. Suppose there is a special palace which only the President can enter. No matter how many Secret Service guards are watching the door, as soon as you show your credential of love you will have free passage inside. If you have fulfilled the supreme love then it doesn't make any difference who lives inside; they will have to bow down to you without complaint. With love you can communicate anywhere, in heaven or on earth or even down in hell.
Life emerges from love and life can be sacrificed for love
Isn't it natural that God created some covenant like this? If we remove love from this world, only complaint will remain here, but when you have love as your credential, even the grass will want to be of to tall service. All the plants and trees and roots have life, but they know that love is greater than life and for the sake of love's fulfillment they will ask you to eat them. They would rather be part of your love than cling to their own lives. In love the beauty of sacrifice can be seen, and you can voluntarily give yourself up for its sake.
Unless a wife can sacrifice herself for her husband's purpose for the sake of love, she cannot qualify to be loved by him. Life can be sacrificed for love, and the true husband will determine himself to sacrifice for his wife. That's how love works. When you women get married, do you want to love your husband so much that you can sacrifice even your life for him, or do you want a husband so that you can have a servant? Are you men looking forward to having a wife for whom you are willing to sacrifice your life, or someone who can cook your breakfast? In many cases men and women have a thief's mind, being very arrogant and greedy to be served.
Love is precious because it gathers all things into harmony. Love has the power to unite, and therefore, the power to make the world into one. No other power can fulfill this, and so for the fulfillment of love the creation is willing to sacrifice itself for the sake of the well-being of mankind. That spirit alone can have the power to unite the world. If you are united by power, then if for some reason that power is dissipated that unity is also gone. But when you unite in the spirit of sacrifice, even if the binding power is gone, unity will remain.
God is wise, and when He saw our long-range struggle in the Unification Church He gave us the most powerful and clever and beautiful truth, that we should live in service to others and sacrifice ourselves for the sake of the world and God. When you adopt that way of life as your own, love automatically blossoms, and furthermore, world unity will come automatically. In that love you will progress into that central position, automatically inheriting God's authority.
If you try to amass things by force or at gunpoint then when that binding force is gone, all the unity and harmony will be dissipated. When we know this universal truth, we come to the realization that the best way of life is that of service to others, of giving ourselves for the highest cause, for mankind and God. You may think at first that this is a defeated way of life; what could remain after you give yourself to the utmost degree? You might think you are losing everything, but the supreme thing survives and the power of love will follow you always and you will never die.
A wave of love will follow you. Your permanent life will be like a wave of water which has the power to cover the entire world and more. Love is the key. Not only mankind, but all things of creation as well, are pursuing that love. Life emerges out of that love and will prosper. Love is the ultimate goal. With this understanding, can we say that nature is fulfilling the law of love, or violating it? Nature is actually sacrificing itself for love.
When you look at nature with this realization, everything becomes intimate and close. The white snow outside is cold, but even the snow will bring you the warmth of love and you will feel some communication with it. Did your parents fulfill all their responsibility toward you? You will not know how much they loved you until you have your own children. Even little insects protect their young. Why do animals instinctively act like that? Whether they realize it or not, they all abide in the law of love. The public law is such that even an insect has to obey it.
It is not good to mutilate or purposely harm nature. You can see that the universal existence is there only to fulfill the law of love and that it participates in one great move to enhance the law of love. Everything is our friend; nature is our teacher. When you see the birds singing back and forth to each other in springtime, think about you and your wife or husband, about whether you are really as good as the birds are. When birds bring food for their young all day long, you are seeing the law of love in action.
Does a mother bird have so much food in her stomach that she wants to give some to her baby to unburden herself, or does her concern for the baby bird come first? Unconsciously the birds are reacting to the universal law of the love of God. In the human world, however, this law of love is weak, particularly nowadays when people are indifferent to love. There is not much love between teacher and pupil, brother and sister, but at least one thing remains as genuine and that is the love between parents and children. Why should this be so? God as the Father loves mankind as His children, and that love never ceases. For that reason this parental love shall survive the longest.
Can we teach the American youth this universal law that they must be faithful and loyal to their parents? When they know that this is natural law, I think they will be convinced to be loyal to their parents. Otherwise, we cannot tell them not to be rebellious and to obey their parents. Does America need me or not?
This law will remain forever, long after we die. We are going to inherit love and give it to our posterity, but if you look back in your lives at this time, can you have the qualification to leave that love to them'? Any children who are trying their utmost to be loyal and give love to their parents will be admired by the universe, which will be overwhelmed at that scene. Adam and Eve failed to be absolutely loyal to their parent, God, and anyone who restores that lost loyalty shall amaze the universe. If you do that then the law and order of the universe shall remain. This is the one basic pillar which supports the universe, and if it is demolished then there will be total chaos and we will not be able to reorganize this world.
If you think that is the case then you know we need God, someone to be in that original parent's position. When we talk about the law of God, we come to the logical conclusion that there must be a God, but religious people today do not know this one secret. When you are fully intoxicated by this law of love, you really don't need any other education because you already know the most important truth of the universe. Even if you are a murderer, if you meet a man of love, you feel warmth from him and you want to give that warmth back in return.
Why do old people go through a second childhood?
This principle shall ensure the world's survival. Should you love your natural parents? You should love your parents as much as you love God because the father and mother are the center of the family. If there is love in the home then they are really the central point and there will be oneness, but if there is no love then that family will be merely a biological unit. Without love the members of a family will become enemies.
American women usually don't like having a mother-in-law come into the picture. Most of them wish they could have a husband without having a mother-in-law, but once you know this universal law of love, do you think you need one or not? Grandparents may be so old that they cannot even take care of themselves, but still you should love them more than you love your own children. Why did God organize human life in such a way that older people go through a second childhood? It was to make each generation realize or practice how it should love the older generations. Through loving them in this period you can know how they loved you when you were a child. Now that you are grown-up you treat them like children, which will dramatize your service to them.
There are two kinds of children you are taking care of then your own children and your grandparents -- and you must feel the same toward them both. Furthermore, you feel naturally dedicated to taking care of them. In that case you will have unlimited love toward your grandparents, and then you will deserve to inherit whatever they have without exception. You must go beyond that level, becoming sons and daughters of piety even to that extreme level.
Having your seniors go through second childhood is God's plan for giving you an express ticket all the way to heaven by serving your parents and grandparents. You will have a first-class seat to heaven on the train of love. When I investigated this law of love I discovered this point. God is a God of wisdom, so He allows old folks to go through a second childhood, not so they would be ridiculed by their children, but in order to give your children an express ticket to heaven.
God will give heavenly children to the home that respects this law, and raise up great leaders. This is logical because that particular home is fulfilling the supreme law of the universe. God wants to bring future leaders for the nation and world out of such a home. In today's American society, old people who go through a second childhood are sent to a nursing home to be gotten rid of as nuisances. In the Unification Church tradition, however, you are not ever going to do that. You cannot just throw your parents out. Would any grandparents want to be taken care of by nurses and orderlies in a senior citizens' home?
Am I crazy for teaching you in this manner, or am I a man of truth and righteousness? You have to become another Reverend Moon. I am waiting for some news of a blessed couple in Korea who have been taking care of their old parents; they are so child-like they even have to be taken to the bathroom. I am testing this couple, watching to see how they treat their parents.
It is really a beautiful thing for children and grandchildren to take care of grandparents that are like little children themselves, to bring them treats and make them laugh by sharing jokes. Is there any harsh exchange of words in that case? Is the second childhood a blessing or a curse? Any young couple naturally changes their baby's diapers and bathes it. The mother in particular likes to take care of the baby and doesn't feel any suffering for it. It is an enjoyable chore because it is a loving action. In the same way you should extend that heart to the grandparents, who are like children, only older. If you do that then you are really men and women of God. Nothing is filthy or dirty in love.
When you cover both extremes, loving your children on the one hand and your old, dying parents on the other, you can receive a graduation certificate from the school of love. The most important lesson is learned from the opportunity there in your own home. You don't have to search the world for someone to serve. Wherever you go, you want to return to your home; God made you to feel that way, and everything you need is already there.
When you love God as much as you love your children and your parents, you will pass the test. On the other hand, when you love mankind as much as you love your own children and parents and God, you are really a Ph.D. in the school of love. Why are parents so precious then? By loving them you receive a genuine inheritance from the universe. Your parents are the channel to give you blessing. Would you be willing to do it?
Why do we need the True Parents? The Unification Church is a training center for the practice of love, teaching the world the way to love parents, children and God. We need some central figure, like a principal, so I am the superintendent. Mother and I are material for you to practice heavenly love upon, and then you can get a license to love the world. There are tremendous differences in thinking between the Orient and the West, and sometimes I feel my patience is running out over certain things, but still I have to continue on as principal of the training center of love. First as children, then as adults, as husband and wife and by having children and your own home, you are going through more and more advanced courses and qualifying to receive God's diploma. How could you ask for a vacation during this period?
When your parents come to join the Unification Church, I will say, "You are their own parents so you should love them more than I do. Would you please do that?" And I will tell you, "You have loved me as your True Parents. Now you must love your natural parents even more." Actually I am doing a great favor to your parents, even though they don't know it yet. They should wait for you to graduate from the school of love, but they are so impatient that before the fruit is ripened they are trying to kidnap you.
In this school we have a tough program, full of do's and don'ts. Do you think you need this coaching? Will you volunteer to faithfully comply with whatever your coach says, or will you run away? No, you have a dream and hope, and you know there is a way to inherit the world and cosmos, heaven and earth. If this is a lie or false teaching then there is definitely no God. You know there is a God, however, so this must be the truth. When you meet senior citizens on the streets, I want you to look at them as your own parents and grandparents. Those who can love older people can love God, because after all, God is the most senior of senior citizens. The oldest person in heaven and earth is God.
I have spoken for three and a half-hours now, and my East Garden team is getting restless! Also, Mother is advanced in her pregnancy. I promised her that I understood her situation, and if she would come and stay one hour then she could go back and rest. That's why she is not here now. In the last months of pregnancy a mother has to go to the bathroom often because the baby is taking up all the room inside. Soon you will find out.
When you see the depths of the law of love then you can realize how the wisdom of God functions in the universe. You see that the world is not running at random whim but under law and order. You must really want to fulfill that law. Your desire must be to serve well, and I want you to excel in this Unification Church class. It may be a tough class and even without your knowing it tears may just roll down your cheeks because of the hardship, but would you still go on? You can think that your tears taste different from any other kind because they are there for a greater purpose-God-and they taste sweet instead of bitter.
Sometimes instead of analyzing everything, just try it blindly; you will not be ruined by it. Don't try to chew the truth; just swallow it whole. True love sometimes means swallowing the whole thing without chewing. If you have been swallowed by love then you are the luckiest person; even if you drown and die in love, you are the happiest person.
When I speak about love I don't see anyone dozing, but only shining eyes. I could go on about this topic of love for many months because the love story is a long, long story, but I have to come to a conclusion now. The conclusion is that we shall leave a tomb of love behind us. A tomb is an awful thing, but if you dwell in love then it is not a tomb at all You must prepare a tomb of love to leave behind. If you are most successful in life, finishing with great honor and love, then you can leave behind a tomb of love and you will be welcomed throughout heaven and earth. God Himself will come out to meet you.
You may happen to die without being married and without having a beautiful wedding ring and clothes, but if you leave behind a tomb of love then you will be wearing the most expensive of all rings and clothes. All people of the world, long after you are gone, will want to go to your tomb to have a taste of love. It seems like a tragedy externally when a person struggles to live that life, but it actually turns out to be a tremendous fortune. I know this secret, and I don't care what happens to me. I know that God has a way to turn the worst tragedy into the greatest honor and blessing.
Don't forget about this tomb of love. Can you say, "I want to live that law and leave behind a tomb of love"? Then the blessing of God will never depart from you. Let us pray.