Sun Myung Moon
January 16, 1971
If there were a true being in heaven and earth, who would it be? It would be the absolute being. In modern Korean, when we refer to the Absolute Being, we say, "There is only One." We shorten that to Hana-nim (God), where Hana means "One."
Then, what kind of being is God? God likes both the good people and the bad people on earth. Even a condemned criminal going to his place of execution says, "God, have mercy on me" before he dies. In front of God, even those who are facing the death penalty for their crimes resolve to become good again and to make a new start with hope. Why is it that, in so doing, they want to offer their best service to God, depend on Him, and be with Him? Why, in their innermost heart, do people willingly leave their parents, and brothers and sisters, wanting to be closest to God in order to share their personal concerns with Him? This is because God is true.
A true person should not just like people who like him. He should like even his enemies who would wish him dead. A true person should be someone that every person can entrust everything to and discuss everything with. He should be someone in whom people can place their hopes for everything.
While you were growing up, there was probably someone you hated. Is a person who hates another person a true person or false person? Surely, he is a false person. In this world, there are many false people.
The one who wishes to be a true person must balance both sides. If there are members of the Unification Church who really like the people who like them, yet actively hate those who hate them, are they a good group or a bad group? They are a bad group.
Therefore, let us like even those who hate us. If you like someone who hates you, he will also come to like you. If three times or more, you act kindly towards someone who hates you, he will bow his head. Just treat such a person nicely three times, and you will win him over. Try it yourself and see if I am right or not. People have a conscience which tells them whether they are right or wrong. (39-302, 1971.1.16)
Our country has many good people and there are many wonderful people in the world. There are also many people of renown. Then, who are the great people of Korea? When we speak of a great person in Korea, we usually talk about Admiral Yi Soon-shin. He is a great man. You all like Admiral Yi, but do you think he is a true person? We do not know, but we still admire him. However, I do not admire him so much. When I say this, you may think, "This is strange. Why is he like that? He does not like one of our national patriots! Is Rev. Moon a communist or a traitor to our people?" In answer, I will tell you why I do not admire Admiral Yi. All Koreans know Admiral Yi as a patriot, but Japanese people think of Admiral Yi as an enemy. This is mentioned even in Japanese history books. Admiral Yi is an enemy from the viewpoint of the Japanese and a patriot for Koreans. This is why I do not like him.
That which is true must be true everywhere: in Britain, in Germany, in America, in Korea, in Africa, and also in Japan. Something that is true has no enemies.
There is no one that dislikes something true. If something is liked from one side and disliked from the other, it cannot be perfectly true.
If Admiral Yi were a perfectly true person, Japanese and Koreans alike would honor him as a great man and true person. But looking from the standard of the true person, Admiral Yi is not a perfectly true person, although he might be a true person to a lesser degree. He is a true person in Korea, but not in Japan. I am sure there is no disagreement on this. Since I want to see a true person, I do not like someone who is less than a true person such as Admiral Yi.
Then in this world, what kind of person is a true person? As I said earlier, he is someone who is liked by both bad people and good people. If he is liked most by good people, should bad people hate him the most? He must be liked the most by bad people as well. Although there is a mixture of good people and bad people here, all people desire the best things. If we say that all people like something, we mean that not only good people but also bad people like it as well. So, if some people who are considered bad do not like a certain thing, it means that it is not a true thing. True things are those that should be liked the most not only by good people but by bad people as well. This is the definition of a true person. A true person is one whom bad people as well as good people like the most. Someone like this is a true person.