Belvedere
Translator: Sang Kil Han
Today is the 19th of July. As Unification Church members we must not forget that July 20th has always marked the beginning of our special 40-day witnessing campaigns. Those who are aware of this, please raise your hands. Even now, we must all be aware of this special time.
It is of primary importance that we understand our history. Without knowing the past, we cannot understand the present. And without understanding the present, we have no way to deal with the future. All that exists and all that we see today also existed yesterday.
The Unification Church of today has a history. What is that history composed of? Some would say "suffering and indemnity," but in the beginning, why did the Unification Church even come into being Of course, the Unification Church began through the work of Reverend Moon.
Our church has had 34 years of history since its inception in 1954. Did the Unification Church just come into existence then? The Unification Church exists because mankind exists. It is because of the fall of man that all religion came to exist. Religion would not have even been necessary if there had been no separation from God. The Unification Church has continued the work that religion has been doing for mankind. God has been fulfilling His dispensation mainly through religion, so to bring His dispensation to its conclusion, the Unification Church was created.
Then what exactly is the Unification Church supposed to do for mankind? Of course, we are working to save individual people, but more importantly, we must save the world. We must always remember that salvation does not rest on the individual alone. Of course the individual needs to be saved, but the ultimate goal of salvation is mankind. Our goal is to save mankind and to create a normal future in God's eyes.
After someone is saved, that is not the end. After that, he must do his best to help the entire world. After we liberate mankind, what will be our nest goal? Then we will liberate God. Unless mankind is liberated, God cannot be liberated, so we must take that step.
Take the family, for example. When the family is not at peace, then the people within that family have lots of problems. The parents cannot be happy or troublefree when the children are unhappy. By the same token, the whole family of mankind has to be at peace and without problems before God can feel rested or peaceful Thus we understand that after we ourselves are saved, it is not the end, but in fact the beginning of saving the rest of the world. We must bring all of the big family of mankind into a state of peace, without problems, so that God Himself can be liberated.
Perhaps someone is accustomed to living just for the present. But that type of life has no preciousness. When we are living today for the sake of tomorrow and the future, then our life today is precious and has great meaning. I already asked you about the significance of July 20, the traditional beginning of our 40-day special witnessing campaigns. Our witnessing is done for the benefit of mankind, to save those around us and the world, not just to Live for ourselves. We exist in the present but we don't belong to today. Rather, we represent all of yesterday as well as what we will be in the future. This is the meaning of our present Life. We exist today as the latest Link in the chain of our ancestors. Thus we represent all of history. Even though we may not be able to see it, we can imagine it. Also, we will continue into the future, and that is the purpose for our Life. We must be aware of that. Such people and such Lives are precious. Those who don't think Like that or Live like that have no eternal value.
The Preciousness of Women
Are women very precious or not? When you say yes, think about history. Did women play a special role in history, enabling men to fulfill their role to go in God's direction? Have you ever thought that you as a woman should be doing that? ~I am helping my husband or fiancee so that he can help the progress of the dispensation. I will continue to do so in the future." Did you think that way when you answered, "Yes, women are precious"?
Whom do you resemble? You women have two eyes; they resemble very much the eyes of your own mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, all the way up in your ancestry to God. God is also feminine. Your eyes represent your origins or ancestors, and all of womankind In the future, your eyes will continue to be represented in your offspring. Do you sometimes think, I will revolutionize my eyes"? Perhaps you do something to your eyes to make them look different, like using eyeshadow. But actually that doesn't revolutionize your eyes. It's only temporary. Four or five hours later, the eyeshadow washes off and you're back to the same situation. Nevertheless, your eyes are very precious because they represent history, all women, and the future of mankind.
Whom do women take after? The mother of mothers. We cannot think about history and mankind without women. They simply would not continue. History would never have existed without women. Today is very precious, of course, but the past is also precious, and the future is even more precious.
Just imagine: which would be more of a crisis in the world-a huge war between the two superpowers, or something that causes a decline in the number of women on the earth, so they become fewer and fewer, to the point where there is only one woman left? Which is a greater crisis-world war, or women diminishing? Think about how horrible it would be if, while the women were diminishing, men continued to exist in the same numbers. Just imagine for a moment-a man's world without women. There could be no bigger crisis imaginable than men without women. If only a few women were left, what will happen to the men? How precious women would become. There are plenty of women now, so men think, "Well, there is one for me, no matter what." But what if there were only one woman? Even if a man had all the wealth and power of America and the world, could he trade it for that one woman? No, because her value is even greater than that.
Have you ever stopped to think that you are so precious and great that you could not even be exchanged for all of America? The same goes for women without men. Just imagine that no men exist-just women. What kind of a world would that be? Men, like women, represent history. They represent the past and they are existing today for the future.
The Preciousness of Men
In all of history, what is the most precious thing for woman? The answer is, naturally, man. What is the most precious thing for man? The conclusion, naturally, is woman. So, which is the most important being-you or your fiancee, your spouse? Your spouse. It's an amazing conclusion. How many men and women exist with such a correct, precise understanding at this time on earth? This awareness is so precious that someone may demand that you must work very hard for 100 years before you can get a spouse with this understanding. Perhaps you had to work 1,000 years If someone gave you that condition, would you say, "Well, 100 years is too long." Or would you work 100 or even a thousand years in order to get your mate? Would you do that?
Women are so precious, but all by themselves, they are useless. The only way for a woman to become valuable is to bring a man along with her, no matter how ugly or deformed or useless he seems. No matter how he looks, a man must be brought to you in order for your value to begin.
God is very tolerant, but let's imagine we had a God with a very short temper. He never puts Up with anything for long. Suppose God looks down at men and women fighting so much. God knows the value of man and woman and that they are not supposed to fight, so what does God do? He removes all the women from the men and hides them. What would world of only men be like? Would the men all say, "Oh, now I feel better. We can finally have peace on earth. I can do perfectly well without that woman." Do you think they would say that? What would happen? Men, at that point, would desperately pray, "Please God, send me a woman." Probably the men would not ask for a beautiful woman like they do now, but would say, "Father, give me a woman, any woman. I don't care if she's black or Oriental-it really doesn't matter, so long as she's a woman. Even if she's ugly or tiny, it doesn't matter, Father. I can put her in my pocket or carry her on my back."
How much do you think a man would cherish a woman after such a prayer? The same goes for women. If you had to buy your own mate by paying with one arm, would you hesitate? If there were no men to be had, you would jump at the chance, wouldn't you? What if, after you give away one arm, somehow it wasn't enough, and you had to give the other arm. Would you do that? You would! What about your legs? You would give up both of them because you still want a man. If you were really in that hard situation where you had to buy him or else you would not have him, then you probably would do it. In your opinion, is man that precious? If you had to give up your eye or your nose, would you still pay that price to buy a man? You probably would. That's a very serious matter. You would do it because a man is that precious.
Have you ever regarded your husband as being that precious? Actually, that husband of yours should be enshrined and you should just worship him. We never touch precious things; we just look at them from afar. That's how valuable your husband should be to you. There is no way of denying it. People take each other for granted because there are plenty of men and women, but we take many things for granted that we shouldn't.
Can one woman possess all the men on earth? No, she cannot. If she did, what kind of hell would that be? Each man would want to pull a part of you, a leg or part of your hair or your arm. How could live a comfortable life like that? For a woman, how many men are adequate? Someone answered, "One's enough," because to please him, you have to work 24 hours, and still you cannot do enough. If you cannot please one man and make him happy and fulfill his life, you certainly can't handle two, three, or four. If we had more than one spouse to take care of, it would really be hell.
How about this case: we have man and woman but they are not allowed to live together all the time and are separated most of the time. How would you feel in that situation? It's a practical matter. When you are together all the time, you tend to forget that the other person is so precious. But if somehow you are separated for two or three years, you come to realize the preciousness of your spouse. What if someone should set aside a day- say the first of January-as the one day when a man and woman can get together, and the rest of the time they are separated? Would that day be a happy day or an unhappy day? Happy, of course! Then after meeting, do you think any fights would take place, or would you say, "Have you missed me?" You would ask many questions like that, wouldn't you? You would want to talk about many things, naturally, but would you want to talk first and then kiss each other, or would you kiss first and then talk? Which would be the order?
Maybe there is a terrible parent or dictator who arranges that the man and woman get together only once every ten years. How miserable would that be? So no matter how complicated your relationship with your husband may be, is that a happy complication or a sad one? It is happy! What if, for some reason, the man hit you right in the face? The American woman would say, Y don't want that kind of man. Let's get a divorce."
Tightening the Belt of Love
The question here is not whether hitting is right. The crucial question is about love. After all, man and woman are bound together so tightly that they are actually one. Is the binding so very tight that it hurts you, or is it loose? The tighter the belt, the better. That's true for both men and women. They want to be tighter and tighter together, never loosened. We are happier that way in love. Your love should be so tight at every angle that you can't shake loose one from the other. If one part is loose, the whole thing becomes loose.
Is God working towards tightening the belt of love, or loosening it? What about Satan? After you get married, does he work at tightening the belt of love, or loosening it? Loosening it. This is really important. Amazingly enough, God and Satan will take the same position in this. God will say, I like man and woman in love." Satan will say, "Yes, I do too. I like man and woman in love." But God will say, "I like the man and woman's belt of love to be very, very tight, but you, Satan, want their love belt very loose." This is where each stands-God wants man in intense love, whereas Satan just wants mediocre love.
So even though you feel discouraged in every way, you should never let go of love. No matter what the cost, you should never give up this love. Is such a person a godly one or a satanic one? He is a godly man. No matter what challenge he may encounter, no matter what persecution or bad treatment he may receive from his spouse, no matter what, that man never gives up his love.
As a woman, which kind of man would you like? One who would love you so intensely that it even bothers you and you feel like saying, "Please love me half as much as you do now." Do you need that kind of a husband in the long run? Do you think that is a better husband or do you want someone who is so indifferent that somehow you feel a hole everywhere? The one who really gets after you, whether you like it or not, is expressing his love. You know he doesn't mean to bother you, and that's why you can tolerate it. Would you say, "Well, I wish he was less intense"? Would you like a husband who was lukewarm?
When God observes the relationship of man and woman, what does He like to see? When a couple really love each other very intensely, do you think God would like that? Such love pleases God more than some mediocre relationship-indifferent, moderate, lukewarm. If you express it in terms of a lake or pond, would you want a small pond of love or a huge ocean? Every woman would like an ocean of love. How about the man? Would he want a small pond or an immense ocean of love with a woman? You may have loved your husband, but much of that time was centered on yourself, wasn't it? Can you say, Y want to be loved just like an ocean-as a representative of everything. I want my husband to love everybody, including me." That is selfless love. The difference between a pond and the ocean is that the ocean is so immense that everything can live there, both small things and large. In a pond, there is little variety, and only small fish.
There is great variety in the world. For example, there are flatlands, high mountains, and deep valleys. What kind of love would you like? Something resembling the mountain and the valley, or just flat like the plains? Of course, you would want to experience the mountain and the valley. Does the American woman want that kind of romantic love adventure? Would you prefer the flat kind of love life, or one with a lot of curves and storms and changes yet which continues to be strong? Obviously, that's an ideal description, but do you really accept such a challenge?
In the Unification Church, we say, "Okay, now is the time for the 40 days of witnessing," and we go out. That crashes down on our family situation like a storm. It's like rain, thunder and wind. Everything is coming at the same time, but do you mind that? Some family members would say, "I'm miserable. Why should I continue such a life?" So he simply does not go along with it and runs away. Or another person thinks about the history of God and the dispensation, meets the challenge and goes over that high wave, resolves to go out, making arrangements for his family. Then when that family meets again, they are happy again. Do Unification Church members have that kind of up and down, wild experiences in life?
Even nature lives like that. Think about a storm with its high and low pressure, thunder and lightning, rain and wind. One night the storm continues for hours, but after that everything is calm and back to normal, isn't it? The turmoil doesn't continue month after month, year after year. It is just a relatively short period of time, maybe just a few hours at most in the course of a whole year. After the storm, there is peace again. Is thunder and rain on a summer day just for the sake of that locality or does the rain make the whole world come alive again? It's for the whole earth.
High and Low Pressure
The high and low pressure meet and then there is a discharge of enormous power. They come together and create lightning, then recede, and build up again, then come back and meet again, then recede, and so on. Rain is a blessing at that time for every creature so they all rejoice.
All this is a symbol for the marriage of man and woman. When we meet together, we meet intensely, and when we recede we prepare for the time of meeting again. That kind of life is a good life, not a bad one. No matter how many years you are away from each other, the quality of your love is cherished and becomes stronger. Would you like that kind of love, or one which says, "Out of sight, out of mind"? You want the enduring, continuing love, of course, because that is the true quality of love.
This is not well-known, but it is a common understanding in the Orient that if a woman spends even one night with her husband, she will never give him up. She doesn't think, "We only spent one night together, so maybe I can remarry." That woman would rather stay single the rest of her life than forget that love. You may say, "What a foolish thing that is," but you wait until you get to spirit world to see who is foolish You may think that she has a miserable life. It may be difficult, but when she gets to spirit world, she will be happier and in a better place than others. This is a true: man is born for the sake of woman and for love, and woman is born for man and love. Based on this one concept, after living even one night with a husband or wife, if one dies then the other is willing to spend the rest of the time alone.
We have all kinds of measurements here on earth. The same is true in the spirit world. The measure of happiness here on earth is usually wealth, power, prestige and other things. In spirit world the measure of happiness is love. It is certainly not money, authority or knowledge. Knowledge about love or authority in love is precious. Anything that has to do with love is most precious in the spirit world. We can observe billions of people on earth living within family relationships, but there are none who know how precious their spouses really are. There must be a formula or standard in loving a husband and a wife. There should not be many different ways to love. Do you think there is only one way, or do you think there are many ways? One way! Does that one way change from time to time, differing in the past from the present and the future? No! There is only one continuous way to love. There is only one formula which doesn't change with time. Whether we are in a low or high position, whether we are in a happy or an unhappy state of mind, the way we should love others stays the same. It is always the same formula.
That is good because it means we have a base we can always come back to. If our base moves around from one position to another, we couldn't find its place. The point of love is always consistent, BO whenever we are away, we can come back to the same position. We know where to find it because it doesn't move around. Each one of us must find a proper position within the vast cosmos. Our position is relative to the position of love. We always come back to that point.
The happy person is the one who, even after running into some turbulence, always knows where to return to find happiness and love again. A confused person who doesn't know which way to go and gets lost easily is an unhappy man or woman. Where will you find that point of settlement, centering on love? Where does it go? What position is it in? Is it a nation or a world? It is none other than the family, not a country or any other place. That is where you come back to. The husband comes back to his family and finds his love there. The wife, the children and the grandparents all do the same. That's the point of settlement. All find their way back to their point of origin, the point of love. One by one, they all find peace within the family. That is the definition of happiness. Happiness isn't found anywhere other than in that family, the nest of happiness. The family is the core point of love where you can always return and find peace and rest.
Our Extended Family
When we extend that, we see the whole earth as part of a family. Everywhere you should find peace and be able to sleep under the blanket of love. When you get up in the morning, you fold up the blanket and make the bed of love, and go about your work. When the day's work is done, you come back to the family-the extended family of the world. When they are at home, parents exist solely for the sake of the children. The children live for the sake of the parents and grandparents. All live for the sake of others. The brother exists for the sake of the other brothers and sisters. All exist for everybody except themselves.
Within the extended family of the world, nobody works solely for the sake of himself or to gain something for himself. Rather, they work for the benefit of everybody else. Each thinks, "We have to get rich," not "I have to get rich." The goal of each person and the ideal of the world is to earn for the sake of everybody-not just for oneself. We want to save money so "all" can benefit, not just so "I" can benefit. We want to work harder to make our family and our world richer.
We don't want to earn material wealth for the sake of material itself. After all, what value does it have by itself? The material goal serves as an avenue of love. We need material wealth for the improvement of everybody else's situation. We may give our husband or wife a present, but there are many ways of giving that present. For instance, imagine a woman who has been working very hard, having a very difficult time managing the family finances. But, penny by penny, nickel by nickel, she saves up for a long time and with this money she buys a gift and gives it to her husband.
Imagine another woman who has plenty to spend and with a part of that money she buys a gift for her husband. Which gift is more precious? It may even be the same gift, but it comes from two different origins. The gift from the woman who had been saving money through the difficult times, not eating at times in order to buy a present for her husband, is much more precious.
God had a dream-the ideal of creation. Today, God does not have the world He intended in the beginning. God's dream and ideal still remain as a dream and an ideal, but very soon it will be substantiated. We have already started this on earth. Do you think that God's ideal family is what we see here in America today?
When people grow old here, they seem to diminish in value like an automobile, and are sent off to senior citizens' homes. Everyone wants to live for his own sake the husband denies his wife, the wife denies her husband, the children deny the parents and the parents deny the children-all for the sake of "I". What in the world has that to do with God? Nothing!
Do you think the people in the spirit world had a family while they were living here on earth? They all had families, didn't they? Their families looked pretty much the same as what we have now, externally. As Unification Church members, we have families, too, but their root and the quality are very different. In the Unification Church, we have a certain formula for creating and developing our family, based on the Principle. But what about the billions of people who already lived and died and are now in the spirit world? Did they have the same formula based on God? No, they didn't know that formula or what mankind was supposed to achieve. They just got together and formed a family and thought they were happy. Aren't these two types of families as different as night and day?
Those families outside of the Principle get separated in the spirit world. There is no family system in the spirit world today. However, we have our Unification family here on earth and when we go to spirit world we will be together as a family too. We will not separate. The quality of our life on earth is also very different. Nobody in the spirit world ever had the idea that they could embrace all races as one, all nations as their own nation, all people as part of their own family. No one has lived before with these ideals. However, in the Unification Church, everybody has that ideal and is willing to marry someone from another nationality.
Love's Power
Love has tremendous power, more than you realize. That power is manifested in our marriage, too. People of the same race experience some difficulties in their marriage, but they are usually manageable. Imagine surmounting all the difficulties and hurdles in a black and white marriage. The tremendous power of God's love can protect such a family. Don't you think God is really appreciative and fascinated by that family? Isn't that the love that God originally intended? Nobody ever put that kind of love into action before, but here in the Unification Church, under True Parents, mankind is living with that kind of standard. How joyful must God be, how hopeful about mankind!
Love is stronger than any other power. All the men and women in spirit world agree with this. Everyone alive now will say, "Yes, I can agree with that." In the future, man's original nature will say, "Yes, that broad, embracing love is the ideal love." When we say love, of course, we think of love between two persons like a man and a woman. But there is also brotherly love between brothers and sisterly love between women. which is the strongest form of love? Of course, that is between man and woman, husband and wife, isn't it?
Love between two brothers cannot cross any boundary, while man and woman form a crossing in the central point. With two men, there is no axis, even though there may be a center. Between husband and wife, however, there is an axis. When God visits us, where does He visit? He goes through the axis, where everyone is connected- the grandfather, all the ancestors, and all the members of the family. In other relationships, they don't have an axis. Of course, God likes to see people relating in harmonious, brotherly and sisterly love too, but God covets more strongly the love between man and wife.
Three generations dwell within the family- grandparents, parents and children. The presence of three symbolizes a spherical relationship. A family with a spherical dimension is more precious in relation to God's love. When the hemispheres get together it becomes one sphere and an ideal family. Three generations of man and woman equal six, plus the center line, which makes seven. The number seven represents the real perfection of the family. The numbers ten and seven are the numbers of perfection. God resides in that kind of family. God visits there more often and stays right at the center of that family. Because of this axis, the members of the family can come in and find a place to stay. The grandparents and all the ancestors can come and stay here.
This is the meaning of the family. Imagine an inverted tree with the roots up in heaven. This symbolizes the relationship of our family and God. The tree is from the earth, our human root is from heaven. The trunk is the family. The tree is inverted because our family tree is a spiritual one. Is this branch or that branch more important? The branch or the trunk? The branch which is closer to the root is more precious. The trunk is the grandfather and grandmother and the branch is the son and daughter. Mankind's ancestors are like that. The parents represent three different generations and this crux represents the entire universe.
Such a clear understanding does not exist here in America. Only the individual is important. But in the broader sense, an isolated individual has no value. In the nation, the grandfather may go to the senior citizen's home, the grandmother goes someplace else, the husband runs away with another woman, and the mother may do the same. The children are disheartened and thoroughly confused. Thus the family is missing-the American family doesn't have a root and the trunk and branch are separated from each other. There is just disintegration.
We Have a Root
What about the Unification Church? We have a definite root, a very visible, strong trunk, and strong children. which are the branches. nobody can uproot us, and nobody can actually move out of the tree, because they belong there. When a flower is budding on the branch, nobody can stop that flower from blossoming. We have such a powerful, wholesome trunk and root.
Which do you think we should cherish more, the trunk or the branches? We must cherish the trunk. But in the American family system people think the branches are equal to the trunk, don't they? They even think the branches are equal to the root. "What is the difference.?" they ask. Which do the American family cherish more? They cherish more what they can visibly see, don't they? That is the trunk, not the root. They can't see the root.
If you ask the same question of God, He places more importance on the root. Between the trunk and the branch, God places more importance on the trunk. Without question, God would say that.
What about the fruit? What position should the fruit have? In the fruit, everything is represented-the trunk, the branch, and even the leaf and fruit itself. If we sow the seeds within the fruit, then the entire tree will reappear again. That is why this seed is so precious.
Do I consider all of you the seeds of the future mankind to come, or do I see you as mere leaves or branches? I see you as the seed. You like to be a seed, don't you? Even the ugliest person is nevertheless the seed of all of mankind in the future. You are a seed now because this is the very beginning of God's mankind. Your eyes will be passed along to the eyes of men and women in the future.
All seeds are composed of two parts a male and female portion-and an embryo. Is it true that women only have the female portion and none of the male and vice versa? Is that the reality? No, each person has both qualities, plus and minus. Mankind has never understood what we are being taught now-that men have both male and female qualities within, and the same is true for women. Women have more female characteristics than male ones, and vice versa. Women alone and men alone cannot create life. When they get together in love, they can produce fruit.
Before marriage, a woman can wander around everywhere, but only within her region. She cannot go to the region of man. The same is true for man-he has to stay in his area and should not go over into the woman's area. When they go out of their areas, the ideal embryo or seed will not come to exist. When a husband and wife live together with a lot of fighting, the embryo becomes deformed. Once man and woman are married, this is the most ideal path for them. There is no other way. When they are planted together on the soil as the seed, they should both contribute to the growth of the embryo. With them as fertilizer, the children will grow in the natural way. This is the cosmic law and no one can change it. If we don't follow it, we become less than the animals, because they follow a law. What about the Americans people? How pathetic and sad it IS if they don't follow this law and don't even know they are doing wrong.
Man and wife must be united for the sake of the embryo. To do this, both man and woman must sacrifice. How do you American women like to sacrifice? If we don't sacrifice, the seed will not grow. That means we stop right there. We have no future. We didn't know that and that's why we complained about sacrifice.
The Amazing Salmon
I have just returned from Alaska, where I met with 130 visiting Korean professors. Whenever I go to Alaska, I am reminded of the amazing life of the salmon. As you know, the salmon roe hatches there and then after six months the fish swim out to the ocean. The salmon may travel up to 5,000 miles all around the ocean, but after four years, they come right back to where they were hatched. That's where they lay their own eggs. After that, they die there. In every way, their life is a confirmation of the Principle. The new salmon roe feed on the decaying bodies of the dead salmon. Then they in turn swim 4,000 or 5,000 miles, eventually returning four years later to the same place to continue the cycle.
I feel this can really teach us something now, so I think of them as "Sal-Mon", the Salvation of the Moonies. We have all been "hatched" by God and will live about one hundred years. Then we will go back to our origin. Like the salmon, we should have an unerring sense of direction. If not, we can never get back home. Do we, as Moonies, have that sense to know where to find our nest? The salmon know, BO we should too.
Do you understand this? I gave all of you the Blessing. That means I bound two of you together BO that nobody and nothing can separate you again. You are bound in a strong bond of love. I have been teaching you to sacrifice for the children and for the future. IS that a right or wrong teaching? We know that it is right, but do we really feel and act like it is right? We should. Are you at the knowing level, the feeling level, or the acting level? You should be at the level of action.
The past is represented in the seed. Likewise, the present and the future are included. How precious this is. We should always be aware that we are these precious seeds. I am telling you to become these seeds. All seeds include the plus and minus elements, which is the universal way in which God manifested Himself in His creation.
Do you think the embryo exists in a vague way or in a clearly organized form? If plus and minus are deployed in this way, say along the north/south axis, then the embryo is deployed in the same way, correct? The four position foundation is designed that way, and it resembles the universe.
We all want to be connected to the north and south, east and west, don't we? We all want to travel freely, but in order to do that, the man and woman alone are not Sufficient. We must have children, just as the plant bears seeds, so that we can be connected through them to the north and south.
Man and woman are so essentially different that if you call one the east, the other will be the west. You are being self-centered if you ask, "Why isn't he just like me.?" That's wrong because he Is born to be different from you. How can he help it? Can you help being the way you are? Even when they walk, men must rotate from the shoulders, left and right, while women must sway left and right from the hip. Man is stronger than woman. Man is tough and hard, while woman is soft to the touch. All of these things are inborn, so we must tolerate the differences. That's the harmony and balance of the universe and we can't complain about it.
When you look at big trees from this viewpoint, you cannot help but feel respect for them. I always do, thinking that the giant tree is greater than I am. That tree may have been growing for a thousand years, and now it has grown to such a huge size. How magnificent the result of a tiny seed. I automatically see the tens of thousands of generations represented in that huge tree. Not one part is missing-all the ancestral elements of the past are there. So how great that tree is! The desire of such a tree is to propagate itself throughout the world, and enjoy a relationship with all the other trees. The tree welcomes the pollen from every other plant; it engages in no discrimination toward smaller trees, different ones, and so forth. It welcomes every natural being and continues to maintain its growth. We have a lot of lessons to learn from the trees. The seeds from such a tree will continue to spread and propagate themselves for millions of years into the future.
Past, Present and Future
The past, present, and future are represented in even the small blades of grass and the twigs. When insects mate, they have their own offspring. They dwell on the world-level and therefore they do not discriminate among nationalities. An American insect will mate with a Korean insect. We may kill an insect and think nothing of it, but perhaps that's wrong. Even if we kill it for a justifiable reason, we should love it first. This is no laughing matter. If man loves that insect, its value is elevated. Thus the insect is willing to sacrifice itself for the bigger purpose of the human being. This is not man's tyranny.
Small fish are eaten by larger fish and they are elevated through the food chain in that way. Thus they are actually able to find value. How can a small fish reach God? The only way is to be eaten by a larger fish, and then by a larger fish and finally by a human being. How else can a small animal cell become part of a human cell and thus connect directly to God? We should ask the small animals. They know the answer; people don't. Killing and eating them is not necessarily as terrible as some people think.
This is a very important point. Human beings do not resent dying for the sake of love. We know that we will gain even more value after that. Many martyrs died with such a motivation and theirs was a truly precious death. Human beings want to live for greater and greater value, and that includes being willing to die to achieve that goal.
God created human beings to live together in harmony, worshipping and loving God on that foundation. When you recognize the preciousness of existence then you have to analyze the components of a person's beauty. To say, "That woman is beautiful," doesn't mean very much. When I look at woman, I know her eyes represent the past, present and the future. So do her nose, her mouth, her hands, her ears, her hair, and all the different parts of her body. The face itself represents just the present; it shines for only one generation and then it fades. Watch and see. With so-called unattractive women, the first impression may be, "Oh, she's ugly!" But look very carefully and you may see that the so-called ugly woman has beautiful eyes, lovelier than the so-called beautiful woman.
Also her nose and ears are uniquely lovely, like masterpieces. You want to look at them again and again. When I look at someone, I pay a lot of attention to parts of the body which other people don't-like the hands. Hands can tell a lot about the person's past-what her ancestors were like and what her future will be. When I see the ankle, I can very much tell what kind of future she will have. Her bosom and hips and what she looks like from behind all contain a lot of information. The four limbs are very important. The handsome or beautiful face exists for only one generation, so it doesn't represent the past or the future. We have to love our spouse first, and then we can appreciate or complain about his or her face but only after we have loved them.
Observe for yourself. Beautiful women usually can't laugh symmetrically. In fact, they may look rather unattractive when they laugh. If you want to be very particular and find faults, you can find dozens of them in a beautiful woman. But with a not-so-beautiful woman, this is not the case. When God looks at a particular person, He sees all her ancestors and all the small details of her life. Do you think God has the same opinions about someone that you do? He may have a different opinion. God is very fair. One person might complain, "Why was I born homely?" but God never gives two precious things to the same person.
Don't ever look at a particularly handsome man or beautiful woman and say, "Oh, that's the kind of spouse I like." Forget it, because that quality is not precious. From this perspective, there are two different types of persons: the man and woman who are very attractive but who show off everything externally. They have nothing left on the inside. Or there is the less attractive man or woman who takes everything in. He or she may not look so exciting on the outside, but inside there are stored treasures you can't even imagine.
Who is usually more talkative, the beautiful woman or the not-so-beautiful one? And who is usually not so responsible in her way of life? Who is more changeable? It is the beautiful woman. The lesson here is that we must really be able to find the good points in the less attractive woman. One may be beautiful but she doesn't have anything else, so it's a trade-off. God never gives two precious gifts to the same person.
Therefore, don't be proud of how you may look. Others who may not have good looks will have other assets so that eventually he or she may rank higher in value. By the same token, don't be disappointed if you don't have good looks because you have plenty of what the good-looking person doesn't have. Whether you are beautiful or not doesn't matter. It is most valuable to live with an awareness of the past and of the historical nature of other people.
The Historical Chinese
As we respect the big tree, likewise we must respect the Chinese people. They have kept their culture intact for thousands of years, with all their billions of people. If they were like the European countries, they would have been divided into many nations long ago. But they have one language and one race that flows on like the big Mississippi River. Which is more precious, then, the Chinese nation or some other, smaller nation? That Chinese nation, like a big tree, is very precious. How about comparing America and China? Which is more precious? Let's take one quality for example: who will endure and put up with more, the Americans or the Chinese? You know it is the Chinese.
The typical Chinese can hold a hundred different secrets in his bosom and he doesn't even show that he has a secret inside. An American, on the other hand, may have one secret and not know what to do because he wants to express it. The American will speak about it from all different angles. Americans tell gags and jokes. Who do you think will be a more successful diplomat, the Chinese or the American? The Chinese are ten times better at diplomacy. If you talk a lot, you give yourself away. You can't win. The Chinese listen very well. They think of some different strategy that we haven't even thought of, and so they excel over us. We are always beaten like that.
How about comparing the Chinese with almighty God? Who will persevere more? On a more practical level, what about the Unification Church members and the Chinese? In your opinion, will we win over the Chinese? You say we will. Does that mean we have greater perseverance than the Chinese? If so, then we will indeed win. Can we keep a secret better than the Chinese? If 80, then we will win. If you have a secret, keep it in your mind. Don't speak. How about Reverend Moon? Do you think I am very resilient and persevering? If so, then in a long confrontation between Reverend Moon and Americans, who will win? Reverend Moon. In fifteen years, America will be knocked out!
Once I undertake something, I work continuously until I reach the goal. There is no such a thing to me as leaving or giving up. Don't try to pick the winner in the boxing ring according to who looks like the best puncher. Rather, analyze which one gets struck and still endures. Maybe an ordinary many would have been knocked out ten times over but still he is holding out. He is willing to continue because that's what decides the game. After enduring the next round and the next, that person will be the winner.
In the arena of Unification Church fighting, we keep no secrets. Everything is well known-what we are fighting against, why we are fighting, for what purpose, what goal. Everybody knows because we tell them. It's an open arena. We are fighting against and destroying what Satan loves most.
Why has America been changed after I came here? It's not because I am so strong, but because I have taken upon myself the most difficult situations of this nation: youth problems; drug abuse; the decline of Christian influence; communist infiltration, and so forth. I took upon myself those problems which America could not successfully solve, and showed you some hope.
In order to save the world, we must be able to cope with the worst problems in the world, contain them, destroy them if necessary, and introduce an alternative to live by. We must at least be able to do these things. That's what the Unification Church and I have been doing.
As Unification Church members, we must realize that more difficulty awaits us in our lifetime. We represent the people of the past, so people in the present look to us as examples of how to live. The people of the future will have an easier time if we fulfill our responsibility. We must always be aware of the past, the present, and the future such is the precious way of life and existence.
Present-day America certainly cannot control or lead the world. We hear many nations saying that America is no longer their leader. Thus the phrase "Yankee, go home" Is heard around the world. But when the Moonies work with a sacrificial heart, will people around the world say, "Moonie, go home," or will they say, "Moonie, welcome"? Are Moonies welcome around the world now? Many Japanese members are here. Are they welcomed by the American members or not? This Is a problem. When all the Unification Church members look at me, do they say, "Reverend Moon, you go home! No? Do you welcome me? I know why you Americans welcome me. You want to put me to work! It is so simple. I am useful.
Precious Way of Life
Who are the most precious ones? The way of life I am teaching, based on God-centered ideas and outlook, Is much more precious than the American way of life. To white people I ask, "How much have you shed tears and sweat?" Before criticizing black people, first you must live for their sake, cry and shed blood and sweat for them. Then you can criticize them. Thousands of black people were brought forcibly to this country from Africa. Many of them died along the way. This happened only a few generations ago.
How about the Indians? How many Indians were killed? Indians flourished for many years on this continent, but in less than 100 years they were virtually annihilated. How did this happen? It was not by a plague. Columbus visited America; he didn't find America. America was already there! A lot of people were there. Columbus was just one visitor. Now America has millions of visitors from everywhere. That's the way God and I see America. There is no other way of seeing this country.
If Reverend Moon had not come to this country, its future would have been much bleaker than the American people are willing to imagine. Because of what the white people did in the past, history will recur and they will be facing suffering. But I am working to make peace once and for all. I want to protect America's white people as much as the black people. There are Asians, Hispanics, and all colors of people supporting me. But the white people didn't welcome me.
How can we make peace on earth? That is our problem. Only through Reverend Moon can we do that. Otherwise, there's no hope. This is the reality of the world's situation. I couldn't have said that ten years ago, but now, after my being here for fifteen years, America has seen enough to understand what I am talking about. We are in the position to come to a conclusion now. This is why I am opening everything up and saying what I do.
You don't know what I am doing now, do you? Of course, I am working very hard for the sake of mankind, but in what way specifically? I am working to revive not only Christianity, but also the political parties which would otherwise ;just decline. If that happened, only the communists would benefit. The political parties must regain their vigor in the sight of God-Republican and Democratic alike.
Which situation is more difficult, the American or the Korean? If it is the Korean situation, why am I staying in America and working here, rather than going back to Korea? It is because I know the central position of the United States in the world. We have a handful of Moonies here who are so precious and important for all of history. The Moonies can be the kindling for igniting the hope of the rest of the world.
If I am doing the work you are supposed to do, can you continue to say, "Oh, Father, you may work hard like that, but I just want to live the American way, working eight hours a day"? Could you say that? I am determined to restore the United States to a country which will be welcomed by everyone. America will rise once more. That is why I am working like I am. Why must I love America so much? After this country changes, the world will live. The world will be saved.
(Speaking to a sister on the front row.) What nationality are you? Where did your ancestors come from? (Russia, Eastern Russia and Poland) Americans represent all the nations of the world.
God needs young people who are useful in His dispensation. That's my hope to make you into useful people. What is, exactly, a useful man? When you see me, you don't need any further explanation. I am a useful man. I have worked for the sake of this country under such severe persecution. You must do likewise at this time, in the absence of persecution.
The Japanese
Japanese members, raise your hands. (Father speaks here in Japanese for about 20 minutes.)
American church members, will you establish the tradition of working harder and doing better than the Japanese? Actually, you don't need the Japanese, do you? Aren't Americans capable of doing things well? What can the Japanese can do that the Americans can't? Why did I ask the Japanese members to come to the United States? It's because Americans are prone to doing things the American way, their own way. You think you can continue the dispensation in that pattern, but I know this cannot be done.
The Japanese may not seek to excel individually but as a group they are amazingly efficient. Did you notice that? Americana don't like to work the way the Japanese do. In Japan, once the leader is assigned, no matter who that leader happens to be, everybody gathers around him and obeys him as the central figure.
It doesn't mean that the leader is particularly capable or qualified. It doesn't make any difference to them-a leader is a leader. The Japanese attitude is to make him perfect. They don't speak much or criticize before they act. After they act, they may criticize. In that way, they are very different from Americana. That's why I brought the Japanese members here-to show an example the Americana could learn from.
Haven't I told you over and over again that alone, individually, we can never go into heaven? There is no such a thing as an individual heaven. Only after fulfilling the four position foundation can we go into heaven. For Jesus, the same thing is true. Jesus tried to accomplish the four position foundation, but he died. How difficult it is to achieve. We must know that and that's what we are doing now-fulfilling the four position foundation.
The Americans
Before Americana undertake a task, they first like to make sure it is the right thing, as they discuss and criticize it before trying it. But is the path of restoration a matter for argument? It's not a matter of right or wrong-it's something that has to be done. After doing it, then we may talk. Even if all 240 million American people became Unification Church members, God would not necessarily trust them until they proved they had a definite root. The individualistic way is not God's way. Koreans and Japanese are closer to God's way in that respect.
Who should be the future leader of America? There is only one qualification. When moat Americana are leading an easy life, working at a comfortable job and not sacrificing, others who are sacrificing and working desperately hard will become the leaders. I know very well that no one, including me, likes 40-day witnessing campaigns, or CARP and Ocean Church work. I know that very well, but then why do I do it? Without these activities, there is no hope for America. We must understand why we do the things we do.
I won't live forever, of course. In only thirteen years I will be eighty. At that time, maybe the American people will expect Reverend Moon to go back where he came from. Perhaps they will say, "How can a person 80 years old work for the sake of any country, let alone America?" But if I continue to work and maintain that pace, even after I get to be eighty, the American people will say, "Oh, he's still working so hard and he is very helpful to America. We want Reverend Moon to stay here." That all depends on how useful I am at that time.
This also applies to you. Are you, the Unification Church members, useful to America? We have to be. Are we useful not only to this nation but to other Unification Church members as well? We should be. Are you also helpful to me? Which is stronger and more precious: my being useful to you, or your being useful to me? Your being useful to me is more important, isn't it? When that becomes the reality, I will not worry so much about this nation. Then America will live for sure. That means you must become more useful to America than I am At that time, God and I will have no more worries.
I have poured so many resources into the dispensation for America. What if I had done that in a South American country, for instance? Would they be very grateful and welcome me? A few South American countries could become very successful and would have a very strong foundation if I helped them. By holding me here, this nation is actually incurring a lot of debt to the world because I am prevented from going to other countries to work.
Is the American church helping me or am I helping the American church? Imagine. That huge tree must maintain itself and help other trees, not be helped by them. It's the same thing with the American church. It must help me and other churches, not depend upon help from others. So far I have been here for you no matter how unworthy you were. You have gotten along with me helping as much as I do, but this cannot continue. You have to become self-supporting at some point and help other countries.
1988 will be a year of great transition. That is just next year. By next year, I will not have to stay here in America. I may go to South America, or Africa, or China. You must think about that. If I don't do that, then in the spirit world, I will face some problems. If I say just one word to the Japanese members, they follow. If I ask them to go back to Japan, they are on their way back home the next day, blessed couples too. They don't say, "Oh, I am married to an American, so I cannot go. That doesn't apply.
Then what would you Americans do after that? Would you say, "All right, we will quickly reorganize and comply with the dispensation? I don't think BO. There is no leader of the American church who maintains the kind of standards of heart, personality, and character, from God's point of view, that are needed to lead this church the way I have been doing. The proof of this point is the fact that none of the U.S. church leaders understands spirit world sufficiently.
The most important decisions a leader makes are dependent upon the spiritual world to a great extent. The spiritual world sets the standard, not we here on earth. The United States is not the standard. People are always prone to think, "I am the standard," but that is not 80. Spirit world sets the standard. When you don't understand that, you can't do anything. If I had taken a similar position as the American church leaders, I wouldn't be here today. The Unification Church and even God's dispensation would have been all washed up. I have always sought to find the right time to go along with the standard and the current situation of the spirit world. In this way, I have survived and prospered.
Which Way Should We Go?
From this point on, which way should the Unification Church go? I know, but none of the other leaders knows, including the Japanese. Until I feel comfortable with the church's allegiance to spiritual standards, I cannot entrust the final decisions to anyone else.
In the next twelve years I have to accomplish the task of letting the general population of the world know about the tradition and standard of the Unification Church. If I don't do that before I go to spirit world, then I feel there will be a difficulty in the leadership for the entire world. No other person can do that and I know it. How to change the direction of the world, how to "rude the right transition both in America and in the communist world-I have to lead that.
Now America has embraced a secular humanist position. How can the materialistic communist world be changed to spiritually-oriented thinking? This is the great task in front of me. Those high-ranking military leaders who served this country in the past and are now retired are in the position to understand. They are being educated about the direction America should take nest. Seven thousand ministers are actively being educated. They are traveling to Korea for ten days, attending seminars there. Going through Japan and Korea, they are being taught all about God.
We are reaching out to 3,000 retired army officers, like generals and admirals. About 3,500 of the state senators and congressmen and their aides and assistants, from all fifty states, are being educated through CAUSA and Principle lectures. All these will be able to show the right direction in which America must consistently go. Everyone in the country will be able to understand which way they should go.
Americans should be able to raise funds to finance these projects. Do you think sending 7,000 ministers is easy? Sending one is difficult, but once it is done, then they are changed and uplifted.
Why are we doing this? Is it because we are proud to show off Korea through sight-seeing? No. Is it to revive the Unification Church? No. The goal is to revive the United States. That is the most precious activity that we could ever imagine. No other organization would do what we do. With every dollar we spend for the Unification Church, we are spending twenty dollars for other churches and other activities in other parts of the world. Have you heard of any individual, organization or country in the whole world which ever worked like this in history? No! Therefore, this is a monumental happening great enough to be cited in history for eternity.
If the Korean Unification Church has a certain budget, five times that amount will be spent for CARP or the professors and the VOC Federation and all the other related activities. Therefore, the Korean CIA has long been puzzled. They think we are a strange organization because we never spend money for ourselves. They know that if we did, we could grow and develop much faster. It's strange to them to see us spending more money for the benefit of other people. "Why are they allowing themselves to suffer like that?" they ask.
If we did this for only one or two years, it would have little impact, but if we continue for twenty or more years, do you think Korea will change? Don't you think the whole world will change after that? Whenever we are determined to raise money for that kind of reason, God and Heaven always help. This is how we make money. By ourselves, we couldn't do it.
I know that if even a fraction of our expenditures were divided up and distributed to our members, you would have to endure much less suffering. I know that. But I act as if I didn't know. I push Japanese members to suffer more and I already know that you American members have suffered very much. But I say, "Suffer more and never take a nickel, but spend millions of dollars elsewhere." Why? Do you think it's because I hate you? Since you are with me and on my side, when I become famous, you will also become famous. When I am elevated, you will all be elevated as well.
The American people, especially the leaders of this nation, realize that Reverend Moon works extremely hard. The average American people see the Moonies and they know you are suffering a great deal. Because of this, one day they will regard you with the same respect they give to Reverend Moon. That's why I let you suffer. Do you understand? If you Unification Church members have to suffer for a long time-not just one or two but even ten, 20 or 40 years the results will be so much greater in the future. We will harvest the fruits for thousands, even millions of years in the future. People of the future will be grateful for that. Therefore, living for the sake of other people is the best way of life. We should be willing to live the way we are now for the rest of our lives. If we live this way for 20, 30, 40, 50 years-we will have very precious existences.
Once I decide on something, I never regret that decision. I have suffered a lot by coming to America, even going to Danbury. Yet I have never regretted coming to America, even after that tremendous suffering. I feel that after that experience, I have come know the United States better and more intimately. I have done my best. I know more about America than most American people because most Americans have never been jailed, but I have now spent a considerable amount of time in jail.
It is certainly not easy to turn the realm of prison into the realm of Heaven. Other places are much easier. While in prison, I found many sympathetic men. Frankly, I was surprised and thought, ~I can even find these kind of people in jail." Did I talk to them and witness to them while in jail? Never, not even one word, but they wanted to follow me. Therefore, we can see that we must be able to influence people around us, even without speaking. By our action we must speak. When I ask all those who served in Danbury with me to come and meet with me, I'm sure many will come. Isn't it ironic that the rest of the Americans hated me enough to send me to jail, but those American people in jail welcomed me? It was very ironic.
Likewise, you Unification Church members must be able to exert influence over the rest of America. In establishing our foundation here, all Americans opposed us. In Bayou La Batre, we had to go to court to continue our fishing activities. Finally, we won. In Alaska too, we are fighting a court case. For many years the mayor of Gloucester, Massachusetts was fiercely opposed to us. But now he has turned around and said he is sorry. Everywhere we go, we meet resistance. But in Alabama, Gloucester, and eventually in Alaska, the people will welcome us after a relatively short period of opposition.
In some places, our members have even been asked to take on leadership positions, such as running for the city council. Even if we say we don't want to do that, and that we are not particularly good at political things, they say, "But it doesn't involve much politics. We want as many people as possible from the Unification Church in the city council." Why? It is because they have come to know us. They see that we are different. Moonies pursue the public interest, not our own private interests. The people know this. Only the Moonies are living this way-with the interests of the community, nation and world ahead of our own.
Precious Existence
Again, what is a precious existence? It is to live for the sake of other people, doing what other people cannot or will not do. That is precious. Americans have gone into every field except for one very difficult industry, the fishing industry. No one wants to go and develop the fishing industry. Also, business people know how difficult it is to get the young people to work hard and well. But everybody understands that Reverend Moon is accomplishing just that. Why do American young people obey and follow Reverend Moon? To me, the explanation is very simple. It is simply because they are profiting and gaining by it. If they were losing, they wouldn't do it. I am no different from the rest of the Moonies in America because I live the way which is most valuable and significant. That's why I live the way I do.
The average young American member of the Unification Church probably does not understand how important is this current time. Even in political circles, there is so much disharmony and struggle. This only benefits Satan. It does not benefit God. I am really breaking my back to create harmonious conditions, so in this crucial time all the Unification Church members must become harmonious and spiritually help me. I feel the Unification Church members do not understand that point yet. But you must.
You should not be leading the kind of life that makes you ashamed to look me in the face. If you feel that way, then you should change and live so that when you see me feel no shame. You should be able to think, "Father, I am working as hard as you." You white people feel happy to call an Asian man "Father." If other white people follow our example, they too will be able to live happily in harmony.
We must come to a conclusion now. Always remember that we are living our contemporary life here on earth but it is connected with the historical life of the past. We should be very much aware of our past ancestors as we lead our present lives. At the same time, we must remember that our mission is what we must do today. The future is dependent on us. If we live this way, the future world will benefit. We must live today with these three phases of time in mind. That is a very precious life. If a few are standing on that precious foundation, everybody and all things will come to stand in an equally precious position.
The lesson is: don't live for the sake of today. Live for tomorrow. Our life today is not easy. When everyone else is going in one direction, we are going in the opposite direction. At the same time, we must live with the future in mind. If we lead this life correctly, then our descendants will have the correct direction. We must always have that in mind.
Difficulty is a natural thing, so we must learn to surmount difficulty and never complain. Just overcome. You are an individual and a sovereign entity, so if you make one serious move, all the rest of the spirit world will follow in your footsteps. Many people are watching me, trying to follow my footsteps. I am already influencing people to that extent. You must lead the kind of life that your descendants can follow. We represent three different time periods, not just the present.
The people of the world also would like to see through Reverend Moon's eyes-they want to see today as a reflection of the past and the future. You must become the guide for them; through you they can see the way. We are all representatives of our clan. My life here on earth is representative of the Moon family and clan. All the individuals who carry the last name of Moon look at me and say, "You are representing our own clan." All the whiteclad Korean people (the traditional clothing of the Korean people is white, for all four seasons of the year), so all the white-clad race would look at Reverend Moon and say "You are our root, you are our center." All the Asian people would do the same.
Mankind will look at Reverend Moon and say, "Yes, you have set the very tradition we must achieve in order to get to heaven." I want to lead that kind of life here on earth. Then God would really look at me and say, "You lived a way of life that represented the resent, past, and future, didn't you?" And God will say, "You are the great one.'
God Wants To Give His Love
God wants to give you His unique, absolute love. (Father speaks in English.) God will say, "I want you to receive My love," when we live that kind of life. We must follow that way. When you put on your clothes, think, "I am putting on my clothes for the purpose of harmony with the rest of mankind." We must eat, sleep, and rest with the same attitude. It doesn't matter whether people look at us or not. Our minds tell us what is right or wrong. We should know whether we are in a position to be ashamed or proud. Don't waste your youthful time. Believe and practice this way of life. Once your life is gone, it will not return.
It was only because I had that outlook on life that I ever wanted to become well-known and do the things I have done. I did this because it was my mission, it was what I was born for. How could I help but do it? That's my destiny, and it's yours too. You might say I am like a big airplane, so my runway is big and long. For many years, I have been running on the runway, but I still haven't taken off because I'm so heavy. But once I do take off, so will the rest of the world. I will fly together with the world-that is my goal. We should all live that way. That is the way of life which creates a precious existence.
When I look at you, I see many countries represented. When I look at one American, I can know about the rest of the Americans. It is the same with black people, Japanese, and so forth. If I meet and talk with just one person, I can understand the rest of their race and culture. Each of you must practice that way of life also. Others may not be living this way, but when you do, and experience the difficulty, you can be more forgiving of other people's mistakes. You are in a more generous position. You know how difficult it is because you tried it. This is especially true of the situation of America's young people. How difficult it is for American young people. You must understand their situation and forgive them. You understand, don't you?
I ask you to live this way of life because it is the best way-becoming precious existences throughout the three different time periods, not just today. If you do that, then everything you do will bear value. Everything that you sow becomes preciousness itself.
I have so many testimonies now. Bom ne kol in Pusan where I prayed for the sake of the world is now a Holy Ground, a shrine. Today I see so many ministers in Bom ne kol. They burst into tears, feeling the same feelings I had at that time. I feel this manifests an amazing Heavenly principle there is not even a small discrepancy. Everything you do comes back 100 percent.
Consider this Belvedere podium. There are many greater churches than this and, in fact, this is only a garage. But I have spoken here these many years knowing that ten or twenty years from now, when I am gone from here, many people will come and listen to tape recording of my voice in which I am talking to you now, by reading my words. They will just want to be here and pray. Imagine. One day, many hundreds of thousands of people will come here, to hear this Sunday sermon of July 19, 1987. They will have to hear me through a recording in this place.
You are listening to me directly, sometimes very intently, but sometimes you doze off and slacken. In twenty years, do you think those people who listen to my words will be half-asleep like you are? No, they'll be all ears. Do you believe that this place will one day definitely become such a shrine? You know, don't you? Here is the place where we held as many meetings, commemorated anniversaries, gave sermons. In the future, people will quote my sermons, saying, "Father's sermon at Belvedere given on such and such a date." You will be able to say, "Yes, I used to sit there every single Sunday."
You can imagine that 10 or 20 years from now, half of the people here will have really made great accomplishments and their offspring will be very grateful to them. The other half, who don't take my words very seriously, will be washed away. Their offspring will protest and say, "Oh, why did you make us this miserable?" Our children may say that if we don't become serious enough. Do you believe that or not?
Visualize that you are wearing a big sign on your back that says, "Reverend Moon." There will be a lot of different people following you because of that sign on your back. Some will cling to one portion of that sign. Some will not even touch you but will follow you wherever you and the sign go. Some other person will hang onto your feet. Some will connect with you by the head-all sorts of different ways of following. Some people will even grab you around the chest. What about you? How are you following me? By my head or by my foot, my hand, back or chest? Where do you want to follow me? Everywhere?
Spirit world and all of mankind, including your own clan, will look at what you are doing. In the spirit world do you want me to speak to you many, many hours or days, or just a short time and you get the message? I know I have spoken to you about so many things, about many different areas in which to influence your offspring. You will say, "Father, please educate our offspring, because I can't seem to educate them."
Belvedere Records
Are you keeping a record of how many hours and minutes you have sat and listened to me speaking at Belvedere? Do you put that into your notebook? How many total hours have you been sitting here at Belvedere? Those who are keeping that record, please keep doing that. Keep a record that you have sat and listened to my sermons so many hundreds of hours.
Has any one of you thought, "I want to be the one to accumulate the most time listening to Father directly-many, many hours. I will be the champion in that field, in the Guinness Book of World Records." That means you would have to sit here thousands of hours to win that record. I won't be here forever. It is obvious that I won't live thousands of years within this physical body.
If I were the President of the United States, would I be able to appear here every Sunday? For a President to go from one place to another involves a lot of money, time, and manpower. He needs helicopters and escorts and all of that. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to come here. Think about it: do you think I will one day become more famous than the President? More famous and more valuable. You don't know yet how great a source of pride you will have when you go to spirit world. You will really be proud of the mere fact that you sat in front of me for so many hours while you were on the earth.
Your spiritual eyes are not open now, but can you imagine how many millions of spirit people are standing right behind me now, at this very minute? The rules of the spirit world are very rigid. You have to be permitted to follow me there. When the President convenes a big meeting, nobody is allowed to come near him. Even ten years ago during my national tour, in one city I spoke in three different auditoriums at the same time. One auditorium simply was not big enough, so they had a video tape connecting three auditoriums. They were all packed. If I speak publicly again, what do you think will happen? Will there be many times more people coming to listen to me or just a few? Many will come.
I am telling you to witness, but how many people can you witness to? Maybe a thousand people can witness to three thousand people, but how many thousands of people can I witness to in one gathering? Maybe I can witness to more Americans than all of the Unification Church members in America put together. IS that possible? Yes! Then why don't I do that? It seems easy enough instead of making you do it. Haven't you thought about this? If I did everything, there would be nothing left for you to do. There would be no chance for you to grow, either. It's true. If the television stations let me broadcast for just one week, don't you think the American people would really turn around? It i8 entirely possible.
For example, 130 professors recently came to this country and went fishing with me in Alaska. Usually, impressing one professor is very difficult because they are such accomplished persons. They are the kind of people who think nobody is greater than they. They thought they knew all about Reverend Moon. But after I spoke to them for a while, they melted like butter and became like children. They clapped their hands and later they shouted out "Mansei, True Parents!" Can you believe that? They are human beings with original minds, too.
They said that I treated them just like I treat my own members. I poked them in the chest, pulled their hair and called them by name, not even using the titles of Professor or Doctor or even Mister. I scolded someone in public and he laughed like a child because he knew I was not hurting him. No matter what I say to such a person, whether it be harsh or soft, nothing offends him because there is no hook, nothing hidden in it. People know that in their entire life no one has spoken so straightforwardly to them except me, so they understand how much I must love them to be able to do that.
Now people in leadership positions throughout Korea have come to respect me more and more. It is not so much the common people, but the professors and such people who know about me now.
From today on, I know many of you will start counting the hours that you have sat at Belvedere, but that's only after I told you. That diminishes the value a great deal! If you did it without my telling you to, it would have real original value, but since I told you, it's less than half the value. When I speak like this and you are moved to follow, spirit world will work along with us.
Fishing in Alaska
What do you think I did in Alaska? As you see, I have a blister on my lip. That is a sure sign of being overly tired. I absorbed a lot of heat standing in the sun and that heat has to break out of the body, so the blister is the exit for the heat. This is the most sensitive area of the skin, so heat tries to escape through here. What do you think I did last week in Alaska? Fish? Of course I fished, but do you think it's easy? Do you think I just Sit in a chair for a couple of hours and then come back home and rest? Halibut is a huge fish, like tuna. I fished from early in the morning until night. Do you think I was standing or sitting? I was standing.
Before I went to Alaska, I prepared for three days. I went to the Delaware River and fished in. order to condition myself, thinking, "I am going to compete with all 130 professors, and I cannot be outdone. Even though I am the oldest, I should win over them." It was very difficult, but I stayed out later than anyone. Every professor was knocked out when he got back, but I never was. Afterwards, however, I went back to the Delaware and kind of "deconditioned" myself from the intensity and the heat. That kind of fishing is less intense than in Alaska and is good to unwind with.
When I get very tired from fishing, I don't think about taking a rest. I rest, yes, but only by fishing. That's the best way to rest. I do everything as I work for the dispensation. When I feel, "Oh, I must rest now," then I speak in a less intense way. Nevertheless, I continue to speak. That's my idea of resting, not going on a vacation and taking a few days off. That's one thing you have to learn also.
It would be difficult for you American women to live with that kind of husband, wouldn't it? But Mother is different from the American women. Mother doesn't mind her husband working this way. When I don't rest, Mother cannot rest either. When you live this public way of life, nothing will ever bother you. Nor is there ever a truly sad moment. You almost never experience sadness.
Sometimes I apologize to-my own limbs, my own hands, saying, "I'm sorry that I overworked you. I know I should let you rest, but I'm not doing that. I know, and I'm sorry." Then I apologize to my feet, saying, "Feet, I know how tired you are standing here for so many hours. You are swollen and I should really put you to rest once in awhile, but I'm sorry, I can't. You know why." I apologize to every part of my body. Who can hate such a person? How can those limbs, that torso, that body to which a person apologizes all the time blame him? Do you understand?
If you want to criticize somebody, you should do BO only after many hours of tears for him. Then you might say, "You could do better in this way." But not before shedding tears for him. If each of us begins to live like that, our life will immediately turn into a valuable one.
Maybe there is not even one person who sympathizes with me and appreciates and really cries for me now, but in the future, millions of people will really cry for what Reverend Moon did for them and for everybody. You should live the kind of life in which you will not feel ashamed before them. We must learn to be ashamed of ourselves if we don't live up to the standard that is expected of US. We had better know when we don't. We should think, "In comparison with Father's standard and the standard that other people will measure me by in the future, how am I measuring up?" That way we can do better, day after day.
Do you think the day will come when all other people will truly cherish us? When these same words are transmitted through recordings or radios and they reach directly to the missionaries, do you think they will listen in the same way that you are listening-half dozing off, your mind wandering here and there? Or will they be weeping loudly from the beginning to the end? Every one of the missionaries will listen with such intensity.
Also, there are numerous people in the spirit world listening to me at this very moment. But not everybody can hear because of strict restrictions and limitations. Not everybody who wants to can hear me, but only those who are allowed to. They are very envious. They look at you and say, "What a tremendous privilege these people have to sit right in front of Father in the flesh. But at the same time they are leading such valueless lives. What a waste!" Spirit world is really lamenting about this. This is a fact.
American Women
When I criticize you for being an "American woman," this should never be a source of displeasure. In fact, you should be very proud of it. No matter what I say, the very fact that I speak to you is what matters, not whether it is about this or that, or a good thing or a bad thing. There's no such thing as a bad thing within my talks to you. Every time I speak, American women complain about what I say. Too many times. They say, "We don't like that. It's not fair!" They don't realize how precious it is that I am speaking to them. That's true.
We are in the midst of summer and it is very hot. The seminary students graduating after two or three years of hard work would have liked to spend the summer as they wanted. But I said, "No, go to Gloucester." Now they are on the boat, tuna fishing. They never did that before, so they are working very intensely now. The blessed children wanted to play, but I told them, "No, you go, too," and they all joined the tuna fishing. What about you women sitting here? Should I chase you out or not? Yes! A strict teacher makes successful disciples. A soft teacher can't produce a good student. An army with the strictest discipline can bring forth the strongest soldiers. A "democratic" army will not produce strong soldiers. Isn't that true? You know that better than I do. So you want a strict teacher, don't you?
Now we know what is the best way of life. We know how to live the most precious way now. With that deep realization, I will conclude my sermon now. Those who pledge, "Yes, Father, I will take up this way of life," raise your hands. God bless you!
Col. Han prays
Starting tomorrow, the twentieth of July, we must begin a special forty-day condition centering on our home church. Please write it down. July 20 is a special date because in 1957 on July 20th, all the members of the Unification Church in Korea started a forty days' special witnessing condition following seven days of fasting. Everybody joined in that fast. I fasted seven days along with the brothers and sisters and proclaimed that this should be the tradition of the Unification Church. That is the hottest time of the year, so it is the time that we sweat the most. It is when most people go on vacation and rest. But this Is when we work the hardest. When we shed so much sweat for indemnity's sake, this brings forth the best result.
At that time, I didn't allow the members to take money with them. They usually went out without a penny, depending only on the assistance of heaven and the spirit world. They supported themselves by their labor or by whatever they could do. They always helped the community, too. Many stories have been told about that time. Some members had to do without even one meal of rice. One member was desperately hungry but the only thing he could find was dog food in a kennel. He went ahead and ate that dog food with the dog, and he didn't die. In the future, people will hear this story as a tremendous source of inspiration.
This is hat God's foundation is like. Do you think God would say, "You are a human being, so you should think more about your dignity. How can you eat dog food and make My foundation?" No, God Himself would shed tears at such a sight. That was the kind of beginning that we had. I am telling this particularly to the leaders of the Unification Church You should learn and inherit these kinds of traditions. Since you don't know about it. I am telling you.
Seven-Day Fast
As church members, we should each do at least one seven-day fast. This time is a good opportunity for that. Today would be a good time to start. Seven days of fasting actually represent forty days of fasting from the providential viewpoint. If we repeat that condition for three years, then that is a total of 120 days. That will be a very precious condition, so don't take it lightly.
This three-year transition time this year and next year and the year after-will be very significant. For those who have never fasted for seven days since joining the church, today is the best time to begin, followed by forty days of special activity. If you do that for three years, it will serve you well for your individual indemnity.
Eighty-four is the basic number we should restore. This represents the three main disciples, the 12 apostles, and the 72 disciples of Jesus. We have to reindemnify Jesus' course. In Jesus' time, the 12 and the 72 disciples should have united to help Jesus, so he wouldn't have to go the way of the cross. Jesus needed to make that kind of foundation in order to go to the Roman Empire and move to the world level. Jesus didn't have those people to help him, so he had to go to the cross. Now, it is our time to indemnify what occurred in Jesus' time. After that, we will be standing in the third Adam's position. Do you follow?
From there you can receive the Blessing. Jesus could not receive the Blessing for over 2,000 years. Receiving the Blessing means standing upon Jesus' foundation. You can do that. That is the Principle viewpoint. Do you know what I mean? Therefore, we need 84 spiritual children. If you work for seven years, gaining twelve each year, that would come to one member per month. Then for the first time, after Jesus' position is restored, the third Adam's position will be completely reindemnified.
The home church came into being to accomplish this in the easiest way. We must reindemnify the number 84 through home church. That's what I have been doing through blessing the 3 couples and the 36 couples, the 120, the 430, and on to the 777 to reindemnify and renew that foundation. Likewise, we have to do that much, each of us. When we accomplish that, we become the messiah not only on the individual and family levels, but also on the clan level. We at least have to become the messiah of the clan level by accomplishing that number of 84.
I have been working all this time to pay the indemnity for the world-level foundation, but you only have to establish the clan level. We must connect and reindemnify the clan level, the national level, and the world level. Unless you complete the clan level, you cannot connect with my world foundation. Do you understand? You need a personal foundation. After you indemnify, you will be standing in the third Adam's position, so you can receive the Blessing. This is the Principle. There's always a standard, a very rigid rule. I've never emphasized this so much before. Up to the very end of the world, we must continue this. My own clan and family will go to a certain place in Heaven and you cannot follow unless you have connected with the world level foundation. You are not at that kind of level now. From now on, you have to make that foundation.
(Father speaks in English.) You must restore what occurred at Jesus' time, making a foundation there. Upon that you can connect with my world-level foundation. Otherwise, there is no way.
You know me well. I am the founder of the Unification Church and you received the Blessing through me. But you can't necessarily follow me in spirit world. All the gates are open in spirit world, but you are not making the right preparation. You cannot move. First of all, you must make a foundation of indemnity. That is the problem. You must make your foundation at the clan level, which represents Jesus' time. Because of the failure at that time, restoration history extended 2,000 years. You have to make more than Jesus' foundation. After that, you can receive the Blessing.
This is the spiritual rule, not my rule. I followed this rule also. You must integrate with my foundation by making your own personal foundation. I am the father, you are the children. Children can automatically inherit their parents' property. But you don't have the foundation. Some of your ancestors don't want to indemnify. After the foundation, I am your ancestor. You will then receive the proper indemnification.
Centering on this, we are making this home church system-the 360 homes. Home church is Cain, the external level Then you can restore your clan-the Abel internal level easily. Do you know what I mean? Automatically, Cain and Abel can unite. That is what home church is.
Indemnity requires a conditional time period and also a sacrificial offering. You as the central figure in the condition must work for a certain period of time and then an offering to God can be made. Therefore, you must work harder in order to restore Cain's place. Satan will not release his claim on the members-only after a sacrifice. After that, Satan will release you. So you members of the Unification Church absolutely need indemnity. I knew the importance of indemnity, so I have taken on indemnity all my lifetime. My situation is world-wide; your situation is the clan foundation. If I didn't make the world foundation, then you wouldn't be able to make the clan level foundation. I came to pay the indemnity to make that foundation.
That's True Parents' property. If you want to inherit my property, you have to make your foundation. Otherwise, you cannot connect with the world level foundation of mine. We need 12 disciples plus 72. Together, these make 84. We must indemnify the failure at Jesus' time and take it back from Satan's world. Upon that, you can stand on the world foundation level and then you can receive the Blessing. Otherwise, the Blessing doesn't appear. So we need home church.
Home church means the restoration of the Cain level. Upon that, the family level can stand. If you don't stand on that, True Parent's victory doesn't mean anything to you. It's that important. The Blessing point is standing on the Parent's place. After making that foundation, your clan level automatically follows. Jesus had the same situation. Joseph's family was the clan level. If Jesus had had 84 true disciples, the outside people would have combined with Jesus and followed Joseph's family automatically. Without making that foundation, Joseph's family did not follow Jesus. One-one-one that's the Unification Church's destiny. That means each month, one person.
(Translation resumes:) We should take up our responsibility now. We must do seven years of public life and during this time the number 84 has to be fulfilled. From now on, bringing in 84 members for your clan level will not be so difficult because many people are learning about the Unification Church and persecution is fading. It is relatively easy for people to come into our church now. So we are really grateful that this kind of condition exists. For some new members, this may be the first time you've heard of this condition of 84 spiritual children. But this tradition was begun in 1957.
Don't think your home church work is just a continuation of the past. Tomorrow is a real, substantial, new beginning for home church. Think like that. Forty days is not such a long time. It's not four years. For 40 days, we can mark our calendar each day, really doing our best, through fasting, witnessing, and praying a lot. Have a clear goal to witness to three people in the next 40 days. Then you can work better. Being humble is okay, but don't be too humble to witness. What will you do after going to spirit world? Will you say, Y don't even have one spiritual child because I was so humble"? You can't say that.
Jesus couldn't get blessed, but you have received the Blessing. We have to accomplish what was not accomplished at Jesus' time and reindemnify that with our own hands. If you have not yet fasted seven days after joining the church, this is an excellent time to do so, at the beginning of this 40 day period. Then we literally have a new feeling, and it's a new world for us. The situation has changed so much. Last year I didn't tell you in such a serious way, but this year I am, because it is a new time. We can begin anew, starting tomorrow. Shall we do that? You don't have to pledge to anybody, just to yourself and Heavenly Father.
Knowing the Principle is very precious, but at the same time, it gives us an added responsibility that we cannot escape. We have to witness to 84 people while we are living on earth. Otherwise, we will regret it when we go to the spirit world. We can do it because the time is getting easier to do that. Those who say, "Yes, I will begin anew tomorrow," raise your hands. Let's do it.
(Three cheers of Mansei./)
