Belvedere
Translator - Peter Kim
Do you feel happy to see me again? It has been a little more than three months since December 2, when I left this country the last time. I understand that you have been waiting eagerly for my return. Of course, I also understand that the brothers and sisters in Korea have been waiting to see me for many years now. I have come to the realization again that I can't stay in any one place all the time because I am awaited by people everywhere. Of course, I have only one physical body but still people everywhere want to see me.
Why do you think this is happening? As you know, we are from different racial backgrounds-some people have blue eyes, some have a big nose, some have a large mouth. Yet all these different people are waiting and longing for me. Why is this happening?
Think about the field of sports. If you are serious about boxing, you will naturally want to meet eventually with the world champion boxer. Or if you are a sumo wrestler, you will want to encounter the champion of sumo wrestling. Reverend Moon is not really popular in a secular sense, yet people are yearning to meet him. Why? Of course, people desire many different things, but what is universally sought after is the truth and love. That is why people want to meet me.
The problem in this world is that we can't find true love and a true man who brings true love. Then what is the truth and what kind of person is the true man? Truth cannot be changed; truth has self¬authority. No matter what happens or what kind of difficulty or persecution it may encounter, truth can never be destroyed or changed. It has self-contained authority. It is right.
Then what is true love? True love is one thing which everybody wants to touch, everybody wants to live with, everybody wants to stay with, everybody wants to cling to-eternally. Isn't that true? True love does not change, no matter what situation develops. It is eternally unchanging. We may have lived 30, 40, 50 years or more, but we can never forget our parents' love. Now it is springtime and we can observe the birds laying their eggs and bringing their new babies into the world. We can find love there, too. When any force from the outside comes to destroy the love relationship existing among you, you will even be willing to sacrifice your life to protect that, won't you? We can conclude that the power of love has self¬authority.
What do I have that causes people to love me? The answer is simple: I have always been trying to love the truth and to love everyone and everything. Look around and you will see many Americans who are more handsome than I and who are more knowledgeable. There are many people who are more popular and more famous than I. In the worldly sense, I am not very popular or famous at all. So then why did you turn away from all the luxury in the secular world to join the Unification Church and go through this difficult life?
You know, outside people have said, "Reverend Moon is a strange man." When you look at me from the horizontal point of view, you can't see much discernible difference. I have a physical body just as everyone else does. But what is the substance there? Why do people follow me and display such admiration for me? That's a real mystery to me. But that phenomenon is the reality so it cannot be denied. That is the problem for American society. They think, "Reverend Moon has some strange power."
When a man and woman are in love, there is some invisible power which causes them to cling together. One or both may be tremendously fat or unattractive. But no matter how huge the woman may be, no matter how unattractive the man may be, there is something mysterious keeping them together. That is the strange, mysterious element of love.
We can look at the relationship between Reverend Moon and the Unification Church members in this light. Regardless of where I go around the world, I see that all Unification Church members are united as one bunch, following my footsteps everywhere. Why does that happen? Outside people may not be able to understand it, but they see this mysterious power. It is the power of love and truth. which can penetrate all the way to the universal level.
What is the source of this power? Did Reverend Moon bring this power to the world, or did it exist from the beginning? It has existed from the beginning, so why couldn't everybody adopt or practice it? That is the problem.
We can observe that in electricity, the plus and minus charges freely relate. As soon as a minus comes into proximity with a plus, they pull together. They don't have to be told to get together. There is no need for explanation or direction. Naturally and automatically, the plus and minus come together and cling together. According to the same principle, man and woman are originally supposed to be united with truth and love from the beginning. But then why doesn't this happen in the world today? That is the problem. How can we solve this problem?
Our title today is based on this phenomenon. There is certainly isolation or separation in the world. Our original mind is heading for the direction of unity, but there is a roadblock preventing us from reaching it. In the field of electricity, the plus and minus charges can be prevented from coming together by what is called resistance. How can we get rid of the resistance in our world? If we don't have enough power to get rid of the roadblock, we have to find some way to get around it. Either we have to jump over it, or make a hole in the middle and climb through. Or, we have to just attack it and destroy it.
But then a question arises. If our original mind is heading for that complete unity, and it encounters a roadblock, where did that roadblock come from? Does it stem from God's creation, at the very beginning, or did it occur somehow in our process of developing? If we say that roadblock or resistance existed from the beginning with God, then we are talking about dualism. We couldn't even begin to talk about an ideal world, eternal love, or truth, because that would be contrary to such a God. Therefore, we must conclude that this resistance is a product of history and if we really work together, believing in God, we can get rid of it. Correct?
Religious people say that the roadblock or resistance came about because of the human fall. But non¬believers say, "There is some roadblock, but we can't explain it." They have just a vague answer. History has shown that no matter how hard we have tried to eliminate the roadblock, no matter how much we fight against it, it always comes back, sometimes becoming bigger and more powerful. Why does this happen?
The only logical conclusion is that there must be some power behind the scenes, something sustaining and controlling that roadblock. We may call it the devil, or evil, or sin. That is the power which keeps us separated from goodness. We have to understand that this power of evil has been operating behind the scenes of human history. Even now, that evil power exists with us and among us here.
As we understand, God is the essence of absolute goodness and absolute power and authority. If that is true, why does God tolerate the existence of that roadblock? Why doesn't He destroy it? Does God enjoy seeing the devil using that roadblock among people? No, God doesn't like that, so there must be a reason why He doesn't just destroy it. This is not just a matter of logic or reason; something is really there. What is it?
People do not know what is behind the scenes of life. Only God and the devil himself have understood the real reason. No humans have known clearly. When you deal with a lot of people in various situations, you may develop your ability to discern types of people when you first meet. But without experience you can't have a clear idea of what they are really like. When the time comes for you to marry, do you want to pick your own spouse or do you want me to match you? You want me to suggest your fiancee because you know that I have greater knowledge and ability to evaluate people.
Can I go to God and say, "God, you know what's happened, so why don't You just get rid of Satan?" No, I can't do such a thing. But if I were to go before God and push and poke Him like that, would He feel happy or sad? Well, think about it-God has been alone all this time, trying to accomplish His universal task and then somebody comes along trying to give Him advice, to help Him and push Him. Don't you think God would actually be happy for that?
However, there is one problem here. God doesn't have His own territory in which somebody can push Him or advise Him. If there were only God or Satan, do you think Satan would ever turn around and help God in that way? What is the essence of Satan? He is always trying to separate God from man and trying to stop God's word from spreading. When God knows that Satan is always hanging around, trying to stop Him and block Him at every turn, and then God sees somebody else getting close to Him, do you think God's immediate response would be, "Get away"? Or wouldn't He say, "Please come on, come on"? When Satan comes around God, do you think God would be glad or wouldn't He try to push him away?
Satan is always working hard to stop God's work, to keep God separated from man. At the same time, if anybody tries to get close to God, Satan always comes in and tries to destroy that person. That is what Satan is about. How can we chase Satan away from us and from God? How can we get rid of this being who has always been trying to confine God and destroy men's lives? We have to somehow tie up Satan so that he won't be able to move. That's the only thing we have to know how to do.
Let's analyze the difference between God's characteristics and Satan's characteristics. There must be something totally and entirely opposite about them. We can at least say that, can't we? What is the essence of God's characteristics? Of course, we know that God is the owner and master of the truth and love. This is true eternally. It never changes or sways.
Then what are the major characteristics of the devil? We can say that they are entirely opposite, in total contrast to what God stands for. As I said, the essence of God's characteristics is love and truth. Therefore, we can say that the essence of Satan's characteristics is false love, cruelty and brutality.
Another key difference between God and Satan is that God always exists and works for the largest public purpose, whereas Satan is always self¬centered and individualistic. God's essence and existence is eternally unchanging. However, Satan is always changing; he is temporal and without an eternal base. So by our compilation, God is the master of the whole, and Satan is the master of just one individual, the self. He is the master of self¬centered
We have to think about our own situation. Are we free of roadblocks, or are we still burdened with resistance? When you think about yourself, can you say that you are a completely public¬minded, public¬centered person? If so, then no matter how many roadblocks you may encounter, you will still be able to reach God. But if you can't say that you are that kind of person, then Satan is just watching and waiting along the narrow road, ready to catch you.
Public man finds his way along every avenue, in every direction. Individualistic man has only one avenue. Every place is blocked except for one. This is a most important point.
Then what is public man? Public man is the one whose eyes, nose, mouth, mind and senses are for the public purpose. Think about yourself. Are you a public person or not? You leaders of the Unification Church, what do you think about yourself? Public man of course has five senses, each focused on the public purpose. For example, his eyes and his ears are always centered on the public goal. What is the public goal? The public goal is that which creates goodness for the whole. Do you understand?
What is satanic man? He looks just like public man. He has two eyes and ears, but he will see differently with his two eyes. Or he may hear one thing with one ear and another thing with the other ear. He will speak the way he wants, without thinking about God. That is satanic man.
Satan may ask you, "Which is easier for you-the public way of life or the private, individualistic way?" What is the answer? There is no doubt that living the public way of life is much more difficult. The self¬centered way of life is free and easy, without restrictions or regulations; you just do as you feel. From that point of view, do you think you belong to Satan or God? OK, then, which do you choose-the easy way out, or the difficult way?
The conclusion is that the world existing today is torn between God and Satan. It is in turmoil. Therefore, if we want to save or restore this entire world, the entire population has to choose this difficult way and be united and work together. Then we can eliminate the power of Satan and make this a beautiful world of harmony.
The hope for mankind is for some person or group to appear which can block Satan's influence. Satan is the only one who erects roadblocks between man and God, so if this group can form a roadblock between Satan and man, that is the world's hope. That is why we see two distinctly different types of groups in this world. One type will go after self¬centered goals, while the other type will be willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of the public goal.
Mankind has to find the public¬minded way of life. But it is a really painful path of thorns. Who is going to show mankind that this thorny way is the right way? In history, only the religions of the world have been doing this by teaching, "Don't live for yourself, live for others." Religions have taught us to love and serve others. sacrificing oneself for others.
These are the very things Satan hates. In Satan's dictionary, there are no such words as "love," "sacrifice," or "service for others." He knows nothing about those things. However, in God's book or dictionary, those are the key words. Those are the words that fill up all of God's books. When you read the Bible without understanding the essence of the words "love," "sacrifice," and "service for others," you may get tired or bored. However, if you fully understand those terms, you will really enjoy reading the Bible and will find deep inspiration.
Will your mind or your body enjoy those words? Of course, your mind likes them because it is connected to God and shares in His unchanging and eternal character. However, the body belongs to the realm of change and therefore is connected to Satan and the secular world. So you can say that your mind is the stage for the public way of life and your body is the base for the individualistic way. The mind is the base for God and the body can easily be the base for Satan.
If we see some delicious food, the body may say, "Hey, go over there and grab some before anybody else comes in." But your mind will say, "No, no, wait for the others to take some and then take from whatever is left." In that particular example, we can clearly see God's side and Satan's side. Why do we have that kind of dual thinking, one part of us going toward evil and the other toward good? If we just followed the body's desire, do you think the evil mind would continue to grow, or would it diminish? The evil mind would grow. But if we follow the mind's direction and our body completely follows, the evil inclination will gradually disappear.
When we look at this fallen world, we can draw a simple conclusion that whatever the body likes most is the thing the mind likes least. What kind of person do we have to become? Shall we just follow our physical desires wherever they lead, or should the mind be our leader? Should we be a mind¬centered or body¬centered person? You know the answer. But you don't really understand. You may understand this in the morning but in the evening, you may forget. Then when night comes and it's dark, you totally forget! This is a serious point.
No matter how evil, confused or fallen the surrounding world is, the very key to solving this problem is within you. It is truly up to you. Whatever the problem we have to solve-all the way up to the liberation of God-the key is within you. The solution is not going to be found in America, or the free world, or the communist bloc. Do you understand?
As our title indicates, we are isolated or separated between mind and body. What is separating us? It is Satan. Have you seen Satan? How about love? Have you seen love? Suppose there is some breathtakingly beautiful woman who talks all the time about love. If she is all by herself just talking, with nobody to love, then no love exists. However, when she finds a spouse and talks about love, asking him for love, then love starts to function. That love function pulls your eyes and nose, every part of you toward the beloved. This is the reality of love.
Again, have you seen Satan? Of course, you may not be able to see Satan directly, but when your eyes want to look at something bad or your ears want to hear somebody doing terrible things, then you must immediately realize, "There is Satan." When you recognize some evil situation, your original mind will cause your heart to pound and you will feel, "Don't go anywhere near that." However, if someone's original mind gives up and becomes totally sick and tired, then that person becomes totally satanic. There is where you find destruction.
If we don't know that God exists right behind us, we may be swayed easily by satanic desires or action. But as long as we understand that God exists in reality, our original mind can give us the strength to fight against evil, even though it is very difficult. That is because we have the confidence of knowing that God is supporting us in the struggle. God is an absolute being so He can control everything. No matter how strong the power of your body may be, it cannot continue forever. Therefore, the greatest thing in this world is knowing God's existence. We have discovered that, haven't we? Do you know that absolutely?
As Moonies, we may have walked a very thorny and difficult path up to this point, confronting persecution and roadblocks in our lives. However, we know that God is with us and because of that power we can always march forward and survive even though the satanic world tries to isolate us. By fighting against that power, following the True Parents, you can be sustained. If you feel your body going toward some satanic physical desire, at the same time your original mind and heart, centered upon God, will start beating together, transmitting fear of that evil, urging you to be careful. Because of that very fact, you can find God's existence within yourselves. That is the power of God dwelling in you, in each person. Not just through Reverend Moon do you find God but also through yourself. Of course, I am teaching you and bringing you the truth and you have to practice and make this truth substantial in your life. Then you can find God's existence and power within yourself. It is not just found through words.
So, do you know that God exists? Do you just think God exists, or have you discovered God? When you say, "I know God exists," that may just mean, "I've heard about God's existence from somebody else." But when you say, "I've discovered God's existence and power," it means you have put all of yourself-your effort, your mind and thoughts-into it, and you have finally come to the conclusion that God and His power are real. Where do you find God's power and God's existence? It is within your original mind-that is where you should start developing yourself, your family, the original nation, world and universe. That is the very place.
That is why Jesus Christ said, "The Kingdom of Heaven is in the midst of you." That is, it is in your original mind. Do you think that once the Kingdom of Heaven is a reality within you, someone else will be able to come and steal it from you? If you become the eternal owner and possessor of such an original mind and Kingdom of Heaven, who can ever take it from you? Someone may kick you far away because he wants to steal this treasure from you. The best example of that is when I was sent to Danbury prison. Instead of being weakened when I came out, I was even stronger. Now who is stronger-the United States, or Reverend Moon? I do not follow this nation; America has to follow my example. I do not embrace America because it is great but because you Unification Church members are existing here and following.
That is why you have to look at yourself before you criticize and judge other people. No matter where you may go or what situation you may face, you should be able to humble yourself and respect others. That's the public way of life. If you do that, everyone will be affected by your humility.
Why do you love me? We might compare the principle involved to doing business, engaging in trade. You know that I am more public¬minded and living a more public life than anyone else, so you realize, "As long as I follow Father's footsteps, I will be adopted by him. I will go the way of victory that he goes." You've got your mental calculator going, adding up all the spiritual profits. There's nothing wrong with that. It's heavenly business!
Going back to today's topic, there is so much talk about isolation, separation, liberation, and so forth. The Soviet Union claims, "We are going to liberate America." Americans say, "We will liberate the Soviets." All of this talk, however, is fruitless; nothing will take place unless and until you solve this problem within yourself.
What is the Moonies' position? Are you going to be liberated by American democracy? Are you going to be isolated and separated by communism? We don't want any of that; we have the keys and answers within ourselves.
So the Moonies' claim is this: "Neither Russia nor the United States can isolate me or liberate me. I will achieve liberation for myself because it is within me." That should be your claim.
Think about how much power has been brought to bear against me. Satan tried every possible avenue, centered on individuals, working through your parents, through your brothers and sisters, your nation, your society, tribe and world. But Satan always failed. When I came to the United States and started my public ministry here, this country tried to separate and isolate me, but that failed. Now I have become the winner and I am able to isolate and separate the influence of individualism from America.
If there were a collision between my head and America's individualistic, secular head, which would crack first? What is my secret enabling me to win over this entire country? As I have already told you, I have the secret within myself. I can embrace the entire world within my original mind. The United States government has already given up on Reverend Moon because they recognize their failure. Of course, the British government sued the Unification Church, meaning Reverend Moon, but in the middle of the court litigation, they dropped the charges. They recognized their failure. The same is true with France and Germany.
But there is one country which is still trying to stop me: the Soviet Union. The Soviet Politburo in particular gets up¬to¬date information on my activities and whereabouts. They are trying to stop and destroy me, but their problem is that they don't know how to deal with the spirit world. If you don't know about something, you can't bring victory out of it. The Moscow government may say, "We have enough wealth and power to destroy Reverend Moon." But they don't know that the spirit world is so powerfully working on the other side. Both that side and this side are working together, so there is no way the Soviets can catch up with me.
In order to achieve a successful result, there has to be a cause, a motivation. Where is that motivation? It is within myself so nobody can take it away. How proud you must be of your Father! Isolation in my life will automatically be overcome; liberation will always come in my life automatically.
Satan will be destroyed and eliminated; we will find and follow God. Who will do that? You can't say, "The Unification Church will do that." You must say, "I will do that." Do you say that? I don't trust what you say! I know I can trust myself, but you always change and sway from nighttime to daytime. Answer me, then: Does that mean I should follow you, or you should follow me? Does America have to follow me, or do I have to follow America?
I have just a small hand, a small fist, but it has great power. No matter how powerful the force of evil against me may be, just one punch from my small fist will destroy it. You have to have that kind of confidence and power, too! Do you want to have that kind of power?
After this course of isolation and then liberation, the only thing that will remain is victory. Who will bring the victory, who will be the victors? Do you want to become a victorious person?
Considering my physical age, you may say, "Father, why don't you just stay in one place and enjoy your life? Take care of your family." But I keep myself really busy, traveling between Korea and the United States, doing so many things. The day I left Korea and arrived here was the same day that President Reagan decided to send 3,200 American troops to Honduras to repel the Sandinistas. Also it was the day that Colonel Oliver North was indicted.
Now Satan is using the turmoil surrounding Oliver North's situation to separate and isolate the American people from goodness. At the same time, God is working through President Reagan to unite the American people to work for God by sending these troops to Honduras. However, President Reagan himself doesn't have confidence about this. I am the only one who has the confidence which comes from understanding.
You may say, "This life in the Unification Church is so difficult that I feel like giving up several times a day." Is this difficult path wonderful or just mediocre? How many times have I gone to prison because of my mission? You said six times. How many times have you been to prison? Any at all? Think about it. An innocent man has been persecuted and accused, being put in prison six times. Later on, the governments and nations will say, "We are sorry. That was our mistake, our misunderstanding." Think about how wonderful it will be.
If I don't do this task, who else do you think can take it up? You have to say strongly, "ME!" When you say "me" in Korean, it means "beauty." So your "me" is precious to the entire world. Even God may say, "I will give myself, my love, and everything in exchange for you." How wonderful "me" is then. You really have to think that way, having that kind of pride.
Do you give your promise, your pledge to be like that? If so, accomplishment and success will be with you forever. Let us pray.
