Category: World Scripture-2

Know God and Live Together With Him

Cheon Seong Gyeong 750

Why do people not wish to die, even
when they are living a mediocre life?
Why live? What is the origin of life? I
am sure that you have many questions
like this. However, your questions can-
not be answered through the philosophy
books written by men. Philosophy until
now has only, in effect, been seeking a
path toward God. What is religion then?
A religious life begins when you know
God and live together with Him. (186-12,
1989.1.24

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1120

The five billion people in the world
are all bound by the portion of respon-
sibility left unfulfilled by Adam and
Eve and the ocean of resentment that
has given God continuous anguish. The
innumerable ancestors who passed on to
the spirit world are also all caught there.
How can God, who has to watch all this,
restore the original standard before the
Fall? This is the reason why God is a God
to be pitied.
Thus, I very swiftlyvolunteered to go
the way of indemnity and walked the
path along which I fulfilled my portion
of responsibility in order to open the
way through which all of humankind
could be liberated, saying, “Time, go by
quickly! Months and years, go by quick-
ly! Day of liberation, come quickly!” (197-104, 1990.1.7)

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 4

God’s Creation and Human Creativity

Reverence for Life

3. Vegetarianism

This is the quintessence of wisdom: not to kill
anything. Know this to be the legitimate con-
clusion from the principle of reciprocity with
regard to non-killing. He should cease to injure
living beings whether they move or not, on high,
below, and on earth. For this has been called the
Nirvana, which consists in peace…
A true monk should not accept such food
and drink as has been especially prepared for
him involving the slaughter of living beings. He
should not partake of a meal which contains
but a particle of forbidden food: this is the Law
of him who is rich in control. Whatever he
suspects, he may not eat. A man who guards his
soul and subdues his senses, should never assent
to anybody killing living beings.
Sutrakritanga 1.11.10-16 (Jainism)

Without doing injury to living beings, meat can-
not be had anywhere; and the killing of living

beings is not conducive to heaven; hence eating
of meat should be avoided.
Laws of Manu 5.48 (Hinduism)

If one is trying to practice meditation and is still
eating meat, he would be like a man closing his
ears and shouting loudly and then asserting that
he heard nothing… Pure and earnest monks,
when walking a narrow path, never so much as
tread on the growing grass beside the path. How
can a monk, who hopes to become a deliverer
of others, himself be living on the flesh of other
sentient beings? Pure and earnest monks never
wear clothing made of silk, nor boots made of
leather, for it involves the taking of life. Neither
do they indulge in eating milk or cheese, because
thereby they are depriving the young animals of
what rightfully belongs to them.
Surangama Sutra (Buddhism)

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Animals and vegetables are like an orchestra of love, feeding the universe. When human beings eat them, they are eating the fruits of love. If at mealtime you eat them with tearful eyes and a loving heart, they will say, “Thank you. Because you eat me and assimilate me into your flesh and blood, I am being transformed into elements with which to love God. Please eat me. It is my honor.” When you are eating beef, you should think, “This piece of meat has come to me as the fruit of love, from a cow that was raised from a calf by a loving, caring mother.” Eat it with gratitude, making sure that you are aligned with God’s essential love. Then, you will not get sick. (217:307-08,
June 12, 1991)

Where do the animals and plants come from that comprise your meals? Someone had to ruthlessly cut down various plants. Then you chew them up with your teeth and swallow them. The vegetables in your salad bowl will not protest, however, because they know the universal law and think that they are there to serve a greater purpose. With that attitude, they can thank you for eating them so that you can serve the public purpose.
There is a harmony of purpose here. The food on your plate has a certain appreciation of what you live for and is willing to serve your body. That is the only way there can be harmony between you and your food. Otherwise, your food would hate you for eating it and resent it when you laugh in enjoyment. The key point is that your food accepts you only because it knows you are living for
the public purpose. Food will resent the laughter of a greedy person who wants to eat it.
If you are not living for a public purpose, then sometimes your food will stage a demonstration against you inside your stomach. Then you get sick, and in some cases even die. (105:94-95, September 30, 1979)

The theory that lower beings sacrifice themselves in striving to unite with a higher existence seems to correspond to the law of the jungle that the strong devour the weak. Then, is it a sin for people to slaughter cows and pigs and eat them? It can be, unless they eat those animals in order to live for the sake of God and His love. In that case, it is certainly in accordance with the law of exis-
tence. Everything will condone their actions, even the animals they slaughtered. (124:320, March 1, 1983)
Plants absorb minerals and animals eat plants. When a lower creature is eaten by a higher creature, it is elevated to a higher realm of existence. Then, by providing nourishment to human beings, plants and animals can reach the very nerve cells that can love God. That is the highest ideal for a plant or animal. All things are seeking God’s love.
By the same token, human beings should be willing and able to sacrifice themselves for the sake of God. The power of love strives to sacrifice. If the love continues to grow, it eventually reaches God’s love.
A couple loving each other with such a concept is the universe’s treasure. The entire universe protects them, heaven and earth protect them, and all things protect them. Therefore, we human beings should also learn how to protect the universe. (201:123, March 27, 1990)

Everything About a Cow is Good

Psalm 119

73 You created me
    and put me together.
Make me wise enough to learn
    what you have commanded.
74 Your worshipers will see me,
    and they will be glad
    that I trust your word.
75 Your decisions are correct,
    and you were right
    to punish me.
76 I serve you, Lord.
Comfort me with your love,
    just as you have promised.

Ecclesiases 9

11 Here is something else I have learned:

The fastest runners
    and the greatest heroes
don’t always win races
    and battles.
Wisdom, intelligence, and skill
don’t always make you healthy,
    rich, or popular.
We each have our share
    of bad luck.

12 None of us know when we might fall victim to a sudden disaster and find ourselves like fish in a net or birds in a trap.

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 4

God’s Creation and Human Creativity

Reverence for Life

2. The Sacred Cow

The cows have come and brought us good
fortune,
may they stay in the stall and be pleased with us;
may they live here, mothers of calves,
many-colored,
and yield milk for Indra on many dawns…

They are not lost, nor do robbers injure them, nor
the unfriendly frighten, nor wish to assail them;
the master of cattle lives together long
with these, and worships the gods and offers
gifts.
The charger, whirling up dust, does not reach
them,
they never take their way to the slaughtering
stool,
the cows of the worshipping man roam about
over the widespread pastures, free from all
danger.

To me the cows are Bhaga, they are Indra,
they [their milk] are a portion of the first-
poured Soma.
These that are cows are Indra, O people!
the Indra I long for with heart and spirit.
Ye cows, you fatten the emaciated,
and you make the unlovely look beautiful,
make our house happy, you with pleasant
lowings,
your power is glorified in our assemblies. 4
Rig Veda 6.28 (Hinduism)

Behold this buffalo, O Grandfather, which You
have given us.
He is the chief of all four-leggeds upon our
Sacred Mother.
From him the people live and with him they
walk the sacred path.
Sioux Prayer (Native American Religion)

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

When I was a boy living in the country, I used to hate to feed the cows. The cows know when it is lunchtime. But I didn’t want to stop playing, so I said to myself, “Cows, wait 30 minutes,” and then continued playing for another hour or two. The cows waited for me, wondering, “Where is our master, the one who was supposed to bring us in?” If I had been a cow whose master came very late, I would have gotten angry and become violent. Yet when I arrived, the cows just looked at me without saying a word. Then I thought, “Oh cows, you are great! I’m sorry.” That happened many times.
I then realized, “Cows are better than me,” and I said to them, “Now that I know that you have an aspect greater than me, I will feed you a great deal and atone for my shortcomings.” I kept feeding them until after sunset. The cows continued to eat because their master was feeding them.
Like this, I learned many things from cows. Cows sometimes appear great and kingly as they lie in the burning sunlight on a midsummer’s day, shedding sweat and looking over the remote mountains, meditating calmly.
This is why people all over the world like to eat cow meat, not the meat of dogs or tigers. In those days toothbrushes were made of cow bone. Every part of the cow was utilized. Nothing was discarded; even their manure was used as fertilizer. Therefore everything about a cow is good.
(109:40-41, October 26, 1980)

Love the Natural Environment to Learn How to Love God

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1300

If you want to become citizens of
the third Israel connected to the Uni-
fication Church, you must receive the
Blessing. In the past, at the time of
Abraham, one had to be circumcised
to become a citizen of Israel; and in the
time of Jesus, one had to be baptized.
It is the same today. In the Unification
Church, one cannot become a citizen
of the third Israel without receiving
the Blessing. However, in receiving the
Blessing one must fulfill certain condi-
tions that are neither simple nor easy. I
continuously exerted myself and devot-
ed my whole life in fulfilling the nec-
essary foundations for these Blessings.
(19-172, 1968.1.1)

Richard: Learn more about the Blessing here.

Chong Seong Gyeong 1419

When a woman is married, she basi-
cally has to move into her husband’s
house, and so it follows that her name
also has to be moved from the old fam-
ily register into that of the new family.
Then her family registration is changed.
What is our registration? It is the cer-
tificate that gives evidence of our rela-
tionship based on the origin of true love.
(178‐207, 1988.6.4)

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 4

God’s Creation and Human Creativity

Reverence for Life

1, Care and Reverence for All Living Things

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Unless you love nature and human beings, you cannot love God. (70:182, February 9, 1974)

Those who cannot love nature cannot love human beings, the owners of nature. We should love nature and other people more than ourselves. (375:20, April 13, 2002)

You love your wife, but do you love the air, sun, light, water and vegetation from which your wife is benefiting?…Unless you love nature, you cannot love yourself. If you eat the things of nature while mistreating nature, you may get sick. (385:200-01, July 11, 2002)

Nature is the closest thing to our body. We should fulfill the desire of nature, which languishes in lamentation…
If you love the natural environment of your hometown, you can know how to love your body. If you love your body, you can know how to love your own heart and mind. If you love your own heart and mind, you can know how to love God. Do so and you will not perish. (14:102, June 20, 1964)

We should love the ocean. Yet how can we, when dangers abound and so much about the ocean is unknown? By searching it out and learning its secrets, our love for the ocean will grow and grow. Likewise, there are many dangers lurking in the mountains. Yet we want to explore the mountains and brave their challenges. Then our hearts will grow deeper and wider. (391:218, August 26,
2002)

Only those who love the mountains can worship what is high. Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and all the prophets loved the mountains… Indeed, many people treading the path of God’s providence received comfort from nature. (14:102, June 20, 1964)

New York City and the Washington D.C. metropolitan areas are truly dark, living hells. It is better to live on an island where you have to travel three miles 3 before meeting another soul, and if you walk all day, you might see ten people at most. If you live in such a place, perhaps the eye of your original
mind will open. Even in a rural area where you are with nature for 80 percent of your day and with people only 20 percent of the time, it is not easy to keep a balance.
I recommend that city dwellers spend time in the wilderness. We must resolve the problems of air and water pollution; otherwise, how can humanity survive even 300 more years?
Today we can enjoy a civilized life even in a rural area. With the Internet and the telephone, even if you were to live on top of a 7000-meter-high peak in the Rocky Mountains, you could still reach everywhere in the world. I am going to the jungles of South America. Although there are many mosquitoes, there is clear air, clean water and bright sunshine. Sometimes I go to an island in
the Pacific Ocean, where the air is good and the water is clear. I go where the environment is good and there is no pollution, so I can converse with nature. When I am with nature, I am close to God.
(339:164, December 10, 2000)

A Man is Ethical Only When Life Is Sacred

Hebrews 2

14 We are people of flesh and blood. That is why Jesus became one of us. He died to destroy the devil, who had power over death. 15 But he also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying. 16 Jesus clearly did not come to help angels, but he did come to help Abraham’s descendants. 17 He had to be one of us, so that he could serve God as our merciful and faithful high priest and sacrifice himself for the forgiveness of our sins. 18 And now that Jesus has suffered and was tempted, he can help anyone else who is tempted.

2 Kings 5

2 One day while the Syrian troops were raiding Israel, they captured a girl, and she became a servant of Naaman’s wife. 3 Some time later the girl said, “If your husband Naaman would go to the prophet in Samaria, he would be cured of his leprosy.”

4 When Naaman told the king what the girl had said, 5 the king replied, “Go ahead! I will give you a letter to take to the king of Israel.”

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 4

God’s Creation and Human Creativity

Reverence for Life

Passages in this section prescribe the ethic proper to reverence for life. Taoist and Buddhist texts remark on the artificiality of the human world and call us to return to the innocence and purity of nature. Living in nature is purifying and conducive to the spiritual life, in contrast to the dark and dirty environment of the city. for anyone who spends time in nature, reverence for the natural world and respect for all its creatures is not something forced, but flows naturally from a loving heart. Then there is the doctrine of ahimsa, non-violence towards all living beings, which arose on the Indian subcontinent. Vegetarianism is often motivated by this ethic. Moreover, among nature’s creatures, none gives more completely and without complaint than the cow, which is rightly revered by Hindus and many native peoples.
Father Moon’s teachings touch on many of these points, but especially emphasize love of nature, which he regards as the starting point for environmental ethics. However, he offers an interesting dissent from vegetari-
anism, based upon the concept that creatures of lower order seek to come closer to God’s love through being eaten and absorbed by creatures of higher order. Ideally they would strive to be nourishment for humans, who stand at the summit of creation because they embody God’s love. Nevertheless, people who do not practice true love are unworthy to consume their food.

  1. Care and Reverence for All Living Things

As a mother with her own life guards the life of
her own child, let all-embracing thoughts for all
that lives be thine.
Khuddaka Patha, Metta Sutta (Buddhism)

The mode of living that is founded upon total
harmlessness towards all creatures, or upon a
minimum of such harm, is the highest morality.
Mahabharata, Shantiparva 262.5-6 (Hinduism)

The Prophet said, “There is neither harm nor
cause for harm in Islam.”
Majma’ al-Zawa’d 4.6536 (Islam)

One should not injure, subjugate, enslave, tor-
ture, or kill any animal, living being, organism,
or sentient being. This doctrine of nonviolence
is immaculate, immutable, and eternal. Just as
suffering is painful to you, in the same way it is
painful, disquieting, and terrifying to all animals,
living beings, organisms, and sentient beings.
Acarangasutra 4.25-26 (Jainism)

A certain priest had been killed by the bite of a
snake, and when they announced the matter to
the Blessed One, he said, “Surely now, O priests,
that priest never suffused the four royal families
of snakes with his friendliness. For if that priest
had suffused the four royal families of the snakes
with his friendliness, that priest would not have
been killed by the bite of a snake…
Creatures without feet have my love,
And likewise those that have two feet,
And those that have four feet I love,
And those, too, that have many feet.
Vinaya Pitaka, Cullavagga 5.6 (Buddhism)

The moral person accepts as being good: to pre-
serve life, to promote life, to raise to its high-
est value life which is capable of development;
and as being evil: to destroy life, to injure life,
to repress life which is capable of development.
This is the absolute fundamental principle of
the moral.
A man is ethical only when life, as such, is
sacred… that of plants and animals as well as that
of his fellow man, and when he devotes himself
helpfully to all life that is in need of help.
Albert Schweitzer

Rear them, but do not lay claim to them;
Control them, but never lean upon them,
Be their steward, but do not manage them.
This is called the Mysterious Power.
Tao Te Ching 51 (Taoism)

A horse or a cow has four feet: that is Nature.
Put a halter around the horse’s head or put a rope
through the cow’s nose: that is man. Therefore
it is said, “Do not let man destroy Nature. Do
not let cleverness destroy destiny [the natural
order].”
Chuang Tzu 17 (Taoism)

In the land of Yamato there are many
mountains;
ascending to the heaven of Mount Kagu,
I gaze down on the country, and see
smoke rising here and there over the land,
sea gulls floating here and there over the sea.
A fine country is this,
the island of dragonflies, this
province of Yamato. 1
Man’yoshu I (Shinto)

On the eastern side of this Himalaya, the king
of mountains, are green-flowing streams, hav-
ing their source in slight and gentle mountain
slopes; blue, white, and the hundred-leafed, the
white lily and the tree of paradise, in a region
overrun and beautified with all manner of trees
and flowing shrubs and creepers, resounding
with the cries of swans, ducks, and geese, inhab-
ited by troops of monks and ascetics. 2
Jataka (Buddhism)

Come back, O Tigers, to the woods again,
and let it not be leveled with the plain.
For without you, the axe will lay it low.
You, without it, forever homeless go.
Khuddaka Patha (Buddhism)


t

Be Praised My Lord with All Your Creatures

Watch or listen to the latest Richard Urban Show: Why Abstinence Matters-4: Sex Outside of Marriage Harms Society.

Luke 7

6 So Jesus went with them.

When Jesus wasn’t far from the house, the officer sent some friends to tell him, “Lord, don’t go to any trouble for me! I am not good enough for you to come into my house. 7 And I am certainly not worthy to come to you. Just say the word, and my servant will get well. 8 I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”

9 When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “In all of Israel I’ve never found anyone with this much faith!”

10 The officer’s friends returned and found the servant well.

Proverbs 29

29 If you keep being stubborn
    after many warnings,
    you will suddenly discover
    you have gone too far.

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 4

God’s Creation and Human Creativity

The Sanctity of Nature

3. Mother Earth and Her Children

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegeta-
tion, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing
fruit in which is their seed, each according to its
kind, upon the earth.” And it was so. The earth
brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed,
and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their
seed, each according to its kind. And God saw
that it was good.
Genesis 1.11-12

Perhaps if we are lucky,
Our earth mother
Will wrap herself in a fourfold robe of white meal,
Full of frost flowers;
A floor of ice will spread over the world,
The forests because of the cold will lean to one
side,
Their arms will break beneath the weight of snow.
When the days are thus,
The flesh of our earth mother will crack with
cold.
Then in the spring when she is replete with
living waters,
Our mothers,
All different kinds of corn,
In their earth mother we shall lay to rest.
With their earth mother’s living waters
They will be made into new beings;
Into their sun father’s daylight
They will come out standing;
Yonder to all directions
They will stretch out their hands calling for rain.
Then with their fresh waters
The rain makers will pass us on our roads.
Clasping their young ones [the ears of corn] in
their arms,
They will rear their children.
Gathering them into our houses,
Following these toward whom our thoughts bend,
With our thoughts following them,
Thus we shall always live.
      Zuni Song (Native American Religions)

Set me, O Earth, amidst thy center and thy navel,
and vitalizing forces that emanate from thy body.
Purify us from all sides.
Earth is my Mother; her son am I;
and Heaven my Father: may he fill us with
plenty…
Whatever I dig from thee, Earth,
may that have quick growth again.
O purifier, may we not injure thy vitals or thy
heart…
As a horse scatters dust, so did Earth, since she
was born,
scatter the people who dwelt on the land,
and she joyously sped on, the world’s
protectress,
supporter of forest trees and plants.
What I [Earth] speak, I speak with sweetness;
what I look at endears itself to me;
and I am fiery and impetuous: others who fly at
me with wrath
I smite down.
Peaceful, sweet-smelling, gracious, filled with
milk,
and bearing nectar in her breast,
may Earth give with the milk her blessings to
me. Who brings the day, and you give light to us
through him.
How handsome he is, how radiant, with great
splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
Thou art the vessel, the Mother of the people,
the fulfiller of wishes, far-extending.
Whatever is wanting in thee is filled
by Prajapati, first-born of Eternal Order [the
first god]. Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Moon and the
Stars.
In heaven you have formed them, bright, and
precious, and beautiful.
May those born of thee, O Earth,
be, for our welfare, free from sickness and
waste.
Wakeful through a long life, we shall become
bearers of tribute for thee.
Earth, my Mother! set me securely with bliss
in full accord with Heaven. Wise One,
uphold me in grace and splendor.
Atharva Veda 12.1 (Hinduism)

Most High, omnipotent, good Lord,
All praise, glory, honor, and blessing are yours.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong,
And no one is worthy to pronounce your name.

Be praised, my Lord, with all your creatures,
Especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who brings the day, and you give light to us
through him.
How handsome he is, how radiant, with great
splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Moon and the
Stars.
In heaven you have formed them, bright, and
precious, and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, for Brother Wind,
And for Air, for Cloud, and Clear, and all
weather.
By which you give your creatures nourishment.

Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Water,
She is very useful, and humble, and precious,
and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, for Brother Fire,
By whom you light up the night.
How handsome he is, how happy, how powerful
and strong!

Be praised, my Lord, for our Sister, Mother
Earth.
Who nourishes and governs us,
And produces various fruits with many-colored
flowers and herbs.
St. Francis of Assisi, Canticle of the Sun (Christianity)