Daily Inspiration: A Community for Daily Scripture Study

You Cannot Enter the Kingdom of Heaven Unless You Love Strangers More than You Love Your Own Brothers or Sisters

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Cheon Seong Gyeong 502

When teaching your children, do not just say, “Become great people” but rather, “Go such and such a way in order to become great people.” Fathers must fulfill their responsibilities as fathers and elder siblings should fulfill their responsibilities as elders. In other words, by your becoming people who know how to discern the connection to walk the path of true men and women, and who do not deviate from heavenly law, don’t you think that the path will emerge by which you can go through the principled course and become the citizens of the one nation? (Blessed Family – 1039)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1189

As God carried out the dispensation for restoration, His grief lay in the fact that the firstborn son was on Satan’s side. That is why human history is diseased. What kind of disease does it suffer from? It has a love related disease. The first son was born after humankind went astray due to the disease of love. If we are not aware of this fact, we won’t reach the time when we are able to ascend to the individual position where we can again achieve harmony, even if we spend billions of years in search of the principled standard. (136-126, 1985.12.22)

Universal Love

3. Love Especially the Stranger, the Foreigner, and Those Whom Society Despises

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. Love the stranger therefore; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 10.17-20

A lawyer… said to Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half-dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him; and whatever you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed mercy on him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go, and do likewise.”
Luke 10.25-37: Parable of the Good Samaritan

When Israel crossed the Red Sea, the angels were about to break forth in song, but the Holy One rebuked them, “My children are drowning, and you would sing?”
Talmud, Megilla 10b (Judaism)

The bodhisattva should adopt the same attitude towards all beings, his mind should be even towards all beings, he should not handle others with an uneven mind, but with a mind which is friendly, welldisposed, helpful, free from aversions avoiding harm and hurts, he should handle others as if they were his mother, father, son, or daughter. As a savior of all beings should a bodhisattva behave towards all beings. So should he train himself if he wants to know full enlightenment.
Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines 321-22 (Buddhism)

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

You cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven unless you love strangers more than you love your own brothers and sisters. You must love all people in the same way that you love God. (Way of God’s Will1.8)

Jesus Christ lived and worked with twelve difficult people. Each disciple represented a particular type of person and displayed the worst aspects of that personality type. On your path, you also should know twelve different types of people and deal with their fallen natures: people with personalities resembling January, February, March, etc., the twelve months of the year. (January 10, 1982)

You white people cannot say, “I only like white people. I can love white grandparents, but I cannot love black grandparents or Asian grandparents. I can love a well-dressed and cultured grandmother, but I cannot love those… primitives!” No, you should make extra effort to love elderly Africans as much as you love your own grandparents. That is the formula for training yourself to live properly on this earth. (130:274, February 5, 1984)

Suppose you have three sons. You could marry one to a German wife, one to a French wife, and one to an African wife, and take in all three couples to live in your home. You would have three daughters-in-law each from nations that have been enemies to each other. How could you create an atmosphere where they will not fight or quarrel?

Have everyone eat food out of the same pot. What if a morsel falls back into the pot from your African daughter-in-law’s mouth? Are you going to clean it off, or not mind and keep on eating? Some of you would not like it in the beginning; you would rather not eat at all, but you must. Why? You cannot love African people without eating what they eat. When you can eat that spilt food without it bothering you, God will dwell in your home and God’s love will dwell in your home. (99:134-35, September 10, 1978)

Americans should not say, “Only Americans,” and Oriental people should not say, “Only Oriental people.” No good comes from favoring family members, or the people of our tribe or nation. We have to digest the problem of racial discrimination with the love of Heaven. How do we prove we are doing it? By international and interracial marriage. (112:86, April 1, 1981)

When You Love Your Family Members More than Other People, they Become Your Enemies

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Cheon Seong Gyeong 1620

You should become someone whose body and mind can be in complete concert with God’s life centering on His love. Whoever on earth may tempt you; you need to follow your path and not be led astray or have to hide. With confidence in yourself you must surmount any obstacles that come your way and become citizens of heaven who are rightfully members of the royal family in the palace of God’s kingdom. If you cannot do this, you will fall into Satan’s hands. (222-89, 1991.10.28)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1271

Jesus told Nicodemus that unless one is reborn, one cannot enter the Kingdom of God. The “I” who has lived until now must be denied. Even if you have excuses, and even if you have many accomplishments to your name, you must deny yourself. Because you are fallen human beings, you cannot escape from this fate. Your whole life should be denied, your daily life should be denied; you are living a spiritually dead life that should be denied. (6-278, 1959.6.7)

Universal Love

2. Loving Others with the Same Heart as We Have for Our Own Family

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moonf

Do not nurse only your own dear child, but try to be a mother who treats other children with the heart that they are yours as well. With that heart, the babies who suckle at your breast will certainly become great men and women. (31:168, May 24, 1970)

You can build the world of peace on this earth if you become people who act according to the Kingdom of Heaven’s universal teaching to unfold the movement of God’s love, life and truth. This means your parents are not only your biological parents; your siblings are not only your biological siblings, and your children are not only your biological children. When you become a person who regards all people as your parents, your siblings and your children, then as you look upon the multitudes of people suffering in this world of death, you cannot relate to them without tears. Looking at people your own age as your siblings, or younger people as your own children, you will feel a strong sense of responsibility to save them. You will make every effort, with tears. If you truly become this kind of person, then you will be a central pillar for building the Kingdom of Heaven. (2:144, March 17, 1957)

Jesus said, “A man’s foes will be those of his own household.” (Matt. 10.36) He meant that when you love your family members more than other people, they become your enemies that block you from entering the Kingdom of Heaven. (161:249, February 22, 1987)

Parents who praise their child for being filial to them cannot raise true filial children. Parents who want to raise true filial children should teach them, “My child, love your brothers and sisters even more than you love me. Love your neighbors and your nation more than you love me.” I think that parent is qualified to have many filial children.
If there is a good king, that king should teach his loyal subjects, saying, “I appreciate that you give devotion and love for me, but first love your fellow citizens and God, and then love me.” That is the good king who can rightly lead many loyal subjects.
Likewise, how does God lead the saints? God does not teach them, “Do your utmost duty to show your loyalty to Me.” Instead He says, “Don’t pay Me so much regard; first love the people. Liberate every being on this earth and all the spirit beings in the spirit world, and then love Me.” Because God is that kind of being, He bears the name Jehovah, Lord of all beings.16 (85:265, March 3, 1976)

Who is a son of filial piety? He discovers what his parents most want and completes it; thus he tries to align himself with his parents’ desires. Whatever his eyes see, he sees through the eyes of his parents. Whatever his heart feels, he feels through the heart of his parents. Whatever words he hears, he thinks, “Would my parents like this kind of speech?” A filial son or daughter devotes all five senses to delighting in his or her parents’ world.
The thing that filial sons and daughters, patriots, and saints have in common is their concern for others—their family, their nation and the world respectively. Then let us turn our eyes to God, the Center of the entire universe. If you were to love God in like manner, you would embrace heaven and earth with love. You would devote all your heart and mind to benefit all beings in the universe; to make them fit to receive God’s love.17 (161:132-33, January 18, 1987)

God’s Providence Will once more Begin to Expand

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Cheon Seong Gyeong 1918

Western Civilization and Asian civilization cannot be directly connected. You should know that Western Civilization has lost its direction and is entering the twilight realm after the sun has set. It will perish unless it thanks Rev. Moon for connecting it with oriental civilization, which is like the brilliant sunlight of a new morning. Western society, which is headed toward ruin, has a cultural background of flowing toward the Atlantic Ocean. You should be aware of the amazing fact that, through Rev. Moon, this civilization can now be connected to God’s providential realm through a new Asian civilization.
Until now, western people have just opposed me, with no knowledge of this fact. Through Rev. Moon they can relate with God’s providence. They have gone over to a world in which they can now accept God’s providence once again. God’s providence will once more begin to expand. (120-199, 1982.10.15)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1189

Universal Love

2. Loving Others with the Same Heart as We Have for Our Own Family

As a mother protects her only child at the risk of her own life, let him cultivate a boundless heart towards all beings.

Khuddaka Patha, Metta Sutta (Buddhism)

It is to regard other people’s countries as one’s own; regard other people’s families as one’s own; regard other people’s person as one’s own.

Mo Tzu

Lacking compassion for all beings,

Filial piety causes samsara.

Milarepa (Buddhism)

Treat the aged of your own family in a manner befitting their venerable age and extend this treatment to the aged of other families; treat your own young in a manner befitting their tender age and extend this to the young of other families.

Mencius I.A.7 (Confucianism)

I should accommodate and serve all beings as attentively as I show filial respect to my parents, due respect to my teachers, to elders, and arhats, up to the Tathagatas, all in equality.

Gandavyuha Sutra, Vows of Samantabhadra (Buddhism)

The bodhisattva, the great being, having practiced compassion, sympathy, and joy, attains the stage of the best-loved only son. For example, the father and mother greatly rejoice as they see their son at peace. The same is the case with the bodhisattva who abides in this stage: he sees all beings just as the parents see their only son. He greatly rejoices when he sees them practicing goodness. So we call this stage the best-loved.

For example, the father and mother are worried at heart as they see their son ill. Commiseration poisons their heart; the mind cannot part with the illness. So it is with the bodhisattva, the great being, who abides in this stage. As he sees beings bound up in the illness of illusion, his heart aches. He is worried as in the case of an only son. Blood comes out from all pores of the skin. That is why we call this stage as that of an only son.

A child picks up earth, dirty things, tiles, stones, old bones, pieces of wood and puts them into his mouth, at which the father and mother, apprehensive of the harms that might arise thereby, take the child with the left hand and with the right take these out. The same goes with the bodhisattva: he sees that all beings are not grown up to the stage of law body and that non-good is done in body, speech, and mind. The bodhisattva sees, and with the hand of wisdom has it extracted. He does not wish that man should repeat birth and death, receiving thereby sorrow and worry.

When a father and mother part with their beloved son as the son dies, their hearts so ache that they feel that they themselves should die together with him. The same is the case with the bodhisattva: as he sees a benighted person fall into hell, he himself desires to be born there, too. [He thinks,] “Perhaps the man, as he experiences the pain, may gain a moment of repentance where I can speak to him of the Law in various ways and enable him to gain a thought of good.”

For the father and mother of an only son, in sleep or while awake, or while walking, standing, sitting, or reclining, their minds always think of the son. If he does wrong, they give kindly advice and lead the boy that he does not do evil any more. The same is the case of the bodhisattva: as he sees beings fall into the realms of hell, hungry ghosts and animals, or sees them doing good and evil in the world of man and in heaven, his mind is ever upon them and not apart from them. He may see them doing all evil, yet he does not become angry or punish with evil intent.

Mahaparinirvana Sutra 470-71 (Buddhism)

A Loving Heart is the Some whether for an Enemy or Friend

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Cheon Seong Gyeong 299

Wearing a cross means being a Christian. Carrying True Parents’ picture signifies being a son and daughter of True Parents; first the symbol, then the image and then the substance.
These people will be protected because they enter the formation-stage realm of formation, growth, and completion. For this reason, the tribal messiah should prepare pictures for them. To break through on the local level means to have people put up True Parents’ picture.
If they will only put up True Parents’ picture, then they will surely attend workshops. When they attend a workshop and become inspired, you can tell them, “You cannot buy this content even with a huge sum of money, so please make an offering according to how much you think it is worth!” You can use the money to cover the cost of your local activities. Give the photos out to all those who have been to America for education. (212-108, 1991.1.2)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1465

Why were we born, why should we live, and where should we go? You should not think that you were the cause of your birth. People are born into this world yet do not know the origin and purpose of their birth; they are ignorant of the motivation and purpose of their existence.
Neither our birth nor our life nor our death stems from our own intentions. Then, what do we have to be proud about? We have no control over our birth, we are merely custodians in this life, and we cannot avoid the path of death. Thus, any attempt at self-praise and holding self-indulgent pride is pitiful. Once born, we are destined to live, and destined to die and pass away to the next world. (7-178, 1959.9.6)

Universal Love

1. A Heart to Love All People

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

The sages of old… taught us to love Heaven, to love the earth, and to love humankind. (19:285, March 10, 1968)

God’s love is the original source of the universe, and it embraces the world. If such love had reached each and every person, wouldn’t this world be a realm where love is everywhere, whether we go up or down?
In such a world, what would we value in a person? It would not be eloquence or good looks. We would value people of character, those who are faultless from any angle. Their fragrance would spread to everyone who knew them. Shouldn’t you be like that? When you relate to others with the heart that each is a part of God and no one is unrelated to God, then everyone becomes your friend. (33:89-90, August 9, 1970)

A loving heart is the same whether it is for an enemy or a friend. It is universal. The whole is the same as one cell. The universe is formed like a human being, each composed of 400 trillion cells living in oneness. You can become one with God when you become the embodiment of love that can connect to all of these cells. (225:132, January 5, 1992)

God’s love has no boundaries. Love transcends national borders. Love transcends race. In love there is no discrimination between black, white, and yellow.
Love is the greatest thing. Wherever love flows freely and without fear, the environment adapts to it; who or what would want to rebel? This way of thinking is pleasing to God. Distributing love everywhere is the only way to win God’s favor. (164:93, April 26, 1987)

What is the character of God? God is a being who loves His object partner more than He loves Himself. God’s activity of loving the object partner more than self brings unity; then together they can love an object partner of greater scope. Since this is the core of God’s practice, God sends the person closest to Himself to the evil world, offering him as a sacrifice for humankind. This is God’s way of thinking.
That is why the sages, saints and great men of history invariably taught, “Love all humankind.” They did not restrict their love to only their family, but loved their country. They went beyond their country to love the world. They loved this way even though they were not welcomed, but rejected and sacrificed. (100:81, August 8, 1978)

We Can Experience that Everyone Is Our Brother or Sister

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Cheon Seong Gyeong 1899

The last fish that I caught was fifteen pounds and thirty inches. It was the biggest among all the salmon we have caught until now. We hung it up, displaying it as the finale. It was so strong that we should have scooped it up using a net. Yet, it was hard to see the fish, due to the faint light of the setting sun. But the fish was brave. It could have escaped from the net, since two-thirds of its body was inside, with its head hanging out-side. If you do something wrong at this moment, the net can be torn. (205-322, 1990.10.1)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1241

The literal meaning of the word “blessing” is “praying for blessings.” If you break down the word chookbok(blessing), chook means to pray or wish for something. When you are praying for blessings, what is it that is most precious? It is none other than the blessing of love. The Unification Church uses the word blessing with this meaning. The blessing of love is the greatest, because the fundamental origin of life begins with man and woman coming together in a holy wedding. It represents the most precious commitment of the universe. When praying for blessing, the best blessing you can ask for is the blessing of love, and so the Unification Church refers to marriage as the Blessing.

Richard: Learn more about the Blessing.

Universal Love

True love is universal. It has no Limits. When we are immersed in the love of God, we can experience that everyone is our brother or sister. Here is a major distinction between absolute, true love and the relative love of fallen people: true love is impartial and universal, while fallen love is partial to kith and kin, to friends and compatriots. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “an individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”
Yet is love for humanity enough? Not if we mean only a general sentiment that can be satisfied by acts of charity and political efforts to benefit the downtrodden. The real stage of love is actual relationships. How can we love strangers and people of faraway nations with the same intensity and concreteness as we love members of our own family? Here scripture speaks of extending to strangers the way we treat members of our own family. Father Moon is very clear on this score. To demonstrate universal love that transcends race, he recommends that we give one of our children in marriage to someone of another race. By digesting every difficulty in relating to our in-laws, we become people whose love truly goes beyond the racial barrier.

1. A Heart to Love All People

May good befall all,
May there be peace for all,
May all be fit for perfection, and
May all experience that which is auspicious.
Om, May all be happy.
May all be healthy.
May we all experience what is good and let no
one suffer.
Om, Peace, Peace, Peace!
The Universal Prayer (Hinduism)

He lets his mind pervade one quarter of the world with thoughts of love, and so the second, and so the third, and so the fourth. And thus the whole wide world, above, below, around, and everywhere, does he continue to pervade with the heart of love, far-reaching, exalted, beyond measure. Just as a mighty trumpeter makes himself heard—and that without difficulty—in all the four directions; even so of all things that have the shape of life there is not one that he passes by or leaves aside, but regards them all with mind set free, and deep-felt love. Verily this is the way to a state of union with Brahma.

Digha Nikaya 13.76-77, Tevigga Sutta (Buddhism)

A man once asked the Prophet what was the best thing in Islam. He replied, “It is to feed the hungry and to give the greeting of peace both to those one knows and to those one does not know.”

Hadith of Bukhari (Islam)

Of the adage, Only a good man knows how to like people, knows how to dislike them, Confucius said, “He whose heart is in the smallest degree set upon Goodness will dislike no one.”

Analects 4.3-4 (Confucianism)

The sage has no fixed [personal] ideas.
He regards the people’s ideas as his own.
I treat those who are good with goodness,
And I also treat those who are not good with goodness.
Thus goodness is attained.
I am honest with those who are honest,
And I am also honest with those who are dishonest.
Thus honesty is attained.
Tao Te Ching 49 (Taoism)