Register now for the Dividing Line; Ending the Culture that Causes Sexual Abuse workshop in Harpers Ferry, WV on November 27, 2021. Attend in-person or virtually.
Once you reach the level of such experiences, your mind will give you directions. You will be struck dumb when you try to talk to someone, or you will scold someone in spite of yourself. You will experience such incomprehensible phenomena from time to time. Therefore you have to be able to control them. If you mishandle the situation, people may treat you like a crazy person.
Cheon Seong Gyeong 1581
Looking into Your heart, I know how You endeavored to save Your only son who came after countless generations. This son of Yours perceived more clearly than anyone how much You grieved as You looked upon wretched humanity, dispossessed of any ancestors because they were lost through the Fall.
Sincerity and Authenticity
A person’s inner intention goes far towards determining the extent to which a particular action is good or evil, effective or ineffective. As Buddha so forcefully stated in the Dhammapada, action begins with the mind; it is created by the mind; it goes forth according to the inner state of the mind. In some of the passages gathered here, sincerity means the natural and spontaneous flow of the mind, devoid of all pretense and egoistic grasping. Other passages call for self-examination and self-cultivation in order to manifest true sincerity. Father Moon views the cultivation of sincerity, what he calls jeongseong, as fundamental to the spiritual life. This section treats sincerity as a virtue in daily life. On the topic of sincerity in approaching God, see chapter 16: Devotion and Purity of Intention.
1. Sincerity Flows Spontaneously out of the Heart’s Affections
Mind is the forerunner of all evil states. Mind is chief; mind-made are they. If one speaks or acts with wicked mind, because of that suffering follows one, even as the wheel [of the cart] follows the hoof of the draught ox.
Mind is the forerunner of all good states. Mind is chief; mind-made are they. If one speaks or acts with pure mind, because of that happiness follows one, even as one’s shadow that never leaves.
Dhammapada 1-2 (Buddhism)
The heart is like a king with his troops. If the king is a good one, then his troops will be good too, and if the king is wicked, his troops follow suit…
If a person’s heart is healthy, his body will be at ease, and if a person’s heart is malicious, the body will be malevolent.
Hadith (Islam)
Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “God does not look at your forms and your possessions, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.”
Hadith of Muslim (Islam)
To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted.
Titus 1.15
If you do not perceive the sincerity within yourself and yet try to move forth, each movement will miss the mark.
Chuang Tzu 23 (Taoism)
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord.
Romans 12.9-10
Sincerity [Absolute Truth] is the Way of Heaven; the attainment of Sincerity is the Way of man. He who possesses Sincerity achieves what is right without effort, understands without thinking, and naturally and easily is centered on the Way. He is a sage.
Doctrine of the Mean 20.18 (Confucianism)
While there are no stirrings of pleasure, anger, sorrow, or joy, the mind may be said to be in a state of equilibrium (chung). When those feelings have been stirred, and they act in their due degree, there ensues what may be called the state of harmony (ho). This equilibrium is the great root from which grow all the human actings in the world, and this harmony is the universal path which they all should pursue. Let the states of equilibrium and harmony exist in perfection, and a happy order will prevail throughout heaven and earth, and all things will be nourished and flourish.
Doctrine of the Mean 1.4-5 (Confucianism)
By the Truth I mean purity and sincerity in their highest degree. He who lacks purity and sincerity cannot move others. Therefore he who forces himself to lament, though he may sound sad, will awaken no grief. He who forces himself to be angry, though he may sound fierce, will arouse no awe. And he who forces himself to be affectionate, though he may smile, will create no air of harmony. True sadness need make no sound to awaken grief; true anger need not show itself to arouse awe; true affection need not smile to create harmony. When a man has the Truth within himself, his spirit may move among external things. That is why the Truth is to be prized!
What is the most stimulating and sensitive part of a man? Is it his tongue? Though the organ for tasting may be very sensitive, it could not be as sensitive as the sexual organ. To satisfy the tongue, once you have tasted something, you will desire to have it again the next day, but in the case of the genitals, if you have a spouse who satisfies your sexual organ, merely thinking about that person would give you satisfaction; that is what the world will be like to you. You can taste something only when you have eaten it, but you will be able to feel your love partner by just thinking about him or her. What can give you pleasure transcending great distances and infinite space, and make you desire to love even after death and into the next life. It is the love of your beloved husband or wife, and no other. (286-275, 1997.8.13)
The Blessing of 360 Million Couples signifies that we have surpassed the realm of dominion based on accomplishments through the Principle. We are now in the global era. Spring is upon us, the season of revival. I have brought you here in order to bless you. So what should you do in return? You should become the leaders who can reign over the devil. (297-298, 1998.12.22)
Richard: To become a leader who can reign over the devil, I recommend attending the upcoming Dividing Line: Ending Sexual Abuse workshop on November 27th. Attend in-person or online.
Righteousness
3. Righteous People are the Guardians of a Nation
Then Abraham drew near, and said, “Wilt thou indeed destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt thou then destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from thee to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from thee! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Genesis 18.23-25
I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.131 Kings 19.18
Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth; that I may pardon her… O l ord , do not thy eyes look for truth? Jeremiah 5.1-3
There are [always] thirty righteous men among the nations, by whose virtue the nations of the world continue to exist. Talmud, Hullin 92a (Judaism)
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Since I came to America I have been working as hard as I can, and also I am pushing Americans to go through many hardships. Nevertheless, if we can prosper, it can be a blessing to America, and an indemnity condition that can cover the failure of America to fulfill its God-given mission. Then, I can pray to God, “Heavenly Father, please have regard for these Thy children and forgive America for their sakes. Although America deserves to perish, because these children are devoted to Thee, please save this nation.” It is similar to Abraham’s prayer when he pleaded with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if ten righteous people could be found. (103:200, February 25, 1979)
Many people are patriots, but saints are rare. A saint is someone who sacrifices for the world. Do you think that I want you, the people whom I love, to be merely filial children, or patriots, or saints? I am pushing you to become saints. (111:141, February 8, 1981)
God has toiled assiduously until now to create a providential culture or epochal period in Korea. As that moment has arrived, we need to be people who are as faithful as cows. There were three sacrifices on Abraham’s altar: the pigeons, the sheep, and the heifer. Today is now symbolically the age of the heifer. God likes cows. The age of the heifer! Do we like cows because we can butcher and eat them? That is not the case. Farmers do not like cows because they can slaughter them for food either. They put cows to all kinds of work, and then perhaps eat them later. That is how it is. Then, what do you need to become in order to be God’s sons and daughters? Do you need to become a pig? Of course we are talking about things figuratively. Because God is like the greatest king of cows who offers loyalty and devotion for the sake of humanity, who are His children, thus we of today, as His children, have to become like calves before Him. Of course, I am not saying that you should literally become a calf. It is a figurative expression. (156-17, 1965.11.2)
Cheon Seong Gyeong 1012
In this age of the Last Days, the Unification Church has to teach the answers to the following questions: What is God’s desire? What is humankind’s desire? What is God’s love? What is humankind’s situation? What is God’s heart? What is humankind’s heart? The Unification Church has appeared to do that. It must teach about that kind of world. If it can teach that, and it teaches one thousand people, ten thousand people, all the people, then, even if the world did not want to unite, it could not help but unite. (151-209, 1962.12.15)
Richard: To learn about this God-centered viewpoint or ideology, join us for Dividing Line; Ending Sexual Abuse on November 27th, 2021 in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Richteousness
2. A Righteous Person Leads a Public Life and Identifies His Welfare with the Public Good
Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon
Do you want to be blessed? Do you want to live eternally? Then, you should become a public person. (31:168, May 24, 1970)
When you make it your business to serve others and to touch others’ hearts, you are going beyond the life of a private individual. (241:118, December 20, 1992)
A human being is not meant to live for his or her individual self. Yet, these days many worldly people say, “I work for myself.” In other words, they live for the sake of themselves. How pitiful are these people? They are like orphans without parents or siblings. You should be able to say, “I live for the sake of all the people of the world.” (24:21, June 22, 1969)
You should be able to declare, “I have tackled the most difficult problem in the nation.” It is not enough to deal with problems within the church. Furthermore, you should be able to declare, “I have tackled the most difficult problem in the world.” Unless you do it willingly, you will remain on a servant level and cannot reach the level of an adopted son.12 You have to be willing to digest all the difficulties in the world—all the things that servants can do—with joy. (113:111, May 1, 1981)
There is no need to worry whether something will be done or not. The question is whether you did it or not. (308:209, January 5, 1999)
The public-minded person speaks from public-mindedness; he sees, hears, feels, thinks, eats and sleeps and does everything from the public-minded standpoint. When you look at the world with a public-minded eye, you come to love everything. (111:244, February 22, 1981)
Whether your work is small or big, regardless of the task, you should not relate to it personally. In other words, your mind should be intense. Your state of mind should be like a ball that is completely round after the air has been pumped in, with pressure. Your mind should keep that pressure like a completely round ball, and never go flat. If instead your mind is uneasy or self-centered, dominated by personal greed, it is like a sharp edge forming in that round, ball-like mind. (40:278-89, February 7, 1971)
The homeland we need to reclaim on earth is not an existing nation with a certain history and traditions. It is completely different in essence from those other nations. In order for us to be able to inherit such a nation that stands on a completely different level from others, we need to become citizens with a subject nature rooted in ideology. That subject ideology should be in accord with the ideology of the absolute Creator. The Absolute Being desires the creation of His own nation. Then centering on that nation’s sovereignty, the citizens should be united into oneness. Therefore, the nation should take shape based on such citizenship. (49-93, 1971.10.9)
Cheong Seong Gyeong 1239
The Blessing Ceremony of the Unification Church is not simply a wedding through which a man and a woman come together and form a family. Until now, all weddings were solely for the sake of the people getting married. But our wedding ceremony is significant and necessary to set a condition to indemnify the past and return joy to God. Therefore, we conduct our ceremonies in a sacred and splendid manner. Divine Principle clearly explains to us that our wedding ceremony alleviates God’s bitter grief that was caused by the Fall of Adam and Eve. It goes beyond the standard of husband and wife, which Jesus was unable to attain. (22-212, 1969.2.4)
Richard: These two reading emphasize that we need Rev. Moon’s teaching of Godism and the Blessing to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
Righteousness
2. A Righteous Person Leads a Public Life and Identifies His Welfare with the Public Good
Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
Matthew 6.31-33
It is not righteousness that you turn your faces [in prayer] to the East and to the West. Righteousness is this:
to believe in God, and the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the Prophets, to give of one’s substance, however cherished, to kinsmen, and orphans, the needy, the traveler, beggars, and to free the slave, to perform the prayer and to pay the alms. And they who fulfill their covenant, when they have engaged in a covenant, and endure with fortitude misfortune, hardship, and peril, these are they who are true in their faith, these are the truly God-fearing. Qur’an 2.177
I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless who had none to help him.
The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. I was a father to the poor, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. I broke the fangs of the unrighteous, and made him drop his prey from his teeth. Job 29.12-17
He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Isaiah 42.2-4
Kung-sun Ch’ou asked Mencius, “May I ask what your strong points are?” “I have an insight into words. I am good at cultivating my ‘flood-like ch’i.’” “May I ask what this ‘flood-like ch’i’ is?” “It is difficult to explain. This is a ch’i(breath) which is, in the highest degree, vast and unyielding. Nourish it with integrity and place no obstacle in its path and it will fill the space between heaven and earth. It is a ch’i which unites righteousness and the Way. Deprive it of these and it will collapse. It is born of accumulated rightness and cannot be appropriated by anyone through a sporadic show of rightness. Whenever one acts in a way that falls below the standard set in one’s heart, it will collapse… You must work at it and never let it out of your mind. At the same time, while you must never let it out of your mind, you must not forcibly help it grow either.”
Register now for the Dividing Line; Ending Sexual Abuse workshop in Harpers Ferry, WV on November 27, 2021. Attend in-person or virtually. More Information
What is Satan’s ultimate target behind the history of struggle between good and evil ever since this conflict was brought into being as a result of the Fall of the ancestors of humankind? Satan has his sights set precisely on God Himself. God is eternal, unchanging, absolute, and unique, and the standard of the ideal that He held at the beginning of creation must also have these qualities. Satan seeks to destroy God’s absolute will. If you were to ask God directly, He would confirm what I am saying. How would God reply if Satan asked Him, “God, when You created me as an archangel in the beginning, was it out of love that was ephemeral or eternal?” God would reply that He did so out of a love that was eternal. If He were to say that His love was ephemeral, He would make Himself an ephemeral god. Unless He maintains a standard of loving Satan eternally, there will eventually come a time when He would no longer be able to exercise His authority as God with respect to Satan. Thus, however much Satan may oppose Him, God has no choice other than to establish the basis of loving him. Thus, God is a proponent of the philosophy of non-resistance toward evil. Why is that? It is because, until the world of the heavenly ideal is manifested on earth, God must love the archangel who has become Satan, regardless of the circumstances. However much trouble Satan may cause, God cannot punish him or cut him off. He must establish the basis of having loved Satan whatever his situation. God can have complete victory only when Satan confesses to Him, saying, “Oh, God really is God. I surrender to You.” This is the issue. Since the principled path of the providence of restoration is for God to bring about Satan’s surrender by loving him, we who are to become His children must walk this same path. Whether we are persecuted around the world and considered a worldwide enemy, we must establish the basis of having loved those who oppose us. In this regard, God’s Word, “Love your enemies,” is His strategy to subjugate evil naturally. These words are simple, but no one realized that they have marked the boundary between victory and defeat between God and Satan. If God were to harbor the thought of treating Satan as His enemy and seeking revenge against him, then He would never be able to stand on the pinnacle of victory. On the contrary, He implemented a strategy of love, declaring, “Love your enemy.”
Cheon Seong Gyeong 2126
Jesus could not establish an ideal world through his family and kin. Therefore, he has to come again and fulfill this ideal, otherwise he cannot enter heaven. Where can you find the right prerequisites and circumstances to open the gates of heaven? They are on the earth. Therefore, Jesus left the keys to heaven on earth. Since he and his twelve disciples could not create families, the Unification Church today must establish 70 and then 120 disciples with Blessed Families. If that is accomplished, heaven will be opened. (160-89, 1968.8.11)
1. A Righteous Person Stands against Evil at the Cost to Himself
Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon
The Chinese character for “righteousness,” 義(eui) is a combination of two characters: 羊(yang) “sheep” and 我(ah) “self.”11 In other words, when you put yourself in the position of a sacrificial lamb, you will create the condition for righteousness. (92:309, April 24, 1977)
Go and do something adventurous for the sake of the nation and God’s righteousness. God will encourage you, “Go ahead and do it.” Then you will meet with abuse. There will be a confrontation, but if you subjugate the evil on your own, then God will be pleased. It is the outcome God hopes for. Will God help you if you cower in fear, too afraid even to fight? Therefore, raise well-intentioned problems. (104:107, April 15, 1979)
You must be able to distinguish between good and evil, but how do you distinguish them? In the world good and evil are intermingled; however, the point where good and evil becomes distinguished is in yourself.
The world is evil; therefore, if you live without colliding with the world, you are an evil person. You live in a fallen realm; therefore, if you are living your life like a fish caught in a net, you are an evil person. If you just continue with your life instead of confronting the world’s evils, you are an evil person. Since you know that the present-day world is an evil world, you must fight against it.
Why? It is because humans fell. Having fallen from our original position, you must climb back up, and in order to climb back up, you must struggle through it. It will not do to stay still. Otherwise, you will never be able to greet the new world that humankind desires. You will not leave a mark of goodness in history, and history will not be able to progress. That is why, as people who would advance the cause of goodness, you must fight. (33:42, August 1, 1970)
It is a principle that the side of justice grows stronger with persecution and difficulty. Therefore, when we are hit we will develop even more. (93:134, May 21, 1977)
When good people pursue a certain goal, they are often uncertain about their objective, and on the path they find little support to stimulate and strengthen their aspiration for goodness. On the other hand, evil people find help every step of the way and relationships to encourage them from the beginning to the end. Therefore, a person who is seeking truth inevitably finds him or herself in situations of loneliness and sorrow.
The path of the person who upholds goodness will not be a smooth one. Not many people welcome an individual who strives to cultivate a character of exceptional goodness, especially as he tries to assemble an environment that meets his standard. There will be opposition when that person tries to build a family of goodness, and even stronger evil forces will surround and oppose any attempt to build a tribe of goodness. (36:52, November 15, 1970)
Father! I am going forward as a strong man, bold and magnanimous; I will not be put to shame. Please, watch over me on my path; I will make Thee proud of me. (134:142-43, February 25, 1985)
