Tag: Beauty

Living for Others Determines the Beauty of Our Character in the Next World

Happy Seonghwa Anniversary (Sept. 4, 2020) to True Father, Rev. Sun Myung Moon (1920- 2012), who cam as the True Parent of all humanity. Here is an inspiring video about his life, in his own words. Also see this summary of Rev. Moon’s life and work.

View or listen to the latest Richard Urban Show video and podcast:
God in the Public Square-Interview with Philip Sharp.

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1442

When registering, the order in which
you register determines who the ances-
tors are going to be. Yes, it is determined
by who is the first to become a tribal
messiah and be registered. Jesus tried to
register his 120 followers, but could not
accomplish this; in the era of the Sec-
ond Coming, you need to register based
on 160 or 180 couples. It came to be 160
couples because everyone wanted 160,
not 180. The number 6 is the number of
Satan, and so you need to perfect it in
the satanic world. The number 4 is the
ideal number. Therefore, four times the
number 4 symbolizes the whole. (253-83,
1994.1.7)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1517

If Adam and Eve had fulfilled their
responsibility as children, as siblings,
as husband and wife, and parents, then
their children would have been in a
different situation. As it was, Adam’s
children could not reach the realm of
God’s love. If they had been the chil-
dren of unfallen Adam, they would all
have been connected horizontally and
would have established God’s Kingdom
on earth; instead, the vertical and the
horizontal were not connected, and so it
could not be established. That is why the
sons and daughters need to inherit two
kingdoms.
Since they are destined to inherit
God’s Kingdom in heaven and on earth
– the vertical and horizontal kingdoms
– and the lineages of the vertical and
horizontal parents, the sons and daugh-
ters are eligible to inherit every inter-
nal aspect of the vertical Parents and
every external aspect of the horizontal
parents. Being a part of the royal fam-
ily signifies leading the life of having
inherited the two kingdoms. The fact
that you have become the royal fam-
ily would mean that you stand on the
perfected foundation, and you can be
accepted by both kingdoms at all times.
(240-17, 1992.12.11)

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 4

God’s Creation and Human Creativity

Beauty

2. The Beauty of Human Beings

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

People appear beautiful when they receive God’s grace, when God loves them. They are beautiful because they radiate light. In a world where all things radiate love’s light, no one would discriminate between beauty and ugliness. (33:88, August 9, 1970)

What is original beauty? It is to become embodiments of beauty, to express our beauty through laughter, dance and song, and with it to glorify God. This was the beauty God intended for the original Garden of Eden. (2:245, June 9, 1957)

If you look at people with the glasses of love, there is no one who displeases you. Even an ugly woman looks beautiful; even a misshapen man looks handsome. (162:47, March 22, 1987)

There is nothing attractive about a lake filled with muddy water. Yet if a lotus blooms in the midst of the mud, it makes the lake truly amazing. One flower can make a lake come alive. One flower can transform an ugly lake into a beautiful lake. From this point of view, evil human beings, if they have even an ounce of love in their hearts, can be beautiful. (354:21, September 16, 2001)

A woman may have great beauty, but if there is no purpose to her beauty, does it have meaning? Would any of the women here like to be a beautiful doll that stayed all day in a glass box? None of you could tolerate it. Beauty is not a passive thing just to be admired; it is active, pursuing a goal. Some think that the purpose for a woman’s beauty is to attract a husband. If that were all, would she be happy? No. In her beauty a woman dreams of something more than merely securing a man; she dreams of finding something within that man—love. The goal of beauty is love. Beauty’s dream comes true in the happiness of love. (116:10-11, December 1, 1981)

Looking with a genuine heart of love, who is more beautiful, the smiling face of a woman who has artfully adorned herself with makeup or the smile of a woman who suffers and works hard to care for her family? The hard-working woman has the more beautiful smile. Although she is busy day and night with laundry, cleaning the house and looking after her children, she has a most noble appear-ance. (129:176, October 30, 1983)

How serious we are to live for others in this world determines the beauty of our character in the next world. It does not matter if a person is plump or slender; his or her heart to live for others is the supreme beauty of all beauty, because it is the way to perfect love. (307:166, November 8, 1998)

The major topic in the spirit world is harmony. It is balance and unity. What is the center of har-mony? Could you say, “Since my face is beautiful, the harmony of the universe should revolve around me?” In the spirit world, though you may boast of your beauty, you will meet many who are more beautiful than you. The environment there is exceptionally beautiful. You should learn to appreciate it; nevertheless, because you tend to see only one dimension you are likely to miss its multidimensionality. (217:143, May 19, 1991)

Let it be the Hidden Person of the Heart with a Gentle and Quiet Spirit

Happy Seonghwa Anniversary (Sept. 4, 2020) to True Father, Rev. Sun Myung Moon (1920- 2012), who cam as the True Parent of all humanity. Here is an inspiring video about his life, in his own words. Also see this summary of Rev. Moon’s life and work.

View or listen to the latest Richard Urban Show video and podcast:
God in the Public Square-Interview with Philip Sharp.

Ezekiel 13

13 The Lord said:

2 Ezekiel, son of man, condemn the prophets of Israel who say they speak in my name, but who preach messages that come from their own imagination. Tell them it’s time to hear my message.

3 I, the Lord God, say those lying prophets are doomed! They don’t see visions—they make up their own messages! 4 Israel’s prophets are no better than jackals that hunt for food among the ruins of a city. 5 They don’t warn the people about coming trouble or tell them how dangerous it is to sin against me. 6 Those prophets lie by claiming they speak for me, but I have not even chosen them to be my prophets. And they still think their words will come true. 7 They say they’re preaching my messages, but they are full of lies—I did not speak to them!

Ezekiel 20

7 I told them to get rid of their disgusting idols and not to sin by worshiping the gods of Egypt. I reminded them that I was the Lord their God, 8 but they still rebelled against me. They refused to listen and kept on worshiping their idols and foreign gods.

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 4

God’s Creation and Human Creativity

Beauty

2. The Beauty of Human Beings

Confucius said, “It is goodness that gives to a
neighborhood its beauty.”
Analects 4.1 (Confucianism)

The perfume of flowers blows not against the
wind, nor does the fragrance of sandalwood,
tagara and jasmine, but the fragrance of the vir-
tuous blows against the wind; the virtuous man
pervades every direction.
Dhammapada 54 (Buddhism)

Whether in village or in forest, in vale or on
hill, wherever monks dwell—delightful, indeed,
is that spot.
Dhammapada 98 (Buddhism)

Purified, for spiritual might, by God’s impulse,
we think of all beautiful things.
Rig Veda 5.82.6 (Hinduism)

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord ,
my soul shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of
salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of
righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61.10

Let not yours be the outward adorning with
braiding of hair, decoration of gold, and wear-
ing of fine clothing, but let it be the hidden per-
son of the heart with the imperishable jewel of
a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is
very precious.
1 Peter 3.3-4

When anyone, having the right kind of love,
mounts up and begins to see the beauty pres-
ent in the beautiful person, he is not far from
the final goal. For the right way of love, whether
one goes alone or is led by another, is to begin
with the beautiful things that are seen here, and
ascend ever upwards, aiming at the beauty that
is above, climbing as it were, on a ladder from
one beautiful body to two, and from two to all
bodies, and from beautiful bodies to beautiful
actions and from beautiful actions to beautiful
forms of knowledge, till the last from these one
reaches that knowledge which is the knowledge
of nothing else but Beauty itself, and so knows
at last what Beauty really is.
Plato, Symposium (Hellenism)

Indeed there are three types of music. The first
type is the music of the universe (musica mun-
dana), the second type that of the human being
(musica humana), and the third type is that cre-
ated by certain instruments (musica instrumentis
constituta)… producing melodies.
Now the first type, the music of the universe,
is best observed in those things which one
perceives in heaven itself, or in the structure of
the elements, or in the diversity of the seasons…
Thus there must be some fixed order of musical
modulation in this celestial motion.
Now one comes to understand the music of
the human being by examining his own being.
For what unites the incorporeal existence of
reason with the body except a certain harmony
and, as it were, a careful tuning of low and high
pitches in such a way that they produce one
consonance?
Boethius

It Is an Amazing Fact that True Parents Have Appeared on This Earth

Happy Seonghwa Anniversary to True Father, Rev. Sun Myung Moon (1920- 2012), who cam as the True Parent of all humanity. Here is an inspiring video about his life, in his own words. Also see this summary of Rev. Moon’s life and work.

View or listen to the latest Richard Urban Show video and podcast:
God in the Public Square-Interview with Philip Sharp.

Cheong Seong Gyeong 227

Now the time has come when you can
develop a vision for the nation. It is an
amazing fact that you can stand in the
front line as a fighter for sake of the inde-
pendence and deliverance of the nation.
Those who do this become representa-
tives of human history and the history of
the universe. When God sees this, how
proud and content He will feel!
It is also an amazing fact that True
Parents have appeared on this earth. We
have severed that which has come from
the false parents. Based on this accom-
plishment, we want to bring everyone
through the gate to the True Parents on
the opposite side. Accordingly, we aim
to turn the path to hell back toward
heaven.
Without passing through the gate of
the True Parents, you cannot enter the
Heavenly Kingdom. However, Chris-
tianity does not have this gate. Only
the Unification Church does. Passing
through this gate will enable you to go
directly to the Kingdom of Heaven. In
return, however, you must completely
clear up your past. You should not even
remember the names of the friends you
have known. Married women should not
be thinking of the man they first loved.
They must reach the point of completely
forgetting him. Those who think about
how they lived in the past cannot enter
the Heavenly Kingdom.
This is why we must put together all
our devoted effort to focus our thoughts
solely on True Parents and God. If some-
thing else is mixed in, you will not be
able to travel in a straight line. You will
not be able to walk the path of love. Just
because you have received the Blessing
on earth does not mean that everything
is finished. You must also pass through
a church-level Blessing, a national-lev-
el Blessing and ultimately a world-level
Blessing. You will need to go through
these three stages. Why? So that you can
effectively reach the point of total self-
denial. Just because you have sons and
daughters does not mean that they are
your possessions. You must reach the
point of total self-denial. These sons and
daughters belong to God and True Par-
ents. (208-342, 1990.11.21)

Cheong Seong Gyeong 1554

The only ideology that should remain
is Godism, which provides us with the
absolute ideal of love and the realm of
heart for our brothers and sisters in all
nations. Only Godism and no other
should govern this world! Amen! (137-196,
1986.1.1)

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 4

God’s Creation and Human Creativity

Beauty

  1. The Beauty of Nature

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

No matter how precious a work of art in a museum may be, can it be equal to a living work of art? This world is God’s work of art; it is like a museum containing all God’s beloved creations. (175:187, April 16, 1988)

Listen to the sound of the cicada. When it sings, all other creatures sing along with it. No orchestra on earth can compare to the orchestra of nature. (285:243, June 5, 1997)

Beholding all things of the natural world, nature’s beauty and harmony through the changing sea-sons, we should appreciate their profundity. A bird in flight, a butterfly or bee, the flowing streams and the towering mountains—know that each is God’s creation and a manifestation of God’s inner heart. (5:343, March 3, 1959)

If you ever feel as if you are dying of loneliness, go out into a garden and find a flower. Smell its fragrance and talk with it, “What a beautiful fragrance! Where are you from?” It might respond, “I come from my grandma and grandpa.” This means its ultimate origin was from God. God created this world as a beautiful garden for us; it is a museum of living things, given for our enjoyment. Picasso’s paintings may be beautiful, but he could not create even a patch of grass. Have you ever considered that you are looking at God’s museum? Have you ever been astonished at the beauty of a pussy willow? It blooms on a cold spring day by the ice-melting stream. How marvelous! Have you wondered for whom is it blooming? Imagine: when your beloved child is thirsty, he breaks the ice with his fist and drinks the water. Afterwards he sees that pussy willow in bloom, a symbol of spring, and sings its praises. It is wonderful! Seeing it enriches our life.Our living environment is a museum of love. Talk with its exhibits and make them your friends. Once you understand that you were born on earth to build relationships with this world of love, how can you be lonely? (112:220, April 12, 1981)

God of creation! Thy beauty is manifested in all the created beings: Everywhere Thy hands have touched teems with mysterious and radiant beauty. Let us fathom the distressed heart of the Father who, even today, ceaselessly tries to find beauty in us, who were created for this purpose. Allow us, we pray, to return beauty to Thee, for Thy love. (1:102, June 10, 1956)

Even Solomon in all His Glory Was Not Arrayed Like One of These

James 1

1 From James, a servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Greetings to the twelve tribes scattered all over the world.[a]

2 My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. 3 You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. 4 But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.

5 If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking. 6 But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. 7-8 If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.

Lamentations 4

4 The purest gold is ruined
    and has lost its shine;
jewels from the temple
    lie scattered in the streets.
2 These are Zion’s people,
    worth more than purest gold;
yet they are counted worthless
    like dishes of clay.

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 4

God’s Creation and Human Creativity

Beauty

Beauty abounds in nature: the majestic mountains, the delicate hues of a flower, the brilliant colors of a sunset, the sparkle of dew on the morning grass. there is harmony of shape and color, light and shadow, sound and silence.
Harmony is an aspect of beauty. harmony is inherent in the very structure of the universe. the ancients found mathematics to be the basis of music, and today scientists are learning more about the “music of the spheres” in the motions of the stars and the properties of the atom. singing birds and chirping insects sound nature’s music as they seek for love. they are expressing its inherent harmony; human music cannot compare with it. the dissonance of our fallen condition condemns us to strike discordant notes. Were that human beings as harmonious as nature!
Human beings, God’s supreme creations, should manifest supreme beauty. people sing, dance, and create beautiful art, but more than that, we find beauty in one another, in expressions of love. there is inner beauty in a loving couple, a filial child caring for aged parents, and a loyal citizen making sacrificial efforts for the welfare of his or her nation. the beauty that people manifest in these ways also glorifies God, who delights to see beauty abounding in his works. this inner beauty becomes apparent in the spirit world—where beauty abounds for those who are worthy.

  1. The Beauty of Nature

Nature is the art of God.
Dante Alighieri

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they
neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon
in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Matthew 6.28-29

God is beautiful and loves beauty
Hadith of Muslim (Islam)

It is God who has made for you the earth as a
resting place, and the sky as a canopy, and has
given you shape—and made your shapes beau-
tiful—and has provided for you sustenance of
things pure and good; such is God, your Lord.
So glory to God, the Lord of the Worlds!
Qur’an 40.64

Known by the name of Protectress
is the Goddess girt by Eternal Law;
by her beauty are these trees green
and have put on their green garlands.
Atharva Veda 10.8.31 (Hinduism)

The One who, Himself without color,
by the manifold application of His power
Distributes many colors in His hidden purpose,
And into whom, its end and its beginning, the
whole world dissolves—
He is God!
Svestasvatara Upanishad 4.1 (Hinduism)

Beauty is before me.
Beauty is behind me.
Beauty is below me.
Beauty is above me.
I walk in beauty.
Navajo Song (Native American Religions)

God created the seven heavens in harmony.
Qur’an 71.15

In the cosmic Void is He absorbed,
Where plays the unstruck mystic music—
Beyond expression is this miraculous wonder.
Adi Granth, Gauri Sukhmani 23.1,
M.5, p. 293 (Sikhism)

The origin of music lies far back in time. It arises
out of two poles: the two poles give rise to the
powers of darkness and light. The powers of dark-
ness and light undergo change; the one ascends
into the heights, the other sinks into the depths;
heaving and surging they combine to form bod-
ies. If they are divided they unite themselves
again; if they are united they divide themselves
again. That is the eternal way of heaven. Heaven
and earth are engaged in a circle. Every ending
is followed by a new beginning; every extreme is
followed by a return. Everything is coordinated
with everything else. Sun, moon, stars move in
part quickly, in part slowly. Sun and moon do
not agree in the time which they need to com-
plete their path. The four seasons succeed each
other, bringing heat and cold, shortness and
length, softness and hardness. That from which
all beings arise and in which they have their ori-
gin is the Great One; that whereby they form
and perfect themselves is the duality of dark-
ness and light… Sound arises out of harmony.
Harmony arises out of relatedness. Harmony
and relatedness are the roots from which music,
established by the ancient kings, arose.
Book of Ritual 19 (Confucianism)