Cheon Seong Gyeong 2281
There exists our vertical self that enables us to freely relate to vertical love. This is the mind. Until now the nature of mind has remained unknown, even within Buddhism. However, we in the Unification Church do know about it. We depict a spherical ideal with its center defined by a horizontal, vertical and front-to-back love axis. As that spherical ideal operates through God’s ideal of creation there can be no loss of energy running through east, west, north and south. Whenever in operation, only good will come; there will be neither evil nor conflict. (182-258, 1988.10.23)
Cheon Seong Gyeong 1272
God wants everyone reborn. From His position, He is trying to bring all of humanity, which is still in the realm of Satan’s false love, to His side through His greater love. Since all humankind was born through the parents, ancestors and lineage of false love, they need to be reborn through the parents, ancestors and lineage of true love. In this way, they can become the children of God and the people of God’s Kingdom. The precious blood of Jesus and the ritual of the Last Supper all symbolize the providence of becoming the children of God through the conversion of the lineage. (135-12, 1985.8.20)
Self-Denial
PEOPLE ARE BLIND TO THEIR OWN SELF-CENTEREDNESS. We know that selfish and greedy people are far from goodness; yet, everyone is tainted by selfishness to some extent. This self-centeredness needs to be exposed and beaten mercilessly; otherwise our goodness is superficial and ephemeral. Therefore, we should deny ourselves.
A life of self-affirmation and pleasure seeking leads, in the end, to emptiness and loss. Self-denial seems to lead to death and loss, but in fact it leads to abundant life with God. Thus we encounter the paradoxical truth, in the words of Jesus, “whoever would save his life would lose it; and whoever loses his life will save it.” These teachings are common to all the world-level religions.
Father Moon affirms the value of self-denial. He explains why human beings should have to travel such a paradoxical and unnatural course to reach the goal of life based upon his insights on the Human Fall. Although God created humans to manifest the character of love and altruism, because of the Fall we are infected by Satan, whose nature is pure self-centeredness. Hence, we face the predicament that in order to restore our original selves we must first deny our existing selves that are stained by satanic elements.
If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
Mark 8.34-36
He who has no thought of “I” and “mine” whatever towards his mind and body, he who grieves not for that which he has not, he is, indeed, called a bhikkhu.
Dhammapada 367 (Buddhism)
They are forever free who renounce all selfish desires and break away from the ego-cage of “I,” “me,” and “mine” to be united with the Lord. Attain to this, and pass from death to immortality.
Bhagavad-Gita 2.71 (Hinduism)
The Man of the Way wins no fame,
The highest virtue wins no gain,
The Great Man has no self.
Chuang Tzu 17 (Taoism)
Where egoism exists, You are not experienced, Where You are, is not egoism.
You learned ones: expound in your mind this inexpressible proposition.
Adi Granth, Maru-ki-Var, M.1, p. 1092 (Sikhism)
Torah abides only with him who regards himself as nothing.
Talmud, Sota 21b (Judaism)
“Subhuti, what do you think? Does a holy one say within himself, ‘I have obtained Perfective Enlightenment’?” Subhuti replied, “No, World-honored One… If a holy one of Perfective Enlightenment said to himself, ‘Such am I,’ he would necessarily partake of the idea of an ego-identity, a personality, a being, a separated individuality.”
Diamond Sutra 9 (Buddhism)
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
John 12.24-25
Remember, those who fear death shall not escape it, and those who aspire to immortality shall not achieve it.
Nahjul Balagha, Khutba 43 (Shiite Islam)
O Son of Man! If you love me, turn away from yourself; and if you seek my pleasure, regard not your own; that you may die in me and I may eternally live in you.
Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic 7 (Baha’i Faith)
You, who sit on the top of a hundred-foot pole, although you have entered the Way you are not yet genuine. Proceed on from the top of the pole, and you will show your whole body in the ten directions.
Mumon’s Comment: If you go on further and turn your body about, no place is left where you are not the master. But even so, tell me, how will you go on further from the top of a hundred-foot pole? Eh?14
Mumonkan 46 (Buddhism)
If, like a cracked gong, you silence yourself, you have already attained Nibbana: no vindictiveness will be found in you.
Dhammapada 134 (Buddhism)
Yen Yüan asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, “To subdue one’s self and return to propriety is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him.”
Analects 12.1.1 (Confucianism)
Knowing that this body is like foam, and comprehending that it is as unsubstantial as a mirage, one should destroy the flower-tipped shafts of sensual passions [Mara], and pass beyond the sight of the King of death.
Dhammapada 46 (Buddhism)
