Tag: Self control

The Man of Understanding Will Regulate His Bodily Habit

Listen to the Richard Urban Show #79

Foundation Day Is Now

Cheon Seong Gyeong 821

The family that perfects the four great realms of heart and three great kingships is the ideal family. The grandparents stand as God, the parents as the king of the families of this world, and you as the children are the future kings and queens who will inherit the kingship in the spiritual and physical worlds. You become the kings and queens who inherit all of this. The ideal family is the place where the three great kingships should bear fruit. (239-185, 1992.11.24)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 799

    This universe is a museum of love. Human beings must become the owners of this museum. The mineral world and plant world multiply centering on relationships of love. Without love, history would end. History can continue because there is reproduction. Consequently, man and woman should marry and give birth to children. Without doing so, they cannot find their place in the spirit world. When a baby is born, you should come before God and offer that baby as a gift to Him. Without this gift, you cannot hold your head up proudly.
    When you go back to your hometown, what is it you will be most proud of and want to show your parents? You will take pride in how well you raised your children. It is the same in the spirit world. When you go before God, there is no greater gift than bringing God’s children, the people of heaven, whom you have raised on this earth. Money, power, and knowledge are not important. (229-15, 1992.4.9)

Self-Control

2. Self-Discipline: Training the Unruly Beast Within

Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not keep with you.
    Psalm 32.9
 
Man makes a harness for his beast; all the more should he make one for the beast within himself, his evil desire.
    Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin 10.1 (Judaism)
 
Excellent are trained mules, so are thoroughbred horses of Sindh and noble tusked elephants; but far better is he who has trained himself.
 
Formerly this mind went wandering where it liked, as it wished and as it listed. Today with attentiveness I shall completely hold it in check, as a mahout controls an elephant in must.
    Dhammapada 322, 326 (Buddhism)
 
Know that the Self is the rider, and the body the chariot; that the intellect is the charioteer, and the mind the reins. The senses, say the wise, are the horses; the roads they travel are the mazes of desire…
 
When a man lacks discrimination and his mind is uncontrolled, his senses are unmanageable, like the restive horses of a charioteer. But when a man has discrimination and his mind is controlled, his senses, like the well-broken horses of a charioteer, lightly obey the rein.
    Katha Upanishad 1.3.3-6 (Hinduism)
 
The man of understanding… will regulate his bodily habit and training. Not yielding to brutal and irrational pleasures, he will regard even health as quite a secondary matter. His first aim will be not to be fair or strong or well, unless he is likely to gain temperance thereby, but to temper the body so as to preserve the harmony of the soul.
    Plato, The Republic (Hellenism)
 
Irrigators lead the waters. Fletchers bend the shafts. Carpenters bend wood. The virtuous control themselves.
    Dhammapada 80 (Buddhism)
 
It is true that the mind is restless and difficult to control. But it can be conquered, Arjuna, through regular practice and detachment. Those who lack self-control will find it difficult to progress in meditation; but those who are self-controlled, striving earnestly through the right means, will attain the goal.
    Bhagavad-Gita 6.35-36 (Hinduism)
 
What is meant by saying that cultivation of the personal life depends on the rectification of the mind is that when one is affected by wrath to any extent, his mind will not be correct. When one is affected by fear to any extent, his mind will not be correct. When he is affected by fondness to any extent, his mind will not be correct. When he is affected by worries and anxieties, his mind will not be correct. When the mind is not present, we look but do not see, listen but do not hear, and eat but do not know the taste of food. This is what is meant by saying that the cultivation of the personal life depends on the rectification of the mind.
    Great Learning 7 (Confucianism)
 
That man is disciplined and happy
who can prevail over the turmoil
That springs from desire and anger,
here on earth, before he leaves his body.
    Bhagavad-Gita 5.23 (Hinduism)
 
 
 
 
 

You Must First Have Dominion Over Yourself

Listen to the Richard Urban Show #78:

Is Mob Rule Taking Over the United States?

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1950

As an island nation, England was always at the mercy of attacks from the Vikings of Norway, Denmark and Sweden. That is why the English people took an interest in the ocean and trained themselves in sea defense. England was in a position where she could not survive unless she maintained her control over the oceans. Consequently, England strengthened its policy of mastery over the seas in Queen Elizabeth’s time. This was all in accordance with God’s providence. Britain took control of North America. Britain employed a policy of pretending to be outwardly civil towards Spain, but resorted to deception internally. Don’t we know this through studying history? Spain conquered South America. Consequently, in order to prevent Spain from conquering all of North America, Great Britain strengthened many of her maritime policies. (80-292, 1975.11.2)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1192

Why are things such as indemnity or the restoration of the right of parents, the right of the eldest son, and the right of kingship necessary? Satan’s love, life and lineage are the key problems. What originally should have started from God has actually begun from the devil. The devil made a start centered on something incredible called love. The universe was created because of love. The process of creation took place centering on love, which is the source of all beings. Satan overturned this origin. That is why the original source that was twisted must now be twisted back. (206-236, 1990.10.14)

Morality

Self-Control

Self-control is the basis of all virtues. Unruly thoughts, attractions of the senses, lustful desires, anger, covetousness, and avarice constantly arise in the mind of the person who has no mental discipline; and these impel him to do evil deeds. If a person cannot even direct his own thoughts, desires, and actions, how can he possibly have integrity in his relations with others? How can he keep his life on the path of truth? the philosopher John Locke said, “the discipline of desire is the background of character.”
The passages in this section feature two nearly universal metaphors employed to describe self-control: military conquest and the horse and rider. The conquest of self is the most difficult of all conquests, yet the most important. Father Moon teaches that regardless of one’s high-minded motives to change the world, all efforts are futile without the foundation of having mastered oneself. The task of gaining self-control is also likened to a rider on a wild horse. The higher mind or conscience, like an experienced rider, must gain control over the beast within. He may have to employ the bit and bridle of self-denial and asceticism, yet at all costs he must tame and subdue the lower self with its wanton desires.

1. Victory over the Self

Though one should conquer a million men on the battlefield, yet he, indeed, is the noblest victor who has conquered himself.
    Dhammapada 103 (Buddhism)
 
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 16.32
 
I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.
    Aristotle1(Hellenism)
 
Who is strong? He who controls his passions.
    Mishnah, Avot 4.1 (Judaism)
 
He who conquers others has physical strength;He who conquers himself is strong.
    Tao Te Ching 33 (Taoism)
 
The Prophet declared, “We have returned from the lesser holy war (al jihad al-asghar) to the greater holy war (al jihad al-akbar).” They asked, “O Prophet of God, which is the greater war?” He replied, “Struggle against the lower self.”
    Hadith (Islam)
 
Though a man should conquer thousands and thousands of valiant foes, greater will be his victory if he conquers nobody but himself.
 
Fight with yourself; why fight with external foes? He who conquers himself through himself will obtain happiness….
 
Difficult to conquer is oneself; but when that is conquered, everything is conquered.
    Uttaradhyayana Sutra 9.34-36 (Jainism)
 
In the human soul there is a better and also a worse principle; and when the better has the worse under control, then a man is said to be master of himself; and this is a term of praise: but when, owing to evil education or association, the better principle, which is also the smaller, is overwhelmed by the greater mass of the worse—in this case he is blamed and is called the slave of self and unprincipled.
    Plato, The Republic 9 (Hellenism)
 
Superior nature can be taught and inferior nature can be controlled.
    Han Yu (Confucianism)
 
Man should discover his own reality
and not thwart himself.
For he has the self as his only friend,
or as his only enemy.
A person has the self as a friend
when he has conquered himself,
But if he rejects his own reality,
the self will war against him.
Bhagavad-Gita 6.5-6 (Hinduism)
 
Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon
 
“Before you desire to have dominion over the universe, you must first have dominion over yourself”: That is my motto. God’s love, life and truth can be developed on the basis of self-mastery. (Way of God’s Will 2.2)
 
Who is your enemy? The devil out there is not your enemy; you are your own enemy. Are your mind and body united as one in serving God? How difficult is it? Which is easier, to unite the world or to unite your own self? If you are united as an individual, then by extending that unity you can certainly unify the world. Then who is your enemy? Your own eyes are your enemy. Your own ears are your enemy. Your own nose is your enemy. Your own mouth is your enemy. Your own thoughts are your enemy. (91:285-86, February 27, 1977)
 
Because we are fallen, we have some elements to overcome. Therefore, I put forward the motto, “Before you desire to have dominion over the universe, you must first have dominion over yourself.” The issue is not gaining worldly dominion. To have dominion over the self—this is the absolute goal of training. It is the purpose that religious people have pursued throughout history, and the important responsibility assigned to each of us today. Yet, we neglect this task. (82:281, February 1, 1976)
 
Stopping the mind and the body from fighting is more difficult than signing a truce to end a world war. (320:249, April 16, 2000)
 
 

Undertake the Adventure of Conquering Yourself

Cheon Seong Gyeong 2473

Family Pledge number four states:
“Our family… pledges to build the
universal family encompassing heav-
en and earth, which is God’s ideal of
creation, and perfect the world of free-
dom, peace, unity and happiness, by
centering on true love”! It is from here
that happiness arises. Happiness, free-
dom and the ideal are realized in the
family of the ideal of creation desired
by God. (260-305, 1994.5.19)

Richard: Happiness cannot be achieved without realizing God’s ideal of the family.

Cheong Seong Gyeong 1242

You must understand how impor-
tant the Blessing is from a providential
point of view. God’s Blessing is received
where the Kingdom of Heaven on earth
and the Kingdom of Heaven in the spirit
world meet. It is the place where the eter-
nal world and the corporeal world meet
horizontally. (Blessed Family – 544)

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
July 19, 1959

John 10: 1-18

Then what is the adventure of adventures? It is to cry for the miserable people in Heavenly Father’s stead, with a deep, desperate heart. Although you may have received a complicated and difficult mission, and even if your heart desires peace, you have to be determined to fulfill the responsibility and go forth toward the standard God desires, in spite of death or universal opposition.

The world’s affairs were pioneered through adventures. But no one took on the adventure of the world of God’s heart. Thus, if God says to live a certain way, then live that way. If Jesus said to do this, then just do that. To find out if it is true or a lie, you have to charge through with it until the end.

There is no greater adventure than the adventure regarding the issues of your own heart. Please become the explorers of the world of the heart, and understand that there is nothing more joyous or renewing than to make a relationship with Heavenly Father through those adventures.

Prayer

How much did Jesus sympathize with the miserable fishermen when he walked the beaches of Galilee for thirty years? How much did he sympathize with the pitiful villages? How concerned was he when he saw the state of the Jewish churches and the religious bodies? We realize how miserable Jesus was as he was chased out of the temple in Jerusalem, wandering around from village to village, and later on searching the seaside to find just one disciple who was true in heart.

As we tried to see what was the adventure of adventures, we realized that the greatest adventure is not to an object or something in front of you. It is to conquer yourself and completely dominate yourself and bring yourself into submission.

Jesus knew that the day you go into the world of the heart and conquer yourself is the day all of the cosmos will find you. Because he knew that, he gratefully trod the path of isolation and of being nailed to the cross. Jesus was grateful even as he was sneered at. He even comforted the people. Although his body, dripping with blood, was in pain and his heart was indignant, he saw that the Father’s heart was vested in those people as He worked through the providence. Therefore, he was filled with the heart to elevate the Father and deny himself. We now see the heart of Jesus. He prayed that Heavenly Father might bless the people, that he might somehow accidentally obviate the four thousand years of the building of a relationship with mankind and ruin that foundation.

Although humanity has been struggling to explore and conquer the things of this visible world in spite of numerous risks, humanity is not undertaking the adventure of conquering the self, with the internal heart at stake. Please allow us to realize that the course of this adventure is more rough, dangerous, great and fearful than any precipitous mountain of this world; it is greater than traversing any great ocean, and going any place where wild beasts dwell.

Many people who were walking the path of the Way failed when the element of the self came in. We realize that Jesus was able to possess the glory of resurrection when he gave himself up. He became the historic master who was victorious over himself.

We have to lose this world, lose the self, and lose the history of sorrowful regret. Please allow us to fight with our bodies and minds. Please allow us to fight on while holding on to God’s heart of the six thousand years. Allow us to realize that it is the historic desire of mankind, the desire of the age, and the request of the future that we be the victors who can rightfully wish blessing upon all creation, representing Heavenly Father. Please help us to realize that it is not God or Jesus, but I, myself, who must become such a being. I, myself, am the true center of God and Jesus, this land, and all the existing world. Let us realize that to find this truth has to start from oneself.

Jesus lived thirty years in this world. He lost himself, and once again lived to experience the joy of the resurrection. Please allow us to feel the joy of finding ourselves again after being lost. If we cannot experience the joy of being reborn after death, the coming garden of blessing does not have anything to do with us. Please allow us to bury and throw away the self that goes along with this world and to live again with Heavenly Father.

We have to carry on a revolution today. We have to find the new world. We need an adventurous and investigative character. Father, we realize that those who think about themselves cannot be included in this number. Those who are clinging to the conditions of the environment will not be able to pioneer that environment. Those who are caught up in the thoughts and ideals of this life cannot partake in the ideology of this new world to fulfill their role as world leaders God can be pleased with.

Please allow us to have the heart that is in tune with the heart of the ideal, from the individual, to the family, up to the cosmos. Let us be grateful wherever we are sent, grateful no matter what kind of offering we may become. Let us be heavenly princes of adventure who can go forth ready to face any risk.

I sincerely pray that we can be the sons and daughters whom God can trust and that we can be responsible for everything. I pray all these things in the loving name of the Lord. Amen.