Jesus Christ's goal was to become a perfected man. The greatest saints followed this route he took. Today I am striving to achieve this goal of perfection. Since Mother is too kind and good, I need other women to give me a hard time. That is why I get such a hard time from you American women!
Original Race from One Lineage 12-1-82
I always go to the Holy Ground every day to pray at 5:00 in the morning and sometimes earlier. It is not easy for Mother, but she accompanies me. Mother has her own accomplishments; she is only one woman and she has brought thirteen brilliant children into the world. That is very extraordinary and I could easily become sympathetic toward her situation for that reason, but I don't allow myself to do that. I tell her, "You have your accomplishments, but I have my own suffering, too. My path is equally and even more difficult. Therefore, let us move forward without hesitation."
Sometimes I don't feel very well; I get headaches and soreness throughout my body. Whenever that happens, I push myself harder. Normally people say, "I need another two hours' rest, perhaps a whole day's rest, and I'll be all right tomorrow." However, when I don't feel well I push my body and say, "Get moving." What happens? I find that my pains and headache disappear.
Those leaders who come regularly to East Garden come early in the morning and stay until I go upstairs to bed. At night they often feel very tired but they don't want to say so. Instead they say to me, "Father, I think you must be very tired. Don't you want to go upstairs and get some rest?" I answer them, "You rascals! Get behind me, Satan!" Then I usually stay downstairs even longer than usual.
Normally I go upstairs around one or two o'clock in the morning, but that is not the end of my day. I often sit at my desk and read reports and work on papers. Often I spend the entire night on that chair. Five o'clock comes very quickly and I always go to the Holy Ground to pray.
I can sleep at any time or place. If I sit down for just five minutes, you will hear me snoring very soon. My body is always tired, but I am still pushing myself. Many members think, "Father's body is special. His bones are made of iron and his flesh is not really like everybody else's." That is the way many people try to justify themselves.
Home Church is Our Land of Settlement 7-1-83
True Parents' family is the nucleus. Mother is always right beside me, but since I represent the universe, can I focus on loving her every minute of the day? No, not yet. Why not? Because we are still living in a fallen environment. In the original, unfallen world, we would face no resistance or persecution. Only when we overcome the realm of universal persecution can Mother and I enjoy a total love relationship. I can tell Mother that I love her with my entire heart and soul on a universal scale in an absolute manner only after we transcend universal persecution.
The Cain world is persecuting me every minute of the day. But being in the elder son's position, I have a duty to love them with my heart and soul on a universal scale. Even if the eldest son fell away and occupied a satanic position, it is still the universal truth that the eldest son deserves the most love from his father. Unless he first gives that love unconditionally, he cannot claim the second son. Therefore, if the Cain world persecutes me, I still have to love it with all my heart.
So what is Mother's role? To bring the unification between Cain and Abel and return to Adam. That is Eve's role. Since we are living in a fallen environment, I have to be a public person. I am investing myself entirely for the sake of the world, for the sake of the providence. After fulfilling all the required conditions, I will devote my entire life and love to Mother. That same principle can be applied to you Unification Church members. The fallen world is in Cain's position -- the elder son's position -- and you are in the second son's position. Therefore I have to first love the eldest son, Cain -- the outside world -- before I can claim the second son. You are hit the hardest, in a way, because God's desire is to love the world by sacrificing you. Having to sacrifice you is torture for me. I have to sacrifice Abel in order to love the Cain world. By the same token, True Parents sacrifice their own children for your sake, because they are in the Abel position to you in the Cain position. Therefore, Mother and I love you first and give more time to you than to our own children. Do you follow? Our own children realize this and accept it.
This is a central principle to follow. Unification Church leaders in particular should be aware of where their hearts lie. Rather than your own family, True Parents and True Children should come first. When we restore the world and the entire world welcomes True Parents, accepting our ideology and way of life, then we can love our own children and our own family. This is how the battle is fought. Cain and Abel should unite before they come and offer themselves to True Parents. Therefore, you should love True Parents' children, because only through them can you approach True Parents. For the same reason, the people of the world have to go through you in order to reach the True Parents, so you are their savior. Do you follow?
Actually, I have not yet loved our children as many dads in the outside world do. I have been unable to give them warmth and love, day in and day out, because we are still in a fallen environment. There is a big job yet to do. The mission must come first; the battle must be fought.
Because the Cain world has priority, I must first focus there. How can I even waste one moment? I am concentrating on loving the Cain world and bringing it to God. Mother's role is to bear the suffering endured by all the women of the world, past and present. In the position of Adam, I should be able to embrace and melt all the grievances and heartbreak of women throughout the world. In turn, Mother has to digest and melt all the incredible inner torments of Adam. So the first cross that Mother bears is to digest and embrace my suffering, which is that of Adam and all the men of the world. Her third cross is to digest with love the suffering of all the world's children. Her role is to digest with love. Mother is indemnifying the role of women, men and children.
Then what is my role? They are crosses of the family, the nation and the world. Mother has to carry her three crosses and follow me. I also have to digest the suffering of all men, women and children in history, in addition to my other three crosses. In that respect Mother is following me in obedience, without imposing her will. Until universal restoration is completed, Mother cannot say a word. Her spirit is the spirit of absolute obedience. This is the battle we are engaged in.
Why am I expounding on this? Because we are your examples. You have roles as husband and wife. You women have a husband; you have seen him working with other women as secretaries, witnessers, fund raisers, or whatever. You may start to have doubts and wonder if something is going wrong with him. Women must never harbor that kind of doubt. You should trust your husband as you do God.
Likewise, you men should trust your wives. You should be able to digest everything, having wisdom and love as deep as the ocean. You should be able to swallow, digest and bury everything and anything.
Actually, Mother's spirit is one of total trust. That is the reason for her greatness. I always insist that she attend every public function because, while the universe is being restored, our destiny is to preside as a pair.
The Way God is Pursuing 1-23-83
I want you to understand that God's thinking is so broad and deep because He is God. Therefore Jesus, as the son of God, could make the kind of statements he did. How about Reverend Moon? Is there anyone who has been persecuted or misunderstood more than I have? Stalin and Mao have been criticized for killing so many people. Even though I have never touched one life, I am more accused than Stalin, Mao or anyone else. Instead of killing the enemy, I have just forgiven and loved them. In return, I have been blamed incessantly. Actually, it has been my strategy that if people don't criticize or curse me, I will poke them until they do. "Go ahead," I say. "Go on and curse me!"
The fact that I am criticized by the news media and by society doesn't mean that I am doing anything evil. I am being attacked for doing good things, such as reaching out to drug addicts and transforming them into patriotic, healthy and determined young people. My work is making trouble, but it is for the good. Impossible young people like you who don't listen to parents, teachers, aunts and uncles, or friends, but who are a law unto yourself, come to me and somehow I clean you up and transform you into goal-oriented, dedicated men and women. People just cannot imagine such a thing happening.
According to these criteria, do you understand me to be a good man or an evil one? You may think I am being cruel to you, but actually I am even more cruel to myself. I am the leader of the Unification Church, but if I sleep two and a half hours at night instead of two, I feel I must repent in the sight of God. If I push my members so hard, how can I sleep comfortably?
When I stay at East Garden, I want to wear the same underwear, Tshirt and pants several days or more. Sometimes I don't bother to change underwear for a whole week but Mother complains. I keep saying I can wear them another day. Sometimes things become soiled and I turn them inside out and wear them again. Do you think I do this because there is no washing machine at East Garden or because I have no extra clothes? No, I do it because I am thinking of you. When I take a bath at night, Mother very sweetly takes away all the soiled underwear and puts it in the laundry bin. Then, when she is looking at something else, I come out, take the underwear out of the bin, and wear them again! I do this because my mind is always with you.
I know the fund raisers don't always get a chance to eat regular meals and wash their underwear often, so I want to be united with them. I skip a meal sometimes; I don't wear a clean shirt every day. I don't want to do something if my members aren't doing it. I feel the happiest and most comfortable living like this. I also know that when you members go through mental and physical suffering, you think of East Garden and Mother and me. My mind goes to you, and I support you in thought. Even though my body may be stationary in East Garden, my mind has constant give and take with you members -- not only here, but all over the world.
One missionary died recently. His last words were that he was sorry he couldn't get out of his bed and bow to Father before his death. "Please ask Father and Mother to forgive me," he said; "I wanted to make a final bow to Father but I couldn't." How can I not be connected to such members? Even in spirit, I love them, think of them, work more intensely, and suffer with them side by side. My physical body is limited to one place, but in the world of thought I am unlimited; I can go anywhere. I have constant give and take with all the members, particularly those who think about me. Because I don't want to be burdened by indebtedness to you, I am always aggressively looking for ways to give you more. Therefore, when anyone calls out my name, I will be there.
Beyond space and time, I am leading the movement all over the world. Many people are receiving instructions from me through dreams, visions and voices. I manifest myself in all kinds of ways and give members exactly the right answers. There are millions and millions of such phenomena all over the world.
I stay at East Garden, but it has no joy for me. I feel sorry about riding in a big Lincoln limousine, but when I have to travel a long distance, it is necessary for security. Still, I never feel I have the right to these things. The only time I can sleep well is when I travel, so I sleep in the car. Even there, I feel like I am working because I am in motion, but before I doze off I ask God if I can take a little rest. That is the only time I take the liberty of napping. At East Garden, I don't feel free to sleep. I am always pushing myself, so I never take a nap inside East Garden -- only when traveling by car. Because of this intense give and take of love, all the members of the Unification Church, without exception, can be truly connected to me. If you think of me intensely, my thought waves will match yours -- and even more.
With Whom Shall I Live 2-6-83
It is very important to protect yourself from evil. There is no challenge I haven't thought about and devised ways to overcome. I even tested myself by looking at magazine pictures of beautiful women and asking myself what I would do if one of them crawled into my bed. "I would cut my belly out before I would do anything," I resolved. "When she saw the knife, she would leave quickly!" I considered how I would handle temptation from a beautiful white woman, from a black woman, from an Oriental woman. I considered what special qualities I knew about such women that I could utilize to help me resist their advances. I realized that this was a critical area of temptation because that's how the fall happened.
Even at a very young age, I tested myself daily. When I undertook this mission of liberating mankind, I thought very deeply because I realized that if I could not overcome such temptations, I could not be truly confident. My mission was to liberate God and liberate all mankind. In the process I prayed a lot to make sure that God would protect me and give me the confidence I needed.
Sometimes I was harsh with my eyes. "I really gave you a hard time, didn't I?" I would tell them afterwards. Then my eyes answered, "Yes, you did. But now we are happy because you prevented us from making a mistake." I persecuted my nose, but it said, "Yes, you really gave me a terrible time; I was afraid then, but now I'm glad." I looked at my mouth in the mirror and told it, "You really went hungry until you reached 30 years of age, didn't you?" My mouth answered, "Yes, it was rather difficult to persevere, but I am grateful that I will never have to go through that again."
My ears heard so many unpleasant things, but they confided to me that they are the happiest ears in the world. I have touched smelly, thorny fish and many other disagreeable things, but my hands don't complain about their misfortune. Instead they say that they are the happiest hands in the world. All my limbs tell me, "You are my true master!" Are you the true master of your eyes, ears, nose, mouth and limbs? Has every part of your body become a true part of your being? If not, you need to pray more.
There is nothing more important that fulfilling your mission. Your mission is everything. You should realize that it is not your nation that hinders you and persecution is not what holds you back. Your real limitations are internal. It is lack of confidence rather than persecution that restricts you. In fact, if you set a very high standard for yourself and force yourself to live up to it, the world will stop persecuting you!
I have absolute confidence, so I am never shaken no matter what kind of persecution comes my way. I stand firm as a rock. Therefore, persecution will eventually fade away. I can apply the principles of the internal discipline I have perfected to external situations. Just as I have fortified myself internally, I will defend myself from external slander, persecution and invasion.
Mission and Prayer 6-12-83
We know clearly how Adam and Eve failed along their path to that goal. In order to correct their failure, you must understand what I have been discussing today. Do you think I, too, have had to follow this road of principle or am I exempt because of a special power from God? I had to be the first person to go this path. Satan knows clearly what is needed for God to come into this world; therefore, all his forces were mobilized to block True Parents from reaching all the way to God. He knew that if the True Parents were not established, he would have been able to reign without interference forever.
Satan's forces tried everything to stop the True Parents from achieving unity, striving to block each step which they had to climb. Thus the strongest time of persecution and effort on the part of Satan centered on that Day of the Victory of Heaven. Satan always tries to work through a person's immediate family -- the people closest to him -- in order to get him. The entire family must achieve unity with no one being outside that unity.
Even Mother herself didn't understand what I was doing. All she had to do was have absolute confidence in me and follow my direction. This condition was very significant for Mother. If she was able to support me throughout all the trying times, she was also able to take the victory with me. Whatever I was able to accomplish was equally shared with Mother because she made me the success that I was. You, the children, had the same responsibility as Mother: simply to support the True Father.
Why do you need me? I am a model, an example for you. I am the only one who can show you how to walk each level and be victorious so that you can unify at a higher level. Because the first parents were the prey of Satan and, therefore, became the false parents, only the True Parents can bring God's unity.
There is no one else who knows the true dispensational meaning of the Unification Church, including all the church leaders. They are in just the same position as you in that respect. Nobody but the True Parents knows. The position of Father and Mother is like that of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. There was nobody else to listen to, except the archangel who led them astray. True Parents cannot listen to anybody at this time or discuss things. Do you understand? Many American members think that I listen to Korean or Japanese leaders at East Garden and that I am influenced by them, but that is wrong.
American leaders try to tell me, "Americans think a different way. That won't work in America." Let me ask you: is America the Garden of Eden or anywhere near Heaven? At this time, the true man and true woman have made a couple and must forge the vertical way. Everybody else must follow that vertical way, then make the horizontal way. This is the way of Principle. Do you understand?
Day of the Victory of Heaven 10-4-85
We were conceived and born out of the love of our parents. Parental love is the beginning point of life for everyone. Thus which comes first, love or life? Yes, love comes first. Love brought union which brought creation. Today most theologians are confused about the basic purpose of God's creation. They talk about the creation without understanding its purpose. For most, the conventional theology is to see God as the Almighty Creator and man as His creature, with no ability for the two to become one. They think that God and man must remain separate and that there is very little in common between them. They talk about God but they do not see God as an absolute necessity in man's daily life, and thus they cannot come up with an absolute ideal.
Love is the source of the creation, the source of life. You were conceived in the love of your father and mother; you were born as a baby and grew up in the love of your parents. They changed your diapers and fed you every day, which is any expression of parents' love.
Mother has had many babies and often, when they were almost ready to be born, they did a lot of "exercising" within the womb, kicking and punching. That caused a lot of discomfort to Mother and many nights she simply could not sleep. But I never saw her complain and say to the baby, "You stop that! It's my time to rest now." Even though she might not sleep for an entire night and could only sit up in a chair, she felt joy for the life moving within her. She always looked forward to the birth. That is because of love -- that life was conceived and was born because of love; a child is meant to grow up in love.
Recently, Mother has been taking members from other countries shopping, spending time choosing things for them to wear. Even when she is tired, she goes out for long periods of time. I was surprised and impressed, and I thought about how beautiful it was. Eventually Mother will get old and need a cane, and I can imagine young people joyfully following her around, like kids in a toy shop! What a beautiful scene that would be! She could never do that for money -- only in the name of love.
Heavenly Life 11-20-83
Recently one of the elder members of the Church told me, "Father, you have worked so hard for so long; from now on you must receive glory." For a moment I considered that possibility but I felt it very strange to think about. Then I thought to myself, "No, I will probably continue to do more and more." Then I saw that person was thinking to himself, "Since I have worked so hard, too, I have some reward coming to me." However, that is not the way I think.
Nobody questions the idea that since I have worked hard and long for the sake of the world I deserve recognition. But I immediately reject such thinking; my whole being thinks that such an attitude is wrong.
Many Koreans work hard in America for four or five years so that they can return to their country and have a nice rest. On the contrary, I am looking forward to a trip to Korea now because Korea desperately needs a revival. The Korean nation is suffering; there is so much turmoil and the government doesn't know what to do. I will go there and inspire them and then I will return to America. My trip to Korea will entail a lot of hard work; it certainly will not be a vacation. Do you understand?
Many people say to me, "You are not a young man so you should slow down," but I don't agree. Now that I am over sixty, I am only thinking of how much more I can do. My teaching to you is to live for the sake of others and to start now, during your young years. As you live this way, I know you will achieve a lofty standard by the time you are my age. Therefore I always encourage you to take on suffering and sacrifice for the sake of other people. I know for a fact that this is the very best way of life.
Original Palace of Utmost Happiness 12-1-83
Upon the victory of my prison experience, I can claim the foundation for the Fatherland. Today's World magazine recently printed a testimony by Mr. Chun Hwa Pak. I carried him 600 miles from North to South Korea. Most people aren't even able to go beyond their own needs, but I showed him the example of serving others by carrying Mr. Pak for that distance.
From the earliest days, people were accusing me and even trying to kill me. At the same time, I was helping many people. I was always hungry because I was always giving my food and money to others -- for their school expenses, for hospital bills, and so forth. That is how I started, from the tribal and national level.
If the free world and Christianity opposed Reverend Moon, what kind of indemnity would they pay? From where would that indemnity be paid -- from America or from Christianity or where? Who shall be responsible for the debt they incurred by rejecting the Messiah? The Unification Church must take responsibility because you are in the Abel position. Abel must pay the indemnity.
This is the reason why those in the second position within the Unification Church are always in the sacrificial position. Mr. Eu, the late president of the Korean Unification Church, was the second of the first three couples in the 36 blessed couples. He died in a hospital, not in his own home, about 13 years ago. At that time, our church was facing tremendous opposition from the other Korean Christian churches, as well as from the government.
Also, from my previous marriage there were two sons. The second son was martyred in 1970. He was going out on a summer evangelical mission, like the IOWC, and was killed in a train accident. From the True Parents' family, there was another daughter, named Hye Jin, who died in 1964. She was the second daughter. Our second son was Heung Jin Nim, who was born right after Hye Jin.
I want you to understand that this is the Divine Principle way of the dispensation. This has been true throughout history and for our movement as well. Likewise, it is true for the True Parents' family. You can see for yourself that the Divine Principle is not something I made up, but it is the true principle which has guided history.
The Day of Victory of Love is the most significant day in our movement. You too must manifest the true love of God in your deeds. Without a truly loving spirit, you cannot be worthy of this special day. I did not shed any tears over the loss of Heung Jin Nim throughout the whole time of the funeral. It was only when Col. Pak came back from Korea and reported about the victorious proceedings there, that I finally shed tears for my son. I am a public man and therefore must be stern with myself.
I always preached to Mother, "You are like a tree with its new leaves at the top. When a storm comes, those leaves will blow and the branches will sway. But never forget that the leaves are attached to the branches, the branches are attached to the trunk, which is attached to the root. You will never be separated from your root, no matter how turbulent are the emotional storms that shake you. You must not be broken."
Through this event, the Unification Church will never be weakened but will leap forward. This greatest sacrifice will bring about greater victories. From now on, centering on the True Parents and upon the declaration of the Day of the Victory of Love, vindication will come to us. As long as you love the True Parents more than you love anything else, you will overcome Satan. The power of love will be your vindication because Heung Jin Nim died for all of us and he opened the door so that everyone can be entitled to the privilege of love.
Now your duty is to love the True Parents even more than Heung Jin Nim did. If you have that as your criterion, the power of death will be no more and Satan will retreat. Up till now, Satan was able to conquer and control love but from now on, love shall be governed by God. This is a great, great day. Do you follow?
If you listen again to these points, you will understand these profound truths which I am telling you. Basically I am telling you that the power of love is now able to conquer the power of death. Upon this foundation, I declared the Day of Victory of Love. The satanic world will crumble faster now, but the speed will be determined by you -- the faster you move, the faster it will crumble. That is your responsibility.
The Necessity for the Day of Victory of Love 1-15-84