Pyeong Hwa Gyeong: Episode 152
Pyeong Hwa Gyeong: A Selection of True Parents’ Speeches
Book 4: The True Family Movement
Speech 3: True Family and True Universe Centered on True Love, pg 535-538
The true family is like the core of the universe
Thus, the core concept of the universe is the concept of the family. Heaven represents parents and earth represents children. In the case of east and west, east symbolizes man and west symbolizes woman. When a woman gets married, she usually follows wherever her husband goes; however, they have equal value. When the west reflects the sunlight coming from the east, both have the same value. The relationship between siblings is similar. When the older sibling works, the younger ones naturally help him or her.
Therefore, people need to live in relationships like those between parents and children, husband and wife, and elder and younger siblings. Moreover, these three types of relationship must meet at a single central point. Above and below, right and left, and front and back must not have different central points. Otherwise the balance between these three types of relationship will be broken.
Taken together, there are seven positions: above, below, right, left, front, back and the central point. Thus the number seven represents the unity of all components, with God and perfect true love at the center. Together, these seven components form a complete sphere and eventually a family structure of harmony and unity. So, as you can see, seven is truly a lucky number.
When this sphere becomes complete and rotates, it becomes a new entity based on the number eight. As long as love remains true and does not change, the central position can rotate without change. However, because of the Fall, God was expelled from the central position. Since God’s true love was expelled, the true family ideal collapsed.
There are many differences in the lifestyles of people in the East and the West. In many ways they are complete opposites of one another. For example, when we Koreans call someone to come, we motion with the palm down, like this. If we do that in the West, people go the other way. We often misunderstand and wonder if people do not like us, because they go away when we are actually beckoning them to come closer.
Furthermore, Western script is written horizontally, proceeding from left to right. Oriental script in its original form is written vertically, proceeding from top to bottom and from right to left. Consequently, Westerners open their books from left to right, whereas in the Orient we open our books from right to left. Thus Western civilization is more horizontal in orientation, while Oriental civilization has more of a vertical orientation. As another example, shaking hands is a horizontal greeting, while bowing is vertical. In Oriental tradition, ancestors are at the core of the family system. In the West, however, there is no strong concept that regards ancestors as the core. Westerners generally regard the self as the center.
Because every part of an entity is connected at the core, if the core does not move, the whole entity does not move. Therefore, all six positions and the central core have equal value. In a three-generational family—consisting of grandparents, parents and children—there are twelve types of relationships. These twelve ideally will fit wherever they are placed. The grandchild will not object to anything the grandparent wants. Also, the children of the grandparents will want whatever their parents desire. Ultimately, all three generations will unite, sharing the same desire. All members of the family—grandfather and grandmother, father and mother, husband and wife, son and daughter—will resonate with the center.
Let us consider a family that is based on love. Since the relationship between parents and children is characterized by unity, we can say that they form one body. Likewise, husband and wife form one body through their mutual relationship, as do brothers and sisters. All members of the family form one body. In such a case, what is the common center shared by these relationships? In forming one body, they have God’s true love, which is at the center of all love, as their common center. With true love as the center of their relationships, parents and children become one, husband and wife become one, and brothers and sisters become one. Through this process, each member of the family becomes equal in value.
The true path humankind should follow
Then what does God want for His children? Does He want them to become billionaires? Does He want them to become presidents of nations, with all the trappings of power? God wanted His children, Adam and Eve, to grow to become children of filial piety, loyal citizens, saints, and a holy son and daughter. Did you ever consider that, in accordance with God’s desire, we have to become children of filial piety in the family, loyal citizens of the nation, saints in the world, and holy sons and daughters before heaven and earth? Just as many saints and sages have taught us throughout history, we are to become children of filial piety, loyal citizens, saints, and holy sons and daughters.
This evening I would like to ask, do you think you have mastered the way to become an ideal person and to perfect your character? This entails going the way of filial piety, the way of loyalty, the way of sainthood, and the way of a holy son or daughter. Otherwise, you cannot perform the function of true parents in the family. True parents need to teach their children to complete the progression from filial child, to loyal citizen, saint, holy son or daughter, and eventually even to reach God. If there were someone who truly taught and exemplified these things, God would consider that person the ultimate True Parent, True Teacher and True Leader.
When you are qualified as a true parent and true teacher, you will be qualified as a true leader as well. Furthermore, you will be qualified to become a true king or queen. Fallen people lack these ideals and do not demonstrate filial piety, loyal citizenship and sainthood, and thus have been unable to become holy sons and daughters. That is why this world is perishing. Who wants holy sons and daughters? God does. Who wants saints?
The world does. Who wants loyal citizens? The nation does. Who wants children of filial piety? The family does. This is the way of truth. The truth, based on true love, continues eternally in one direction. We did not know this, and that is why we could not become true parents, true citizens, true saints, and holy sons and daughters. When Jesus came to this world there were no true parents in the family, no true leaders in the nation and the world, and ultimately there was no true king in all of heaven and earth. People did not know how to follow the true way. Now that the truth has been revealed, however, we have no more excuses.
True parents do not tell their children, “Once you become children of true filial piety, do not become loyal citizens.” True parents teach children of filial piety to sacrifice their family by following the way of a loyal citizen in service to the nation, and to sacrifice the nation by following the way of saints in service to the world. True parents would also teach their children to sacrifice the world in service to heaven and earth, and to sacrifice heaven and earth to substantiate the true love of God.
To start achieving these goals, individuals need to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their family. This is the way to become a child of filial piety. To become a patriot, you need to serve the nation even at the expense of your family. To be a saint, you need to give of yourself in service to the world, even at the expense of your nation. To be a holy son or daughter, you have to work to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth and in heaven, even at the expense of the world.
Likewise, among all parents, those who make sacrifices and live for the sake of their children are true parents. Teachers who make sacrifices for the sake of their students are true teachers, and the president who makes sacrifices for the nation is a true president. We were unaware of this concept of investing and sacrificing. Without it, however, we will never have one eternally peaceful and united world.
FFWPU, USA