Pyeong Hwa Gyeong: Episode 56
Pyeong Hwa Gyeong: A Selection of True Parents’ Speeches
Book 2: God’s Homeland and the Peace Kingdom
Speech 1: The Background and Significance of the Founding of the Unification Church, pg 202-205
What is different about the Unification Church?
At this point we need to come up with something new in order to realize peace and unity. Even in the world that is to come, the issue is ultimately each of us. We are the cause of the problems. Then, the question is, how can we plant within ourselves the base of an unwavering, self-confident heart by which we can overcome any obstacle coming from any circumstance, and resonate with the incoming tide of the new history? Also, how can we apply this understanding to our own life?
The problem we run into every day is the battle between our mind and body. This battle is not limited to ourselves; it also affects the family. If we look at our individual self, our mind and body are in conflict, and if we look at our family, our spouse is the same, so it is as though there are four people there, not two. If there are ten people, and all ten are mind-body conflicted, there are going to be divisions.
Only love can bring people together and bring the heavenly way and the human way together. I have been struggling for many years to practice this way of love, analyzing how it can be substantially learned by experience, with the Principle at the center.
In the future, what is the teaching that will remain in the world? Is it teaching that works for one’s particular society? No, it is not. The leaders of the Association of Religions in Korea have gathered together here today, but if each of you were to develop the association just for the sake of your own religion, the association will not succeed. Rather than honoring your own religion now, you need to pursue a greater love that is able to embrace many religions and is able to connect nations and unite the world.
If God exists, if He had the choice of saving either Korea or the world, which would He save first? Although He needs both Korea and the world, and although Korea does need to be saved, His Will would be to cast Korea aside and save the world. Taking this as our standard, the way of human beings who wish to follow the way of goodness or faith is the same. Do not approach things focused on your own self. You must give yourself up. In this way, when you live beyond the society, you become a loyal patriot. The person who is able to live beyond the nation, in their spiritual work and in daily life, both inside and outside, becomes a saint.
In this sense, as Korea seeks to be a new leader as we approach the Pacific era, if it pursues policies only for the sake of Korea, it will not succeed. Korea has to pursue policies focused on the good of Asia. On the foundation of those policies, Korea has to pursue policies focused on the good of the world. Actually, the world only needs one nation, if that nation’s policies, religion and everything else were going forward in that spirit.
The reason the Unification Church has developed is because it understands that for the individual to be happy the world must first be happy, and that for the individual to be truly saved the world must first be saved. This is different from the established religions. If there is something to be learned from religious beliefs, it is that instead of making our perceptions conform to our own concepts, we ought to establish a relationship with the emotional side of the Will of God, focused on the world.
I know you have heard rumors about the Unification Church. However, those rumors are not the problem. Today, if the thirty million people of Korea or its many religious groups could prosper by striking Reverend Moon of the Unification Church, then they ought to strike me. What I am hoping for is not the salvation of Korea; it is the salvation of the world. If God’s Will is to save the world, Korea must make itself able to save the world, and the Unification Church must make itself able to save Korea. Then the Unification Church and Korea will prosper.
Religion must be able to save the nation and the world
What is evil? It is acquiring things centered on oneself. What is goodness? It is surrendering one’s self and giving boundlessly. Only a person of goodness can stand in the ranks of the saints. If we look at history, many great men and women dedicated themselves to the nation. If we look at Korea, people like Admiral Lee Soon-shin were clearly in the ranks of greatness. When we see that he dedicated himself to just one particular nation, Korea, we realize that although he was a great man, he could not be a saint. One cannot become a saint without dedicating oneself to the pathway that is taught on the foundation that is God Himself.
As you know, the more that religious leaders embody the way of the saint, the more they will transcend their particular society and nation, and even transcend the world. That is the way of the saint. It is living each day of one’s life from that perspective until one has lived one’s whole life from that perspective. I started the Unification Church from the perspective that if one lives like that, one will triumph.
The Unification Church in its history has suffered the persecution of three governments. As we grew, we were oppressed by the Liberal Party, the Democratic Party and even the revolutionary government. Furthermore, as you know, we have been oppressed by the established churches. Even the leaders of the new Association of Religions in Korea who have come here today have considered the Unification Church doctrine a heresy. Why was the church deemed heretical and why was it censured by society? There are rumors that Rev. Moon, the leader of the Unification Church, is a dictator. And people say, “He works only for the development of the Unification Church.” I formed the Federation for Victory over Communism, set in motion major national initiatives and large-scale social activities, yet even those were criticized as self-serving. The slander circulating among the general public says, “The Unification Church is only publicizing its own sect; the Unification Church is working to promote its national ambitions.” It is this attitude about the Unification Church that is the problem.
If we cannot become a religion that can save Korea and the world, we will end up losing in the end. If people hold the concept that, “that denomination cannot be trusted,” it will fail. I hope you understand that the essential question for the future is how to recover the tribe, society, nation and world, starting from an ideal family, through a united movement of religions.
I founded the Unification Church with the purpose I have described. I know very well that as a new religion we are in many ways inexperienced, and so we receive criticism from society. I think that everything you can criticize has already been criticized. But I would like to point out that this person named Moon is not the kind of person you think he is. We had our own problems when we started this group, but as time passed we have reached a new level that can be seen today.
Finally, one thing I would like to tell you members of the Association of Religions in Korea is that the Unification Church is not a religious body that will be indebted to the Religions Association. The Unification Church also will not be indebted to Korea, nor will the Unification Church be indebted to the world. On the contrary, it is my conviction and the conviction of all the members who are actively working to achieve our purpose, that we will be a religious body to which the world, Korea and the Religions Association will themselves be indebted.
Despite this, I must say there may have been many times when people focused on statements we made that were misunderstood. From now on, if anything like this happens, I hope you will please relate to us as brothers and sisters and work with us, understanding the good intentions of this organization, so that together we may contribute to the nation and the world.
I thank you for giving your time in this way, and I will now conclude my greetings.
FFWPU, USA