Dr. Robert S. Kittel, President of YSP Speaks at the Youth for Peace Rally
Pure Love: Solving
Social Problems, Building Healthy Societies
Inauguration of Youth
and Students for Peace in Asia-Pacific
Bangkok, Thailand
Dr. Robert Kittel gave a presentaion at Youth for Peace Rally on the theme "Pure Love: Solving Problems, Building Healthy Societies" Inauguration of Youth and Students for Peace in Asia and the Pacific.
The rally was held on June 13, 2017 at Impact Arena Hall, Muangtongthani, Bangkok, Thailand. There were 12,000 participants from Asia and the Pacific attended. It was very great and successful rally in Thailand.
Thank you. (So wa di ka)
Your Excellency, Thank you Your presence here sends a very clear and strong
message that for this nation and this region , its future in this young people
is the highest priority of your government. Thank you so much.
We are here at the Youth and Peace Rally. Father and Mother Moon said that the most serious problems are youth problems and family breakdown. Our working with the government to help solve these problems is the pure love pledge. You already are familiar with each of them from an earlier presentation. Let me explain briefly what is behind them.
The first two pledges of loyalty to your nation and filial piety to your parents. They are actually kind of the same thing. A filial son or daughter will think in their heart, "My dad, my mom, they are the best parents in the whole world." (cheers) Right? But it doesn't stop with a feeling. With this feeling comes the understanding that, if needed, I will even die for the sake of my parents. I love them so much. Patriotism is the same thing. It is just a little bit bigger. My nation is the best nation in the whole world. (cheers) Right? It doesn't stop with a feeling. The patriot said, "If needed, I will die for the sake of my country. Filial piety and patriotism are both willing to sacrifice.
The third pledge, "I will do what is right." Father Moon said, "Living for the sake of others is good. It is right." That concept is already in all of our religions. In Buddhism, the Buddha taught, "Cut the love of yourself. Develop the path to peace." So, the problem is not outside but inside. 'If I love myself too much, I cannot have peace. Buddha also said, "Selfish people do not go to Heaven ...but noble men (and noble women) find joy in generosity..."
In the Bible, the same principle is there "Let no none seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. I Corinthians 10.24 Joy and generosity ... Seek the good of your neighbor
In the Koran, it uses different words but the same concept is there: "Do not expect in giving any increase for yourself.
In the Hindu tradition, again, we find that same principle of living for others: "Sacrifice performed by those who desire no reward, is the nature of goodness." Bhagavad Gita 17:11
Even in the Confuscian teachings: "To nourish the mind there is nothing better than to make the desires few." (Mengzi) Don't be so selfish. A selfish mind is unhealthy.
This concept is even with people who have studied the mind. The father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud said, "Delay gratification"
(Principle of Goodness : Delayed Gratification: (Impulse Control) an important component of emotional intelligence and maturity.)
So the logic of purity is very simple. Purity. Keeping your purity is a sacrifice; but, sacrificing for others is good. Purity is good. It's that simple. Purity builds good character because it is a sacrifice.
Let's look at the fourth part of the pledge: "I will preserve sexual ethics, no sex outside of marriage." Let me repeat really loudly so that everybody understands. No sex before marriage. Did you hear me? (Yes!) Don't follow the Western tradition. Keep your family values.
There's a song that we sing. It shows how important this is. You can sing along if you know it.
Love and Marriage: Love and marriage, love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage. This I tell you, brother... You can't have one without the other. Love and marriage, love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage. Dad was told by mother. You can't have one. You can't have none. You can't have one without the other. Got it?
But why? Why do love and marriage go together. Well, (love is the glue to hold husband and wife together) Love is what will keep a man and woman together. Marriage builds a culture that honors fidelity; and, if our culture honors fidelity, we don't rape our women and unmarried teenage girls don't get pregnant. Because we honor marriage and we build that culture, we can solve this problem. But, no one can do it alone: General, we have to all work together to do this.
Father Moon said that there are four realms of the heart:
Parental Love; Conjugal Love; Siblings' Love and Children's Love. They are different in directions, but they are all the same. (Foundation of True Love?) It is living for the sake of others. Let's see how it works:
Parents live for the sake of their children.
Children live for the sake of their parents.
They create love: parental love and children love
Brother lives for the sake of his sister.
Sister lives for the sake of her brother.
They create Love: siblings love
Husband lives for the sake of his wife
Wife lives for the sake of her husband
And they create love: conjugal love
This idea of living for the sake of others is so important and practical. Of these four loves, the last two are for married couples: conjugal love and parental love
But, youth and students have the responsibility to build
children love and brother and sister love. The most powerful motivation to help
young people remain pure is the filial heart. In Korean it is called 'hyo
jeong.' It is more than a feeling of 'love' and more than just a 'duty' of
filial piety. It is the heart in children that joyfully gives to their parents,
joyfully honors their parents, and joyfully follows their parents. Children living to make their parents happy is hyo jeong.
This is why Mother Moon put the intitials 'HJ' right in the middle of the
foundation logo of 'Youth and Students for Peace.'
Our last
pledge, "I will love and help others as my family members."
If you come
from a difficult background, you can make your life better today,
staring today can be a new beginning. Look at life through the windshield as
you drive through the road of life, not through the rear-view mirror. If you
come from a good background, you could damage your life very easily. So
therefore, whatever your background, you need to look to the future to
understand the concept of absolute sex. Don't judge people. Don't criticize.
Don't condemn. Let's work together to solve the problem.
Absolute
sex is very simple: Before marriage, no sex. Then, after
marriage, no sex ... Really? no sex ...outside
of marriage. Even though you are married, you still need to control yourself;
and, the best thing is to control yourself before you get married. Okay?
Marriage is
a public commitment to be faithful. That's a sacrifice; but, we said
sacrificing is good. (Since marriage is a sacrifice...the best preparation for
marriage is to learn to sacrifice)
Purity is a
sacrifice. It's the best preparation for marriage.
So young
people, you are the future leaders, right? You are the future leaders, right?
(Yes!) Really? I can hardly hear you ... (Yes!) Not
exactly ... You are leaders today. Yes! (applause) You
are the ones that must set a new standard, a new culture.
Two traditions
we need to set together:
1. The
culture of loving and honoring our parents, hyo jeong. Young people need to do
this.
2. Create a
culture of brother and sisterly love. Young people need to do this.
We are now
going to take the Pure Love Pledge, but it is not something that has only been
done here in Bangkok but throughout Thailand and throughout Asia. You filled
half a stadium in Burirang (?) teaching and educating about the Pure Love
Pledge; and, throughout Thailand you have had programs to teach the Pledge in
all 77 provinces of Thailand.
In Taiwan,
(Taipei, Taiwan - November 30, 2013) working with religious leaders, on the
street in front of the office in Taipei, we brought 3,000 people gathered to
support traditional two-parent families; because we wanted to support marriage
and family.
(Religious
leaders oppose amending civil code 972 that would redefine marriage as between
'two parties.')
Religious
leaders were there to support us onstage; and, we made front-page headlines in
the newpaper ("300,000 people speak out against homosexual marriage."
In the
Phillipines, we are working (Event: Interfaith Peace Blessing Festival 2013 -
January 12, 2013 Araneta Coliseum. Quantaro City, Manilla,
Phillipines 'A Celebration to Renew Marriages and Families'). We filled
the largest indoor stadium ... 26,000 people supported by the religious
community.
(Interfaith
Peace Blessing Festival Manila Philippines on February 1, 2015 with 150,000
people at the Marikina City Sports Complex)
A few years
later, 150,000 people at the Marikina Sports Center and we taught them the Pure
Love Pledge.
In Malasia
(2nd Peace Loving Convention Kuching, Sankwak, Hilton Hotel 18 October 2014 and
COH with the Wife of the Chief Minister ...)
Who is sponsoring this? We are taking The Womens
Federation around Malasia. These are current Congressmen who have taken The
Pledge to commit themselves to family.
(applause) In Cambodia ... I think we have a big delegation
here. (Cambodian youth joining "Pure Love Pledge") working with the
government, young people and old people working together. The Office of the
Royal Academy invited us to teach there for two days.
Sri Lanka,
working hand-in-hand with the United Nations, we went around the country
("Empowering Youth for Peace and Sustainable Development" 18th South
Asia Peace Initiative)
In nine
days we went to nine provinces with the support of the government (Dr. Chung
Shic Yong with His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena, President of the Democratic
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka) teaching over 3,000 students as we went around
(Pure Love Education)
(Dr. Chung
Sik Yong presented Certificates of Attendance to some of the youth leaders
after the conclusion of the program)
In Nepal,
working with the Ministry of Education as we are here in Thailand, we filled
the national stadium (Multicultural Family Education Peace Festival) with
70,000 people to educate and teach the Pure Love Pledge... 15,000 were turned
away)
We are
working in more than 434 schools and colleges; so, (to lead the Pure Love
Pledge, Mr. Chollakot Chaisitdamrong and Miss. Wern-i Chin) I would like to
invite Mr. Chollakot Chaisitdamrong and Miss. Wern-i Chin to lead us in the
Pure Love Pledge. May I ask that we please all stand together. All of you have
the Pure Love Pledge cards.
Wait please.
Let's do it very loud so everyone can hear. (I think you can do better than
that ... ) (a few young
represenatives, girl and boy, go on stage and everyone raises their right hand)
(No. No ... I want 'loud' please try again ! ...) (representatives smiling) (louder now and more
passion, they say the words in Thai and other young people repeat) (translator
comes in "Love and help others as my family members ... 'Please put down
your hands' now all are clapping )
Dr. Kittel
returns to the stage: Please remain standing and let us welcome the Founder of
The Youth and Students for Peace: Our True Mother, Our True Parents, Please let
us welcome with a rousing round of applause (True Mother comes and is greeting
and greeted is seated in front with audience)
Dr. Kittel:
Thank you, please be seated. Please allow me to introduce The True Mother to
you (photos of True Mother of pure youth) When Mother Moon grew up in North
Korea, before Her country was divided, She was raised by Her own mother who
taught Her that She had a very special Mission in life. At that time, Mother
Moon was a young girl, probably the age of most of the students here today. Her
mother taught Her that She had an extraordinary
Mission in life. She believed Her mother: She trusted
Her mother and never doubted her. This was the story of Her
inner strength that stayed with Her throughout Her Life.
When She
Married Rev. Sun Myung Moon, Her Husband, this conviction in Her Heart allowed Her to take on this enormously important and challenging
Mission. She never wavered in 52 years of being with Him. She stood
side-by-side and hand-in-hand with Father Moon for more than half a century.
She attended Him and learned many things from Him. She Loved Him and still
does. She Loves the 14 children that She has given
birth to and over 40 grandchildren, absolutely and unconditionally.
When They went to the United Nations and Spoke there, They were
side-by-side, hand-in-hand. When Her Husband passed awau five years ago, She continued this quest for world peace. She even expanded
the foundations that They built together. I am sure
Rev. Moon is very, very happy as He supports Her from
the spiritual world.
Repeatedly,
I have heard Mother Moon Talk about Her Desire to end the suffering of 7.4
billion people of the world during Her Lifetime. This is the Heart of a True
Mother. It cannot be stopped. It cannot be supressed. It cannot be turned off.
Parents yearn for the well-being and happiness of their children.
Father Moon
came to Thailand 52 years ago. Mother Moon came to this 'land of smiles' for
the very first time here just to be with you here today !
(applause cheers) She came here because She wants to share Her Heart, Her Story with you now. She
has learned this as a young Girl and She has carried
it throughout Her Life. When She comes onstage please
welcome Her with your Thai smile and Asian heart, but also with a Korean
tradition of offering a half bow to our True Parents
Please
listen to Her carefully. Please learn from Her. Let Her be your role model,
your hero, your Teacher and your Spiritual Parent.
Now
together, let us stand and let welcome our True Mother, our True Parent to the
stage to share with us Her Heart. (loud applause,
cheers, music) (True Mother has the big podium taken away and the audience
applauds to feel something more personal ... I think) (presentation
of flowers ... Mother receives and smells the flowers)