True Parents Sermons - Index

The Words of True Parents from 1984

Talk To Seminary Candidates

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
East Garden, New York
July 12, 1984
(Unofficial Notes)

From now on our Church is going to need more leaders - many in fact, in many different areas. There is one thing that there is in common in the universe and that is the need for "thought, ideology, ideas... the foundation of all thinking." I want to train you this way and if Father needs someone in another field he can just interchange you from one area to the other. Father wants sometimes, a special or independent department in spiritual discipline and education thought - a department which deals with the thought needed in educating people of many different backgrounds.

In today's world money plays a common role in the standard of value, but in reality it is "thought" that is the basis of everything. Take one among you for instance, Bob Spitz, his specialty is in the newspaper business, but he needs more education in "thought" in order to function in his own specialty much better. Between the body and mind, "specialty is the body" and "education is the mind." To make a simple analogy the physical body is the object and the mind is the subject. This is a common basic point that brings creativity in life. Even though Bob Spitz may change jobs many times in the future, his basic ideology and thought will be well organized and oriented.

Every time in the Church when you may change your job or mission, you will have a chance to train yourself or grow spiritually, but this is the inferior way. The superior way is to go to the Seminary and be trained in basic principled thought and education. The primary function of Unification Church members is to ultimately educate people. You are too precious to just be involved in finances, newspapers, campaigning, etc.; you need the basic foundation of "thought."

Take a look at the spirit world; it is involved only in thought. If there is one person who is teaching everyone else about thought, everyone goes to that person to ask their advice. This exists in reality in the spiritual world. Today in the secular world there is no such thing as a consistent standard. The result is that the society is unbalanced and not coordinated.

So the experienced and older members of our Church must assume this responsibility in the future; not just in the United States but worldwide. Then people who are trained in this position of spiritual education and thought must be the ones to teach mankind how to live.

To have a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) position in the outside (like Janet Merkley, for instance) is very important, but what is more important is what basic thoughts dominate your work. Principled thought is very enduring even more than any financial occupation. By going to the Seminary your thought will be more in the framework of what it will be like in the spiritual world - nontemporal and everlasting.

What we need in our society in the future is this enduring and eternal "thought" which is the central part of "being." Once we leave our physical bodies, the training we have had in wisdom, ideology or thought is what we have left. Take this one sister for instance, she may be an expert in her field (CPA) but without training in Unification thought and wider knowledge in spiritual areas, she can never be subject in her field. But if her expertise has both thought and technology then she can have a more perfect give-and-take-action.

In outside jobs or physical missions in the Church you can keep yourselves constantly busy, and become highly skilled and highly admired, but Satan takes your spirit away. So this is what Satan has done to man, and what Father is trying to restore and put back; the foundation of spiritual and principled thought. You are going to need this kind of guidance in your lives, i.e. thought consistent with a broader principle. The more ideal way, of course, would be to stick to one job, the longer the better, but there first needs to be the spiritual discipline and thought. Just working day after day for the sake of "bread-winning," makes no sense at all.

Take one of your fingers on your hand for instance; it's alive, it moves, it has blood circulating in it, but unless it is connected to a nervous system that also runs through your finger then your finger does not have any ideal or purpose or goal. You should have both. So this is the principled view of what a society should be like - just external action and "jobs" and busy occupations make no sense without an internal belief, ideal, ideology, philosophy or thought.

Father has in mind the people who have been in the Church the longest; these older members should be in that position of having received the foundation of philosophy and thought, not just the young members and newcomers. Father doesn't want you wondering always what you are going to do, no matter what department in the Church you are assigned to. He wants you to be trained and educated so that you can express our ideology and other philosophies and thoughts in many different ways. Do you understand what Father is trying to say?

Now that we are creating an ideal world you must first strengthen your thought and your spiritual life and be able to educate others. So have you come to realize now that going to the Seminary is best?

If you say to someone that my job is the most important thing, what will you do when you go to the spirit world? There should be a balance; a balance between the training education of the spiritual side of your life, as well as the training in skills for the body. This is man's basic desire, to exist eternally - so ultimately the purpose of our lives is what we should strive to work for. If you increase your expertise in "thought" and spiritual life, even if you go to a secular position or mission, you can still work toward and establish your ultimate purpose of life. So the unity and balance between "thought" and physical skills is the "marriage of life," just like subject and object, man and woman, and the ultimate purpose of marriage is ideal love.

Today the American society completely lacks this "marriage of life" or balance between internal philosophy and external skills. Interestingly enough, when we observe the communist societies they have the right "form," balancing ideology and work, but the content is wrong. This is a typical example where you can see that evil takes a step ahead of goodness and sets up the pseudo-form or pattern in advance. Eventually a total principled world and life will come into existence, but the communist world (Satan) is trying to execute the false pattern first.

Because the spiritual or principled way is the original or ideal law, then in the "free world" nobody has to force or threaten people to follow it. In the creation every existing thing would like to follow original law; this is a universal law. So the original mind or heart of every individual would like, without being told, to live this universal way that is expected by God. It's only after you understand this philosophy and thought that you understand your original purpose of life and you can eventually teach others. If you can continue living these basic principles than in the spiritual world this will become your foundation. If you have a rich spiritual life on earth it will be the same and continue in the spiritual world.

If you have this basic foundation then no one has to say, "Do this and do that," or "Don't do that," but we don't have this kind of world yet. If you lived in a society that tells everyone what to do, is that good? No! It is so tedious, monotonous and oppressing! When there is a situation that you have the right basic "thought" and you want to do something - that is freedom. Now do you understand Father's position and appreciate it better? Father is thinking, when he urges you to go to the Seminary, about the more basic potential in you. If you really live a principled life then God is with you whether you invite him or not. You might say to Father, "Oh, Father, you have sent me to one department and I have become skilled and then you send me to another mission. I'm always changing, so then which is my main job?" But let Father ask you one question, "Wouldn't you like to have "spiritual sovereignty" rather than a lot of other jobs or just skills?" (Yes.) Then this is why Father is always seeking out and lining up college graduates to go to the Seminary.

Now for example, take Bob Spitz, after working for many years in the newspaper he knows that something is missing, that something is internally wrong. Even the "newspaper" needs a person as a staff member who has been trained and educated in spiritual thought and basic philosophy; having people like this goes towards making a better newspaper. Even the "newspaper itself would say that it would want to be created or made by that kind of man." Do you think that the Empire State Building is proud that it was constructed by only skilled, but not principled people? No - even that building wants to boast, "I belong to God!"

So by learning this thought we can better make and build God's kingdom. Then whatever you would do with that kind of principled foundation, it can still be carried on to the spiritual world. So this is the reason why Father is sending the selected ones to the Seminary. In the future Father wants all of the departments of the Church to have a "spiritual guidance section" - a section that will be for the education and furthering of "thought" and philosophy.

So by going to the Seminary you can better learn and gain this principled thought and philosophy. This is the same advice to ordinary members as well as to Church leaders. In the future how are you going to educate your children? You need this kind of education - don't you think that when you fulfill this kind of world here on earth, that it will continue in the spiritual world?

To make up your mind, you don't need any kind of judge or teacher; your conscience is your best guide - no one needs to tell you what's best. No one tells Father. It's a simple concept what Father has been telling you, but it is the "essence of human life." This has taken only about forty minutes to explain, but what Father is now saying will provide you with the right "spiritual posture," i.e. an education so that you can educate others. Do you understand? (Yes.)

You might say, "Father, I have my Abel figure and I'm indispensable in this position." Father understands that, but not one trainee for the Seminary from this movement could be selected out of 10,000 competitors on the outside. In the future people are not going to be as lucky as you; they will have to be taught the thought and ideology even though they will never see Father.

Father feels very strongly that America needs this "center of spirit," and only the Unification Church can provide this unique education. Therefore, Father is really making haste - America needs this "thought," so this great country can continue being "great." Without this ideology and basic foundation America will perish. Without this "thought" can America be abundant and healthy? No! The "instant gratification" principle that now exists in this nation is simply connected to hell, persistent "instant joy" is evil. You have to create a principled world - this country without a "soul" will perish!

Wherever you go, whether it be far or near, if you live the principled way of life then God is near you. Imagine if on a hot day like this you went up on top of a mountain and looked around you and if you had become victors of "principled thought" and way of life, then you could say to the whole creation, "You waited for me didn't you?" Then the creation would answer, "Yes!"

Whether Father goes to prison or not, it doesn't matter if he has this "victory of thought." So what Father is doing with you members, is it good? Yes - it's wonderful, it's great! This principle applies the same to everyone, high office workers or laborers. If you follow this way, then the spiritual world will say, "Thank you for your hard work."

So you can make up your mind now after hearing that this is why Father is sending you to the Seminary. You don't need advice from anyone else. All you need is the "Father/son (daughter)" relationship - everything else is Satan! (Laughter.) No matter how many difficult physical aliments Father has had, this "thought" has healed him - Father's life proves that. Otherwise, he would have passed away a long time ago. So maybe any of you who have a physical problem can be cured by "Father's way." But for the rest of you, Father feels that it is best for you to go to the Seminary. You can't solve everything before you go - if you were to drive down to New York and you had an accident and were to die, for example, would you still have a spiritual problem? (Laughter and clapping, "Thank you Father.")