1) The Core Ideology of the Unification Church and the Way of True Love

What is the meaning that the Unification Church holds! It is a world-wide ideology centered on God. It is not a national ideology. It is not a Korean ideology. The Unification Church possess an ideology of great breadth that encompasses the whole of heaven and earth. This is the very core of the meaning of the Unification Church.

Love. You love your parents . . . You can only love your brothers and sisters if you know how to love your parents, and you can only love your parents when you love your brothers and sisters. You have to love your parents, your brothers and sisters and your relatives. You have to love all your relatives, and avoid having conflicts with any of them. After that, you have to love your neighborhood, and then your society, nation and world. The range of your love must become wider and wider. However, the wider the range, the vaguer your concept of love has been. If the range is wide, then the concept of love tends to become weak. This is wrong. The wider the range is, the stronger love has to be. Do you understand what I am saying! When love becomes stronger, you can meet God. Love comes into being in order that we can meet God. Only when you find the kind of love that becomes stronger as its scope increases will you have the kind of love that enables you to connect to God.

Until now, love in this fallen world has become more timid little by little, and has not been connected with the broader things; love has been focused only close relatives only, such as mothers, fathers and brothers. Love has borne fruit on the foundation of the family, centered on husband, wife or oneself. All the love in the world has become stuck on the level of the family centered on the individual. Love has gathered only at the level of the family. This is the family of the fallen world.

Our Unification Church is completely different from that. The Unification Church teaches that we should love our brothers as we love our parents, love our clan as we love our brothers, and love our people and nation. Moreover, in order to love the nation, you must abandon your father and mother. In order to love the world, you must abandon your nation. In order to love God, you should be willing to abandon even the world. The core ideology of the Unification Church is that we should sacrifice smaller things for the sake of greater. It is very simple. Do you understand! However, what is the nature of this ideology! It is not my ideology. It is not the ideology of the person the Americans call Reverend Moon. This is not my own ideology. The origin of this ideology is God. God is the one who loves His object more than He loves Himself. When we ask what kind of person God is, we can say He is one who loves His object more than Himself. In this way, two people can unite into one and can move forward in a wider range of love. Since that is the essence of God's love, God sends the person closest to Himself to the evil world, offering him as a sacrifice. This is God's own ideology.

That is why the sages, saints and great men of history have always taught, "Love all humankind." They did not restrict their love to family-centered love. They loved their country and the world. They loved the world more than their country. However, they were not welcomed, but were rejected and ultimately sacrificed.

Thus, over time, the people who were persecuted and rejected for the sake of the world have come to be admired and worshipped. Some such people are the founders of the world's major religions, such as Jesus Christ and Confucius.

What ideology do they have! It is not an ideology focused on their own families. In order for the universe to become one family, the family, clan, people and nation, which are all smaller than the universe, have to be sacrificed. This is a different idea, isn't it.

2) The Way of the Good Man

Secular love remains focused on a person's family, father and mother, ignoring other things, but God's love leaps from that base to greater things. According to the Old Testament and the New Testament, one should offer a small thing as a sacrifice in order to gain something greater. Therefore, in order to do a good thing, one has to sacrifice. What is a sacrifice! It is a sacrificial offering. What is a sacrificial offering! The way of sacrifice is to stand in the position to shed blood and deny oneself. In the Unification Church, the world of goodness is realized through the process of restoration through indemnity. Do you understand?

In order to establish the foundation of goodness on the family level, the family has to sacrifice for the sake of the tribe. Otherwise, it cannot be accomplished. Moreover, to establish the foundation of goodness on the tribal level, the tribe has to be a sacrificial offering for the people. The lower level becomes the offering. Likewise, to establish the foundation for a nation of goodness, the people must be a sacrificial offering for the nation. To establish the national level foundation of goodness, a condition for the world's restoration through indemnity for the world should be established. There is no way except to sacrifice. This is a major difference between the history of the fallen world and the providential history of restoration.

Therefore, when you think of a good student, although he does not know this principle, he is generally a person who does not live for his own sake, but for others. He sacrifices a small level of righteousness for a larger one. Good people are ones who sacrifice small things for the sake of larger ones. Thus, the bigger the gap between the small thing and the larger one, the greater the value is. Do you understand! If I sacrifice for the sake of the world, the value of the goodness becomes equal to the value of the world. The individual, family, clan, people and nation also have to sacrifice for the sake of the world. If this has been done, because one has paid a very great and difficult sacrificial price, the value which comes as a result of the sacrifice will be bigger proportionally. Is this clear! Therefore, you have to set your sights on a distant mountain in order to pursue goodness, and you have to go forward to the future, with your chest out and your eyes high. In order to do that, you must be a person who can pay the sacrificial price in proportion to the decision toward the future. Such a person can be a good person in the future. Is this clear! This is why there is a difference between God's ideology and that of the world.

It is the same at your school. One who stubbornly insists on his own way can easily become a traitor. A person who carelessly insists on thinking only of his own situation and ignores the whole can easily betray others. If such a person is installed in a position of leadership, it is easy for such a person to become a dictator and leave a great blot on human history. Do you understand what I am saying! One should be patient for today and wait for the future in order to follow the goodness of God. A good person is one who is willing to wait for future success, rather than insist on success today. Such a person will be a good leader no matter what kind of leader he may become, and will establish a future of goodness. He will cultivate undeveloped regions and establish a society of goodness. Therefore, one who always lives centering on himself is close to evil, while one who lives centering on the ideology of our public God is close to goodness. Therefore, you can distinguish the good and bad people among your friends. The ones who speak for their sake of his own benefit are closer to evil, while the ones who think from the public point of view are closer to goodness.

Everything in your daily life can be evaluated as good or bad. They are divided into the left and right side, the same as for the things we can see. Though we might say, "This is great," how is that something great! There are two ways of judging whether something is great: One viewpoint is ,"It is great because our family's viewpoint is that way, or our nation's viewpoint is that way, or because humanity's future viewpoint will be like that." The other viewpoint is,"This thing is red, and I like it because it is red."

It is the same for the spoken word. A person may defend himself and fight for his own sake. He may get angry and fight, insisting on his own way. Such a person thus belongs to the evil side. If someone cannot relate with the world because he is centering on himself, this is evil. However, if another person passes through a village and sees someone strong strike a weaker person for no reason, and then dedicates his life to the public good, such a person fighting for public values is on the side of goodness. Fighting is not always a bad thing. Do you understand! You must know that it is not always wrong to fight.

There are also two kinds of conflict. One is conflict in which everything is sacrificed in order to protect selfish purposes and desires. This kind of conflict is on Satan's side, while conflict with the purpose of bringing good to the world, to the universe or to God are conflicts on the side of goodness. Conflict on the evil side seeks to bring the opponent to his knees, while conflict on the side of goodness seeks to embrace the opposite side through concession. On the surface the fight may look the same. Both of these kinds of conflict are present in our daily life, all throughout our lifetime.

When you see that two young children are fighting, you may feel angry, but you have to embrace them with patience. If someone tries to be your enemy, you have to concede everything to him because he can be your friend tomorrow or some day in the future. The good man is the person who has tolerance and mercy. Do you understand?

3) Examples of a Life of Goodness

We all face the same things in everyday life. We all face the same thing in our studies. One student may study hard to do better than another. One student may always ask the teacher about other students' grades in examinations. I think there might be such students. Such a student's goal in studying might be to do better than the others. However, the purpose of studying is not just to get good grades on your examinations.

You have to study with the determination to be the top student in the whole nation of Korea, not just to be better than others. You must study with this kind of viewpoint. Do you understand my meaning! You should study to win the position of top student in Korea rather than to be the top student at the Little Angels' School. Why! For the sake of the glory of God and the Unification Church. And next,! Also for the sake of the glory of True Parents. It is very valuable to study hard like that.

When you feel joy after receiving a 100 percent score, even though your mother and father feel joy too, if you studied hard for the sake of Korea, God and all people, then humankind will say, in the name of God, "You did well." Do you understand! It is different.

When you sleep, normally you think, "I'm tired, so I must sleep." But for whose sake do you sleep! Even when you sleep, how wonderful it will be if you sleep for the sake of your country, humankind and God. Even though you sleep for yourself, if you think that you have to sleep because Korea, True Parents and God will suffer a loss if you get sick, then God and True Parents will also be delighted. When you pray, if you say "Dear God, I am going to bed in order to work and fight for You tomorrow. Can I sleep now?" then God will answer, "Yes!" In the same way as when you are awake, good and evil intersect even while you are sleeping. If you think about everything in this way, all your actions will be on the side of goodness.

When you go somewhere and drink water, if while you are drinking it you say to yourself, "I will quickly drink this water on behalf of God," then although you drink the water because you are thirsty, the result will be that you are drinking the water on behalf of God. Then God will say, "You are a good person. Even though you are just a young student, I will remember you." When young boys and girls like you drink water, if you wait and drink water for the sake of God rather than fighting against one another to drink first, you will be in the position to drink on behalf of Earth and Heaven. Do you follow! When you sing a song, if you sing a song praising heaven, nature and Korea, all of Korea will listen to your song. Why will all of Korea listen to your song! The universe is filled with radio waves and words. The universe is filled with words, isn't it! It is full of radio waves. When you listen to the radio, it catches the radio waves so that people cannot escape the words. You know there are echoes in the mountains. When you shout in the mountains, your voice will echo in the valleys. Why does this happen! It is simple. Because the sound bounces off the mountains and the sound waves carry it back to you. Although we consider this just a physical phenomenon, think about whether it has any inner meaning. The sound whispers to the mountains, to nature and to the rocks. How mysterious this is.

Listen to the shrill chirp of a cicada and the sounds of insects. The low tones and high tones of the sound harmonize with each other. Have you ever heard the sounds of cicadas and insects! If you listen carefully when a cricket chirps, you can discern that the sound is different in the daylight, evening and nighttime hours. It harmonizes with the surroundings. The universe is living and moving in such a harmonious environment. In the universe, who is the king! It is human beings. Do you understand! If a woman sings a song, the babies of toads, owls, frogs and fish will come out to listen to the song. This is true.

Therefore, when you practice a song, you have to do so with that kind of thinking. You have to think that "Ah, my sound will travel as far as the middle of that mountain." To make it past the mountain, you have to shout louder. "Ah . . . Ah." When you look at a distant mountain and think about what is there, imagining that your friends and loved ones are there, imagining that the person you love the most is there instead of here, all the power of your mind will be concentrated so that you can see them by uniting your mind and body and communicating with the spirit world. Even the spirit world will be mobilized. Therefore, everything will help you if you try to live a life of goodness keeping a connection to the universe. Do you understand my meaning! (100-84)

4) Honest People Will Develop

Evil insists on its own way. Beyond that, evil tries to interpret everything centering on itself and step anywhere without any regard for God or the world. This is the essence of Satan. Good works to liberate the whole universe, not to step on it, but to liberate it and try to develop it. However, this is not easy. The direction of goodness is the direction opposite to the direction of evil.

Have you ever fought! Please raise your hand if you have ever fought with someone. Have you or haven't you! Don't look at the other people. Ask your conscience. Women who crane their necks over and over to see may have a particular character. Have you ever done this or not! (Yes.) That's right. However, if you answered quietly, it may be an answer on the side of Satan, whereas if you answered loudly, it may be an answer on the side of goodness. Which side was your answer on! (Goodness.) How about you boys! Which side was your answer on! (Evil.) You answered on the evil side, didn't you! To answer centering on yourself is on the side of evil.

People should be honest. Honesty can pass through anything. When you make a mistake, if you admit it honestly, you will develop. Goodness cannot grow without the process of proper guidance. Can people always do well! Because people tend to make mistakes, they can develop through that process. You can make a new determination by honestly repenting for your mistakes. Do you follow! To make a mistake is not bad. You can leap forward by receiving a stimulus from that. If you leap to the good side through that kind of stimulus, making mistakes can bring a good result. Even if you failed to study, you may be able to be an honor student by receiving that kind of experience. How miserable it is to fail instead of becoming the top student among your peers. Through failing you can receive stimulation and shock through which your results can be turned in the direction of goodness. It is difficult to follow the straight path for your whole life. You must do your best in this way. Therefore, you should be honest. People who try to hide their mistakes cannot develop. However, people who are honest develop because the universe will push them. Wherever they may go, the universe will push and support them. Regardless of east or west, past, present or future, all people who are honest can be friends to everybody. If you try to make excuses or hide your mistakes in order to show yourself in a better light, you will not be able to develop and you will have no friends.

It is most important for you to have honest thoughts. When you make one step forward, it has already been determined whether that step will be good or evil. Good and evil are already determined. If you make ten steps toward the direction of goodness, many folds of the wall of goodness will surround you. Once you go that way and are surrounded and protected by two, three or more folds of the walls of goodness, you cannot return to the side of evil. We therefore need a teacher to guide us on the way to goodness. For this reason, also, punishment and discipline are sometimes needed.

After being punished, if you try to gain revenge on your teacher or the person who punished you, you are a bad person. You can instead say, "Let's see ten years from now! Even though you hit me, in ten years you will be learning from me." Then receiving punishment will turn out to be more valuable than receiving a gold prize. When a teacher punishes you and does not treat you well, you might feel angry, but if you take those thoughts and turn them to a good direction, the punishment you received will be more valuable than a gold medal. It is important to keep this kind of perspective. (100-87)

5) The Way to Greatness

What is a student's responsibility! (To study!) You have to study hard. Then, what is the purpose of studying! (To become a great person.) Then what is the standard by which we judge greatness! The first stage is your family, the second is country, the third is the world, and the fourth is God. There are always three stages. Do you understand! It is necessary to follow this path.

The responsibility of sons and daughters is to show filial devotion to their parents centering on the family. Why do you need filial devotion! The way of filial devotion to your parents is related to the way of loyalty to your nation. They are linked together like bamboo. To be a loyal subject, one has to follow the path of a saint for the sake of the world.

Then what should we do! We must move forward in a straight line. In this sense, if you were not devoted to your parents, but were loyal to your country, your parents could not blame you for your lack of filial piety. They would say you did very well. When you became a loyal subject of the king, even though you abandoned your parents and left home, and even if they have already gone to the spirit world in your absence, they will praise you from there. (100-155)

6) Motto for the Highest Perfection of Human Beings

What is the fastest way for a person to go! Life is very short. You don't know when you will die, do you! Some time ago, I told someone who was seventeen years old that he had lived a long time. The reason I said that is that some people do not know when they will die. Seventeen years of age is longer than seventeen days or one year and seven months. People do not know their destiny. There is an important saying that we have to fulfill tremendous tasks in the context of a short life. The works of our life always remain.

If God truly loves this world, He has to clearly reveal the answers for life's tasks. Therefore, God says that human beings should love Him more than anyone else. God naturally stands in the position to be able to say that we should love Him more than anyone else. Do you understand?

Thus, the way of religious faith requires holding one's love for God, even at the cost of abandoning one's parents, family, country and the world. If you do this, it will look like everything has been destroyed, but history will support this way, and the world, country and people will praise those who gain victory by following this path, because it is the way to reach perfection. Therefore, the motto of the highest level of perfection is "Live for God and love Him!" Is this clear! Therefore, religion teaches us to love God more than anyone else. Jesus also said that since Jesus is the son who carries on God's love, if one loves Jesus more than anyone else, that person becomes united into oneness with God and His son. In this sense, Jesus' statement that those who do not love him more than their lovers, parents, wives or children cannot become Jesus' disciples has the same meaning.

From this point of view, God has no choice but to give human beings, who are living a short life, the best possible motto by which to live that life: "Love God more than anyone else." People can become God's children by practicing that. If you become God's son, at the same time you come to be in the position of a perfected saint, loyal subject, and filial son. Everything is completed. In this sense, a person is in a victorious position in their family and on the level of the nation and world.

(100-157)

7) The Way of the True Filial Son, Loyal Subject, Saint and Son of God

What do you have to be! You should be a loyal subject. What is a loyal subject! Is the one who devotes himself to the king a loyal subject! No, he is not. It is the one who loves his people like the king does. Who is a filial son! A filial son is not the one who devotes himself to his parents. He is the one who devotes himself to his brothers and sisters like a loving parent. Then, what is a saint! A saint is one who has made sacrifices for the sake of mankind and the world. Who is the son of God! He is the one who is living for the world, centering on God. It is different. A son of God is one who loves the people as he loves God. Do you understand! It is different. The historical saints died for the sake of mankind. On the other hand, a son of God not only devotes himself to God, but also lives for the sake of humankind, like God. What can call such a person! A son of God. A son of God is different from a saint. What is a true filial son! A true filial son is someone who lives for his brothers as parents do. What is a true loyal subject! He is someone who serves the people of his country like he serves the king. What is a true son of God! A true son of God is someone who loves everything which belongs to God in the same manner as the loving God loves.

Therefore, True Father will go the way of a son of God. True Father loves God as well as humankind. True Father loves even America, which is like an enemy. Do you understand! In that case, God can say, "My son.

You are not the son of any country. Even though you were born in Korea, you are not the son of Korea." A person whom God can call His son is one who lives for the sake of humankind as God does. Such a person is a son of God. Since God loves humankind forgetting about Himself, one who loves humankind while forgetting himself is a very filial son of God. We are seeking to find the way of a son of God, from the way of filial son and loyal subject. We are not seeking to find the way of a saint. Do you follow! Thus, if one of you became a loyal subject before the king, be one who is in the position of a loyal subject of the king for the sake of all the people of the country. This is the point by which we can distinguish between a loyal subject and a treacherous subject. They are completely different in their tradition. A treacherous subject serves the king centering on himself, while a loyal subject serves the king for the sake of the people of the country. If a loyal subject comes before the king, a treacherous subject cannot exist in that environment. In this sense, the kingdom that is realized through the way of the son of God, through the ways of a filial son and a loyal subject is none other than the Kingdom of God on earth. Therefore, the way to realize the Kingdom of God is to begin from the way of a filial son and move up to the level of a son of God. This process is the original ideal of God's creation. (133-242) xxx