The Way for the True Child

by Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 2 Children's Portion of Responsibility

1. Preparation and Foundation, Ability and Result

1) Preparation Demanded by History.

What you should know is that you are not just beings who exist in the present. You have been living connected with your ancestors, you are living in the present, and you will have to live in the future. You are always living in an era of competition whether it is the past, the present or the future. There is inevitably an opponent or, we can say, reciprocator. Someone who wants to become an Olympic champion in the Olympic Games must challenge to win. This is necessary. This is the unavoidable way to develop to a higher level in the course of history. Therefore, you must always be challenged and undergo the course to overcome such challenge. Otherwise, you cannot advance to a more developed world. This is the universal law of development from the viewpoint of history or social life.

Until the present, I have embraced and fought for the great will of God, and to some degree established a worldwide foundation. Along this course, the most worrisome problem has been those who are unprepared and those who have no foundation or base. Such are the most miserable people. In other words, such persons can be compared with an army that has no foundation to equip its soldiers with weapons or to train them, and has no supply base with which to maintain itself: those who have no foundation and self-preparation are the most miserable.

Although you are a capable person, based on your abilities you need to prepare at length to overcome the social and environmental challenges. Preparation is necessary. Without a time of preparation, a foundation for the future cannot be established.

The reason that the Unification Church has been able to establish such a worldwide foundation today is because God had prepared the traditional foundation for a new history throughout providential history. That is, the Old Testament Age prepared for the way for the Messiah, and the New Testament Age prepared for the Lord at the Second Advent. This is the viewpoint of providential history. Therefore, before the Lord of the Second Advent comes, the foundation to attend him has to be established so that he can develop that to a new level. In this sense, the Lord at the Second Advent, first of all must inherit all the historically prepared environment and then build up a new foundation based on the one prepared. However, when this new foundation is no better than the existing one, the old history will not move on into the new age. This is the law of history. This also applies to your individual and social life. It is the same as for the way of the country and for history. How should a human being live his life! You have to prepare. Preparation! (133-214)

2) Preparation to Make a New Foundation.

In the period of your youth, you are studying. What is the meaning of study! It is to prepare for the future. You study to prepare a new foundation based on your present foundation. However, when the prepared elements are inferior to the existing traditional foundation, the prepared one is absorbed into the existing environment and tradition. If the prepared elements are digested and cannot surmount the older foundation, there will be no new historical development. Likewise, young people should be able to view the entire nation and world with a vision and dream. Human society has general standards in fields such as economic, politics, culture, education, and religion. Therefore, in order to surpass these standards, a young person has to prepare.

In this present world, there is the democratic sphere and communist sphere. Korea stands on the foundation of painful previous-age circumstances between the democratic and communist worlds. How can Korea leap forward from there! Everybody wants to solve this structure of struggle, but it is so difficult. It cannot be solved by an individual or a group. The problem must be solved on the level of the whole country. Therefore, Korea should unify the whole population of the nation spiritually. On that foundation, she can develop her present situation towards a new, higher dimension.

When the government announces new political or economic policy, or when political candidates publish new political policies during their election campaign, from the viewpoint of development those policies are their substantial preparation to leap towards a new dimension in some field. When the policy is better than the present one, its effect can be creative.

Everybody wants to succeed. What shall we do to get success! You have to prepare in order to be successful. After your preparation, you should be able to digest the older foundation and then establish a new foundation based on how you have prepared substantially. The new foundation should surpass the existing foundation. Without such a course of development, a historical new foundation cannot be established. This is the vital conclusion of the development of history. You should know that clearly.

It is the same for our lives as for the country. For instance, the army must train themselves hard. Why do they need to train! When the opponent's foundation is superior, the army must train to surpass them and digest that favorable environment. To do that, information about and the history of the enemy has to be obtained and analyzed, and there must be the power to digest and overcome the environmental foundation of the enemy. For that reason, there needs to be an investment of power. These words apply to all situations. (133-216)

3) Three Conditions of Victory

What is our Unification Church doing now! We are preparing for the future even under persecution and difficulty. Confronted by challenges, we are growing. This growth cannot be without any purpose. We have to prepare thoroughly in order to grow.

What kind of preparations should we make! Firstly, we need ideological preparation. We should never be inferior to others in terms of spiritual power. Secondly, we have to make more effort than those who performed great public service in the course of American history. Thirdly, we have to prepare for action, for this battle. Therefore, we have to have a comprehensive ideology, and then we must invest our effort. This is not something to be done quietly. We must make ceaseless efforts based on the established truth. The effort should not be made centered on oneself. In order to transcend the older foundation, a great effort has to be invested. Because the existing foundation of the older generation is not in the position to welcome a new formation, history inevitably has to pass through a course of struggle. Through that struggle, history is either victorious or defeated. What kind of person comes to be defeated! Those who are absorbed, digested and weak will be defeated. This is an absolute principle. There can be no objection to this. If you do not wish to be defeated you must be one who digests and absorbs. Otherwise you will not be able to survive, and you will taste only the pain of defeat.

When we consider this matter, Rev. Moon will deal with the problems he is currently facing with one worldwide blow. I will target the four billion people of the world, including, of course, the free world centered on America, which is itself centered on one person, Reverend Moon.

So, what preparations has Rev. Moon been making! That is the question. Nothing is prepared, but from an ideological viewpoint I have the confidence with which to overcome, even if it means enduring a course of suffering for one thousand or even ten thousand years. Even though there are difficulties, I have the confidence to break through and make the effort to get ahead. I will go on no matter what sacrifice is required. Effort is needed. This is not a matter of making passive effort, but proactive effort. Next is putting it into practice. Since religious leaders may not fight they are to make quiet effort in its accomplishment. If they are working for eight hours, then I am working for twenty-four. This is the kind of drive I have, day and night.

Modern civilization was built on the basis of four hundred years of history. Supposing that were accomplished through people making eight hours effort a day: then if I make three times that effort, having the same viewpoint as these people and standing in the same ordinary circumstances, I could accomplish all this in 133 years. If we double that effort again, then it can be done in 70 years. This is theoretically speaking. Those who have not prepared will miss out. Therefore, what I called you here to teach you is that you must prepare.

Preparation! Having made such preparations, everyone must win over the remaining foundation of their circumstances. In order to do this, what do we first need! (Ideology) We need a comprehensive ideology. We have to acquire such a comprehensive ideology. In times of collision, you will buckle. You will break. Let us see how you do with the passage of time. You will retreat. And what would be next! (Effort) You must make effort. And what next! (Action) You must jump into action and finish the job. That is what is different about the Unification Church. I have been leading you with this outlook. And I have myself been living with such an outlook. (133-218)

4) If You Become a World Leader

When you study at school together with your classmates you can win them over and increase the number of your friends. If you submit and allow yourself to be won over, you will lose. You must be able to even digest the school teachers in this way. How do you digest your teachers! You must transcend what your teachers are teaching and ask questions. Even if your teacher will not acknowledge you, and kicks you out, he needs you. You must absolutely know these points. Do you understand! How are we to prepare! What kind of person we become in the future will be determined by how we prepare. You have to know the reality that what you leave behind on the existing foundation during your lifetime will determine the central aspect of your character. Do you understand! We must not be won over. We must be the ones who win over others. Now, will those who are won over within a new realm on the existing foundation say "Oh no! I am falling back" and stop! No one in the situation of retreating seeks to win over others. All the moving elements of the universe must develop toward a larger world as they strive to maintain continuous activity. But everything that retreats and degenerates will stop. Natural phenomena occur in this way, and it is the same for humankind.

As you make a leap forward, looking at the old and new standard, and at the old and new foundation, how great an adventure you can experience and how severe the difficulties you can surmount depends upon how far you leap. Do you understand what I am saying! When you go from the existing level to a new one, even though there may be difficulties, if you make a leap several times greater, then the difficulties will naturally be digested. You will not need to worry about anything.

Because I know these things, beginning with Korea, then Japan and now in the whole world, I am gathering the young people, giving them tough training, and sending them out to all walks of life. When you want to be a leader you must have the ability to solve all economic problems independently, and the ability to take responsibility, make preparations and take control. Otherwise, you cannot become a leader. What's next! The power of persuasion. You must have the power to convince people. If you want to persuade someone you have to know your stuff. If you want to convince someone who believes in Communism, you need to know about Communism. If you want to convince a theologian, you must know about theology. You must know the fundamentals rather than just trivia, the basics. It is the fundamentals that are difficult, therefore, not the peripheral matters. You have to know that. Even when you study, you go to many places; but this is unnecessary. You have to closely examine the fundamentals. The fundamental philosophical question of whether God exists or not, or the theological question of whether God exists or not, must come down to and confront the clear definition of the basic problems, centered on the relationships among humankind, life and spiritual life.

Therefore, those who believe in the Unification Church's ideology need to go out into society and be persecuted while experiencing many trials. That is what we call a test. The test is concerning the issue of whether you are progressing or retreating, whether you are being digested or are digesting, whether you are being won over or winning over others. You must understand this point. You will all be like that in the future. If you want to become a world leader, you have to know the world. If you want to take control of America, you have to know America. If you want to take control of Korea, you have to know everything about Korea. (133-222)

5) You Must Establish a Foundation and Achieve Results through Preparation and Ability

This is a time when we can make a great leap forward. Satan knows that. Our enemies know that. In the most difficult times, Satan is taking the offensive. However, nobody should surrender at that point. You must know this for certain. Do you understand! As Rev. Moon has such an ideology, when he reads a book even the last section is revealed to him in advance. When I was a primary school student--Dr. Yoon will know what I mean--I finished off two Japanese text books from the fifth and sixth grade levels. Each book was 180 pages, and I memorized each one in one day. A person can be that awesome. What people can do in ten years I can do in one.

You must make effort to have a mind that thinks of Father. I am saying you must prepare! I am talking about preparation that can be used as a weapon in the era of realization. It is exactly the same when you try to survive and not be defeated in army training or in actual combat. You need this kind of principle in your life. You must know this clearly.

What kind of person will you become! I mean, as an artist, is it enough to be able to play only the piano well! Therefore you need to build a foundation that reaches everywhere. In order to do that there needs to be people who excel in economics. Without favorable environmental conditions you will perish. For this reason our Unification Church has been building an environmental and economic foundation while being called names by others. I have been preparing this foundation in order to embrace our society and world. When the domestic side becomes weak, I strengthen the foreign side and when the foreign side becomes stronger, the domestic side also becomes stronger. Thus I've been using a strategy to make a balance between the domestic and foreign side. That is my strategy. Do you understand! You are preoccupied with your future. You are busily preparing yourself and think: "I need to become a person who can quickly inherit the path Reverend Moon is taking and I need to be able to expand the foundation of the new world." You need to be like that. I urge you to be like that.

What comes first! Preparation; and next! Foundation. None of you have any foundation, do you! When are you going to do it! If I asked you to be in charge of the university, how would you cope with it?. If the university president makes a mistake, I regard it as my mistake. I look at it in that way. You need to have such a viewpoint. Therefore you have to prepare. If you look at the American president, and you can see that he is doing things in a certain way, you need to have the attitude that you will do the things he cannot do. Therefore you need ability. You need to acquire ability. However, no matter how great your abilities are, it is no good if you don't make effort. Even though you make effort to some extent, if you don't make a foundation it will be in vain.

What do you do with effort! If you don't leave a foundation in society or in the world it will be in vain. I am making effort to expand a foundation that is needed by Korea and the world. Therefore preparations have to be made, and because we need a foundation you have to have ability and people with ability need to bring results. The result is the foundation. Do you understand! So what is ability then! You have to go through preparation and then possess ability. You do understand, don't you! Firstly, preparation and foundation, and secondly, ability and result. No matter how much result you get, if you don't have ability, it is no good. Preparation and what is next! Foundation and then ability and result. Which one is valuable! Foundation and ability are precious. You have to know that. (133-230)

6) Pride that cannot be forgotten in history

Let me tell you one thing. At your age, I went away from home to study in Seoul. I lived in a rented room and took care of my own house chores. In the first vacation, I had a strong home sickness, but I did not go to my hometown. Many other people went home, but I was making a preparation for the future. I did not have others cook for me. Why! In order to pioneer my own path. I had to learn how to live independently without a woman. So there is nothing I cannot do. I know how to make dresses and hats. When a man makes a determination, he should be able to do everything while living alone. Even if I died after making the determination, God would say to me, "Although you did died, you had the capacity to fulfill the task. Although it was not accomplished, you did a good job." Do you understand this?

At that time, Seoul was very cold--temperature was going all the way down to minus 17 degrees or even 22 degrees Celsius. When I scooped water from a well, my hand would freeze to the handle of the bucket. Also, I slept in an unheated room. There was some blanket and I rubbed into the blanket so hard that next morning the designs on the blanket were printed on my body. Also, I put a light bulb into the blanket as a heater and burned my skin. This is unforgettable for my whole life.

I don't forget the time of my prison life, either. I don't talk about this, but whenever I think about it, I cannot forget it. When I was victorious, I proudly prayed to God; wishing that this promise comes true today, I keep myself silent. You should know this. So after everybody goes back home, I do something by myself upstairs. I am busy to follow my road. I have lived this way for all my life. Do you understand?

So I Blessed the couples. From all over the country, your parents were expelled by your grandparents. On the tearful path of refuge, I gathered them up and Blessed them. You don't know how miserable the background history was. From the providential standpoint, God has entrusted to us the blessing He meant for the nation of Korea. Furthermore, this blessing is the foundation from which to spread blessing throughout the world. So it is obvious that you should be concerned about the world and nation. Do you understand! Such a history is needed, especially if you want to leave something good for your descendants.

7) What remains in the history is results and foundations

What remains in the history is not your abilities but your results, not the preparation but the foundation. Do you understand! This applies everywhere. Think about it, and wait and see. This is the same at school or everywhere else. So do not talk casually, but with respect to results.

When you are giving a lecture, you should inspire people even through a loud crying. So in the early times, I spoke with sweat and blood even in such a severe persecution. You should speak until your throat explodes and move people. Although we are exhausted from the persecution, we should invest all our strength. I also give all my energy. Why! In order to leave behind a foundation. Why do I take risks and visit prisons! In order to prepare a foundation that can be left behind. For this reason, God will surely guide us. I know that this is the right conclusion, considering my own life experience and my living philosophy. So I know how to treat all kinds of people, for instance people in prison, because I have been in the same situation with them. You never know what kind of people I meet in prison. There could be a discussion about the world's problems, which may open a way of saving the world; I may even find a way to make a new world-wide foundation. I go there with a dream that even something greater than what I have done so far will happen. Do you understand this! If you have the audacity to embrace trials instead of fearing them and try to leave behind goodness, then you will never be a failure. Although you may die, still you are not a failure. Do you understand this! You should know this clearly.

8) Prepare yourself as a child of love

You need preparation, foundation, and what else! (Ability and result.) Do not forget that you need ability and foundation. You can think of it as four-position foundation. So do you think you should make the preparation or not! (We should.) Instead of saying, "Why not play around! Others are going on a vacation, and why not we?", you can say, "What do I know about vacations! I am busy on my way." Is this a good thing to do or silly thing to do! (Good thing.) So from now on, when you have a vacation, will you be running around the whole town, saying, "Oh, I am free,, or get into a pit and make a preparation! (Make a preparation.)

In your time, you should make preparation for one to ten years with sweat. The position like mine even takes one hundred years of preparation. You should not miss the opportunities. So God cannot but have expectation for you, although he may not like you. That is why I am here in such a precious time to talk to you. Somebody may complain why I am talking to the Blessed Second Generation when I called people for a meeting. But it is the Principle to talk to you first. This is why I am here.

You should prepare yourself as my representative and beloved children. You will become different people depending on what you desire and think. We are different in quality and quantity from the outside people; we are not to be digested by them. Some say that they have no friend, but nature is your friend, and so are sun, moon, and stars. So you can talk to stars, moon, trees, and flying birds. You should say to them, "I will prepare myself like you. You have prepared yourself for one year to be able to transmigrate here over the sea and national boundaries. Great. I will also prepare myself to be able to go anywhere." With this you should expedite the preparation. You should know this clearly, OK?

(133-251)

Until I was thirty, I was unable to wear new clothes like yours. In my student time, I always and voluntarily wore dirty and smelly clothes. You have lived too carelessly and without order so far. I am not saying that you should do exactly what I did; but you have to know the history and tradition clearly, OK! When you eat, you should say, "You food, please work as a fertilizer for my making a preparation. Provide power to my brain and all my cells. Give me the righteous power to make a clear judgment against evil." One serious mistake will bring heaven and earth to ruin. Do you understand this! Please prepare yourself for the future.

Don't bring it about that at the time of death, as you reflect over your life and what you heard from me, you say, "I am a loser." Rather I want you to be able to say, "Oh, I made the preparation and then fought, bringing victorious results. Without his words, I would not have been able to do this." With this you can celebrate your life. This is why I am speaking to you. Do you understand this! (133-227)