The Way for Young People

by Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 4 Exemplary Life

Section 1. Rediscovering Life

1. How to Lead Life

If human beings are going to lead their lives well, they have to make a program. You must not live a non-directioned, purposeless life. You might not know, but today's providence of restoration isn't being realized without a purpose.

The path that I have walked for 40 years until today has been completely intentional and in accordance with a program. Just as building a house requires a plan, I have a blue print. I cannot say myself, "It is done," even though everything might match exactly with the blue print. It has to be acknowledged by Heaven and earth. (141-180)

There has to be discrimination. Whether a person has lived a good or a bad life will be certainly be determined after he or she dies. The decision will be made as to whether the person lived well or not. If a person is seen to have led a good life, it means that the person is good. If not, it means the person is evil.

If this is so, then what should we do in order to be recognized as having lived a life of goodness? What is the standard for a good or bad life? During our lifetime, we do things that determine the quality of our lives. Every person wants to live a good life. Nobody wants to live a bad life.

Often a person is said to live a good life based primarily on external things. Normally, a person who is well-off externally is said to have a good life. If one owns a house, has some money, lives with a spouse and children and seems to have no obstacles to realizing his or her intentions, he/she is said to live a good life. It is generally like this.

But, even though we live our lives hearing how good our circumstances are, when we come to ask ourselves, "Am I really living a true and good life?" not so many of us can say with confidence, "I am living truthfully." Regardless of their sex and age, everybody desires to lead a truthful life. Not so many actually live life truthfully, however.

We live in an environment where it is not possible to live sincerely, even though we want to. A large majority of people have a regretful conclusion to their lives and come to lament over the wasted time. This is our way of life today. (43-242)

Today, you, the youth of the Unification Church, say, "We are historical people with historical results." Is it really so? That is a problem. Is it really so? If you ask anybody, "What are you doing?" he will probably answer, "I am living." If you ask, "How have you been living?" the answer will probably be, "I have been living this way." If we ask a large number of individuals, a large majority will probably answer, "I have just eaten and gotten along." The answers for questions like, "How is your life? Are you well off or not?" are given by a great majority of people based on such facts as owning a house or a patch of field or having smooth living conditions.

We are getting along in our lives. How is the majority of people living today? They are getting along. They are living for the sake of living itself. But life shouldn't be led only in this way. Do you understand? How does a person who has a standard a step higher lead his or her life? Such a person eats sharing the food and lives with deliberation. Some spend their lives only eating and drinking while others spend it with consideration. Do you understand? (151-70) It is easy for the one who is defeated in life to become a loser in his life of faith.

In life's circumstances, God and Satan are conducting a battle of depriving me. (183-198) Where is Satan separated from God? It is not done in the spiritual world. Where is it done? In life. Within myself, in my conscience and my physical mind. The internal aspect within us, the conscience, represents God's side and the physical mind represents Satan's side.

When you put your hands against each other, their shape is alike.

But one of them is the left side and the other one is the right side.

When we look at it this way, the same seems different. Therefore, we have to distinguish the right side from the left side and know clearly which one goes first and which one follows. (24-215)

Recently, I have seen that the Principle goes its way while you act in your way and the Church operates in its way. I have felt it is like this. If you have learned the Principle, you should be standing on it accordingly, but you and the Church are not standing on the Principle. You are apart from it. You will get into trouble that way. There is a saying, "An hour may destroy what took an age to build." If we continue to live in that way, everything will end in failure. (109-308)

2. The Way of Life We Must Adopt

What have I been emphasizing to you? The obscure way of life that you have been living in the past must change into a concrete way of life. (18-178) We certainly must inquire about the way of life to be led as an individual and also as a family. (24-29)

What will remain at the very end? It will not be any of the philosophies or outlooks on life formulated by humans. It will be a way of life concerning God. God must be the main view of life; it must be a world view that unites God and humans. It is not a place where humans have a vague degree of understanding about God, but rather a place where man can never fall away, no matter what. Why? Since God and humans fell from the place where it actually shouldn't have been possible, they have to reach a place higher than that. We have to come forward and claim a worldwide stage of life, where God and man are one. (65-127)

Where have you presently been placed in the Unification Church? Unification Church members must act in concert with me, wherever or whenever they may go. Until now, I haven't managed only by myself. I have lived with God and walked in the same direction with Him and in step with Him, investing my life completely.

Now, the combination of 3 (God, you and I) must become one. We have to act in concert. Since this is a decisive question of life and death, the three must unite at the point where they come together. In other words, the realm of resurrection of life is at that very point. It is the connecting point where the Father and I become one and you and I become one and unite. There the unification of one heart takes place. Therefore, you must lead a life of oneness with the will. (31-321)

For you, it is a question of how to lead your lives while becoming one in heart with the three parts of the Father's will, your will and the will of your future spiritual children; the place where time becomes one, a person becomes one, and the direction becomes one, by day or by month. It is a question of how to bring a whole year into such a standard. (24-133, 28-80) You have to check yourselves. Have I become one with the cause, the goal, and the subject? When I find myself not being one with the cause and the goal, and not being able to stand in an object position in front of a subject, I must continuously keep in mind the need to become one with the cause, the goal, and the subject. After establishing the subject/object relationship and the direction, then the purpose must be clear. Have you been thinking this way until now? (66-257, 108-83)

What kind of life does God want? It is not a self-centered life. I say to you, it is not a self-centered life. Therefore, you Unification Church members, should hang a map of the world or the terrestrial globe on the wall of your room and always think, "Where would God go today?" I have set up my mind here, but could God, who created the heavens and earth, be looking only at me?" You have to think about it. (155-248)

A monotonous life becomes like a habit. A person who thinks that this is the way of human life is nothing but a worldly person. We have to lead a life that is capable of improving the common living circumstances and of bringing higher value. Only in that way can the position of goodness be determined in the evil world. A person cannot be called a religious person, if he/she is not able to dominate external life. He cannot be called a heavenly person.

Therefore, everybody needs character-building. It is not enough just to do activities. We have to live in a way that after our activities, when we sit down quietly, we are able to hold and match the directions of up and down, left and right. Without a doubt this is the way a person will stay, based on the substantial standard in a place of vertical axis.(185-182)

3. The Way of Life We Must Become Accustomed To

1) God-centered Life

Every religion teaches not to look at or listen to anything rashly. They also teach us not to speak or to treat anybody rashly. This means that looking, listening, speaking, feeling and also loving must all be done centered on God and not centered on oneself. (66-231) All of our speaking, looking, feeling and emotional experiences must be connected to God. (53-239) For whom should we look and listen in our daily lives? It is for the sake of God. We have to do it for the sake of God. Feeling must also be done for the sake of God. Even though we are living on earth, we have to be connected with the life in Heaven. (35-284) Before eating, you must think, "Father, after you!"(11-218)

You can not just eat good food and wear good clothes. First, you have to offer the best to God. Also, when you walk, think that you are walking together with Father on your right and Mother on your left. (24-181) When we are hungry, for whom do we eat? (For God.) Really? Are you sure that you eat for the sake of God or are you eating for your own sake? (For God.) You have to think about it. How can you eat for the sake of God? "I need to build a perfect temple for God." Therefore, when you eat, think that God is eating in you. Think this way, "Because I'm hungry, God in me wants to eat." Do you understand? If you do so, that food will become holy. It will become precious food.

Next, what should you think when you go to the toilet? Do you do it for your sake or for the sake of the whole? It is all one and same.

Think that God commanded you to go, because otherwise this temple will have trouble.

How about breathing? It is the same. And listening? Don't think that you listen by yourself. Don't think that you do anything like looking, touching, etc, by yourself. Even when you face people or Satan's world, do it as a person of God. Even when you speak, think that God is speaking.

Originally, according to the Principle we are to live, think and love centered on ourselves after we've become completely one. We have to know this clearly. Even though you would live, think and love centered on yourself, it would be the same as living, thinking and loving centered on God.

This is the Principle. (92-166) If you understand the relationship between subject and object, then everything must be for the sake of the subject, to the fullest. Everything such as looking, listening and eating must be done for the subject.

When you eat and just say, "Oh, how tasty it is. So delicious!" it means that you are eating for your own sake. But if you eat gratefully, you are eating for the sake of the subject. If you can realize that your circumstances are not due to you, then you are able to eat like that because you are not eating alone. You are eating for the subject. It is same with sleeping. It is not because you yourself have managed so well that you may sleep in a place like this. You must have the attitude that even though Heaven might bring you to the end of this world and ruin your life, it is because of Heaven's desperate efforts to save you from your miserable state. All of you should always say to God, "Oh, God, I'm grateful for my destiny. I'm so grateful." This is the attitude you must have.

That is why there cannot be any displeasure in the place where an object is devoted to the subject, can there? Displeasure is a rare act and a failure. Therefore, no displeasure is allowed in the life of faith.

What is not allowed? We cannot afford displeasure. There should only be thankfulness. You must understand this.

Because Heaven will always remain the subject, there cannot exist any rule or life that is separate from it. Therefore, always report. Even though you seem to be by yourself, you are never alone. You will feel the presence of Heaven in front of you and in back of you wherever you are. Then whatever you come to enjoy, you'll feel it in your heart. How does the Father feel seeing all that scenery? How does He feel when He looks out over Seoul? If history and the world are so, then everything must connect and relate with it. You have to realize these points clearly and never forget that Heaven is the subject. Otherwise, it is not possible to understand the reasoning of empirical faith.

Natural law is brought into existence by keeping the proper order.

Therefore, we have to stand in the position where Heaven is the absolute subject in the subject and object relationship. The one who neglects the subject is not able to become an object. When I am an unconditional object to the absolute subject, we are absolutely one.

Therefore, all that we are seeing, hearing and feeling, even the loving within a family, is to be done from the position of a subject and object for the sake of Heaven. That is oneness. That kind of family will never perish.

What will happen when a subject and object have a reciprocal relationship? Definitely, something will happen, and the result will come in proportion to how good their reciprocal relationship is. (58-310)

2) Centered on True Parents

Now, you have to live together with the True Parents. Therefore, True Parents are in the position of grandparents, and then there is the position of your own parents, and you are in the position of the eldest son. This is different. The conclusion is that three generations live together.

You have to lead your life feeling that God, True Parents and your own parents are with you. We have reached the age when it is not possible to think that there is no God or that God has died. (131-97)

The Fall happened through heartistic ties. Therefore, it is not possible to open the door of the Fall and clear it away without a higher level of heartistic power than that which occurred at the Fall. This is the Principle. This happens when you shed tears and come in earnest longing to see me. I will abruptly appear and teach you. On the way to somewhere, if you see good products or any other good thing, a wish to take that to Father comes from the bottom of your heart. "I can't just pass it by because my heart is aching. I want to bring this to Father, whatever it takes." If you then feel infatuated and burst into tears over how pitiful God's situation is, I will appear in front of you. If you wanted to give me a good suit, I will appear already wearing an even better one. I will ask you laughingly, "What is the matter?" Such a situation will take place. I will say, "Don't worry! I already have the best things."

Hence, a man called Reverend Moon is a strange person-a strange person, whom you don't know. I come from a strange background, yet whichever country of the world I have promised to visit, its people long to see me. Without understanding it themselves, they wake up sighing, "Father, when will you come?" When you reach such a state of deeply touching the heart, you will open up spiritually. If you really come to yearn after Father, he will come and show you around the Garden of Eden. At that time, you don't know that it is taking place spiritually. It feels so real. In no other way can that kind of world open up.

You have to cry your eyes out with longing. If a person cries excessively, it aches right here. That's how much you have to be longing. Even in crying out, "Father", some do it as a son who is being dragged to the execution ground and some as a son who is leaving for a far away country. In order to call Heavenly Father, we must have a higher standard than that.

The amount that you have devoted yourself to meeting Father and forming ties with God will be your property. (50-288)

In everything, interrelate with the Parents; decide with the Parents, consult with the Parents and find a solution with the Parents. (44-175)

3) A Life Centered on Goodness

The one who unites the center and the direction from the very beginning is able to connect the start with the finish. Therefore, the first victory belongs to the subject. At the same time, it also comes back to the one who follows the way from the beginning to the end. You should have a center in life. (57-277) There is good and evil even in listening to singing. Whether you look, listen, eat, sleep or do anything, there is good and evil. (26-131)

Whether you are asleep or awake, eat, rest, look or do anything you have to do it centered on the whole. (73-61)

Never forget that at present you are standing at the dividing point of good and evil. Therefore, always speak well, and look at only good things with your eyes. Women's eyes wander easily, don't they? Hence, you have to control you eyes. You have to control your eyes, hands, and all five senses. Where should my every step lead? Whether I meet my friend or associate, I have to be able to say words for the benefit of the public to each person. I must help the person take even just a step toward the side of goodness. While controlling these things in the physical world, I will simultaneously be going ahead, holding a banner of love for the sake of those who have already passed away. For that reason, you should study and do your work. Then everything will work out naturally. (109-307)

4) Life in Accord with One Goal

What determines whether an individual succeeds in life on earth or not, or is able to leave behind day-to-day accomplishments in reaching his goal? After establishing a firm goal, it is very important to know how to have a direction that is in accord with and hits the marks of the goal.

Even though you start with a goal, if the direction goes wrong it will have nothing to do with the goal. Therefore, when we step forward with a goal, we must always watch carefully to see whether the direction is in accordance with it.

We must stand in a straight line with the goal. Since we are in a reciprocal relationship with the goal, we should stand in the position of having the goal as an opponent on the straight line. For our lines, when we move forward step by step, if we do not adopt the position straight in line with the goal, we are bound to cross the goal. Just one wrong step will lead you to cross the goal. You can lean neither right nor left.

Take the golden mean, and you will be able to reach the conclusion of your goal. You must work from the point of discovering yourself able to unite with the goal in the straight line with clearly defined goodness. If we regret the straight line and come to stand on the foundation of not being able to be in accord with the straight line, we have to know that we have already strayed from the way that enables us to accomplish the goal.

If we cannot stand in the position where the goal and the direction are in accord, God cannot help or share it with us, because that place has a common direction from a common position towards a common goal. If we deviate, God cannot be with us.

Why is it so? Because if the direction goes wrong, all effort will be lost. In many situations cooperation will not bring the desired results but rather it will inevitably lead elsewhere. It is very natural that God cannot help or be with you if you come to stand in that position, so it will be wasted effort.

After getting up in the morning, all our feelings and movements must be unified into one all the time, in a straight line united on one goal. We can't deny that the moment we lose the point we are not able to be connected with the Will. (57-232)