ORDER NUMBER
88-04-03
REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON
SPEAKS ON
EARLY SPRING OF LIFE
April 3, 1988
Belvedere
Translator - Sang Kil Han
Early Spring is the very beginning of spring. If our ancestors had
not fallen, the moment they were born would have been the early spring
of life. All they were supposed to do was to grow up and live their
life centered on love. What is the seed from which Adam and Eve were
born? It is God Himself. Man was created from the dual characteristics
of God.
In the natural world, a seed sprouts and eventually grows into a
tree or flower, and then it bears its own seeds. Seeds grow in every
part of the world, east, west, north and south. On an apple tree, the
fruit is redder on the side where the sun shines more. The fruit is
paler where there is less sun. Likewise, the fruits and seeds from
different directions and areas are slightly different, although the
seed itself is of the same composition. The seed of human beings was
God Himself. Like a tree, human society has grown branches. The trunk
has become large, and its leaves have spread all the way around the
world. That tree should be bearing the same kind of fruit and seeds it
began with. A tree is a good textbook to show us how to live. It is a
symbol of man's life as it follows natural cycles and returns to a
aced.
A tree has hundreds and thousands of leaves. A leaf doesn't think
much about anything except itself. The branches do the same. Meanwhile
the root, which is hidden deep underground, is constantly sending
nutrition up to them. Such is the situation of man. Man is usually very
cognizant of the visible parts of his life, but hardly gives any
thought at all to his hidden roots. God, like the root, is deep inside
human society, which is growing above the ground.
Which part is more precious-that which is above ground, or that
which is hidden underground? Why is the underground part more
important? If you cut the top of a plant off, another plant can grow
out of the same root. By the same token, which is more precious-man or
the root of man? This is a simple but appropriate metaphor.
How do roots and branches grow? They grow according to law.
Different plants and trees resemble the shape of their own seed-a tall
alpine tree has a long seed, whereas the chestnut tree, like the
chestnut itself, is round. The seeds contain the blueprint and the
necessary ingredients for the tree to be deployed. Thus the tree
assumes the same shape as its seed.
When the seed first sprouts, it has two parts. There are two
directions, not one, because the seed has the two parts of plus and
minus. God Himself is one being, but He has dual characteristics. So
seeds and plants resemble God in this way.
Likewise, each human being has a mind and a body in dual
relationship. Woman in the minus position and man in the plus position
come together and give birth to more pluses and minuses. The same
principle is true on every level of life.
When the sprout first starts coming out of the ground, it is
nurtured from the food which is contained within the seed. By the time
the nutrition contained in the sac of the seed is used up, both sides
will have produced the necessary root. Suppose a seed lands on the soil
upside down Even so, it still sprouts upward toward the sky and the
root digs down into the soil. The plant must get its nutrition from
above and below, from the root and from the air. Earth and heaven must
have give and take.
The life of a plant is not as simple as it seems. In fact, it
symbolizes the whole principle of the universe.
Why does the plant become bigger? It received nourishment, so it
must give. Growing is a form of giving. Children want to grow up to be
big. In growing, we become more aware of our surroundings; thus we can
give more and receive more, too, enjoying give and take on many
levels.
Imagine a huge tree which is really beautiful to behold. Although
you can't see its roots, they will be deeply laid. The tip of its root
is small and lies hundreds of feet below the surface. Can you see that
the tiniest leaf on the top is connected to that root? It is so high
in one direction and so deep in the other that the connection is hard
to see. Yet, without a relationship with the root, the leaf will
eventually die.
By the same token, if we human beings say, ~I don't care about the
roots; they are separate from me,. then we too will start to die. The
man who is aware of his root lives and prospers, while the man who does
not recognize his root will die.
The leaves are close to each other so they appreciate one another.
But the unity among leaves and branches is not just for their own sake.
When all the branches and leaves above the ground are unified and are
growing larger, it is because there is a large, healthy root. When the
roots become stronger, the rest of the tree becomes stronger. It
reflects the ideal cycle of good, brisk give and take in all
directions.
Consider the trees in the wintertime. What do they do? They are
dormant and do not grow. In winter, a warm, nourishing environment is
lacking, so the elements cannot have strong give and take. Trees
simply have to wait until springtime to grow. That is like being bound
up and unable to do anything. For humans it would mean just breathing
and existing. Does anyone want to live like that? No one does,
regardless of whether they are young or old, or whether they are from
the past or the present.
When a farmer puts down fertilizer, does he put it on the branches
or leaves, or on the ground? The fertilizer nourishes the leaves and
branches, but we put it on the ground. Why do we have to give
nourishment to the ground first? The underground roots must grow and
expand in order for the rest, the visible part, to grow and be strong.
Traditionally, Western culture has appreciated and pursued the
revealed, visible aspects of the world. On the other hand, the Eastern
cultures have put more value on the hidden world beneath the surface.
It is a striking contrast. Here in the Western world, people are very
active; they go hunting and they sail over the oceans. They dissect
things and do experiments with everything to learn about the world. By
contrast, when Oriental people want to know something, they sit down
and meditate about it!
We can compare the characteristics of Western and Eastern people
with the parts of a tree. When a strong wind blows, the branches and
leaves dance around in all different directions. But have you ever seen
the roots dance? The roots hold the rest of the tree firm.
As long as the trunk, branches and leaves are healthy, they don't
think deeply; but as soon as they get sick and fear for their life,
they start wondering about the root. When Western civilization is sick
and troubled, as it is now, people start looking to the East to try to
find their way back to good health.
China and India are the two largest, most heavily populated nations
in the Orient. How have these huge countries remained intact? Seeing
the millions of Chinese and Indian people, we know that there must be
an equal quantity of roots beneath them.
Fertilizer is put on the ground to feed the part of the tree which
we can't see. The fertilizer for human beings is thought and prayer.
These give nourishment to our root. We have to constantly give more and
more nourishment to the underground root.
Which is more important to society: creating more inventions,
developing greater technology, or digging down deeper and learning
about our roots? Digging down and paying attention to the root, or to
religion, is more important.
The religion tradition is the most precious part of human society.
Especially precious is that religion which emphasizes the relationship
between the deepest part of the root and the highest part of the
branches. Without such a religious thought and teaching, the world
would really be in danger. When give and take between the under- and
above-ground parts is very active and strong, then so is the whole
society and culture.
Look at the average American person. Is he trying to dig down to his
roots, or is he focused on the visible, upper parts of life? Almost
everybody is trying to reach higher and higher, gaining more and more
in that direction, but they can't do that without a deep root. At its
present rate, American society must perish. It will happen naturally,
according to universal law, even though nobody wants to perish.
When a Western person gets kicked, he will immediately stand up and
fight against the adversary. But when an Oriental gets kicked, he tries
to protect himself. What do you predict-will Western society continue
to prosper at the same rate it has in the past?
I recently visited Columbia University in New York City, and I
observed an interesting phenomenon. Out of twelve professors, four of
them were Korean and only two were American. The others were from
several different countries. Why are so many Koreans here in the United
States, particularly on college campuses? Korean people study religion
and philosophy with great seriousness, seeking to dig down to the core
truths. Now it is a widely-discussed social phenomenon that Orientals,
especially Koreans, are occupying a large number of academic positions
in the United States. Likewise, a high percentage of students in the
Ivy League schools are Korean.
Imagine that you were a company executive looking for employees.
There are some brash and talkative candidates and others who are more
reserved. Which type would you choose to appoint to a responsible
position? You American women answer me first! If you were the president
of a company and you had to choose a department leader, would
you pick a talkative person or a more reticent one? Your mind knows
that the more valuable person is the one who doesn't talk all the time.
How does the mind know? The mind i8 connected to the original root, 80
it understands these things.
If a father is ready to pass on a central position in the family to
one of his children, which would he be likely to choose? To whom would
you give that central mission? Would you choose the son or daughter who
laughs and talks a lot, constantly expressing his thoughts and
feelings, or the one who is more quiet and calm? Certainly, the one who
is more quiet would be more trustworthy. Roots do not move; they are
silent and deep. The person who speaks a lot is bound to make more
mistakes and to make more trouble, whereas a person who keeps things to
himself can create harmony.
Can you think about God at the same time that you are laughing and
merry-making? Yet, it i8 common to think about God when you are in a
contemplative mood. Western Unification Church members, especially in
America, rarely pray. When you do pray, it is almost never for one
solid hour, and certainly not for ten hours straight. Now do you have a
better idea why you have to pray?
Should we value the present time, or should we cherish the past
more? Thinking about and evaluating the past means we cherish
tradition. What is the most important part of tradition? Honor your
parents, your brothers and sisters, and your good ancestors. That is
the root. By studying history, people can learn many things and become
wise. In that way, they will prosper.
Then who are Reverend Moon and the members of the Unification
Church? We are the ones who want to dig deeply down to the roots of
life. Before you joined this movement, you didn't have that attitude.
Today I have to meet a certain time deadline, so I cannot speak for
a long time. I have spoken to you so much already, what more is there
to say?
Your root must go down straight. Which do you think is more
difficult-for the root to dig down straight, or for the tips of the
leaves to reach upward? Yes, the roots have to work harder to dig down.
For a person, a country, or a civilization to become great and extend
itself, visualize how far down its roots must go. By looking at the
history of civilization, we can conclude that our root is still moving
down in a certain constant direction, even while mankind is undergoing
such turbulence. Imagine how much God has worked and prepared
everything underground.
Those families, clans and nations who declined and perished in
history were those who scorned the invisible world of religion and even
persecuted religious people.
In your opinion, is God sad or happy? We must understand that God's
experience has been the most tragic of all. We can feel something of
that tragedy when an individual dies, or a family breaks up, or a
country falls to pieces and declines, but God has borne more sorrow
than that by Himself. We feel outrage and sorrow at the deaths of
millions of people under communist regimes, yet we must understand that
God's suffering has been even greater than that.
There are many branches on a tree, but which should be the main
branch? They cannot all be of equal size. The one which stands in the
center is the tallest and the main branch. If only the easterly
branches prosper, a tree will lean to the east. A slanted tree is not
attractive to look at.
By the same token, look at the world in general and the drastic
differences between Eastern and Western hemispheres, the disparity of
wealth between the North and South. One is so poor and the other so
rich. Who is going to balance that situation? The source of balance for
the fallen world can only be found within the tradition of religion. It
cannot be solved within the purely material realm. The roots of a tree
have many different parts, just as the tradition of religion has many
different denominations. Right now they are confronting and even
opposing each other. Unless and until the roots of religion become one,
the world cannot become one. Our Unification Church members must know
that clearly.
My work has been focused on that point. First, I have sought to
unify all the Christian denominations, and after that, all the
peripheral or side religions. Someone must do this that someone is the
Unification Church.
From this moment on, when you look at trees, you will think about
these points. If you see a tree projecting out in only one direction,
think: "Oh, that reminds me of our situation. We have to have a
balance among all sides.. All you American members here represent the
Western world and I am representing the Eastern world. Who is the root?
Then what are you? You are the branches, leaves, trunks. Am I a
straight root or a crooked one? How about you? Do you have a straight
trunk? It is becoming straight and strong, isn't it? I have been
teaching you continually how to grow straight.
By nature, black and white people have some different
characteristics. You might say that white people have been underexposed
to the sun. Have you ever seen an apple which is red on one side and
pale on the other? When you take the first bite of such an apple, where
do you want to sink your teeth? Certainly, in the red side. By the same
token, black people have more of the roots-they are richer in emotion
with more things to cherish inside themselves than white people. All
there is to white people, in general, is what we see outside; there is
not so much inside.
The sun represents light, original life, and therefore love. All
creatures naturally follow the sun so they can be most alive. Sunshine
is symbolic of love. Thus black people have absorbed more love and are
more deeply emotional. White people for the most part are cold. Look at
the frigid North Pole, where there is not much sun.
Western men and women are very individualistic and they tend to
think about themselves first, not others. When you are in the shade
perhaps you have to worry about yourself, but when the sun drives away
the shade, everyone is warm.
What have I been doing here in America? I agitated white people; I
have made you think more. Also I made you suffer more, something you
never wanted to do. I discouraged you from merriment and pushed you to
think deeper and suffer more. I have done that in order to change you.
Look at the trend toward labor in America: "Let's work only
five hours a day, five days a week." What about the Japanese? They
say, "Let's work ten hours a day." The Koreans are saying,
"Let's work twenty hours!" American society is in an uproar
over that standard. "They work too much," people say.
Koreans are naturally gaining more wealth. In New York, people are
expressing anger and resentment toward Koreans. The black community is
complaining because Koreans are making money so fast. But it is
happening naturally- the more diligently you work, the more material
things will be drawn to you.
The solution is so simple. What both the white and the black people
of America must do is to work harder than the Koreans. Then America
will once again spring up in vitality. Otherwise, Koreans will be
taking more and more positions of responsibility in American society.
You might not like that, but you can't help it because it is natural.
This is not just my thinking. The ones who work the hardest eventually
take the positions of influence within any society.
I have been working very hard. I know that someday this society will
have to follow my standard. It is natural law. No matter how much
America goes against me, in the end Reverend Moon's standard will win
out. Can you understand that?
From now on, each of you will yearn to look at a tree at least once
a day, isn't that true? Let them teach you. Be educated by the trees.
We don't enjoy being reminded of the results of the fall and all the
difficulties we have to go through because of that. Traditional
Christianity has been thinking that God has everything; He can do
anything; He knows everything. Therefore, He is the great, glorious,
ideal God of joy. People have associated only happy things with God.
But now Reverend Moon comes and teaches you something completely
different: God is the saddest, the most miserable, suffering Person in
the universe. At first you couldn't believe it, but little by little,
you have grown to understand this truth.
Don't you think God is glad to find so many people who are finally
understanding Him as He really is? When we begin to understand God,
then He can start sharing His heart with us. Out of all the human
beings, I am the one who knows most deeply how miserable God is. Then,
was meeting Reverend Moon a good or a bad event in your life? You said
good, and I believe and trust that. I believe that you like my words,
but you don't like to follow what I say, do you? This is the dividing
point. The one who loves my actions and tries to do as I do will go to
the heavenly realm with God. Otherwise, you cannot go there.
Our topic today is the early spring of life. As we have said, each
person starts out from a seed and then goes through many different
circumstances and activities. We all have many relationships with the
environment, and then we return to the beginning point, that of a seed.
Like the tree, a person is supposed to grow in a balanced way between
his plus and minus sides.
As a person grows older, he is exposed to many different people,
many different leaves and branches. From that, you will get proper
nutrition before you form a seed. When is the time for the flower to
come out? It is in spring, correct? When is your springtime? It is
when you get married. That is when you come to know about the opposite
sex.
You sisters here-do you need a man? How much? You need him so much
that you don't mind being occupied one hundred percent by him. American
women do not like to be dominated. You think it is a horrible idea to
give yourself up. You can't possibly do that! But something in your
mind says, "You must do that.. Although you expect misery, you
find your husband and you find love. Not only that, you also find
yourself. Love has that kind of power. How wonderful love is. Most
American people do not know this secret point. It is actually the
businesslike way, the pragmatic path. In love, you do not lose you
gain! Do you understand? When you invest yourself completely, you gain
a total return on your investment.
Flowers have male and female parts. When the female and male parts
of a flower come together, a seed is formed. Does the female part of a
flower fly around and land on the male part, or is it the other way
around? At that time, at that moment, the female part actually plays
the role of plus because the male pollen flies in. The seed grows in
the female part.
You all wanted to get married, didn't you? Do you want to stay as
you are and find love, or do you want to give yourself up and be
enveloped and controlled by love? On this foundation, one finds love
and is uplifted gradually to heaven. Husband and wife are able to go
together to heaven. Love follows this vertical line.
In your seed are all the things that you inherited from your
ancestry. Both male and female are the total expressions of their
ancestry. The essence of the two seeds is exactly the same; they are
equal.
Look at the American family. Should a child deviate from the
parents, or should he resemble them? What do we see now? Today's
American family has so many problems. The sons and daughters are at
variance with the parents. Children should ideally be the fruit born of
the first love, not the second love. Is that clear?
The fallen world is going against the original way in every
conceivable aspect. I came here and started teaching you American
people how far from the ideal you were. In the beginning, no one liked
it. But I want you to become engrafted into the true root, getting all
your elements from God. Then you will naturally produce a seed which is
much more Godly.
The fallen world's root, as we know, is different from the original
root. That root is the problem. God doesn't want a deviated root, so He
is working to reverse the root of the world. That work i8 what we call
re-creation.
If we could draw a picture of the Unification Church, it would look
like a tree with many strong roots. Now we are about to branch out. You
came here from many different roots, but now you are grafting onto the
central, true root. The simple purpose of religion is for fallen man to
be grafted into God.
First, we need to be cut away from the old root. Where should we
make that separation, at our foot or at our neck? The Bible promises
that those who are willing to die for God will live; those who seek to
live will die. Therefore we must be willing to cut ourselves off from
old ties.
Would you prefer to cut yourself from the old root, or would you
like someone else to help you? Can you do it yourself? You need
someone else's help. Who is that someone else? It has to be someone who
represents the ideal, an original person, not a fake. The invisible,
hidden parent is God. The visible, tangible parents are our True
Parents. That is why you want to be engrafted onto the True Parents.
You want to be cut off from the fallen American root, inheritance and
tradition-you want to sever every fallen connection.
How does this relate to our topic, the new spring of life? We will
be cut off from the old root and be grafted onto a new root. Our new
life will bud and flower. Once we are engrafted, how are we going to
live? We will live as straight as the root which formed the tree. You
must live consistently with the tradition of the True Parents. When
you do that, every part of you will be fulfilling one hundred percent:
your leaves, branches, roots, and your seed. When you fulfill this one
hundred percent standard of perfect fruit, then you can return to God.
Until now, you have been enduring a long, bitter winter. You became
rather adapted to the wintertime. But now spring has come, and
everything starts growing with new vigor. When you break your leg, you
have to wear a cast for many months, but eventually you have to get out
of it. When you do, you are bound to experience certain aches and pains
associated with healing.
We must go over all cultural and national barriers. You have to
separate from your old heritage and be grafted into a new root. Then
you will start to grow. That is when you meet the new spring.
Do you feel that what I have described is exactly the way you ought
to go? Or do you think, "Well, that's generally right." It
has to be precisely that way, not generally that way. So your central
figure with whom you work is always an issue. You have to support him,
go along with him. When you do, everything becomes harmonious.
Do you feel confident that you can live that way now? Which should
you emphasize more the present, past, or the future? The past is the
root; the future is our goal. They are more important than where we are
today. We must go vertically to the apex, the summit. The vertical
beam is the main pillar in a house.
When you know this general rule, you know what kind of husband or
wife you are, what kind of child or parent you are. You know whether
you are worthy of going to heaven or not. No one else has to tell you.
We and all of mankind are about to go in a new direction. New life
and new growth will be sprouting everywhere. Therefore, Unification
Church members will be very busy from now on. You are the ones who must
not only go this way, but also lay the foundation for the rest of the
world.
This is the way we must go at this time of history, the early spring
of life. Those who say, "Yes, I will grow and reach the top,"
please raise your hands. God bless you. Let us pray.