Throughout
history, people have anguished over the fundamental
questions of human life and the universe without arriving
at satisfying answers. This is because no one has
understood the root principle by which humanity and the
universe were originally created. To approach this topic
properly, it is not enough to examine resultant reality.
The fundamental question is that of the causal reality.
Problems concerning human life and the universe cannot be
solved without first understanding the nature of God.
This chapter deals extensively with these questions. Section 1
The Dual Characteristics of God
and the Created Universe
1.1 The Dual Characteristics of God
(15)
How can we know the divine nature of the invisible
God? One way to fathom His deity is by observing the
universe which He created. Thus, St. Paul said:
Ever since
the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely,
his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived
in the things that have been made. So they are without
excuse. -Rom. 1:20RS|KJ|NI
Just as a work of art displays the invisible nature of
its maker in a concrete form, everything in the created
universe is a substantial manifestation of some quality
of the Creator's invisible, divine nature. As such, each
stands in a relationship to God. Just as we can come to
know the character of an artist through his works, so we
can understand the nature of God by observing the diverse
things of creation.
Let us begin by pointing out the common elements which
are found universally throughout the natural world. Every
entity possesses dual characteristics of yang
(masculinity) and yin (femininity) and comes into
existence only when these characteristics have formed
reciprocal relationships, both within the entity and
between it and other entities.
For example, subatomic particles, the basic building
blocks of all matter, possess either a positive charge, a
negative charge or a neutral charge formed by the
neutralization of positive and negative constituents.
When particles join with each other through the
reciprocal relationships of their dual characteristics,
they form an atom. Atoms, in turn, display either a
positive or a negative valence. When the dual
characteristics within one atom enter into reciprocal
relationships with those in another atom, they form a
molecule. Molecules formed in this manner engage in
further reciprocal relationships between their dual
characteristics to eventually become nourishment fit for
consumption by plants and animals.
Plants propagate by means of stamen and pistil.
Animals multiply and maintain their species through the
relationship between males and females. According to the
Bible, after God created Adam, He saw that it was not
good for the man to live alone.1(Gen.2:18)RS|KJ|NI Only after God created
Eve as Adam's female counterpart did He declare that His
creations were "very good."2(Gen.1.31)
Even though atoms become positive or negative ions
after ionization, each still consists of a positive
nucleus and negative electrons in stable unity.
Similarly, each animal, whether male or female, maintains
its life through the reciprocal relationships of yang and
yin elements within itself. The same holds true for every
plant. In people, a feminine nature is found latent in
men and a masculine nature is found latent in women.
Moreover, every creation exists with correlative
aspects: inside and outside, internal and external, front
and rear, right and left, up and down, high and low,
strong and weak, rising and falling, long and short, wide
and narrow, east and west, north and south, etc. The
reason for this is that everything is created to exist
through the reciprocal relationships of dual
characteristics. Thus, we can understand that everything
requires for its existence a reciprocal relationship
between the dual characteristics of yang and yin.
However, there is another pair of dual characteristics
in reciprocal relationship which are even more
fundamental to existence than the dual characteristics of
yang and yin. Every entity possesses both an outer form
and an inner quality. The visible outer form resembles
the invisible inner quality. The inner quality, though
invisible, possesses a certain structure which is
manifested visibly in the particular outer form. The
inner quality is called internal nature, and the outer
form or shape is called external form. Since internal
nature and external form refer to corresponding inner and
outer aspects of the same entity, the external form may
also be understood as a second internal nature.
Therefore, the internal nature and external form together
constitute dual characteristics.
Let us take human beings as an example. A human being
is composed of an outer form, the body, and an inner
quality, the mind. The body is a visible reflection of
the invisible mind. Because the mind possesses a certain
structure, the body which reflects it also takes on a
particular appearance. This is the idea behind a person's
character and destiny being perceived through examining
his outward appearance by such methods as physiognomy or
palm reading. Here, mind is the internal nature and body
is the external form. Mind and body are two correlative
aspects of a human being; hence, the body may be
understood as a second mind. Together, they constitute
the dual characteristics of a human being. Similarly, all
beings exist through the reciprocal relationships between
their dual characteristics of internal nature and
external form.
What is the relationship between internal nature and
external form? The internal nature is intangible and
causal, and stands in the position of a subject
partner to the external form; the external form is
tangible, resultant, and stands in the position of an object
partner to the internal nature. The mutual
relationships between these two aspects of an entity
include: internal and external, cause and result, subject
partner and object partner, vertical and horizontal. Let
us again use the example of a human being, whose mind and
body are his internal nature and external form,
respectively. The body resembles the mind and moves
according to its commands in such a way as to sustain
life and pursue the mind's purposes. Mind and body thus
have a mutual relationship of internal and external,
cause and result, subject partner and object partner,
vertical and horizontal.
Similarly, all created beings, regardless of their
level of complexity, possess an intangible internal
nature, which corresponds to the human mind, and a
tangible external form, which corresponds to the human
body. Within each being, the internal nature, which is
causal and subject, commands the external form. This
relationship allows the individual being to exist and
function purposefully as a creation of God. Animals live
and move because their bodies are directed by an internal
faculty corresponding to the human mind, which endows
them with a certain purpose. Plants maintain their
organic functions by virtue of their internal nature,
which also operates like the human mind in some respects.
The human mind imparts to every person a natural
inclination to join with others in harmony. Likewise,
positive ions and negative ions come together to form
particular molecules, because within every one of them
exists a rudimentary internal nature that guides them
toward that end. Electrons assemble around nuclei to form
atoms because they possess an attribute of internal
nature which directs them toward that purpose. According
to modern science, all particles that constitute atoms
are made up of energy. For energy to form particles, it,
too, must possess an internal nature which directs it to
assume specific forms.
Probing deeper still, we search for the Ultimate Cause
which brought this energy, with its elements of internal
nature and external form, into existence. This being
would be the First Cause of all the myriad things in the
universe. As the First Cause, it must also possess the
dual characteristics of internal nature and external
form, which stand in the position of subject partner to
the internal natures and external forms of all beings. We
call this First Cause of the universe God, and we call
God's internal nature and external form the original
internal nature and original external form. As
St. Paul indicated, by investigating characteristics that
are universally present in the diverse things of
creation, we can come to know the nature of God: God is
the First Cause of the entire universe and its subject
partner, having the harmonious dual characteristics of
original internal nature and original external form.
We have already mentioned that entities require for
their existence the reciprocal relationship between the
dual characteristics of yang and yin. It is only natural
to surmise that God, the First Cause of all things, also
exists based on the reciprocal relationship between His
dual characteristics of yang and yin. The verse "So
God created man in his own image, in the image of God he
created him; male and female he created them"3(Gen.1:27)RS|KJ|NI supports the idea that
God, as the subject partner, has dual characteristics of
yang and yin in perfect harmony.
What is the relationship between the dual
characteristics of internal nature and external form and
the dual characteristics of yang and yin? God's original
internal nature and original external form each contain
the mutual relationship of original yang and original yin.
Therefore, original yang and original yin are attributes
of original internal nature and original external form.
The relationship between yang and yin is similar to that
which exists between internal nature and external form.
Yang and yin thus have the following mutual relationships:
internal and external, cause and result, subject partner
and object partner, vertical and horizontal. For this
reason, it is written in Genesis that God took a rib from
the man, Adam, and created a woman, Eve, to be his helper.4(Gen.2.22)RS|KJ|NI In this case, the yang
and yin of God were manifested in masculinity and
femininity.
A human being attains perfection when he centers his
life on his mind; likewise, the creation becomes complete
only when God stands as its center. Hence, the universe
is a perfect organic body that moves only according to
God's purpose of creation. As one organic body, the
universe should exist in a relationship of internal
nature and external form, with God as the internal nature
and the created universe as the external form. For this
reason it is written in the Bible that human beings, who
are the center of the universe, are created in the image
of God.5(Gen1.27)RS|KJ|NI Because God exists as
the subject partner having the qualities of internal
nature and masculinity, He created the universe as His
object partner with the qualities of external form and
femininity. All of this is supported by the Bible verse
which states, "man . . . is the image and glory of
God."6(I Cor.11.7)RS|KJ|NI In
recognition of God's position as the internal and
masculine subject partner, we call Him "Our Father."
In summary, God is the Subject in whom the dual
characteristics of original internal nature and original
external form are in harmony. At the same time, God is
the harmonious union of masculinity and femininity, which
manifest the qualities of original internal nature and
original external form, respectively. In relation to the
universe, God is the subject partner having the qualities
of internal nature and masculinity.
1.2 The Relationship between God and the Universe (19)
We have learned that every creation is God's
substantial object partner, formed in His likeness as a
discrete projection of His dual characteristics. God
exists as the incorporeal subject partner to all beings.
Human beings are object partners embodied at the level of
image, and the rest of creation are object
partners embodied at the level of symbol. These
object partners are called individual embodiments of
truth, in image and symbol.
Individual embodiments of truth are discrete
manifestations of the dual characteristics of God.
Therefore, they can be distinguished broadly into two
classes: those of yang qualities which resemble the
original internal nature and masculinity of God, and
those of yin qualities which resemble the original
external form and femininity of God. Although individual
embodiments of truth belong to either of these two
classes, since they are all substantial object partners
to God-resembling His original internal nature and
original external form-they each possess within
themselves both internal nature and external form, and
likewise both yang and yin.
In light of our understanding of the dual
characteristics, the relationship between God and the
universe can be summarized thus: The universe as a whole
is a substantial object partner to God. It is composed of
individual embodiments of truth, each a unique
manifestation of the dual characteristics of God at
either the level of image or of symbol, as governed by
the Principle of Creation. The myriad qualities of God,
in their duality, are apportioned into diverse human
beings, each an incarnate object partner at the level of
image. These qualities are also apportioned into all the
diverse things of creation, each an embodied object
partner at the level of symbol. The relationship between
God and the universe is similar to that between internal
nature and external form. It is a mutual relationship
like that between dual characteristics: internal and
external, cause and result, vertical and horizontal,
subject partner and object partner, and so forth.
Finally, from the viewpoint of the Principle of
Creation, let us investigate the metaphysical concept at
the root of East Asian philosophy which is based on the Book
of Changes (I Ching). There, the origin of the
universe is the Great Ultimate (Ultimate Void). >From
the Great Ultimate arose yang and yin, from yang and yin
came forth the Five Agents-metal, wood, water, fire and
earth-and from the Five Agents all things came into
existence.7
Yang and yin together are called the Way (Tao), or
as the Book of Changes states, "One yang and
one yin: this is the Way."8
The Way is traditionally defined as the Word. To put all
this together, from the Great Ultimate arose yang and
yin, or the Word, and all things came into being based on
the Word. Accordingly, the Great Ultimate is the First
Cause of all existing beings, the integral nucleus and
harmonious subject partner of yang and yin.
It is written in the Gospel of John that "the
Word was with God, and the Word was God,"9(John
1:1-3)RS|KJ|NI and that all things were
made through the Word. Comparing this to the metaphysics
rooted in the Book of Changes, we can surmise that
the Great Ultimate, as the harmonious source of yang and
yin or the Word, is none other than God who, as we have
seen, is the harmonious subject partner of dual
characteristics. According to the Principle of Creation,
the fact that everything created through the Word has
dual characteristics shows that the Word itself consists
of dual characteristics. Consequently, the claim made in
the Book of Changes that yang and yin together are
the Word is valid.
However, this East Asian
metaphysics observes the universe exclusively from the
viewpoint of yang and yin while failing to recognize that
all things also possess internal nature and external form.
Therefore, although it reveals that the Great Ultimate is
the subject partner of harmonious yang and yin, it fails
to show that the Great Ultimate is also the subject
partner of harmonious original internal nature and
original external form. Hence, it does not comprehend
that the Great Ultimate is a God with personality.
We have learned that the root concept of East Asian
philosophy as based on the Book of Changes can be
fully elucidated only with the help of the Principle of
Creation. In recent years, Oriental medicine has become
recognized to an increasing degree throughout the world.
Its success is due to the fact that its founding
principles, which focus upon the concepts of yang and
yin, are in accordance with the Principle of Creation.
Section 2
Universal Prime Energy, Give and Take Action,
and the Four Position Foundation (21)
2.1 Universal Prime Energy (21)
God, the Creator of all things, is the absolute
reality, eternal, self-existent and transcendent of time
and space. The fundamental energy of God's being is also
eternal, self-existent and absolute. It is the origin of
all energies and forces that allow created beings to
exist. We call this fundamental energy universal prime
energy.
2.2 Give and Take Action (22)
Through the agency of universal prime energy, the
subject and object elements of every entity form a common
base and enter into interaction. This interaction, in
turn, generates all the forces the entity needs for
existence, multiplication and action. The interaction
generating these forces through this process is called
give and take action. Universal prime energy and the
forces generated by give and take action are in a
reciprocal relationship of cause and result, internal and
external, and subject partner and object partner.
Universal prime energy is a vertical force, while the
forces generated by give and take action are horizontal
forces.
Let us examine in detail
God and His creation in terms of universal prime energy
and give and take action. God's universal prime energy
directs His eternal dual characteristics to form a common
base for their mutual relationship. They then engage in
give and take action. Based on the forces generated by
this give and take action, the dual characteristics
construct a foundation for their eternal reciprocation.
This is the foundation for God's existence, upon which
God eternally exists and generates all forces needed to
create and sustain the universe.
In the created universe,
the dual characteristics that make up each being are
empowered by universal prime energy to establish a common
base. They then engage in give and take action. Based on
the forces generated by this give and take action, the
dual characteristics construct a foundation for their
continued reciprocation. This becomes the foundation for
the existence of each individual being, upon which the
being becomes an object partner to God and is able to
generate all forces necessary for its continued existence.
For example, atoms come
into existence when electrons assemble about a nucleus
and engage in electromagnetic interaction, which is a
type of give and take action. When positive ions and
negative ions perform give and take action, they form
molecules and produce chemical reactions. The give and
take action between positive and negative electrical
charges underlies all electrical phenomena.
The circulation of nutrients between xylem and phloem
is one of the give and take actions in plants that
sustain their life functions and promote their growth.
The give and take action between stamen and pistil is the
dominant means for the reproduction of plant life.
Animals multiply and maintain their species through the
give and take action between male and female. Animal and
plant life co-exist through such give and take actions as
the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide and the
cooperation between bees and flowers.
With respect to the heavenly bodies, the solar system
exists based on the give and take action between the sun
and the planets. Their various movements give structure
to the universe. The earth and the moon also maintain
their rotations and their revolution in a set orbit
through their give and take action.
The human body maintains
its life through the give and take actions between
arteries and veins, inhalation and exhalation,
sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, and so forth. The
give and take action between mind and body enables an
individual to carry out activities which further the
purpose of life. The give and take actions between
husband and wife in a family, among people in a society,
between the government and citizens in a nation, and
among the nations of the world are essential for them to
live together in harmony and peace.
However evil a person may be, the force of his
conscience, which impels him toward a virtuous life, is
always active within his inner self. This is true for all
people of all ages and places. No one can quell the force
of conscience, which is powerfully at work even without
one's conscious awareness. The minute a person commits an
evil act, he immediately feels pangs of conscience. If
the function of the conscience were absent in fallen
people, God's providence of restoration would be
impossible. How is this force of conscience generated?
Since all forces are produced by give and take action,
the conscience cannot generate the force needed for its
operation all by itself. That is to say, the conscience
can operate only when it forms a common base with some
subject partner and engages in give and take action with
it. The ultimate subject partner of our conscience is God.
The human Fall, in essence, severed our relationship
with God. Rather than attaining oneness with God, our
ancestors joined in a reciprocal relationship with Satan,
thereby becoming one with him. Jesus was the only
begotten Son of God; he attained oneness with God through
perfect give and take action. When we unite with Jesus in
a perfect reciprocal relationship, we can recover our
original God-given nature. We can cultivate a give and
take relationship with God and become one with Him. This
is how Jesus serves as the mediator for fallen people; he
is our way, truth and life. Jesus came with love and
sacrifice to give all that he had to humankind, even
offering his life. If we turn to him in faith, we will
"not perish but have eternal life." 10(John
3:16)RS|KJ|NI
Christianity is a religion of love. It strives through
love and sacrifice to open the path to restore the
horizontal relationships of give and take between people
in the love of Christ. On this horizontal foundation of
love, the way is opened to restore our vertical
relationship of give and take with God. In truth, this
was the main purpose of all the teachings and deeds of
Jesus. For example, Jesus said:
Judge not,
that you be not judged. For with the judgment you
pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give
will be the measure you get. -Matt. 7:1-2RS|KJ|NI
So whatever you wish that
men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law
and the prophets. -Matt. 7:12RS|KJ|NI
So everyone who acknowledges
me before men, I will also acknowledge before my Father
who is in heaven. -Matt. 10:32RS|KJ|NI
He who receives a prophet
because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward,
and he who receives a righteous man because he is a
righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. -Matt.
10:41RS|KJ|NI
And whoever gives to one of
these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is
a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his
reward. , Matt. 10:42
2.3 The
Four Position Foundation Which Realizes the Three Object
Purpose through Origin-Division-Union Action (24)
2.3.1 Origin-Division-Union Action (24)
The process of God's creation begins when the dual
characteristics within God form a common base through the
prompting of His universal prime energy. As they engage
in give and take action, they generate a force which
engenders multiplication. This force projects the dual
characteristics into discrete substantial object
partners, each relating to God as its center. These
object partners to God then assume the position of
subject partner and object partner to each other as they
are prompted by the universal prime energy to form a
common base and engage in give and take action. They then
join together in one harmonious union to form a new
object partner to God. This whole process, in which out
of God, the Origin, two entities are separately
manifested and reunited in oneness, is called origin-division-union
action.
2.3.2 The Three Object Purpose (25)
As a result of origin-division-union action, four
positions are formed: the origin at the center, the
subject partner and the object partner (distinct
substantial object partners to the origin in the pattern
of its dual characteristics), and their union. Any one of
the four positions may assume the position of subject
partner and engage the other three as its object
partners, forming a communion of three object partners.
When each of the four then acts as the subject partner
and enters into give and take with the other three
revolving around it, they fulfill the three object
purpose.
2.3.3 The Four Position Foundation (25)
When through origin-division-union action, the origin,
the subject partner and object partner projected from the
origin, and their union all fulfill the three object
purpose, the four position foundation is
established.
The four position foundation is the root of the number
four. It is also the root of the number three, because it
is the fulfillment of the three object purpose. The four
position foundation is realized by God, husband and wife,
and children; they complete the three stages of origin-division-union
action. Hence, the four position foundation is the root
of the principle of three stages. Furthermore, each of
the four positions in the four position foundation takes
on three object partners in fulfilling the three object
purpose. In total there are twelve object partners;
hence, it is the root of the number twelve. The four
position foundation is the fundamental foundation of
goodness. It is the realization of God's purpose of
creation. It is the fundamental foundation for the life
of all beings, providing all the forces necessary for
their existence and enabling God to abide in them.
Therefore, the four position foundation is God's eternal
purpose of creation.
2.3.4 The Mode of
Existence of the
Four Position Foundation (25)
All beings which have
completed the four position foundation by fulfilling the
three object purpose through origin-division-union action
move in circular (elliptical) or spherical paths. As a
result, they exist in three dimensions. Let us now
investigate the reason for this.
Through origin-division-union action, the dual
characteristics of God are projected to form two distinct
and substantial object partners, which interact with each
other as subject partner and object partner. The object
partner responds to the subject partner to form a common
base and begins give and take action around the subject
partner. As they are held in balance by the force of
giving (centrifugal) and the force of receiving (centripetal),
the object partner revolves around the subject partner in
a circular motion, and thus they become harmonious and
unified. In the same manner, the subject partner becomes
an object partner to God, revolving around God and thus
attaining oneness with Him. When the object partner
becomes completely one with its subject partner, their
union can stand before God as a new object partner
resembling His dual characteristics. Moreover, the way
for any object partner to stand as an object partner
before God is by making oneness with its subject partner.
In this union of subject
partner and object partner, the subject partner and
object partner are themselves composed of dual
characteristics; these, by the same principle of give and
take action, carry on their own circular motions. Thus,
we see circular motions of give and take action within
both the subject partner and object partner, which are
simultaneously engaged in the greater circular motion
within their union. Although there are moments when the
two levels of circular motion among subject partners and
object partners may happen to have orbits on the same
plane, in general, because the angle of revolution around
the subject partner is constantly changing, this circular
movement becomes a spherical movement. In short, all
beings which have completed the four position foundation
carry on circular and spherical movement, and hence their
mode of existence always becomes three-dimensional.
Let us take the solar system as an example. The
planets, standing as object partners to the sun, each
form a common base and engage in give and take action
with the sun through centripetal and centrifugal forces.
Revolving around the sun in elliptical orbits, the sun
and planets attain harmony and oneness and form the solar
system. At the same time the planet Earth, as a composite
body of dual characteristics, rotates on its own axis.
This is also true of the sun and the rest of the planets;
they are in continuous rotation on their own axes,
because they too are composite bodies of dual
characteristics. The orbits caused by give and take
action in the solar system do not occupy exactly the same
plane. Rather, due to the varied angles of their orbits
and rotations, the solar system exhibits spherical motion
in three dimensions. Likewise, all heavenly bodies exist
in three dimensions by virtue of their circular and
spherical movements. When the countless heavenly bodies
carry on give and take action with each other, they form
one body and thereby give structure to the universe. The
universe exists in three dimensions as, governed by the
same principle, its elements engage in spherical
movements.
When an electron forms a common base with a proton and
engages in give and take action, it revolves around the
proton in a circular motion. Thus, they unite and form an
atom (Hydrogen). The electron and the proton are
themselves composed of dual characteristics that cause
them to spin in continuous rotation. Therefore, the
circular motion arising from the give and take action
between the proton and electron is not limited to an
orbit on one plane but, by continuously altering its
angle of revolution, creates a spherical movement.
Through spherical movement the atom thus exists in three
dimensions. By the same token, the magnetic force between
positive and negative poles causes electrically charged
particles to precess in spherical movement.
Let us consider the example of human beings. As the
object partner to the mind, the body establishes a common
base with the mind and engages in give and take action
with it. Figuratively speaking, the body then revolves
about the mind and attains complete oneness with it. If
and when the mind stands as an object partner before God
and revolves around Him, resonating in oneness with Him,
and when the body becomes one with this mind, the
individual will resemble God's dual characteristics and
thus stand as God's embodied object partner. Thereupon,
the person fulfills the purpose of creation. The mind and
body are also each composed of dual characteristics, so
they carry on continuous movement within themselves.
Thus, the circular movement produced through the give and
take dynamic between mind and body ceaselessly alters the
angle of revolution around God and becomes spherical. People
who have realized the purpose of creation exist as three-dimensional
beings who always lead their lives in spherical
relationships centered on God. This is how they can
attain mastery even over the incorporeal world. 11(cf. Creation 6.2)
When the circular movement
of the subject partner and the object partner on a single
plane becomes a spherical movement in a three-dimensional
orbit, the dynamism and creativity of the universe
unfolds. Variations in each orbit's distance, shape,
state, direction, angle, force and velocity are manifest
as the beauty of creation in its infinite variety.
Just as all beings have
internal nature and external form, there is a type of
spherical motion that corresponds to internal nature and
a type that corresponds to external form. Likewise, there
is a center of motion that corresponds to internal nature
and a center that corresponds to external form. These two
centers have the same relationship as that between
internal nature and external form.
What is the ultimate center
of all these spherical movements? Human beings are the
center of all created things, which are embodied object
partners to God's dual characteristics in symbol. God is
the center of human beings, who are created as His
embodied object partners in image. Consequently, the
ultimate center of all spherical movements in the
universe is God.
Let us consider this further. Every object partner to
God contains a subject partner and an object partner
within itself. The center of their relationship is the
subject partner, so the center of the union between
subject partner and object partner is also the subject
partner. Since God is the center of the subject partner,
He is also the ultimate center of the union. As discussed
above, the three substantial object partners to God (subject
partner, object partner, union) also form common bases
with each other. As each of the three takes the central
position, and becomes one with the others through give
and take action with God as their ultimate center, they
fulfill the three object purpose and establish the four
position foundation. Accordingly, the ultimate center of
the four position foundation is God.
All things that have established four position
foundations in this manner are individual embodiments of
truth. As mentioned before, individual embodiments of
truth are divided broadly into individual embodiments of
truth in image (human beings) and individual embodiments
of truth in symbol (the rest of the creation). The
universe is composed of countless individual embodiments
of truth, mutually related to each other in good order
from those of the lowest level to those of the highest
level. Among them all, human beings occupy the highest
level.
Individual embodiments of truth revolve spherically
around each other, with those of a lower level acting as
object partners to those of a higher level. Thus, the
center of any spherical movement is an individual
embodiment of truth of a higher level which acts as the
subject partner. The centers of the countless symbolic
individual embodiments of truth are interconnected from
the lowest to the highest. The highest centers are human
beings, who are individual embodiments of truth in image.
Let us examine the centrality of human beings. Science
holds that elementary particles are the most basic
building blocks of matter and explains that they are
composed of energy. Considering the purpose of existence
of the individual embodiments of truth that make up the
material universe at different levels, we can surmise:
energy exists in order to form particles, particles exist
to form atoms, atoms to form molecules, molecules to form
matter, and matter exists for the creation of all the
individual entities in the universe. Likewise, the
activity of energy is for the purpose of forming
particles, the activity of particles is for atoms, the
activity of atoms is for molecules, the activity of
molecules is for matter, and the activity of matter is
for the purpose of constructing the universe.
What is the purpose of the universe? What is its
center? The answer to both questions is none other than
human beings. This is why God, after creating human
beings, commanded them to have dominion over the universe.12(Gen.
1:28)RS|KJ|NI If there were no people to
appreciate the universe, then it could be likened to a
museum without any visitors. The articles on display in a
museum attain their true value and are cherished as
historical relics only when there are people who
appreciate, love and take delight in them. Their
relationship with human beings gives value to their
existence. If there were no one to appreciate them, then
what meaning would their existence have? The same holds
true for the universe, whose lords are human beings.
The diverse things in
creation enter into mutual relationships with a common
purpose when human beings discover the source and nature
of matter, and when they identify and classify plants and
animals of the water, land and air, and all the stars in
the sky. Their common purpose is realized when they are
assimilated into the human body as elements essential for
people to maintain their physiological functions, and
when they participate in the construction of a
comfortable living environment for people. In these and
other ways, human beings stand as the center of the
created universe in terms of its external form.
In addition, people relate
to the universe from their position as the internal
center. While the relationships discussed above are
physical relationships, here we consider mental or
spiritual relationships. The human body, though
consisting of matter, fully responds physiologically to
the emotion, intellect and will of the human mind. This
demonstrates that matter has within itself elements which
resonate with emotion, intellect and will-elements which
constitute the internal nature of matter. This is the
reason all things in the universe respond to human
emotion, intellect and will, albeit to different degrees.
We become intoxicated with the beauty of the natural
world and experience the rapture of mystical union. We
experience this because we are the center of the internal
natures of all things in the natural world. Human beings
are thus created as the center of the universe, and the
place where God and human beings become completely one is
the center of the cosmos.
Let us discuss from another viewpoint how human beings
are the center of the cosmos, which is composed of both
the spirit world and the physical world. Every human
being embodies all the elements in the cosmos. Yet, as we
discussed earlier, everything in the cosmos can be
divided broadly into subject partners and object partners.
Had Adam, the first human ancestor, reached perfection,
he would have embodied all the subject elements in the
things of creation. Had Eve attained perfection, she
would have embodied all the object elements in the things
of creation. God created Adam and Eve to have dominion
over the natural world. Growing together toward
perfection, Adam was to become the king of all the
subject elements in creation and Eve was to become the
queen of all the object elements. If they had then become
one as husband and wife, they would have become the
center that could rule the entire universe consisting of
subject partners and object partners.
Human beings are created to be the center of harmony
of the whole cosmos. If Adam and Eve had attained
perfection and united as husband and wife, it would have
meant the joining into oneness of the two centers of the
dual characteristics of all beings. Had Adam and Eve
moved together in harmony and attained oneness, the whole
cosmos with its dual characteristics would have danced in
harmony. The place where Adam and Eve become perfectly
one in heart and body as husband and wife is also the
place where God, the subject partner giving love, and
human beings, the object partners returning beauty,
become united. This is the center of goodness where the
purpose of creation is fulfilled. Here God, our Parent,
draws near and abides within His perfected children and
rests peacefully for eternity. This center of goodness is
the object partner to God's eternal love, where God can
be stimulated with joy for eternity. This is the place
where the Word of God is incarnated and brought to
fulfillment. It is the center of truth and the center of
the original mind which guides us to pursue the purpose
of creation.
Consequently, the entire universe will perform a
spherical movement with a unified purpose when it is
founded on the four position foundation established by a
perfected man and woman who join as husband and wife
centered on God. Tragically, the universe lost its center
when human beings fell. This is why St. Paul wrote that
the creation has been groaning in travail while longing
for the children of God.13(Rom. 8:19-22)RS|KJ|NI Creation awaits the
people who have restored their original nature to appear
and become its center.
2.4 The Omnipresence of
God (31)
We have learned that the four position foundation,
built upon the three object purpose through the origin-division-union
action, proceeds in spherical movement around God and
becomes one with God. This is the fundamental foundation
for all beings to receive God's governance and be
provided with all the powers necessary for life. In a
world where God's purpose of creation has been fulfilled,
all individual beings embody God's original internal
nature and original external form and initiate spherical
movements to build the foundation for God's governance.
God is thus omnipresent.
2.5 The Multiplication of
Life (31)
For living things to propagate their kind they must
reproduce, and this multiplication takes place through
origin-division-union action which is built upon good
interactions. For example, in plants, seeds develop into
flowers with stamens and pistils; through pollination
they produce their seed and propagate their kind. Male
and female animals mature, engage in courtship, mate and
bear offspring. All cells in animals and plants divide
through give and take action.
When the body acts according to the will of the mind,
and the mind and body thus engage in give and take
action, the individual will live a purposeful life. This
individual will then attract like-minded people. As these
companions work together productively, their group will
grow. It may be said that the universe is formed by the
multiplication of myriad substantial manifestations of
God's original internal nature and original external form
through their give and take action in the pursuit of the
purpose of creation.
2.6 The Reason All Beings
Are Composed of Dual Characteristics
(31)
For any being to exist,
energy is required, and energy can be produced only
through give and take action. However, nothing can
reciprocate without a partner. To generate the forces
necessary for existence, a being must contain dual
characteristics, a subject partner and an object partner,
which can engage in give and take action.
A movement in a straight line cannot be sustained
forever. For anything to have an eternal nature it must
move in a circle; give and take action between a subject
partner and an object partner is necessary for any
circular motion. This is true even for God; having dual
characteristics allows Him to live eternally. In order
for God's creation to resemble His eternal nature and be
His eternal object partner, it likewise must be composed
of dual characteristics. Similarly, time maintains its
perpetuity through its periodic cycles.
Section 3
The Purpose of Creation (32)
3.1 The Purpose of the Creation of the Universe (32)
It is recorded in the Bible that after God completed
each day of creation, He saw that it was good.14(Gen.1:4-31)RS|KJ|NI This suggests that God
wanted His creations to be object partners embodying
goodness that He might take delight in them. How can the
creation give God the greatest joy?
God created human beings as the final step in creating
the universe. He created them in His image, in the
likeness of His internal nature and external form, and
gave them sensibility to all feelings and emotions
because it was His intention to share joy with them.
After their creation, God blessed Adam and Eve:
Be
fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;
and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the
birds of the air and over every living thing that moves
upon the earth. -Gen. 1:28RS|KJ|NI
These are the three great blessings: to be
fruitful (mature and ready to bear fruit), multiply and
have dominion over the creation. Had Adam and Eve obeyed
this divine mandate and built the Kingdom of Heaven,
there is no doubt that God would have felt the greatest
joy as His sons and daughters rejoiced in the world of
His ideal.
How can God's three great blessings be fulfilled? They
can be realized only when the four position foundation,
which is the fundamental foundation of creation, has been
established. The three great blessings are fulfilled when
the whole creation, including human beings, completes the
four position foundation with God as the center. This is
the Kingdom of Heaven, where ultimate goodness is
realized and God feels the greatest joy. This is, in
fact, the very purpose for which God created the universe.
The ultimate purpose of the universe, with human
beings at its center, is to return joy to God. All
entities have dual purposes. As was explained earlier,
every entity has dual centers of movement, one of
internal nature and another of external form. These
centers pursue corresponding purposes-for the sake of the
whole and for the sake of the individual-whose
relationship is the same as that between internal nature
and external form. These dual purposes relate to each
other as cause and result, internal and external, subject
partner and object partner. In God's ideal, there cannot
be any individual purpose which does not support the
whole purpose, nor can there be any whole purpose that
does not guarantee the interests of the individual. The
infinite variety of beings in the universe form one vast
organic body interwoven by these dual purposes.
3.2 Good Object Partners for the Joy of God (33)
To understand more precisely the issues concerning
God's purpose of creation, let us first examine how joy
is produced. Joy is not produced by an individual alone.
Joy arises when we have an object partner in which our
internal nature and external form are reflected and
developed. Our object partner helps us to feel our own
internal nature and external form through the stimulation
it gives. This object partner may be intangible or it may
be substantial. For example, an artist's object partner
may be an idea in his mind, or the finished painting or
sculpture which substantiates that idea. When he
visualizes his idea or beholds his work, he is stimulated
to feel his own internal nature and external form
reflected in it and feels joy and satisfaction. When his
idea alone is the object partner, it is not as
stimulating, nor is the joy that it brings as profound,
as that from a finished work. This nature of human beings
originates in God's nature. In like manner, God feels the
fullness of joy when He is stimulated by His substantial
object partners to feel His original internal nature and
original external form through them.
It was explained earlier that when the Kingdom of
Heaven is realized-through the fulfillment of the three
great blessings and the establishment of the four
position foundation-it becomes the good object partner
that gives joy to God. Let us investigate how the Kingdom
becomes God's good object partner.
The key to God's first blessing is the perfection of
individual character. An individual's mind and body are
discrete projections and object partners of God's dual
characteristics. In order for an individual to perfect
his character, he must form a four position foundation
within himself whereby his mind and body become one
through give and take action with God as their center. Such
individuals become the temples of God,15(I Cor.3:16)RS|KJ|NI achieve complete oneness
with Him, 16(John 14:20)RS|KJ|NI and acquire a divine
nature. They experience the Heart of God as if it were
their own. Hence, they understand His Will and live fully
attuned to it. When a person abides in the state of
individual perfection, he lives as the substantial object
partner to his mind. Because the center of his mind is
God, he also lives as the substantial object partner to
God. Both the mind and God rejoice as they experience
their internal nature and external form through the
stimulation which their object partners give them.
Accordingly, when people realize God's first blessing,
they become God's beloved who inspire Him with joy.
Sharing all the feelings of God as their own, they would
never commit any sinful acts that would cause God grief.
This means they would never fall.
God's second blessing was to be fulfilled by Adam and
Eve after they had achieved individual perfection as
object partners to God, each manifesting an aspect of
God's dual characteristics. In order to construct the
four position foundation in their family, Adam and Eve
should have joined in loving oneness as husband and wife
and raised children. This would have been the fulfillment
of the second blessing. A family or society that has
formed the four position foundation in line with God's
ideal is patterned after the image of a perfect
individual. It thus becomes the substantial object
partner to the individual who lives in oneness with God,
and consequently, it also becomes the substantial object
partner to God. The individual feels joy, and likewise
God feels joy, when each perceives in this family or
community the manifestation of his own internal nature
and external form. When God's second blessing is
fulfilled, this family or community also becomes a good
object partner giving joy to God.
Before we examine how a person upon attaining the
third blessing establishes a good object partner giving
joy to God, we must first investigate the relationship
between human beings and the creation from the viewpoint
of internal nature and external form.
Prior to creating human beings, God created the
natural world by expressing partial reflections of the
internal nature and external form He had conceived for
human beings. Consequently, a human being contains within
himself the sum total of the essences of all things. This
is the reason he is called the microcosm of the cosmos.
When God created living things, He began with
creatures of a lower order. Over the course of time, He
created animals of a higher order with more complex
biological functions, culminating with human beings at
the highest level. Therefore, human beings contain all
the elements, structures and qualities found in animals.
For example, human vocal cords are so versatile that they
can imitate virtually any animal sound. Because the human
body contains all the beautiful curves and lines of the
creation, an artist hones his skills by drawing nude
models.
Although human beings and plants have different
structures and functions, they are similar in that they
both are composed of cells. All the elements, structures
and characteristics of plants can be found in human
beings. For example, a plant's leaf corresponds to the
human lung in appearance and function. As leaves absorb
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the human lung
absorbs oxygen. Branches and stems of plants correspond
to the human circulatory system, which distributes
nourishment to the entire body; the xylem and phloem
correspond to human arteries and veins. The roots of a
plant correspond to the human stomach and intestines,
which absorb nutrients.
Human beings were fashioned from clay, water and air;
consequently they contain elements of the mineral kingdom.
Moreover, the earth displays a similarity to the
structure of the human body: the earth's crust is covered
with plants, its underground waterways exist inside the
substrata, and beneath it all lies a molten core
surrounded by a rocky mantle. This resembles the
structure of the human body, which has skin covered with
hair, blood vessels running inside the musculature, and
marrow lying deeper still within the bones.
The meaning of God's third
blessing is the perfection of a human being's dominion
over the natural world. To fulfill this blessing, the
four position foundation of dominion must be established
centered on God. Human beings and the natural world,
which are the substantial object partners of God at the
level of image and symbol respectively, must share love
and beauty to become completely one. 17(cf. Creation 5.2.3)
The natural world is an object partner which exhibits
human internal nature and external form in diverse ways. Hence,
ideal human beings receive stimulation from the world of
nature. Sensing their own internal nature and external
form displayed throughout the creation, they feel immense
joy. God also delights when He experiences the
stimulation of His original internal nature and original
external form from the universe; this is possible when it
becomes His third object partner through the harmonious
union of human beings and the natural world. Therefore,
when human beings realize God's third blessing, the
entire universe becomes yet another good object partner
giving joy to God. Had God's purpose of creation been
realized in this way, an ideal world without even a trace
of sin would have been established on the earth. We call
this world the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. When life in
the Kingdom of Heaven on earth comes to a close, people
are to enter the spirit world and naturally enjoy eternal
life in the Kingdom of Heaven there.
Based on the discussion thus far, we can understand
that the Kingdom of Heaven resembles a person who has
achieved individual perfection, taking after God's
original internal nature and external form. In an
individual, the mind's command is transmitted to the
whole body through the central nervous system, causing
the body to act with one purpose. Likewise, in the
Kingdom of Heaven, God's direction will be conveyed to
all His children through the True Parents of humankind,
guiding everyone to live as one.
Section 4
Original Value (36)
4.1 The Process and
Standard for the Determination of Original Value (36)
How is a being's original created value determined?
The value of an entity may be determined by the
relationship between its purpose of existence and the
desire that a human being has for it. To be more precise,
the value of an entity intended at its creation is not
fixed as an inherent attribute. Rather, it is established
through the mutual relationship between the purpose of
the entity according to God's ideal of creation, and
people's original desire to treasure it and bring out its
true worth. It finds its true value when it participates
as an object partner in a God-centered four position
foundation by relating with a person through give and
take action and by their union becoming the third object
partner to God.
What sets the standard by which the original value of
an entity is determined? Since its original value is
determined when it participates in a four position
foundation, and since the center of this four position
foundation is God, it is God who sets the standard for
its value. Since God is absolute, the original value of
an object partner determined in relation to this standard
set by God must also be absolute.
Consider a rose; how is its original beauty
determined? It is determined when the purpose for which
God created the flower and the divinely given human
desire to appreciate and bring out its beauty are
fulfilled together. To put it another way, an ideal
person feels the fullness of joy when his desire to
pursue beauty is satisfied by the emotional stimulation
that the flower gives him. At that moment, the flower
manifests its original beauty. The flower's beauty
becomes absolute when it achieves its inherent purpose,
which is to give complete joy to its subject partner. The
human desire to appreciate the beauty of the flower is an
instance of the desire to feel aspects of one's own
internal nature and external form through an object
partner. The moment the flower's purpose for which it was
created and the human desire to bring out its value are
fulfilled, the subject partner and the object partner
enter a state of harmonious oneness.
An entity attains its true value when it and a human
being, its subject partner, enter a state of harmonious
oneness and form the third object partner to God in the
four position foundation. Through this process, the true
values of all things are determined absolutely, based on
their relationship with the absolute standard of value
set by God. Until now, no object partner's value could
become absolute; it has remained relative because its
relationship with fallen people was not based on God's
ideal of creation but was based on satanic purpose and
desire.
4.2 Original Emotion, Intellect and Will; and Original
Beauty, Truth and Goodness (37)
The human mind has three faculties: emotion, intellect
and will. The human body acts in response to the commands
of the mind. When the body responds to the mind's
emotion, intellect and will, its actions pursue the
values of beauty, truth and goodness respectively. God is
the subject partner to the human mind; hence, He is also
the subject partner to human emotion, intellect and will.
Desiring to realize his original value, a person responds
to the perfect emotion, perfect intellect and perfect
will of God through his mind, and acts accordingly
through his body. Thus, he manifests the values of
original beauty, original truth and original goodness.
4.3 Love and Beauty, Good and Evil, Righteousness and
Unrighteousness (38)
4.3.1 Love and Beauty (38)
When two entities, discrete
manifestations of God's dual characteristics, form a
common base and seek to unite as the third object partner
to God and establish a four position foundation, they
will engage in give and take action. In accomplishing
this, the emotional force that the subject partner gives
to the object partner is called love, and the
emotional force that the object partner returns to the
subject partner is called beauty. The force of
love is active, and the stimulation of beauty is passive.
In the relationship between
God and human beings, God gives love as the subject
partner and human beings return beauty as object partners.
In the relationship between a man and a woman, the man is
the subject partner, giving love, while the woman is the
object partner, returning beauty. In the universe, people
are the subject partners who give love to the natural
world, and the natural world returns beauty as an object
partner. However, when the subject partner and object
partner become completely one in harmony, love is found
within beauty and beauty is found within love. This is
because when a subject partner and object partner become
one in a circular movement, the subject partner sometimes
acts as an object partner, and the object partner
sometimes acts as a subject partner.
In interpersonal
relationships, the beauty that a subordinate returns in
response to the love of a superior is called loyalty,
and the beauty that children return in response to the
love of their parents is called filial piety. The
beauty that a wife returns in response to the love of her
husband is called fidelity. The purpose of love
and beauty is to enable two wholesome beings, springing
forth from God, to establish the four position foundation
and realize the purpose of creation. By sharing love and
beauty with each other, they join in harmonious oneness,
becoming the third object partner to God.
Next, let us investigate
the nature of God's love. Had Adam and Eve attained
perfection, each becoming a substantial object partner to
God resembling one of His dual characteristics, they
would have joined as husband and wife and raised children
in a godly family. In so doing, they would have
experienced three kinds of original love with their three
object partners: parental love, conjugal love and
children's love. (The love of the first object partner,
the love of the second object partner, and the love of
the third object partner.) Only then would they complete
the three object purpose and form the four position
foundation. This would be the fulfillment of their
purpose of creation.
God's love is the subject to the various kinds of love
flowing through the four position foundation. Therefore,
God's love is manifested through the various loves of the
three object partners. God's love is the underlying force
which breathes life into the four position foundation.
Accordingly, the four position foundation is the vessel
of perfect beauty through which we can receive and enjoy
the fullness of God's love. It is also the home of
perfect joy and the wellspring of goodness. Upon this
ground, the purpose of creation is complete.
4.3.2 Good and Evil (39)
An act or the result of an
act is considered good when it fulfills God's purpose of
creation. This takes place when a subject partner and
object partner unite through the harmonious and spirited
give and take of love and beauty, become the third object
partner to God, and form the four position foundation. On
the other hand, an act or its result is called evil when
it violates God's purpose of creation by forming a four
position foundation under the dominion of Satan.
For example, when an
individual realizes God's first blessing and fulfills his
true purpose, the actions to this end are good and the
individual is good. These actions involve the free-flowing
give and take of love and beauty between the mind and the
body so that they unite in the way of God and form the
individual four position foundation. When Adam and Eve
achieve the second blessing by building a family that
realizes God's purpose, their actions to this end are
good and the family they form is good. These actions
include joining as a couple in the way of God through the
harmonious and passionate sharing of love and beauty,
bearing and raising children, and thus establishing the
family four position foundation. Moreover, when a perfect
individual achieves the third blessing, the actions to
this end are good and all things that he nurtures are
good. By relating with the natural world as his second
self and by becoming completely one with it, a union is
formed which becomes the third object partner to God,
thus constructing the four position foundation of
dominion. Conversely, when a person forms a four position
foundation under the bondage of Satan and realizes a
purpose contrary to God's three blessings, this act or
its result is called evil.
4.3.3 Righteousness and Unrighteousness (40)
Righteousness refers to that quality in a
person which leads him to pursue goodness and further its
purpose. Unrighteousness refers to that quality in a
person which leads him to pursue evil and further its
satanic purpose. A righteous life is absolutely necessary
for the attainment of goodness.
Section 5
The Process of the Creation of the
Universe
and Its Growing Period (40)
5.1 The Process of the Creation of the Universe (40)
According to the Genesis account of the creation of
the universe, amidst the primordial state of chaos, void
and darkness, God created light. God next separated the
waters under the firmament from the waters above the
firmament. He then divided the land from the ocean,
created plants, fish, birds and mammals, and finally made
humankind. All of this took a period of six "days."
From this account, we can surmise that the process of
creating the universe took some period of time
represented by six days.
The process of creation recorded in the Bible bears
some resemblance to the theory of the origin and
formation of the universe as described by modern science.
According to modern science, the universe began as
expanding plasma. Out of the chaos and void of space, the
heavenly bodies formed and gave light. As the molten
earth cooled, volcanic eruptions filled the sky with a
firmament of water. The land rose and the water fell as
rain, creating the continents and oceans. Next, the lower
plants and animals came into being. Then came fish,
birds, mammals, and finally humankind, in that order. The
age of the earth is calculated to be several billion
years. Considering that the account of the creation of
the universe recorded in the Bible thousands of years ago
nearly coincides with the findings of modern scientific
research, we are reassured that this biblical record must
be a revelation from God.
The universe did not suddenly spring forth complete,
without regard to the flow of time. In fact, its origin
and development took an enormous length of time.
Therefore, the biblical period of six days for the
completion of the universe is not to be reckoned by the
number of literal sunrises and sunsets. It symbolizes six
ordered periods of time in the creation process.
5.2 The Growing Period for the Creation (41)
The fact that it took six days, that is, six time
periods, to complete the creation of the universe implies
that some period of time was also necessary to complete
the creation of each of the individual entities that make
up the universe. Furthermore, the way the Genesis account
reckons each day reveals something about the passage of
time required for the creation of an entity. The account
has a unusual way of numbering each day of creation. When
the first day of creation was completed, it states,
"There was evening and there was morning, one day."18(Gen.1:5)RS|KJ|NI One would think that the
arrival of the morning after the passage of an evening
and a night would be reckoned as the second day, yet it
is referred to as the first day. The Bible states "one
day" to show that a created being must pass through
a growing period, symbolized by the night, before it
reaches perfection in the morning. Then, as it greets
this new morning, it can step forward and realize its
ideal of creation.
All phenomena occurring in the universe bear fruit
only after the lapse of a certain interval of time. All
things are designed to reach completion only after
passing through a set growing period.
5.2.1 The Three Ordered Stages of the Growing
Period (41)
The universe unfolds and manifests God's original
internal nature and original external form based on
mathematical principles. Hence, we can infer that one
aspect of God's nature is mathematical. God is the one
absolute reality in whom the dual characteristics
interact in harmony; therefore, He is a Being of the
number three. All created beings, having been conceived
in the likeness of God, manifest their existence,
movement and growth through a course of three stages.
The four position foundation, which is God's purpose
of creation, was to be completed through a three-stage
process: the origin in God, the marriage of Adam and Eve,
and the multiplication of children. In order to establish
the four position foundation and carry on circular
movement, a being must first perform the three-stage
origin-division-union action and fulfill the three object
purpose, with each position engaged in interaction with
the other three. It is like what is needed for something
to stand firm: it must be supported by at least three
points. Accordingly, everything reaches perfection by
passing through three ordered stages of growth: the formation
stage, the growth stage and the completion
stage.
In the natural world, many things appear in threes. It
contains three kingdoms: mineral, plant and animal.
Matter exists in three states: gas, liquid and solid.
Most plants are composed of three parts: roots, branches
or stems, and leaves. Animals consist of head, body and
limbs.
There are also many examples of the number three in
the Bible. Human beings could not fulfill the purpose of
their existence because they fell without completing the
three stages of the growing period. Hence, in their
renewed efforts to realize their purpose, human beings
must pass through these three stages. In the providence
of restoration, God has worked to reclaim the number
three, which explains why there are many records in the
Bible of the number three and dispensations based on the
number three: the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit);
the three levels of Paradise; the three archangels; the
three levels of Noah's ark; the three flights of the dove
from the ark after the flood; the three offerings of
Abraham; and the three-day journey before the sacrifice
of Isaac. At the time of Moses there were: the three-day
plague of darkness, the three days of purification at the
start of the Exodus, the three forty-year periods for the
journey to Canaan, and the three days of purification
under Joshua's leadership just prior to crossing the
Jordan River. In the life of Jesus we see: three decades
of private life followed by three years of public
ministry, the three wise men from the East who brought
three gifts, the three disciples, the three temptations,
the three prayers in the garden of Gethsemane, Peter's
three denials, the three hours of darkness at the
crucifixion, and Jesus' resurrection after three days in
the tomb.
When did the first human ancestors fall? They fell
during their growing period, when they were still
immature. If human beings fell after they had attained
perfection, then there would be no basis for belief in
the omnipotence of God. If human beings fell after they
had become perfect embodiments of goodness, then goodness
itself would be imperfect. Accordingly, we would be
forced to conclude that God, as the source of goodness,
is also imperfect.
It is written in the Book of Genesis that God warned
Adam and Eve, "Of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat
of it you shall die."19(Gen.2:17)RS|KJ|NI They had a choice to
either ignore God's warning and lose their lives or to
heed the warning and live. The fact that they had the
potential either to fall or to become perfect
demonstrates that they were still in a state of
immaturity. The universe was designed to reach perfection
after a certain growing period, described in the Bible as
six days. As one of God's creations, human beings are
also bound to this principle.
At what stage of the growing period did the first
humans fall? They fell at the top of the growth stage.
This can be demonstrated by examining the circumstances
surrounding the fall of the first human ancestors and the
history of the providence of restoration. These will be
further clarified through a thorough study of this volume.
5.2.2 The Realm of Indirect Dominion (43)
During the growing period, all beings in the creation
grow by virtue of the autonomy and governance given by
God's Principle. God, the Author of the Principle, has
regard only for the fruits of their growth which are
based on the Principle. In this way, He governs all
things indirectly. We call this growing period the realm
of God's indirect dominion or the realm of
dominion based on accomplishments through the Principle.
All things reach perfection after passing through the
growing period (the realm of indirect dominion) by virtue
of the autonomy and governance given by God's Principle.
Human beings, however, are created in such a way that
their growth requires the fulfillment of their own
portion of responsibility, in addition to the guidance
provided by the Principle. They must exercise this
responsibility in order to pass successfully through the
growing period and reach perfection. We can deduce from
God's commandment to Adam and Eve 20(Gen.2:17)RS|KJ|NI that the first human
ancestors were responsible to believe in the Word of God
and not eat of the fruit. Whether or not they disobeyed
God and fell depended not on God, but on themselves. Hence,
whether or not human beings attain perfection does not
depend only on God's power of creation; it also requires
the fulfillment of human responsibility. In His capacity
as the Creator, God created human beings in such a manner
that they can pass through the growing period (the realm
of indirect dominion) and attain perfection only when
they have completed their own portion of responsibility.
Because God Himself created human beings in this way, He
does not interfere with human responsibility.
God endowed human beings with a portion of
responsibility for the following reason. By fulfilling
their given portion of responsibility, with which even
God does not interfere, human beings are meant to inherit
the creative nature of God and participate in God's great
work of creation. God intends human beings to earn
ownership and become worthy to rule over the creation as
creators in their own right, 21(Gen.1:28)RS|KJ|NI just as God governs over
them as their Creator. This is the principal difference
between human beings and the rest of creation.
Once we fulfill our responsibility, we inherit God's
creatorship and attain dominion over all things,
including the angels. God provides us with a course
through the realm of indirect dominion that we may attain
this perfection. We fallen people, who have not yet
attained the qualification to rule, must fulfill our
responsibility according to the Principle of Restoration.
By so doing, we can progress through the realm of
indirect dominion and thereby restore our right to rule
over all things, including Satan. This is the only way we
can accomplish the purpose of creation. God's providence
of salvation has been prolonged for so long because the
central figures in charge of the providence of
restoration repeatedly made mistakes while attempting to
fulfill their portions of responsibility, with which even
God could not interfere.
No matter how great the saving grace of the cross of
Christ, the salvation knocking at our door will be for
naught unless we fortify our faith, which is our portion
of responsibility. It was God's responsibility to grant
the benefit of resurrection through the crucifixion of
Jesus, but to believe or not to believe is strictly one's
own portion of responsibility. 22(John 3:16)RS|KJ|NI; (Eph.2:8)RS|KJ|NI; (Rom.5:1)RS|KJ|NI
5.2.3 The Realm of
Direct Dominion (44)
What is the realm of God's direct dominion and
what is its purpose? Human beings abide in the realm of
direct dominion when, as subject partner and object
partner, they unite in the love of God to form a four
position foundation and become one in heart with God. In
this realm they freely and fully share love and beauty
according to the will of the subject partner, thus
realizing the purpose of goodness. The realm of direct
dominion is the realm of perfection. It is essential for
the fulfillment of the purpose of creation.
What is the meaning of God's direct dominion over
human beings? Once Adam and Eve had perfected themselves
as individuals centered on God, they were to live
together as one, forming the four position foundation in
their family. Living in oneness with God's Heart, they
would have led a life of goodness, sharing the fullness
of love and beauty with Adam as the head of the family.
In the realm of God's direct dominion, people will
intensely experience God's Heart within themselves.
Hence, they will know His Will and carry it out in their
actions. Just as every part of the body spontaneously
moves in response to the subtle directions of the mind,
people will spontaneously carry out the Will of God in
accord with the deeply felt intentions of His Heart. In
this state of perfect resonance, the purpose of creation
is realized.
What will the world be like
when the natural world abides under the direct dominion
of human beings? When a fully mature person relates with
the diverse things in nature as his object partners, they
come together to form a four position foundation. People
who are in total resonance with God's Heart will lead the
natural world in the free-flowing sharing of love and
beauty, and the entire universe will realize goodness. In
such a manner, human beings will exercise direct dominion
over all things.
Section 6
The Incorporeal World and the
Corporeal World
Whose Center is Human Beings (45)
6.1 The Incorporeal World and the Corporeal World
as Substantial Realities(45)
The universe was created after the pattern of a human
being, who is in the image of God's dual characteristics.
Therefore, the structure of the universe and every entity
in it resembles that of a human being, which consists
most fundamentally of mind and body. 23(cf. Creation 1.2)
Corresponding to the human mind and body, the universe
consists of the incorporeal world and the corporeal
world, both of which are real and substantial. The
incorporeal world is so called because we cannot perceive
it through our five physical senses. Yet we can perceive
it through our five spiritual senses. Those who have had
spiritual experiences testify that the incorporeal world
appears as real as the world in which we live. The
incorporeal and corporeal worlds together form the cosmos.
The body cannot act apart from its relationship with
the mind; a person cannot perform true actions apart from
a relationship with God. Likewise, the corporeal world
cannot manifest its true value apart from a relationship
with the incorporeal world. Furthermore, just as we
cannot discern a person's character without fathoming his
mind, and we cannot understand the fundamental meaning of
human life without understanding God, so we cannot
completely understand the nature and structure of the
corporeal world without understanding the nature and
structure of the incorporeal world. The incorporeal
world, or spirit world, is in the position of subject
partner, and the corporeal world, or physical world, is
in the position of object partner. The latter is like a
shadow of the former. 24(Heb.8:5)RS|KJ|NI When we shed our
physical bodies after our life in the physical world, we
enter the spirit world as spirits and live there for
eternity.
6.2 The Position of Human Beings in the Cosmos (46)
The position of human beings in the cosmos has three
aspects. First, God created human beings to be the rulers
of the universe. 25(Gen.1:28)RS|KJ|NI The universe does not of
itself have internal sensibility toward God. Hence, God
does not govern the universe directly. Rather, God
endowed human beings with sensibilities to all things in
the universe and gave them the mandate to rule over the
universe directly. God created the human body with
elements from the physical world-such as water, clay and
air-to allow us to perceive and govern it. To make it
possible for us to perceive and govern the spirit world,
God created our spirits with the same spiritual elements
that compose the spirit world. On the Mount of
Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah, who had died hundreds
of years earlier, appeared before Jesus and ministered to
him. 26(Matt.17:3)RS|KJ|NI These were actually the
spirits of Moses and Elijah, yet Jesus was able to
converse with them and was glorified before them. Human
beings, composed of flesh which can dominate the physical
world and spirit which can dominate the spiritual world,
likewise have the potential to rule both worlds.
Second, God created human beings to be the mediator
and the center of harmony of the cosmos. When a person's
flesh and spirit unite through give and take action and
become God's substantial object partner, the physical and
spiritual worlds can also begin give and take action with
that person as their center. They thus achieve harmonious
integration to construct a cosmos that is responsive to
God. Like the air that enables two tuning forks to
resonate with each other, a true person acts as the
mediator and center of harmony between the two worlds.
The ability to communicate between the two worlds also
may be likened to a radio or television which transforms
invisible waves into perceptible images and sounds. Thus,
a person can accurately convey the realities of the
spirit world to the physical world.
Third, God created human beings to encapsulate in a
substantial form the essences of everything in the cosmos.
God created the universe by projecting and developing the
pre-existent prototype of the human internal nature and
external form into countless substantial forms. The human
spirit encapsulates all of the elements found in the
spirit world, since God created the spirit world as the
unfolding of the spirit's internal nature and external
form. The human body encapsulates all the elements of the
physical world, since God created the material realm as
the unfolding of the body's internal nature and external
form. Accordingly, since human beings contain within
themselves the essences of all things in the cosmos, each
person is a microcosm.
However, due to the human Fall, the universe has lost
its master. St. Paul wrote, "the creation waits with
eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God" 27(Rom.8:19)RS|KJ|NI -that is, people who
have been restored to the original state. Tragically,
with the Fall of human beings, who should have served as
the center of universal harmony, the give and take
between the physical and spiritual worlds was severed.
The two worlds have been rendered utterly unable to
achieve integration and harmony. Since they remain
divided, Paul continued, "the whole creation has
been groaning in travail." 28(Rom.8:22)RS|KJ|NI
Jesus came as the new Adam, perfect in flesh and
spirit. He was the microcosm of the cosmos. This is why
it is written, "God has put all things in subjection
under his feet." 29(I Cor.15:27)RS|KJ|NI Jesus is our Savior. He
came into the world to open the way for fallen people to
become perfect as he was perfect, by moving our hearts to
believe in him and become one with him.
6.3 The
Reciprocal Relationship between
the Physical Self and the Spirit
Self (47)
6.3.1 The Structure and Functions
of the Physical Self (47)
The physical self consists of the dual
characteristics of the physical mind (subject
partner) and the physical body (object partner). The
physical mind directs the physical body to maintain the
functions necessary for its survival, protection and
reproduction. Instinct, for example, is an aspect of an
animal's physical mind. For the physical self to grow in
good health, it must have proper nourishment. It must
absorb air and sunlight, which are intangible, yang types
of nourishment, and must eat and drink food and water,
which are tangible, yin types of nourishment. The body
has give and take with this nourishment through its
digestive and circulatory systems.
Good or evil in the conduct of the physical self is
the main determinant of whether the spirit self becomes
good or evil. This is because the physical self provides
a certain element, which we call the vitality element,
to the spirit self. In our everyday experience, our mind
rejoices when our physical self performs good deeds but
feels anxiety after evil conduct. This is because
vitality elements, which can be good or evil according to
the deeds of the physical self, are infused into our
spirit self.
6.3.2 The Structure and Functions of the Spirit
Self (48)
Our spirit self, or spirit, is a substantial
yet incorporeal reality which can be apprehended only
through the spiritual senses. It is the subject partner
to our physical self. Our spirit can communicate directly
with God and is meant to govern the incorporeal world,
including the angels. In appearance our spirit self
matches our physical self. After we shed the physical
self, we enter the spirit world and live there for
eternity. The reason we desire an eternal life is because
our innermost self is the spirit self which has an
eternal nature. Our spirit self consists of the dual
characteristics of spirit mind (subject partner)
and spirit body (object partner). The spirit mind
is the center of the spirit self, and it is where God
dwells.
The spirit grows through give and take action between
two types of nourishment: life elements of a yang
type that come from God, and vitality elements of a yin
type that come from the physical self. The spirit self
not only receives vitality elements from the physical
self; it also returns an element to the physical self
which we call the living spirit element. When
people receive grace from a heavenly spirit, they undergo
many positive changes in their physical self; they feel
infinite joy and new strength welling up in them which
can even drive away illness. Such phenomena occur because
the physical self receives living spirit elements from
the spirit self.
The spirit can grow only while it abides in the flesh.
Thus, the relationship between the physical self and the
spirit self is similar to that between a tree and its
fruit. When the physical mind obeys the spirit mind and
the physical self acts according to the good purpose of
the spirit mind, the physical self receives living spirit
elements from the spirit self and becomes wholesome. In
return, the physical self provides good vitality elements
to the spirit self, which enable the spirit self to grow
properly in the direction of goodness.
Truth illuminates the innermost desires of the spirit
mind. A person must first comprehend his spirit mind's
deepest desire through the truth and then put this
knowledge into action to fulfill his responsibility. Only
then do the living spirit elements and vitality elements
reciprocate within him, enabling him to progress toward
goodness. The living spirit element and the vitality
element have the relationship of internal nature and
external form. Because all people have living spirit
elements ever active within themselves, even an evil
person's original mind inclines toward goodness. However,
unless he actually leads a life of goodness, the living
spirit elements cannot engage in proper give and take
with the vitality elements, nor can they be infused into
his physical self to make it wholesome.
It can be inferred from the above that the spirit self
can attain perfection only during a person's earthly life.
The spirit mind guides the spirit self as it grows in the
soil of the physical self. The growth of the spirit self
toward perfection progresses through the three orderly
stages ordained by the Principle of Creation. A spirit in
the formation stage of life is called a form spirit;
in the growth stage, a life spirit; and in the
completion stage, a divine spirit.
A spirit fully matures as a divine spirit when the
person's spirit self and physical self unite through
perfect give and take action centered on God and form the
four position foundation. A divine spirit can accurately
feel and perceive every reality in the spirit world. As
these spiritual realities resonate through the body and
manifest themselves as physiological phenomena, they can
be recognized through the five physical senses. People of
divine spirit, who thus resonate with the spirit world,
build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. When they shed
their physical bodies, they will make a smooth transition
into the Kingdom of Heaven in the spirit world. For this
reason, the Kingdom of Heaven in heaven will be realized
only after the Kingdom of Heaven on earth has been
established.
All the sensibilities of a spirit are cultivated
through the reciprocal relationship with the physical
self during earthly life. Therefore, only when a person
reaches perfection and is totally immersed in the love of
God while on earth can he fully delight in the love of
God as a spirit after his death. All the qualities of the
spirit self are developed while it abides in the physical
self: Sinful conduct during earthly life aggravates evil
and ugliness in the spirit of a fallen person, while the
redemption of sins granted during earthly life opens the
way for his spirit to become good. This was the reason
Jesus had to come to the earth in the flesh to save
sinful humanity. We must lead a good life while we are on
the earth. Jesus gave the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven
to Peter, who remained on the earth, 30(Matt.16:19)RS|KJ|NI and said, "whatever
you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever
you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven," 31(Matt.18:18)RS|KJ|NI because the primary
objective of the providence of restoration must be
carried out on the earth.
It is not God who decides whether a person's spirit
enters heaven or hell upon his death; it is decided by
the spirit himself. Humans are created so that once they
reach perfection they will fully breathe the love of God.
Those who committed sinful deeds while on earth become
crippled spirits who are incapable of fully breathing in
the love of God. They find it agonizing to stand before
God, the center of true love. Of their own will, they
choose to dwell in hell, far removed from the love of God.
Since the human spirit can
grow only in the soil of the physical self, the
multiplication of human spirits takes place at the same
time that the multiplication of physical selves occurs:
during earthly life.
6.3.3 The Spirit Mind,
the Physical Mind
and Their Relationship in the Human Mind(50)
The human mind
consists of the spirit mind and physical mind. The
relationship between these two minds is like that between
internal nature and external form. When they become one
through give and take action with God as their center,
they form a united functioning entity which guides the
spirit self and physical self to become harmonious and
progress toward the purpose of creation. This united
entity is the mind of a human being.
The conscience is that faculty of the human
mind which, by virtue of its inborn nature, always
directs us toward what we think is good. However, due to
the Fall, human beings have become ignorant of God and
thus ignorant of the absolute standard of goodness. For
this reason, we are unable to set the proper standard of
judgment for our conscience. As the standard of goodness
varies, the standard of our conscience also fluctuates;
this causes frequent contention even among those who
advocate a conscientious life.
The original mind is that faculty of the human
mind which pursues absolute goodness. It relates to the
conscience as internal nature to external form. A
person's conscience directs him to pursue goodness
according to the standard which he has set up in
ignorance, even though it may differ from the original
standard. However, the original mind, being sensitive to
the proper direction, repels this faulty standard and
works to correct the conscience.
As long as our spirit mind and physical mind are under
the bondage of Satan, the functioning entity they form
through their give and take action is called the evil
mind. The evil mind continually drives people to do
evil. Our original mind and conscience direct us to repel
the evil mind. They guide us in desperate efforts to
reject evil desires and cling to goodness by breaking our
ties with Satan and turning to face God.
______________________________
7. This is a paraphrase of the opening lines of An Explanation of the Diagram of the
Great Ultimate (Tai-chi-t'u shuo) by Chon Tun-i.
8. Book of Changes, Appended
Remarks 4.
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