Authors
1. When we wake up and open our eyes, we see all the creation unfolding before us. From the creation, we indirectly and intuitively receive certain impressions and, by responding to them, we develop our senses. Even the smallest creatures are connected to us.
Even though we ignore them, these seemingly insignificant creatures are connected to us and lead their lives every day according to the ideal of the heavenly principle.
Why is this so?
From the perspective of the purpose of existence, all creatures from the smallest to the greatest, that is, human beings are the lords of creation and rule over all things everything lies within the realm of the ideal of love and can embrace God's ideal for this vast universe.
Movement occurs as small things are absorbed by larger entities governing larger spheres, thus fulfilling the purpose of the universe. Small things are absorbed by bigger things, becoming the building blocks of their material form.
This relationship leads to the realization of one purpose based on one great ideal. We cannot deny that this is the way history has been progressing, and the way the physical world has been following the principle of heaven toward the fulfillment of one purpose. (009-164, 1960.05.08)
The value of all things of creation and the destruction of the natural world
2. Throughout my life I have thought, “Even if I am the only one, I should understand the sorrow of the precious things of creation made by God. We value national treasures housed in palaces, yet we do not cherish the precious things of creation made by God.”
Those with the heart to say, “Though everyone living on this earth may be ignorant, I will understand,” can become a new people able to govern humankind in the future.
This is not a concept, but a fact. Who values all things of creation more than they value the family treasure handed down through generations? Diamonds are considered to be the most valuable stones in the world. People hold on to them and refuse to let them go.
Who in this world values creation more than diamonds? Where can we find such people? God will say, “I hear you!” upon seeing those who understand in their hearts what He has created, and who weep when they hold the things of creation. (009-177, 1960.05.08)
3. Nature is an exhibit that God has given us as a magnificent gift. He prepared this gift for the birth of His beloved sons and daughters, who were to live in love for others. Every bird and plant was a decoration to bring beauty into the lives of His beloved sons and daughters.
Even the pebbles along the road were created as decorations for a nation since God knew that His sons and daughters would be the owners who would rule over the nation. It is the same with flowing water.
God did not want things to be dry and monotonous, so He created the natural world fit for a prince of dreams and hope who would inherit this infinitely colorful and harmonious garden, this world of love. Hence, we learn from all things of creation. (175-187, 1988.04.16)
4. No matter how precious a work of art in a museum is, can it have more value than a living work of art? Who has loved this earth, the museum of all things and the work of God, more than God has?
Has anyone loved the earth more than they loved their national treasures? Can a gold crown from the Silla Dynasty sitting in a museum compare with one dandelion growing alongside the road?
If there were a king who understood God's heart and who took care of the creation with a heart that said, “I feel sorry and ashamed because I cannot love you from the position of an original king whom God has loved,” the tufts of grass would want to follow that king and be with him eternally. This is how people should live.
(175-187, 1988.04.16)
5. You should have such a mind that, when observing nature imbued with God's love, you say, “Can the precious items possessed by the kings of this world, or by people of great fame, compare with this?
Can any artifact compare with this? Can a glamorous dress worn by a famous lady compare with this? Without that heart, we are sinning in the natural world without even realizing it. Is there anyone who looks at a living creature and asks, “What items produced by human hands could compare with this?
No matter how great someone might be, could he or she ever be greater than God?” A person who deeply cherished all creation, in which God invested His heart, would surely be a child of God. Such a person would not need to pray, for he or she would live with God. God guides people into such a position.
(009-176, 1960.05.08)
6. Pollution is destroying nature. Since World War II, fish have been dying from water pollution and birds have been falling to the ground from air pollution. We have to protect the water and the air.
Water, air, and sunlight are the most important. People today live without knowing the value of these things. (337-053, 2000.10.22)
7. Nowadays, pollution is a serious problem for humankind. Since World War II, because of pollution, the oceans have become dirty and fish are dying. The same is happening to the animals in the mountains and to the birds.
Some countries are selfishly dumping their waste into international waters and the oceans are dying. Because of worsening pollution year after year, fish are deserting shallow waters and moving into deeper waters, where they are eaten by deep-water fish.
Then the deep-water fish die after eating these smaller fish. This is why the food supply for fish is diminishing. This is a big concern. We need to purify the polluted ocean waters. We need to purify the water so that the fish can live.
(520-034, 2006.03.09)
8. Pollution is hastening the destruction of humankind. The worst kind of pollution is water pollution. Before people die, animals die first. The fish in the oceans are dying, the birds are dying, and the small insects are dying.
Since World War II, because of air pollution, birds have been dying and, because of water pollution, fish have been dying. Now because of pesticides, small and large animals are dying. In the future, if people are fighting, what will happen? We are producing more carbon dioxide than oxygen.
The situation could worsen until humankind perishes. No matter how great you are, if you have no water and air is scarce, you will die. What use would the land be? No grass would grow. Therefore, we need to love the water and the land, and we need to protect the fish and the animals. (367-174, 2002.01.21)
9. People have ravaged our God-given environment, causing the death of many animals. We have killed the best gift God has given to His sons and daughters. Therefore, I teach that we should become second creators, loving the gifts God has given us on His behalf.
After living such a life of love, we can go to heaven. Recently, I heard that in Korea people are killing magpies, thinking they are harmful. I don't think we should worry about that kind of thing. Instead, we should prepare one year's food supply for the magpies and raise them with kindness.
Then let's see what happens. I used to prepare and give food to pigeons and other birds, and I found that the birds recognized my kindness. The magpies would greet me with a “caw, caw, caw” when they flew by; the pigeons would greet me with a “coo, coo, coo”; and the sparrows would say, “chirp, chirp, chirp.”
If you become a true owner, birds will not pass you by without greeting you. Because I fed them every day, they expressed their thanks. (333-252, 2000.09.26)
10. People are dying because of pollution. We need to protect the animals and insects so they can survive. Who can take responsibility for this? God cannot take on this responsibility. We have to take measures to balance the food chain.
On the national level, we must establish long-term legal measures to ensure a sustainable food supply. All the regions of the world should do the same.
(418-138, 2003.09.16)
11. To survive, human beings need air, water, sunlight, and soil. We therefore must be grateful for these things. Even when we release something dirty into the air, it eventually falls to the ground.
Therefore, we need to protect the earth and fertilize the land. When we provide fertilizer to the earth, seeds of life emerge there. A mother is like the earth; she always takes care of the dirty things at home.
The members of the family rely on the mother for cleanliness. In contrast, men, in the process of initiating things, often ignore the value of the earth and just randomly stomp on it. (358-103, 2001.11.02)
Protecting and loving nature
12. When you love nature and protect it, your behavior becomes a model for how to love people. Children are the same. They learn how to love people by playing with their toys and loving their pets.
Those who live like that with nature typically go to a higher level of the spirit world than those who lead a religious life because they have reached a higher level of the heart. When you reach your seventies or eighties, you had better go back to nature. When your memory grows dim and your physical body becomes weaker, you had better go live in nature.
Living among all the natural things created by God, loving them, and managing them as their master, you will be able to go to a higher level of heart, the kingdom of heaven. (311-310, 1999.09.15)
13. In the garden where people of true love and husband and wife of true love are living, beautiful flowers want to blossom, and lovely birds and beautiful animals would like to come and live dose by. You should understand that their original nature drives them to do this. All things naturally follow such people, who are destined to prosper. (146-109, 1986.06.07)
14. We have to go back to nature, live there, and love all the things of God's creation. When we feel the heart of God, who created the soil, water, plants, and animals for us, we inherit all the things that belong to Heavenly Father. By doing so, we return joy and glory to the original heart of God, the Creator of all these things.
For instance, we harvest the grains that we grow through our year-round toil and, during the winter, we rest. Year after year we gather the harvest, offer it to God, and return glory to Him, as we do on Thanksgiving Day.
When spring comes the next year, we begin again. When we live this way, based on a desire to return glory to God, God will bless us and we will prosper.
(354-163, 2001.09.20)
15. God is working to save humankind. If God is a big tree we, as the branches, should resemble the tree. Therefore, we must assist God in His work and help Him find lost humankind. So wherever you go, east or west, you should foster loving relationships with people.
Those who don't know how to love other people don't know how to love nature. Furthermore, people who don't know how to love nature cannot truly like others. Saving humankind is God's work. However, we should be able to love people and nature, living with God's love in our hearts. Liking something is not enough. We need to live in love. (320-083, 2000.03.29)
16. You should know how to love nature and love people. Those who cannot love people or love nature cannot truly love God. Because all things of creation are symbols of God, and people are beings of His substance, those who learn to love all things of creation and to love people will come to love God. (070-182, 1974.02.09)
17. When you love the mountains, love water, and love all things of creation on God's behalf, everything will be fine; you will be healthy. These are the three conditions.
That is why I chose the name Sansuwon, “the garden of mountains and waters” for our hiking club. I like mountains and often go where there are beautiful mountains and water. We need to love the creation on behalf of God.
We also need to love the ocean. By loving all things of creation, we can become their loving master. The person who loves something most is its owner; this is the unmistakable conclusion. (449-199, 2004.05.13)
18. When you love all things on earth on behalf of God, you will naturally receive as much love from God as you give to the things of creation. This is why you have to love the creation. By loving all things of creation and by loving people, you are entitled to receive God's love.
Those who dedicate their lives to loving the world, the universe, and all humankind, who love these more than they love their lives, will naturally receive the same amount of love from God. (081-335, 1975.12.29)
Sun Myung Moon