Authors
Gratitude
Cheon Il Guk is a world where, based on true love, heaven, and earth unite, the body and mind unite, and one lives harmonizing with nature. Citizens of Cheon Il Guk should live according to the original ideal of creation.
They should be able to feel that God is always with them, even while Cheon Il Guk is being built, and that He shares the pleasures and pains of life with them. To sustain this, they should live with joy, prayer, and gratitude for everything at all times.
A life of gratitude is always accompanied by heavenly blessings and heavenly fortune. True Mother teaches that this life of gratitude starts when we empty our minds.
1. My motto in life is 'How can I live today with more gratitude than yesterday?' I have tried to live a life in which I am more grateful today than I was yesterday, and in which I will be even more grateful tomorrow than I am today. It has been my life's goal to have gratitude in my heart every day.
Right before True Father left for Danbury, he said, 'Please never complain. You should be grateful for the position you have been placed in, for when you become completely one through your gratitude, great miracles can take place.'
(True Mother, 1984/07/31)
2. We all need to empty our hearts and repent. Those who are in high positions should become all the more humble in heart and grateful to God for being alive each day. And when they look back on their lives, they should express their gratitude for having been allowed to make a new beginning.
When you ask for help to make this a day on which you fulfill the providential work that you have not yet been able to accomplish, and on which you live your life with gratitude, your surroundings will look beautiful to you. Then you will be happy, and because you cannot keep this happiness to yourself, you naturally will witness to others. (True Mother, 2012/10/27)
3. Your mind and body unite when you are truly 100 percent grateful. When this happens, those around you become happier. If you live your life with a heart of gratitude for the blessings heaven has given you, I think you will be able to create even more joy among those around you, and you will be able to spread these blessings to your family, society, nation, and world.
You are truly happy people to be able to work with the True Parents of Heaven, Earth, and Humankind. True Parents exist only once in history.
(True Mother, 2012/11/24)
4. When you fail to fulfill your responsibility, you have to pay indemnity. It is inevitable. This is why I have told you not to be arrogant, but to live with a grateful heart. When you find it in your heart to be truly grateful in front of heaven and your brothers and sisters, you find peace. You become free. You break free of your chains. (True Mother, 2012/12/14)
5. We should always be grateful. First, we should be grateful to God, then to our husband or wife, then to our neighbors. The more gratitude you have, the deeper the love that flows into you. The more you share it, the more of God's love you will receive. You receive it proportionally to the gratitude you share.
This is why when the time comes for me to pass on, I will leave behind words of gratitude to this world and return to the Father with only love. And when I return to Him, He and I will live forevermore in love.
When that time comes, the only thing that will matter to me is how much I can revere God and live in gratitude. This is my dream.
To receive love and blessings, we need to live a life of gratitude. When we encounter misfortunes, God knows about it. When we find ourselves in the most wretched of situations in the world, He cannot help but be aware of it. And when we are in such a position, and we can still deal with it and digest it with gratitude, God will count us as trustworthy.
When we can overcome even such situations, we will receive blessings that cannot be found anywhere else. This principle is at work in the world.
(093-195, 1977/05/29)
6. When we think about the fact that God has labored for us until this day and that He is fulfilling 95 percent of the mission of paving the world-level pioneer course that we need to follow, we cannot but be grateful to Him.
The very essence of a life of faith is to be grateful to God. When you have such a heart, it can be the basis on which you can form a relationship with Him. Should we be grateful only when we find ourselves in good situations? Of course not.
God has not labored for us until this day only when things were going well for Him. The more difficult the situation, the harder and more resolutely He has worked. This is why for us to attend God as our Father, we should be grateful to Him for having worked and fought His way through on our behalf.
We should not do so only when we are well-off, but all the more when we are in difficult situations. (029-338, 1970/03/14)
Forgiveness and love
True Parents have forgiven the unforgivable for the sake of God and have loved their enemies for the sake of humankind. Forgiveness and love have great power. Forgiveness opens the hearts of people and love moves people.
Miracles have been accomplished through True Parents' forgiveness and love. They have said that when you forgive and love, fighting can turn to reconciliation, conflict can turn to harmony, and war can turn to peace.
7. I make it a point to never remember the name of an enemy. After a day, I forget it just like that. I have forgotten them all. This is why I do not have any enemies.
When I learned that the sons and daughters of my enemies were starving, I took them rice I had bought for myself, and if they could not afford to go to school, I paid their school tuition. Because I have lived my life in such a manner, I have not perished.
This is why when Satan so much as sees my name, he turns the other way. This is the reason the Unification Church is growing and developing. If you were to ask how the Unification Church could develop as it has despite all the opposition it has endured, the answer is that it stayed true to its principles of righteousness, forgiveness, and love, so God protected it.
In short, Satan was unable to destroy us, and we continue to grow and develop because God protected us. (309-303, 1999/06/06)
8. When Korea was under Japanese rule, True Father was caught working for the Korean independence movement and was tortured nearly to death. Yet, he still prayed for Japan more than anyone else did and loved the Japanese people. This is why there are now many Japanese members in our church. Moreover, our Japanese members are spread out in many nations across the world pursuing NGO activities.
After Korea's liberation, True Father went to communist-ruled Pyongyang to propagate the Word, and while doing so, he was unjustly imprisoned twice. It did not deter him, and he earned the nickname 'saint of the prison' at the Hungnam death camp, which they called a fertilizer factory.
October 14, 1950, was the day on which the North Korean army decided to execute True Father before retreating, but miraculously he was able to escape just before his scheduled execution.
Forty years later, in 1991, my husband and I passed the Hungnam Prison site on our way to meet the President.
Kim Il-Sung at his presidential residence in Hamheung. Our hearts were filled with all kinds of mixed feelings. At that moment, we laid a new cornerstone for the unification of North and South Korea. We were reminded once again that our Heavenly Parent works miracles in the places where we forgive and love.
The True Father had to suffer unjustly in a South Korean prison, nonetheless, the True Parents taught the world the spirit and culture of loving heaven, loving humankind, and loving one's country, as well as the Korean language itself. I know that many times in the 1970s and 1980s, when True Father heard Western members in such countries as the United States and the United Kingdom singing the Korean national anthem in Korean, he was moved to tears.
Even though the United States sent True Father to prison unjustly, in a spirit of forgiveness at Danbury he still made every effort to move the United States and save the world. As a result, American leaders and Christian pastors took the lead in bringing an end to the Cold War, and since then, they have pooled their energies with us to advance our interreligious peace movement. In a word, the True Father lived a life of forgiveness and love. (True Mother, 2014/08/12)
9. Through the indignities True Father had to suffer in Danbury for 13 months, he set an example of forgiving the world and embracing it with the loving heart of a parent. In the same way, Heavenly Father deals with human beings with love and always employs the strategy of being struck first and then taking back what is His. In all the history, who else has been like the True Father, becoming the embodiment of love and acting from love throughout his life?
We have seen with our own eyes that heaven cannot help but be moved, and that even the most evil people cannot help but melt in front of love. True Father has educated the leaders of Korean society nationwide, from the officials of the IFVOC to neighborhood branch leaders, and even renowned professors. True Parents' God-centered teaching of true love is echoing across the nation of Korea.
The True Father said that the hope of humanity lies in this true love and nothing else. He emphasized that the only way for us to survive is to unite our mind and body based on true love, to unite husband and wife in a family based on true love, and going further, to unite all tribes, nations, and the world based on true love.
(True Mother, 1986/05/11)
10. During the year that True Father was in Danbury, we had many agonizing experiences both internally and externally. From the providential viewpoint, however, these incidents did not harm us at all.
Through everything, the True Father opened the way for humankind to receive God's compassion, forgiveness, and love. You cannot imagine how many internal struggles the True Father had to go through from the time of Heung-jin's Seunghwa and the declaration of the Day of Victory of Love until the time in Danbury when he established the Day of the Opening of the Gates of Heaven.
You cannot imagine how much he poured himself out and how much he suffered to conclude this work with a providential victory. I thought to myself thousands of times that I would like to be in Danbury Prison with True Father and share even a little of the suffering he was going through. (True Mother, 1986/08/20)
11. You must understand how precious is this very moment. Joshua and Caleb were both descendants of noble families. They were loyal to heaven to the end of their years.
Caleb lacked for nothing, yet he united with Joshua. Instead of acting in arrogance, he placed Joshua before himself. Thus, because they were able to establish the foundation to restore Cain and Abel, the Messiah could come through the people of Israel.
I think about things like this when I look at our leaders. I feel that we have not established a leadership culture based on love for and pride in each other. Our heart of loving and caring for one another should be stronger than it is in any other organization. You should be different because you are True Parent's children. From now on, I wish to create a new environment through you.
When you stop trying to elevate yourself, and instead live for the sake of one another, nurture one another, and take pride in one another, then the organization as a whole can grow.
On the other hand, when an individual or group selfishly thinks they are better than others, there is no development. If you live selfishly, you will shrink, but if you live for the sake of others, you will grow and develop.
There should be no one who suffers pain because of you. We are people who save lives. Therefore, we should embrace with love all our brothers and sisters, all our members, and all people. (True Mother, 2013/09/23)
12. When True Father went to the United States in 1971, he said, 'I came as a doctor and as a firefighter.'
Although heaven had thoroughly prepared the United States as a stronghold for the free world, the nation had deviated from its original direction of upholding God's Will and instead stood at a crossroads of life and death because of its decadent culture, family breakdown, and communist infiltration.
The True Father knew how hard God had worked to nurture the United States, which was facing threats to its religious and philosophical underpinnings from communism and immorality. He was compelled to go to the front line by himself once more to save that country.
The True Father left behind accomplishments beyond what any ordinary human being can achieve. He tried to save the United States. This was a step essential to his mission to save all of humanity by upholding our Heavenly Parent's Will.
This is why Father called the free world and the United States, where democracy was wavering, to 'Forgive, Love, and Unite.' He awakened the good people of the United States. He thoroughly practiced the love he preached. However, the United States sent this man, who lived his life for the sake of others, to Danbury.
Even as he went to Danbury, Father called us to unite. He cried out, 'I do not know what blessings heaven has prepared in the background where I am going. So be strong! Be confident!' The history of global providence will record that True Parents truly saved the United States and the world. (True Mother, 2014/08/12)
13. True Father has dedicated everything to promoting harmony and understanding between the races. He loves even those who oppose him. Starting a very long time ago, True Father formed the habit of forgiving those who called him a sinner.
He loves America more than anyone in history ever has. He believes God has called him as a voice to give courage to Americans who are fighting prejudice and oppression, so he is grateful to God. Internationally, True Father has continually made efforts to bring about reconciliation and unity among religions, and harmony among races.
Jesus taught us to work and live as members of one great human family of love. This is also the True Father's philosophy, and this is why he has dedicated himself as a religious leader to bringing an end to all forms of religious prejudice, intolerance, and racism. (True Mother, 1985/05/11)
Unity
Each human being is an individual embodiment of truth. When we become aware of how we are connected, the way to unity will open up. Ignorance and fallen nature block our awareness of the reality that we are not separate beings.
When with love and truth, we scale the high wall of ignorance and cross the wide river of fallen nature, we meet our original human nature. At that place, we feel the presence of God that makes us tremble.
When we always attend God, ponder the will of True Parents, and govern our lives and the world with love and wisdom, a miracle is wrought by which all beings from the self to the great cosmos unite with oneness in heart, oneness in body and oneness in thought.
14. How can we unite as one? First and foremost, we need to meet our Heavenly Parent, but this is not an easy thing to do because our ancestors fell. Due to the Fall, all people are in ignorance and their original nature has been cloaked.
For 6,000 years, a wall of ignorance has been built continuously higher and thicker, and the river of fallen nature has grown wider and deeper. It is difficult to scale this wall or cross this river by human effort alone. But our Heavenly Parent who is the embodiment of love, is always ready to help us.
Everything depends on our efforts. We need to awaken our conscience. Our conscience is the second Heavenly Parent. When it is fully awakened, we can live a life of continual enlightenment through spirit and truth, a life of prayer and gratitude for everything. We can hear the voice of our Heavenly Parent thrill us and resonate within us.
Going a step further, every person needs to meet the representative of our Heavenly Parent. Human history is the history of the providence of restoration in which God worked to establish one central figure.
Two thousand years ago, God established Jesus as the only-begotten Son of Heaven, but due to the Israelites' disbelief, he was nailed to the cross. Therefore, heaven's providence was prolonged to the time of the Second Advent. Now we are ushering in the blessed age in which the Lord at His Second Advent has come to this earth and has found the Bride of heaven, the only-begotten Daughter.
Together, they have manifested as True Parents. Humankind needs to meet, attend, and follow True Parents, who are the representatives of our Heavenly Parent. Only then can we rid ourselves of original sin, which has been passed down to us through 6,000 years. Then we can be reborn as people full of love and wisdom, fulfilling God's original purpose of creation. (True Mother, 2014/08/12)
15. History has shown us that when chosen peoples, leaders, or countries failed to fulfill their responsibility, they had to pay great indemnity. When you are appointed to a position of great blessing you need to fulfill your responsibility. You should not treat your position as being for yourself. It exists to generate progress toward the unity of the entire world.
From a geopolitical and providential viewpoint, Japan has to unite with Korea. Even though one country is better off than other Asian nations, if it cannot become one with them, it will not endure. Eventually, unity is the only way to resolve aggravating problems, such as environmental pollution, and be able to survive.
Japan has plenty of problems. But once we become one and attend True Parents they all can be resolved one after the other. I hope that all blessed families and citizens of Japan will become one with True Parents and take the lead in saving Asia and the world. (True Mother, 2013/10/16)
16. A while ago, I climbed 12 mountains in the Alps to pray and try once again to forgive and embrace you. The True Father said that once this world is united, there will be no need for judges, prosecutors, or lawyers. But we are the ones who must build such a world.
The True Father is the king of kings. It was up to us to create an environment for people to receive him, but we let him down. Even now, we should repent that we fell short, and we should make a new determination to do our utmost to return glory to God and fulfill His expectations.
Henceforth, our church should never make so much as a crack through which Satan can enter. We need to unite absolutely. I am saying that there should not be 'my voice' and 'your voice.' We need to speak with one voice. By doing so, we can be a model for this nation and the world.
We need to uphold the dignity of the living Heavenly Parent and True Parents. We need to become one with True Parents. All our leaders and members should be of one mind and one heart, and we all should stand up once again with new resolve to accomplish God's Will. (True Mother, 2014/07/01)
17. Many countries have their dreams, and the leaders of those nations have a vision for how their people can prosper. However, at this point, it is morally unacceptable to pursue one's national interest and push for one's own nation's happiness, freedom, and peace.
There are many divisive national boundaries in the world today and many agonizing racial and religious conflicts. To surmount these, we need to lead humankind to the path of attendance to our Heavenly Parent, the Creator. We need to lead people to follow the way True Parents have taught.
When all countries become one, as brother and sister nations through True Parents, the entire world will move with one heart, and one will. Then we can easily resolve the problems that plague us today. (True Mother, 2014/08/12)
18. The most urgent item on your agenda should be to join in a 'let's unite' movement. Yes, it is important for you as an individual to work toward God-centered mind-body unity.
From your experience as children, you may think it difficult to strive for God-centered brother-sister unity. Nonetheless, I believe that this is something you need to achieve at all costs.
When three people become one with True Parents at the center, and you expand that foundation, you will achieve the Will of God. In the four-position foundation, which can be considered a microcosm of the world, the horizontal number is three people, with God in the vertical, 4th position.
I believe that when three people on the horizontal plane are united in the four-position foundation, focused on True Parents, it will be easy to unite the world as one.
Consider this on the wider scale of the world, with the world as an expanded version of the four-position foundation formed through the unity of three people with God as the center. This world has three key groups: people with intellectual power, people with political power, and people with financial power.
It could even be said that these three powers rule the world. If you were to scale down these types of power, you could reduce them to three individuals. So as long as we understand, love, and cooperate through sincere communication, there is no reason for us not to be united. (True Mother, 1981/10/24)
19. You need to become filial sons and daughters before True Parents. And brothers and sisters need to become one through true love. Parents tend to show more concern for their children who are lacking in some way than for those who are doing well.
Raising children leads us to experience this in our hearts. If you love those of your brothers and sisters who are in need like that and live for their sake more than for your own, our foundation will continue to grow and expand.
We are connected by strong, true family ties, with True Parents at the center. Depending on how much wider, deeper, and higher you can build the environment of goodness based on God's Will, our foundation will grow that much larger.
We have only one goal: to create a unified world, one world with our Heavenly Parent and the True Parents of Heaven, Earth, and Humankind at the center. (True Mother, 2013/10/01)
20. Fights break out among siblings because they do not know their parents' will and cannot fathom their deep hearts. You can understand your parents' will only when you connect to them in heart through true love.
When you achieve oneness in mind, oneness in body, oneness in heart, and oneness harmonizing with True Parents, your thoughts, your feelings, your words, and your actions all will come into one accord.
When you live in this way as true children resembling True Parents, you will realize that you are not separate, but you are brothers and sisters of one bloodline. Then you can establish the joyous world of peace desired by all.
We need to unite as one for the sake of world peace by loving our neighbors as ourselves and even forgiving our enemies. We need to march forward bravely and boldly until the day when all people can form one great family. Brothers and sisters, and thus construct the one world of harmony under our Heavenly Parent. (True Mother, 2014/08/12)
21. The marriage Blessing gives fallen people new life through True Parents. The fallen world is a polluted and murky place, and blessed families are like clear water, the water of life.
But even the clearest water will turn bad if it stagnates. It needs to flow toward the great sea. In the place where living water flows, living creatures revive. Tribal messiahs are responsible for cleaning this polluted world with pure living water.
Now the tribal messiah movement has become a giant wave sweeping across Thailand and the Philippines and through other nations in Asia as well. After having passed through the continents of Europe, North and South America, Africa and Oceania, it is moving across the ocean. And wherever this wave passes, countless people are born anew. We can expect nothing from the world as it is.
The only way is for us to tell the world about True Parents. When our families, tribes, nations, and the world become one with True Parents, bound together in the providential Will, and form a great wave that sweeps across the five oceans and six continents, we will realize one world under God the kingdom of heaven on earth longed for by our Heavenly Parent and long-awaited by all people.
For this day to come, all blessed families in the world should achieve oneness in heart, oneness in body, oneness in thought, and oneness in harmony, not only with the Heavenly Parent but also with True Parents.
And they should proudly tell the world the good news of True Parents with a heart of absolute faith, absolute love, and absolute obedience, so they can become beautiful, filial sons and daughters and loyal patriots who can guide the world's people to become citizens of Cheon 11 Guk. (True Mother, 2014/10/26)
Hak Ja Han Moon