True Father's Childhood and Youth

Love for Nature

Lessons from nature
True Father spent about 18 years of his life within about ten kilometers of his birthplace. That area was the stage of his activities until he graduated from primary school. This was an important time in his life, when he learned about nature and had many realizations from observing and experiencing it. As he studied nature, he showed unusual interest, inquisitiveness, and passion for learning. Numerous experiences with the world of nature and his agricultural surroundings nurtured his emotional sensitivity and depth. As he observed the love of birds and insects for their young, he verified the principles of human love.

All things in nature became his friends, and they also became his textbooks of heart and love.

1. As we grow up, our hometown provides us with abundant opportunities for learning and emotional growth. Just by looking at the mountains, we realize that they are enveloped by a considerable net of heart. It is unforgettable. It is the same for a creek with the variety of fish and insects that live there. We can grow when we utilize all the creations as our basic textbooks, from which we can learn and gain knowledge that we never forget. We can learn from all the animals and plants in the mountains and indeed every single thing in the natural world. What we find in our hometown provides us with abundant materials to help us learn and grow internally in heart and feeling. That is why we miss the mountains, fields, and rivers of our hometown. (187-294, 1989/02/12)

2. When I was a child, I went everywhere in my village, the neighboring villages, the mountains, and over the mountains, with the thought of going and seeing everything throughout the land. That is how I was in my childhood. I went to a reservoir and caught the different kinds of fish that lived there. I caught all kinds of birds. I caught all kinds of insects. There was nothing there that I did not catch. That is how I became knowledgeable about the surrounding things. I knew where the crabs lived, where the different species of fish lived, what animals lived where, and so on. Having discovered and investigated all their dens and nests, I knew very well what creatures lived in each place. That is why I know the best fishing spots.
(271-259, 1995/08/28)

3. I did not spend much time in the fields. Every day I roamed through the mountains. In the mountains, there are all kinds of flowers, all kinds of birds, and all kinds of wild animals. Everything is there; it is like a natural museum. Human beings have learned how to make many things by imitating nature. We have to love nature.

On the night of a full moon, I never wanted to stay home and sleep. There is something mystical about the night of a full moon. On such nights, I would go into the pine forest deep in the mountains and sleep where the wolves and tigers lived. I would lie down on a bed of pine needles underneath a huge pine tree, where weeds do not grow and where you do not get wet even when it rains.

You cannot imagine what a marvelous feeling it was to sleep there. When you go to such a place and see the bright moon, even the blowing breeze will sound mystical to you. And when a tall tree shakes in the wind, it will reflect all kinds of colors, and you will be entranced by them. Mysteriously, the trees jostling with each other will sound like people talking together. The Principle can be found in the natural environment rather than in other places. (562-165, 2007/05/06)

4. I truly love nature. I used to go to the mountains and just enjoy nature while sitting on the grass.

Occasionally, I would fall asleep leaning against a large tree with nature all around. I picked wild vegetables and ate them. These were unforgettable experiences. I believe that nature provided me with the fundamental materials that facilitated my emotional growth. When I observed the trees in the mountains and by the streams, although they were all trees, no two looked the same. That made a deep impression on me. Nature is a museum containing all kinds of materials that each of us can find memorable. (187-295, 1989/02/12)

5. I knew all the migrating birds that came to my village. Once I saw a flock of migrating birds that I had never seen before. They were so colorful and beautiful. I wondered where these birds would hatch their egg since they had migrated away and returned after having their young. I also wondered why they came to my neighborhood. I thought it had to be one of two reasons, either for water or to nest.

Birds drink water, but they want good water. So I sought a good source of water and found a spring. I thought to myself that they would come there for water. So I went to that spring every day and waited for the birds to come. I waited for about two weeks. Then, indeed, they came! Birds are truly fascinating creatures.
(180-245, 1988/08/22)

6. There was a brook in my hometown. I caught many kinds of freshwater fish that were living there,

including mudfish and eels. I thought, if I had a large pond at my house I would bring them home and put them in it. These days it is relatively easy for people to have a pond at home and to raise fish. How wonderful it would have been if I could have done that!

We simply could not do it back then. But, still young and not knowing any better, I simply dug a water hole and put some small fish in it. I thought that fish could live in any kind of water. But, after keeping them there overnight, the next morning I discovered they had all died.

Without knowing that they needed certain conditions to live, I sadly said, “I invested all of my sincerity so you could live; why did you die?” Looking at those dead fish, I said, “Oh, your mom will cry over your death. I will cry for you too.” There, alone, I cried for the fish.

From this, you can tell that I am a caring person. (187-294, 1989/02/12)

7. I was a champion at catching eels. The sea was about eight kilometers from my home, and I could travel there and back faster than most people. When I was young, my nickname was Tiny Eyes. Rumors spread, “Tiny Eyes catches dozens of eels every day and steams them; then he even feeds them to the pigs and cows.”

Villagers who heard the rumors came to my house and talked about eels. Then, after telling my mother to prepare to cook eels, I would run out to catch them. By mealtime, I was back with the eels I had caught, and my mother would serve them to the visitors either stewed or steamed, whichever way they preferred. They could eat as much as they desired, enjoying eel to their hearts' content.
(615-148, 2009/08/22)

8. All the creation exists for the sake of human beings. Therefore, once we possess the qualifications to be its owner, with the ability to truly love even the tiniest living things, we will not feel ashamed but stand with dignity to receive the love of God.

That is why puppies want to receive love from us; sparrows and even spiders want the same. All creatures want to receive love from human beings. In the old days, I was a champion at catching birds. There was no kind of bird in my neighborhood that I did not catch.

When migratory birds came into my area, I even caught them; I would not go to sleep until I had caught them. This is how I was when I was a little boy. When I grew older, I dug a birdbath for the birds and left food for them. After I had invested my loving heart in digging the birdbath, they came and drank. I brought food for them and sprinkled it on the ground; then they would not fly away when they saw me coming. When birds come to understand that you will not harm them, they will surely like you. That is because human beings are their lords.
(173-027, 1988/02/01)

9. When spring comes every animal goes about searching for its mate. Birds do that, and so do insects.

When the season turns to summer, try listening to the sounds of insects. There are exactly two kinds. One is the sound of crying from hunger. The other is the sound of singing, looking for a mate. The signals are simple. One is signaling to its friends, “I am hungry; let's go together and eat.”

The other signals, “Come with me; I am a good mate for you.” These are the two kinds of signals they make. Living in the countryside, there were many insects for me to catch. Furthermore, I caught many animals: lynxes, raccoons, and rabbits. It was fun and very exciting. I thought that they were living alone, but each had its mate. All were in pairs. It is the same with the insect world and the world of birds.
(140-296, 1986/02/14)

10. I love the Korean white pine tree because it bears fruit pine nuts that we can eat. However, these pine nuts cannot be shelled easily. You must use a stone to smash the shell. Even if you know what to do, your aim must be precise; otherwise, the shell will not open. That is why I say that not just anyone can shell them. Another thing about the white pine: when you plant it, it only germinates when the ground is frozen. Hence, its planting time is opposite that of other plants. Because it must freeze, you should not plant it in spring, but in the autumn.

Nothing can change the nature of a Korean white pine. It is not influenced by the conditions of its environment; on the contrary, it carries an attribute that causes it to burst out even if it finds itself in the most severe environment. Then with the arrival of spring, its seeds will sprout and grow into Korean white pine trees. That is the nature of a Korean white pine. The tree has five needles in each cluster: one representing the center and the others representing the east, west, north, and south. That is why I love the Korean white pine tree. Furthermore, this tree grows very well.

It grows straight up. It sends its roots straight down, and its trunk grows straight up. (178-119, 1988/06/01)

Training in self-sufficiency

In his childhood, True Father experienced all the tasks of farming, including plowing rice paddies, plowing fields, planting rice,,,e and weeding rice. He learned through experience the secrets for successfully growing rice, beans, corn, sweet potatoes, and other crops. He did not mind spreading manure and raking leaves. He eagerly took part in every kind of work and learned to do the best job he could in whatever he was doing. He also learned how to mend his clothes and knit his, socks, hats, and gloves. In this way, he trained himself to live alone, without needing to depend on others.

11. As soon as I came back from school, I would take off my school shirt and jump into farm work. I was always on the job ahead of my siblings, even my older brother and older sisters. I thought, “Unless I earn

the title of champion farmer, I cannot become the leader of the farmers' world.” So I taught myself how to become the best farmer. I became an expert on where to plant regular beans and where to plant red beans.

I learned how to tell what crop would be best for the soil by looking at the ground. Without hesitation, I would say, “Sweet potatoes should flourish here. Why did you plant something else?” Others responded,

“How do you know that?” I learned it all through experience. Hence, when I go to a rural community, I am a farmer's farmer. It is the same when I go to a fishing village. I invented an unsinkable boat, and I developed a unique and effective system for catching tuna. (220-333, 1991/10/20)

12. I knitted my socks and made my clothes. When the weather got cold, I made a hat and wore it. I am the one who taught knitting to my older sisters. To fulfill your mission for the Will, you must train yourself to be self-sufficient. When I needed underwear, I got a roll of cloth, cut it into a pattern, and made some. When I put them on, they fit perfectly. I even made Korean socks for my mother. She said, “I thought you were making them for fun, but they fit me so well!” You should be able to do all these kinds of things based on your study.

You should know how to make your clothes, socks, and hats. If you can do that, even if you live alone you will be able to accomplish your responsibility for the Will. (222-271, 1991/11/03)

13. These days, there is one kind of food that I miss. I have tried all the famous dishes in the world. Is there food anywhere that I have not tasted? Yet, I still miss this one food. In the olden days in the countryside, farmers had to pass through a period called the “May potato challenge.” Having used up all our grains through the winter, in May we had only potatoes to eat. Then finally the spring barley harvest arrived, after which we had barely to cook and eat.

The barley that I am referring to is not the pearl barley that you buy at the store, but uncracked barley. The grains have to be soaked in water for some time before cooking them. When we put them in our bowls, if we pressed them down firmly with a spoon, individual grains would break loose and fly out of the bowl. I remember eating it mixed with Korean hot pepper paste.

This is the dish that I miss even now. It is not tasty if you mix it with anything else; it must be hot pepper paste. Whenever I put a spoonful of that reddish barely into my mouth, the grains would constantly come out through my teeth. I closed my lips tightly to eat it. I had to take time because it was so difficult to chew. I miss those old days. (212-180, 1991/01/06)

14. Living in the country, you can have a lot of fun and many wonderful experiences. That is where I learned everything I needed and collected all the necessary information to prepare myself to build the monumental house of God's Will for the future. The many experiences I had doing things in nature were how I taught myself to be an expert in whatever I did. When I go to a rural area I can become a farmer, and when I go to the sea I can become a fisherman.

When I went out net fishing, I left home early in the morning and invested myself with the conviction that I would set a record. I went out with the cry of the rooster at the crack of dawn and did not return home from my labors until the stars came out.

All my life, my motto has always been to do my very best to set a new world record. That is why wherever I go, whatever I do, I think that I will never be defeated by anyone. And actually, I am never defeated. I also keep this standard when it comes to making conditions of devotion. (050-303, 1971/11/08)

Training of heart

In his childhood, True Father shed many tears. He was an extremely deep-hearted and compassionate boy. When he was raising birds or fish at home, if one of them died he was drawn by compassion to shed tears for it, thinking of its mother who would grieve for her young. He defended his friends when they were bullied by stronger boys. Whenever he heard that someone was going hungry or starving, he would take rice from the rice jar at home and bring it to him or her, without letting his parents know.

When he happened upon a mother who had just given birth but had no food to eat, he brought her rice to make the soup that Korean women eat after having a baby.

When his friends' parents could not afford to buy them the new clothes that were customarily prepared for children on traditional holidays, he gave them his to clothes. These are some of the ways he expressed his deep heart for whoever was suffering hardship.

15. I became mature enough to feel compassion for others shortly after I turned seven, the age when I started going to the village school. I used to figure out when the pregnant women in the village were about to give birth by looking at the size of their bellies. One day, I found out that one of the women who was pregnant had no rice at home. So, one month before she had the baby I gave her rice and seaweed for the seaweed soup all mothers have after delivery. This is why the poor people of my village confided in me all of their secrets.

I felt responsible for caring for people who were having difficulties, whatever their situation. Every year in the autumn I would pick chestnuts for them. I would save some stock of corn at my house and bring it to their homes. It was the only way I could feel at peace. It is from this kind of background that I have a foundation even to think of feeding all the people of the world. (431-107, 2004/01/12)

16. When I was young, my family was quite well-off. When my poor friends came to school with cooked millet or barley in their lunch boxes, I traded my lunch box with them. I could not just eat my well-prepared food with rice while watching them eat such meager food. If my friend's mother or father was sick but had no money to see a doctor, I would go to my mother and father and tearfully ask them for money, explaining my friend's situation.

When I was about 11 years old, I told my father that I was going to sell rice to help someone out. But even before he approved, I helped myself to as much rice as I could and scooped it into a bag. I was in such a hurry that I did not even tie the mouth of the bag.

Then I carried it over my shoulder and walked some eight kilometers to the market to sell it. I should have tied up the bag with a string. But since I did not, I had to hold on tight to keep the rice from spilling. I walked as fast as I could, fearing that my father would come after me.

You have no idea how much my heart pounded and how hard I gasped for air. I cannot forget it to this day; I do not think I will forget it for the rest of my life. All those experiences enabled me to stand in the position to take the path for the Will. (058-082, 1972/06/06)

17. My nature is such that whenever I saw a shivering beggar passing by my house during the winter, I could not eat or sleep. So I would ask my mother and father to bring the beggar into our main room and feed him well before sending him off.

Don't you think that this is a basis to be loved by heaven?

Whenever I heard through the grapevine that someone in my neighborhood was starving, I could not fall asleep at night wondering how I could help him. I would scoop the ice out of my family's rice jar and give it to the hungry person without letting my parents know. (056-035, 1972/05/10)

18. I like rice cakes; so I used to ask my mother, “Please make some rice cakes.”

But she was always too busy farming, weaving, or making clothes in preparation for the marriage of her children. My mother indeed had no time to rest. But I kept asking her to make my rice cakes, and finally, she would make some simple ones, such as red bean rice cakes or steamed rice cakes. She made them in a large earthenware steamer. But they would not last even three days because I would share them. That is how I was.

Whenever I had some concern for my village, I could not fall asleep. I realize that heaven has been guiding me since childhood to have such a caring heart. That is why whenever I saw someone in my village who was poor, I wanted to help that person in any way I could. When there was a problem in the village, I did everything possible to resolve it. I believed that this was my job, not someone else's.

Without having this core nature within me, I could not be who I am today. It had to be my inborn nature.

There is a Korean maxim, “The water at the surface must be clear for the water at the bottom to be clear.”

The “top water” is the leader who sets the example. Human beings are spiritual. So, when we have the quality of pure water, others will want to come and live together with us. They will lean on us for support. (056-035, 1972/05/10)

19. When I was young, we had a bee farm with hundreds of hives full of bees. When you do bee farming, you have to set up honeycomb frames; then the bees make their homes there and when they make their honey they save it there. Honeycomb frames were expensive. Normally, the frames with their empty honeycombs were stacked and stored in a cabinet, but I found them and mashed the waxed honeycombs together to make candles.

Many people in the country had no light at night because they could not afford to buy kerosene. So I gave them the candles that I made, thinking that since I could not give them kerosene, at least I should give them candles. I had to do it because otherwise, I felt so uneasy; I could not bear doing anything for them. That is why I mashed all the honeycombs together to make candles and distributed them to each house. At that time I was just a child, so I had no idea how expensive they were!

After finding out what I did, my father scolded me severely. Yet, I never admitted that I had done anything wrong; how can it be wrong to help those in need? So after scolding me for some time, my father just gave up and stopped.
(163-159, 1987/05/01)

20. A disabled couple lived in my village. The husband was blind, and his wife was crippled. Even so, this couple was regarded in the village as an exemplary couple. Though the wife limped while leaning on her cane, she always guided her husband everywhere he needed to go. Her mouth was crooked, and she had all sorts of physical problems, but her husband loved her very much, more than he would love a beauty queen. They had no place to live, so when the winter came they would stay in my family's mill.

They had only a straw mat, so I would bring them my pad and my quilt. For that reason, they liked me very much. One day, I heard they had passed away. I was so sad; I remember crying over their deaths. (420-211, 2003/10/11)

21. Like you, I too had a lively youth overflowing with hope. But even before I knew the Will, I wanted to become a friend to those in pain and suffering. I was greatly interested in people who were not doing well. I did not try to become close to the children of well-to-do and influential families. Most people did that, but I did the opposite. If I knew there was a poor person in the village who had nothing to eat, I could not sleep. I had to do everything I could to solve the situation. In this way, I wanted to follow a path to become friends, even close friends, with everyone. (117-018, 1982/01/30)

Gifts of the Spirit

From childhood, True Father's, personality was such that whenever he took a path, he would follow it to the end. His tenacious spirit helped him to succeed in whatever he did. Once he decided that something was the right thing to do, he acted on it immediately.

Thus, during his childhood, childhood he cultivated the abilities and character traits he would need to fulfill God's providence of salvation as the True Parent. Furthermore, even as a child,, he surprised people around him with his predictions regarding people's illnesses or problems that would occur in the future. This was one special ability he had.

22. My mother, my father, and everyone in the village counted on me. I was known as the fearfully sharp and smart one in the Moon clan. I could do anything. Wrestling, boxing, boxing, or any other sport I excelled at them all. I was always one of the top three students in my class in school. As soon as I determined to become the number one student and not just one of the top three, I achieved it. Why? I would study twice, even three times harder than the number one student. That is the kind of person I am.

That is why, when I probed into the fundamental issues of life and religion, I could root out what had been unknown and reveal it to the world. My personality is such that once I set my mind to do something, I forget to eat or sleep until I finish it.

That is the most necessary quality for the work of restoration through indemnity. (319-112, 2000/03/17)

23. As a child, once I started crying for some reason, I did not stop even after an hour; I cried about it all day long. Hence, I was given the nickname “All-day Crier.”

Not only that, when I cried I did not cry quietly; I cried at the top of my lungs so that the whole village heard me crying. I wanted every elder in the village to come and see what was going on. I cried so hard that I would wake people from their sleep.

I cried and cried as if something terrible had gone wrong. In the end, my throat would swell up, and I could not make any more sounds. Furthermore, when I cried I did not just sit still. I jumped up and down and bumped into things so that I would cut myself here and there and be covered with blood. This should be enough for you to understand my personality. Reflecting on this, God is truly wise. He made me such that once I start something, I never let go of it. (050-297, 1971/11/08)

24. I was a strong and healthy youth with an active and passionate personality. The scope of my activities was three times greater than that of ordinary people. When it snowed I did not sleep, but instead, I went out at night hunting for weasels. Following their tracks in the snow I would walk and walk, even forgetting that I was getting hungry. I gave my mother such a hard time.

I was an unusual boy with indomitable tenacity. When I was in my teens I already had my father and mother on a string. With one wrong move, my father and mother would find themselves trapped; then they had no choice but to surrender to me. I am doing what I am doing today only because I was capable of such things from an early age. My parents sometimes scolded me, but I would never give in, no matter what. All they asked of me was to admit that I did wrong, but I refused. Since I truly believed I had done nothing wrong, why would I admit to it? (136-132, 1985/12/22)

25. No one in the world can match the tenacity of my character. In my childhood, I fought a boy who was stronger than me, and he beat me. From that moment on for three to four months, I could not sleep in peace until I finally bested him. That is how tenacious I am. People could say I am a person who is to be greatly feared because I despise losing.

I never let anything defeat me. When I do something, I strive for victory; the thought of defeat never crosses my mind. I already know that win or lose, once I start something I will keep striving until I achieve victory; otherwise, I will die. That is the kind of personality I have.
(056-284, 1972/05/18)

26. I have a very quick-tempered personality. I cannot ignore even a single swear word directed at me. If someone hits me even once I cannot stand idle. I also detest losing to anyone. I have all these extreme aspects in my character. However, because of such traits, I excel at many things. I am determined to win in any sport I play.

My brain is not bad, either. Imagine then, how I, with this kind of personality, had to endure and swallow things that were simply unbearable. Many times, even hundreds of times, I had to accept situations that could not have been more humiliating. But I overcame them all. It is because God took a similar path. God must also have this same kind of fiery character; and, beyond that, He is capable of wiping out the whole world. But this world remains because God holds back His anger and endures all manner of difficulties. (065-328, 1973/03/04)

27. When I was young, I never lost a wrestling match against anyone else in my age group. However, I once lost a wrestling match to a boy in my village three years older than me. So I looked for a way to beat him. Spring arrived. Anyone who has lived in a rural area knows that in springtime when acacia trees have absorbed plenty of moisture, their bark can be peeled off like white pine bark.

So I went to an acacia tree bent its trunk back and forth until its bark started peeling, and stripped it off down. Its bark is tough. Then, I continually wrestled with that bare acacia tree trunk. I wrestled it while telling myself, “I'll never rest until I beat you!” Six months after he beat me, I finally beat that boy; I sat on top of him on the ground. I focused on nothing else, forgetting to eat or sleep, until I could achieve that. (139-052, 1986/01/26)

28. Ever since I was eight years old, I was able to match people by looking at their pictures. I matched many couples from all over the village, including my own older sister and some of my more distant relatives. Furthermore, I could see the future. When I said, “It is going to rain,” it would rain without fail. When I said that a certain person in this town would die within a week, it in fact would happen. There were many instances like that.

So people came to me with a picture of a person whom they were considering for marriage. They would ask me, “Look at this picture. Do you think this person is a good match or a bad one?” I would answer at one glance.

If I said “Bad” but they proceeded, it turned out to be bad. If I said “Good,” it turned out to be a good marriage. I was that accurate, even though I did not look at the picture for very long. This is the kind of record I have. (113-236, 1981/05/08)

29. In my village I was known as the tiny-eyed boy from that Osan house. Everyone knew me by that nickname because my eyes were so small. I was told that after my mother gave birth to me, she examined my face for a long time, thinking I might be missing my eyes. Only when I blinked did she finally feel relieved.

I needed such eyes. It is because I was born with eyes that can see objects in the far distance that I came to a complete understanding of not only this world but even the heart and situation of God. The whole world will follow me once they discover the true value of this. If they lined up across the world, the line of people who would want to come and see me would extend across the Korean Strait, all the way to the middle of the Pacific Ocean. (204-089, 1990/07/01)

30. I also had an eye for cows. I was able to tell at a glance whether a cow was worth buying.

Whenever I said, “That cow is not a good cow to buy,” my father did not buy it. Good cows have a handsome neckline, forelegs hind legs, and a good waistline.

A good cow must meet these four conditions. In my boyhood, when I went to the cattle market with my father, I inspected the cows for him.

When I told my father things about cows that he was not so knowledgeable about, he asked me, “How do you know all that?” I was born with this knowledge. That is why today I can do things that no one else in this world is capable of doing. (120-138, 1982/10/05)

31. I have always been a good judge of character. When I looked at someone on the street and got the feeling, “He must be such-and-such a person,” I would follow him around to see if my intuition was correct. I would ask him, “You did so-and-so, right?”

It was not something that the spirit world taught me; I just felt it in my heart. So I confronted him, “You did so-and-so, right?” He would be surprised and say,

“How did you know?” My reading of that person was accurate. Even sitting in my room, I could immediately tell who was in the next room, whether that person was doing something good or bad, and whether he was living as a good person or a bad person. (040-298, 1971/02/07)

God's Call Family indemnity

Before True Father was called by God, his family, and relatives had to pay severe indemnity.

Until he reached the age of 16, his family was assaulted by all kinds of trials and tribulations.

For the sake of providence, providence sacrifices were their inevitable lot. They made the final sacrificial condition to clear away Satan's accusation that some children died to secure the complete foundational point for the victor providence side. For three generations some children this away from home, their whereabouts unknown. Notably, out, of 12 siblings, the five brothers and sisters for whom he cared the most died at very young ages. In this way heaven completely severed him from relationships that he could depend on, and from the people he most loved.

This was so he would no longer be attached to worldly things. After his call as well, True Father had to live every day of his life without any relationships with people of whom to could find shelter, or to whom he would pay special attention. This is how he lived, wherever he was in the world.

1. The Unification Church is walking the path of the Will. To inherit this Will, all members must go through a course of indemnification. I began this course when I was 16 years old. By that time, five of my parents' 13 children had died and only eight remained alive. Not only did people die, but also many livestock dogs, cows, and horses. Evil spirits stirred themselves. You may not be familiar with such things. Truly, many strange phenomena occurred that were difficult to understand. They were undoubtedly the cunning schemes of the devil to destroy my family. However, I am telling you they happened.

Before I rise triumphantly representing all nations of the world, I need to set up a condition that Satan cannot accuse. In the course of my battle against Satan, he attacked my family. That was the price we had to pay. Likewise, I also need to present a condition upon which I can stand proudly before history, by claiming the right of victory over Satan as the representative of all peoples and nations of the world. The same condition applies to Unification Church members; the same condition is required to found a unified nation. (214-215, 1991/02/02)

2. Spiritual phenomena do not happen only in the invisible world. They manifest in various forms and ways in the visible world as well. Satan plotted and mobilized every means to bring my family to ruin.

One thing he did was drive my older brother and older sister insane, and this caused much havoc. When I was young, I witnessed such spiritual phenomena and problems that arose from the spirit world acting behind the scenes. One day, I noticed that my older brother, whom I thought had gone mad, was talking. He seemed to be murmuring to himself, but when I listened to him carefully, I recognized that the substance of his words was formidable. Furthermore, the way he spoke changed depending on the situation. Several spirits would come and speak with him all day long. I could see immediately that this was happening.
(227-116, 1992/02/11)

3. All of my friends who were closest and dearest to me, the ones who most deserved heaven's blessing, were taken away. Anyone whom I could trust and count on was completely cut off from my life. Some of them were from North Pyeongan Province and some were from Hwanghae Province. They were my best friends, but they were all taken away. Then my younger sister, the closest in age to me and whom I adored the most, was taken away.

My parents had many daughters, while my aunt's family did not have any. At the sincere request of my aunt, my sister was sent to my aunt's home and lived there. So I always prayed a lot for her. She obeyed me, her immediate older brother. I thought I would do anything to make her happy, but even that desire was cruelly crushed.

Not only my little sister but also my beloved little brother were taken away. We can learn from this that there is no mercy in the course of indemnity. Still, I had to go through this course. (029-210, 1970/02)

4. My closest friends were all taken by the spirit world. Come to think of it now, the reason the spirit world took all of them away was to prevent me from sharing my situation with them and developing personal relationships with them. Had I done so, it would have hindered my carrying out the Will of God.

Thus, God took away all the people whom I cared about in the world. Knowing this very well, I could not take any other path. I am not doing what I am doing because I am a fool. Wouldn't I have thought about this over and over?
(022-124, 1969/02/02)

God's call through Jesus

Around the time True Father joined the Presbyterian Church, and while he was receiving a modern education, his thinking grew wider and deeper. He began asking serious questions about the present and future realities. Even as he faced many incomprehensible calamities in his family and clan, he witnessed the innumerable tragedies of his people under Jap many by and personally experienced Korea's pain and sorrow as a weak nation. At the same time, Father struggled to find the solution to the fundamental questions of human life.

Father turned 16 (by Korean counting) shortly after he transferred to Jeongju Primary School.

Then, during Easter week, on April 17, 1935, while he was tearfully praying in the mountains at dawn, he met Jesus, who shared with him many profound and wonderful truths. The two of them had more discussions over the following days.

After True Father accepted his call from God, he continued studying in his hometown, in Seoul, and abroad in Tokyo. During that time, he went through a period of preparation to deepen his faith and cultivate his sense of mission for his future role as a providential figure.

5. My encounter with Jesus in the year I turned 16 was a profound spiritual experience. It was the first of many revelations. After that special encounter, I have continued conversing with the living God and with Jesus even until today. I also had conversations with the saints and sages in the spirit world. I cannot describe in words all the things we shared. God chose me by His providential timetable. (087-285, 1976)

6. I was 16 years old when I had my first experience of actually knowing God. Before then, I was merely in the position of a humble seeker of truth. Ever since I entered boyhood I have been contemplating the fundamental questions of human life: Who am I? Where did I come from? What is the purpose of life?

Will our life continue after we die? Does God exist? Is God omnipotent or is He powerless? If God is truly omnipotent, why does He not solve the problems of humanity? Why is there so much suffering on this earth?

For nine years following that first experience, I lived together with the omnipotent God and with Jesus. I visited the spirit world on numerous occasions. Little by little, God revealed amazing truths to me. It felt as if the morning sun was rising after a long night of darkness. In that truth, I could see the dawning light of a new, glorious culture.

These special revelations, based on the New Testament, are higher than any previous religious teachings. I felt that they had the power and ability to embrace all religions and unite them. The revelations that I received are the core of what is now called the Principle. God has commanded me to spread this Principle to the ends of the earth. (102-288, 1979/01)

7. I cannot describe the seriousness of the position in which I stood when I was 16 years old. It was the most difficult time for God, for Jesus, and for the churches that God had specially prepared for the Second Coming.

Korea was under the rule of Japan, and those churches were driven into a corner with nowhere to run. At that moment God, heaven, and earth, the five founders of the world's great religion, and the religious sphere all gathered around one point: the position of the Lord at the Second Advent. They

called me to take responsibility for that position, and I accepted the call. Once I accepted that position, my family, and my country of Korea were also placed in a serious position. Hence, I could not sleep at night. I tried to eat, but I could not swallow. I could see everything. Heaven and earth were about to collapse, and the responsibility to save them was on my shoulders. Imagine how serious I had to be! (554-257, 2007/02/04)

8. The new revelations that I received explained God's Will. That Will is aimed at bringing salvation to this world. The Unification Church is not just another denomination. The Unification Church is leading the movement for the salvation of the world.

Those who join this movement study God's Word, by which they clearly understand the concept of a God-centered individual, a God-centered family, a God-centered nation, and a God-centered world. (087-285, 1976)

9. Adam and Eve fell when they were 16 years old. God was only able to raise them until the age of 16, relating with them by a bond based on their inner heart and original nature. In my case, God chose me at the age of 16 years and specially raised me so that I would be able to begin uniting the spiritual world and the physical world that had been separated as a result of the Fall.

Ever since the age of 16, I have grown up connecting to God's original heart. That is why Satan and his world must follow me. Satan, who has been ruling human beings from the positions of older son, father, and grandfather, also governs from the position of the nation, which rules over the realm of religion. Such is Satan's sovereignty. In human history to this day there has never been a time when this order could be reversed. Nations have always been in the front, leading religions. In other words, nations have been dragging religions around.

However, I am now reversing this order. I have been engrafted to the work of God ever since I was 16

years old, when I began to discover the secrets of heaven, of Satan, and of human history. (493-229, 2005/04/25)

10. Time after time I came up against dark obstacles. Whenever that happened, I remembered God's voice when He told me, “I am alive.” You would not know that His voice remains in the marrow of my bones to this day.

I have not forgotten God's sorrowful situation, which He shared with me when He called me. I cannot forget God's plea to me, “You need to focus only on your relationship with Me; you must not forsake Me.” Occasionally, I feel sorry for my situation, but then I remember that God's situation is more sorrowful than mine.

So, although you should feel indignation over history, you must experience even more the aching heart of our Father, who has been enduring unbearable sorrow.

Don't you think you need to do that? You must, and then you can become His filial sons and daughters. Afterward, you should stand up and boldly proclaim, “Father, because I understood Your heart, I have become a better son or daughter than any filial son or daughter in the world.”

I have fought for this, and I will continue doing so. I urge you to do the same.

Then, from now on, it will not matter if this or that religious body opposes the Unification Church and makes false accusations against me. No matter how much they try to suppress me and the church with all their power and authority, they will not be able to destroy the foundation we have established. (028-296, 1970/02/11)

School Days

Primary schools

From the age of seven to 13 True Father studied at the village school. There he learned Chinese characters and read the Confucian Classics. His memory was excellent, and his calligraphy was so superb that his teacher used the characters he wrote as models for other students to copy. At that time, his dream was to acquire at least three doctoral degrees, and for this, , he knew he needed a broader education. So he enrolled in the Won-bong Preparatory School to prepare for the entrance examination for a primary school with a modern curriculum.

In 1934, he entered the third grade at Osan Primary School. In April 1935, he transferred to the 4th grade at Jeongju Public Primary School, mainly to study Japanese.

On March 25, 1938, at the graduation ceremony for the school's 29th class, he volunteered to speak at the podium. Although the ceremony was nearing its end, he gave a long speech to express his views in front of all the people who were gathered there. One by one he pointed out the wrongs of Japanese colonial educational policy and its hypocrisy. He also pointed out the problems of, the teacher. Because of this incident, the Japanese police added his name to their list as a person to be watched.

1. I am also talented at drawing; I am good at it. In the village school that taught Chinese characters, classics, and calligraphy, there were people of many age groups from nine and ten-year-olds to grown-ups in their twenties and thirties. To strengthen our writing skills, we practiced writing Chinese characters every day. The teacher used the characters I wrote as models for other students to follow and copy. This was before I was even 12. The other students would practice by copying my characters over and over, hundreds of times.

When they had done it so many times that it became a habit, I could tell that they had reached a new level.

I could see by glancing at the character in which direction to move my calligraphy brush where to place the top of the first stroke and where to end the last stroke. It did not matter how lengthy the phrase was; I could write it with ease. My skill was at a different level than that of others.

After studying at the village school, I joined a small private school that specialized in teaching art. Therefore, for the first time in my life, I learned how to draw and paint pictures. The adults drew pictures on a special drawing paper. As I stood in front of that paper, I contemplated what flowers I was going to draw.

Looking at the size of the paper, I calculated their sizes and locations in my mind. With this plan in mind, I made a rough sketch of the flowers, the images forming from the simple lines I drew. Next, I completed the coloring, and there it was my first picture. They hung that picture on the wall at the school.
(349-056, 2001/07/14)

2. The village school where I went when I was young required us to finish one page a day from the book that we were studying. But it did not take me even 30 minutes to do it. Once I focused, I memorized its entire content within 30 minutes. Then I would recite it from memory in front of my teacher. So having finished the day's lesson, I would go up to the mountain while the teacher was taking his afternoon nap.

Since teaching was so difficult at his age, he often took afternoon naps. On the mount, ain I would study where the frogs were, where the bird nests were, where the coyotes were, where the mushrooms were growing, and so on. I would explore everywhere. No wonder my mother was never able to find me.
(204-249, 1990/07/11)

3. After I reached the age of ten, I was sent to a school called a geulbang, meaning “a room for learning Chinese characters,” that was in my village. This was because any member of the Moon clan who studied in a distant location ended up dying far from home. Even from a providential perspective, we understand that for the sake of God's will, second sons face great difficulties in their lives.

Thus, it was a notion circulated in the Moon clan that any second son who was sent to school away from home would die away from home. That is why I was not allowed to travel and go to a public school but instead had to attend a local village school.

My whole life has been about pioneering and transformation, and this is where it began. While I was attending the village school, God called me and I came to know His Will. As I began to think about the path I was destined to walk, I realized that I should not be cooped up inside a village school.

I clearly understood that I was living in an age when a new scientific civilization was expanding. Airplanes were flying in the sky, trains were traveling overland, and I was supposed to prepare myself to lead humanity into a new future.

I thought to myself, “I cannot just stay here in a village school.” That was the point where a transformation began in my life. So I went to a preparatory school and then entered primary school. Back then, that school was called the Osan Primary School. I took the transfer test and entered the third grade. I studied there for one year. During that time, I concentrated on studying hard. (211-133, 1990/12/30)

4. The Osan Primary School did not allow students to speak Japanese. As you may have heard, it was the school founded by Lee Seung-hoon, a prominent figure in Korean society who fought hard against the Japanese and whom they regarded as their enemy.

He was also one of the 33 people who led the Mansei Demonstrations for Korean independence. Due to that background, the tradition of the Osan School was that students were not allowed to speak Japanese.

However, I believe that we must know our enemies. I thought that we could third devise a proper strategy to defeat our enemies if we did not know about them in detail. That is why I took another test and transferred to the Jeongju Primary School as a 4th grader. By the time I graduated, I had learned to speak fluent Japanese. All along the way, I was deeply contemplating the difficult issues in my life of faith and other fundamental questions about life. (211-133, 1990/12/30)

5. After I transferred to the Jeongju Primary School, I learned Japanese. It feels as if it were yesterday that I studied katakana and hiragana, the Japanese syllabaries. I memorized all of them in just one night.

I had to because in that school the 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-graders all conversed in Japanese. Even though I was a lot taller than most of the students, having entered the school at an older age, I was unable to speak even a single word of Japanese.

I felt ashamed, as if I were just a spectator in their midst, watching them having fun, dancing, and singing, but not knowing what to do to be part of their group. You cannot understand how embarrassed and uncomfortable I was unless you have experienced it yourself.

So in 15 days, I memorized all the books that the students in first, second, light, rd, and fourth grades were studying. Then my ears were opened, and I could at least comprehend what they were talking about.
(171-258, 1988/01/02)

6. I was born with a pretty good brain. I am sure that I could have become a renowned scholar in any field I chose to pursue. But I began to question seriously: What good is it to study hard and become a world-renowned scholar?

If I become a famous scholar, my life will inevitably take a predictable course: I will study and teach my students in front of a blackboard, breathing in chalk dust and holding a stub of chalk in my hand until my bones creak from old age and I eventually die.

Living that sort of life, will I resolve the ultimate problems of the world?

Not. I asked myself, “What is the most difficult path a human being can choose?” I wanted to walk the most difficult path possible, or the one that everyone thinks is the hardest. I thought of accomplishing something that no one in history past, present, or future has been able to accomplish. (090-044, 1976/12)

7. When I studied, I studied like lightning. In no time, I finished materials that would take years for an ordinary person. My hometown is a small farming village located eight kilometers northeast of Jeongju. It seems like just yesterday that I was studying there, at night under a kerosene lamp. When I stayed up at night studying until 2:00 or 3:00 a.m., my mother and father would tell me, “Go to bed, or you will lose your strength!” This happens all the time at home. I made friends with the insects that came out at night.

Especially in summer, I made many such friends as I sat still and studied until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning.

Nighttime in the countryside is very tranquil. The sounds of the insects on such moonlit nights are simply mesmerizing. (100-160, 1978/10/09)

Study in Seoul

After graduating from Jeongju Public Primary School, True Father went to Seoul. From April 12, 1938, to March 8, 1941,doingthe he attended the Gyeongseong School of Commerce and Industry, located in Heukseok-dong. He made sure he was always the first to arrive at school in the morning, and he often took responsibility for doing his classroom by himself. Because he was so exemplary, his classmates could not treat him lightly but afforded him respect. He protected the weak and did not hesitate to confront arrogant and strong bullies to, teach them right from wrong.

Although he had an active personality, Father rarely spoke, being serious and sincere. Just used to use the way to heaven and cultivate his character, he was silent much of the time. His report card records that he was “cheerful, active, sincere and serious, strong, healthy-minded, volunteers to do things, and hard-working.” It further states, “He is physically fit and strong, has a good attendance record, and likes soccer.”

8. Those who are humble are elevated. In school, some students just use their fists to bully others without knowing where they stand or what their situations are.

However, there are also humble students who, even though they are superior in every way, are not arrogant. When you look at such people you feel small, without knowing why.

They have an air of authority and dignity, and although you feel you want to approach them, you sense a certain awe for no reason. You may have known people like that among your friends. I hardly spoke during my student years. I never engaged in idle conversations with other students.

There were days I did not utter even one word. This is why my classmates treated me with respect. To them, I was more difficult to approach than the teachers. I do not mean I threatened them or used violence of any kind. Yet, they did not relate to me casually. Furthermore, whenever they had personal problems they came to me and discussed them with me. (037-130, 1970/12/23)

9. My school friends regarded me with a certain awe. Whenever my classmates got together they would do all sorts of things to have fun among themselves, but they could not do it with me. I never engaged in their idle games, yet many times I discreetly helped classmates who were in difficult situations. I was athletic. I was good at wrestling and soccer. I was also good at pull-ups.

My body was big but I was very agile. When I moved to Heukseok-dong, within a week I met all the neighborhood gang leaders and found out who was the boss. But my thinking was that I should be the one to teach them what it means to be a real boss. (2010/01/28)

10. When I was going to middle school, I used to clean the school by myself. I wanted to be number one in loving my school, and with the heart to represent all the students I cleaned the school. When I began cleaning my friends helped me, but I did not like their help; I wanted to do it alone. I wanted to make the school clean, so I often ended up cleaning again the places my friends had already cleaned. After this happened a few times, my friends entrusted me with the entire task. So I naturally ended up doing it alone. (133-182, 1984/07/10)

11. Once I start doing something, I never just let it go. I was like that even when I was young. I never believed anything until I verified it myself, whether in the village or at the school. When a teacher taught me a mathematical formula, I pressured him by asking, “Why is the formula like this?” I investigated it, examined it, and dug into it again and again. Doing something only approximately is not my way. Doing things by half measures never works. (162-277, 1987/04/17)

12. During my student days I had a way of knowing ahead of time the questions that would be asked on the examination. When the teacher lectured, I paid attention to how serious he or she was in making the points. I identified the teacher's favorite student by the way he or she looked the student straight in the eye as he sat in the corner of the classroom.

I paid attention to which student the teacher was looking at, and then marked the topics with codes, “A, B, C,” etc., according to how much the teacher emphasized the topic and how intently he looked at the good student while speaking of it.

As long as I studied the contents that I had marked with the codes, I never failed the examination. I would correctly anticipate about 30 to 40 percent of the questions on the test, and I would study for them more than the other materials. I could do that because I was very attentive to the teachers in my classes. (2009/11/17)

Lifestyle and prayer

During the almost three years that he attended school in Seoul, True Father engaged in rigorous self-discipline. He lived independently and also at a boarding house where meals were provided.

To cultivate his life of faith he engaged in near-constant, penance and various other activities, all the while keeping up his studies at school. In the beginning and for some time he commuted to his school from Noryangjin, in the Dongjak district. Mostly he lived in Heukseok-dong, first living independently and then for a time at a boarding house.

His family sent him sufficient money for his tuition and living expenses, but he slept in a cold, unheated room. In the bitter cold of winter, he cooked his food with icy cold water that he drew from a well. It was so cold that sometimes the chain on the bucket in the well stuck to his hands. He voluntarily lived this way because he wanted to personally experience Heaventhose who lived in hardship.

From that time on, Father fasted during lunch every day. Morning and evening his food was always the same, a meal consisting of one bowl of rice and a side dish. He willingly went hungry because that way he could feel closer to God's heart. Furthermore, he prayed more than 12 hours a day.

His long and fervent prayers gave him calluses on his knees and elbows. Most notably he had serious, desperate showdown prayers in the pine forest near his school, at a rock on the side of Mt. Seodal behind a church, or beneath that mountain on the Dongjak district side. Through these prayers, he experienced God's heart and made oneness with Him his to heart.

13. When I was living alone and studying at school in Seoul, one winter was particularly cold. The average temperature was around minus 17 to minus 21 degrees Celsius (about 0 to minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit (ca. -15 °C)).

The weather was that cold. During December and January of that cold winter, I lived in a cold room and I cooked for myself with icy cold water. I had an experience that I cannot forget: I used to draw pure and tasty water from a well on a mountain ridge.

That well was more than ten feet deep; it had a bucket attached to a chain, not to a rope that could be easily cut. It was so cold that when I grasped the chain my hands stuck to it, and I had to blow my hands to warm them enough to get them free. That feels like yesterday. Those were my circumstances when I began living independently of my family. (139-050, 1986/01/26)

14. I wanted to do everything necessary to live by myself without having to depend on women. Since I had made the fulfillment of the Will my lifetime quest, I was determined to do it even if I had to live as a single man. Therefore, I learned how to take care of myself. That is why I can do everything myself. I can handle whatever I need for my life without being indebted to others.

That is why I can cook rice well on a wood or charcoal fire. When it comes to cooking, I can quickly tell if people are amateurs by observing their cutting skills. I can also tell if they are good at cooking by observing the way they prepare side dishes. That is because, during the more than seven years that I lived a single life, I prepared my food and everything else I needed.

I do not need to eat many side dishes. Whenever I visit local churches, they make elaborate preparations and serve many side dishes on the table. However, I do not like that. To me, a single side dish is enough if it is something I like. By nature, I am the kind of person who likes to finish whatever I start.

It is the same when it comes to food. Although there may be many dishes on the table, usually I pick one that suits my taste and finish it, although I also taste the others. (050-296, 1971/11/08)

15. In the future, anyone who wants to know the history of the Unification Church will have to visit Heukseok-dong, the place where I lived as a young man. One day Heukseok-dong, which means Blackstone neighborhood, will be transformed into Baekseok-dong, White stone neighborhood. This pitch-dark valley where I lived long ago must become the base of a tradition that shines like sunlight to all the people of the world. Nodeul Riverside Park used to be there too, but I cannot find any traces of it now.

Although today I cannot meet the people whom I knew when I lived in Heukseok-dong, they must have produced many descendants who still live there. I would be so overwhelmed to meet those people, whose parents or grandparents knew me in those days!

I imagine what it would be like if that happened; we could resurrect the history of that time. We would talk about that history and recall those past relationships, and they would blossom anew in this era. (187-255, 1989/02/11)

16. When I was living in Heukseok-dong I had an experience that I still cannot forget. On the road to Sangdo-dong, there was a Japanese-style house with flowers growing next to a forest of pine trees. Behind that house was a rice field, and beyond that, there was a village. In that village was a home that I used to visit when I was doing pioneer evangelizing.

One day, I saw a sick stranger lying on that road. I had never met him before. It must have been around the end of March since the new semester had just started, and I was carrying with me the money for my

school tuition and other expenses. This pitiful man had no son, but he said he had a daughter living in Cheonan. So I gave him all my money so that he could travel to her place and get medical treatment. He must have had good ancestors because the moment I saw him I could not just continue on my way and turn my back on him.

That is why I gave him all the money in my wallet, including the money for my textbooks and the rent money for my boarding house. Moreover, I carried him on my back for about three kilometers. I still vividly remember this; it is as if it happened the day before yesterday.

When heaven leads you to meet someone, you should love that person more than heaven expects you to.

Then you will never suffer damage. For example, if Heaven asks you to give 10, but instead you give 100

instead, 90 will be considered your offering for the public purpose before heaven. On the other hand, you should never give 5 when heaven hopes you will give 10. When heaven hopes you will give 10, you should give more than 10. If you give less than heaven hoped you would, God's grace will be blocked from reaching your path. This is a law. It is a formula of the Principle. (056-039, 1972/05/10)

17. In those days, I was hungry every day. It was not from lack of money. Early in April, my parents would send me money for my tuition, but by May it was gone. I would give it all to poor people. I have many stories about this. How, then, did I cover my tuition? I delivered newspapers, sold things, and did various odd jobs. I needed to take the path of indemnity.

When I first moved to Seoul from my hometown in Pyeongan Province, I was not used to the language and customs there. I missed my hometown very much, particularly during my first school vacation.

You cannot imagine how much my mother loved me. But after I came to know God's Will, I had to separate from her. I also had to distance myself from my sisters who loved me dearly.

I had to take the opposite way from what my mother and father expected me to do, from their standpoint. That is why on the first day of the vacation, when my neighborhood and school were hustling and bustling with students preparing to return to their hometowns, I closed the door and locked myself in my room. I spent the first day of my vacation thinking, “I have many things to do before my friends come back.” (187-250, 1989/02/11)

18. All people desire to have mastery over the universe, but they cannot even master themselves. That is why I declare, “Before you desire to rule over the universe, you must first rule over yourself.” Self-control begins with the desire for food. You can master the desire to eat by fasting. A one-week fast should be no problem.

You must go through training that would bring an ordinary person to the brink of death. You must overcome hunger. When I was living independently as a student, Korea was under Japanese occupation, and rice was scarce.

My friends fought over who would take the largest portion of rice from the pot, but not me. The person who puts down his spoon first is the master of those who put it down later.

That is a rule and a principle. My life is renewed every day. Tomorrow must be better than today. I believe heaven wants something new from me, and that is what I put into practice. Because I did this, I could reach the worldwide level, something no one has ever been able to do. (249-204, 1993/10/10)

19. During the years I was growing up in Seoul, I did not eat lunch. I thought, “As long as we don't have an independent nation, how can I be worthy to eat three meals a day?” I missed meals many times in my life, but I missed my people more than food. This is the path I chose. I continually resolved, “I will love my people and my country more than food.”

So after I left my hometown and moved to Seoul I did not eat lunch. Such was the life I led. It was not because I could not afford to buy lunch. It was because whenever I had money I gave it to the poor.
(049-074, 1971/10/03)

20. I do not sleep more than four hours a day. I trained myself until it became my habit. When I am busy, I can go with only one hour of sleep daily. I think I am the person who has slept the fewest hours of anyone in history. I lived my whole life that way. Furthermore, no one has been hungrier than I. I had food to eat, but I could hear the cries of hungry people wishing to be fed.

That is why I could not eat three meals a day. Until I was 30 years old I practiced the discipline of having only two meals a day, skipping lunch. I spent my youth eating less than two bowls a day, even though I was healthy and big enough to digest five bowls a day. I trained myself to love people more than I loved food, and I strove to make my life a tower of loving God and loving my nation. (197-163, 1990/01/13)

21. Wherever I was, I always prayed in tears. People who happened to see me in tears felt sympathy for me without knowing why. Wherever I went, many people treated me as well as you do. For example, my landlady would bring me some of the food she had prepared for her husband or a holiday celebration, food she had prepared all through the night without sleeping. She could not go into her room otherwise.

She told me that whenever she went into her room without first bringing me food, suddenly everything turned to darkness and she could not see anything. She didn't understand why that happened.

When women prepared food with sincerity, God wanted them to give it to me and moved their hearts to do so. Many such spiritual events took place. That is why I can never forget God's love for me, not even for one moment. I can never forget God's love, even if my body is crushed to pieces and my bones are turned into powder thousands upon thousands of times. Throughout my life, God was with me wherever I was, and He toiled so hard for me. (022-122, 1969/02/02)

22. When you pray, you need to pray to the extent that your back becomes bent and the skin of your knees becomes callused. My knees are still callused from my prayers in the olden days. You should pray on a wooden floor. And you should shed tears when you pray. I experienced several occasions when I prayed so tearfully and for such a long time that the floor became soaked with tears and still had not dried out by the next prayer time. I am not a man who will just drift away. (025-334, 1969/10/12)

23. The path of restoration is never easy. Do you think I could ever feel at ease if I ate and slept as you do? The Principle itself is so serious. My knees are callused from countless prayers. I do not know how many tears I shed. I knew people were dying every day with the fundamental problems of their lives unresolved. Therefore, my eyes were always swollen and red with tears as I tried to find solutions for them. Occasionally, I shed so many tears in prayer that when I opened my eyes I could not see the sunlight.

Yet, this was how I had to seek the path. (143-331, 1986/03/21)

24. You should pray every day. Even your prayer life should be a tithe. That means you should pray two hours and 24 minutes every day – one-tenth of each day. When my prayer life was at its peak, I prayed 17

to 18 hours per day. I usually prayed for 12 hours straight, bending down on my hands and knees. I never ate lunch. In my prayers, I wept bitterly. Without such prayers, I could not live. Every direction was blocked, and there was no hole through which to escape. Only when I prayed could I see a pinhole of the.

Passing through these ordeals I discovered the Principle. Did you ever weep while holding the Divine Principle book? Have you ever been that serious? Your lifetime is precious.

Once your life is gone, it will never return. Usually, people marry and give birth to children; then they end up finishing their lives while struggling with all kinds of burdens. It is a serious problem. If this pattern continues, we can never bring about the world of goodness. (199-190, 1990/02/16)

The Myeongsudae church

During the time True Father was living in Heukseok-dong, Seoul, he stood against the self-righteous churches that were administered under the system of Japanese rule. He opposed their way of doctrine-based faith. I told him connected to the Pentecostal church that was leading the movement of the Holy Spirit in Korea.

After attending that church in Seobinggo, he played a pivotal role in founding the Myeongsudae New Jesus Church in Heukseok-dong in the autumn of 1939.

Rev. Lee Ho-bin and Rev. Pak Jae-bong from the Pyongyang New Jesus Church frequently visited the New Jesus Church in Heukseok-dong and held revivals and Bible study classes. Whenever they visited, True Father attended them and deepened his relationship with them.

True Father taught the students at the Sunday school, giving them his special love.

Further, whenever he went to Pyongyang during summer vacation, he spoke to the Sunday school students at the Pyongyang New Jesus Church.

25. While attending school, I taught the students who went to the Myeongsudae Church in Heukseok-dong; I also did the same at the Seobinggo Church. At that time, it was freezing, and at night as we crossed the frozen Han River we could hear the plates of ice cracking.

It was a frightening sound to hear when I was on the river all alone. Nevertheless, I would cross the Han Rivetoto to teach the Sunday School students of Seobinggo Church.

I taught them about the Bible with much animation so that it would be interesting. I even shed tears. I thought that the students might not like to see me crying and that they might ask me to stop teaching them. Yet, they did not want me to stop; instead, they followed me around and begged me to teach them more.
(187-307, 1989/02/12)

26. When I was a student, three of my friends and I started the Myeongsudae New Jesus Church in Heukseok-dong. I invested every penny of my tuition. There is still a trace of that church even now. I remember my evangelizing activities to bring many people to that church before a new church opened in Seobinggo.

At the peak of winter, the Han River was frozen over, and the cracking sound of its ice was loud and terrifying. I have many memories about what I did during that period of Korean history, so filled with bitter sorrows. (543-331, 2006/11/07)

27. I am someone who has offered bows even to minimal children. I have attended three-year-old children with utmost sincerity as if they were princes and princesses of heaven.

I speak to you now only after having made internally and externally a victorious foundation that will be attested to throughout history. Part of that foundation was to win the hearts of children. I had to win the hearts of people from three generations, representing the past, present, and future.

I had to establish that tradition. I taught the Sunday school students who came to the Myeongsudae New Jesus Church, loving them sincerely and regarding them as the hope of my life. Some of them wanted to skip school and follow me around; this is because my mission was to pioneer the work of loving Cain. (060-200, 1972/08/17)

28. The key leaders at the New Jesus Church in Pyongyang were Rev. Lee Ho-bin, Rev. Pak Jae-bong, and Rev. Han Jun-Myeong. That church had a large membership, including several thousand students. It

was a beautiful building and was well known. Whenever I came up to Pyongyang and visited that church, I was always welcome to take charge of teaching the students there. I was recognized as a good Sunday School teacher. I knew all the pastors and was popular among the students, so everyone wanted to invite me to their home. (441-271, 2004/03/06)

29. I am well aware of the secrets of Rev. Lee Ho-bin, Rev. Han Jun-Myeong, and Rev. Pak Jae-bong of the New Jesus Church in Pyongyang. When I admonished them about their calling and their responsibility for God's Will, they could not answer me. I advised them not to do certain things that they were involved with. Hence, they feared me more than anyone. I knew all the hidden truths of the Old and New Testaments even as a high school student.

In my visits to the church,h I became such a famous student leader that thousands of Sunday school students asked me to give sermons. They were mesmerized by my words. When I left, they made such a crowd at the railroad station that the pastors arrived and formed a line to protect me. Therefore, the three pastors always listened to my advice. (463-059, 2004/07/31)

Study in Japan

First days in Japan
To broaden and deepen himself in preparation for his mission, True Father went to study in Japan. On March 31, 1941, he departed from Seoul Station and took the Hikari line train to Busan. On April 1, he sailed to Japan on the Shokei Maru, a liner operating between the port of Busan and Shimonoseki. At the beginning of April, Father enrolled in the Waseda Technical High School, which was attached to Waseda University, and began his studies in electrical engineering.

1. From childhood, I held the thought, “If my country (Korea) were stronger than Japan, its fate would have been different.” This was its problem. I felt deeply that my country's weakness, especially the weakness of its external foundation, was the reason it could not avoid a miserable fate.

Studying the countries of the world, I learned that the most powerful country in the world at the time was the United States. As a child, I already knew that. I further thought, “The United States is a much larger and more powerful country than Japan, but it's just the same there.

Doesn't it also try to take advantage of weak nations for its benefit? Is there any righteous country anywhere that, as the representative nation of the world, protects and lifts weak countries? If there were such a country, what would it look like?”

As a child, I thought that what had been historically impossible for human beings would be possible for the Creator. I thought that if He truly existed, He could do it.

Therefore, I resolved, “If the Creator, the Absolute Being, exists, I will partner with Him to do the work of saving my country and liberating its oppressed people.” But first I needed an answer regarding the existence of God. For this, I searched within religions.

I thought that if God exists, then I must find a way to meet Him. As I was passing through my teens and approaching my twenties, I agonized over many issues on my journey of faith. I thought, “I have to go to Japan and then to the United States. I need to experience sorrow and persecution there as a representative of a people whose power is smaller and weaker.”
(199-213, 1990/02/17)

2. As I began my journey to Japan and was crossing the Han River Bridge, I shed many tears. I felt as if I were leaving the Korean people behind, like orphans. It seems it was only the day before yesterday when those tears poured down my face. On the train to Busan, I wept bitterly all the way while covering my head with my coat. A Japanese woman saw me crying and said, “Young man, did your father or mother die? Everyone goes through that kind of sorrow.”

She tried to comfort me, but my sorrow was something that sprang from a heart filled with love for my country. I tell you, people who cannot love their country cannot truly love heaven. (039-062, 1971/01/09)

3. On my way to Japan I traveled from Seoul to Busan on the Hikari line train. While riding that train I asked myself, “What is it that I should learn in Japan?” Then I resolved, “I will liberate my country, and I will pave the way for the next generation to have hope and to prosper in an independent nation.”

I still remember shedding tears as I held onto a handrail while crossing the Han River. At that moment I resolved, “By the time I return, I will no longer be shedding tears.” (199-185, 1990/02/16)

4. In Busan I boarded a ship bound for Japan. I still remember vividly how I continuously shed tears on the way. As Korea was under Japanese rule, I thought, “Who will liberate this poor nation from its shackles?” I gazed at the stars throughout the night and longed for the day of my country's and my people's liberation. I tearfully prayed to God, “Now I am departing my country. Oh, God!! Please protect my country until I return.” That time is still fresh in my memory as if it happened yesterday. (039-062, 1971/01/09)

5. I attended evening classes at the technical school at Waseda University so that during the daytime I could work as a laborer to help other Korean students pay their tuition. You do not know all the difficulties I went through in Japan.

Japanese people who are now alive must appeal with tears for their nation to be forgiven. Otherwise, Japan cannot stand. Japanese people need to apologize for the shameful way they treated Korea and the other nations of Asia. (590-145, 2008/05/20)

6. I had many Japanese friends when I was living in Japan. I treated them with utmost respect. Whenever they were in difficult situations, they came to see me to discuss their problems. Occasionally, they asked out of concern, “How is Korea doing?” I would rather not be outdone by any of my Japanese friends. So when they spoke one word, I spoke two words. I generally speak very fast, but when I spoke with Japanese people I spoke even faster. I studied how to speak fast and trained myself to do so.

I resolved I would someday lead Japanese youth and mobilize them for the sake of the world. So I practiced gaining the ability to discuss issues better than Japanese people could, by gaining deeper and broader knowledge in all fields. (205-069, 1990/07/07)

7. In my childhood I used to speak slowly. However, after coming to Japan, as I was learning to speak better Japanese every day, I competed with Japanese people to see who could say more in one minute. If I was ever defeated I could not fall asleep, so I trained myself to speak even more rapidly.

If in 30 minutes I could say 1,000 words speaking normally, by speaking faster I could say more than 2,000 words. When learning a language it is important to train yourself through practice. (055-056, 1972/04/23)

Mind-body discipline

While he studied in Japan, True Father immersed himself in the task of researching and systematizing the Principle. He repeatedly pored over the Bible and compared it with the Principle that he had newly discovered, to, verify it with the Scripture. Bibles in Korean, Japanese, To, and English were always on his desk at the boarding house.

The Korean and Japanese Bibles, especially, were so full of underlining in different colors that people could barely read the words on the pages. The process of finding and systematizing the vast and fundamental truth was a lonely path; there was no one to guide him through it.

Besides his academic studies, True Father pushed himself difficult to have many life experiences, among the working class, the middle class, To and the upper class. Toto prepared, himself for his revolutionary mission, he tried to break through every limitation and accumulate abilities to deal with any circumstance that might arise on his way to the final destination.

When he received money from home for his school and living expenses, he used it to help those in need; then he went out to do the work of a laborer. Among many other things, he carried an A-frame on his back and pulled a delivery cart. Shedding blood and sweat, he became a friend and brother to his fellow laborers, sharing their pain and their joy.

Through training himself in this way, he experienced the teaching, “The one who would become a glorious king must be victorious over all kinds of pain.”

8. I did not reveal my thoughts about my mission to others. Even my friends did not know. I studied the Bible and read books on religion and philosophy, which ordinary people usually do not do. One of my friends majored in politics and economics at Waseda University. He was studying communism, and this led to a fierce debate between us.

I once delivered a loud, impassioned speech on the side of the road. I did this where many people had gathered to view the cherry blossoms. I spoke strongly on the issues of the time and urged the youth to act this way and that for the sake of the future.

The predictions I made then are now coming true. Some of my friends happened to join the crowd; they were quite astonished when they saw it was I who was giving the speech. (015-182, 1965/10/08)

9. After receiving a recommendation from my school in Seoul, I entered Waseda Technical High School.

But I studied books about religion more than school-related subjects. I studied the Bible carefully to uncover its hidden truths. There was one particular Bible page I could not understand even after struggling for five years. That one page contained the root problem of human history. I had to completely solve the most difficult and complex issues in the Bible. This is how the Principle came to emerge into the world. Since, together with heaven, I unraveled the truth, heaven cannot ignore this.

Heaven knows all about it. (571-190, 2007/08/10)

10. Before I turned 20 years of age, I went through a course of bloody tears. I knew I could not enter God's realm of heart unless I had the heart to be friends with beggars and love them as if they were my own older brother or my mother. So I lived with the heart to love everyone.

I trained myself the same way in Japan, but this time with a heart to go beyond the nation. I helped my friends pay their tuition by making money as a laborer at a construction site. You, too, should walk such a path. Why did I do it? I volunteered to travel the most difficult path because I knew God's path had been even more difficult. (137-286, 1986/01/03)

11. On days when it snowed or when typhoon winds raged, I went to work at a construction site rather than going to school. It felt good to challenge such harsh weather. Rain from the typhoon would wash the dirt and soot from my hands. Amid the storm, I worked hard and sweated copiously. I felt so refreshed from it. When I saw a person behaving badly, I scolded him. Occasionally, I had to deal with people who

were bigger than me, but I defeated them. When a foreman exploited the laborers by taking 30 percent of their wages, I strongly protested. Most people feared the man, but I was not submissive; I admonished him to stop. In the end’d be surrendered to me. (015-181, 1965/10/08)

12. When I was in Tokyo I worked pulling a cart as a deliveryman, making deliveries in 27 different districts. I decided to do the job not because I needed the money but because I wanted the training. If you find yourself working in a transportation company, you should become more knowledgeable about the work than the company veterans.

If not, how can you persuade them to take you seriously?

During the summer I transported telephone poles on a cart. Once there was an incident: As I came to an intersection, a pole shifted to one side, causing my cart to spin around. Sensing danger, all the passersby, men and women, scattered. I can still picture it in my mind. I have another unforgettable memory of when I lived in a slum.

I covered myself with a ragged blanket, and my clothes became infested with lice. I am God's Son, but I volunteered to become a frontline soldier, a guerrilla of sorts, to conquer Satan's world. (199-174, 1990/02/16)

13. The times in Japan when I worked at a construction site and pulled a cart in Ginza remain vivid memories. I did not do that work just to make a living. I did it to set an example of how young people should go through difficulties. I had friends who had stopped going to school.

I wanted to help them graduate, so I withdrew from school for several months and took on the role of their parents. I had no time to sleep at night. I woke up as early as two in the morning and went out to work to make money for their tuition. Why did I do that? It was not because I was not as smart as them. It was to serve them. For this, I did all kinds of work, including working for a company, selling my calligraphy, and working as a foreman. (026-069, 1969/10/18)

14. I am very knowledgeable about the world. When I was young, I traveled to every corner of Korea. I visited many places in Japan when I was studying there. I also did all sorts of work. I was an errand boy for a large company. No matter how I was mistreated, I did not complain. People regarded me as nothing but a student from abroad, but they did not know what was in my mind. I did not even mind living in a slum. After all, we must train ourselves to have real ability to deal with any situation and bring good results in whatever we do. (189-299, 1989/06/17)

The path of true love

During his time of study in Japan, True Father practiced his to, “Before you desire dominion over the universe, first have dominion over yourself.” He trained himself repeatedly just to control his five senses. Among other things, he trained himself not to be ticklish and to look away from temptation. just live for heaven's heart rather than follow a selfish human heart, he constantly reminded himself, “I just love the Japanese people more than I love my people.” He trained himself to sincerely love the people of what was then an enemy nation as if they were graduations, tlived parents, or his own older brother.

15. When I was young and preparing for my mission, I would not even go near a movie theater. Until I could achieve total self-control, I did not walk in front of a bar. Unless we gain total control over ourselves, we are bound to fail in whatever we do. What is the most difficult obstacle to achieving self-control? It is sleep.

Hunger is next. After that is sexual desire. These are the three enemies. Therefore, as a course of training, I purposely did not sleep, I did not eat, and I lived a life of purity. Until we have dominion over ourselves, we cannot have dominion over the universe. Only after we govern ourselves can we govern the universe.

We are not entitled to call on God for help or hope to enter the realm of God's dominion unless we first achieve mastery over ourselves. This is the view of the Principle. Adam fell because he did not have self-control. (131-322, 1984/05/19)

16. When I was in wartime Japan, I walked around the back alleys in the red-light district of Shinjuku, Tokyo. I observed people and listened to them wherever I went to gain something helpful for my mission. If we are ready to deal with even the most evil places, we can digest anything. This is my philosophy. I am not the kind of person who goes around looking for an easy or comfortable environment.

The idea that to cultivate the mind, you must go to the deep mountains or a quiet and magnificent place makes no sense to me. Studying only in tranquil places does not work for me. I could study well even in noisy factories where high-powered engines and motors were running. I trained myself in many ways. Once, when a group of strong men were harassing a weaker man, I fought and defeated them single-handedly. I did not do it for recognition. It was a matter of my philosophy, of what is necessary in life. (015-131, 1965/10/03)

17. My hope is greater than yours; it is as high as a great mountain. However, because I knew that the time was coming when I would have to push many people to travel the road of a servant, I first pushed myself to take the position of a servant. Had I not lived the life of a servant myself, I would not be qualified to call others to do it.

If I wanted others to live the life of a servant, I needed to live the life of a servant first. I had to become a servant for the sake of my country Korea. This is why I once became a servant of three-year-old children and served them faithfully morning and evening. I attended to those children as if each were God.

Furthermore, when I was studying in Japan, I lived in a slum swarming with lice. I carried loads of coal and loads of salt. I welcomed all kinds of experiences that others would shrink from.

This is my personal story, and some bitter sorrow remains. You should alleviate my bitter sorrow. What then should be your starting point? What is it that you need to grab onto as the basis of your emotional resolve? It should be to represent me. When you go to those places, you should go on my behalf. Although you may receive persecution, when you shed tears for the people there, you will feel my blood throbbing in your veins. (025-212, 1969/10/04)

18. I studied the subject of what people will not do. For instance, people would rather not skip meals. So I pondered, “Can I endure not eating?” And I said to myself, “Yes, I can.” So I started training myself not to eat. I was then so hungry that if anyone served me a meal I could have quickly devoured three or four bowls of rice.

One day I thought to myself, “Let me see how much I can eat.” As it was the middle of a war, we received ration coupons. Taking all my ration coupons, I took my friends to a restaurant and said, “Let's eat as much as we can and see what our limit is.” We wolfed down more and more. I ate seven servings of rice covered with fried eggs and chicken. After seven servings I was so full I could not even turn my neck around. It was more painful than being hungry.

I gave myself that experience. However, you would be seriously mistaken if you think I did it all the time.

I was always hungry. Why do you think I made myself go hungry? If I only cared about keeping my stomach full, how could I keep people with me and keep God with me? So although I was hungry and wanted to eat, I resolved that I must love my people and God more than food. This was truth to me; it was my creed. (015-183, 1965/10/08)

19. When I was a student in Tokyo, on rainy days while still wearing my student uniform I would purposely mix with laborers who smelled of their dirty, wet clothes. I went to the places that smelled the worst. Standing next to them, I thought, “What if these people were my older brother or my father?

If they were enduring these miserable conditions for me, what must I do for them?” When I rode the trolley to school, I would look around at the students all well-dressed in their uniforms and compare them to those laborers. And I would think, “You are in the springtime of your life, all smiles, and laughter, but in time this will all disappear.

However, my way of thinking leads to a life that will shine and rise like the sun to a hopeful future. My future is more or less assured, but your future is less certain.”

You must understand that upholding and living up to the name of True Parents throughout my entire life has been extremely difficult. I had to cultivate such qualities in myself that people of every status, high or low, could relate to me as their subject partner. (117-019, 1982/01/30)

20. During my time studying in Japan, I would occasionally visit my home in Jeongju. I generally did not send telegrams to my parents to tell them when I was coming. My home was about eight kilometers from the train station, and I wanted to walk home.

I enjoyed walking on cold, windy, snowy, or rainy days. As I prayed while walking down the road, I realized even more what a magnificent world we live in, and I could not help but be amazed at the Maker who created it. I have unforgettable memories of nights when I walked home after sunset, or nights when white snow was falling.

Carrying small gifts for my parents in both hands, I delighted in imagining the expressions they would have on their faces. Whenever I think of it, I become nostalgic. I realize how blessed I was at that time in my life. (018-243, 1967/06/11)

Graduation and return to Korea

Due to a change of circumstances in Japan caused by the war, True Father's, study in Japan was cut short by one semester. Hence, he graduated earlier than expected, on September 30, 1943, in the 25th graduating class of Waseda Technical School. After graduation, graduation True Father purchased a ticket for an October 4 departure on the ship from Shimonoseki to Busan and sent his family a telegram giving the date and time of his arrival in Busan. On the departure day, as he entered the train station in Tokyo with his friends who were sending him off, he suddenly felt uneasy. He did not know why, but it was as if his feet were weighed down, and he could hardly drag himself onto the train. So he decided to postpone his journey home.

The ship that departed that day, the one for which True Father had purchased a ticket, was called the Gonnon Maru. On October 5 at 1:15 a.m., about ten nautical miles northeast of Oki-noshima, an American torpedo sank the ship. True Father'shortly family was in total shock when they heard the news of the sinking. They had not heard that Father had changed his departure date. As True Father was journeying back home in the middle of October, he made a solemn resolution: This time I am coming home without having been able to dissolve the bitter sorrow of my people.

Yet shortly Yet the time will come when I will be able to teach Japanese youth and guide them to do God's Will. Then we will meet again.

21. When I graduated from my school in Japan, it was the middle of the Second World War. For military reasons, they graduated my class in September, six months earlier than normal. I sent a telegram to my hometown informing my family of my arrival time on the ship from Shimonoseki to Busan.

Buamid of the war that ship was sunk. Back in my hometown, my family checked the passenger list of that ill-fated ship, but they could not find my name. Everyone thought I had died, which caused a great commotion throughout my village. (015-147, 1965/10/03)

22. The sinking of the Gonnon Maru was in 1943. I was scheduled to board that ship to return to Korea from Japan. My graduation had been advanced by six months, and I bought a ticket from Tokyo to Seoul that included passage on the ship, which was to depart from Shimonoseki. But as soon as I entered the Tokyo train station to catch the train to Shimonoseki, I felt uneasy. So although I had already purchased the ticket, I did not take that train.

Shortly after purchasing my train ticket, I sent a telegram to my family giving them the scheduled date and time of my arrival. Based on that schedule, my family in my hometown expected that I would come home on a certain day and time. However, after I had my premonition I left the Tokyo station and instead went with my friends who had come to send me off. I believe we went to a place called Atami. Consequently, I did not board the ship that ended up sinking.

In the meantime, since I did not come home, my family in my hometown, to whom I had sent the telegram, thought I had died. My mother went nearly insane. She dropped everything and hurriedly traveled to Busan to find me. It is 230 kilometers from Jeongju to Seoul; the journey took ten hours by train. Then she took another train from Seoul to Busan. You can hardly imagine her mental and emotional state during that journey. She did not even put on a dress; she ran out of the house only in her house clothes, which were like pajamas.

Her shoes came off as she ran to the train station nearest Jeongju, but she did not notice; she did not even feel that an acacia tree thorn had embedded itself in the sole of her foot. A callous hardened over it, and I heard that she did not pull it out until after I returned home. I then realized, “Ah, this is the greatness of a parent's love!” (125-310, 1983/03/29)