AS A
PEACE-LOVING
GLOBAL CITIZEN
R E V E R E N D S U N M Y U N G MO ON
Translated and Produced in the United States of America
by The Washington Times Foundation, Inc.
3600 New York Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Copyright © 2009 By The Washington Times Foundation, Inc.
All rights reserved. Except for use in reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or trans¬mitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the publisher.
This edition is a limited advance release for presentation and review purposes, and
not for commercial distribution or sale. Effort has been made by translators, editors
and the producer to accurately represent the Korean edition, but this edition is not
considered final.
Design and layout by PierAngelo Beltrami and Michelle Zambon-Nishiwaki.
Manufactured in the United States of America
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed
Library Materials, ANSIZ39.48-1984.
Original publication was in the Korean language by
Gimm-Young Publishers, Inc.
Seoul, Korea
March 9, 2009
Thanks to Mission Foundation, Inc. of the Family Federation for World Peace and
Unification, and Gimm-Young Publishers, Inc. for their permission and support of
this English edition
CONTENTS
ix FOREWORD
CHAPTER ONE
1 food IS LOVE
2 What I Learned about Peace While Being Carried
on My Father’s Back
8 The Joy of Giving Food to Others
12 Being a Friend to All
16 A Definite Compass for My Life
23 A Stubborn Child Who Never Gives Up
29 Loving Nature to Learn from It
37 Talking about the Universe with the Insects
41 Ardent Student
CHAPTER TWO
45 A River of Heart Flows with Tears
46 Between Fear and Inspiration
51 The More It Hurts, the More You Should Love
56 A Knife Not Sharpened Grows Dull
61 A Key to Unlock a Great Secret
66 Like a Fireball Burning Hot
70 Befriending Laborers by Sharing Their Suffering
76 The Calm Sea of the Heart
80 “Please Don’t Die”
86 A Command That Must Be Obeyed
95 A Grain of Rice Is Greater Than the Earth
100 Heungnam Prison in the Snow
105 U.N. Forces Open the Prison Gate
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
CHAPTER THREE
111 The Man with the Fulles t Stoma ch
112 “You Are My Spiritual Teacher”
117 The Crazy, Handsome Man by the Well
121 A Church with No Denomination
126 Two Universities Expel Students and Professors
130 New Buds Grow on Scorched Branches
134 We Are Trained by Our Wounds
137 A Sincere Heart Is Most Important
CHAPTER FOUR
145 Wh y We Work Globally
146 Paying the Ultimate Price to Follow God’s Path
150 Money Earned Honorably, Used Prayerfully
153 Power of Dance Moves the World
156 Angels Open a Path through a Dark Forest
160 World Tour
164 Last Plane to America
170 Our Future Lies with the Ocean
175 Reverend Moon, Seed for a New American Revolution
179 Washington Monument, 1976
185 Cry Not for Me but for the World
188 “Why Does My Father Have to Go to Jail?”
CHAPTER FIVE
194 Tr ue Families Create True People
195 My Wife, Hak Ja Han Moon
201 An Incomparable Inner Beauty
207 Promises That Must Never Be Broken
212 To Love Is to Give and Forget
215 The Peaceful Family Is the Building Block of Heaven
219 Ten Years of Tears Melt a Father-in-Law’s Heart
223 The True Meaning of Marriage
227 True Love Is Found in True Families
231 Leaving Behind a Legacy of Love
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
CHAPTER SIX
237 Love Will Bri ng Unification
238 The Power of Religion to Turn People to Goodness
245 The River Does Not Reject the Waters That Flow into It
249 “Allow Freedom of Religion in the Soviet Union”
255 Korea’s Unification Will Bring World Unification
261 My Meeting with President Kim Il Sung
267 The Land May Be Divided, but Not Its People
274 Not by Guns or Swords, but by True Love
CHAPTER SEVEN
279 F uture of Korea, Future of the World
280 World Harmony and the Korean Peninsula
286 From Suffering and Tears to Peace and Love
290 The Ultimate Purpose of Twenty-first-Century Religion
295 Cultural Projects Express God’s Creativity
301 Master of the Seas and the Future of the World
305 Great Opportunity in the Oceanic Era
310 A Single Dandelion Is More Precious Than Gold
315 Solution to Poverty and Hunger
320 More Than Giving Bread, Teaching How to Make Bread
CHAPTER EIGHT
325 Message for Young People
326 Find Your Purpose, Change Your Life
330 Embrace the World
335 Everything We Have Is Borrowed from Heaven
339 Happiness Is a Life Lived for Others
343 Dreaming of a Peaceful World
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
ix
Foreword
5
A steady spring rain fell all last night, ending a winter drought.
It was so nice to have had the rain that I spent all this morning
walking about in the garden. The ground had that fragrant
aroma of moist earth I had missed all through the winter, and the weeping
willow and cherry trees were showing signs of new spring buds.
I felt I could hear the popping sounds of new life sprouting here and
there around the garden. Before I knew it, my wife, who had followed
me out, was picking young mugwort shoots that had managed to poke
their heads up through the dry lawn. The night’s rain had turned the
whole world into a fragrant spring garden.
No matter how much commotion there may be in the world, when
the calendar turns to March, spring is on its way. The older I become,
the more it means to me that in nature spring follows winter and brings
with it flowers in full bloom. What am I that God, in each season, allows
the flowers to bloom and the snow to fall, so I might know the joy of
being alive? Love wells up from within the deepest recesses of my heart,
and I am overcome with emotion. I am moved to tears to think that
everything of real value has been given to me freely. In my life, I have
circled the globe many times over in my efforts to bring about a world
x
. foreword .
of peace, and yet it is here in this garden in spring that I am able to taste
real peace. Peace, too, was given to us by God, but we lost it somewhere and
now spend our lives looking for it in all the wrong places.
To bring a world of peace, I have spent my life going to the most
lowly and secluded places. I met mothers in Africa who could only
watch helplessly as their children died of hunger, and I met fathers
in South America who lived by a river full of fish but couldn’t support
their families by fishing. At first, all I did was simply share my
food, but they granted me their love in return. Intoxicated with the
power of love I went on to plant seeds and cultivate forests. Together we
caught fish to feed hungry children, and these trees were used to build
schools. I was happy even as mosquitoes bit me all over as I fished
all through the night. Even when I was sinking knee-deep into mud,
I was happy because I could see the shadows of despair disappear
from the faces of my neighbors.
Seeking the shortest path to a world of peace, I devoted myself
to inspiring change in the political process and to changing people’s
ways of thinking. I met then-President Mikhail Gorbachev of the
Soviet Union as part of my effort to bring reconciliation between
communism and democracy, and I met then-President Kim Il Sung
of North Korea for a serious discussion on how to bring peace to
the Korean peninsula. I went to a United States in moral decline
and played the role of a fireman responding to a call in an effort to
reawaken its Puritan spirit. I dedicated myself to resolving various
conflicts in the world. In my work for peace among Muslims and Jews, I
was not deterred by rampant terror. As a result of my efforts, thousands
have gathered for rallies and peace marches, with Jews, Muslims, and
Christians all joining together. Sadly, however, the conflict continues.
xi
. foreword .
I see hope, though, that an age of peace is about to be inaugurated in
Korea. The Korean peninsula has been trained through endless suffering
and the tragedy of division, and I can feel in every cell of my body
that a powerful energy has been stored here and is ready to burst out. In
the same way that no one can stop a new season of spring from coming,
no human power can stop heavenly fortune from coming to the Korean
peninsula and spreading throughout the world. People need to prepare
themselves so that they may rise with the tide of heavenly fortune
when it arrives.
I am a controversial person. The mere mention of my name causes
trouble in the world. I never sought money or fame but have spent my
life speaking only of peace. The world, though, has associated many
different phrases with my name, rejected me, and thrown stones at me.
Many are not interested in knowing what I say or what I do. They only
oppose me.
I have been unjustly imprisoned six times in my life-by imperial
Japan, in Kim Il Sung’s North Korea, by South Korea’s Syngman Rhee
government, and even in the United States-and at times I was beaten
so hard that the flesh was torn from my body. Today, though, not even
the slightest wound remains in my heart. Wounds easily disappear in
the presence of true love. Even enemies melt away without a trace in the
presence of true love. True love is a heart that gives and gives and wants
to continuing giving. True love is a love that even forgets that it already
gave love and gives love again. I have lived my entire life intoxicated
in such love. I wanted nothing aside from love, and I threw my entire
being into the effort to share love with my impoverished neighbors. At
times, the path of love was so difficult that my knees buckled under me,
but even then I felt happy in my heart, dedicated to loving humanity.
xii
. foreword .
Even now, I am filled with love that I have not yet been able to give.
It is with a prayer that this love will become a river of peace saturating
the drought-stricken land and flowing to the ends of the earth that
I now place this book before the world. Recently a growing number
of people have been seeking to know more about me. For the sake of
those who are curious, I have looked back on my life and recorded my
candid recollections in this book. As for the stories that could not be
included in this volume, I hope there will be other opportunities for me
to convey them.
I send boundless love to all those who have put their faith in me,
remained by my side, and lived their lives with me—and especially to
my wife, Hak Ja Han Moon, to whom I am deeply grateful for struggling
with me to scale the most difficult peaks.
Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Eun Ju
Park, president of Gimm-Young Publishers Inc., who poured out much
sincerity and dedication in the process of bringing this book to publication,
and to everyone in the publishing company who labored in editing
the words I spoke so that the often complex content could be easily
understood by readers.
Sun Myung Moon,
Cheongpyeong, South Korea, March 1, 2009
CHAPTER ONE
FOOD IS LOVE
2
What I Learned about Peace
While Being Carried on My Father’s Back
5
I have lived my life with just one thought. I wanted to bring about
a world of peace, a world where there are no wars and where all
humankind lives in love. Perhaps some may say, “How is it possible
that you were thinking about peace even when you were a child?” Is it
so astonishing that a child would dream of a peaceful world?
In 1920, when I was born, Korea was under forced occupation by Japan. Even
after liberation, there came the Korean War, the Asian financial crisis, and other
numerous difficult crises. For many years, the land of Korea has not been closely
associated with peace. But these times of suffering and confusion were not matters
related only to Korea. The two world wars, the Vietnam War, and the wars in the
Middle East show that people in the world continuously treat each other with enmity,
point guns at each other, and bomb each another. Perhaps for people who
experience these horrors of bloodied bodies and broken bones, peace has
been something that could be imagined only in a dream. Peace, though, is
not so difficult to accomplish. To begin with, we can find peace in the air we
breathe, in the natural environment, and in the people around us.
As a child, I thought of the meadows as my home. As soon as I could
wolf down my bowl of rice for breakfast, I would run out of the house
3
. food is love .
and spend the entire day in the hills and streams. I could spend the
day wandering about the forest with all the different birds and animals,
eating herbs and wild berries, and I would never feel hungry. Even as a
child, I knew that my mind and body were at ease anytime I went into
the forest.
I would often fall asleep in the hills after playing there. My father
would be forced to come find me. When I heard my father shouting in
the distance, “Yong Myung! Yong Myung!” I couldn’t help but smile,
even as I slept. My name as a child was Yong Myung. The sound of his
voice would awaken me, but I would pretend to still be asleep. He would
hoist me onto his back and carry me home. That feeling I had as he
carried me down the hill—feeling completely secure and able to let my
heart be completely at ease—that was peace. That is how I learned about
peace, while being carried on my father’s back.
The reason I loved the forest was also because all the peace in the
world dwells there. Life forms in the forest do not fight each other. Of
course, they eat one another and are eaten, but that is because they are
hungry and need to sustain themselves. They do not fight out of enmity.
Birds do not hate other birds. Animals do not hate other animals. Trees
do not hate other trees. There needs to be an absence of enmity for peace
to come. Human beings are the only ones who hate other members of
the same species. People hate other people because their country is different,
their religion is different, and their way of thinking is different.
I have been to almost two hundred countries. There were not many
countries where I would land at the airport and think to myself, “This
really is a peaceful and contented place.” There were many places where,
because of civil war, soldiers held their weapons high, guarding the airports
and blocking the streets. The sound of gunfire could be heard day
4
. as a peace loving global citizen .
and night. Several times, I came close to losing my life in places where
I went to talk about peace. In today’s world, there is an endless series
of conflicts and confrontations, large and small. Tens of millions suffer
from hunger, with nothing to eat. Yet, trillions of dollars are spent on
weapons. The money spent on guns and bombs alone would give us
enough to end hunger for everyone.
I have dedicated my life to building bridges of peace between countries
that hate each other as enemies because of ideology and religion.
I created forums where Islam, Christianity, and Judaism could come
together. I worked to reconcile the views of the United States and the
Soviet Union when they were at odds with each other over Iraq. I have
helped in the process of bringing reconciliation between North and
South Korea. I did not do these things for money or fame. From the
time I was old enough to know what was going on in the world, there
has been only one objective for my life: that is for the world to live in
peace, as one. I never wanted anything else. It has not been easy to live
day and night for the purpose of peace, but that is the work that makes
me most happy.
During the Cold War, we experienced the pain of having our
world divided in two because of ideology. It seemed then that if only
communism would disappear, peace would come. Yet, now that the
Cold War is past, we find even more conflicts. We are now fractured
by race and religion. Many countries facing each other across their
borders are at odds. As if that were not enough, we have situations
within countries where people are divided by race, religion, or the
regions where they were born. People think of each other as enemies
across these lines of division and refuse to open their hearts
to one another.
5
. food is love .
When we look at human history, we see that the most brutal and
cruel wars were not those fought between nations but those between
races. Among these, the worst were wars between races where religion
was used as a pretext. In the Bosnian civil war, said to be one of the
worst ethnic conflicts of the twentieth century, thousands, including
many children, were brutally massacred. I am sure you remember the
terrorist incident of September 11, 2001, when thousands of innocent
lives were lost as the World Trade Center buildings in New York were
completely destroyed after passenger planes were crashed into them.
Recently, too, in the Gaza Strip in Palestine as well as in southern Israel,
hundreds have lost their lives as a result of that intense conflict. Homes
have been destroyed, and people are living on the brink of death. All this is
the grim result of conflicts between ethnic groups and between religions.
What makes people hate and kill each other like this? Of course
there are many reasons, but religious differences are almost always
connected. This was true with the Gulf War, which was fought over
oil. It is true with the Arab–Israeli conflict over control of Jerusalem.
When racism uses religion as a pretext, the problem becomes
extremely complex. The evil ghosts of the religious wars that we
thought had ended in the Middle Ages continue to haunt us in the
twenty-first century.
Religious wars continue to occur because many politicians use the
enmity between religions to satisfy their selfish designs. In the face of
political power, religions often waver and lose their way. They lose sight
of their original purpose, which is to exist for the sake of peace. All
religions have a responsibility to advance the cause of world peace. Yet,
lamentably, we see that religions instead become the cause of conflict.
Behind this evil we find the machinations of politics, with its power
6
. as a peace-loving global citizen .
and money. The responsibility of a leader, above all else, is to keep the
peace. Yet leaders often seem to do the opposite and lead the world into
confrontation and violence.
Leaders use the language of religion and nationalism to hide their
selfish ambitions. Unless their hearts are set right, countries and nationalities
will wander in confusion. Religion and love of one’s nation
are not evil in their essence. They are valuable if these impulses are used
to contribute to building a global human community. When the claim
is made that only a particular religion or ethnic group is right and when
other religions and ethnic groups are treated with disdain and attacked,
religion and love of nation lose their value. When a religion goes so
far as to trample on others and treat other religions as worthless, it no
longer embodies goodness. The same is true when love of nation is used
to emphasize the righteousness of a person’s own country over others.
The truth of the universe is that we must acknowledge each other
and help each other. Even the smallest animals know this. Cats and
dogs do not get along, but if you raise them in the same household,
they embrace each other’s offspring and are friendly toward each other.
We see the same thing in plants. The vine that winds its way up a tree
depends on the trunk to support it. The tree, however, does not say,
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing, winding your way up my trunk?”
The principle of the universe is for everyone to live together, for the sake
of one another. Anyone who deviates from this principle faces certain
ruin. If nationalities and religions continue maliciously to attack each
other, humanity has no future. There will be an endless cycle of terror
and warfare until one day we become extinct. But we are not without
hope. Clearly there is hope.
I have lived my life without ever letting go of that hope and always
7
kept alive the dream of peace. What I want is to wipe away completely
the walls and fences that divide the world in myriad ways and to create
a world of unity. I want to tear down the walls between religions and
between races and fill in the gap between the rich and the poor. Once
that is done, we can reestablish the world of peace that God created in
the beginning. I am talking about a world where no one goes hungry
and no one sheds tears. To heal a world where there is no hope, and
which is lacking in love, we need to go back to the pure hearts that we
had as children. To shed our desire to possess ever-increasing amounts
of material wealth and restore our beautiful essence as human beings,
we need to go back to the principles of peace and the breath of love that
we learned as we were being carried on our fathers’ backs.
. food is love .
8
The Joy of Giving Food to Others
5
I have very small eyes. I am told that when I was born, my mother
wondered, “Does my baby have eyes, or not?” and spread my eyelids
apart with her fingers. Then when I blinked, she said with joy,
“Oh my, yes. He does have eyes, after all!” My eyes were so small that
people often called me “Osan’s Little Tiny-Eyes,” because my mother
was from the village of Osan.
I cannot remember anyone saying, though, that my small eyes make
me any less attractive. In fact, people who know something about
physiognomy, the art of understanding a person’s characteristics and
fortune by studying facial features, say my small eyes give me the right
disposition to be a religious leader. I think it is similar to the way a
camera is able to focus on objects farther away as the aperture of its iris
diaphragm is reduced. A religious leader needs to be able to see farther
into the future than do other people, and perhaps small eyes are an
indication of such a quality. My nose is rather unusual as well. Just one
look and it is obvious that this is the nose of a stubborn and determined
man. There must be something to physiognomy, because when I look
back on my life, these features of my face seem to parallel the way I have
lived my life.
9
. food is love .
I was born at 2221 Sang-sa Ri (village), Deok-eon District, Jeong-ju
Township, Pyong-an Province, as the second son of Kyung Yu Moon
of the Nam Pyung Moon clan and Kyung Gye Kim of the Yeon An
Kim clan. I was born on the sixth day of the first lunar month in 1920,
the year after the 1919 independence movement. I was told that our
family settled in the village of Sang-sa Ri during the life of my greatgrandfather.
My paternal great-grandfather worked the farm himself,
produced thousands of bushels of rice, and built the family fortune with
his own hands. He never smoked or drank liquor, preferring instead to
use that money to buy food to give to those in need. When he died, his
last words were, “If you feed people from all the regions of Korea, then
you will receive blessings from all those regions.” So the guest room in
our home was always full of people. Even people from other villages
knew that if they came to our home, they could always count on being
fed a good meal. My mother carried out her role of preparing food for
all those people without ever complaining.
My great-grandfather was so active, he never wanted to rest. If he
had some spare time he would use it to make pairs of straw footwear
that he would then sell in the marketplace. When he grew old, in his
merciful ways, he would buy several geese, let them go in the wild, and
pray that all would be well with his descendants. He hired a teacher of
Chinese characters to sit in the guest room of his home and provide
free literacy lessons to the young people of the village. The villagers gave
him the honorific title “Sun Ok” (Jewel of Goodness) and referred to
our home as “a home that will be blessed.”
By the time I was born and was growing up, much of the wealth that
my great-grandfather had accumulated was gone, and our family had
just enough to get by. The family tradition of feeding others was still
10
. as a peace-loving global citizen .
alive, however, and we would feed others even if it meant there wouldn’t
be enough to feed our family members. The first thing I learned after I
learned to walk was how to serve food to others.
During the Japanese occupation, many Koreans had their homes and
land confiscated. As they escaped the country to Manchuria, where they
hoped to build new lives for themselves, they would pass by our home
on the main road that led to Seon-cheon in North Pyong-an Province.
My mother would always prepare food for the passersby, who came
from all parts of Korea. If a beggar came to our home asking for food
and my mother didn’t react quickly enough, my grandfather would pick
up his meal and take it to the beggar. Perhaps because I was born into
such a family, I too have spent much of my life feeding people. To me,
giving people food is the most precious work. When I am eating and
I see someone who has nothing to eat, it pains my heart and I cannot
continue eating.
I will tell you something that happened when I was about eleven
years old. It was toward the last day of the year, and everyone in the
village was busy preparing rice cakes for the New Year’s feast. There was
one neighbor family, though, that was so poor they had nothing to eat.
I kept seeing their faces in my mind, and it made me so restless that I
was walking around the house, wondering what to do. Finally, I picked
up an eight-kilogram (17.6-pound) bag of rice and ran out of the house.
I was in such a hurry to get the bag of rice out of the house that I didn’t
even tie the bag closed. I hoisted the bag onto my shoulders and held it
tight as I ran along a steep, uphill path for about eight kilometers (five
miles) to get to the neighbor’s home. I was excited to think how good it
would feel to give those people enough food so they could eat as much
as they wanted.
11
. food is love .
The village mill was next to our house. The four walls of the millhouse
were well built, so that the crushed rice could not fall through the
cracks. This meant that in the winter it was a good place to escape the
wind and stay warm. If someone took some kindling from our home’s
furnace and started a small fire in the millhouse, it became warmer than
an ondol-heated room. Some of the beggars who would travel around
the country would decide to spend the winter in that millhouse. I was
fascinated by the stories they had to tell about the world outside, and I
found myself spending time with them every chance I got. My mother
would bring my meals to the millhouse, and she would always bring
enough for my beggar friends to eat as well. We would eat from the
same dishes and share the same blankets at night. This is how I spent
the winter. When spring came, they would leave for faraway places,
and I could not wait for winter to come again so they would return to
our home. Just because their bodies were poorly clothed did not mean
that their hearts were ragged as well. They had a deep and warm love
that showed. I gave them food, and they shared their love with me. The
deep friendship and warmth they showed me back then continue to be
a source of strength for me today.
As I go around the world and witness children suffering from hunger,
I am always reminded of how my grandfather never missed a chance to
share food with others.
12
Being a Friend to All
5
Once I set my mind to do something, I have to put it into
action immediately. Otherwise, I cannot sleep. As a child, I
would sometimes get an idea during the night but be forced
to wait until morning before acting on it. I would stay awake and make
scratches on the wall to pass the time. This happened so often that I
would almost dig a hole in the wall and chunks of dirt would pile up on
the floor. I also couldn’t sleep if I had been treated unfairly during the
day. In such a case, I would get out of bed during the night, go to the
culprit’s home, and challenge him to come out and fight me. I am sure it
must have been very difficult for my parents to raise me.
I could not stand to see someone treated unjustly. Whenever there
was a fight among the children in the village, I would involve myself as
though I were responsible to see that justice was served in every situation.
I would decide which child in the fight was in the wrong and I
would scold that child in a loud voice. Once I went to see the grandfather
of a boy who was a bully in the neighborhood. I said to him, “Your
grandson has done this and that wrong. Please take care of it.”
I could be wild in my actions, but nevertheless I was a child with a
big heart. I would sometimes visit my married older sister in the home
13
. food is love .
of her husband’s family and demand that they serve me rice cakes and
chicken. The adults never disliked me for this because they could see
that my heart was filled with a warm love.
I was particularly good at taking care of animals. When birds made a
nest in a tree in front of our house, I dug a small waterhole for them to
drink water. I also scattered some hulled millet from the storeroom on
the ground for the birds to eat. At first, the birds would fly away whenever
someone came close. They soon realized, however, that the person
giving them food was someone who loved them, and they stopped flying
away when I approached.
Once I thought I would try raising fish. So I caught some fish and put
them in the water hole. I also took a fistful of fish food and sprinkled it
over the water. When I got up the next morning, though, I found that all
the fish had died during the night. I was so looking forward to raising
those fish. I stood there in astonishment, looking at them floating on
top of the water. I remember that I cried all day that day.
My father kept many bee colonies. He would take a large hive box
and fasten a basic foundation to the bottom of the hive. Then the bees
would deposit their beeswax there to create a nest and store their honey.
I was a curious child, and I wanted to see just how the bees built the
hive. So I stuck my face into the middle of the hive and got myself stung
severely by the bees, causing my entire face to swell tremendously.
I once took the foundations from the hive boxes and received a
severe scolding from my father. Once the bees had finished building
their hives, my father would take the foundations and stack them to one
side. These foundations were covered with beeswax that could be used
as fuel for lamps in place of oil. I took those expensive foundations,
broke them up, and took them to homes that couldn’t afford to buy oil
14
. as a peace-loving global citizen .
for their lamps. It was an act of kindness, but I had done it without my
father’s permission, and so I was harshly reprimanded.
When I was twelve, we had very little in the way of games. The
choices were a Parcheesi-like game called yute, a chesslike game called
jang-gi, and card games. I always enjoyed it when many people would
play together. During the day, I would like to play yute or fly my kite,
and in the evenings I would make the rounds of the card games going
on around the village. They were games where the winner picked up 120
won (Korean monetary unit) after each hand, and I could usually win at
least once every three hands. New Year’s Eve and the first full moon of
the new year were the days when the most gambling went on. On those
days, the police would look the other way and never arrest anyone for
gambling. I went to where grown-ups were gambling, took a nap during
the night, and got them to deal me in for just three hands in the early
morning, just as they were about to call it quits for the night. I took
the money I had won, bought some starch syrup, and took it around
to all my friends to give them each a taste. I didn’t use the money for
myself or to do anything bad. When my older sisters’ husbands visited
our home, I would ask permission and take money from their wallets.
I would then use this money to buy sweets for children in need. I also
bought them starch syrup.
In any village it is natural that there are people who live well and
those who don’t. When I would see a child who had brought boiled
millet to school for lunch, I couldn’t eat my own better lunch of rice. So
I would exchange my rice for his millet. I felt closer to the children from
poor families than to those from rich families, and I wanted somehow
to see to it that they didn’t go hungry. This was a kind of game that I enjoyed
most of all. I was still a child, but I felt that I wanted to be a friend
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to everyone. In fact, I wanted to be more than just friends; I wanted to
have relationships where we could share our deepest hearts.
One of my uncles was a greedy man. His family owned a melon patch near
the middle of the village, and every summer, when the melons were ripe and
giving off a sweet fragrance, the village children would beg him to let them eat
some. My uncle, though, set up a tent on the road next to the melon patch and
sat there keeping guard, refusing to share even a single melon.
One day I went to him and asked, “Uncle, would it be all right if some time
I were to go to your patch and eat all the melon I want?” Uncle willingly answered,
“Sure, that would be fine.”
So I sent word to all the children that anyone wanting to eat melon
should bring a burlap bag and gather in front of my house at midnight. At
midnight I led them to my uncle’s melon patch and told them, “I want all of
you to pick a row of melons, and don’t worry about anything.” The children
shouted with joy and ran into the melon patch. It took only a few minutes
for several rows of melons to be picked clean. That night the hungry children
of the village sat in a clover field and ate melons until their stomachs
almost burst.
The next day there was big trouble. I went to my uncle’s home, and it
was in pandemonium, like a beehive that had been poked. “You rascal,” my
uncle shouted at me. “Was this your doing? Are you the one who ruined my
entire year’s work of raising melons?”
No matter what he said, I was not going to back down. “Uncle,” I said,
“don’t you remember? You told me I could eat all the melons I wanted.
The village children wanted to eat melons, and their desire was my desire.
Was it right for me to give them a melon each, or should I absolutely not
have given them any?” When he heard this, my uncle said, “All right. You’re
right.” That was the end of his anger.
16
A Definite Compass for My Life
5
The Moon clan originated in Nampyung, near Naju, Cholla Province,
a town about 320 miles south of Seoul, in the southwest
region of the country. My great-great-grandfather, Sung Hak
Moon, had three sons. The youngest of these was my great-grandfather,
Jung Heul Moon, who himself had three sons: Chi Guk, Shin Guk, and
Yun Guk. My grandfather, Chi Guk Moon, was the oldest.
Grandfather Chi Guk Moon was illiterate, as he did not attend either
a modern elementary school or the traditional village school. His power
of concentration was so great, however, that he was able to recite the full
text of the Korean translation of San Guo Zhi just by having listened to
others read it to him. And it wasn’t just San Guo Zhi. When he heard
someone tell an interesting story, he could memorize it and retell it in
exactly the same words. He could memorize anything after hearing it just
once. My father took after him in this way; he could sing from memory the
Christian hymnal, consisting of more than four hundred pages.
Grandfather followed the last words of his father to live his life with a
spirit of giving, but he was not able to maintain the family fortune. This
was because his youngest brother, my Great-Uncle Yun Guk Moon, borrowed
money against the family’s property and lost it all. Following this
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incident, members of the family went through some very hard times,
but my grandfather and father never spoke ill of Great-Uncle Yun Guk.
This was because they knew he had not lost the money gambling or
doing anything of that nature. Instead, he had sent the money to the
Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, based in Shanghai,
China. In those days, seventy thousand won was a large sum, and this
was the amount that my great uncle donated to the independence
movement.
Great-Uncle Yun Guk, a graduate of Pyongyang Seminary and a
minister, was an intellectual who was fluent in English and well versed in
Chinese studies. He served as the responsible pastor for three churches,
including Deok Heung Church in Deok Eon Myeon. He participated
in the drafting of the 1919 Declaration of Independence, together
with Nam Seon Choe. When it was found, however, that three of the
sixteen Christian leaders among the signatories were associated with
Deok Heung Church, Great-Uncle had his name removed from the list.
Seung Heung Lee, one of the remaining signatories who worked with
my great-uncle in establishing the Osan School, asked Great-Uncle Yun
Guk to take care of all his affairs in case the independence movement
failed and he died at the hands of the Japanese colonial authorities.
On returning to our hometown, Great-Uncle Yun Guk printed tens
of thousands of Korean flags and handed them out to the people who
poured into the streets to shout their support for Korean independence.
He was arrested on March 8 as he led a demonstration on the hill behind
the Aipo Myeon administrative office. The demonstration in support
of independence was attended by the principal, faculty, and some two
thousand students of the Osan School, some three thousand Christians,
and some four thousand other residents of the area. He was given a
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two-year prison sentence and was imprisoned in the Eui-ju prison. The
following year he was released as part of a special pardon.
Even after his release, severe persecution by the Japanese police
meant he could never stay long in one place, and he was always on the
run. He carried a large scar where the Japanese police had tortured him
by stabbing him with a bamboo spear and carving out a piece of his
flesh. He was speared in the legs and in the side of his ribs, but he said
that he never gave in. When the Japanese found they couldn’t break
him, they offered him the position of county chief if he would pledge
to stop participating in the independence movement. His response was
to rebuke the Japanese in a loud voice: “Do you think I would take on a
position and work for you thieves?”
When I was about seven or eight years old, Great-Uncle Yun Guk
was staying in our home for a short time and some members of the
Korean independence army came to see him. They were low on funds
and had traveled by night on foot through a heavy snowfall to reach our
house. My father covered the heads of us children with a sleeping quilt
so that we would not be awakened. I was already wide awake, and I lay
there under the quilt, my eyes wide open, listening as best I could to the
sounds of the adults talking. Though it was late, my mother killed a chicken
and boiled some noodles to serve to the independence fighters.
To this day, I cannot forget the words that I heard Great-Uncle Yun
Guk speak as I lay there under the quilt, holding my breath in excitement.
“Even if you die,” he said, “if you die for the sake of our country,
you will be blessed.” He continued, “Right now, we can see only darkness
before us, but the bright morning is sure to come.” Because of the
effects of torture, he did not have full use of his body, but his voice
resonated with strength.
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. food is love .
I also remember thinking to myself then: “Why did such a wonderful
person as Great-Uncle have to go to prison? If only we were stronger
than Japan, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Great-Uncle Yun Guk continued to roam about the country, avoiding
persecution by the Japanese police, and it was not until 1966, while
I was in Seoul, that I received news of him again. Great-Uncle appeared
in a dream to one of my younger cousins and told him, “I am buried
in Jeong-seon, Kang-won Province.” We went to the address he gave in
the dream and found that he had passed away nine years before that.
We found only a grave mound covered with weeds. I had his remains
reburied in Paju, Kyounggi Province, near Seoul.
In the years following Korea’s liberation from Japan in 1945, communists
in North Korea killed Christian ministers and independence
fighters indiscriminately. Great-Uncle Yun Guk, fearing his presence
might cause harm to the family, escaped the communists by crossing
south over the 38th parallel and settling in Jeong-seon. No one in our
family was aware of this. He supported himself in that remote mountain
valley by selling calligraphy brushes. Later, we were told that he set up
a traditional village school where he taught Chinese classics. According
to some of his former students, he often enjoyed spontaneously
composing poems in Chinese characters. His students transcribed and
preserved some 130 of these, including the following:
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South North Peace
ๅๅๅนณๅ
Ten years have passed since I left home to come South
ๅจๅๅ่ผ่ถๅๅท
The flow of time speeds my hair to turn white
ๆตๆฐดๅ ้ฐๅฌ็ฝ้ ญ
I would return North, but how can I?
ๆ ๅๆฌฒๅปๅฎ่ฝๅป
What was intended as a short sojourn has been prolonged
ๅฅ็่้็ฒไน ๆธธ
Wearing the long-sleeved ko-hemp clothing of summer
่ข้ท็็ฅ็ถๅค
I fan myself with a silk fan and consider what the autumn will bring
็ดๆๅๆ็ๅ็ง
Peace between South and North draws near
ๅๅๅนณๅไปไธ้
Children waiting under the eaves,
You needn’t worry so much.
ๅๅ ๅฅณ่ซๆทฑๆ
Though separated from his family and living in Jeong-seon, a land
unfamiliar to him in every way, Great-Uncle Yun Guk’s heart was filled
with concerns for his country. Great-Uncle also left this poetic verse:
“When setting your goal in the beginning, pledge yourself to a high
standard; don’t allow yourself even the least bit of private desire (ๅฅ
ๅ็ซๅฟ่ชๆ้ซ ็งๆ พๆชๅๅฎนไธๆฏซ).” My great-uncle’s contributions to
the independence movement were posthumously recognized by the
Republic of Korea government in 1977 with a Presidential Award and
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in 1990 with the Order of Merit for National Foundation. Even now, I
sometimes recite his poetic verses. They are infused with his steadfast
love for his country, even in the face of extreme adversity.
Recently, as I have grown older, I think about Great-Uncle Yun Guk
more often. Each phrase of his poetry expressing his heart of concern
for his country penetrates into my heart. I have taught our members the
song Daehan Jiri Ga (Song of Korean Geography), whose words were
written by Great-Uncle Yun Guk himself. I enjoy singing this song with
our members. When I sing this song, from Mount Baektu to Mount
Halla, I feel relieved of my burdens.
Song of Korean Geography
The peninsula of Korea in the East
Positioned among three countries.
North, the wide plains of Manchuria
East, the deep and blue East Sea,
South, a sea of many islands,
West, the deep Yellow Sea
Food in the seas on three sides,
Our treasure of all species of fish.
Mighty Mount Paektu stands on the North,
Providing water to the Rivers of Amrok and Tumen.
Flowing into seas east and west,
Marking a clear border with the Soviets
Mount Kumgang shines bright in the center,
A preserve for the world, pride of Korea.
Mount Halla rises above the blue South Sea
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A landmark for fishermen at sea.
Four plains of Daedong, Hangang, Geumgang, and Jeonju
give our people food and clothing.
Four mines of Woonsan, Soonan, Gaecheon, and Jaeryung
give us the treasures of the Earth.
Four cities of Kyungsung, Pyongyang, Daegu, and Kaesung shine over the land
Four ports of Busan, Wonsan, Mokpo and Incheon
welcome foreign ships.
Railroads spread out from Kyungsung,
Connecting the two main lines, Kyung-Eui and Kyung-Bu
Branch lines Kyung-Won and Honam run north and south,
Cover the peninsula.
Our sites tell us our history.
Pyongyang, 2,000-year-old city of Dangun,
Kaesung, capital of Koryo,
Kyungsung, 500-year capital of Chosun,
Kyungju, 2,000 years of Shilla’s culture shines, origin of Pak Hyuk-ko-sai,
Chungchong has Buyo,
the historic capital of Paekche.
Sons of Korea pioneering the future, the waves
of civilization wash against our shores.
Come out of the hills, and march forward in
strength to the world of the future!
23
Stubborn Child Who Never Gives Up
5
My father was not good at collecting debts, but if he borrowed
money, he would honor the pledge to repay, even
if it meant selling the family cow or even removing one
of the pillars from our home and selling it at market. He always said,
“You can’t change the truth with trickery. Anything that is true will
not be dominated by a small trick. Anything that is the result of
trickery won’t go more than a few years before it is exposed.”
My father had a large stature. He was so strong that he had no
difficulty walking up a flight of stairs carrying a bag of rice on his
shoulders. The fact that at age ninety I’m still able to travel around
the world and carry on my work is a result of the physical strength I
inherited from my father.
My mother, whose favorite Christian hymn was “Higher
Ground,” was also quite a strong woman. I take after her not only
for her wide forehead and round face but for her straightforward
and high-spirited personality as well. I have a stubborn streak,
and there is no doubt I am my mother’s child.
When I was a child, I had the nickname “day crier.” I earned this
nickname because once I started to cry, I wouldn’t stop for the entire
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day. When I cried, it would be so loud that people would think something
terrible had happened. People sleeping in bed would come outside to see
what was going on. Also, I didn’t just cry sitting still. I would jump around
the room, injuring myself and creating an uproar. Sometimes I would bleed.
I had this kind of intense personality even when I was young.
Once my mind was made up, I would never back down, not even if
it meant breaking a bone in my body. Of course, this was all before I
became mature. When my mother would scold me for doing something
wrong, I would talk back to her, saying, “No. Absolutely not!” All I had
to do was admit that I was wrong, but I would rather have died than let
those words out of my mouth. My mother, though, had quite a strong
personality as well.
She would strike me, and say, “You think you can get away with not
answering your parent?” Once, she struck me so hard she knocked me
down. Even after I got up, I wouldn’t give in to her. She just stood in front
of me, crying loudly. Even then, I wouldn’t admit that I was wrong.
My competitive spirit was as strong as my stubbornness. I couldn’t
stand to lose in any situation. The adults in the village would say, “Osan’s
Little Tiny-Eyes, once he decides to do something, he does it.”
I don’t remember how old I was when this happened. A boy gave
me a bloody nose and ran away. For a month after that, I would go to
his house every day and stand there, waiting for him to come out. The
village adults were amazed to see me persist until finally his parents
apologized to me. They even gave me a container full of rice cakes.
This doesn’t mean I was always trying to win with stubborn persistence.
I was physically much larger and stronger than other children
my age. No child could beat me in arm wrestling. I once lost a wrestling
match to a boy three years older than I was, and it made me so angry
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that I couldn’t sit still. I went to a nearby mountain, stripped some bark
from an acacia tree, and for the next six months I worked out on this tree
every evening to become strong enough to defeat that child. At the end of
six months, I challenged him to a rematch and managed to beat him.
Each generation in our family has had many children. I had one
older brother, three older sisters, and three younger sisters. I actually
had four other younger siblings who were born after Hyo Seon. Mother
gave birth to thirteen children, but five did not survive. Her heart must
have been deeply tormented. Mother suffered a great deal to raise so
many children in circumstances that were by no means plentiful. As a
child I had many siblings. If these siblings got together with our first and
second cousins, we could do anything. Much time has passed, however,
and now I feel as though I am the only one remaining in the world.
I once visited North Korea for a short while, in 1991. I went to my
hometown for the first time in 48 years and found that my mother and
most of my siblings had passed away. Only one older sister and one
younger sister remained. My older sister, who had been like a mother to
me when I was a child, had become a grandmother of more than seventy
years. My younger sister was older than sixty, and her face was covered
with wrinkles. When we were young, I teased my younger sister a lot.
I would shout, “Hey, Hyo Seon, you’re going to marry a guy with one
eye.” And she would come back with, “What did you say? What makes
you think you know that, Brother?” Then she would run up behind me
and tap me on the back with her tiny fists.
In the year she turned eighteen, Hyo Seon met a man with whom
one of our aunts was trying to arrange her marriage. That morning
she got up early, carefully combed her hair, and powdered her face.
She thoroughly cleaned our home inside and out and waited for her
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prospective groom to arrive. “Hyo Seon,” I teased her, “you must really
want to get married.” This made her blush, and I still remember how
beautiful she looked with the redness in her face showing through the
white powder.
It has been well over ten years since my visit to North Korea. My
older sister, who wept so sorrowfully to see me, has since passed away,
leaving just my younger sister. It fills me with such anguish. I feel as
though my heart may melt away.
I was good with my hands, and I used to make clothes for myself.
When it got cold, I would quickly knit myself a cap to wear. I was better
at it than the women were, and I would give knitting tips to my older
sisters. I once knitted a muffler for Hyo Seon. My hands were as big and
thick as a bear’s paw, but I enjoyed needlework, and I would even make
my own underwear. I would take some cloth off a roll, fold it in half, cut
it to the right design, hem it, sew it up, and put it on. When I made a
pair of traditional Korean socks for my mother this way, she expressed
how much she liked them by saying, “Well, well, I thought Second Son
was just fooling around, but these fit me perfectly.”
In those days it was necessary to weave cotton cloth as a part of
preparations for the marriage of a son or daughter. Mother would take
cotton wool and place it on a spinning wheel to make the thread. This
was called to-ggaeng-i in the dialect of Pyong-an Province. She would
set the width at twenty threads and make twelve pieces of cotton cloth,
thirteen pieces of cotton cloth, and so on. Each time a child would
marry, cotton cloth as soft and beautiful as processed satin would be created
through Mother’s coarse hands. Her hands were incredibly quick.
Others might weave three or four pieces of to-ggaeng-i fabric in a day,
but Mother could weave as many as twenty. When she was in a hurry
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. food is love .
to complete the marriage preparations for one of my older sisters, she
could weave an entire roll of fabric in a day. Mother had an impatient
personality. Whenever she would set her mind to doing something, she
would work quickly to get it done. I take after her in that way.
Since childhood, I have always enjoyed eating a wide variety of foods.
As a child, I enjoyed eating corn, raw cucumber, raw potato, and raw
beans. On a visit to my maternal relatives who lived about five miles
away from our home, I noticed something round growing in the field.
I asked what it was and was told it was ji-gwa, or “earth fruit.” In that
neighborhood, people referred to sweet potatoes as earth fruit. Someone
dug one up and cooked it for me in steam, so I ate it. It had such a
delectable taste that I took a whole basketful of them and ate them all
myself. From the following year, I couldn’t keep myself away from my
maternal relatives’ home for more than three days. I would shout out,
“Mother, I’m going out for a while,” run the whole distance to where
they lived, and eat sweet potatoes.
Where we lived, we had what we called “potato pass” in May. We
would survive the winter on potatoes, until spring came and we could
start harvesting barley. May was a critical period, because if our store
of potatoes was depleted before the barley could be harvested, people
began to starve. Surviving the time when potato stores were running
low and the barley had not yet been harvested was similar to climbing
to a steep mountain pass, so we called it potato pass.
The barley we ate then was not the tasty, flat-grained barley that we
see today. The grains were more cylindrical in shape, but that was all
right with us. We would soak the barley in water for about two days
before cooking it. When we sat down to eat, I would press down on the
barley with my spoon, trying to make it stick together. It was no use,
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though, because when I scooped it up in my spoon, it would just scatter
like so much sand. I would mix it with gochujang (red pepper paste)
and take a mouthful. As I chewed, the grains of barley would keep coming
out between my teeth, so I had to keep my mouth tightly closed.
We also used to catch and eat tree frogs. In those days in rural areas,
children would be fed tree frogs when they caught the measles and their
faces became thin from the weight loss. We would catch three or four
of these frogs that were big and had plenty of flesh on their fat legs. We
would roast them wrapped in squash leaves, and they would be very
tender and tasty, just as though they had been steamed in a rice cooker.
Speaking of tasty, I can’t leave out sparrow and pheasant meat, either.
We would cook the lovely colored eggs of mountain birds and the
waterfowl that would fly over the fields making a loud, gulping call.
As I roamed the hills and fields, this is how I came to understand
that there was an abundance of food in the natural environment
given to us by God.
29
Loving Nature to Learn from It
5
My personality was such that I had to know about everything
that I could see. I couldn’t just pass over something
superficially. I would start thinking, “I wonder what the
name of that mountain is. I wonder what’s up there.” I had to go see for
myself. While still a child, I climbed to the tops of all the mountains
that were in a five-mile radius of our home. I went everywhere, even
beyond the mountains. That way, when I saw a mountain shining in
the morning sunlight, I could have an image in my mind of what was
on that mountain and I could gaze at it in comfort. I hated even to look
at places I didn’t know. I had to know about everything I could see,
and even what was beyond. Otherwise, my mind was so restless that I
couldn’t endure it.
When I went to the mountains, I would touch all the flowers and
trees. I wasn’t satisfied just to look at things with my eyes; I had to touch
the flowers, smell them, and even put them in my mouth and chew on
them. I enjoyed the fragrances, the touch, and the tastes so much that
I wouldn’t have minded if someone had told me to stick my nose in
the brush and keep it there the whole day. I loved nature so much that
anytime I went outside, I would spend the day roaming the hills and
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fields and forget about having to go home. When my older sisters would
go into the hills to gather wild vegetables, I would lead the way up the
hill and pick the plants. Thanks to this experience, I know a lot about
many kinds of wild vegetables that taste good and are high in nutrition.
I was particularly fond of a member of the sunflower family called
sseum-ba-gwi (scientific name Ixeris dentata). You could mix it with
seasoned bean paste and put it in a dish of gochujang bibimbap, and it
would have a wonderful flavor. When you eat sseum-ba-gwi, you need
to put it in your mouth and then hold your breath for a few seconds.
This is the time it takes for the bitter taste to go away and for a different,
sweet taste to come out. It’s important to get the correct rhythm to enjoy
the wonderful flavor of sseum-ba-gwi.
I used to enjoy climbing trees as well. Mainly I climbed up and down
a huge, two-hundred-year-old chestnut tree that was in our yard. I liked
the view from the upper branches of that tree. I could see even beyond
the entrance to the village. Once I was up there, I wouldn’t want to come
down. Sometimes, I would be up in the tree until late at night, and the
youngest of my older sisters would come out of the house and make a
fuss over how dangerous it was and try to get me to come down.
“Yong Myung, please come down,” she would say. “It’s late, and you
need to come in and go to bed.”
“If I get sleepy, I can sleep up here.”
It didn’t matter what she said; I wouldn’t budge from my branch in
the chestnut tree. Finally, she would lose her temper, and shout at me,
“Hey, monkey! Get down here now!”
Maybe it’s because I was born in the Year of the Monkey that I enjoyed
climbing trees so much. When chestnut burrs hung in clusters
from the branches, I would take a broken branch and jump up and
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down to knock them down. I remember this being a lot of fun. I feel
sorry for children these days who don’t grow up in the countryside and
don’t experience this kind of enjoyment.
The birds flying free in the sky were also objects of my curiosity.
Once in a while some particularly pretty birds would come by, and I
would study everything I could about them, noticing what the male
looked like and what the female looked like. There were no books back
then to tell me about the various kinds of trees, shrubs, and birds, so
I had to examine each myself. Often I would miss my meals because
I would be hiking around the mountains looking for the places where
migratory birds went.
Once I climbed up and down a tree every morning and evening for
several days to check on a magpie nest. I wanted to see how a magpie
lays its eggs. I finally got to witness the magpie lay its eggs, and I became
friends with the bird as well. The first few times it saw me, the magpie
let out a loud squawk and made a big fuss when it saw me approach.
Later, though, I could get close and it would remain still.
The insects in that area were also my friends. Every year, in late
summer, a clear-toned cicada would sing in the upper branches of a
persimmon tree that was right outside my room. Each summer, I would
be grateful when the loud, irritating sounds of the other types of cicada
that made noise all summer would suddenly stop and be replaced by
the song of the clear-toned cicada. Its song let me know that the humid
summer season would soon pass, with the cool autumn to follow.
Their sound went something like this: “Sulu Sulululululu!”
Whenever I would hear the clear-toned cicada sing like this, I would
look up into the persimmon tree and think, “Of course, as long as it’s
going to sing, it has to sing from a high place so that everyone in the
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village can hear it and be glad. Who could hear it if it went into a pit
and sang?”
I soon realized that both the summer cicadas and the clear-toned
cicadas were making sounds for love.
Whether they were singing, “Mem mem mem” or “Suluk sulu,” they
were making sounds in order to attract their mates. Once I realized this,
I couldn’t help but laugh every time I heard an insect start singing.
“Oh, you want love, don’t you? Go ahead and sing, and find yourself
a good mate.”
Gradually I learned how to be friends with everything in nature in a
way that we could share our hearts with each other.
The Yellow Sea coast was only about two and a half miles from our
home. It was near enough that I could easily see it from any high place
near our home. There was a series of water pools along the path to the
sea, and a creek flowed between them. I would often dig around one
of those pools smelling of stale water to catch eel and freshwater mud
crab. I would poke around in all sorts of places to catch different kinds
of water life, so I came to know where each kind lived. Eels, by nature,
do not like to be visible, so they hide their long bodies in crab holes and
other similar places. Often, though, they can’t quite fit all of their bodies
in the holes, so the ends of their tails remain sticking out. I could easily
catch them, simply by grabbing the tail and pulling the eel out of its
hole. If we had company in our home and they wanted to eat steamed
eel, then it was nothing for me to run the three and a half miles roundtrip
to the water pools and bring back about five eels. During summer
vacations, I would often catch more than forty eels in a day.
There was one chore I didn’t like doing. This was to feed the cow.
Often, when my father would tell me to feed the cow, I would take it to
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the meadow of the neighboring village, where I would tie it up and run
away. But after a while, I would start to worry about the cow. When I
looked back, I could see it was still there, right where I had tied it. It just
stayed there, half the day or more, mooing and waiting for someone to
come feed it. Hearing the cow mooing in the distance, I would feel sorry
for it and think, “That cow! What am I going to do with it?” Maybe you
can imagine how I felt to ignore the cow’s mooing. Still, when I would
go back to it late in the evening, it wouldn’t be angry or try to gore me
with its horns. Instead it seemed happy to see me. This made me realize
that a person’s perspective on a major objective in life should be like
that of a cow. Bide your time with patience, and something good will
come to you.
There was a dog in our home that I loved very much. It was so smart
that when it came time for me to come home from school, it would run
to meet me when I was still a long distance from home. Whenever it
saw me, it acted happy. I would always pet it with my right hand. So,
even if it happened to be on my left side, it would go around to my right
side and rub its face against me, begging to be petted. Then I would take
my right hand and pet it on its head and back. If I didn’t, the dog would
whine and run circles around me as I walked down the road.
“You rascal,” I would say. “You know about love, don’t you? Do you
like love?”
Animals know about love. Have you ever seen a mother hen sitting
on her eggs until they hatch? The hen will keep her eyes open and stamp
her foot on the ground so no one can go near it. I would go in and out of
the chicken coop, knowing it would make the hen angry. When I would
go into the coop, the hen would straighten its neck and try to threaten
me. Instead of backing away, I would also act in a threatening manner
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toward the hen. After I went into the coop a few times, the hen would just
pretend not to see me. But she would keep herself bristled up and her claws
long and sharp. She looked like she wanted to swoosh over and attack me,
but she couldn’t move because of the eggs. So she just sat there in anguish.
I would go near and touch her feathers, but she wouldn’t budge. It seemed
that it was determined not to move from that spot until her eggs had
hatched, even if it meant letting someone pluck all the feathers from her
bosom. Because it is so steadfastly attached to its eggs through love, the hen
has an authority that keeps even the rooster from doing whatever it wants.
The hen commands complete authority over everything under heaven, as if
to say, “I don’t care who you are. You had better not disturb these eggs!”
There is also a demonstration of love when a pig gives birth to piglets.
I followed a mother pig around so I could watch it give birth to its
litter. At the moment of birth, the mother pig gives a push with a loud
grunt and a piglet slips out onto the ground. The pig lets out another
loud grunt and a second piglet comes out. It was similar with cats and
dogs. It made me very happy to see these little baby animals that hadn’t
even opened their eyes come into the world. I couldn’t help but laugh
with joy.
On the other hand, it gave me much anguish to witness the death
of an animal. There was a slaughterhouse a little ways from the village.
Once a cow was inside the slaughterhouse, a butcher would appear out
of nowhere and strike the cow with an iron hammer about the size of a
person’s forearm. The cow would fall over. In the next moment, it would
be stripped of its hide and its legs would be cut off. Life hangs on so
desperately that the stumps remaining on the cow after its legs were cut
off would continue to quiver. It brought tears to my eyes to watch this,
and I cried out loud.
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From when I was a child, I have had a certain peculiarity. I could
know things that others didn’t, as if I had some natural paranormal
ability. If I said it was going to rain, then it would rain. I might be sitting
in our home and say, “The old man Mr. So-and-So in the next village
doesn’t feel well today.” And it would always be right. From the time
I was eight I was well known as a champion matchmaker. I only had
to see photographs of a prospective bride and groom and I could tell
everything. If I said, “This marriage is bad,” and they went ahead and
married anyway, they would inevitably break up later. I’ve been doing
this until I’ve turned 90, and now I can tell much about a person just
seeing the way he sits or the way he laughs.
If I focused my thoughts, I could tell what my older sisters were
doing at a particular moment. So, although my older sisters liked
me, they also feared me. They felt that I knew all their secrets. It may
seem like I have some incredible paranormal power, but actually
it isn’t anything to be surprised about. Even ants, which we often
think of as insignificant creatures, can tell when the rainy season is
coming, and they go to where they can stay dry. People in tune with
nature should be able to tell what is ahead for them. It’s not such a
difficult thing.
You can tell which way the wind is going to blow by carefully
examining a magpie’s nest. A magpie will put the entrance to its
nest on the opposite side from the direction where the wind is going
to blow. It will take twigs in its beak and weave them together in a
complex fashion, and then pick up mud with its beak and plaster the
top and bottom of the nest so that the rain doesn’t get in. It arranges
the ends of the twigs so that they all face the same direction. Like
a gutter on a roof, this makes the rain flow toward one place. Even
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magpies have such wisdom to help them survive, so wouldn’t it be
natural for people to have this type of ability as well?
If I were at a cow market with my father, I might say, “Father, don’t
buy this cow. A good cow should look good on the nape of its neck and
have strong front hooves. It should have a firm buttocks and back. This
cow isn’t like that.” Sure enough, that cow would not sell. My father
would say, “How do you know all this?” and I would reply, “I’ve known
that since I was in mother’s womb.” Of course, I wasn’t serious.
If you love cows, you can tell a lot about them. The most powerful
force in the world is love, and the most fearful thing is a mind and body
united. If you quiet yourself and focus your mind, there is a place deep
down where the mind is able to settle. You need to let your mind go to
that place. When you put your mind in that place and go to sleep, then
when you awake you will be extremely sensitive. That is the moment
when you should turn away all extraneous thoughts and focus your
consciousness. Then you will be able to communicate with everything.
If you don’t believe me, try it right now. Each life form in the world seeks
to connect itself with that which gives it the most love. So if you have
something that you don’t truly love, then your possession or dominion
is false and you will be forced to give it up.
37
Talking about the
Universe with the Insects
5
Spending time in the forest cleanses the mind. The sound of leaves
rustling in the wind, the sound of the wind blowing through the
reeds, the sound of frogs croaking in the ponds: All you can hear
are the sounds of nature; no extraneous thoughts enter the mind. If you
empty your mind and receive nature into your entire being, there is no
separation between you and nature. Nature comes into you, and you
become completely one with nature. In the moment that the boundary
between you and nature disappears, you feel a profound sense of joy.
Then nature becomes you, and you become nature.
I have always treasured such experiences in my life. Even now, I close
my eyes and enter a state in which I am one with nature. Some refer to
this as anฤtman, or “not-self,” but to me it is more than that, because nature
enters and settles into the place that has been made empty. While
in that state, I listen to the sounds that nature hands to me—the sounds
of the pine trees, the sounds of the bugs—and we become friends. I
could go to a village and know, without meeting anyone, the disposition
of the minds of the people living there. I would go into the meadow
of the village and spend the night there, then listen to what the crops
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in the fields would tell me. I could see whether the crops were sad or
happy and that would tell me the kind of people who lived there.
The reason I could be in jail in South Korea and the United States,
and even North Korea, and not feel lonely and isolated is that even in
jail I could hear the sound of the wind blowing and talk to the bugs that
were there with me.
You may ask, “What do you talk about with bugs?” Even the
smallest grain of sand contains the principles of the world, and even
a speck of dust floating in the air contains the harmony of the universe.
Everything around us was given birth through a combination
of forces so complex we cannot even imagine it. These forces are
closely related to each other. Nothing in the universe was conceived
outside the heart of God. The movement of just one leaf holds within it
the breathing of the universe.
From childhood, I have had a gift of being able to resonate with
the sounds of nature as I roam around the hills and meadows. Nature
creates a single harmony and produces a sound that is magnificent
and beautiful. No one tries to show off and no one is ignored; there
is just a supreme harmony. Whenever I found myself in difficulty,
nature comforted me; whenever I collapsed in despair, it raised me
back up. Children these days are raised in urban areas and don’t
have opportunities to become familiar with nature, but developing
sensitivity to nature is actually more important than developing our
knowledge. What is the purpose of providing a university education
to a child who cannot feel nature in his bosom and whose sensitivities
are dull? The person separated from nature can gather book
knowledge here and there and then easily become an individualistic
person who worships material goods.
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We need to feel the difference between the sound of spring rain falling
like a soft whisper and that of the autumn rain falling with pops
and crackles. It is only the person who enjoys resonance with nature
who can be said to have a true character. A dandelion blooming by
the side of the road is more precious than all the gold in the world. We
need to have a heart that knows how to love nature and love people.
Anyone who cannot love nature or love people is not capable of loving
God. Everything in creation embodies God at the level of symbol, and
human beings are substantial beings created in the image of God. Only
a person who can love nature can love God.
I did not spend all my time roaming the hills and meadows and playing.
I also worked hard helping my older brother run the farm. On a
farm there are many tasks that must be done during a particular season.
The rice paddies and fields need to be plowed. Rice seedlings need to be
transplanted, and weeds need to be pulled. When one is pulling weeds,
the most difficult task is to weed a field of millet. After the seeds are
planted, the furrows need to be weeded at least three times, and this
is backbreaking work. When we were finished, we couldn’t straighten
our backs for awhile. Sweet potatoes don’t taste very good if they are
planted in clay. They need to be planted in a mixture of one-third clay
and two-thirds sand if they are going to produce the best-tasting sweet
potatoes. For corn, human excrement was the best fertilizer, so I would
take my hands and break up all the solid excrement into small pieces.
By helping out on the farm, I learned what was needed to make beans
grow well, what kind of soil was best for soybeans, and what soil was
best for red beans. I am a farmer’s farmer.
Pyong-an Province was among the first places in Korea to accept
Christian culture, so farmland was already arranged in straight lines in
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the 1930s and 1940s. To transplant rice seedlings, we would take a pole
with twelve equally spaced markings to indicate where the rows would
go and lay it across the width of the paddy. Then two people would
move along the pole, each planting six rows of seedlings. Later, when I
came to the southern part of Korea, I saw that they would put a string
across the paddy and have dozens of people splashing around in there.
It seemed like a very inefficient way of doing it. I would spread my legs
to twice the width of my shoulders so I could plant the seedlings more
quickly. During the rice-planting season, I was able to earn enough
money to at least cover my own tuition.
41
Ardent Student
5
When I turned ten, my father had me attend a traditional
school in our village, where an old man taught Chinese
classics. At this school, all we had to do was memorize one
booklet each day. I would focus myself and complete the memorization
in a half hour. If I could stand in front of the schoolmaster and recite
that day’s lesson, then I was finished for the day. If the schoolmaster
dozed off in the early afternoon, I would leave the school and go into the
hills and meadows. The more time I spent in the hills, the more I knew
where to find edible plants. Eventually, I was eating enough of these plants
that I could go without lunch, and I stopped eating lunch at home.
At school, we read the Analects of Confucius and the works of Mencius,
and we were taught Chinese characters. I excelled at writing, and
by the time I was twelve the schoolmaster had me making the model
characters that other students would learn from. Actually, I wanted to
attend a formal school, not the traditional village school. I felt I shouldn’t
be just memorizing Confucius and Mencius when others were building
airplanes. This was April, and my father had already paid my full
year’s tuition in advance. Even though I knew this, I decided to quit the
village school and worked to convince my father to send me to a formal
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school. I worked on convincing my grandfather and even my uncle.
To transfer into elementary school, I had to take an exam. To study for
this exam, I had to attend a preparatory school. I convinced one of my
younger cousins to go with me, and we both entered the Wonbong
Preparatory School and began our studies for the exam to transfer
into elementary school.
The next year, when I was fourteen, I passed the exam and transferred
into the third grade at Osan School. I had a late start, but I
studied hard and was able to skip the fifth grade. Osan School was
five miles from our home, but I never missed a day or was ever late
for school. Each time I would climb a hill in the road, a group of
students would be waiting for me. I would walk so quickly, though,
that they would have a hard time keeping up. This is how I traveled
that mountain road that was rumored to be a place where tigers
sometimes appeared.
The Osan School was a nationalist school established by Yi Sung
Hun, who was active in the independence movement. Not only was
the Japanese language not taught, but students were actually forbidden
to speak Japanese. I had a different opinion on this. I felt that we
had to know our enemy if we were to defeat it. I took another transfer
exam and entered the fourth grade of the Jung-ju Public Normal
School. In public schools, all classes were conducted in Japanese, so
I memorized katakana and hiragana the night before my first day of
class. I didn’t know any Japanese, so I took all the textbooks from
grades one through four and memorized them over the course of
two weeks. This enabled me to start understanding the language.
By the time I graduated from grammar school, I was fluent in Japanese.
On the day of my graduation, I volunteered to give a speech before
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a gathering of all the important people in Jung-ju. Normally in that
situation, the student is expected to speak about his gratitude for the
support received from his teachers and the school. Instead, I referred to
each of my teachers by name and critiqued them, pointing out problems
in the way the school was run. I also spoke on our time in history and
the kind of determination that people in responsible positions should
make. I gave this rather critical speech entirely in Japanese.
“Japanese people should pack their bags as soon as possible and go
back to Japan,” I said. “This land was handed down to us by our ancestors,
and all the future generations of our people must live here.”
I said these things in front of the chief of police, the county chief, and
town mayor. I was taking after the spirit of Great-Uncle Yun Guk Moon
and saying things that no one else dared say. The audience was shocked.
When I left the stage, I could see people’s faces had turned pale. Nothing
happened to me that day, but there were problems later on. From
that day, the Japanese police marked me as a person to be tracked and
began watching me, making a nuisance of themselves. Later, when I was
trying to go to Japan to continue my studies, the chief of police refused
to place his stamp on a form that I needed, and this caused me some
trouble. He regarded me as a dangerous person who should not be allowed
to travel to Japan and refused to stamp the form for me. I had a
big argument with him and finally convinced him to put his stamp on
the form. Only then could I go to Japan.
CHAPTER two
a RIVER OF HEART
FLOWS WITH TEARS
46
Between Fear and Inspiration
5
As I grew older and more mature, I became preoccupied with the
question, “What will I be when I grow up?” I enjoyed observing
and studying nature, so I gave some thought to becoming
a scientist. However, I changed my mind after I saw the tragedy of how
people were plundered by the Japanese colonial authorities. They suffered
so much that they could not even feed themselves. It didn’t seem
that becoming a scientist, even if it led to my winning a Nobel Prize,
would be a way for me to wipe away the tears of suffering people.
I wanted to become a person who could take away the tears that
flowed from people’s eyes and the sorrow that was in their hearts. When
I was lying in the forest listening to the songs of the birds, I would think,
“The world needs to be made as warm and tender as those songs. I should
become someone who makes people’s lives as fragrant as flowers.” I didn’t
know what career I should pursue to accomplish that, but I became convinced
that I should be a person who could give happiness to people.
When I was ten our family converted to Christianity by the grace
of Great-Uncle Yun Guk Moon, who was a minister and led a fervent
life of faith. From then on, I attended church faithfully, without ever
missing a week. If I arrived at service even a little late, I would be so
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ashamed that I could not even raise my face. I don’t know what I could
have understood at such a young age to inspire me to be this way, but
God was already a huge presence in my life. I was spending more and
more time wrestling with questions dealing with life and death, and the
suffering and sorrows of human existence.
When I was twelve, I witnessed my great-grandfather’s grave being
moved. Normally, only adults in the clan would be allowed to attend
such an occasion, but I wanted very much to see for myself what happened
to people after they died. I eventually persuaded my parents to
allow me to come along. When the grave was dug up and I saw his
remains, I was overcome with shock and fear. While the adults opened
the grave with solemn ceremony, all I saw was a scrawny skeleton. There
was no trace of the features my father and mother had described to me.
There was only the hideous sight of white bones.
It took me a while to get over the shock of seeing my great-grandfather’s
bones. I said to myself, “Great-grandfather must have looked just
like us. Does this mean my parents, too, will turn into just a bunch of
white bones after they die? Is this what will happen to me when I die?
Everyone dies, but after we die, do we just lie there unable to think
about anything?” I couldn’t get these questions out of my head.
Around that same time, a number of strange events occurred in our
home. I have a vivid memory of one in particular. Each time our family
wove cloth, we would take the snippets of thread from the spinning
wheel and save them in an earthenware jar until we had enough to make
a bolt of cloth. The cloth we made from these snippets, called yejang,
was a special cloth used when a child in the family was getting married.
One night, these snippets were found scattered all over the branches of
an old chestnut tree in a neighboring village. They made the tree look
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like it had turned white. We couldn’t understand who would have taken
the snippets from the jar and carried them all the way to the chestnut
tree, which was quite a distance from our home, and then spread them
all over the tree. It didn’t seem like something that could be done by
human hands, and it frightened everyone in the village.
When I was sixteen, we experienced the tragedy of having five of
my younger siblings die in a single year. No words could describe the
heartbreak of our parents in losing five of their thirteen children in such
a short time. Death seemed to spread. Other clan members lost their
livestock. One home’s cow suddenly died, though it had been in perfect
health. At another home, several horses died, one after another. At a
third home, seven pigs died in one night.
The suffering of one family seemed connected to the suffering of the
nation and of the world. I was increasingly troubled to see the wretched
situation of the Korean people under Japan’s increasingly tyrannical
rule. People didn’t have enough to eat. They were sometimes forced to
take grass, tree bark, and whatever else they could find, and boil these
for food. There seemed to be no end to wars around the world. Then
one day I read an article in a newspaper about the suicide of a middleschool
student who was the same age as I.
“Why did he die?” I asked myself. “What would drive a person to kill
himself at such a young age?” I was devastated by this news, as if it had
happened to someone who had been close to me. With the newspaper
open to that article, I wept aloud for three days and nights. The tears
kept coming, and I couldn’t make them stop.
I couldn’t comprehend the series of strange events, or the fact that
tragic events were happening to good people. Seeing the bones of my
great-grandfather had inspired me to start asking questions about life
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and death, and the series of unusual events in and around our home
caused me to hang on to religion. The Word of God I was hearing in
church, however, was not sufficient by itself to give me the clear answers
I was seeking. To relieve the frustrations in my heart, I naturally began
to immerse myself in prayer.
“Who am I? Where did I come from? What is the purpose of
life? What happens to people when they die? Is there a world of the
eternal soul? Does God really exist? Is God really all-powerful? If He
is, why does He just stand by and watch the sorrows of the world?
If God created this world, did He also create the suffering that is in
the world? What will bring an end to Korea’s tragic occupation by
Japan? What is the meaning of the suffering of the Korean people?
Why do human beings hate each other, fight, and start wars?” My
heart was filled with these serious and fundamental questions. No
one could easily answer them for me, so my only option was to pray.
Prayer helped me to find solace. Whenever I laid out the anguishing
problems in my heart to God, all my suffering and sorrow vanished and
my heart felt at ease. I began spending more and more time in prayer, to
the point that, eventually, I began praying through the night all the time.
As a result, I had a rare and precious experience in which God answered
my prayers. That day will always remain as the most cherished memory
of my life—a day I can never forget.
It was the night before Easter in the year I turned sixteen. I was on
Mount Myodu praying all night and begging God in tears for answers.
Why had He created a world so filled with sorrow and despair? Why was
the all-knowing and all-powerful God leaving the world in such pain?
What should I do for my tragic homeland? I wept in tears as I asked these
questions repeatedly.
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Early Easter morning, after I had spent the entire night in prayer,
Jesus appeared before me. He appeared in an instant, like a gust of
wind, and said to me, “God is in great sorrow because of the pain of
humankind. You must take on a special mission on earth having to do
with Heaven’s work.”
That day, I saw clearly the sorrowful face of Jesus. I heard his voice
clearly. The experience of witnessing the manifestation of Jesus caused my
body to shake violently, like a quaking aspen’s leaves trembling in a strong
breeze. I was simultaneously overcome with fear so great I felt I might die
and gratitude so profound I felt I might explode. Jesus spoke clearly about
the work I would have to do. His words were extraordinary, having to do
with saving humanity from its suffering and bringing joy to God.
My initial response was, “I can’t do this. How can I do this? Why
would you even give me a mission of such paramount importance?” I
was truly afraid. I wanted somehow to avoid this mission, and I clung
to the hem of his clothing and wept inconsolably.
51
The More It Hurts,
the More You Should Love
5
I was thrown into extreme confusion. I couldn’t open my
heart to my parents and share my huge secret with them. But
neither could I just keep it to myself. I was at a loss over what
to do. What was clear was that I had received a special mission
from Heaven. It was such a huge and tremendous responsibility. I
shuddered in fear to think that I might not be able to handle it on
my own. I clung to prayer even more than before, in an attempt to
quiet my confused heart. But even this had no effect. No matter
how much I tried, I could not free myself for even a moment from
the memory of having met Jesus. In an effort to quiet my heart
and my tears, I composed the following poem:
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Crown of Glory
When I doubt people, I feel pain.
When I judge people, it is unbearable.
When I hate people, there is no value to my existence.
Yet if I believe, I am deceived.
If I love, I am betrayed.
Suffering and grieving tonight, my head in my hands,
Am I wrong?
Yes I am wrong.
Even though we are deceived, still believe.
Though we are betrayed, still forgive.
Love completely, even those who hate you.
Wipe your tears away and welcome with a smile
Those who know nothing but deceit,
And those who betray without regret.
O, Master, the pain of loving.
Look at my hands.
Place your hand on my chest.
My heart is bursting, such agony.
But when I love those who acted against me,
I brought victory.
If you have done the same things,
I will give you the Crown of Glory.
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My encounter with Jesus changed my life completely. His sorrowful
expression was etched into my heart as if it had been branded there, and
I could not think of anything else. From that day on, I immersed myself
completely in the Word of God. At times, I was surrounded by endless
darkness and filled with such pain that it was difficult to breathe. At
other times, my heart was filled with joy, as though I were watching
the morning sun rise above the horizon. I experienced a series of days
like these that led me into a deeper and deeper world of prayer. I
embraced new words of truth that Jesus was giving me directly and
let myself be completely captivated by God. I began to live an entirely
different life. I had many things to think about, and I gradually became
a boy of few words.
Anyone who follows the path of God must pursue his goal with his
whole heart and total dedication. It requires a steadfastness of purpose.
I am stubborn by birth, so I have always had plenty of tenacity. I used
this God-given tenacity to overcome difficulties and follow the way that
was given me. Anytime I began to waver, I steadied myself by remembering:
“I received God’s word directly.” It was not easy to choose this
course, because it would require me to sacrifice the rest of my youth. At
times, I felt I would rather avoid the path.
A wise person will place hope in the future and continue to
move forward, no matter how difficult it may be. A foolish person,
on the other hand, will throw away his future for the sake of
immediate happiness. I, too, at times held foolish thoughts when
I was still very young, but in the end I chose the path of the wise
person. I gladly offered up my life in order to pursue the way God
desired. I could not have run away if I tried; this was the only way
I could have chosen.
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So why did God call me? Even now, at ninety years of age, I wonder
every day why God called me. Of all the people in the world,
why did He choose me? It wasn’t because I had a particularly good
appearance, or outstanding character, or deep conviction. I was
just an unremarkable, stubborn, and foolish young boy. If God saw
something in me, it must have been a sincere heart that sought Him
with tears of love. Whatever the time or place, love is most important.
God was searching for a person who would live with a heart
of love and who, when faced with suffering, could cut off its effects
with love. I was a boy in a rural village with nothing to show for
myself. Even now, I insist uncompromisingly on sacrificing my life
to live for God’s love and nothing else.
There was nothing I could know on my own, so I took all my questions
to God. I asked, “God, do You really exist?” and that was how I
came to know that He did, in fact, exist. I asked, “God, do You have any
cherished desires?” and this was how I came to know that He, too, had
cherished desires. I asked Him, “God, do You need me?” and this was
how I discovered that He had use for me.
On those days when my prayers and dedication connected to Heaven,
Jesus appeared to me without fail and conveyed special messages. If I
was earnest in my desire to know something, Jesus would appear with a
gentle expression and give me answers of truth. His words were always
on the mark, and they struck deep into my bosom like sharp arrows.
These were not mere words; they were revelations about the creation of
the universe that opened the door to a new world. When Jesus spoke, it
seemed like a soft breeze, but I took his words to heart and prayed with
an earnestness strong enough to uproot a tree. Gradually, I came into a
new realization about God’s purpose in creating the universe and His
principles of creation.
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During the summer of that year, I went on a pilgrimage around the
country. I had no money. I would go to homes and ask to be fed. If
I was lucky, I caught a ride on a truck. This was how I visited every
corner of the country. Everywhere I went, I saw that my homeland was
a crucible of tears. There was no end to the sorrowful sighs of suffering
from hungry people. Their woeful lamentations turned to tears that
flowed like a river.
“This wretched history must end as quickly as possible,” I told myself.
“Our people must not be left to suffer in sorrow and despair. Somehow,
I need to find a way to go to Japan and to America so that I can let the
world know the greatness of the Korean people.”
Through this pilgrimage, I was able to redouble my determination
toward my future work.
As I clenched my two fists, my mind became totally focused, and I
could see clearly the path I had to follow in my life: “I absolutely will
save our people and bring God’s peace on this earth.”
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A Knife Not Sharpened Grows Dull
5
After completing grammar school, I moved to Seoul and lived
alone in the Heuksok Dong neighborhood while attending
the Kyongsong Institute of Commerce and Industry. The
winter in Seoul was extremely cold. It was normal for the temperature
to fall to minus twenty degrees Celsius, and when it did, the Han River
would freeze over. The house where I lived was on a ridge, and there
was no running water. We drew our water from a well that was so deep
it took more than ten arm-lengths of rope for the pail to reach the water
below. The rope kept breaking, so I made a chain and attached it to the
pail. Each time I brought water up, though, my hands would freeze to
the chain and I could only keep them warm by blowing on them.
To fight the cold, I used my knitting talents. I made a sweater, thick
socks, a cap, and gloves. The hat was so stylish that when I wore it
around town people would think I was a woman.
I never heated my room, even on the coldest winter days, mainly
because I didn’t have the money to do so. I also felt that having a roof
over my head when I slept meant that I was living in luxury compared
to homeless people forced to find ways to keep themselves warm on the
streets. One day, it was so cold I slept while holding a light bulb against
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my body under the quilt, like a hot-water bottle. During the night, I
burned myself on the hot bulb, causing some skin to peel. Even now,
when someone mentions Seoul, the first thing that comes to mind is
how cold it was back then.
My meals consisted of a bowl of rice and never more than one side
dish, whereas average Korean meals include up to twelve side dishes. It
was always one meal, one dish. One side dish was enough. Even today,
because of the habit I formed while living alone, I don’t need many side
dishes at my meals. I prefer to have just one side dish that is prepared
well. When I see a meal that has been prepared with many side dishes, it
only seems troublesome to me. I never ate lunch while attending school
in Seoul. I became accustomed to eating just two meals a day while
roaming around the hills as a child. I continued this lifestyle until I was
nearly thirty.
My time in Seoul gave me a good understanding of how much work
goes into managing a household.
I returned to Heuksok Dong in the 1980s and was surprised to find
the house where I once lived still standing. The room where I lived and
the courtyard where I used to hang my laundry were still there. I was
sad to see, though, that the well where I had to blow on my hands while
pulling up pails of water was gone.
During my time in Heuksok Dong, I adopted for myself the motto,
“Before seeking to dominate the universe, first perfect your ability to
dominate yourself.” This means that to have the strength to save the
nation and save the world, I first had to train my own body. I trained
myself through prayer and meditation and through sports and exercise
programs. As a result, I would not be swayed by hunger or any other
emotion or desire of the physical body. Even when I ate a meal, I would
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say, “Rice, I want you to become the fertilizer for the work that I am
preparing myself to do.” I learned boxing, soccer, and self-defense techniques.
Because of this, although I have gained some weight since I was
young, I still have the flexibility of a young person.
Kyongsong Institute of Commerce and Industry had a policy that
the students would take turns cleaning their own classrooms. In my
class, I decided to clean the classroom every day by myself. I did not
do this as some kind of punishment. It was an expression of my desire
that welled up naturally from within to love the school more than
anyone else. In the beginning, others would try to help, but they could
see I didn’t appreciate this and preferred to do it alone. Eventually my
classmates decided, “Go ahead. Do it by yourself.” And so the cleaning
became my job.
I was an unusually quiet student. Unlike my classmates, I didn’t engage
in idle chatter, and I would often go an entire day without speaking
a word. This may have been the reason that, although I never engaged
in physical violence, my classmates treated me with respect and were
careful how they acted in my presence. If I went to the toilet and there
was a line of students waiting their turn, they would immediately let me
go first. If someone had a problem, I was frequently the one they sought
out for advice.
I was very persistent in asking questions during class, and there
were more than a few teachers who were stumped by my questions.
For example, when we were learning a new formula in mathematics
or physics class, I would ask, “Who made this formula? Please explain
it to us step by step so that I can understand it exactly,” and refused to
back down until I got clear answers. I was relentless with my teachers,
digging deeper and deeper. I couldn’t accept any principle in the world
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until I had taken it apart and figured it out for myself. I found myself
wishing I had been the person to first discover such a beautiful formula.
The stubborn character that had made me cry all night as a little boy
was making its appearance in my studies as well. Just as when I prayed, I
poured myself completely into my studies and invested my full sincerity
and dedication.
Any task we do requires sincerity and dedication, and not just for
a day or two. It needs to be a continuous process. A knife used once
and never sharpened turns dull. The same is true with sincerity and
dedication. We need to continue our efforts on a daily basis with the
thought that we are sharpening our blade daily. Whatever the task, if
we continue the effort in this way, we eventually reach a mystical state.
If you pick up a paintbrush and focus your sincerity and dedication on
your hand and say to yourself, “A great artist will come and help me,”
and concentrate your mind, you can create a wonderful painting that
will inspire the world.
I dedicated myself to learning how to speak faster and more accurately
than anyone else. I would go into a small anteroom where no
one could hear me and practice tongue-twisters out loud. I practiced
pouring out what I wanted to say very quickly. Eventually, I was able
to say ten words in the time that it took others to say just one. Even
now, though I am old, I can speak very quickly. Some say that I speak
so quickly that they have difficulty understanding me, but my heart is
in such a hurry that I cannot bear to speak slowly. My mind is full of
things I want to say. How can I slow down?
In that sense, I am very much like my grandfather, who enjoyed
talking with people. Grandfather could go three or four hours talking
to people in our home’s guest room, explaining to them his views on
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the events of the day. I am the same way. When I am with people and
there is good communication of heart, I completely lose track of time,
and I don’t know if night is falling or if the sun is rising. The words in
my heart form an unstoppable flow. When I am like this, I don’t want
to eat; I just want to talk. It’s difficult for the people who are listening,
and beads of sweat begin to appear on their foreheads. Sweat is running
down my face, too, as I continue talking, and they dare not ask to excuse
themselves and leave. We often end up staying up all night together.
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A Key to Unlock a Great Secret
5
Just as I had climbed all the mountain peaks around my hometown,
I explored every corner of Seoul. In those days, there was a streetcar
line that ran from one end of the city to another. The price of
a ticket was just five jeon, but I didn’t want to spend that money and
would walk all the way into the center of the city. On hot summer days,
I would be dripping with sweat as I walked, and on frigid winter days I
would walk almost at a run, as if piercing my way through a bitter arctic
wind. I walked so quickly that I could go from Heuksok Dong, across
the Han River to the Hwa Shin Department Store on Jong Ro in just
forty-five minutes. Most people would take an hour and a half, so you
can imagine how quickly I was walking. I saved the price of a streetcar
ticket and gave the money to people who needed it more than I did. It
was such a small amount it was embarrassing to give it, but I gave it
with a heart that desired to give a fortune. I gave it with a prayer that
this money would be a seed for the person to receive many blessings.
Every April, my family would send me money for tuition. But I
couldn’t stand by and watch people around me who were in financial
difficulty, so the money wouldn’t even last to May. Once, when I was on
my way to school, I came across a person who was so sick he seemed
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about to die. I felt so bad for him I couldn’t pass him by. I carried him
on my back to a hospital about a mile and a quarter away. I had the
money I intended to use to pay my tuition, so I paid the bill. However,
once I paid the hospital, I had nothing left. In the following days, the
school repeatedly demanded I pay my tuition. My friends felt sorry for
me and took up a collection for me. I can never forget the friends who
helped me through that situation.
The giving and receiving of help is a relationship that is matched in
heaven. You might not realize it at the time, but thinking back later, you
may understand, “Oh, so that’s why God sent me there at that time!”
So if a person who needs your help suddenly appears before you, you
should realize that Heaven sent you to that person to help him, and
then do your best. If Heaven wants you to give the person ten units of
help, it won’t do if you only give him five. If Heaven says to give him ten,
you should give him a hundred. When helping someone, you should be
ready, if necessary, to empty your wallet.
In Seoul, I came across baram ddok, literally “wind rice cake,” for
the first time in my life. These are colorful rice cakes made in a beautiful
design. When I first saw one, I was amazed at how wonderful they
looked. When I bit into one, however, I discovered they had no filling,
only air. They just collapsed in my mouth.
This made me realize something about Seoul at that time. Seoul was
just like a wind rice cake. I understood why people in Seoul were often
thought of as misers by other Koreans. On the surface, Seoul seemed
like a world filled with rich and important people. In reality, though, it
was full of poor people. Many beggars, clothed only in rags, lived under
the Han River Bridge. I visited them, cut their hair for them, and shared
my heart with them. Poor people have many tears. They have a lot of
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sorrow pent up in their hearts. I would just say a few words to someone,
and he would break down in tears. Sometimes, one of them would hand
me rice he had been given as he begged. He would hand it to me with hands
caked in dirt. I never refused the food. I received it with a joyful heart.
I attended church every Sunday in my hometown, and I continued
this practice in Seoul. Mainly, I attended the Myungsudae Jesus Church
located in Heuksok Dong and the Seobinggo Pentecostal Church that
held services on a stretch of sand on the opposite shore of the Han
River. On cold winter days, as I was walking across the frozen river
to Seobinggo Dong, the ice would make crackling sounds under my
feet. At church I served as a Sunday School teacher. The children always
enjoyed my interesting lessons. I am no longer as adept at telling jokes
as I was when I was young, but back then I could tell funny stories.
When I wept, they wept with me, and when I laughed, they laughed
along with me. I was so popular with them that they would follow me
around wherever I went.
Behind Myungsudae is Mount Seodal, also known as Mount Darma.
I would often climb up on a large boulder on Mount Darma and spend
the night in prayer. In hot weather and in cold, I immersed myself in
prayer without missing a night. Once I entered into prayer, I would
weep, and my nose would start to run. I would pray for hours over words
I had received from God. His words were like coded messages, and I felt
I needed to immerse myself even more deeply in prayer. Thinking back
on it now, I realize that even then God had placed in my hands the key
that unlocked the door to secrets. However, I wasn’t able to open the
door, because my prayers were insufficient. I was so preoccupied that,
when I ate my meals, it didn’t feel as though I were eating. At bedtime,
I would close my eyes, but I couldn’t fall asleep.
. a river of heart flows with tears .
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Other students rooming in the same house didn’t realize I was going
up on the hill to pray. They must have felt I was somehow different,
though, because they related to me with respect. Generally, we got
along well, making each other laugh by telling funny stories. I can relate
well with anyone. If an old woman comes to me, I can be her friend. If
children come, I can play with them. You can have communication of
heart with anyone by relating to them with love.
Mrs. Gi Wan Lee became close to me after she was inspired by my
prayers during early-morning services at the church. We maintained
our friendship for more than fifty years, until she left this world at age
eighty. Her younger sister, Mrs. Gi Bong Lee, was always busy managing
the rooming house, but she related to me with warmth. She would say
she didn’t feel right unless she could find something to do for me. She
would try to give me extra side dishes for my meals. I didn’t talk much
and wasn’t much fun, so I don’t know why she would want to treat me
so well. Some time later, when the Japanese colonial police were holding
me in the Kyounggi Province Police Station, she brought me clothes
and food. Even now it warms my heart to think of her.
There was also a Mrs. Song who ran a small store near my rooming
house. She helped me a lot during this time. She would say that anyone
who lives away from his hometown is always hungry, and she would
bring me items from her store that she had not been able to sell. It was a
small store, and she barely made enough money to support herself, but
she always took care of me with a kind heart.
One day, we held a service on a sandy stretch by the Han River. When
it came time for lunch, everyone found a place to sit down and eat. I was
in the habit of not eating lunch and didn’t feel comfortable sitting there
doing nothing while others ate. I quietly walked away from the group
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and found a place to sit on a pile of rocks. Mrs. Song saw me there and
brought me two pieces of bread and some flavored ice. How grateful I
felt! These were just one jeon apiece, and only four jeon in total, but I
have never been able to forget the gratitude I felt in that moment.
I always remember when someone helps me, no matter how small it
may be. Even now that I am ninety years old, I can recite from memory
all the times that people helped me and what they did for me. I can
never forget the people who did not hesitate to put themselves to great
trouble on my behalf and generously gave me their blessings.
If I receive a favor, it is important to me that I repay it. If I cannot
meet the person who did this for me, it is important for me to remember
that person in my heart. I need to live with the sincere thought that
I will repay the person by helping someone else.
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Like a Fireball Burning Hot
5
After graduating from the Kyongsong Institute in 1942, I traveled
to Japan to continue my studies. I went because I felt that
I needed to have exact knowledge about Japan. On the train
to Busan, I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. I covered myself with
my coat and cried out loud. My nose ran and my face swelled up, I cried
so much. It grieved me to think that I was leaving my country behind as
it suffered under the yoke of colonial rule. I looked out the window as I
wept, and I could see that the hills and rivers were weeping even more
sorrowfully than I was. I saw with my own eyes the tears flowing from
the grass and trees. Upon seeing this vision, I said, “I promise to the
hills and streams of my homeland that I will return, carrying with me
the liberation of my homeland. So don’t cry, but wait for me.”
I boarded the Busan-to-Shimonoseki ferry at two o’clock in the
morning on April 1. There was a strong wind that night, but I could not
leave the deck. I stayed there watching as the lights of Busan became
more and more distant. I stayed on deck until morning. On arriving
in Tokyo, I entered Waseda Koutou Kougakko, a technical engineering
school affiliated with Waseda University. I studied in the electrical
engineering department. I chose electrical engineering because I felt I
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could not establish a new religious philosophy without knowing modern
engineering.
The invisible world of mathematics has something in common with
religion. To do something great, a person needs to excel in powers of
reasoning. Perhaps because of my large head, I was good at mathematics
that others found difficult, and I enjoyed studying it. My head was so
large it was difficult for me to find hats that fit. I had to go to the factory
twice to have a hat tailor-made for me. The size of my head may also
have something to do with my ability to focus on something and finish
relatively quickly what might take others several years to complete.
During my studies in Japan, I peppered my teachers with questions,
just as I had in Korea. Once I began asking questions, I would continue
and continue. Some teachers would pretend not to see me and simply
ignore me when I asked, “What do you think about this?” If I had any
doubts about something, I couldn’t be satisfied until I had pursued the
matter all the way to the root. I wasn’t deliberately trying to embarrass
my teachers. I felt that, if I were going to study a subject, I should study
it completely.
On my desk in the boarding house, I always had three Bibles lying
open side by side. One was in Korean, one in Japanese, and one in
English. I would read the same passages in three languages again and
again. Each time I read a passage, I would underline verses and make
notes in the margins until the pages of my Bibles became stained with
black ink and difficult to read.
Soon after school began, I attended an event held by the Association
of Korean Students to welcome new students from our country. There
I sang a song from our homeland with great fervor, showing everyone
my love for my country. The Japanese police were in attendance, and
. a river of heart flows with tears .
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this was a time when Koreans were expected to assimilate themselves
into Japanese culture. Nonetheless, I sang the Korean song with pride.
Dong Moon Eom, who had entered the department of architectural
engineering that year, was deeply moved to hear me sing this song, and
we became lifelong friends.
During this time, Korean students who were enrolled in various
schools in the Tokyo area had formed an underground independence
movement. This was only natural, as our homeland was groaning in
agony under Japanese colonial rule.
The movement grew in response to what the Japanese called “the
Great East Asian War (1937–1945). As the war intensified, Tokyo began
conscripting Korean students as “student soldiers” and sending them
to the front. The work of the underground independence movement
was spurred on by such moves. We had extensive debates on what to do
about Hirohito, the Japanese emperor. I took on a major position in the
movement. It involved working in close relationship with the Republic
of Korea Provisional Government, located in Shanghai and headed by
Kim Gu. My responsibilities in this position could have required me to
give up my life. I did not hesitate, though, because I felt that, if I died, it
would have been for a righteous cause.
There was a police station beside Waseda University. The Japanese
police got wind of my work and kept a sharp eye on me. The police
always knew when I was about to return home to Korea during school
vacation and would follow me to the dock to make sure I left. I cannot
even remember the number of times I was taken into custody by
the police, beaten, tortured, and locked in a cell. Even under the worst
torture, however, I refused to give them the information they sought.
The more they beat me, the bolder I became. Once I had a fight on the
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Yotsugawa Bridge with police who were chasing me. I ripped out a piece
of the bridge railing and used it as a weapon in the fight. In those days,
I was a ball of fire.
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Befriending Laborers by
Sharing Their Suffering
5
Just as I had done in Seoul, I made it a point to go everywhere
in Tokyo. When my friends would go to places such as Nikko to
see the beautiful scenery, I would prefer to stay behind and walk
through all the neighborhoods of Tokyo. I found that it was a city that
looked fancy on the outside but was actually filled with impoverished
people. Again I gave all the money that I received from home to the
poor people.
Back then everyone in Japan was hungry too. Among the Korean
students there were many who were in financial difficulty. When I received
my allotment of meal tickets each month I would give them all
away to students who couldn’t afford them and told them, “Eat. Eat all
you want.” I didn’t worry about earning money. I could go anywhere and
work as a day laborer and be fed. I enjoyed earning money and using
the money to help pay the tuition of students who didn’t have money.
Helping others and giving them food to eat filled me with energy.
After I had given away all the money I had, I would work as a
deliveryman using a bicycle-drawn cart. I went to every district of Tokyo
with that cart. Once, in Ginza, with its dazzling lights, I was carrying a
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telephone pole on my cart and it turned over in the middle of an intersection.
Everyone around ran for their lives. Because of these kinds of experiences
I still know the geography of Tokyo like the back of my hand.
I was a laborer among laborers and a friend to laborers. Just like the
laborers who smelled of sweat, I would go to the work sites and work
until the sweat was pouring down my body. They were my brothers, and
I didn’t mind the terrible smells. I shared sleeping quilts with them that
were so filthy that black lice crawled across them in a line formation.
I didn’t hesitate to grasp hands that were caked with dirt. Their sweat
mixed with grime was filled with an irresistible warmth of heart. It was
their warm hearts that I found so attractive.
Primarily I worked as a laborer at the Kawasaki steel mill and shipyard.
In the shipyard there were barges used to haul coal. We would
form teams of three laborers each and work until one o’clock in the
morning to fill a barge with 120 tons of coal. We Koreans could do in
one night what it took the Japanese three days to accomplish.
There were people at some work sites who extorted the blood and
sweat of the laborers. Often these were the foremen who directly managed
the laborers. They would take 30 percent of the money earned
by the laborers they managed and keep it for themselves. The laborers
were powerless to do anything about this. The foremen would exploit
the weak but curry favor with those who were strong. I became so angry
with one foreman that I finally went to him with two friends and
demanded that he pay the workers their full wages.
“If you make someone work, then pay him exactly what he is owed,”
I told him.
He still refused, so we went to him a second day and even a third day.
We were determined to keep up the pressure until he relented. Finally I
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kicked him and made him fall down. I am normally a quiet and passive
person, but when I become angry the stubborn character of my younger
years comes back.
The Kawasaki steel mill had vats used to store sulfuric acid. Workers
would clean these by going into them and making the raw material
flow out. The fumes from the sulfuric acid were extremely toxic, and a
person could not remain inside for more than fifteen minutes. Even in
such deplorable working conditions, the workers risked their lives in
order to have food to eat. Food was that precious.
I was always hungry. I was careful, though, to never eat a meal for my
own sake. I felt there needed to be a specific reason for me to eat a particular
meal. So as I would sit down to each meal I would ask myself the
reasons for my hunger: “Did I really work hard? Did I work for myself,
or for a public purpose?” I would face a bowl of rice and tell it, “I am
eating you so that I can do tasks that are more glorious and more for the
public good than what I did yesterday.” Then the rice would smile back
at me with its approval. In those instances, the time spent eating a meal
was mystical and joyful. When I didn’t feel qualified to talk this way, I
would skip the meal no matter how hungry I might be. As a result, there
were not many days when I would have even two meals.
I didn’t limit myself to two meals a day because I had a small appetite. In
fact, once I began to eat there was no limit to the amount I could consume. I
once ate eleven large bowls of udon in one sitting. Another time I ate seven
bowls of a dish consisting of chicken and a fried egg over rice. Despite this
appetite I kept up my custom of not eating lunch and limiting myself to two
meals a day until I was more than thirty years old.
The sensation of hunger is a type of nostalgia. I knew very well about
the nostalgia of hunger, but I believed it was the least I could do to
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sacrifice one meal a day for the sake of the world. I also never allowed
myself to wear new clothes. No matter how cold it might get, I would
not heat my room. When it was extremely cold I used a newspaper to
cover myself; it felt as warm as a quilt made of silk. I am very familiar
with the value of a sheet of newspaper.
At times I would simply go live for a while in an area of Shinagawa
where poor people lived. I slept with them, using rags for cover. On
warm sunny days I picked lice from their hair and ate rice with them.
There were many prostitutes on the streets of Shinagawa. I would listen
to them tell me about themselves, and I became their best friend
without ever drinking a drop of liquor. Some people claim they need to
be drunk in order to speak candidly about what is on their mind, but
that is just an excuse. When these women realized that I was sincere in
my sympathy for them, even without drinking any liquor, they opened
their hearts to me and told me their troubles.
I worked in many different jobs during my studies in Japan. I was
a janitor in an office building. I wrote letters for illiterate people. I
worked at various job sites and was a foreman. I was a fortune teller.
When I needed money quickly, I wrote calligraphy and sold it. I
never fell behind in my studies, however. I believed that all these
things were part of my training process. I did all sorts of jobs and
met all sorts of people. In the process I learned a lot about people.
Because I had this experience I can now take one look at a person and
have a good idea of what the person does for a living and whether he
is a good person. I don’t have to weigh various thoughts in my head,
because my body will tell me first.
I still believe that to develop good character a person needs to
experience many difficulties before turning thirty. People need to go
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down into the crucible of despair at the bottom of human existence and
experience what that is like. People need to discover new possibilities in
the midst of hell. It is only when climbing out of the depths of despair
and making a new determination that we can be reborn as people able
to pioneer a new future.
We should not look only in one direction. We should look at both
those who are in a higher position and those lower. We should know to
look east, west, south, and north. To live a successful life depends on
how well we see with our mind’s eye. To see well with the mind’s eye
we must have many different experiences and remember them. Even
in the most difficult situations we should maintain our composure,
demonstrate warmth toward others, be self-reliant, and adapt well to
any circumstance.
A person of good character must be accustomed to rising to a high
position and then quickly falling to a low position. Most people are
afraid of falling from a high position, so they do everything they can to
preserve it. However, water that does not flow becomes stale. A person
who rises to a high position must be able to go back down and wait for
the time to come again. When the opportunity comes, he can rise to an
even higher position than before. This is the type of person who can
acquire a greatness that is admired by many people and is a great leader.
These are the experiences that a person should have before turning thirty.
Today I tell young people to experience everything they can in the
world. They need to directly or indirectly experience everything in the
world, as if they were devouring an encyclopedia. It is only then that
they can form their own identity. A person’s self-identity is his clear
subjective nature. Once a person has the confidence to say, “I can go
all around the country, and I will never come across a person who is
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capable of defeating me,” then he is ready to take on any task and have
the confidence to accomplish it successfully. When a person lives life in
this way, he will be successful. Success is assured. This is the conclusion
I arrived at while living as a beggar in Tokyo.
I shared meals and slept with laborers in Tokyo, shared the grief of
hunger with beggars, learned the hard life, and earned my doctorate in
the philosophy of suffering. Only then was I able to understand God’s
will as He works to bring salvation to humanity. It is important to become
the king of suffering before age thirty. The way to gain the glory of
the Kingdom of Heaven is to become a king of suffering and earn your
doctorate in that philosophy.
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The Calm Sea of the Heart
5
Japan’s situation in the war became increasingly desperate. In the
urgent need to replenish the shrinking ranks of its military, it
began giving early graduation to students and sending them to
the war front. For this reason, I, too, was graduated six months early.
Once my graduation date was set for September 30, 1943, I sent a telegram
to my family saying, “Will return on Konron Maru,” giving the
name of the ship I was scheduled to board in Shimonoseki for Busan.
However, on the day I was to leave Tokyo for the trip back to Korea, I
had a strange experience in which my feet stuck to the ground, preventing
me from moving. As hard as I tried, I could not pick my feet up off
the ground to go to the train at the Tokyo station.
I told myself, “It must be that Heaven doesn’t want me to board that
ship.” So I decided to stay in Japan a while longer and went with my friends
to climb Mount Fuji. When I returned to Tokyo a few days later, I found
the country in an uproar over news that the Konron Maru, the ship I was
supposed to be on, had been sunk on its way to Busan. I was told that more
than five hundred university students had been killed. Konron Maru was
a large ship in which Japan took great pride, but it had been sunk by an
American torpedo.
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When my mother heard the news that the ship her son was scheduled
to board had been sunk, she immediately ran out of the house
without even thinking to put on her shoes. She ran barefoot five miles
to the train station and went directly to Busan. When she arrived at the
Maritime Police Station in Busan, she discovered my name was not on
the passenger manifest. The boarding house in Tokyo, however, told her
that I had packed my bags and left. This put her in total confusion and
agony. She just kept calling my name, not even realizing that she had
large splinters in her bare feet.
I can easily imagine how she must have been beside herself with
worry that something might have happened to her son. I can understand
my mother’s heart, but from the day I chose to follow God’s path I
became a terrible son to her. I couldn’t afford to let myself be tied down
by personal emotions. So I had not sent word that I had not boarded
the ship that had been sunk, even though I knew she would be deeply
concerned for my safety.
Upon finally returning to Korea, I found nothing had changed. Japan’s
tyrannical rule was becoming worse by the day. The entire land
was soaked in blood and tears. I returned to Heuksok Dong in Seoul
and attended the Myungsudae Church. I kept detailed diaries of all the
new realizations that I had each day. On days when I had a great number
of such realizations, I would fill an entire diary. I was receiving answers
to many of the questions that I had struggled with over the years. It was
as if my years of prayers and search for truth were being answered. It
happened in a short time, as if a ball of fire were passing through me.
During this time I had the realization, “The relationship between
God and mankind is that of a father and his children, and God is deeply
saddened to see their suffering.” In this moment all the secrets of the
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universe were resolved in my mind. Suddenly, it was as if someone had
turned on a movie projector. Everything that had happened since the time
humankind broke God’s commandment played out clearly before my eyes.
Hot tears flowed continuously from my eyes. I fell to my knees and bowed
my head to the floor. For the longest time I couldn’t get up. Just as when my
father had carried me home on his back as a child, I laid my body down in
God’s lap and let the tears flow. Nine years after my encounter with Jesus,
my eyes had finally been opened to the true love of God.
God created Adam and Eve and sent them into this world to be fruitful,
to multiply, and to bring about a world of peace where they would
live. But they could not wait for God’s time. They committed fornication
and bore two sons, Cain and Abel. The children who were born from
the Fall did not trust each other and brought about an incident where
one brother murdered the other. The peace of this world was shattered,
sin covered the world, and God’s sorrow began. Then humankind committed
another terrible sin by killing Jesus, the Messiah. So the suffering
that humanity experiences today is a process of atonement that it must
pass through as God’s sorrow continues.
Jesus had appeared to me as a boy of sixteen because he wanted me
to know the root of the Original Sin that humankind had committed
and to bring about a world of peace where sin and the Fall would no
longer exist. I had received God’s serious word to atone for the sins of
humanity and bring about the world of peace that God had originally
created. The world of peace that is God’s desire is not someplace we
go to after death. God wants this world, where we live now, to be the
completely peaceful and happy world that He created in the beginning.
God certainly did not send Adam and Eve into the world for them to
suffer. I had to let the world know this incredible truth.
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Having discovered the secrets of the creation of the universe, I felt
my heart become like a calm ocean. My heart was filled with the word
of God. It felt as though it might explode, and my face was always shining
with joy.
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“Please Don’t Die”
5
I continued to devote myself to prayer, and I came to feel intuitively
that the time had come for me to marry. Because I had decided
to follow God’s path, everything about my life had to be done in
accordance with God’s will. Once I came to know something through
prayer, I had no choice but to follow. So I went to one of my aunts who
had much experience in arranging marriages and asked her to introduce
me to a suitable wife. This is how I met Seon Gil Choi, the daughter of a
prominent Christian family in Jung-ju.
She was a well-raised woman from an upright family. She had attended
only elementary school, but she had a character that disliked
having to cause even the slightest trouble to others. Her character was
so strong and her Christian faith so deep that she had been imprisoned
at age sixteen for refusing to comply with a Japanese colonial requirement
that all Koreans worship at Shinto shrines. I was told that I was the
twenty-fourth man to be considered as her groom, so it seems she was
very selective about whom she would marry. Once I returned to Seoul,
however, I completely forgot I had even met the woman.
My plan after completing my studies in Japan had been to travel to
Hailar, China, a city on the border between China, Russia, and Mongolia.
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My school in Tokyo had arranged a job for me with the Manchuria
Electric Company, and my plan was to work in Hailar for about three
years while learning Russian, Chinese, and Mongolian. Just as I had
earlier sought out a school that would teach me Japanese so that I could
win over the Japanese, I wanted to go to this border city and learn a
number of foreign languages as a way of preparing myself for the future.
It was becoming increasingly clear, however, that Japan was heading for
defeat in the war. I decided that it would be better for me not to go to
Manchuria. So I stopped by a branch office of the Manchuria Electric
Company in Andung (present-day Dandong) and submitted paperwork
to cancel my job placement. I then headed for my hometown. When I
arrived, I found that the aunt whom I had asked to arrange my marriage
was in great distress. Apparently, the woman I had met was refusing to
consider anyone other than me as her partner and was causing great
trouble for her family. My aunt took me by the arm and led me to the
Choi family home.
I explained to Seon Gil Choi clearly about the kind of life I intended
to lead.
“Even if we marry now, you should be prepared to live without me
for at least seven years,” I told her.
“Why should I do that?” she responded.
I told her, “I have a task that is more important than family life. In
fact, my reason for getting married has to do with my ability to carry
out God’s providence. Our marriage needs to develop beyond the family
to the point where we can love the nation and all humanity. Now that
you know that this is my intention, do you truly want to marry me?”
She responded with a firm voice: “It doesn’t matter to me. After I met
you, I dreamed of a field of flowers in the moonlight. I am certain that
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you are my spouse sent from Heaven. I can endure any difficulty.”
I was still concerned, and I pressed her several times. Each time she
sought to set my mind at ease, saying, “I am willing to do anything, as
long as I am able to marry you. Don’t worry about anything.”
My future father-in-law passed away a week before our scheduled
wedding date, so our wedding was delayed. We were finally able to hold
our ceremony on May 4, 1944. Normally May is a time for beautiful
spring days, but on our wedding day it rained heavily. Rev. Ho Bin Lee
of the Jesus Church officiated. Later, after Korea’s liberation from Japan,
Reverend Lee would go to South Korea and establish an ecumenical
seminary called the Jung-ang Seminary. My wife and I began our married
life in my boarding room in Heuksok Dong. I truly loved her and
took such good care of her that the mistress of the boarding house
would say, “Oh my, you must really love her, since you treat her as if you
were handling an egg.”
I got a job at the Kyongsong branch of the Kashima Gumi Construction
Company in Yongsan in order to support our family while I also
carried out church work. Then, one day in October, the Japanese police
suddenly stormed into our home.
“Do you know so-and-so of Waseda University?” they demanded.
Without even giving me a chance to reply, they pulled me out of the
house and took me to the Kyounggi Province Police Station. I was being
detained because one of my friends had been arrested for being a communist
and had mentioned my name to his interrogators.
Once inside the police station, I was immediately subjected to torture.
“You’re a member of the Communist Party, aren’t you? Weren’t you
working with that rascal while you were studying in Japan? Don’t even
bother trying to deny it. All we have to do is put in a call to Tokyo Police
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Headquarters and they will tell us everything. You can give us the list of
party members or die like a dog.”
They beat me with a table and broke all four of its legs against my
body, but I refused to give them the names of the people who had
worked with me in Japan.
The Japanese police then went to where I was living with my wife,
turned it upside down, and discovered my diaries. They brought the
diaries to me and went through them page by page, demanding I tell
them about the names they found. I denied everything, even though
I knew they might kill me for my silence. The police stomped on me
mercilessly with their spiked military boots until my body was as limp
as if I were dead. Then they hung me from the ceiling and swung me
back and forth. Like a slab of meat hanging in a butcher shop, I swung
this way and that as they pushed me with a stick. Soon, blood filled my
mouth and began dripping onto the cement floor below me. Each time
I lost consciousness they would pour a bucket of water over me. When
I regained consciousness the torture would begin again. They held my
nose and stuck the spout of a teakettle into my mouth, forcing me to
swallow water. When my stomach became bloated with water they laid
me face up on the floor, looking like a frog, and began stomping on my
abdomen with their military boots. The water would be forced up my
esophagus and I would vomit until everything turned black. On the
days after I had been tortured this way my esophagus felt as though it
was on fire. The pain was so great I could not bear to swallow a single
mouthful of soup. I had no energy and would just lie face down on the
floor, completely unable to move.
The war was coming to an end, and the Japanese police were desperate.
They tortured me in ways words cannot describe. I endured,
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though, and never gave them the names of any of my friends. Even as
I was going in and out of consciousness, I made sure not to give them
what they wanted. Finally tiring of torturing me, the Japanese police
sent for my mother. When she arrived my legs were so swollen that I
couldn’t stand on my own. Two policemen had to put my arms over
their shoulders and help me walk to the visiting room. My mother had
tears in her eyes even before she set eyes on me.
“Endure just a little longer,” she said. “Mother will somehow get you
a lawyer. Please endure, and don’t die before then.”
My mother saw how my face was covered with blood, and she
pleaded with me.
“It doesn’t matter how much good you are trying to do,” she said. “It’s
more important that you keep yourself alive. No matter what happens,
don’t die.”
I felt sorry for her. I would have liked to call out, “Mother,” embrace
her, and cry out loud with her. I couldn’t do that, though, because I
knew perfectly well why the Japanese police had brought her there. My
mother kept pleading with me not to die, but all I could do in return
was blink my badly swollen and bloodied eyes.
During the time I was held in the Kyounggi Province Police Station, it
was Mrs. Gi Bong Lee, the mistress of the boarding house, who kept me
supplied with food and clothing. She wept every time she visited me. I
would comfort her, saying, “Endure a little longer. This era is coming to
an end. Japan will be defeated soon. You don’t need to cry.” These were
not empty words. God had given me this belief. As soon as the police
released me in February of the following year, I took all my diaries that
had been stacked in the boarding house to the bank of the Han River.
There I burned them so they would not cause any further trouble to
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my friends. If I had not done this, I knew the diaries could eventually
be used by the police to harm others. My body did not recover easily
from the torture. I had blood in my feces for quite a while. Mrs. Lee, the
boarding house mistress, and her sister helped me to nurse my body
back to health with great sincerity and dedication.
Finally, on August 15, 1945, Korea was liberated from Japan. This was
the day every Korean had been waiting for. It was a day of tremendous
emotion. Shouts of “Mansei!” and people waving the Taeguk flag covered
the entire peninsula. I could not join in the festivities, however. My
heart was deadly serious because I could foresee the terrible calamity
that was about to befall the Korean peninsula. I went alone into a small
anteroom and immersed myself in prayer. Soon after that, my fears
were realized. Although liberated from Japanese rule, our homeland
was cut in two at the 38th parallel. In the North, a communist regime
that denied the existence of God came to power.
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A Command That Must Be Obeyed
5
Immediately following liberation, our country was in indescribable
chaos. Daily necessities were difficult to come by, even for
people with money. We ran out of rice in our home, so I set out for
Paekchon, Hwanghae Province, a community north of Seoul and just
south of the 38th parallel, to pick up some rice that had been purchased
previously. On my way, though, I received a revelation that said: “Go
across the 38th parallel! Find the people of God who are in the North.”
I immediately crossed the 38th parallel and headed for Pyongyang.
It had been only a month since our first son was born. I was concerned
for my wife. I knew she would be anxiously waiting for me, but there
was no time for me to return home before going north. God’s commands
are very serious, and they must be followed without reservation
or hesitation. I took nothing with me except for the Bible that I had read
dozens of times and had filled with underlined notes to myself in tiny
letters the size of grains of sesame seeds.
Refugees were already streaming south to escape communist rule. In
particular, the Communist Party’s rejection of religion meant that many
Christians were heading south in search of the freedom to worship. The
communists branded religion as the opiate of the people and insisted
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that no one could have a religion. This was the place where I went, following
the call from Heaven. No minister would want to go into such a
place, but I went there with my own two feet.
As the number of refugees heading south increased, the North began
to tighten its border security. It was not easy for me to get across the
38th parallel. During the time it took me to walk thirty miles to the
border and until my arrival in Pyongyang, I never questioned why I had
to go such a difficult course.
I arrived in Pyongyang on June 6. Christianity had set down its
roots so deeply in this city that it was known as “the Jerusalem of the
East.” During their occupation, the Japanese had tried in several ways
to suppress Christianity. They forced its citizens to worship at Shinto
shrines and even had them bow in the direction of the imperial palace
in Tokyo, where the emperor lived. After arriving in Pyongyang, I began
my evangelical work in the home of Seob Choi Rah, who lived in the
Kyongchang Ri neighborhood near Pyongyang’s West Gate.
I began by taking care of the children in the neighborhood. I would
tell them children’s stories that illustrated Bible verses. They were children,
but I spoke to them in the polite form of speech normally reserved
for adults and did my best to take care of them. At the same time, I held
out hope that someone would come to hear the new message that I had
to convey. There were days when I would watch the front gate the whole
day, hoping that someone would come. Soon, people with sincere faith
began coming to see me.
I would speak to them through the night, teaching them the new
message. It didn’t matter who came. It could be a three-year-old child
or a blind old woman with a bent back. I treated them all with love and
respect. I bowed down in front of them and served them as though they
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had come from heaven. Even if my guests were old men and women, I
would share with them late into the night.
I never said to myself, “Oh, I hate it when such old people come.”
Everyone is precious. Whether it is a man or woman, young or old,
everyone has the same precious value.
People listened to this 26-year-old young man talk to them about the
Letter to the Romans and the Book of Revelation. What they heard was
different from what they had heard elsewhere, so gradually people hungry
for the truth began to gather. One young man would come every day
and listen to me speak but would then leave without saying a word. This
was Won Pil Kim. He became the first member of my spiritual family.
He had graduated from Pyongyang Normal School and was working as
a teacher. We took turns preparing the rice for meals, and this was how
we formed the relationship of spiritual master and disciple.
Once I began lecturing on the Bible, I could not stop until members
of the congregation excused themselves, saying they had other places to
go. I preached with such passion that I would sweat all over my body.
Sometimes I would take a break and go into a separate room where I
was alone, take off my shirt, and wring the sweat out of it. It was like this
not just during the summer but even in the cold of winter. That was how
much energy I poured into my teaching.
For services, everyone dressed in clean white clothing. We sang the
same hymns dozens of times in repetition, making it a very passionate
service. Members of the congregation would be so moved and inspired that
we would all begin to weep. People called us “the weeping church.” When
services ended, members of the congregation testified about the grace they
had received during the service. During these testimonies we felt intoxicated
by grace. It was as though our bodies were floating up to heaven.
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Many people in our church had spiritual experiences. Some
would go into trances, some would prophesy, some would speak in
tongues, some would interpret. Sometimes a person who did not
belong to our church yet would be in the congregation. Another
congregant would go up to him with eyes closed and tap him on the
shoulder. Then that person would suddenly begin praying a tearful
prayer of repentance. In such instances, the hot fire of the Holy
Spirit would pass through our gathering. When the Holy Spirit did
its work, people were cured of long-existing illnesses, as thoroughly
as though they had never existed. A rumor began to circulate that
someone had eaten some of my leftover rice and been cured of an
abdominal condition. People began to say, “The food at that church
has medicinal effects,” and many people began to wait for me to
finish eating, hoping to eat any rice I might leave.
As such spiritual phenomena became known, our congregation
grew, and soon we had so many people that we could not close the
doors. Grandmother Sung Do Ji and Grandmother Se Hyun Ok
came to the church because they each had a dream in which they
were told, “A young spiritual teacher has come from the South and
is now across from Mansudae, so go meet him.” No one evangelized
them. They simply came to the address that they were given in their
dreams. When they arrived they were happy to see that I was the
person they had heard about in their dreams. I only had to see their
faces to understand why they had come. When I answered their
questions, without first asking them what they wanted to know, they
were beside themselves with joy and surprise.
I taught the word of God through stories about my own experiences.
Perhaps for this reason, many people found they were able to receive
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clear answers to questions that they had never been able to get answered
previously. Some believers from large churches in the city converted to
our church after hearing me preach. In one instance, fifteen core members
of the Jangsujae Church, the most prominent church in Pyongyang,
came to our church as a group, causing members of the elders board of
that church to lodge a strong protest against us.
Mrs. In Ju Kim’s father-in-law was a well-known elder in Pyongyang.
The family home was directly adjacent to the church that her
father-in-law attended. Yet, instead of attending that church she
secretly attended ours. To leave her home without her in-laws knowing
she would go to the back of the house, climb up onto one of the
large earthenware jars, and then climb over the fence. She did this
when she was pregnant, and the fence she climbed was two or three
times the height of a normal person. It took courage for her to do
that. Eventually, she received severe persecution from her father-inlaw.
I would know when this was happening. On days when I would
feel a strong pain in my heart, I would send someone to Mrs. Kim’s
home. As they stood outside her home they could hear her being
beaten severely by her father-in-law. He would beat her so severely
that she would shed tears of blood. She would say later, though, that
the knowledge that our members were standing outside the gate
praying for her would take away her pain.
“Teacher, how did you know I was being beaten?” she would later
ask me. “When our members are at the gate, my pain goes away, and
my father-in-law finds that it takes much more energy for him to
beat me. Why is that?”
Her in-laws beat her and even tied her to a post, but they still could
not stop her from coming to our church. Finally, her family members
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came to our church and started beating me. They tore my clothing and
made my face swell up, but I never struck them back. I knew that doing
so would only make the situation even more difficult for Mrs. Kim.
As more people from large churches around Pyongyang began attending
our services, the ministers of these established churches became
jealous and complained about us to the police. The communist authorities
considered religion to be a thorn in their side and were looking for
excuses to suppress it. They jumped on the opportunity given to them
by these ministers and took me into custody. On August 11, 1946, I was
charged with coming from the South for the purpose of espionage and
imprisoned in the Daedong Security Station. I was falsely accused of
being sent to the North by South Korean President Syngman Rhee as
part of an attempt to take over the North.
They even brought in a Soviet interrogator, but they could not establish
that I had committed any crime. Finally, after three months, they
found me not guilty and released me, but by this time my body was in
terrible shape. I had lost so much blood while being tortured that my
life was in grave danger. The members of my church took me in and
cared for me. They risked their lives for me, without expecting anything
in return. Once I recovered I resumed my evangelical work. Within a
year our congregation had become quite large. The established churches
would not leave us alone. More and more members of their congregations
began attending our services. Finally, some eighty ministers took
action by writing letters to the police. On February 22, 1948, I was again
taken into custody by the communist authorities. I was charged with
being a spy for Syngman Rhee and with disturbing the social order. I
was taken away in handcuffs. Three days later, my head was shaved and
I was placed in a prison cell. I still remember how it felt to watch my
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hair, which I had grown during the time I was leading the church, fall to the
floor. I also remember the face of the man, a Mr. Lee, who cut my hair.
In prison, the authorities beat me endlessly and demanded that I
confess my crimes. I endured, though. Even as I was vomiting blood
and seemed on the verge of death, I never let myself lose consciousness.
Sometimes the pain would be so great I would bend over at the waist.
Without thinking, I found myself praying, “God, save me.” In the next
moment, though, I caught myself and prayed with confidence, “God,
don’t worry about me. Sun Myung Moon is not dead yet. I won’t let
myself die in such a miserable way as this.” I was right. It was not yet
time for me to die. There was a mountain of tasks before me that I had
to accomplish. I had a mission. I was not someone so weak as to be
beaten into submission by something as trivial as torture.
Each time I collapsed from the torture I would endure by telling myself,
“I am being beaten for the sake of the Korean people. I am shedding
tears as a way of shouldering the pain of our people.” When the torture
was so severe that it took me to the verge of losing consciousness, I
would invariably hear the voice of God. In the moments when my life
seemed about to end, God would appear to me. My body still carries
several scars that I received then. The flesh that was gouged from my
body and the blood that was lost have been replaced, but the pain of
that experience remains with me in these scars. I have often looked at these
scars and told myself, “Because you carry these scars, you must succeed.”
I was scheduled to go to trial on April 3, the fortieth day of my imprisonment.
This was delayed by four days, however, and my trial was
held on April 7. Many of the most famous ministers in North Korea
came to the courtroom and accused me of all manner of crimes. The
Communist Party also scorned me, saying religion was the opiate of
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the people. Members of our congregation stood to one side and wept
sorrowfully. They wept as though their child or husband had passed
away. I did not shed tears, however. I had members who would weep
for me with such sorrow that they were writhing in pain, so I did not
feel lonely as I traveled Heaven’s path. I was not facing misfortune, so
I felt I should not weep. As I left the courthouse after my sentencing I
raised my shackled hands and shook them as a sign to our members.
The shackles made a clanging sound that sounded to me like bells. That
day I was taken to the Pyongyang Prison.
I did not fear life in prison. It was not as if this were the first time for
me. Also, there was a hierarchy among the prisoners in each cell, and I
was quite good at becoming friends with the head prisoner at the top of
this hierarchy. All I had to do was exchange a few words and any head
prisoner would quickly become my friend. When we have a heart of
love we can open anyone’s heart.
After I had been in the cell, sitting in the farthest corner, for a few
days, the head prisoner moved me to a higher position. I wanted to sit
in a tiny corner next to the toilet, but he kept insisting that I move to a
higher position in the cell. No matter how much I refused, he insisted.
After making friends with the head prisoner, I looked carefully at
each person in the cell. A person’s face tells everything about him.
“Oh, your face is this way, so you must be this way.” “Your face is
such a way, so you must have such a trait.”
The prisoners were surprised to find how much I could tell them
about themselves by reading their facial features. In their minds they
didn’t like the fact that a person they were seeing for the first time was
able to tell so much about them, but they had to acknowledge that I was
describing them correctly.
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I was able to open my heart and share with everyone, so in prison,
too, I had friends. I became friends with a murderer. It was an unjust
imprisonment for me, but it was a meaningful period of training. Any
period of trial in this world has important meaning.
In prison even the lice are friends. It was extremely cold in the
prison. Lice would crawl in single file along the seams of our prison
clothes. When we took the lice and put them together, they would attach
themselves to each other and become like a tiny round ball. We would
roll these, similar to the way horse dung beetles roll balls of dung, and
the lice would do everything they could to stay together. Lice have a
character of digging in, and they would put their heads together so that
only their back ends were sticking out. We had a lot of fun in the cell
watching this.
No one likes lice or fleas. In prison, though, even lice and fleas become
important partners for conversation. The moment you set your
eyes on a bedbug or flea, some realization flashes in your mind, and it
is important that you not let this pass without notice. We never know
when, or through what means, God will speak to us. So we need to be
mindful to examine carefully even things like bedbugs and fleas.
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A Grain of Rice Is Greater Than the Earth
5
On May 20, three months after being placed in Pyongyang
Prison, I was moved to Heungnam Prison. I felt indignation
and also shamed before Heaven. I was tied to a thief so I could
not escape. We were taken by vehicle on a route that took seventeen
hours. As I looked out the window a powerful feeling of grief welled up
inside me. It seemed incredible to me that I would have to travel this
winding road along rivers and through valleys as a prisoner.
Heungnam Prison was a concentration camp for special laborers working
in the Heungnam Nitrogen Fertilizer Factory. During the next two
years and five months I underwent hard compulsory labor. Compulsory
labor was a practice that North Korea learned from the Soviet Union. The
Soviet government could not simply kill members of the bourgeoisie and
other people who were not communists, because the world was watching
and they needed to be mindful of world opinion. So it came up with the
punishment of compulsory labor. People who were exploited in this way
were forced to continue working until they died of exhaustion. North Korean
communists copied the Soviet system and sentenced all prisoners to
three years of compulsory labor. In reality, the prisoners would usually die
from the labor before their terms were up.
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Our days began at 4:30 in the morning. We were made to line up
in formation on the field, and our bodies and clothing were inspected
for contraband items. We took off all our clothing, and each item was
thoroughly inspected. Each piece of clothing would be beaten for so
long that even the last speck of dust would not remain. The entire process
took at least two hours. Heungnam was on the seacoast, and in the
winter the wind was as painful as a knife as it cut into our naked bodies.
When the inspection was over we would be fed an awful meal. Then
we would walk two and a half miles to the fertilizer factory. We were
marched four abreast, were made to hold the hand of the person next
to us, and could not even hold our heads up. Guards armed with rifles
and pistols surrounded us. Anyone who caused his row to start falling
behind, or failed to hold on to the hand of the person next to him, was
beaten severely for trying to escape.
In winter the snow would be deeper than a person’s height. On cold
winter mornings when we were marched through snow as deep as
we were tall, my head would start feeling as though it was spinning.
The frozen road was extremely slippery, and the cold wind blew so
ferociously it made the hair on our heads stand up straight. We had
no energy, even after eating breakfast, and our knees kept collapsing
beneath us. Still we had to make our way to the job site, even if it meant
dragging our exhausted legs along the way. As I made my way along this
road that took us to the edge of consciousness, I kept reminding myself
that I belonged to Heaven.
At the factory there was a mound of a substance that we referred to
in a shorthand way as “ammonia.” In reality, it probably was ammonium
sulfate, a common form of fertilizer. It would come in by conveyor belt
and looked like a white waterfall as it fell off the belt onto the mound
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below. It was quite hot when it first came off the belt, and fumes rose
from it even in the middle of winter. Quickly it would cool and become
as solid as ice. Our job was to dig the fertilizer out of the mound with
shovels and put it into straw bags. We referred to this mound that was
over sixty-five feet high as “the fertilizer mountain.” Eight to nine hundred
people were digging away at the fertilizer in a large space, making
it appear as though we were trying to cut the mountain in half.
We were organized in teams of ten, and each team was responsible
to fill and load 1,300 bags a day. So each person had to fill 130 bags. If a
team failed to meet its quota, its meal rations were cut in half. Everyone
worked as if his life depended on making the quota. To help us carry the
bags of fertilizer as efficiently as possible we made needles out of steel
wire and used these to help us tie the bags after they had been filled.
We would put a piece of wire on a rail track that ran along the floor of
the factory. The wire was flattened by having one of the small rail cars
used for hauling materials run over it, and then it could be used as a
needle. To open holes in the bags we used shards of glass that we got by
breaking factory windows. The guards must have felt sorry to see their
prisoners working under harsh conditions because they never stopped
us from breaking windows in the factory. Once I broke a tooth while
trying to cut a piece of wire. Even now you can see that one of my front
teeth is broken. This remains with me as an unforgettable memento
from Heungnam Prison.
Everyone grew thin under the pressure of hard labor. I was the exception.
I was able to maintain my weight at 159 pounds, making me
an object of envy for the other prisoners. I always excelled in physical
strength. On one occasion, though, I became extremely ill with symptoms
similar to tuberculosis. I had these symptoms for nearly a month.
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However, I did not miss even a day of work at the factory. I knew that
if I were absent other prisoners would be held responsible for my share
of the work. People called me “the man like a steel rod” because of
my strength. I could endure even the most difficult work. Prison and
compulsory labor were not such a big problem for me. No matter how
fierce the beating or terrible the environment, a person can endure if he
carries a definite purpose in his heart.
Prisoners were also exposed to sulfuric acid, which was used in the
manufacture of ammonium sulfate. When I worked at the Kawasaki steel
mill in Japan I witnessed several instances in which a person cleaning vats
used to store sulfuric acid had died from the effects of acid poisoning. The
situation in Heungnam was far worse. Exposure to sulfuric acid was so
harmful that it would cause hair loss and sores on our skin that oozed liquid.
Most people who worked in the factory would begin vomiting blood and
die after about six months. We would wear rubber pieces on our fingers for
protection, but the acid would quickly wear through these. The acid fumes
would also eat through our clothing, making them useless, and our skin
would break and bleed. In some cases, the bone would become visible. We
had to continue working without so much as a day’s rest, even when our
sores were bleeding and oozing pus.
Our meal rations consisted of less rice than it took to fill two small bowls.
There were no side dishes, but we were given a soup that was radish greens
in saltwater. The soup was so salty it made our throats burn, but the rice was
so hard we couldn’t eat it without washing it down with the soup. No one
ever left even a single drop of the soup. When we received our bowl of rice,
prisoners would put all the rice into their mouths at once. Having eaten
their own rice, they would look around, stretching their necks sometimes
to watch how the others ate. Sometimes someone would put his spoon in
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someone else’s soup bowl, and there would be a fight. One minister who was
with me in Heungnam once said to me, “Let me have just one bean, and I
will give you two cows after we get out of here.” People were so desperate
that if a prisoner died at mealtime, the others would dig out any rice still in
his mouth and eat it themselves.
The pain of hunger can only be known by those who have experienced it.
When a person is hungry, a mere grain of rice becomes very precious. Even
now, it makes me tense just to think of Heungnam. It’s hard to believe that
a single grain of rice can give such stimulation to the body, but when you
are hungry you have such a longing for food that it makes you cry. When
a person has a full stomach the world seems big, but to a hungry person
a grain of rice is bigger than the earth. A grain of rice takes on enormous
value to someone who is hungry.
Beginning with my first day in prison I made it a habit to take half of
my ration of rice and give it to my fellow prisoners, keeping only half for
myself. I trained myself this way for three weeks and then ate the whole
ration. This made me think that I was eating enough rice for two people,
which made it easier to endure the hunger.
Prison life is so terrible that it cannot even be imagined by someone who
has not experienced it. Half the prisoners would die within a year, so every
day we had to watch as dead bodies were carried out the back gate in a
wooden box. We would work so hard, and our only hope for leaving was as
a dead body in that wooden casket. Even for a merciless and cruel regime,
what they did to us clearly went beyond all boundaries of humanity. All
those bags of fertilizer filled with the tears and grief of the prisoners were
loaded onto ships and taken to Russia.
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Heungnam Prison in the Snow
5
The most valued possession in prison after food was a needle
and thread. Our clothes would wear out and be torn during
the hard labor, but it was difficult to get a needle and thread to
mend them. After a while prisoners began to look like beggars in rags.
It was very important to mend the holes in our clothes in order to block,
even a little, the cold winter winds. A small piece of cloth found lying
on the road was extremely valuable. Even if the cloth were covered with
cow dung, the prisoners would fight each other to try to pick it up. Once
as I was carrying the bags of fertilizer I discovered a needle stuck in one
of the bags. It must have been left there accidentally when the bag was
made. From that time, on I became the seamster of Heungnam Prison.
It was such a joy to find that needle. Every day I mended pants and knee
breeches for other prisoners.
Even in the middle of winter it was so hot inside the fertilizer factory
that we would sweat. So you can imagine how unbearable it was during
the summer. Not even once, however, did I roll up my pants and let my
shins show. Even during the hottest part of the summer I kept my pant
legs tied in the traditional Korean fashion. Others would take off their
pants and work in their underwear, but I kept myself properly dressed.
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When we finished work our bodies would be covered with sweat and
fertilizer dust, and most prisoners would take off their clothes and wash
themselves in the filthy water that flowed from the factory. I, however,
never washed myself where others could see my body. Instead, I would
save half of the single cup of water we were rationed each day, then get
up early in the morning while the others still slept to wipe myself off
with a small piece of cloth dipped in that half cup of water. I also used
this time early in the morning to focus my spirit and pray. I considered
my body to be precious, and I didn’t want to casually expose it to others.
The prison cell held thirty-six people, and I took a small corner
next to the toilet. In this space no one would step over me, but nobody
wanted this space. We called it a toilet, but actually it was only
a small earthenware jar without even a lid. Fluid would overflow
from the toilet in the summer and it would freeze in the winter.
There is no describing the putrid smell that came from it. The prisoners
often experienced diarrhea because of the salty soup and hard rice
balls that we ate every day.
I would be sitting by the toilet and hear someone say, “Oh, my stomach.”
The person would make his way to the toilet in quick short steps.
As soon as he exposed his bottom, the diarrhea would come shooting
out. Because I was next to the toilet I was often splashed. Even during
the night, when everyone was asleep, sometimes someone would have
abdominal pain. When I heard people yelping in pain as they were being
stepped on, I would know that someone was making his way to
the toilet and I would get up and press myself against the corner. And
if I were asleep and did not hear him coming, I would suffer the consequences.
In order to endure this impossible situation, I even tried to
think of these sights and sounds as some form of art.
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Still I kept the spot by the toilet as my own during the entire time.
“Why do you choose to stay there?” other prisoners would ask.
I would answer, “This is where I feel most comfortable.”
I wasn’t just saying this. This was, indeed, the place where my heart
felt most at ease.
My prisoner number was 596. People called me “Number five nine
six.” On nights when I couldn’t sleep, I would stare at the ceiling and repeat
this number to myself over and over. If I said it quickly, it sounded
very much like eo-gul, the Korean word used to describe the feeling of
injustice. I truly had been imprisoned unjustly.
The Communist Party initiated dok-bo-hoi, or gatherings where
newspapers or other materials were read aloud, as a way of studying
communist propaganda. Also, we had to write letters of gratitude to
Kim Il Sung. The Security Detachment kept a close watch on our every
move. Every day we were told to write letters of gratitude saying what
we had learned, but I never wrote even a single page of these. We were
supposed to write something like this: “Our Father Kim Il Sung, out of
his love for us, gives us food to eat each day, gives us meals with meat,
and lets us lead such a wonderful life. I am so grateful.” I could not write
anything of the sort. Even if I were looking death in the face, I could not
submit such letters to the atheistic Communist Party. Instead of writing
them I worked ten times harder than the others in order to survive in the
prison. The only way I could get away with not writing these letters was if
I were the number one prisoner. Because of this effort I became the best
prisoner and even received an award from a Communist Party official.
My mother visited me many times while I was in prison. There was no
direct transportation from Jungju to Heungnam. She had to take a train
to Seoul, where she would change to a train on the Seoul-to-Wonsan
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line. The trip would take her more than twenty grueling hours. Before
starting out she would go to great trouble to prepare mi-sut-karu, or
powdered rice, for me, so that her son, who had been imprisoned in the
prime of his life, would have something to eat. To make this powder she
would gather rice from our relatives and even the distant relatives of my
older sisters’ husbands. When she came to the prison visiting room and
saw me standing on the other side of the glass, she would immediately
begin to shed tears. She was a strong woman, but the sight of her son
undergoing such suffering made her weak.
My mother handed me the pair of silk trousers that I had worn
on my wedding day. The prison uniform I was wearing had become
threadbare, and my skin showed through the material. However, instead
of wearing the silk trousers, I gave them to another prisoner. As
for the mi-sut-karu that she had gone into debt to prepare, I gave it all
away right there as she watched. My mother had invested her full heart
and dedication into preparing clothing and food for her son, and she
was heartbroken to see me giving away these things, without keeping
anything for myself.
“Mother,” I said to her, “I am not just the son of some man named Moon.”
“Before I am a son of the Moon clan, I am a son of the Republic
of Korea. And even before that I am a son of the world, and a son of
heaven and earth. I think it is right for me to love those things first, and
only after that follow your words and love you. I am not the son of some
small-minded person. Please conduct yourself in a manner befitting
your son.”
My words were as cold as ice to her, and it hurt so much for me to
watch her weep that I felt as though my heart would be torn apart. I
missed her so much that sometimes I would wake up in the middle of
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the night thinking of her, but this was all the more reason for me not
to succumb to my emotions. I was a person doing the work of God. It
was more important for me to clothe just one more person a little more
warmly and to fill his stomach with a little more food than it was for me
to be concerned about my personal relationship with my mother.
Even while in prison I enjoyed taking whatever time I could find to
talk with people. There were always people around me who wanted to
listen to what I had to say. Even in the hunger and cold of prison life
there was warmth in sharing with people with whom I had an affinity
of heart. The relationships formed in Heungnam left me with twelve
people who were both compatriots and as close as family to me, with
whom I could spend the rest of my life. Among them was a famous
minister who had served as president of the Association of Christian
Churches in Korea’s five northern provinces. These were people with
whom I shared intense emotions in situations where our lives were on
the line, and this made them closer to me than my own flesh and blood.
Their being there gave my prison experience meaning. I would pray
three times each day for the people who had helped me and for the
members of my congregation in Pyongyang, calling out each one by
name. When I did I always felt that I needed to repay a thousandfold the
people who would slip me a handful of mi-sut-karu they had hidden in
their clothing.
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U.N. Forces Open the Prison Gate
5
The Korean War had begun while I was imprisoned in Heungnam.
Three days after it started, the South Korean military handed
over the capital of Seoul and retreated farther south. Then sixteen
nations, with the United States in the lead, formed a United Nations force
and intervened in the Korean War. U.S. forces landed at Incheon and pushed
toward Wonsan, a major industrial city in North Korea.
It was only natural for Heungnam Prison to be a target for U.S. aerial
bombing operations. When the bombing began the prison guards would
leave the prisoners and go into bomb shelters. They weren’t concerned
whether we lived or died. One day Jesus appeared right before me with a
tearful face. This gave me a strong premonition so I shouted, “Everyone
stay within twelve meters of me!” Soon after that a huge bomb exploded
just twelve meters from where I stood. The prisoners who had stayed
close to me survived.
As the bombing became more intense, guards began executing prisoners.
They called out the prisoners’ numbers and told them to come
with three days’ food rations and a shovel. The prisoners assumed they
were being moved to another prison, but in reality they were marched
into the mountains, made to dig a hole, and then buried there. Prisoners
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were being called out in the order of the length of their sentences, with
those with the longest sentences being called first. I realized that my
turn would come the next day.
The night before my scheduled execution the bombs fell like rain
in the monsoon season. It was October 13, 1950, and the U.S. forces,
having succeeded in the Incheon landing, had come up the peninsula
to take Pyongyang and were now pressing against Heungnam. The U.S.
military attacked Heungnam with full force that night, with B-29
bombers in the lead. The bombing was so intense that it seemed all of
Heungnam had been turned into a sea of fire. The high walls around the
prison began to fall and the guards ran for their lives. Finally the gate of
the prison that had kept us in that place opened. At around two o’clock
in the morning on the next day, I walked calmly out of Heungnam
Prison with dignity.
I had been imprisoned for two years and eight months, so I was a
terrible sight. My underwear and outerwear were in tatters. Dressed in
those rags, instead of going to my hometown, I headed to Pyongyang
with a group of people who had followed me in prison. Some chose to
come with me instead of going in search of their wives and children. I
could clearly imagine how my mother must be crying every day out of
concern for my welfare, but it was more important that I look after the
members of my congregation in Pyongyang.
On the way to Pyongyang we could see clearly how North Korea
had prepared for this war. Major cities were all connected by twolane
roads that could be used for military purposes in an emergency.
Many of the bridges had been constructed with enough cement to let
them withstand the weight of thirty-ton tanks. The fertilizer that the
prisoners in Heungnam Prison had risked their lives to put into bags
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was sent to Russia in exchange for outdated weaponry that was then
deployed along the 38th parallel.
As soon as I arrived in Pyongyang I went in search of the members
who were with me before my incarceration. I needed to find out where
they were and what their situation was. They had been scattered by the
war, but I felt responsible to find them and help them figure out a way
to carry on their lives. I didn’t know where they might be living, so my
only option was to search the city of Pyongyang from one corner to the other.
After a week of searching I had found only three or four people.
I had saved some powdered rice I received while still in prison, so I
mixed it with water to make rice cake to share with them. On the trip
from Heungnam I staved off my hunger with one or two potatoes that
were frozen solid. I had not touched the rice powder. It made me feel
full just to watch them eagerly eat the rice cake.
I stayed in Pyongyang for forty days looking for anyone I could think
of, whether young or old. In the end I never did find out what happened
to most of them. But they have never been erased from my heart. On
the night of December 2, I began walking south. Church members,
including Won Pil Kim, and I followed behind a long line of refugees
that extended about seven and a half miles.
We even took with us a member who could not walk properly. He
had been among those who followed me in Heungnam Prison. His family
name was Pak. He had been released before me. When I found him
in his home, all the other members of his family had left for the South.
He was alone in the house with a broken leg. I placed him on a bicycle
and took him with me. The North Korean army had already recaptured
the flat roads for military use, so we traveled across frozen rice paddies
heading south as quickly as we could. The Chinese army was not far
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behind us, but it was difficult to move quickly when we had someone
with us who could not walk. Half the time the road was so bad that I
carried him on my back and someone else pushed the empty bicycle
along. He kept saying he didn’t want to be a burden to me and tried
several times to take his own life. I convinced him to go on, sometimes
scolding him loudly, and we stayed together until the end.
We were refugees on the run who still had to eat. We went into homes
whose inhabitants had headed south before us and searched for rice or
any other food that might have been left behind. We boiled anything we
found, whether it was rice, barley, or potatoes. We were barely able to
stay alive this way. There were no rice bowls and we had to use pieces of
wood as chopsticks, but the food tasted good. The Bible says, “Blessed
are the poor,” doesn’t it? We could eat anything that made our stomachs
growl with satisfaction. Even a humble piece of barley cake tasted so
good that we would not have felt jealous of a king’s meal. No matter
how hungry I might be, I always made sure to stop eating before the
others. This way they could eat a little more themselves.
After walking a long distance, we were approaching the northern
bank of the Imjin River. Somehow I felt it was important that we
cross the river quickly and that we didn’t have a moment to spare. I
felt strongly that we had to get over this obstacle for us to stay alive.
I pushed Won Pil Kim mercilessly. Kim was young and he would
fall asleep as we walked, but I kept forcing him on and pulling the
bicycle. We covered twenty miles that night and reached the bank of
the Imjin River. Fortunately, the river was frozen solid. We followed
some refugees in front of us across the river. A long line of refugees
stretched out behind us. As soon as we had crossed the river, however,
the U.N. forces closed the crossing and stopped letting people
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across. Had we arrived at the river even a few minutes later, we
would not have been able to cross.
After we had crossed, Won Pil Kim looked back at the road we had
come on and asked, “How did you know the river crossing was about
to be closed?”
“Sure I knew,” I said. “This kind of thing happens often to anyone
who takes the path of Heaven. People often don’t know that salvation is
just beyond the next obstacle. We didn’t have a single moment to waste,
and if necessary I would have grabbed you by the scruff of the neck and
pulled you across.”
Kim seemed moved by my words, but my heart was uneasy. When
we arrived at the point where the 38th parallel divided the peninsula in
two, I placed one foot in South Korea and one foot in North Korea and
began to pray.
“For now, we are pushed southward like this, but soon I will return
to the North. I will gather the forces of the free world behind me to
liberate North Korea and unite North and South.”
This was how I had prayed during the entire time we walked along
with the refugees.
CHAPTER three
The Man with the
Fullest Stomach
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“You Are My Spiritual Teacher”
5
After crossing the Imjin River, we traveled by way of Seoul, Wonju,
and Kyungju to Busan. We arrived finally on January 27, 1951.
Busan was filled with refugees from the north. It felt like
the whole country had gathered there. Any accommodation fit to live
in was filled already. Our tiny place had barely enough room to sit. Our
only option was to go into the woods at night, keeping warm as best we
could, and then return to the city by day to look for food.
My hair, which was kept short during my prison time, had now
grown back. My trousers, mended from the inside with cotton from
a sleeping quilt, had become threadbare. My clothes were saturated so
fully with an oily grime that raindrops in heavy rain were not absorbed
into the cloth but rather simply rolled off.
Almost nothing was left of the soles of my shoes, although the upper
part was mostly still there. I might as well have been walking barefoot. The
fact was simply that I was the lowest of the low, a beggar among beggars.
There was no work to be had, and we had no money in our pockets. The
only way we could eat was to beg.
Yet even while begging for food, I maintained my dignity. If someone
refused to help, I would say in a clear and confident voice, “Listen.
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If you do not help people like us who are in need, you will have great
difficulties if you hope to receive blessings in the future!” People would
give when faced with such thoughts. We took the food we gathered this
way to a flat area where we all could sit together. Dozens of people like
us ate in such places. We had nothing, and even had to beg for food, but
a warm friendship always flowed among us.
Once in the middle of a day like this, suddenly I heard someone
shout, “Look here! How long has it been?”
I turned to see standing before me Dok Mun Eom, a friend from my
days in Japan. Dok Mun Eom had befriended me for life back then from
having been so moved by a song I sang. Today he is one of Korea’s most
prominent architects, having designed the Sejong Cultural Center and
the Lotte Hotel.
“Let’s go,” he said, as he embraced me in my wretched clothes. “Let’s
go to my home.”
By that time, Dok Mun Eom had married. He lived together with his
family in a single room. To make room for me, he hung a quilt down the
middle of that room, dividing it, with one side for me. On the other he
slept with his wife and two young children.
“Now,” he said, “tell me about your life lately. I always wondered
where you were and what you might be doing. We were close friends,”
he said, “but you have always been more than a friend to me. Did you
know that I always held you in great respect?”
Up to that point, I had never shared my heart candidly with any of
my friends. In Japan, I went so far as to hide the fact that I often read
the Bible. If someone came into my room when I was reading, I would
quickly put the Bible away. But in the home of Duk Mun Eom, I shared
my story for the first time.
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I spoke throughout the night. I told him of my encounter with God,
crossing the 38th parallel, starting a church, and surviving Heungnam
Prison. My story took a full three days to tell. When I finished, Duk Mun
Eom stood and folded himself before me in a full ceremonial bow.
“What are you doing?” I asked in shock and surprise. I grabbed his
hand and tried to stop him, but it was no use. I could not.
“From this moment on,” said Duk Mun Eom, “you are my great
spiritual teacher. This bow is my greeting to you as my teacher, so please
accept it.”
He has been with me ever since, both as my friend and as my disciple.
Soon after this, I found a job on Pier 4 in Busan harbor. I worked only
at night. With my pay, I bought bean porridge at Cho-ryang Station.
The hot porridge was sold with a rag wrapped around the container
to keep it hot. I always held the porridge container against my body
for more than an hour before eating it. This helped to warm my body,
which froze from working throughout the long, cold night.
I found lodging in a shelter for laborers located in the Cho-ryang
neighborhood. My room was so small that I could not lie down,
even diagonally, without my feet pressing against the wall. But this
was the room where I sharpened a pencil and solemnly wrote the
first draft of Wolli Wonbon (the original text of The Principle). I was
financially destitute, but this was of no importance to me. Even living
in a garbage heap, there is nothing a determined soul cannot do. All we
need is the will.
Won Pil Kim had just turned twenty. He did all sorts of jobs. He
worked in a restaurant and brought home the scorched rice that
couldn’t be served to customers. We ate this together. Because of his gift
for drawing, he soon got a job with the U.S. military as a painter.
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Eventually, he and I climbed up to Beom-net-gol in Beom-il Dong
and built a house. Because this area was near a cemetery, there was
nothing nearby except a rocky ravine. We had no land we could call our
own, so we leveled a section of the steep slope and built a home there.
We didn’t even have a shovel! We took a small shovel from someone’s
kitchen and returned it before the owner realized it was missing. Won
Pil Kim and I broke rocks, dug the earth, and carried up gravel. We
mixed mud and straw to make bricks, then stacked them up to make
the walls. We got some empty ration boxes from an American base,
flattened them out, and used them as the roof. We laid down a sheet of
black plastic for the floor.
Even simple huts are built better than this. Ours was built against
a boulder, so a big piece of rock stuck up in the middle of the room.
Our only possessions were the small desk that sat behind that rock
and Won Pil Kim’s easel. When it rained, a spring would bubble up
inside our room. How romantic to hear the sound of the water flowing
beneath us where we sat! In the morning, after sleeping in this
unheated room with a leaking roof and water still flowing below,
we would arise with runny noses. Even so, we still were happy for
our small space where we could lie down and put our minds at ease.
The surroundings were miserable, but we were filled with hope from
living on the path of God’s will.
Each morning, when Won Pil Kim went to work at the American
base, I accompanied him to the bottom of the hill. When he came home
in the evening, I went out to greet him and welcome him. The remainder
of my time I spent writing the Wolli Wonbon. Our room always had
plenty of sharpened pencils. Even when there was no rice in the rice jar,
we had pencils.
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Won Pil Kim helped in many ways, both materially and spiritually.
Through this I could concentrate on my writing. Even when exhausted
from a full day’s work, he followed me around, looking for ways to help.
I was getting so little sleep those days that I could fall asleep anywhere.
Sometimes I even fell asleep on the toilet. Won Pil Kim followed me to
the toilet to make sure I was all right.
But that was not all. He wanted so much to contribute even a little
to the book I was writing. He began to draw portraits for American
soldiers, and in this way he earned money to keep me supplied with
pencils. At the time, it was popular among American soldiers to have a
portrait drawn of their wife or girlfriend before returning to America.
Won Pil Kim glued sheets of silk on wooden frames, painted the portraits,
and sold them for four dollars each.
I felt grateful for his dedication. I sat beside him when he painted
and did all I could to help him. While he was away at his job on the
American base, I would put the glue on the silk, cut the wood for frames,
and put them together. Before he came home, I washed his brushes and
bought the paints he needed. After coming home, he would take a 4B
pencil and draw the portrait. At first, he was drawing only one or two,
but soon word of his work spread. He became so well known among the
soldiers that he was drawing twenty and thirty at a time. It got to where
our home was filled with portraits, and we had trouble finding room to
sleep at night.
As the workload increased, I started to do more than just help on the
sidelines. Won Pil drew outlines of the faces, and I colored the lips and clothing.
From the money we earned together, we bought pencils and drawing
materials and spent the rest for witnessing. It is important to record God’s
words in writing, but even more important is to tell people about His will.
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The Crazy, Handsome Man by the Well
5
When we built the mud-walled house and began the church
in Beom-net-gol, there were only three people to hear me
preach. For me, however, I was not talking to just those three
people. I thought to myself, “Though they cannot be seen, I am preaching
to thousands, even tens of thousands.” I envisioned as I preached that
all humanity was in attendance. These three people sat before me while I
conveyed the words of the Principle in a loud, booming voice.
There was a well in front of our house. Soon a rumor began to spread
among those who came to take water from that well: A crazy man lived
in the house with mud walls. They fetched their water and peered into
this ramshackle mud house to see a man in wretched clothing speaking
like he was shouting commands to the whole world. It is only natural
that people began to whisper among themselves. I preached that heaven
and earth would be turned upside down and Korea would unite the
world. Rumors about me soon spread beyond those using the well to
those at the bottom of the hill. Perhaps these rumors are what brought
people coming out of curiosity to see the crazy man living next to the
well. Among these curious ones were students from a nearby seminary,
as well as a group of professors from the prestigious Ewha Womans
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University. The rumors also became embellished to say that I was a
handsome man with good stature, so middle-aged women began to
climb the hill to see me as a way to pass the time.
On the day I finished writing Wolli Wonbon, I put my pencil down
and prayed, “The moment has come for me to evangelize. Please send
me the saints to whom I may give witness.” After this, I then went out
to the well. It was May 10, late spring. I was wearing traditional Korean
trousers with cotton lining and an old jacket, sweating in the heat. I
caught sight of a young woman wiping the sweat from her brow as she
struggled up the hill toward the well.
I spoke to her, saying, “God has been giving you tremendous love
for the past seven years.” She jumped backward in surprise. It had been
seven years since she had decided to dedicate her life to God.
“My name is Hyun Shil Kang,” she said. “I am an evangelist at the
Beom Cheon Church that sits in the neighborhood at the bottom of
this hill. I heard there is a crazy man living here, so I have come here to
witness to him.”
This was how she greeted me. I invited her into our house. She looked
around the squalid room, making plain how very strange she found it.
Eventually, her eyes settled on my desk, “Why do you have so many
pencils?” she asked.
“Until this morning,” I replied, “I was writing a book that reveals the
principles of the universe. I think God has sent you here so that you can
learn about these principles from me.”
“What?” she demanded, “I am here because I heard there is a crazy
man living here who needs to be witnessed to.”
I handed her a cushion to sit on, and I sat down as well. The spring
water made its trickling sound as it flowed beneath us.
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“In the future, Korea will play its role at the pinnacle of the world,” I
said. “People will regret that they could not be born as Koreans.”
She clearly thought I was speaking nonsense.
“Just as Elijah appeared in the person of John the Baptist,” I continued,
“Jesus will come in the flesh to Korea.”
This made her angry.
“I’m sure Jesus will have better places to come than a place so
wretched as Korea,” she retorted.
Then she said, “Have you ever read the Book of Revelation? I . . .”
I interrupted her in mid-sentence, saying,
“You want to say you have studied at the Goryo Theological Seminary?”
“How did you know that?” she demanded.
“Do you think I would have waited for you without knowing even
that about you? You said you came here to witness to me. Please, then,
teach me.”
Hyun Shil Kang was clearly knowledgeable in theology. She quoted
Bible texts to me one after another in an effort to attack my views. She
continued to challenge me strongly as I kept busy responding to each
of her challenges with answers in a strong and clear voice. Our debate
continued so long that it began to grow dark, so I stood up and cooked
dinner. The only thing we had besides rice was some over ripe kimchi.
Nevertheless, we sat there with the sound of water trickling below and
shared this food before resuming our debate. She came back the next
day and the day after that, each time to continue our debate. In the end,
she chose to devote her life to the principle I teach.
Later that year, on a windy November day, my wife showed up at the
door of the Beom-net-gol hut. There standing with her was a sevenyear-
old boy, my son, who was born the year I left home. I had left that
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day simply to go pick up some rice but went to Pyongyang instead. The
years had passed, and now he had grown into a young boy. I could not
bring myself to look him in the eye, nor could I reach out to stroke his
face and embrace him in joy. I just stood there like a stone statue, frozen
in place, speechless.
My wife did not have to say a word. I felt the pain and suffering
this poor mother and child had to experience in the midst of war. Even
before this visit, I knew where they were living and what their situation
was, but I was not yet to the point where I could take care of my family. I
knew this, and I had asked her several times, even before our marriage,
“Please trust me and wait just a little longer.” When the time was right,
I planned to go get them. But in this situation, as they stood in the
door, the right time had not yet come. The hut, our church, was small
and shabby. A number of members ate there and lived there with me to
study God’s word. I could not bring my family there.
My wife took a look around the hut, expressed great disappointment,
and turned to leave. She and my son set off down the steep path.
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A Church with No Denomination
5
Koreans have a saying that a person insulted by others lives
a long time. If I were to live in proportion to the number
of insults I’ve received, I could live another hundred years.
Also, my stomach has been filled not with food but with insults,
so you could say that my stomach is the most full of anyone’s. Established
churches that had opposed me and thrown stones at me
when I started a church in Pyongyang resumed their persecution,
this time in Busan. Even before we had properly begun our church,
they set out to give us trouble. Words like heretic and pseudo- were
placed in front of my name so often that they seemed to become
part of my name. Indeed, the phrase Sun Myung Moon came to be
synonymous with heresy and pseudo-religion. It’s hard to even hear
my name mentioned without these words.
By 1953, the persecution reached extremes. We closed the hut
in Busan and moved first to Daegu and then to Seoul. In May of
the following year, we rented a house in Seoul’s Bukhak Dong
neighborhood, located near Jang-choong-dang Park, and hung
out a sign that read “Holy Spirit Association for the Unification
of World Christianity.” We chose this name to signify that we
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belonged to no denomination, and we certainly had no plans to
create a new one.
“World Christianity” refers to all of Christianity worldwide and
both past and present. “Unification” reveals our purpose of oneness,
and “Holy Spirit” is used to denote harmony between the spiritual and
physical worlds built on the love of the father-son relationship at the
center. Our name is meant to say, “The spiritual world, centering on
God, is with us.”
In particular, unification represents my purpose to bring about God’s
ideal world. Unification is not union. Union is when two things come together.
Unification is when two become one. “Unification Church” became
our commonly known name later, but it was given to us by others. In the
beginning, university students referred to us as “the Seoul Church.”
I do not like using the word kyo-hoi in its common usage to mean
church. But I like its meaning from the original Chinese characters. Kyo
means “to teach,” and Hoi means “gathering.” The Korean word means, literally,
“gathering for teaching.” The word for religion, jong-kyo, is composed
of two Chinese characters meaning “central” and “teaching,” respectively.
When the word church means a gathering where spiritual fundamentals
are taught, it has a good meaning. But the meaning of the word kyo-hoi
does not provide any reason for people to share with each other. People in
general do not use the word kyo-hoi with that meaning. I did not want to
place ourselves in this separatist type of category. My hope was for the rise
of a church without a denomination. True religion tries to save the nation,
even if it must sacrifice its own religious body to do so; it tries to save the
world, even at the cost of sacrificing its nation; and it tries to save humanity,
even if this means sacrificing the world. By this understanding, there can
never be a time when the denomination takes precedence.
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It was necessary to hang out a church sign, but in my heart I was
ready to take it down at any time. As soon as a person hangs a sign
that says “church,” he is making a distinction between church and not
church. Taking something that is one and dividing it into two is not
right. This was not my dream. It is not the path I chose to travel. If I
need to take down that sign to save the nation or the world, I am ready
to do so at any time.
Our sign hung near the front entrance. It would have looked better
if we had hung it someplace high, but the eaves on the house came
down very low, giving us no good spot to place a sign. In the end, we
hung it about as high as the height of a child. In fact, some children in
the neighborhood took down our sign, played with it, and broke it in
two. Because of its historical significance, we could not throw it away.
We attached the two pieces back together with wire and nailed it more
securely to the front. Perhaps because our sign was treated with such
humiliation, our church also received humiliation beyond description.
The eaves were so low that people had to duck their heads in order
to pass through the entrance. The room was about eight feet square,
and it was so cramped that when six of us would pray we might bump
foreheads with each other. People in the neighborhood laughed at our
sign. They made fun of us, asking what kind of world unification we
dreamt of in that tiny little house that “you have to crawl to get into.”
They didn’t try to find out why we had chosen such a name. They simply
looked at us as if we were crazy.
This did not bother us, however. In Busan, we had begged for food to
sustain ourselves, and now we had a room to perform services. We had
nothing to fear. For a suit, I took a pair of U.S. Army fatigues and dyed
them black. I wore these with black rubber shoes. Even if others sought
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to belittle us, in our hearts we were more dignified than anyone.
People who attended called one another shik-ku, or family member. We
were intoxicated with love. Anyone who came there could see what I was
doing and hear what I was saying. We were connected by an inner cord
of love that let us communicate with God. A woman would be at home
preparing rice and suddenly run off to the church. Someone else would say
she was going to change into a new dress and then run off to the church in
her old dress with holes in it. If a woman’s in-laws shaved her hair to keep her
from going to the church, she would come with her bald head.
As our members increased, we began to evangelize on university
campuses. In the 1950s, university students were premier among intellectuals
in Korean society. We began by working near the gates of Ewha
Womans University and Yonsei University. Soon a sizable number of
students were spending time at our church.
Professor Yoon Young Yang, who taught music at Ewha, and Professor
Choong Hwa Han, who was the dormitory master, came to our
church. Many students also came, but they did not come just one or two
at a time. Dozens came, and their numbers grew in geometric progression.
This surprised the established churches and us as well.
Within two months after we began our campus evangelical work, our
congregation exploded in size, primarily with students from Ewha and
Yonsei. The rate of growth was incredible. It was as if a spring breeze
had blown through and changed the hearts of the students all in a moment.
Dozens of Ewha students packed up their belongings and moved
out of the dormitory. This happened on a single day. If someone tried
to stop them, they would say, “Why? Why are you trying to stop me? If
you want to stop me, you’ll have to kill me. Kill me!” They even came
out by climbing the walls around the building. I tried to stop them, but
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it was no use. They did not want to be in their clean school; they wanted
to be in our little church that smelled of dirty feet. There was nothing
anyone could do about it.
Finally Dean Hwal Ran Kim (Helen Kim) sent Professor Young
Oon Kim of the Department of Religious Social Welfare to our church.
Professor Kim had studied theology in Canada and was a theologian
in whom Ewha held out great hope for the future. Dean Kim chose
Professor Kim because her specialty was theology, and she assumed she
could develop a definitive critique of our theology that could be used
to finally stop this influx of students. But a week after meeting me, this
special representative, Professor Kim, joined our church and became
one of our most enthusiastic members. This gave us even more credibility
among the other professors and students at Ewha. Our membership
numbers snowballed.
The situation grew out of control, and established churches resumed
their accusations that we were stealing their members. This seemed
unfair to me. I never told anyone to listen to my sermons or attend
our church. If I chased people out the front door, they would come
in the back. If I locked the doors, they would climb over the fence. I
was powerless to stop them. The people most perplexed by this were
the administrators of Yonsei and Ewha, who in turn were supported by
Christian foundations. They could not stand by and do nothing as their
students and faculty came swarming to some other religious group.
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Two Universities Expel
Students and Professors
5
Yonsei University and Ehwa Womans University were embroiled
in crisis and finally chose a measure that had never
been used before and has never been used since. Ewha fired
five professors, including Professor Young Oon Kim, and expelled
fourteen students. The expelled students included five in the graduating
class. Yonsei also fired one professor and expelled two students.
The school chaplain of Ewha tried advising the students, “You
can attend that church after you graduate. That way, no harm will
come to the school.” But it was of no use. It had the opposite effect.
The expelled students protested vehemently. “There are many
atheists in our school,” they said. “And we even have the children of
traditional shamans attending our school. How can the school justify
expelling us and following the hypocrisy of this double standard?”
The school, however, stood fast. It simply repeated its position:
“We are a private school and a Christian school. We have the right
to expel any student we choose.”
When the media got word of the incident, one newspaper carried
an editorial titled, “Expulsion Is Wrong in a Country with Religious
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Freedom.” This situation soon became a topic for debate among the
general public.
Ewha, since it was supported by a Christian foundation in Canada,
was concerned that its support would be cut if it became known that
large numbers of its students attended a church declared to be heretical.
In those days, Ewha held chapel three times a week, took attendance,
and submitted these attendance records to mission headquarters.
After the students were expelled and the professors fired, public
opinion began to turn in our favor. Ewha, in an effort to counter this
trend, began a campaign of false rumors too vile to repeat. Unfortunately,
as is so often the case, the more vile the rumor, the more people
revel in believing and repeating it as true. These false rumors began
to feed on themselves, and soon they took on a life of their own. Our
church suffered from this for more than a year.
I did not want the problem to grow out of control like this. I did not
want to cause problems. I tried to convince the students and professors
to lead simple, quiet lives of faith. I explained that there was no need for
them to leave the dormitories and cause such public trouble. But they
were adamant. “Why do you tell us not to come here?” they asked. “We
wish to receive the same grace as everyone else.” In the end, they were
forced to leave their schools. I was not comfortable with this.
After being forced from their schools, the students went as a group
to a prayer hall on Mount Samgak on the outskirts of Seoul. They went
to seek comfort for their wounded hearts. They had been kicked out
of their schools, their families were angry with them, and their friends
no longer wished to meet them. They had no place to go. They fasted
and spent their entire time praying with such emotion that their
eyes cried and noses ran. Soon, some began to speak in tongues.
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It is true that God appears when we are on the edge of despair and
desperation. The students who were expelled from their schools and
cast out by their families and society found God in the prayer hall
on Mount Samgak.
I went to Mount Samgak and gave food and comfort to the students
who had become emaciated from fasting.
“It is bad enough that you’ve been unjustly expelled,” I explained.
“Please do not fast also. If your conscience is clear over what you have
done, then being insulted for it is not dishonorable. Do not be discouraged,
but wait for your time.”
Five of those students who were seniors later transferred into Sookmyung
Women’s University. But the damage was already done.
This incident played a decisive role and was the turning point in
gaining me a profoundly negative reputation. Newspaper reports began
to read as if all the evil acts committed by various religions were done
by us. People who at first reacted to the rumors with “Could it be true?”
now began to say, “It’s true.”
It hurt to be subjected to such unfair treatment. The injustice was
so intense that it made me angry. I wanted to shout out in rebuttal,
but I did not speak out or attempt to fight. We had too much else to
accomplish and had no time to waste in fighting.
I believed that such misunderstandings and hatred would dissolve with
time and that we should not use our energy to be overly concerned about
them. I pretended not to hear people say, “Sun Myung Moon should be
struck by lightning,” or the Christian ministers who prayed for my death.
But instead of dying down, the rumors grew ever more outrageous
with each passing day. It felt as if the whole world had united in pointing
fingers of accusation at me. Even in the heat of the Heungnam fertilizer
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factory, I refused to let others see even my shins. Yet now rumors had
it that I danced naked in our church. Soon people who came to our
church for the first time looked at me with eyes that seemed to say, “Are
you the one who takes off his clothes and dances?”
I knew better than anyone that it would take time for such misunderstandings
to go away, so I never tried to argue with them, saying, “I’m
not like that.” We cannot know someone without meeting the person,
yet there were so many who did not hesitate to curse me without ever
having met me. I knew it was useless to battle against such people, so I
endured in silence.
The Yonsei–Ewha incident forced our church to the brink of destruction.
The image of “pseudo-religion,” or “cult,” became inseparably
identified with my name, and all established churches joined together
to call for the government to prosecute me.
On July 4, 1955, the police raided our church and took me and four
members—Won Pil Kim, Hyu Young Eu, Hyo Min Eu, and Hyo Won
Eu—into custody. Ministers and elders of the established churches
joined hands with secular authorities in writing letters calling for our
church to be closed. These four members, who had been with me from
the beginning, were forced to stay in prison with me.
The matter did not end there. The police investigated my background
and came up with a charge of draft evasion. But this, too, was egregious.
By the time I escaped my North Korean death camp to head south, I
was already beyond the age of compulsory military service. Still they
charged me with draft evasion.
. the man with the fullest stomach .
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New Buds Grow on Scorched Branches
5
The detectives of the Special Intelligence Section of the Office
of Public Order who raided our church and took me
into custody brought me to the Chung Bu Police Station.
I was outraged to be charged with draft evasion but said nothing.
I had a mouth to speak, but I was never given the chance to say a
word. Some saw my silence in the face of unjust treatment and called
me “spineless.” I endured this sort of name-calling in silence as well,
believing that this too must be a path that has been given to me. If
this is the path I must follow to reach my objective, then there was
nothing I could do about it. Because I followed such a clear path, I
could not be defeated. The more I was attacked, the more care I took
to act more honorably than anyone.
Once I made this decision in my heart, the police had no control
over me. When the detective was writing his report, I was teaching him
how to write it.
“Why don’t you include this content,” I would say. “And up here, you
need to write it this way.”
He did as I said. Each phrase that I told him to write was correct,
but when the detective put them all together, he found that they
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led him to the opposite conclusion from what he had intended. He
became angry and tore up the report.
On July 13, 1955, on the sixth day of incarceration in Chung Bu
Police Station, I was placed in prison once again. This time, it was the
Seodaemun Prison in Seoul. I was shackled, but I was neither ashamed
nor sorrowful. Life in prison was no obstacle for me. It might serve
as a motivation to stimulate a heart of great anger, but it was never an
obstacle in my path. For me, it was a way to gather additional capital for
my future activities. I overcame life in prison by telling myself, “I am
not someone to die in prison. I cannot die. This is only a springboard
for me to take a great leap toward the world of liberation.”
It is the rule in the world, and the law of heaven, that that which is
evil will fall and that which is good will rise up. Even if I must go into a
dung heap, I will not fail if I maintain a pure heart. As I was being led
away in shackles, some women passed by, looked at me askance, and
twisted their faces in disapproval. They exuded the feeling that I was
grotesque even to look at, because they believed I was the leader of a
sex cult. But I was neither afraid nor ashamed. Even if filthy words were
used to harass me and our church, I would not be shaken.
Of course, I had normal feelings. Outwardly, I maintained my dignity,
but there were many times when I felt stifled and sorrowful to the
marrow of my bones. Each time I felt my heart weaken, I endured by
telling myself, “I am not someone to just die in prison. I will stand again.
I am certain of this.” I redoubled my determination, saying, “I am taking all
the pain into myself. I am carrying all the baggage for our church.”
One could easily expect that my imprisonment would mean the end
of our church, with all members going their separate ways. Instead,
members came to visit me every day. In some cases, they even fought
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over who would come to see me first. Visitations were allowed only
after 8 a.m., but members would line up and wait outside the prison
gate from early in the morning. The more people cursed me, and the
more alone my situation became, the more people would line up to visit
me, encourage me, and shed tears for me.
I did not even greet them with great emotion. In fact, I would
rebuff them, saying things like: “Why do you come and make such a
fuss?” Still, they followed me in tears. This was their expression of faith
and love. They were not attached to me because I knew how to speak
smoothly or eloquently. They liked me because they knew about the
love that lay deep in my heart. Our members recognized my true heart.
Even if I should die, I will never be able to forget the members who
followed after me even as I was forced to stand shackled in court. I
always remember their expressions as they sobbed to see me sitting at
the defendant’s table.
The guards at the prison were amazed. “How does this man make
those people become so crazy,” they wondered when they saw our
members flock to the prison. “He is not their husband, and they are not
his wife. He’s not their son. How can they be so devoted to him?”
In at least one case, a guard commented, “We heard that Moon was a
dictator and exploited people, but it is so clear that this is not true.” This
guard became a member to follow our way.
Finally, after I was three months in bondage, the court found me not
guilty and I was released. On the day of my release, the chief warden
and all the prison section chiefs gave me a formal send-off. Within
three months, they all became members of our Unification family. The
reason their hearts turned toward me was simple. Once they could see
me up close, they realized I was not at all the person portrayed by the
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rumors they’d heard. As it turned out, the false rumors circulating in
society actually helped our evangelical efforts.
When I had been led away by the police, all media and society had
made a huge fuss. But when I was found not guilty and released, they
were silent. The only report on my not guilty verdict and release was a
three-line story in an inconspicuous corner of the newspaper that read,
“Reverend Moon not guilty, released.” The vile rumors that had put the
whole country in an uproar had all been false, but this information was
completely buried. Our members protested, saying, “Reverend Moon,
this is unjust. It makes us so angry, we can’t stand it.” They wept in front
of me, but I remained silent and quieted them.
I never forgot the pain I experienced when harassed and subjected to
all those false accusations. I endured, even when so many people stood
against me that I felt like there was no inch left for me to stand in all
of Korea. The sorrow I felt from this time has remained with me in a
corner of my heart.
I might be a tree that is buffeted by the wind and rain and scorched
by fire, but I would never be a tree that burns and dies. Even a branch
that has been scorched will have new buds when the spring comes. If I
continue on my way with humility and strong conviction, the day will
surely come when the world will understand the value of what I do.
. the man with the fullest stomach .
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We Are Trained by Our Wounds
5
People rejected the new expression of truth I preached, calling it
heresy. Jesus, born in the land of Judaism, likewise was accused
of heresy and was thus crucified. By comparison, my persecution
was not nearly as painful or unjust. I could endure any amount
of pain placed on my body. The charge of heresy against our church,
however, was most unjust and more difficult for me.
Some theologians who studied our church in its early days described
our teachings as original and systematic. Some were prepared to accept
them. This means that the magnitude of the heresy controversy surrounding
our church could not be for theological reasons. It had more
to do with issues of power.
Most of our members had attended other churches before joining our
church. This was a big reason our church was treated as an enemy by established
churches. When Professor Yoon Young Yang, one of the Ewha
professors, joined our church, she was taken to the police station to be
interrogated. There she discovered that some eighty Christian ministers
had written letters to the authorities criticizing our church. Clearly it
was not the case that we had done something wrong. Rather, we were
seen as posing a threat to the power of certain people and institutions.
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It was their vague feelings of fear and their extreme factionalism that
drove them in their efforts to suppress our church.
People from many religious groups were attracted to our church and
its new teachings. I would say to our members, “Why did you come
here? Go back to your churches,” and almost threaten them as I tried
to chase them away. But they would soon return. The people who
flocked to see me would not listen to anyone. They wouldn’t listen to
their teachers or their parents. They wanted to hear me speak. I wasn’t
paying them or feeding them, but they believed in what I taught and
kept coming to me. The reason was that I opened a way for them to
resolve their frustrations. Before I knew the truth, I, too, was frustrated. I
was frustrated when I looked up to heaven and when I looked at the people
around me. This is why I could understand the frustrations of the people
who came to our church. They had questions about life, and they could not
find answers. The word of God I conveyed answered their questions with
clarity. Young people who sought me out found answers in the words that
I spoke. They wanted to come to our church and join me on my spiritual
journey, no matter how difficult it might be.
I am the person who finds the way and opens it. I guide people along the
path to heal broken families and rebuild the society, nation, and world so
that we can finally return to God. People who come to me understand this.
They want to go with me in search of God. How can people find fault with
this? All we were doing was going in search of God. And for this we were
subjected to all manner of persecution and criticism.
Unfortunately, during the period when our church was involved in the
heresy controversy, my wife made matters even more difficult for me. After
our meeting in Busan, she and her relatives began to demand that I either
quit the church immediately and start life with her and our son or else give
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her a divorce. They even came to Seodaemun Prison during my incarceration
there to put the divorce papers before me, demanding I place my stamp
on them. I know how important marriage is in the effort to establish God’s
peaceful world, so I endured their demands in silence.
She also subjected members of our church to horrible abuse. Personally
I could endure. I did not mind her insults and reckless treatment of me,
but it was difficult for me to stand by and watch her offensive behavior
toward our members. She stormed into our church at all hours to curse
our members, destroy church property, and take items that belonged to the
church. She even threw water containing human feces at members. When
she came, it was impossible for us to hold worship service. In the end, as
soon as I came out of Seodaemun Prison, I acceded to the demands of her
family and placed my stamp on the divorce document. I was pushed into a
divorce against my own principles.
When I think of my former wife today, my heart goes out to her. The influence
of her own family, which was strongly Christian, and the leadership
of Korea’s established churches had much to do with her behaving the way
she did. She was so clear and firm in her commitment before we married.
The way she changed gives us a lesson on how much we need to fear the
power of social prejudice and established concepts.
I experienced both the sorrow of divorce and the pain of being branded
a heretic. But I did not bend. These were things I had to endure on my path
to redeem the original sin of humanity, the things I had to endure to move
forward on the path toward God’s Kingdom. It is darkest before the dawn. I
overcame the darkness by clinging to God and praying to Him. Other than
the fleeting moments that I would spend in sleep, all my available time was
spent in prayer.
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A Sincere Heart Is Most Important
5
I reemerged into the world after three months, having been found not
guilty. I realized more than ever that I owed a tremendous debt to God.
To repay this debt, I searched for a place where our church could begin
again from the beginning. I did not, however, pray by saying, “God, build
us a church.” I never complained about, or felt ashamed of, the small and
humble church building we were using up until that time. I was grateful to
have a place to pray. I never wished for a large or comfortable space.
Nevertheless, we needed a place where our members could gather
and offer services, so we took out a loan of two million won and purchased
a house in poor repair on a hillside in Cheongpa Dong. It was
one of many houses categorized then as “enemy property,” meaning that
it had been vacant since being abandoned by Japanese who left Korea at
the time of our nation’s liberation. It was a small house with only about
710 square feet of floor space. It was at the end of a long and narrow
alleyway. Approaching the house was like going through a long, dark
tunnel. All the pillars and walls were covered with dirt, which made us
wonder what had been going on there before we arrived. I worked with
the young people of our church for four days with a sodium hydroxide
solution to scrub off all the dirt.
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After our move to the Cheongpa Dong church, I could hardly sleep.
I would sit on the floor of the main bedroom crouched over in prayer
until three or four in the morning. I might take a nap until five, but then
I would get up and start the day’s activities. I continued this lifestyle for
seven years. Even though I was getting only one or two hours of sleep a
day, I never felt sleepy during the day. My eyes shone brightly, like the
morning star. I never felt tired.
My mind was so full of things to do that I did not even want to
waste time eating. Instead of having people take time to set a table
for my meals, I ate on the floor and crouched over my food to eat
it. “Pour out your dedication! Pour it out, even if you are sleepy!
Pour it out until you are exhausted!” I kept repeating these phrases
to myself. I prayed in the midst of continued opposition and false
accusations with the thought that I was planting seeds that would
someday reap a bountiful harvest. If the harvest could not be reaped
in Korea, then I was confident that it would be reaped elsewhere
in the world.
A year after my release from prison, our church had four hundred
members. As I prayed, I would call out their names one by one. Their
faces would pass through my mind even before I called their names.
Some would be crying, some laughing. In my prayers, I could tell
how each person was doing, including whether they were suffering
from illness.
Sometimes, as I called out their names in prayer, I would get
an inspiration that a particular person would come to the church
that day. The person would come, without fail. When I would go to
someone who had appeared sick to me in my prayer and ask, “Are
you sick?” the person would confirm it. Members were amazed that
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I would know they were sick without being told. Each time they asked,
“How do you do that?” I would answer with a simple smile.
This is something that happened as we were preparing for a Holy
Blessing Ceremony. Before the ceremony, I asked every bride and
groom candidate whether they had maintained their chastity. When I
asked one particular groom candidate, he answered in a loud voice that
he had remained pure. I asked him a second time, and he again assured
me he had. I asked him a third time, and again he gave the same answer.
I looked at him straight in the eye and said, “You served your military
service in Hwacheon, Kangwon Province, didn’t you?”
This time he answered “Yes” in a voice filled with fear.
“You received some time off, and as you were coming to Seoul you
stopped at an inn, didn’t you? And that night you had illicit sex with a
woman wearing a red skirt. I know exactly what you did. Why do you lie?”
I became angry at the man and chased him out of the Blessing
ceremony venue. If a person keeps his heart’s eyes open, he can see
even what is hidden.
Some were attracted to our church more because of such paranormal
phenomena than because of the teachings. Many people think
that spiritual powers are most important. The phenomena often
called miracles, however, tend to confuse people in the society at
large. A faith that relies on unexplained or miraculous occurrences
is not a healthy faith. All sin must be restored through redemption.
It cannot be done by relying on spiritual powers. As our church began
to mature, I stopped talking to members about the things that I
was seeing with my heart’s eyes.
Membership continued to grow. Whether I faced dozens of people
or hundreds, I acted the same way, as if there were only one. I would
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listen whenever a person wanted to tell me about his or her personal
situation. Whether it was an old woman or a young man, I would
listen with dedication, as if this were the only person I had to deal
with. Each member would say, “No one in Korea listens to what I
have to say as well as Reverend Moon.” A grandmother might start
by telling me how she got married and eventually tell me about her
husband’s illnesses.
I enjoy listening to other people talk about themselves. When people
open up to me and talk about themselves, I don’t even realize the passing
of time. I listen to them for ten, even twenty, hours. People who
want to talk have a sense of urgency. They are looking for solutions
to their problems. So I feel that I need to listen to them with my full
dedication. That is the way to love their life and repay the debt that I
owe for my life. The most important thing is to think of life as precious.
In the same way that I listened with sincerity to what others had to say,
I also shared with them my sincere heart with fervor, and I would pray
for them in tears.
How often I prayed with tears through the night? Blood and sweat
saturated the floor boards where I prayed, with no chance to dry.
Later, while I was in the United States, I received word that church
members were planning to remodel the Cheongpa Dong church. With
great urgency I sent a telegram telling them to stop work on the church
building immediately. Yes, this church embodies an irrecoverable period
in my personal history, but more important than that, it testifies
directly to the history of our church. No matter how wonderfully it
might have been refurbished, what good could come of it if our history
were destroyed? What matters is not some beautiful exterior but the
secret life of tears that dwells within that building. It may not be up to a
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certain standard, but it embodies a tradition, and therein lies its value.
People who cannot respect their own tradition are destined to fail.
There is history carved into the pillars of the Cheongpa Dong church.
When I look at a particular pillar, I am reminded of a time when I clung
to that pillar and wept over a particular matter. To see that pillar where
I wept makes me weep again. To see a door frame that is a little crooked
reminds me of the past. Now, though, the old floor boards are all gone.
The floor boards where I bent over in prayer and shed so many tears are
gone, and the traces of those tears are also gone. What I need are the
memories of that pain. It doesn’t matter if the external style or appearance
is old. Much time has passed, and now we have many churches
that are well built. But for me, I would rather go to the small house on
the hill in Cheongpa Dong and pray. I feel more comfortable there.
I have lived my entire life praying and preaching, but even now I
tremble when I stand before a group of people. This is because to stand
in such a position and speak about public matters can mean that many
lives will be saved or that many will be lost. It is a matter of utmost
importance to me that I can lead the people who hear my words onto
the path of life. These are the moments when I draw a clear line on the
crossroads between life and death.
Even now, I do not organize my sermons in advance. I am concerned
that doing so might allow my own private objectives to enter into the
content. With such preparation I may be able to show off how much
knowledge I have stored in my head but not pour out my earnest and
passionate heart. Before I appear in public, I always offer my dedication
by spending at least ten hours in prayer. This is the way I set my roots
down deeply. On a mighty tree, even if the leaves are a little bug-eaten,
the tree remains healthy if its roots are deep roots. My words may be
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a little awkward at times, but everything will be all right so long as a
sincere heart is there.
In the early time of our church I wore an old U.S. military jacket and
fatigues dyed black and preached with such fervor that I dripped with
sweat and tears. Not a day went by without my weeping out loud. My
heart would fill with emotion, and tears would pour from my eyes and
stream down my face. Those were times my spirit seemed on the verge
of leaving my body. I felt as though I were on the verge of death. My
clothes were soaked with sweat, and beads of sweat rolled down from
my head.
In the days of the Cheongpa Dong church, everyone went through
difficult times, but Hyo Won Eu endured particular difficulty. He suffered
an illness in his lungs and it was difficult for him, but still he
lectured our church’s teachings eighteen hours a day for three years and
eight months. We could not afford to eat well. We ate barley instead of
rice and sustained ourselves with two meals a day. Our only side dish
was raw kimchi that was left to ferment for only one night. Hyo Won
Eu liked to eat small salted shrimp. He placed a container of these small
shrimp in one corner of the room, and once in a while he would go
over with a pair of chopsticks and eat a few. That was how he endured
through those difficult days. It pained my heart to see Hyo Won Eu
lying exhausted on the floor, hungry and tired. I wanted to give him
salted conch, but this was much too expensive for us in those days.
It still pains me to think of how hard he worked, trying to record my
words that flowed like a waterfall, even as he was ill.
Aided by the hard work and sacrifice of members, the church grew
steadily. The Sunghwa Students Association was formed for middle
and high school students. They were inspired to take the lunches their
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mothers prepared for them and give them up so our pioneer missionaries
could eat. On their own initiative, the students created a list to take
turns providing their lunches in this way. The evangelists who had to eat
the lunch of the student knew that the student would be missing lunch
that day and going hungry, and so they would eat the lunch in tears. The
students’ expression of dedication was even more impressive than the
lunch itself, and we all redoubled our determination to accomplish the
will of God, even if we had to sacrifice our lives.
Though times were difficult, we sent missionaries out to many parts
of the country. Despite the members’ humble desire, the cascade of vile
rumors made it difficult for them to feel open to say they were from
the Unification Church. They would go into neighborhoods and clean
streets and help out in homes that needed it. In the evenings, our missionaries
would hold literacy classes and tell people about the word of
God. They would serve people in this way for several months and build
up trust. As a result, our church continued to grow. I have not forgotten
these members who, though they wanted very much to go to college,
chose instead to remain with me and dedicate themselves to the work
of the church.
CHAPTER four
why we work
globally
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Paying the Ultimate Price
to Follow God’s Path
5
As soon as I was released from Seodaemun Prison, I went to
the Gabsa Buddhist temple on Mount Gyeroung in Choongcheong
Province. I needed to heal the wounds from my torture
in Seodaemun Prison. Also, I needed a forest where I could pray
and think about the future of our church. This was not long after the
end of the Korean War, and just finding enough food to survive was
often a difficult task. Despite such short-term difficulties, however, it was
important that I make plans for the longer term. We still did not have a
church large enough to hold all our members for service, but I felt it was
important to spend some time looking out into the distant future.
Following the collapse of Japanese colonial rule and the liberation
of Korea in 1945, the two countries had not established diplomatic
relations. Japan had not recognized the government in Seoul, and
Korea considered Japan an enemy country. My belief was that, when
the situation of the world was considered, it was important for the two
countries to resume contacts. A number of attempts were made to send
a missionary to Japan, but these were unsuccessful. In the end, it was
Bong Choon Choi who accomplished this task.
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In 1958, I called Bong Choon Choi to meet me on the mountain
behind the Gabsa temple.
“You need to go immediately to Japan. You will not be able to return
to Korea until you have succeeded.”
“Yes!” he replied, without hesitation.
The two of us then sang the Korean Christian hymn whose words begin:
Called of God, we honor the call;
Lord, we’ll go wherever you say.
We came down the mountain together in high spirits. He never
asked how he was supposed to support himself in Japan or how he was
supposed to begin his activities there. Bong Choon Choi was that kind
of audacious man. Travel to Japan was not allowed for most Koreans.
His only option was to try to enter Japan even without a visa. He would
need to endure many things.
Bong Choon Choi did not even know if he could enter Japan, but
he was prepared, if necessary, to lay down his life. Until I could hear
that he had safely crossed the strait to Japan, I put aside all other work
and sat praying in a small room in the church. I didn’t eat or sleep. We
even had to take out a loan of 1.5 million won to send him. We had
many members who had nothing to eat, but evangelizing Japan was so
important that everything else had to be put aside.
Unfortunately, Bong Choon Choi was arrested as soon as he arrived
in Japan. He was placed in prison, first in Hiroshima and later in Yamaguchi,
until he could be deported back to Korea. While in prison he
decided he would rather die than be sent back, and so he began to fast.
During his fast, he developed a fever. The Japanese authorities decided
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to place him in a hospital and delay his deportation until his health could
be restored. While in the hospital, he managed to escape from custody.
After such efforts made at the risk of his life over a year and a half,
Bong Choon Choi established the church in Japan in October 1959.
Korea and Japan would not establish diplomatic relations for another
six years. In fact Korea, because the painful memory of suffering under
Japan’s colonial rule was still quite fresh, was rebuffing any suggestion
that it open contacts with Japan. I had our missionary smuggle himself
into this enemy country for the sake of Korea’s future. Instead of refusing
all contact, Korea needed to evangelize Japan so that it would be in the
position to be the senior partner in the bilateral relationship. Korea was
impoverished materially, so it needed to open a channel to the Japanese
leadership, get Japan on its side, and then link itself to the United States.
That was how Korea could survive. As a result of the successful effort
to send a missionary to Japan, owing to Bong Choon Choi’s sacrifice,
an exceptional youth leader named Osamu Kuboki joined the church,
together with a group of young people who followed him. The Japanese
church became securely established as a result of their work.
We sent missionaries to America in the following year. There was no
visa trouble this time. They were able to receive passports and visas before
leaving. In securing the passports, we were aided by some cabinet
ministers of the Liberal Party who had played a part in having me imprisoned
in the Seodaemun Prison. Previously, they had opposed us, but
now they were helping us. The United States in those days seemed like a
very far-off country. Some of our church members opposed the idea of
sending missionaries there, saying it was more important to grow our
foundation in Korea first. I convinced the members of its importance,
however, saying that unless America’s crisis could be resolved, Korea
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would be destroyed, too. In January 1959, we sent Young Oon Kim, one
of the professors who had been fired by Ewha Womans University. Then
in September of that year, we sent David S.C. Kim. The work they began
in America was aimed at the entire world.
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Money Earned Honorably,
Used Prayerfully
5
Funds accumulated through business operations are sacred.
For business profits to be sacred, however, it is important
not to lie or to take excessive profit. When conducting
business, we must always be honest, and we must never take a
profit of more than 30 percent. Money earned in this honorable
manner must, of course, be spent prayerfully. It must be spent
with a clear purpose and intent. This is the principle of business
management that I have promoted throughout my life. I believe
the purpose of business is not simply to make money. It is also to
support the missionary work, which is the work of God.
One reason I worked to create funds for missionary work
through business was that I did not want to take money from our
members for this purpose. No matter how lofty the purpose might
be, sending missionaries overseas could not be accomplished just
by wishing it. It required funds. These funds should be earned
in the name of the church. Funds for missionary work had to
be earned in an honorable way. Only then could we be proud of
everything we did.
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As I looked at various options for making money, postage stamps
caught my eye. In those days, I was suggesting to members that they
write to each other at least three times a month. Mailing a letter cost 40
won, but I suggested that they not simply place one 40-won stamp on
their letters. Instead, I suggested they use forty 1-won stamps. We took
the canceled postage stamps from these letters, sold them, and managed
to make 1 million won in the first year. Seeing that used postage stamps,
which seemed insignificant, could bring in big money, the members
continued this work for seven years. We also sold black-and-white
photographs of famous places or popular entertainment personalities
that we had hand-colored with paint. This business also contributed
significantly to the operation of our church activities.
As the church grew, postage stamps and painted photographs were
no longer enough to generate the funds we needed for our missionary
work. We needed to take our business to a higher level if we were to send
missionaries all over the world. In 1962, before the Korean government
redenominated the currency, a lathe that the Japanese had been using
but then abandoned in 1945 was purchased for 720,000 won. Following
redenomination, it was worth 72,000 won. Korean currency was pegged
to the U.S. dollar, then at 125 won per dollar, so the official value of the
investment was $576. We placed this lathe in the coal briquette storage
room of the “enemy property” house we were using as our church and
called it Tongil Industries.
“To you, this lathe may seem insignificant,” I explained. “You may
wonder what kind of business we are going to do by installing one piece
of old and used machinery. This machine that you see here, however,
will be multiplied before long to become 7,000—and even 70,000—
lathes, and the company will develop along with Korea’s defense and
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automobile industries. This machine that we installed today will surely
be a cornerstone for building our country’s automobile industry. Have
faith. Have the conviction that this will surely happen.”
This was what I said to those then gathered in front of the coal briquette
storage room. It was a humble beginning, but our purpose was
lofty and great. They responded to my call and worked with dedication.
As a result, in 1963 we were able to start another business on a
somewhat larger scale. This involved building a fishing boat. The boat
was launched at a pier in the Manseok Dong section of Incheon and
christened Cheon Seung Ho, meaning Victory of Heaven. Some two
hundred people attended the ceremony where this fishing boat was sent
out onto the ocean.
Water is the source of life. We were all born from our mothers’
wombs. Inside those wombs is water, so we were born from water. I
launched the boat with the belief that, in a similar way to how we receive
life from water, we need to go out onto the ocean and pass through
a series of trials there in order to become capable of surviving the trials
we will face on land.
Cheon Seung Ho was an exceptional boat. It sailed throughout the
Yellow Sea and caught many fish. The reaction of many, though, was
that we had enough to do on land and that there was no need for us to
be going out onto the ocean and catching fish. I sensed, however, that
the world was about to enter an oceanic era. The launching of Cheon
Seung Ho was a small, but precious, first step in opening that era. I was
already picturing in my mind the vast ocean with boats larger and faster
than Cheon Seung Ho.
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Power of Dance Moves the World
5
We were not a rich church. We were a poor church started by
people who couldn’t afford enough food to keep themselves
well fed. We didn’t have the fancy church buildings that
other churches had, but we ate barley when others ate rice and saved our
money a little at a time. We then shared that money with people who were
poorer than we. Our missionaries slept in unheated rooms by laying their
sleeping quilts on the bare cement floors. When meal time came, it was
common for them to stave off their hunger by eating a few cooked potatoes.
In every case, we did our best not to spend money on ourselves.
In 1963, we used the money we had saved this way to select seventeen
children and form a Seonghwa children’s dance troupe called the Little
Angels. Korea in those days had very little in the way of cultural performances.
We had nothing to show people from other countries, let alone
performances that we ourselves could watch and enjoy. Everyone was too
busy trying to survive to remember what Korean dance was like or even the
fact that we had a cultural heritage extending back five thousand years.
My plan was to have these seventeen children learn how to dance and
then send them out into the world. Many foreigners knew about Korea
only as a poor country that had fought a terrible war. I wanted to show
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them the beautiful dances of Korea so that they would realize that the
Korean people are a people of culture. We could insist all we wanted that
we were a people of culture with a five-thousand-year tradition, but no one
would believe us if we had nothing to show them.
Our dances—with dancers dressed in beautiful, full-length hanboks,
gently twirling around—are a wonderful cultural heritage that can give a
new experience to Westerners who are accustomed to watching dancers
jump around with bare legs. Our dances are imbued with the sorrowful
history of the Korean people. The movements of Korean dance—in which
dancers keep their heads slightly bowed as if by force and move carefully so
as not be draw attention to themselves—were created by the Korean people,
whose five-thousand-year history has been filled with grief.
As the dancer raises one foot wrapped in white beoseon, the traditional
Korean leggings, and puts it forward to take a single step, she
turns her head gently and raises her hand. As I watch, the gentle subtlety
of her movements seems to melt away all the worries and frustrations in
my heart. There is no attempt to move the audience with a lot of words
spoken in a booming voice. Instead, each dance move, performed with
great gentleness and subtlety, moves the heart of the audience. This is
the power of art. It allows people who don’t understand each other’s
language to communicate. It lets people who don’t know about each
other’s history understand each other’s heart.
In particular, the innocent facial expressions and bright smiles of the
children would be certain to completely wipe away the dark image of a
country that had only recently been at war. I created this dance troupe
to introduce the dances from our country’s five-thousand-year history
to people in the United States, which was the most advanced country in
the world at that time. The society around us, however, heaped criticism on
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us. Before even seeing the the Little Angels dance, they began to criticize.
“The women of the Unification Church dance day and night,” went
their outrageous criticism, “and now it looks like they’ve given birth
to children who also dance.” No such rumors could shake my resolve,
however. I was confident of showing the world what Korean dance was
like. I wanted to let the people who accused us of having danced naked
see the beautiful, gentle movements of dancers stepping lightly in their
beoseon leggings. These were not wild dances with twisting and turning
without rhythm. They were gentle dances by dancers clothed in the
traditional dress of our country.
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Angels Open a Path
through a Dark Forest
5
There are two things we must leave our descendants when we
die. One is tradition, and the other is education. A people
without tradition will fail. Tradition is the soul that allows a
people to continue; a people without a soul cannot survive. The second
thing of importance is education. A people will also fail if it does not
educate its descendants. Education gives us the power to live with new
knowledge and objectives. Through education, people acquire wisdom
for living. Anyone who cannot read will be ignorant, but once educated,
a person will know how to use his wisdom in the world to manage his
own life. Education helps us understand the principles by which the
world operates. To open up a new future, we need, on the one hand, to
pass on to our descendants the tradition that has been handed down to
us over thousands of years and, on the other, to also supply them with
education concerning new things. When tradition and new knowledge
are appropriately integrated in our lives, they give birth to an original
culture. Tradition and education are both important, and it is impossible
to say which takes priority over the other. The wisdom to integrate
the two also comes to us through education.
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At the same time that I founded the dance troupe, I also founded the
Little Angels School of the Arts (later renamed Sunhwa Art School).
The purpose in founding this school was to spread our ideals to the
world through the arts. The issue of whether we had the ability to manage
a school was of secondary importance. I first put my plan into action. If the
purpose is clear and good, then it should be put into action quickly. I wanted to
educate children to love heaven, love their country, and love humanity.
I wrote my motto for the school as a piece of calligraphy that said
in Chinese characters, “Love Heaven, Love Humanity, Love Country.”
Someone asked me then, “Why do you put ‘Love Country’ at the end,
when you say your purpose is to show Korea’s unique culture to the
world?”
I answered him, saying, “If a person loves heaven and loves
humanity, he has already loved his country. Loving the country
has already been accomplished in the process.”
If a Korean can cause the world to respect him, then he has already
accomplished the purpose of letting the world know about
Korea. The Little Angels went to many countries and demonstrated
the excellence of Korean culture, but they never made any nationalistic
claims about their country. The image of Korea as a country of
great culture and tradition was planted deeply in the minds of the
people who saw their performances and gave them their applause.
In that sense, the Little Angels did more than anyone to publicize Korea
to the world and practice love for their country. It gives me great
satisfaction every time I see the performances by Su Mi Jo and Young
Ok Shin, graduates of Sunhwa Art School who have gone on to become
world-renowned vocalists, and by Julia Moon and Sue Jin Kang, who
are among the best ballerinas in the world.
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Since 1965, when they held their first overseas performance in the
United States, the Little Angels have been introducing Korea’s beautiful
tradition all over the world. They were invited by the British royal family
to perform in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II. They were invited
to take part in the bicentennial celebration in the United States, where
they performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
They gave a special performance for U.S. President Richard Nixon, and
they took part in the cultural and performing arts festival that was part
of the Seoul Olympic Games. The Little Angels are known around the
world as cultural ambassadors for peace.
The following is something that happened in 1990, when I visited
Russia. The Little Angels gave a performance on the night before I was
to leave Russia, after having met President Mikhail Gorbachev. Korea’s
little girls stood in the center of Moscow, the center of communism.
After performing Korean dances dressed in their hanboks, the Little
Angels sang Russian folk songs with their beautiful voices. Shouts of
“Encore!” from the audience made it impossible for them to come off
the stage. In the end, they completely exhausted their repertoire of
songs. First Lady Raisa Gorbachev was seated in the audience. South
Korea and Russia had not yet established diplomatic relations, and it
was very unusual for the first lady to attend a cultural performance
from such a country. However, Mrs. Gorbachev sat in the front row and
applauded enthusiastically throughout the program. After the performance,
she came backstage and handed the troupe flowers. She repeatedly
praised the greatness of Korean culture, saying, “The Little Angels
are truly angels of peace. I did not know that South Korea had such
beautiful traditional culture. During the entire performance, it was as
if I was dreaming a dream about my own childhood.” Mrs. Gorbachev
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embraced each member of the troupe and kissed them on the cheek,
saying, “My Little Angels!”
In 1998, the Little Angels visited Pyongyang as the first purely private,
nongovernmental cultural exchange program and gave three performances
there. They danced the cute “Little Groom Dance” and the colorful “Fan
Dance.” The eyes of the North Korean people watching the performance
were filled with tears. The image of a woman sobbing uncontrollably was
captured in the lens of a newspaper photographer. Yong Soon Kim, chairman
of North Korea’s Asia–Pacific Peace Commission, praised the Little
Angels after their performance, saying, “They have opened a narrow path
through the dark forest.”
That was exactly what the Little Angels had done. They demonstrated for the
first time that Koreans from North and South, who had turned their backs on
each other for such a long time, were capable of coming together in one place
and watching each other’s performances. People often think that politics
moves the world, but that is not the case. It is culture and art that move the
world. It is emotion, not reason, that strikes people in the innermost part
of their hearts. When hearts change and are able to receive new things,
ideologies and social regimes change as a result. The Little Angels did more
than just advertise our traditional culture to the world. They created narrow
paths between worlds completely different from each other.
Each time I meet the Little Angels, I tell them, “You must have beautiful
hearts to perform beautiful dances. You must have beautiful hearts
to have beautiful faces.” True beauty is a beauty that wells up from
within us. The Little Angels have been able to move the hearts of people
throughout the world, because the beauty of Korea’s tradition and spiritual
culture that are imbued in their dances are beautiful. So the applause for the
Little Angels is actually applause for Korea’s traditional culture.
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World Tour
5
From childhood, my mind has always yearned for faraway places.
In my hometown, I would climb a mountain and long for the
sea. When I arrived in Seoul, I wanted to go to Japan. I have
always dreamed of going to places larger than where I was.
In 1965, I embarked on my first trip around the world. My suitcase
was filled with soil and stones from Korea. My plan was that, as I traveled
around the world, I would plant Korea’s soil and stones in each country
to signify Korea’s linkage to the world. For ten months, I toured forty
countries, including Japan, the United States, and the nations of Europe.
On the day I left Seoul, hundreds of our members came in buses to see
me off, and they filled the departure lounge at Kimpo Airport. In those
days, going overseas was a significant event. Our members thronged to
the airport on that January day with a cold strong wind blowing out of
the northwest. No one had told them to do this. They did as their hearts
told them. I received their hearts with deep gratitude.
At that time, we were performing mission work in ten countries, and
it was my plan to increase that to forty countries within two years. It
was to lay the foundation for this that I decided to visit forty countries
on my trip. My first stop was Japan. I received a tremendous welcome
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there, where Bong Choon Choi had risked his life to start our mission.
But looking back, we can only be grateful.
I put the following question to the Japanese members: “Are you ‘of
Japan,’ or have you transcended the state of being ‘of Japan’?”
I continued: “God doesn’t want that which is ‘of Japan.’ He doesn’t
need that which is ‘of Japan.’ He needs people who transcend Japan. You
need to go beyond the limitations of Japan to become Japanese people
who love the world, if you are to be people who can be used by God.”
It may not have been easy for them to hear this, but I made myself
very clear.
My second destination was the United States. I entered the country
through the airport in San Francisco, where I was met by our missionaries.
From there, we toured the entire country. During the time I was touring
America, I felt strongly, “This is the country that manages the whole world.
The new culture that will be created in the future must rise up with America
as its foundation.” I set a plan then to purchase a facility for workshops
in the United States that would hold five hundred people. Of course, this
would not be only for Koreans. It would be an international facility that
would receive people from over one hundred countries.
Fortunately, this hope was soon realized. Many countries sent people
to this workshop facility, where they would study and debate about world
peace for six months at a time. Race, nationality, and religion made no difference.
I believe that the world will develop better societies when people
who have transcended race, nationality, and religion and hold a wide variety
of opinions come together and candidly discuss world peace.
During my tour of the United States, I visited every state except
Alaska and Hawaii. We rented a station wagon and drove day and night.
At times, the driver would be so tired.
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“Listen here,” I would say, “I didn’t come here for sightseeing. I’m
here to do important work. We need to go carefully.”
We didn’t waste time sitting down to eat. If we had two slices of
bread, a piece of sausage, and some pickles, then that was plenty of
food for a meal. We ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner like this. We
also slept in the car. The car was our lodging, it was our bed and
our restaurant. We ate, slept, and prayed in that small car. There
was nothing we couldn’t do there. I had a particular purpose to accomplish,
so it was easy for me to endure minor inconveniences to
the physical body.
After the United States and Canada, I went to Central and South
America, and then on to Europe. To my eyes, Europe was in the cultural
sphere of the Vatican. It seemed to me that we could not succeed in
Europe without understanding the Vatican. Even the Alps, which were
supposed to be so difficult to climb, seemed of little significance in
comparison to the Vatican.
I went to the Vatican, where Europeans gather to pray, and prayed
with such fervor that beads of sweat ran down my face. I prayed that
religion, which had become divided among so many denominations
and groups, could be unified quickly. God created one world, but
people have divided it in ways convenient to themselves. I became
more convinced than ever that these divisions must be erased and
the world unified as one. From Europe, I went on to Egypt and the
Middle East and completed my tour after ten months.
When I returned to Seoul, my suitcase was full of soil and stones
from 120 locations in forty countries. When I planted the soil and
stones I had taken from Korea, I took soil and stones from each location
and brought them back to Korea. I connected Korea to these
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forty countries in this way to prepare for the day in the future when
the world of peace would be realized centering on Korea. I began
preparations to send missionaries to those forty countries.
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Last Plane to America
5
Near the end of 1971, I went to the United States. I had certain
tasks that absolutely needed to be accomplished there, but
getting there was not so easy. It was not my first time to go to
the United States, yet I had to wait an unusually long time to receive my
visa. Some members suggested that I delay my departure, but I could
not do that. It was difficult for me to explain to the members, but it was
important that I leave Korea on the designated date. So I decided to go
first to Japan and receive a U.S. visa while in Japan. I was in a hurry to
leave Korea.
The day of my departure was quite cold, but so many members came
to see me off that they could not all get into the terminal. When it came
time for me to go through the passport control desk, however, it was
discovered that my passport was missing the stamp of the section chief
of the Foreign Ministry’s passport section. This stamp was required as
proof that the government had cleared me to leave the country. Because
of this, I missed the flight I had been scheduled to board.
The members who had prepared for my departure apologized profusely
and suggested that I return home and wait while they tracked
down the section chief and got him to place his stamp in my passport.
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“No,” I told them. “I will wait here at the airport. Go quickly and get
the stamp.”
My heart was extremely urgent. It happened to be a Sunday, so the
section chief would not be at his desk. But I could not afford to let myself
be concerned by such matters. In the end, our members went to the
home of the section chief and had him place his stamp in my passport.
So I was able to board the final flight of the day out of Korea. That night,
the government declared a national state of emergency and imposed
heavy restrictions on foreign travel by private citizens. I had boarded
the last flight that would allow me to go to America.
I applied for a U.S. visa in Japan, but again it was refused. I discovered
later what the problem was. The Korean government still had a
record of my being detained by the Japanese colonial police just prior
to liberation on charges of being a communist. The early 1970s was a
time when communism was spreading with ferocity. We had sent missionaries
to 127 countries, but those in four communist countries were
expelled. Evangelizing in communist countries in that era could result
in death. I never gave up, however, and continued to send missionaries
to the Soviet Union and other communist countries.
Our first missionary to Czechoslovakia arrived in 1968. Around 1980,
we began to refer to our mission work in the communist countries of Eastern
Europe as “Mission Butterfly.” A larva must go through a long period of
suffering before it can grow wings and become a butterfly, and we felt that
this was similar to the suffering of our underground missionaries working
in communist countries. It is a difficult process for a butterfly to come out
of its cocoon, but once it has its wings, the butterfly can fly anywhere it
wants. In the same way, we knew that once communism came to its demise,
our missionaries would grow wings and begin to fly.
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Missionary Young Oon Kim, who had gone to the United States in early
1959, toured the major universities in that country to convey God’s word. In the
process, she met Peter Koch, a German student at the University of California
at Berkeley, and this young man decided to suspend his studies and travel by
ship to Rotterdam and then start his missionary work in Germany. Missionaries
to the communist countries of Asia were sent out from Japan. These
missionaries had to be sent to places where their lives could be in danger
without so much as a special worship service to mark their departure. This
pained me as much as having to push Bong Choon Choi to try again to
smuggle himself into Japan during our final meeting in the pine forest behind
the Gabsa temple. A parent who has to watch a child being punished
would much rather be allowed to take the punishment himself. I would
have preferred to go out as a missionary myself. My heart was full of tears as
I sent those members to places where they would be watched and possibly
executed for their religious activities. Once the missionaries had left, I spent
most of my time in prayer. Earnest prayers were the best thing that I could
do to help protect their lives. Missionary work in communist countries was
dangerous work. A missionary never knew when the Communist Party
might take him.
People who went as missionaries to communist countries could not
even tell their parents where they were going. The parents knew well the
dangers of going to such countries and would never give permission for
their children to go. Gunther Werzer was discovered by the KGB and
deported. In Romania, where the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu
was at its height of power, the secret police were constantly following
and intercepting the telephone calls of our missionaries.
It was as if the missionaries had gone into the lion’s den. The number
of missionaries going to communist countries, however, kept growing.
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Then in 1973, there was a terrible incident in Czechoslovakia where
thirty of our members were taken into custody. One member, Marie
Zivna, lost her life while in prison at the young age of twenty-four. She
was the first martyr who died while conducting missionary work in a
communist country. In the following year, another person lost his life
in prison. Each time I heard that one of our members had died in jail,
my entire body froze. I could not speak or eat. I couldn’t even pray. I just
sat motionless for a while, unable to do anything. It was as if my body
had turned to stone. If those people had never met me, or never heard
what I taught, they never would have found themselves in a cold and
lonely jail cell, and they never would have died the way they did. When
they died, they suffered in my place. I asked myself, “Is my life worth
so much that it could be exchanged for theirs? How am I going to take
on the responsibility for the evangelization of the communist bloc that
they were bearing in my place?” I could not speak. I fell into a sorrow
that seemed to have no end, as if I had been thrown into deep water. I
saw Marie Zivna before me in the form of a yellow butterfly. The yellow
butterfly that had escaped Czechoslovakia’s prison fluttered its wings as
if to tell me to be strong and to stand up. By carrying on her missionary
activities at the risk of her life, Marie truly had been transformed from
being a caterpillar to being a beautiful butterfly.
Missionaries working in such extreme circumstances often received
revelations through dreams and visions. They were isolated and could
not communicate freely with others, so God gave them revelations to
let them know the path they must follow. It would often happen that a
missionary who had lain down to sleep for a short while would have a
dream in which he was told, “Get up quickly and go someplace else.”
He did as he was told in the dream, only to discover later that the secret
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police had raided the place where he had been resting. In another instance,
a member had a dream in which a person he had never seen
before came to him and told him how to carry out his missionary work.
Later, when he met me for the first time, he exclaimed, “You’re the person
I saw in my dream.”
This was how I had risked my life and the lives of our members to
overthrow communism and build God’s Kingdom. Yet, the United
States would not give me a visa, because it suspected me of being a communist.
Finally, in Canada, after submitting materials illustrating my claim
to be anticommunist, I was able to receive a visa to the United States.
The reason I went to all this trouble to go to America was to fight against the
dark forces that had caused America’s moral degradation. I left Korea to wage
war on the forces of evil. At the time, all the major problems of the world—
communism, drugs, moral decadence, and immorality—were mixed together
in a hellish stew. I declared, “I have come to America as a fireman and a doctor.
If a house catches fire, a fireman needs to come, and if someone is sick, a doctor
pays a visit.” I was like a fireman who had gone to America to extinguish the
fires of immorality, and like a doctor who had gone to cure America of the
illness that made it lose sight of God and go to the brink of decadence.
America in the early 1970s was embroiled in the Vietnam War, and
activists were protesting. It was a country seriously divided. Young people
searching for meaning experimented with alcohol, drugs, and
free sex and in the process were neglecting their eternal souls.
Mainstream religion, which should have provided guidance to such young
people, was not performing its role. It could not help them end their aimless
wandering and return to proper ways of living. The hedonistic, materialistic
culture dragged many young people down, because they had no place
to rest their hearts.
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Soon after I arrived in the United States, I toured the country,
speaking on the topics “The Future of Christianity” and “God’s Hope
for America.” In front of large audiences, I criticized the weaknesses of
America in a way that no one else would.
I spoke about how America was founded on the Puritan spirit and had
grown to be the strongest country in the world in just two hundred years
because it received God’s boundless love and blessing. I reminded the audiences
that America’s freedom comes from God but that today America had
cast God aside. “America has a great tradition,” I said. “All you have to do is
revive it.” I went to awaken America’s spirit, to save America from destruction,
to urge people to repent and return to God.
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Our Future Lies with the Ocean
5
As I toured the world, no one knew that plans were being
made to develop economic foundations on a worldwide scale.
As the church grew and the number of missions increased,
the amount of funds we needed to support these activities increased
dramatically. We needed income. As I toured forty-eight states in the
United States, I gave much thought to the kinds of businesses that could
support the activities we had planned.
What came to my mind then was that Americans eat meat every day.
I checked the price of a cow. I saw that a cow that costs a small amount
in Florida could cost several hundred dollars in New York. But when I
checked the price of tuna, I discovered that one bluefin tuna cost more
than $4,000. Tuna lay more than 1.5 million eggs at a time, whereas a
cow will have only one calf at a time. It was clear that catching tuna
would be a much better business endeavor than raising cattle.
One problem was that Americans did not eat much fish. The Japanese,
however, were extremely fond of tuna. There were many Japanese
living in the United States then, and expensive restaurants operated by
Japanese sold raw tuna at a high price. Also, some Americans who were
learning to enjoy raw fish enjoyed eating tuna.
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The earth where we live is covered by more ocean than land. The
United States has two oceans and therefore plenty of fish. Also, beyond
the two hundred–mile limit, no country has territorial claims on the
ocean. Anyone can go out to catch fish. In order to start a farm or raise
cattle, we would need to buy land, but there is no need for that in the
ocean. All we needed was one boat, and we could go as far as necessary
in order to catch fish. The ocean is filled with things to eat. Also, on the
ocean surface, there is an active shipping industry. Ships carry things
made in countries all over the world to be sold elsewhere. The ocean
is a treasure trove that guarantees humankind a bright future. That is
why I teach that those who are concerned with the future of humanity
must be concerned with the oceans. When we can love and inherit the
oceans, we inherit the future.
We purchased several boats in the United States. These were not
the large ships that might be seen in a brochure but boats about
thirty-four feet to thirty-eight feet in length. They could pursue
tuna with their engines turned off. They were fishing boats about
the size of a yacht that would not have major accidents. These boats
were placed in Washington, San Francisco, Tampa, and Alaska. We
also purchased a ship repair facility.
We did a lot of our own research. We placed one boat in each region
and measured the water temperature. We checked to see how many tuna
were caught each day, and placed the data on a chart. We didn’t just take
data that experts had created previously; our members went into the
water themselves to gather the information. The results of studies done
by university-based researchers in the area were used as reference. In
addition, I went to those areas, lived there myself, and checked them
out. No data was more accurate than what we gathered.
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We went to a lot of trouble to conduct this research, but we did not
keep it to ourselves. Instead, we shared it with the fishing industry. We also
developed new fishing grounds. If too many fish are caught in one area, it
depletes the fish population. It is important to go to new areas. Within a
short time, we had made a major impact on the U.S. fishing industry.
We entered the business of catching fish on the open sea. Our idea
was that one ship would go out to sea and catch fish for at least six
months without returning to port. When the ship had all the fish it
could carry, a transport ship went out to it, took its fish, and resupplied
it with food and fuel. The ship had refrigeration facilities where it could
store fish for a long time.
The name of our ship was New Hope, and it was well known for being
able to catch many fish. I took that boat out myself and caught tuna.
People were often afraid of getting on boats. When I suggested to young
people that they get on a boat, their first reaction was often one of fear.
“I get seasick,” I often heard them say. “All I have to do is get on a
boat, and I start getting woozy and feel like I’m going to die.”
So I got on the boat myself first. From that day, I went out on the boat
almost every day for seven years. Even now, when I am ninety years old,
I like to go out on the ocean whenever I have the time. Now, there are
more and more young people who say they want to go out on the boats.
More women say they want to do this. With any task, if the leader does
it first, the people follow. As a result, I have become well known as a
tuna fisherman.
It would have been of little use, however, if we had only caught the
tuna. We also needed to be able to sell it at the right price. We created
a tuna-processing facility, and I even sold the tuna myself. We put the
tuna in refrigerated trucks and went out and sold them. If selling was
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difficult, we started our own seafood restaurants and sold the tuna
directly to consumers. Once we had our own restaurants, people could
not ignore us.
The United States has three of the world’s four largest fishing
grounds. Three-quarters of the world’s fish population live in waters
near the United States. Yet, the United States has relatively few people
to catch fish, and its fishing industry is extremely underdeveloped. The
government has taken many measures designed to support the fishing
industry, but they have not had a major effect. The government offered
to sell boats at a big discount on the condition that buyers use them for
two and a half years, but few people took advantage of the opportunity.
How frustrating this is. When we started to put money into the fishing
industry, it caused a stir in each port where we went. This was not surprising,
since communities prospered wherever we invested. Our work,
ultimately, was to pioneer new worlds. We were not simply catching
fish. We were taking paths not taken by others. How exciting it is to
pioneer new paths!
The ocean changes constantly. They say people’s minds change
morning and night, but the ocean changes moment to moment. That
is why the ocean is both mysterious and beautiful. The ocean embraces
everything in heaven and earth. It can come together at a particular
spot and form clouds or become rain and fall back down. I am very
fond of nature, because it never deceives. If it is high, it becomes lower;
if it is low, it becomes higher. In every instance, it adjusts its height to
become flat. If I am sitting holding a fishing pole, it seems as though
I have all the time in the world. What is there on the ocean to stand
in our way? Who is there to make us hurry? We have a lot of time for
ourselves. All we need to do is watch the ocean and talk with it. The
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longer a person spends on the ocean, the greater the spiritual aspect of
his life will become. The ocean, however, can be calm one minute but
then quickly change its face and send us strong waves. Waves several
times the height of a person will rise up above the boat, as if to devour
it. A strong wind will tear at the sail and make a fearful sound.
Think of this, though. Even when the waves have risen and a fearful
wind is blowing, the fish in the water have no trouble sleeping. They
give themselves over to the waves and don’t resist them. This is what I
learned from the fish. I decided not to be afraid, no matter how strong
the waves were. I let the waves carry me. I made myself one with the
boat, and we rose with the waves. Once I started doing that, my heart
was never shaken, no matter what kind of waves I came up against. The
ocean has been such a wonderful teacher for me in my life that I created
the Ocean Challenge program to give young people the leadership
training the ocean provides.
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Reverend Moon, Seed for a
New American Revolution
5
The initial warm hospitality shown to me by Americans began
to grow cold, even hostile. They cynically questioned how a
religious leader from Korea, an insignificant country that had
barely survived hunger and war, could dare call on Americans to repent.
It was not just Americans who opposed me. The reaction from
the Japanese Red Army, in league with international communists,
was particularly strong. They were even caught by the FBI trying
to sneak into the workshop center in Boston where I often stayed.
There were so many attempts to harm me that my children could
not attend school without the presence of bodyguards. Because of
the continued threats on my life, I spoke from behind bulletproof
glass for a period.
Despite such opposition, the lecture series by the small-eyed man from
the Orient gathered more and more interest. People began to listen to the
teachings, which were completely different from what they had heard until
then. The content of the lectures dealing with the fundamental principles of the
universe and seeking to reawaken the founding spirit of America was a breath
of fresh air for Americans who had fallen into the hell of immorality and sloth.
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Americans experienced a revolution of consciousness through my
lectures. Young people began to follow me, calling me “Father Moon”
or “Reverend Moon” and cutting their shoulder-length hair and their
scruffy beards. When appearances change, minds also change. So God
began to enter into the hearts of young people who had been immersed
in alcohol and drugs.
The lectures were attended by a variety of young people, transcending
denominations. When I would interrupt my sermons to ask, “Are
there any Presbyterians here?” many young people would wave their
hands, saying, “Here. Here.” If I asked, “Are there any Catholics?” hands
would go up again. When I asked, “How about Southern Baptists?”
many people would again answer, “Me. Me.”
“Why do you come to hear me instead of going to hear a sermon in
your own religion?” I asked. “Go home and go to your own church to
hear God’s word.”
When I said this, the audience responded, “We want to hear Reverend
Moon!”
More and more people began gathering, and even some ministers
of Presbyterian and Baptist churches came, bringing with them the
young people of their churches. As time went on, Reverend Moon
became an icon representing a revolution of consciousness in
American society.
I taught American young people how to endure difficulty. I thoroughly
taught them the principle that a person must be able to rule himself before
he can rule the universe. My teachings provided a new inspiration to American
young people living in an age of confusion. They shouted in agreement
with my message of sexual purity and true families. The reception was so
enthusiastic that it made me sweat with excitement as well.
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“Do you want to bear the cross of pain?” I asked them. “No one
wants to go the way of the cross. Your heart may want to go that way,
but your body says ‘No!’ Just because something is pleasing to the eye
doesn’t mean it is good for the heart. There are many things that look
good, but an examination of their inner aspect shows them to be evil.
If you catch yourself seeking after only things pleasing to the eye and
try following that path, you must immediately stop yourself and say,
‘You rascal!’ Also, if you feel the desire to eat only things pleasing to
the mouth, you must scold your body, saying, ‘You rascal,’ and block
yourself. You young people are attracted to the opposite sex, aren’t you?
In this case, too, you must make a strong stand against such urges. If
a person cannot control himself, he cannot do anything in this world.
Consider that if you break down, the universe will break down.”
I was teaching them the motto that I had followed as a young man,
which was “Before seeking to rule the universe, first perfect your ability
to rule yourself.” America had great wealth and had become obsessed
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with material goods. I stood in the midst of this material civilization
and talked about matters of the mind and heart. The mind cannot be
seen with the eye or held in the hand. Yet, we clearly are ruled by our
minds. Without our minds, we are nothing. Then I talked about true
love, God-centered love, which should guide the mind. I said that true
freedom can be enjoyed only when we have a clear understanding of
ourselves based on a foundation of true love and are able to exercise
self-control.
I taught them the value of labor. Labor is not suffering but creation.
The reason a person can work all his life and be happy is that labor is
connected to God’s world. The labor that people perform is nothing
more than taking things that God created and shaping them in different
ways. If you think that you are making something to give to God as a
memento, then labor is not something to think of in a negative way.
Many American young people were so steeped in the affluent life provided
to them by their materialistic civilization that they didn’t know
the joy of working. So I taught them to work with joy.
I also awoke in them the joy of loving nature. The young people were
caught up in the immoral culture of the cities and enslaved in selfish
lives, so I talked to them about the preciousness of nature. Nature is
given to us by God. God speaks to us through nature. It is a sin to destroy
nature for the sake of a moment of enjoyment or an insignificant
amount of money. The nature that we destroy eventually will make its
way back to us in the form of poison and make life difficult for our descendants.
We need to go back to nature and listen to what nature tells
us. I told the young people of America that when we open our hearts
and listen to what nature is saying, we can hear the word of God.
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Washington Monument, 1976
5
In September 1975, we founded the Unification Theological Seminary
in Barrytown, New York, which is located north of New York
City. The faculty was hired on an interreligious basis, and we had
professors representing Judaism, Protestantism, Catholicism, Eastern
Orthodoxy, and Oriental philosophy. When they lectured about their
own religions, our students asked them very difficult questions. The
classes always became forums for intense debate. When all the religions
were put together and debated, they began to break through the incorrect
concepts that they had about each other and to better understand
each other. Gifted young people finished their master’s level education
at our seminary and entered the doctoral programs at Harvard, Yale,
and other leading U.S. universities. Today they have become people
capable of leading the religious world on a global scale.
In 1974 and 1975 I was invited to speak on Capitol Hill. I spoke in
front of members of the House of Representatives on the topic “One
Nation Under God.”
I addressed the congressmen in the same manner as I had the young
people on the street, saying, “America was born through God’s blessing.
This blessing, however, was not for Americans alone. This was God’s
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blessing for the world, given through America. America must understand
the principle of this blessing and sacrifice itself in order to save
the world. To do this, there needs to be a reawakening that lets America
return to its founding spirit. Christianity, which has been divided into
dozens of denominations, must be united, absorb all religions, and open
a new future for world civilization.”
I was the first foreign religious leader to be invited to speak by
the U.S. Congress. After I was invited for a second time, many more
people became interested in finding out about this man Reverend
Moon from Korea.
The next year, on June 1, 1976, we held a celebration at Yankee Stadium
in New York City to commemorate the two hundredth anniversary
of America’s independence. At the time, America was not so peaceful as
to have the presence of mind to celebrate its anniversary. It was feeling
the threat of communism, and its young people were living lives far
distant from the desire of God, engaging in such things as drugs and
free sex. I felt that America was seriously ill. I went to the celebration
feeling as though I were like a surgeon cutting open the heart of a New
York that lay sick.
On the day of the celebration, torrential rains came down, and a
strong wind blew the decorations all around the field, but no one tried
to get out of the rain. The band started playing “You Are My Sunshine,”
and everyone in the stadium began to sing together. They were singing a
song about sunshine, even as they were being soaked by the rain. Their
mouths were singing about sunshine, but their eyes were crying. It was
a moment when rain and tears were mixed together. Then, incredibly,
as I went to the stage to speak, the sunshine broke through the rain
clouds. It was as if God had heard their singing.
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I did some boxing when I was in school. You can hit a good boxer
with many jabs and still find that he is not affected. If you can land a
solid upper cut, however, even the strongest boxer will be shaken up. I
was counting on landing a solid upper cut on America. I felt that there
needed to be a much larger rally than what had been held up to that
point so that the name “Sun Myung Moon” would be indelibly carved
into America’s mind.
Washington is the capital of the United States. In a place that is a
straight line from the Capitol, there is a tower called the Washington
Monument. It is an obelisk, shaped like a sharpened pencil standing on
its end. A large grassy area extends from the monument to the Lincoln
Memorial. This area represents the heart of America. I set a plan to hold
a large rally in this place.
To hold a rally there, however, we needed permission from the U.S.
government and the U.S. National Park Police. Most U.S. officials did
not like me very much. I had previously put ads in newspapers calling
on the people of America to forgive former President Richard Nixon,
who had been pushed into a crisis because of the Watergate incident.
This view was very unpopular. So now the U.S. government kept turning
us down, and it was not until forty days prior to the event that we
were finally able to receive permission.
Our members, too, suggested to me that this was too ambitious a
plan and that we should not go forward. The National Mall surrounding
the Washington Monument was an open park in the middle of an
urban area. There were not many trees—just a wide expanse of grass.
If the crowd were small, it would be obvious for everyone to see. To
fill such a large area, there would have to be hundreds of thousands
of people. Our members wanted to know how this could be possible.
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Prior to this, only two people had held large events on the National
Mall. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had held a rally for civil rights on the
steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and Rev. Billy Graham had held a large
gathering there. So it was a place with a lot of symbolism. This was the
place that I was challenging.
I prayed without ceasing for this rally. I wrote the speech that I was
to deliver four different times. A week before the event, I still had mixed
feelings about what I should say in my speech. Finally, three days before
the event, I completed the text. Generally, I don’t speak from prepared
texts. I made an exception in this case, because of my concern that the
event go well. I knew this was going to be a particularly important event,
though I wasn’t quite certain in what way.
I will never forget what happened on that day, September 18, 1976.
People started coming to the Washington Monument from early in the
morning. Some three hundred thousand people gathered. It was impossible
to tell where all these people had come from. They had all different
colors of hair and skin. All the races that God sent to earth gathered
on that day. It was a rally on a global scale that does not require any
additional description.
I stood in front of the gathering and declared, “God prepared America
for two hundred years. This is the time for awakening. America must
accept her global responsibility. Armed with Godism, she must free the
communist world and at last build the Kingdom of God here on earth.”
The speech was interrupted many times by shouts and applause.
Newsweek, in a year-end pictorial review of the major events of 1976,
carried my photograph and referred to me as part of the revivalism of
the 1970s. On the other hand, an increasing number of people were
beginning to look at me with caution and fear. To them, I was nothing
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more than a strange magician who had come from the East. I was not a
white man they could place their faith in and follow. The fact that I was
saying things that were somewhat different from what they had heard in
their churches made them feel very insecure. In particular, they could
not allow a situation in which young white people were showing respect
to and following an Asian with slender eyes shaped like a fish. They
began spreading rumors that I had been brainwashing innocent young
white people. This group that opposed me gathered in the background,
behind those who were shouting their support. I knew that another
crisis was about to befall me. I was not afraid, however, because I was
clearly doing what was right.
America is widely known as a country of freedom and equality,
where people of all races come to realize the American dream. In fact,
however, there is a great deal of struggle stemming from racial and
religious discrimination. These are chronic illnesses that are embedded
deep within America’s history, and they are therefore much more
difficult to cure than the social diseases such as immorality and materialism
that arose out of the affluence of the 1970s.
About this time, I often visited African-American churches in an
effort to foster ecumenical harmony. Among black leaders there were
some who, in the manner of Dr. King, were working to do away with
racial discrimination and bring about God’s world of peace.
Some of these ministers had images hanging in their basements
of slave markets that had existed for hundreds of years prior to being
outlawed. One such image was of a black man being burned alive while
hanging from a tree. Another was of black men and women stripped
of their clothes being looked over like merchandise by potential slave
buyers. And yet another was a black baby crying as it was being taken
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away from its mother. One could hardly believe that human beings were
capable of the barbaric acts depicted so clearly in those images.
“Wait and see,” I told a gathering in Chicago on October 24, 1975.
“Within the next thirty years, there will be a president of the United
States who was born into an interracial black and white family.”
The prophecy I made that day has now come true in America with
the inauguration of President Barack Obama, who spent much of his
adult life in Chicago. This prophecy did not come true on its own.
Many people shed their blood and sweat to do away with the struggles
between the races, and those efforts have now finally blossomed.
Surprisingly, a number of ministers of established churches in
America came and brought their congregations to the Washington
Monument rally. They decided that my message transcended denominations
and that I was inspiring young people. I called on people to
transcend differences of denomination and religion, and those words
were realized at this rally. The Washington Monument Rally was a
miracle. Three hundred thousand people attended, making this among
the largest gatherings ever on the National Mall.
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Cry Not for Me but for the World
5
Good is often followed by the bad. Some people drew mustaches
on my picture, trying to associate me with Hitler.
They called me “anti-Semitic” and claimed I taught against
Jews. Trouble also happened with Christians. As the number of
young people following me and the number of ministers who wanted
to learn the Principle increased, America’s established churches also
began to persecute me. Lastly, leftists in America reacted against
my position that it was America’s responsibility to stop the spread of
communism in the world. They, too, began to look for ways to stop
my activities.
As our popularity grew, all kinds of misgivings and doubts began
to be raised about me. Young people, inspired to spread my teachings,
had left college or quit their jobs to travel around the country to teach
and raise funds for our work. Their parents understandably became
concerned about their well-being.
Furthermore, the United States had become embroiled in the
Watergate crisis. I met with President Richard Nixon to urge him to
seek God’s will in leading the nation. I issued an appeal to the American
people to “forgive, love, and unite” around the position of the
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president. This sparked opposition from the leftist news media. Things
that previously had not been an issue suddenly came pressing down
upon me. At the same time, conservatives said I was too liberal and that
my teachings would break down traditional values.
Many Christians were unhappy about the new understanding of
the cross that I was teaching: Jesus came as the Messiah, and it was
not God’s predestined will that he be crucified. With the execution
of Jesus, God’s plan for the kingdom of peace went awry. If Israel had
received Jesus as the Messiah, he could have brought about a world
of peace, uniting cultures and religions of the East and West. Jesus,
however, died on the cross, and God’s work of complete salvation
was delayed until the Second Coming. This understanding of the
cross brought a great deal of opposition. Established churches and
the Jewish community both came to regard me as their enemy. They
tried any number of ways to have me removed from America,
each for their own different reasons.
Ultimately, I was imprisoned once again. All I did was work to
reestablish the morality of America and restore it to be a country in
line with God’s will, but I was accused of not paying my taxes. I was
well past my sixtieth birthday by this time.
During the first year I was in America, money received as donations
from around the world was placed in a bank account in New
York in my name, held in trust for the church, a practice common in
some denominations. The funds that were in this account for three
years produced interest income, and I was indicted on the charge of
not paying taxes on about $7,500. Normally a fine would be charged,
but I was imprisoned in the federal correctional institution in Danbury,
Connecticut, on July 20, 1984.
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On the day before reporting to the Danbury prison, I held my final
gathering of members at the Belvedere training center in Tarrytown,
New York. Members filled the property and shed tears as they prayed
for me. Thousands of people who had followed me gathered at Belvedere
that day. I raised my voice and told them not to lose heart.
“I am innocent,” I said. “I have done nothing wrong.”
“I can see the bright light of hope rising from beyond Danbury,” I
told them. “Don’t cry for me, but cry for America. Love America, and
pray for America.”
I stood before the young people immersed in sadness and held up
my fists as a sign of hope.
The statement I made prior to entering the prison caused a great
stir among religious people. A “Common Suffering Fellowship” was
initiated, and there was a wave of prayers to support me. The Common
Suffering Fellowship was a groundswell of support of clergy from all
denominations and from other religions concerned about the attack on
religious freedom in America.
On the day that I went to prison, I had nothing to fear. I know life
in jail. This was not the case with the people around me, however. They
were concerned that some people strongly opposed to me would do
something to end my life. I headed to prison with my head held high.
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“Why Does My Father
Have to Go to Jail?”
5
Even in Danbury prison, I followed my principle of living for the
sake of others. I would wake up early in the morning and clean
places that were dirty. In the cafeteria, others would lean over
their food and either take a nap or chat among themselves, but I kept
my back straight and sat with dignity. When I was given work to do, I
worked harder at it than others did, and I kept an eye out to see how
others were doing. In my spare time, I read the Bible. One prisoner,
seeing how I read the Bible day and night, said to me, “Is that your
Bible? Here’s my Bible. Take a look!” He threw a magazine to me. It was
the pornographic magazine Hustler.
In prison, I was known as a person who worked without talking.
I read books and meditated. After going three months this way, I became
friends with the prisoners and the guards. I became friends with
a person who was on drugs and with the prisoner who had said the
pornographic magazine was his Bible. After a month or two, the prisoners
began to share with me the items they received from outside. Once
we could share our hearts, it was as if spring had come to the inside
of the prison.
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Actually, the United States did not really want to send me to prison.
They chose to indict me while I was out of the country on a trip to
Germany, and they would have been satisfied if I had chosen not to
return. They weren’t trying to put me in jail. They were trying to remove
me from the country. I was becoming well known in America, and the
number of people following me was increasing. So they wanted to put
a roadblock in my way. Just as in Korea, I was a thorn in the side of the
established churches. Because I knew this was their purpose, I chose
to return to America and go to jail. I still had things that needed to be
done in America.
I think that going to jail is not a completely bad thing. If I am to get
people who are in the valley of tears to repent, then I must first shed tears.
Unless I first experience such a wretched heart, I cannot get others to
submit themselves to God. Heaven really works in mysterious ways. After
I was imprisoned, seven thousand ministers and other religious leaders
accused the U.S. government of violating religious freedom and began an
effort to save me. Among them was the conservative Rev. Jerry Falwell of
the Southern Baptist Convention and the liberal Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, who
gave the benediction during the inauguration of President Obama. They
stood at the forefront of the effort to save me. Also, my daughter In Jin, a
young girl of 20, marched with them. She stood before some seven thousand
clergy and read a letter that she had written to me in tears.
“Hello, everyone. I am In Jin Moon, the second daughter of Rev.
Sun Myung Moon. On July 20, 1984, it seemed that the end of the
world came to our family. This was the day that my father entered
Danbury prison. I never dreamed that such a thing would happen to
my father—especially in America, a land of the free that my father has
loved and served immensely. My father has worked hard since he came
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to America. I have almost never seen him sleep. He rises early in the
morning to pray and work. I have never seen anyone work with greater
dedication to the future of America or to God. Yet, America has placed
my father in Danbury prison. Why does he have to go to Danbury?
He is not concerned about his own suffering. My father’s life has been
dotted with tears and suffering, as he sought to carry out God’s will.
He is now 64 years old. His only crime was that he loved America. Yet,
at this moment, he is either washing dishes in the prison cafeteria or
mopping its floors. Last week, I visited my father and saw him for the
first time in his prison uniform. I cried and cried. My father told me
not to cry for him but to pray for America. He told me to take my anger
and sorrow and transform these into a powerful force that will make
this a truly free country. He said that while he was in prison he would
endure any hardship, bear any injustice, and carry any cross. Freedom
of religion is the basis of all freedoms. I am truly grateful to everyone
here for supporting religious freedom.”
My sentence was reduced by six months for good behavior, and I was
released after serving thirteen months. The day I left prison, a banquet
to celebrate my release was held in Washington, D.C. Seventeen hundred
Christian ministers and Jewish rabbis were gathered and waiting
for me. In my remarks to the gathering, I repeated my position in favor
of transcending religions and denominations. I spoke in a loud voice
to the world at large, feeling no need for concern for the reaction from
those opposed to me.
“God is not a denominationalist. He is not bound by secondary
arguments over doctrine. There are no distinctions over nationality or
race in God’s great parental heart. Neither are there any walls between
nations or cultures there. Even today, God continues to do everything
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He can to embrace all the world’s people as His children. America today
suffers from racial issues, issues resulting from the confusion of values
and moral degradation, issues of spiritual drought and the decline of
Christian faith, and the issue of atheistic communism. These are the
reasons I answered the call of God and came to this country. Christianity
today must have a great awakening and come together as one.
Clergy, too, must reexamine the roles that you have been playing until
now and repent. The situation that played out two thousand years ago,
when Jesus came and called on people to repent, is being repeated today.
We must fulfill the important mission that God has given to America.
The situation cannot continue as it is now. There needs to be a new
reformation.”
Once I had been released from prison, there was nothing to hold
me back. I spoke with an even louder voice than before to give a message
of warning to a fallen America. I repeatedly spoke in strong words
that returning to God’s love and morality is the only way to revitalize
America.
I was imprisoned without my having done anything wrong, but
God’s will was there as well. After my release, the people who worked
for my release took turns coming to Korea to learn more about my
work. They came to find out what it was about Reverend Moon’s spirit
that had attracted so many young people in America. On their return
to the United States, 120 of these ministers organized the American
Clergy Leadership Conference.
CHAPTER five
true families
create
true people
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My Wife, Hak Ja Han Moon
5
The first time I saw my wife, she was a young girl of fourteen
and had just graduated from elementary school. She was
a quiet girl who never raised her voice and never sought
to bring attention to herself. She always took the same route to
and from the church. When she was first introduced to me, I was
told she was the daughter of one of our church members, Mrs.
Soon Ae Hong.
“What is your name?” I asked her.
“My name is Hak Ja Han,” she answered with a clear voice.
In that moment, before I knew what was happening, I said, “So Hak
Ja Han has been born in Korea!” I said this three times in repetition,
and then prayed, saying, “God! Thank you for sending to Korea such a
wonderful woman as Hak Ja Han.”
I then looked at her, and said: “Hak Ja Han, I’m afraid you are going
to have to do a lot of sacrificing.”
All of these words came out of my mouth spontaneously. Later, Mrs.
Hong told me that she thought it strange that I would say the same
thing three times after meeting her daughter for the first time. My wife
has told me that she also remembers that first, short meeting. She told
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me she remembers everything that I said then as if I had delivered a
sermon just for her, and she kept it in her heart. She said she felt like
she had received an important revelation about her future that she
could not forget.
Her mother was from a faithful Presbyterian family, so she was raised
in a Christian home. Her hometown was Jungju, which is my hometown
as well, but she had lived in Anju until coming to South Korea during
the Korean War. When Mrs. Hong first began attending our church, she
lived a very faithful life in Chuncheon and raised her daughter strictly.
My wife attended a nursing school that was operated by the Catholic
Church. I am told that the rules of this school were so strict that it was
as if she were living in a convent. She had a gentle character, and during
the time she was raised by her mother, she never went anywhere except
to school and to our church.
I was forty at the time, and I sensed that the time had come for
me to marry. All I needed to do was wait for God to tell me, “The
time has come, so get married,” and I would do as I was told. Seung
Do Ji, an elderly woman in our church, began an effort in October
1959 to prepare for my engagement, even though there was still no
bride-to-be. Another church member who had been praying for
seven years about a wife for me told me one day that she had had a
dream in which she saw that Hak Ja Han was my wife.
Another church member, Mrs. Ji, told me about a strange dream she
had. “What kind of dream is this?” she exclaimed. “I saw hundreds of cranes
come flying. I tried to wave them away with my arms, but they kept coming
and they finally covered you with their white feathers. Is this some kind of
omen for the future?” The “Hak” in Hak Ja Han is the Chinese character
for crane.
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Then, Hak Ja Han had a dream in which I appeared and told her,
“The day is near, so make preparations.” My wife later told me that in
her dream she said to me in a humble tone, “I have been living until
now in accordance with the will of God. In the future, as well, I will
follow God’s will as His servant, no matter what that will may be.”
A few days after my bride-to-be had this dream, I asked Mrs. Hong
to bring her daughter to me. This was our first meeting since I had
been introduced to her at age fourteen. That day, I asked this young
lady many questions. In every case, she responded with composure
and spoke clearly. In this meeting, I asked my wife to draw a picture.
Without hesitation, she picked up a pencil and started drawing on a
sheet of paper. When she had finished and placed her picture before
me, I was very impressed by what I saw. I then looked at her face, and
her shy expression was very beautiful. Her heart was as wonderful as
the picture she had drawn.
We were engaged on March 27, 1960, and had our marriage ceremony
barely two weeks later, on April 11. I did not set a date at the time but when
I called Miss Han several days later, I told her, “Tomorrow morning, we
will have a marriage ceremony.” She responded simply, “Is that so?” and did
not ask any questions or try to speak in opposition. She seemed incapable
of opposition. That was how pure and gentle she was. Then as now, when it
comes to the will of God, she has a strong determination.
I wore a samo-kwandae, the formal dress of court officials now
commonly used in traditional wedding ceremonies, and she wore
traditional Korean attire that included a jok-dori bridal tiara. My
bride, who was seventeen and more than twenty years younger than
I, looked confident and radiant with her tightly closed lips and
pretty face.
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During the ceremony, I told my bride that she was about to embark
on a difficult course.
“I think you are already aware that marrying me will not be like any
other marriage. We are becoming husband and wife to complete the
mission given to us by God to become True Parents, and not to pursue
the happiness of two individuals, as is the case with other people in this
world. God wants to bring about the Kingdom of Heaven on the earth
through a true family. You and I will travel a difficult path to become
True Parents who will open the gates to the Kingdom of Heaven for
others. It is a path that no one else in history has traveled, so even I
don’t know all that it will involve. During the next seven years, you will
experience many things that will be difficult to endure. Don’t forget,
even for a moment, that the life we live is different from others. Don’t
do anything, no matter how trivial, without first discussing it with me,
and obey everything I tell you.”
She responded, “My heart is already set. Please do not worry.”
I could see in her expression that she had made a strong determination.
Her difficult challenges began the day after our marriage. The first
difficulty she faced was that she could not see her mother. My wife, her
mother, and her maternal grandmother were all only daughters. As a
result, the relationship between mother and daughter was particularly
strong. In order to take on her public mission and develop the proper
focus, I asked her to live what amounted to an ascetic life for three years.
That meant she could not see her mother or any of her relatives for three
years. She lived in a room rented from a church member. She came to
the church no more than once a day, usually in the evening. So as not to
create disruption, she left through the back door. I was often involved in
worship services or praying through the night and was rarely at home,
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but the separation was not for practical reasons. The separation was to
establish a spiritual condition of unconditional devotion to her mission.
As the outrageous rumors about me continued to circulate, this
separation from her relatives and me made it even more difficult for my
young wife to endure.
At the time of our marriage, the Unification Church already had
been established in 120 communities around Korea. Even in our
church, however, there were those who were critical of our marriage.
Some envied her, some hated her, and many stories circulated.
As if that were not enough, she lived in someone else’s home. Older
women of our church followed me everywhere I went. Eventually, my
seemingly cold treatment of my wife brought an end to all the criticism
and envy against her. In fact, people began to sympathize with her. For
example, many members criticized me when I couldn’t go to see my
wife even though she was suffering postpartum illness and was shivering
in an unheated room after the birth of our first daughter. Some of
them said, “How can he even call himself her husband?”
“You’re going too far, sir,” I was told. “If you married her, you should
live with her. What are you doing, making it difficult for her even to see
your face?”
The people who had been criticizing my wife one by one began to
take her side instead.
In spite of her young age, it was necessary that my wife receive
harsh training. During the time we lived together, her environment
was relentless. She never had even a single free moment for herself.
She constantly was on edge, as if she were walking on a thin layer of
ice, wondering, “Will today be peaceful? Will tomorrow be peaceful?”
Because she had to attain God’s standard of motherly love, I corrected
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her for even a single wrong word. Sometimes even her affection for
me had to be curtailed for the sake of her eternal mission. It was all
necessary for her to become True Mother, but I am sure it caused much
grief in her heart.
I might say a word in passing and not think much of it. She, however,
had to harmonize herself with my every word, so I am sure her suffering
was great. It took us seven years to conform ourselves to each
other. I relate these things because the most important thing in a marriage
relationship is trust. It is what makes it possible for two people to
become as one.
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An Incomparable Inner Beauty
5
My wife and I made a promise to each other after we were
married. We agreed that no matter how upset or angry one
of us might become, we would not allow anyone to think,
“It looks like Reverend and Mrs. Moon had a fight.” We agreed that no
matter how many children we might have, we would not let them see
any sign that we might have had a fight. Children are God. Children are
God with very small hearts. So when a child says, “Mom!” and calls, you
must always answer, “What is it?” with a smile.
After going through such a harsh course for seven years, my wife
became a wonderful mother. All the gossip about her disappeared, and
a peaceful happiness came to our family. My wife gave birth to fourteen
children, and she has embraced each one with so much love. When she
is away from home on our speaking tours and mission life, she sends
letters and postcards to our children every day.
While it was difficult for her to raise fourteen children over the
course of over forty years, she never complained. Several times I had to
be overseas when my wife was about to give birth. She had to bear such
times alone. There were days when I could not do anything for her. Once
a member wrote me about her difficult financial situation. There was
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concern over whether she was getting sufficient nutrition. Even then,
my wife never complained about her difficulty. Because I sleep only two
or three hours a night, she has dutifully done the same throughout our
life together. These sorts of matters pain me to this day.
My wife has such a tremendous heart of love and care that she even
gave her wedding ring to someone in need. When she sees someone in
need of clothes, she buys that person clothes. When she comes across
someone hungry, she buys the person a meal. There have been many
times when we have received presents from others that she would give
away to someone else without even opening them. Once we were touring
the Netherlands and had a chance to visit a factory that processed
diamonds. Wanting to express my heart of regret toward my wife for all
her sacrifices, I bought her a diamond ring. I didn’t have much money,
so I couldn’t buy her a large one. I picked out one I liked and presented
it to her. Later, she even gave away that ring. When I saw the ring wasn’t
on her finger, I asked her, “Where did the ring go?”
She answered, “You know by now I can’t keep something like that
when someone has a greater need.”
Once I saw her pulling out a large wrapping cloth, and she was working
quietly to pack some clothes. “What are you going to do with those
clothes?” I asked her.
“I have a use for them,” she said.
She filled several wrapping cloths with clothes without telling me
what she planned to do with them. When she was finished, she told me
she was getting ready to send the clothes to our missionaries working
in foreign countries.
“This one’s for Mongolia, this one’s for Africa, and this one’s for
Paraguay,” she said.
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She had a slightly self-conscious smile that made her look so sweet
when she told me. Still today, she takes it upon herself to look after our
overseas missionaries.
My wife established the International Relief and Friendship Foundation
in 1979. It has done service projects in numerous countries, such as
Zaire, Senegal, and Ivory Coast. The foundation gives food to impoverished
children, medicine to those who are sick, and clothing to those in
need. In Korea, she created the Aewon charity organization in 1994. Its
activities include managing a canteen serving free food to the poor and
supporting low-wage earners, the handicapped, children taking care of
families in place of parents, and others. It also provides aid to the North
Korean people. My wife has also been active in women’s organizations
for some time. The Women’s Federation for World Peace, which she
established in 1992, has branches in some eighty countries and is in
general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the
United Nations as a nongovernmental organization.
Throughout history, women have been persecuted, but I predict this
will change. The coming world will be one of reconciliation and peace
based on women’s maternal character, love, and sociability. The time is
coming when the power of women will save the world.
Unfortunately today, many women’s organizations apparently believe
that standing in opposition to men is the way to demonstrate the power
of women. The result is an environment of competition and conflict.
The women’s organizations my wife leads, on the other hand, seek to
bring about peace on the principle that women should work together,
take initiative, and empower one another across traditional lines of
race, culture, and religion to create healthy families as the cornerstone
of the culture of peace.
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The organizations she works with do not call for a liberation of
women from men and families. Instead, they call for women to develop
and maintain families filled with love. My wife’s dream is to see all
women raised as true daughters with filial hearts who can create peace
at home, in our communities, in our nations, and in the world. The
women’s movement being carried out by my wife serves the goal of true
families, which are the root of peace in all areas of life.
During one of the most intense periods of my public work, our
children had to live close to half the year without their parents. In our
absence, they lived in our home, cared for by church members. Our
home was always filled with church members. Every meal in our home
had guests at the table, guests who always received priority over our
children. Because of this environment, our children grew up with a
sense of loneliness that is not experienced by children in other families.
Even worse was the suffering they had to endure because of their father.
Wherever they went, they were singled out as sons and daughters of
“the cult leader Sun Myung Moon.” This suffering sent them through
periods of wandering and rebellion, but they have always returned
home. We were not able to support them properly as parents, but five
have graduated from Harvard University. I could not be more grateful
for their courageous accomplishments. Now they are old enough to
help me in my work, but even to this day, I am the strict father. I still
teach them to become people who do more than I do to serve Heaven
and live for the sake of humanity.
My wife is a woman of incredible strength, but the death of our
second son, Heung Jin, was difficult for her. It happened in December
1983. She was with me in Kwangju, Korea, participating in a Victory
over Communism rally. We received an international phone call that
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Heung Jin had been in a traffic accident and had been transported to
a hospital. We boarded a flight the next day and went directly to New
York, but Heung Jin was lying unconscious on the hospital bed.
A truck traveling over the speed limit as it came down a hill tried to
brake and swerved into the opposite lane, where Heung Jin was driving.
Two of his best friends were in the car with him at the time. Heung Jin
cut the wheel to the right so the driver’s side took most of the impact
from the truck. By doing so, he saved the lives of his two friends. I went
to the place near our home where the accident had occurred, and the
black tire marks veering off to the right were still visible.
Heung Jin finally went to the heavenly world in the early morning of
January 2. He had turned seventeen just a month before. Words cannot
describe my wife’s sorrow when she had to send a child she had raised
with love to the heavenly world before her. She could not cry, however.
In fact, it was important that she not shed any tears. We are people who
know the world of the eternal spirit. A person’s spirit does not disappear
like so much dust, just because the physical life is lost. The soul
ascends to the world of spirit. As parents, the pain of knowing that we
would never be able to see or touch our beloved child in this world was
almost unbearable. My wife could not cry; she could only lovingly put
her hands on the hearse that carried Heung Jin’s body.
Shortly before the accident, Heung Jin had been betrothed to Hoon
Sook Pak, who was studying ballet. I had to speak to Hoon Sook about
his departure from this world and what she wanted to do.
I told her I knew it wouldn’t be easy or fair to her parents if she chose to
live alone. I told her it was best to forget the betrothal had ever happened.
Hoon Sook was adamant, however. “I am aware of the existence of
the spirit world,” she said. “Please let me spend my life with Heung Jin.”
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In the end, Hoon Sook became our daughter-in-law fifty days
after Heung Jin’s departure. My wife and I will never forget the way she
smiled brightly as she held a portrait photo of Heung Jin throughout
the spiritual marriage ceremony.
It would seem that my wife would be devastated each time she faced
such difficult situations, but she always remained unshaken. Even in
the most difficult and unbearable circumstances, my wife never lost her
serene smile. She always crossed over life’s most difficult peaks successfully.
When church members ask my wife’s advice on raising their own
children, she tells them: “Be patient and wait. The period when children
wander is only temporary. No matter what they do, embrace them, love
them, and wait for them. Children will always return to the love of their
parents.”
I have never raised my voice toward my wife. This is not because of
my character, but because my wife has never given me cause to do so.
Throughout our life together, she has labored to care for me with complete,
loving devotion. She is even the one to care for my hair. So this
great saint of world affairs is also the best barber in the world. Now that
I am old I make many new demands on her, and she always responds.
If I ask her to cut my toenails, she will do it cheerfully. My toenails
are mine, but I can’t see them very well. She sees them perfectly well,
though. It’s a strange thing. The older I become, the more precious my
wife is to me.
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Promises That Must Never Be Broken
5
During our matching and marriage ceremonies, I ask the
brides and grooms to make promises to each other that
must never be broken. First, a husband and wife must
always trust and love each other. Second, they must not cause any
pain to the heart of their partner. Third, they must educate their
children and grandchildren to maintain sexual purity. Fourth, all
members of their family must help and encourage each other so
that they become a true ideal family. Chastity before marriage
and fidelity in marriage are of utmost importance. This is what
I teach so people can live to their highest potential as human
beings, creating and maintaining healthy families.
Marriage is more than a simple coming together of a man and
woman. It is a precious ceremony of commitment to carry on God’s
work of creation. Marriage is the path by which a man and woman
become as one, create new life, and establish true love. Through
marriage, a new future is created: Societies are formed; nations
are built. God’s world of peace is realized with married families at
the center. It is in the family that God’s Kingdom of Heaven is
brought about.
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So husbands and wives must be centers of peace. Not only must
there be love between the husband and wife, but the couple must also
be able to bring harmony to their extended families. It is not enough
that the husband and wife live well together in love. All the relatives
must love each other as well. I tell brides and grooms to have many
children. To bear many children and raise them is God’s blessing. It is
unthinkable that human beings apply their own standard of judgment
and arbitrarily abort precious lives given to them by God. All life born
into this world embodies God’s will. All life is noble and precious, so it
must be cared for and protected.
Naturally, a married husband and wife must maintain mutual trust
and nurture their love. The promise I emphasize the most to people
preparing to marry is “teach your children to maintain sexual purity.”
This is an obvious promise, but it has become difficult to keep in
today’s society. The worse the world becomes, however, the more important
it is to strictly keep the promise of sexual purity.
The perfection of human beings and peace in the world come about
through the family. The purpose of religion is for everyone to become
people of goodness who can then bring about an ideal world of peace.
No matter how much politicians may put their heads together, they will
not bring about peace. Formidable military power will not bring peace.
The starting point for bringing about peace is the family.
When I first arrived in America in 1971, the wind of promiscuous
free sex was blowing across the country, and the entire society was in
the midst of confusion. Young people who had received wonderful
educations were being destroyed one by one. Sexual immorality was
so bad that it was becoming the norm. Sexually transmitted diseases
were beginning to skyrocket.
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The seriousness of the problem was compounded by politicians,
academics, and clergy. They knew about this problem, but most of them
ignored it. They tried to look away from the ugly reality because they
themselves had not maintained sexual purity. People who are not sexually
pure themselves cannot force their children to be so.
The degradation of sexual morality among adults destroys families
and leads to the ruin of children. Immorality and licentiousness in the
personal lives of adults ultimately destroy the lives of their children. The
reason today’s society does not have a level of happiness to match its
level of material affluence is that families are being destroyed. To save
families, adults must first live proper lives. Then, it is possible to raise
children in sexual purity.
The mother is the fortress that protects the family. No matter how
much society may change, the family can stand as a healthy and peaceful
family only if the mother has the heart to sacrifice and serve. It is in
such a family that beautiful children can grow. In educating our children,
what the children see and learn in the family is most important. A
crab that walks sideways cannot tell its offspring to walk straight ahead.
The parents must show a good example. True children come from true
families. Truth is always very simple.
The most difficult aspect of family life is raising children properly. We
give birth to them in love and raise them in love, but they don’t necessarily
grow up the way their parents desire. What’s worse, today’s materialistic
civilization is destroying the innocent minds of young people. Young
people who should be growing up to become responsible adults capable
of extraordinary things are being lost to drugs. Drug-induced states make
people lose touch with their own spirit. Young people who have lost their
spirits eventually can only fall into crime and sexual immorality.
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During adolescence, children think everything should be centered
only on themselves, and so there is the tendency to rebel against things
the parents may say. If the parent does not respond with understanding,
there is the possibility that the child may go to self-centered extremes.
On the other hand, a child in adolescence can be deeply moved by anything
that seems to connect with his heart. Perhaps on an autumn day,
the child will see a persimmon fall from a tree that has lost all its leaves.
The child cannot explain it, but somehow it connects with his heart and
he will smile and experience happiness. This is a sign that God’s original
character is dwelling in his heart.
But if children are caught up in the emotions of love during adolescence,
their perceptions can be clouded and their power of judgment
diminished. When an adolescent boy and girl meet and start talking
with each other, they can feel flushed and there may be a change in
their heart rate. If their minds are not brought into harmony with God’s
standard in that moment, they will surely be moved in the direction of selfcenteredness.
They lose the means with which to control their bodies.
During adolescence, our cells open wide all the doors of love in both
the physical body and the spirit. The desires of our mind and the desires
of our body are meant to become one and function together. When we
acquire the nose of love, we start to love smells that we used to hate.
When we acquire the mouth of love, we start to love tastes that we used
to hate. We want to listen all night to the stories of love. We want to
keep touching the person we love. Adolescents start to think they can
be happy simply by entering into a love relationship.
However, the doors of love are designed by God and are to open only
when the time is right. Children must understand that they need to wait
for the right time. Parents must teach these things to their adolescent
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children very carefully. Love is a process by which we grow to resemble
God. Despite what the world may tell us, it is not something to be enjoyed
anytime we please.
During adolescence, a child may want to try really hard to copy the
activity in a thrilling movie. People ask, “What’s wrong with that?” It
is wrong because irresponsible actions lead to destruction. When children
mature and acquire wisdom and knowledge, they can control their
social and environmental experiences and are truly free to do so, but
not during adolescence.
Why do we say, “Do not give a knife to a child”? It is because the child
would wave it around. The child might understand how to cut with a
knife, but he cuts without control. The child might even cut his mother’s
fingers. Because children do not yet fully understand consequences, we
do not give them knives.
The combination of parents not teaching their children the value of
purity and children rebelling against their parents leads to broken families.
Because of this, societies are being broken. Because of this, nations
are being destroyed. Because of this, humanity is being destroyed.
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To Love Is to Give and Forget
5
The family is the only institution created by God. It is the school
of love where people can learn how to love each other and live
together in peace, and it is the training center where we practice
how to build a palace of peace in the world. It is where we learn how
to become a husband or wife who will live for the sake of our spouse
and how to become a husband and wife who will travel on the eternal
path of love. The family is the base camp for world peace, and it must
be such that the children will say, “We have never seen our mother and
father fight.”
We come up against all sorts of things in life. Even the most loving
couple can have times when they may bicker with each other, become
angry, and raise their voices. When the children come into the room,
however, it all must stop immediately. No matter how angry a spouse
may be, he must relate to his spouse in peace when the children are
present. The children must grow up thinking their family is filled with
joy and their parents always love each other.
Parents are like a second God to their children. If you ask your
young children, “Whom do you like better—God or Mommy and
Daddy?”—and they say they like their mom and dad better, then that
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means they also like God. The most precious education takes place in
the family. You won’t find happiness and peace in some other place. The
family is intended to be the Kingdom of Heaven. It would not matter
if a person possesses incredible wealth and fame or even possesses the
whole world. If all is not right with that person’s family, then he cannot
be happy. The Kingdom of Heaven begins in the family. If a husband
and wife are bound together in true love and they build an ideal family,
this will connect directly with the world.
I saw something interesting when I was in Danbury prison. We were
using a bulldozer to level a slope and make a tennis court. When it
rained, we would wait for it to stop, and start up again when the sun
came out. This process of starting and stopping went on for months. We
had a stretch of rain for one period, and we couldn’t work for twenty
consecutive days. When the rain cleared and we went out to start the
work again, we found that some kind of waterfowl had created a nest
where there were some water weeds. It was a place not more than a few
meters from where the prisoners would walk for exercise.
At first, we didn’t even realize that the bird was there. Its camouflage
was so perfect that the bird’s feathers could easily be mistaken for the water
weeds. Once the bird laid its eggs, though, we could see there was a bird in
among the grass. The bird was sitting on some eggs that looked like pieces
of black gravel. Once the chicks hatched, the mother would go find some
food, bring it back to the nest, and put it in the beaks of the chicks. When
the mother was returning to the nest with food, however, she never flew
directly to the nest. She would land a little distance from the nest and then
walk the rest of the way. Each time, she approached the nest from a different
direction. This was her wisdom to make it more difficult for others to
find out the location of the nest where the chicks were.
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The chicks ate the food their mother brought them and grew larger.
Sometimes, when a prisoner would walk near the nest, the mother
would fly out and chase him away with her sharp beak. She was afraid
the prisoner might harm her chicks.
The waterbird understood the true love of parents. True love is willing
to give up its own life, and there is no calculation there. The heart
of the bird that was willing to sacrifice its life, if necessary, to protect
its offspring was true love. Parents go the path of love, no matter how
difficult it becomes. A parent is prepared, if needed, to bury his life for
the sake of love, and this is true love.
The essence of love is to cast aside any thought of having others live
for one’s self; it is to live for the sake of others and give for the whole.
Love gives, but then forgets even the fact that it has given and continues
to give without ceasing. This is a love that gives in joy. It is the heart that
a mother feels when she takes her infant in her arms and lets it feed
from her breast.
Parents will suffer for their children until it seems their bones are
going to melt away, yet they never feel that the work is difficult. That
is how much they love their children. True love begins with God
and comes to us from God. So when the parents say to their married
children, “When you like each other, it is because of the grace of your
parents,” the children must be able to respond, “If you had not found
such a spouse for me, I don’t know what I would have done.”
The family is a bundle of love. When we go to the Kingdom of
Heaven and unpack that bundle, a wonderful father and mother will
jump out. Beautiful children will jump out. A benevolent grandfather
and grandmother will jump out. This is the bundle of love. The family
is the space in which God’s ideal is realized and the place where we can
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see the completion of God’s work. God’s will is to bring about a world
in which love is made real, and the family is the place where God’s love
overflows.
We only need to hear the word family for us to begin smiling. This is
because the family is overflowing with true love that truly lives for the
sake of all members. True love gives love, then forgets even the fact that
it gave, and then gives again. The love that has parents living for their
children and grandparents for the grandchildren is true love. The love
that lets a person give up his or her life for the country is true love.
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The Peaceful Family Is the
Building Block of Heaven
5
Many Western people live truly lonely lives. Their children
leave home once they turn eighteen, and the parents may
only get to see their faces at Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Many children never visit their parents to just find out how they are doing.
Once people marry, they live with their spouse, independent from
their family, until their parents become so old they can no longer take
care of themselves. At that point, they move into a nursing home. So it
is understandable that some Westerners envy the culture of the East.
Many elderly people in the West think, “In the East, the grandparents
live in the family as the senior members of the family, and it is really
wonderful. The children respect their old parents. This is how people
are supposed to live. What good is it to be lying in a nursing home, not able
to see my children, not even knowing what day it is, just staying alive?”
Unfortunately, though, the Eastern family structure is also gradually
deteriorating. We too are abandoning traditions that have been
handed down to us for thousands of years. We have thrown away our
traditional clothing, our food, and our family structure. The number
of senior citizens living alone in Korea is on the rise. Each time I see
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stories in the news of senior citizens alone, it makes me sad. The family
is where generations live together. If family members are scattered and
the parents are left alone, then that is no longer a family. The extended
family system is a beautiful Korean tradition.
I recommend that three generations live together as one family. I do so,
not simply because it is a way of maintaining our country’s tradition. When
a husband and wife have a child, they pass on all they can to that child.
There is a limit, however, to how much the parents can pass on. The parents
represent the present and the children the future. The grandparents represent
the past. So it is only when the grandparents, parents, and children live
together that the children can inherit all the fortune of the past and present.
To love and respect your grandfather is to inherit the history of the past and
to learn from the world of the past. The children learn precious wisdom
from their parents on how to live in the present, while the parents prepare
for the future by loving their children.
The grandfather is in a position to represent God. No matter how intelligent
a young man may be, he cannot know all the secrets of this big world.
Young people cannot know all the different secrets of life that come to us
as we grow older. This is the reason the grandfather represents the history
of the family. The grandfather is a precious teacher who passes on to the
grandchildren all the wisdom he has acquired through the experiences he
has accumulated during the course of his life.
The world’s oldest grandfather is God. So a life of receiving the grandfather’s
love and of living for the sake of the grandfather is a life of coming
to understand God’s love and of living for His sake. We need to maintain
such a tradition in order to open the secret storehouse of God’s Kingdom
and receive His treasure of love. Any country that ignores its old people
abandons its national character and ignores its roots.
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When autumn comes, the chestnut tree gradually loses its moisture,
and its leaves begin to fall. The outer shell of the chestnut falls off, and
even the inner shell that surrounds the actual nut dries up. This is the
cycle of life. Human beings are the same way. We are born as infants,
grow up on the love of our parents, meet a wonderful partner, and get
married. All this occurs in the chain of life made up of love. In the end,
we become like chestnuts becoming dry in the autumn. Old people are
not a separate category of people. We all become old. We must not treat
old people disrespectfully, no matter how senile they may become.
There is a saying, “Anything can be accomplished when there is
harmony in the home.” When there is peace in the family, everything
goes well. The peaceful family is the building block of the Kingdom
of Heaven. The family operates on the power of love. If we love the
universe as we love our families, then there is nothing to stop us from
going anywhere we want. God exists in the center of love, as the Parent
of the entire universe. That is why the love in the family needs to link
directly to God. When the family is completed in love, the universe will
be completed.
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Ten Years of Tears Melt a
Father-in-Law’s Heart
5
Not long ago the Korean media carried a story about a Japanese
woman living in Milyang, Korea, who received an
award for her filial service to her family. The article said
that the woman had come to Korea as the wife of a Korean man who
had met her through an introduction by a certain religious group
and married her despite opposition from his family. The Japanese
wife had cared for her Korean mother-in-law, who had difficulty moving
around, and her aged father-in-law with great devotion. The people
in the community then recommended her to be recognized for her filial
actions, the article said.
The mother-in-law was paralyzed from the waist down and classified
by the Korean public health authorities as being in the secondhighest
level of physical handicap. From the first day of her marriage,
the daughter-in-law carried her mother-in-law on her back to different
hospitals so she could be treated. Because she spent so much time devoting
herself to her parents-in-law, she rarely had time to visit her own
family in Japan. When she heard that she was going to be awarded for
her actions, she protested, saying she was merely doing what was right.
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This Japanese daughter-in-law in the news is Kazuko Yashima. She
came to Korea through the international and intercultural marriages of
our church. These are marriages where men and women are matched
across religious, national, or racial differences. There are many young
men in Korea’s rural areas who cannot find brides. The brides who
come to Korea in these international and intercultural marriages do so
unconditionally.
They care for their aged parents-in-law, inspire their husbands to
have strength and hope, and bear and raise children. They go to live
in the rural communities that Koreans have left behind because it is
so difficult to live there. What a wonderful and precious thing they are
doing. This program has been going on for more than thirty years.
Thousands of women from other countries have settled in Korea
through such international and intercultural marriages. In rural Korean
communities where the young people have left for the cities and the
sound of a baby’s cry has not been heard for a long time, the old people
are overjoyed to see the birth of babies to these couples, and they treat
the babies as if they were their own grandchildren. In one elementary
school in Choong-cheong Province, more than half the eighty students
are children of the international and intercultural marriages arranged
by our church. The school’s principal has said the school will have to
close if its student body declines any further, and so he prays daily that
our church members will not move away from the community. In Korea
today, some twenty thousand children of international and intercultural
marriages are enrolled in elementary schools around the country.
Every year around the anniversary of Korea’s independence from
Japan, television news programs carry stories about some very special
Japanese who stand before the camera and apologize for the actions of
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their country in Korea during the period of occupation. They themselves
did not commit those crimes, but they apologize for the actions
of their ancestors. Most of these people are members of our church who
have torn down the walls separating nations by means of international
and intercultural marriages. Because of their actions, the walls in the
hearts of Koreans who think of the Japanese as our enemies are increasingly
crumbling.
In 1988, a young and well-educated man who had joined our church
wanted to get married and sought to be matched. He was matched with
a Japanese woman. The father of this young man reacted very negatively
to the match.
“Of all the women in the world, you have to marry a Japanese?” he said.
During the Japanese occupation, his father had been one of the Koreans
conscripted into forced labor and taken to a coal mine in Iwate
Prefecture in northwestern Japan. He risked his life to escape the mine
and walked for well over a month to Shimonoseki, where he was able
to board a ship back to Korea. He harbored a tremendous hatred for
Japan. On hearing the news of his son’s match to a Japanese woman, he
threatened to disown him.
“You betray the family,” he said. “I will have your name taken out of
the family register. No woman from that enemy country will ever set
foot in this house, so take her and go away. She is not right for you, so I
don’t care whether you go or whether you die.”
The father was adamant. The young man, however, went ahead and
did what he felt was right. He married the Japanese woman and took
his bride to his hometown in Nagan, Korea. The father would not even
open the front gate for them. Sometime later, he reluctantly accepted
their marriage, but his persecution of his daughter-in-law continued.
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Every time she seemed to have difficulty with something, he would say,
“That’s nothing, compared with what your people did to me. You should
have expected this much when you decided to marry into our family.”
Every time the relatives would gather for a major holiday, the fatherin-
law would have her sit near him, and he would tell her all the things
that were done to him in the Iwate coal mine. Each time, the daughterin-
law would respond by saying, “Father, I apologize to you on behalf
of Japan. I am sorry.” She would shed tears and ask for his forgiveness.
For as long as he would vent his anger at her, she would listen to him
tell the same stories over and over until he was finished, and she would
continue to apologize.
This went on for about ten years, and then it stopped. Relatives
noticed that his cold attitude toward the daughter-in-law had become
much warmer and that he even seemed to like her. So they asked him,
“Why are you behaving so kindly toward your daughter-in-law. She’s a
Japanese woman. Don’t you hate her?”
“I don’t hate her anymore,” he said. “All the hatred that had accumulated
in my heart has gone away.
“I never hated her,” he added. “I was just venting on her all the hatred
that was in me for having been conscripted to work in the mine. Because
of her, the hatred has all disappeared. From now, I’m going to be kind to
her, because she’s my daughter-in-law.”
The daughter-in-law paid for the sins of the Japanese. This is an example
of the path of redemption that will lead humankind into a world
of peace.
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The True Meaning of Marriage
5
International and intercultural marriages are the quickest way to
bring about an ideal world of peace. Things that would take seemingly
forever can be accomplished like miracles through these
types of marriages in just two or three generations. People should
marry across national and cultural boundaries with people from countries
they consider to be their enemies so that the world of peace can
come that much more quickly. A person may hate people from a certain
country or culture and think he never wants to set eyes on them. But
if someone from that country becomes his spouse, then the person is
halfway to becoming a person of the new country. All the hatred melts
away. If this is repeated for two or three generations, the roots of hatred
can be eliminated.
White and black people will marry each other; Japanese will marry
Koreans and people from Africa. Many millions are entering into such
international and intercultural marriages. A completely new lineage is
being created as a result. A new kind of human being that transcends
white, black, and yellow is being born. I am not just referring to marriages
across international boundaries. The same is true for marrying
people from other religions or denominations. In fact, marriages
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between people of different religions are even more difficult than international
marriages. Even if two religious groups have been fighting
each other for centuries, it is possible to bring harmony between them
by having their followers marry each other. In such a marriage, one
spouse will not close himself off from the other just because she was
raised in a different tradition.
It is most important to teach young people about the sanctity and
value of marriage. Korea today has one of the lowest birthrates in
the world. Not to have children is dangerous. There is no future for a
country that has no descendants. I teach young people that they should
remain sexually pure during their youth, receive the marriage Blessing,
and then have at least three children. Children are blessings given to us
by God. When we bear children and raise them, we are raising citizens
of the Kingdom of Heaven. That is why it is a great sin to live immorally
and to abort babies conceived in this lifestyle.
We marry not for ourselves but for the sake of our partners. When
looking for a spouse, it is wrong to look only for a beautiful person or
for a person living well. Human beings must live for the sake of each
other. We should apply this principle to marriage, too. No matter how
uneducated or homely your prospective spouse may be, you should
marry with a heart that you will love him or her even more than if the
spouse were educated and beautiful. God’s love is the most precious of
all blessings. In marriage, we receive that blessing of love and put it into
practice in our own lives. We must understand this precious meaning of
marriage, conduct our lives in marriage in the context of true love, and
bring about true families.
World peace is not such a huge undertaking. It takes peaceful families
to create peaceful societies and eliminate conflict among countries.
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This will lead to world peace. This shows the importance of families
that are intact and the immense responsibility such families must
bear. The thinking that says “It’s enough that I live well and that my
family lives well” is completely alien to me.
Marriage is not something that involves just the bride and
groom. Marriage creates a relationship between two families, and
it brings reconciliation between clans and countries. Each accepts
the other’s different culture and overcomes the resentment and
hatred built up through history. When a Korean and Japanese
marry, it contributes to reconciliation between the two countries;
when a white person and a black person marry, it contributes
to reconciliation between the two races. The children of such
marriages represent harmony because they inherit the lineage
of two races. They represent a new beginning for humanity that
transcends the races. When this continues for a few generations,
division and hostility among nations, races, and religions will
disappear, and humankind will become one family living in a
world of peace.
In recent years, more and more Koreans are marrying foreigners,
and we see more families with people from different nationalities
and religions. Koreans have even coined a phrase for it that
means multicultural families. It is not easy for a man and woman
who have been raised in different cultures to create a family and
live with love for each other. Particularly in Korea, which traditionally
has had a homogeneous culture, the partners in such marriages
need to make extra effort to understand and care for each other. The
reason our members who enter into international and intercultural
marriages succeed is because they live together centering on God.
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Various social welfare groups in Korea try to encourage the success
of multicultural families by offering programs that teach Korean
language and culture. Such efforts will be useless, however, unless our
concept of marriage changes. Whoever thinks, “Why did I marry this
man? If I hadn’t married this man, I would have had a better life,” is
setting the tone for a marriage that will be hell. Coming to a correct
understanding of marriage is more important than learning Korean
language and culture.
Marriage is not a simple matter of a man and woman of marriageable
age coming together and combining their two lives. Marriage is something
built on the basis of sacrifice. The man must live for the sake of the
woman, and the woman for the sake of the man. As you continue to live
for the sake of your spouse, your selfish mind disappears completely.
The heart that seeks to sacrifice this way is the heart of love. Love is not
a man and woman meeting each other and having a good time. Love is
offering up your life. If you marry, you must do so on the basis of your
determination that your life is for your spouse.
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True Love Is Found in True Families
5
No matter how much a man and woman may love each other,
a complete and happy family must have parents who act as a
protective shield around the home, and there must be least
one child for the parents to love. When a family is protected, it becomes
a nesting place for happiness. Even a person with great success in society
will have an unhappy family if this protection collapses.
The basis of love is the heart that sacrifices everything for the sake of
the other. The reason parental love is true love is that parents are willing
to give everything to their children, and when they have given everything,
they want to give even more. Parents who love their children do
not even remember what they have given. No parent would keep track
of all the shoes and clothes he bought for his child and say, “This is how
much I spent on you.” Instead, a parent gives everything he has and says,
“I wish I could do more for you than I have, and I’m sorry that I cannot.”
As a child, I would follow my father around as he tended to his bee
colonies, and I saw how the bees behaved. When a bee flying around a
flower garden caught the fragrance of a flower, it would place its legs
firmly on the flower. It would then stick its nose deep into the flower, so
that its rear end was pointing upward while it sucked up the nectar. If
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you grabbed the bee on its rear end, it would not let go of the flower. It
risks its life to keep its hold on the flower.
The love of parents cultivating a family is like the honeybee attached
to the flower. Even if a parent should lose his own life, he will never let
go of the bond of love that ties him to his child. Parents will lay down
their lives for the sake of the child and then later forget that they had
done so. This is the true love of parents. No matter how far or dangerous
the path may be, the parent will gladly travel it. Parental love is the
greatest love in the world.
A person can live in a wonderful house and eat exotic foods from the
mountains and the oceans, but if he has no parents, there will be a large
void in his heart. A person who has grown up without receiving parental
love has a loneliness and emptiness in his heart that cannot be filled with
anything else. The family is the place where we receive true love and learn
true love. Children who do not receive true love when they are young live
their entire lives hungering for love and suffer emotional pain. Not only
that, they don’t have the opportunity to learn the lofty moral duties that
they must fulfill for the family and society. True love is a value that cannot
be learned any place other than in the family.
A true family is a place where a husband and wife each love the
other and live for the sake of the other, as if the spouse were his or her
mother, father, or sibling. It is a place where the husband loves his wife
as he loves God, and the wife respects her husband as she respects God.
We cannot forsake our siblings, no matter the difficulties we my face.
Neither can we forsake our mothers. So the term divorce cannot even
exist. The husband is in the place of the father and older brother to
the wife. Just as a wife could never forsake her father or older brother,
she can never forsake her husband. In the same way, a husband could
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never forsake his wife. A true family is a place where each spouse lives
with the acknowledgment of the absolute value of the partner. It doesn’t
matter if a husband and wife come from different races or cultures. If
they have formed a family after having received God’s love, then there
can be no conflicts of culture among the children born into this family.
These children will love and value the culture and tradition of their
mother’s country and father’s country with the same love they have for
each parent. Resolving conflicts in multicultural families is not a matter
of providing them with particular knowledge. Instead, it is a matter
of the parents of these families raising their children in true love. The
parents’ love soaks its way into the flesh and bone of the children and
becomes the fertilizer that enables the children to accept their mother’s
country and father’s country as one and become wonderful citizens of
the world.
The family is the school where love for humanity is taught and
learned. When children who are raised in the warm love of their parents
go out into the world, they will care for people in difficulty in the manner
they learned in their home. People raised in loving relationships
with their own brothers and sisters will go into society and share their
caring hearts with their neighbors. People raised in love will look upon
each person they meet in the world as a member of their own family.
The starting point toward a true family is the heart of love that treats
strangers as family and shares with them.
Another reason the family is important is that it expands to become
the world. A true family is the basis for forming a true society, true
nation, and true world. It is the starting point toward a world of peace
that is God’s Kingdom. Parents will work for their children until their
bones melt way. They are not working just to feed their own children,
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however. A person whose heart overflows with love is capable of working
for the sake of others and God.
The family is where we receive so much love that it overflows from
our hearts. The family protects its members in its embrace, but its function
is not to prevent love from getting out. In fact, the love in the family
should overflow into the surrounding community. No matter how
much love may overflow, the love in the family will never go dry. This is
because it is received from God. The love we receive from God is such
that we can continue to dig it out but never see the bottom. In fact, the
more we dig, the more love wells up like pure springwater. Anyone who
has been raised in this love can lead a true life.
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Leaving Behind a Legacy of Love
5
A true life is a life in which we abandon our private desires and
live for the public good. This is a truth taught by all major
religious leaders past and present, East and West, whether it
be Jesus, Buddha, or the Prophet Mohammed. It is a truth that is so
widely known that, sadly, it seems to have been devalued. The passage
of time or changes in the world cannot diminish the value of this truth.
This is because the essence of human life never changes, even in the
midst of rapid change all around the world.
The teacher with whom we have the closest relationship is our
heart. Our heart is more precious to us than our closest friends and
even more precious than our parents. So, as we live our lives, we
need periodically to ask our hearts, “Am I living a good life now?”
Anyone can hear his heart speaking to him. If he comes to the
realization that his heart is his master, he “polishes” his heart and
maintains a close relationship with his heart throughout his life. If a
person hears the sound of his heart tearfully sobbing, then he needs
to stop immediately whatever he is doing. Anything that makes the
heart suffer will ruin him. Anything that makes the heart sad will
eventually make the person fall into sadness.
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For a person to polish his heart to the point that it becomes as clear
as crystal, he absolutely must spend time in direct conversation with
his heart in an environment where he is away from the world and alone
with his heart. It will be a time of intense loneliness, but the moment
that we become close to our hearts is the time of prayer and meditation.
It is a time when we can take ownership over our hearts. When we
isolate ourselves from the noise around us and allow our thoughts to
settle, we can see into the deepest parts of our hearts. It will take a lot of
time and effort to go all the way down to where the heart has settled. It
will not happen in a day.
Just as love is not for our own sake, so happiness and peace are not
for ourselves. Just as love can never exist without a partner, happiness
and peace cannot exist without a partner. All these can exist only in the
context of a relationship with a partner. Nothing can be accomplished if
we love alone. We cannot be happy alone or speak of peace alone. Since
a partner is what enables us to have happiness and peace, the partner is
more important than we are.
Think about a mother carrying a baby on her back, sitting at an
entrance to the subway, selling homemade snacks to the people passing
by. To be at that spot in time for the morning rush hour, she will have
spent the whole night preparing the snacks and put her fussing child on
her back to come to the station. People passing by might say, “Oh, you
could get along well if only you didn’t have that child to care for,” but it
is for the sake of the child that the mother lives her life. The child on her
back is the mother’s lifeline.
Today people can expect to live about eighty years. Eighty years of
joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, and all the other emotions mixed together
may seem like a long time. But if we take away the private time that
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a person spends sleeping, working, and eating, and then the time we
spend talking, laughing, and having fun with family members and
friends, attending weddings and funerals, and time spent lying sick in
bed, only about seven years will remain. A person may live eighty years
but only spend about seven years living for the public good.
Life is like a rubber band. The same seven years, given to two different
people, can either be spent as seven years or as seventy. Time,
by itself, is empty. We need to put things in it. The same is true about a
person’s life. Everyone wants to live his life with a comfortable place to
sleep and good things to eat. Eating and sleeping, however, are simply
ways of letting time slip by. In the moment that a person has lived out
his life and his body is laid to rest in the ground, all wealth and glory
become nothing more than a bubble and disappear at once. Only the
seven years that he lived for the public good will remain and be remembered
by posterity. Those seven years are the trace that is left in the
world of a life that lasted eighty years.
We do not come into this world, or depart from it, of our own accord.
We have no ability to make choices with regard to our fate. We
are born, though we did not choose to be born. We live, though we did
not choose to live. We die, though we do not choose to die. We have
no authority over these aspects of our lives, so how can we boast that
we are somehow better than others? We cannot be born by our own
wish, possess things that will forever be our own, or avoid death. So any
boasting on our part would only be pathetic.
Even if we rise to a position higher than others, the honor is only temporary.
Even if we gather more possessions than others, we must leave
them all behind at the gates of death. Money, honor, and knowledge all
flow away from us in time, and all disappear with the passing years. No
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matter how noble and great a person might be, his is nothing more than a
pitiable life that will end the moment he loses hold of his lifeline.
Human beings have always struggled to understand who we are and
why we must live. We must realize that, just as we were not born of our own
accord, so also we are not meant to live our lives for our own sakes.
So the answer to the question of how we should live our lives is simple.
We were born of love, so we must live by traveling the path of love. Our
lives were created by receiving the boundless love of our parents, so we
must live our entire lives repaying that love. In the course of our lives,
this is the only value we can choose on our own. The success or failure
of our lives depends on how much love we are able to pack into those
eighty years that are given to us.
At some point, everyone will shed his physical body like old clothing
and die. In Korean, “to return” is a common expression for dying. To
return means to go back to where we came from, that is, to go back to
our fundamental roots. Everything in the universe moves in cycles. The
white snow that collects on the mountains will melt and flow down the
slopes, first forming streams and then a river, and eventually go into
the ocean. The water that flows into the ocean will absorb the heat of
the sun’s rays, become water vapor, go back up into the sky, and prepare
to become either snowflakes or drops of rain. To return to our original
place in this way is what we call death. Then, where do we human beings
return to when we die? Body and heart come together to bring
about human life, and death is the act of shedding the body. So we go to
the place from which the heart came.
We cannot talk about life without also talking about death. We must
accurately understand what death is, even if we do so only to understand
the purpose of life. The type of life that has true value can be
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understood only by the person who finds himself in a difficult situation
when death appears imminent and he cries out to Heaven in desperation,
pleading to be allowed to live even just one more day. If our days
are as precious as this, how should we live them? What are the things we
must accomplish before we cross over the boundary line of death?
The most important is not to commit sin and live a life that is without
shadows. There is much religious and philosophical debate over what
constitutes sin, but what is clear is that we should not engage in acts that
give pause to our conscience. When we do things that give us a guilty
conscience, it always leaves a shadow in our heart.
The next most important thing is to resolve to do significantly more
work than others have done. All of our lives are limited, whether that
limit is sixty years, seventy years, or some other time period. Depending
on how we use that time, we can live a life that is two or three times
more abundant than others. If you cut your time into segments and
then live each segment in a meaningful way, your life will be truly precious.
Live your life with an attitude of devotion and diligence, telling
yourself, for example, that you will plant two or three trees in the time
it takes others to plant one. Do not live for yourself. You must live not
for yourself but for others; not for your family but for your neighbors;
not for your own country but for the world. All sin in the world comes
about when the individual is put first. Individual desires and ambitions
harm a person’s neighbors and ruin the society at large.
Everything in the world will eventually pass. The parents we love,
the husband or wife we love, and the children we love will all pass away.
All that remains with us at the end of our lives is death. When a person
dies, only his legacy remains. Please consider for a moment what you
can do to show that you lived a life of value. The possessions and social
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position you have accumulated during your life will pass away from
you. Once you cross the river of death, such things will have no meaning.
Because we were born in love and lived our lives in love, love is
also the only thing that remains with us when we are in our graves. We
receive our lives in love, live by sharing love, and return into the midst
of love. It is important that we live our lives in a way that we can leave a
legacy of love behind us.
CHAPTER SIX
love will bring
unification
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The Power of Religion to
Turn People to Goodness
5
On August 2, 1990, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein staged an
armed invasion of Kuwait, igniting the possibility of war in
the Persian Gulf. This area has long been a tinderbox, and I
could see that the world was about to be swept up in the vortex of war.
I concluded that Christian and Muslim leaders must meet to stop the
conflict, and I acted immediately to do everything I could to stop a war
in which innocent people were sure to die.
On October 2 of the same year, I sent members of our church to
Cairo to deliver my urgent message of peace to the highest spiritual
authorities of the Middle East and the Muslim world. Many wondered
why I, a person with no apparent ties to the Middle East, would convene
such a meeting, but to me it is simple. I believe every religion should
contribute to world peace. A conflict between Christianity and Islam
would be far worse than the conflict between democracy and communism.
There is nothing more fearful than religious war.
I implored President George H.W. Bush through direct correspondence
to avoid war in the Arab world, and instead work to realize
Saddam Hussein’s retreat through diplomatic means. President Bush
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may have thought he was going to war against Iraq, but that is not
how Muslims would think. In the mind of Muslims, religion exists in a
higher position than the nation-state. I was very concerned that if Iraq
were attacked, the Arab world would join in opposition to the United
States and the Christian world.
Our emergency conference in Cairo involved top Muslim leaders
and grand muftis from nine countries, including the grand muftis of
Syria and Yemen. At the core of the meeting was my desperate appeal to
the Arab and Muslim world not to support Saddam Hussein’s claim that
this was a holy war. Whether the United States won or Iraq won, what
good would it do? What value would it have if it meant that bombs rained
down, destroying houses, fields, hills, and precious innocent lives?
The Cairo conference was just one of our many peace activities.
Every time a crisis arose in the Middle East, our members worked fearlessly,
risking their lives at the scenes of danger. For years, throughout
the violence and terror in Israel and Palestine, our members, traveling at a
moment’s notice, collaborated with major organizations to work for peace.
I am always uneasy sending our members to places where their lives
are at risk, but it is unavoidable when working for the cause of peace. I
may be in Brazil tilling the soil or visiting refugee camps in Africa, but
my heart is constantly drawn to those members who insist on working
in the dangerous tinderbox called the Middle East. I pray that peace will
come to the world quickly, so I no longer need to ask our members to
go to such places of death.
On September 11, 2001, we all felt utter horror when the World
Trade Center twin towers in New York City were destroyed by terrorists.
Some people said this was the inevitable clash of civilizations between
Islam and Christianity. But my view is different. In their purest form,
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Islam and Christianity are not religions of conflict and confrontation.
They both place importance on peace. In my view, it is bigoted to brand
all Islam as radical, just as it is bigoted to say that Islam and Christianity
are fundamentally different. The essence of religions is the same.
Immediately following the collapse of the towers, I organized religious
leaders from New York and around the country to pray and minister to the
victims and first responders at Ground Zero. Then, in October, I convened
a major interfaith conference for peace in New York City. Ours was the first
international gathering in New York after the tragedy.
These dramatic contributions to peace in times of war did not spring
up from nothing. For decades, I have invested in promoting interreligious
harmony. It is on the foundation of this investment that we have
the trust of major faith leaders who would travel to Israel during the
Intifada, or to New York in the wake of 9/11.
In 1984, I brought together forty religious scholars, instructing
them to compare the teachings that appear in the sacred texts of
Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and other major world religions.
The book that resulted from their efforts was World Scripture:
A Comparative Anthology of Sacred Texts, published in 1991.
What they found was that the sacred texts of religions convey
the same or similar teachings more than 70 percent of the time.
The remaining 30 percent are teachings that represent unique
points of each religion. This means that most of the teachings
of the major world religions are the same at their core. On the
surface, some believers wear turbans, some wear prayer beads
around their necks, others carry the cross, but they all seek the
fundamental truths of the universe and try to understand the will
of the Creator.
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People often become friends even if all they have in common is the
same particular hobby. When two strangers meet and discover they have
the same hometown, they can immediately communicate as if they had
known each other for decades. So, it is truly tragic that religions, which
share the same teachings more than 70 percent of the time, still struggle
to understand each other and communicate happily. They could talk
about the things they have in common and take each other by the hand.
Instead, they emphasize their differences and criticize one another. All
religions in the world talk about peace and love. Yet they fight each
other over peace and love. Israel and Palestine talk of peace and justice, yet
both countries practice violence until children are bleeding and dying.
Judaism, the religion of Israel, is a religion of peace, and the same is
true of Islam. Our experience when compiling World Scripture leads
us to believe that it is not the religions of the world that are in error but
the ways the faiths are taught. Bad teaching of faith brings prejudice,
and prejudice leads to conflict. Muslims were branded terrorists after
the 9/11 attack. But the vast majority of simple, believing families are
peace-loving people, just like we.
The late Yasser Arafat led the Palestinians for a long time. Like all
political leaders, he had hoped for peace, but he was also associated
with strife in the region. As chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization,
Arafat embodied the determination for the Gaza Strip and
the West Bank to become an independent Palestinian state. Many argue
he shifted from his past associations and began to deter the activities of
extremist organizations after he was elected president of the Palestinian
National Authority in 1996. In the interest of seeking peace in the
Middle East, I communicated with Arafat on twelve separate occasions.
Of course, my words never wavered. God’s way is the way of harmony.
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The road to Arafat’s office was literally a difficult one. Anyone approaching
his office had to pass between heavily armed guards and submit
to at least three body searches along the way. But when our members
arrived, Arafat, wearing his keffiyeh, would welcome them. These sorts
of relationships cannot be built in a day or two. They come from the
years when we poured out our sincerity and devotion for the sake of
Middle East peace. It was our arduous efforts and constant willingness
to risk our lives in terror-ridden conflict areas that prepared the way for
us to be welcomed to relationships with the religious and political leaders
at these levels. It took large amounts of resources. Finally, we could
gain the trust of both Arafat and top Israeli leaders, which allowed us to
play a mediating role during outbreaks of conflict in the Middle East.
I first set foot in Jerusalem in 1965. This was before the Six Day War,
and Jerusalem was still under Jordan’s territorial control. I went to the
Mount of Olives, where Jesus shed tears of blood in prayer just prior to
being taken to the court of Pontius Pilate. I put my hand on a 2,000-
year-old olive tree that could have witnessed Jesus’ prayer that night. I
put three nails in that tree, one for Judaism, one for Christianity, and
one for Islam. I prayed for the day when these three families of faith
would become one. World peace cannot come unless Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam become one. Those three nails are still there.
Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are sharply divided against each
other in today’s world, but they share a common root. The issue that
keeps them divided is their understanding of Jesus. To address this
problem, on May 19, 2003, I asked that we de-emphasize the cross in
relations among the Abrahamic faiths. Thus, we enacted a ceremony
of taking down the cross. We brought a cross from America, a predominantly
Christian culture, and buried it in the Field of Blood in
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Israel. This is the field that was bought with the thirty pieces of silver
that Judas Iscariot received for the betrayal of Jesus that ended in Jesus’
crucifixion.
Later that year, on December 23, some 3,000 Ambassadors for Peace
from all religions, and from around the world, joined with 17,000
Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem’s Independence Park to symbolically
remove the crown of thorns from the head of Jesus and replace it
with a crown of peace. These 20,000 then marched for peace through
Jerusalem city. Local authorities granted permissions and protected
our efforts, and Palestinian families supported our march for peace by
placing a light in front of their homes. Through that march, which was
broadcast live via the Internet to the entire world, I proclaimed that
Jesus had his authority as King of Peace restored to him. After centuries
of misunderstanding and division, an opportunity was created for
Christianity, Judaism, and Islam to reconcile with one another.
Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest mosque in Islam after those
in Mecca and Medina, is in Jerusalem. It is the spot from which the
Prophet Mohammad is said to have ascended to heaven. Ours was
the only mixed religious group welcomed to all parts of this house of
worship. The mosque leaders guided the Christian and Jewish leaders
who had participated in the peace march to the sacred spaces of the
mosque. We opened a door that had been closed tightly, and prepared
the way for many Muslim leaders to communicate at a new level with
their Christian and Jewish brothers and sisters.
Human beings like peace, but they also enjoy conflict. Human beings
will take the most gentle of animals and make them fight. They will
have roosters stand their crowns on end and peck each other with their
sharp beaks until pieces of soft flesh begin to fall away. Then, people
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will turn around and tell their children, “Don’t fight with your friends.
Play nice.” The fundamental reason that wars occur is not religion or
race. It is connected to what lies deep inside human beings. People like
to attribute the causes of armed conflicts to such things as science or
the economy, but the actual fundamental problem lies within human
beings ourselves.
Religion’s role is to turn human beings toward goodness and eliminate
their evil nature that finds enjoyment in fighting. Examine the major
religions of the world. They all hold a peaceful world as their ideal.
They all want to see a kingdom of heaven, utopia, or paradise. Religions
have different names for this ideal, but they all seek such a world. There
are numerous religions in the world, and virtually every one is divided
into countless factions and denominations. But the essential hope for
all is the same: They want the Kingdom of Heaven and a world of peace.
The human heart has been torn to shreds by the violence and enmity at
our core. The kingdom of love will heal it.
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The River Does Not Reject the Waters
That Flow into It
5
Selfishness is rampant in the world. Ironically, however, the individual
is destroyed by this, and not just the individual, but those
around him and the nation as a whole. The greatest obstacle to
the world of peace is avarice in peoples’ hearts. It starts in individuals,
expands to the nation, and hearts stained with avarice cause division
and conflict at every level. Countless people throughout history have
shed blood and died in conflicts caused by avarice.
To eliminate such conflicts, we need a great revolution to change the
erroneous values and thinking that are widespread in the world today.
The complex problems our societies face today can be resolved quickly
if there is a revolution in peoples’ thinking. If each individual and nation
begins to look out for the other first, working together with the
other, the problems of modern society will be resolved.
Throughout my life, I dedicated myself to efforts for peace. Any
time the word “peace” comes up, I become emotional. I choke up, it
becomes difficult for me to swallow my food and tears begin to well up
in my eyes. It moves me deeply just to imagine the day when the world
becomes one and begins to enjoy peace. That is the nature of peace.
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It links people who think differently, are of different races, and speak
different languages. Our hearts yearn for this world and harbor a hope
that it will be realized. Peace is concrete action; it is not a vague dream.
Building a movement for peace has not always been easy. There have
been many difficulties, and it has required large sums of money. I have
not done this for my own honor, nor to make money. All I did was invest
my full effort, so that we can have a world where a strong and true peace
takes root. For as long as I have been doing this work, I have never been
lonely. This is because, ultimately, peace is the desire of every person in
the world. It is strange, though. Even though everyone wants peace, it
has still not come.
It is easy to talk about peace. But to bring peace is not easy. This is
because people push aside the most elemental truth needed to bring
about a world of peace. They pretend not to know this truth is there.
Before we talk about peace among individuals or among nations, we
must talk about peace between ourselves and God.
Each religion today thinks of itself as the highest, rejecting and
looking down on other religions. It is not right to build fences against
other religions and denominations.
A religion is like a wide river flowing toward an ideal, peaceful
world. The river flows for long distances before it comes to the
wide expanse of peace. On its way, many streams flow into it. The
streams cease to be streams from the point they meet the river.
From that point, they, too, become part of the river. In this way,
they become one.
The river does not reject any of the streams that flow into it. It
accepts them all. It embraces all the streams and forms a single flow
as it continues toward the ocean. People in the world today do not
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understand this simple truth. The streams that seek out the river and
flow into it are the numerous religions and denominations of today.
Each stream traces its origin to a different spring, but they are all going
to the same destination. They are seeking the ideal world overflowing
with peace.
Peace will never come to this earth unless we first tear down the
walls between religions. For thousands of years, religions have grown
in alliance with particular ethnic groups, and so they are surrounded
by high cultural walls. Tearing these down is an extremely difficult task.
For thousands of years, each religion has surrounded itself with such
high walls, insisting that it is the only correct religion. In some cases,
religions have expanded their influence and entered into conflicts and
fights with other religions, using God’s name in places that had nothing
to do with His will.
The will of God lies in peace. A world fragmented by differences in
nationality, race, and religion, where people attack and fight one another
and shed one another’s blood, is not what God wants. When we
shed blood and fight each other in His name, we only cause Him pain.
A world torn to shreds has been created out of the desires of people to
promote their own wealth and glory. It does not represent the will of
God. God clearly told me so. I am only His errand boy, receiving His
words and carrying them out on Earth.
The path to bring about a world of peace, in which religions and
races become united, has been exhausting. Many times, I was rejected
by people, or my own abilities fell short, but I could not put aside this
mission. When members and colleagues who worked with me would
cry out in anguish because of the difficulty of the task, I would even feel
envious of them.
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“If you decide this path isn’t for you, you have the option to stop and
turn back,” I told them. “Or if you try and try and still can’t accomplish
it, you have the option to die trying.”
“But you should pity me,” I said. “I am a person with no such options.”
There are some two hundred countries in the world. For all these
countries to enjoy peace, the power of religion is absolutely necessary.
The power of religion is in the love that overflows from it. I am
a religious person whose role is to convey love, so it is natural that I
would work for world peace. There is no difference between Islam and
Christianity in their commitment to bring about a world of peace. In
America, I lead a movement for peace, bringing together twenty thousand
clergy who transcend denomination. Through this movement, we
discuss ways that Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and all faiths
can come together. We devote our full efforts to change the hardened
hearts of people.
My purpose is the same today as it was yesterday. It is to create one
world with God at the center, a world brought together like a single nation
without boundaries. All humanity will be citizens of this world, sharing a
culture of love. In such a world, there will be no possibility for division and
conflict. This will mark the beginning of a truly peaceful world.
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“Allow Freedom of Religion
in the Soviet Union”
5
There are a number of materialism-based theories that are
popularly held but not verified. One is Charles Darwin’s theory
of evolution. Another such theory comes from the writings of
Karl Marx. The idea that spirit originates from matter is wrong down
to its root. Human beings are created by God, and all beings are unified
bodies having both material and spiritual aspects. In short, the core
theory and philosophy underlying communism is wrong. While studying
in Japan, I worked together with communists for the independence
of Korea. They were my good friends who were prepared to give their
lives, if necessary, for the liberation of our homeland; but our way of
thinking was fundamentally different. So, once independence was
achieved, we had to go our separate ways.
I am opposed to the historical materialism of communism. I have
carried out a movement for victory over communism throughout the
world. I have advised successive U.S. presidents to protect the free
world, standing up to the communist strategy of turning the world red.
Communist countries that were unhappy with my actions attempted
to remove me through acts of terror, but I do not hate them. Nor do
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I consider them my enemy. I oppose the philosophy and ideology of
communism, but I have never hated its people. God wants even communists
to be brought into His oneness.
In that sense, my visit to Moscow in April 1990 for a meeting with
President Mikhail Gorbachev and my visit to Pyongyang the next year
for a meeting with President Kim Il Sung were not simple journeys;
they were taken at the risk of my life. It was my destiny to go on these
journeys to convey Heaven’s will to these men. I said only half-jokingly
at the time that Moscow, pronounced in English, sounds similar to
“must go,” and so I had to go.
I had a long-held conviction regarding communism. I could
foresee that signs pointing to the fall of communism would begin
to appear after about sixty years from the Bolshevik Revolution, and
that the Soviet edifice would fall in 1987, the seventieth anniversary
of the revolution. So I was excited in 1984, when I heard that Dr.
Morton Kaplan, a noted political scientist at the University of Chicago,
was proposing to hold an international conference titled, “The
Fall of the Soviet Empire.” I asked him to pay me a visit in Danbury
prison so that we could discuss the details. The first thing I said to
him when we met was that I wanted him to declare “the end of Soviet
communism” before August 15 of that year.
Dr. Kaplan responded, “Declare the end of Soviet communism? How
can I do such a risky thing?” and indicated he was not inclined to do this.
But, it’s the final flame that burns the brightest. In 1985, the Soviet Union
was increasing its worldwide influence, and there were no outward signs
of its decline. So it was natural that Dr. Kaplan would be reluctant. If he
made a declaration predicting such a specific event and it turned out to
be false, his reputation as a scholar could be destroyed overnight.
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“Rev. Moon,” he said, “I believe you when you say that Soviet communism
will fall. But I don’t think it will happen just yet. So instead
of declaring, ‘the end of Soviet communism,’ how about if we say ‘the
decline of Soviet communism? ’” I saw, too, that he was proposing to
soften the title of his program and use something other than “Fall of the
Soviet Empire.”
I burned with anger. These were compromises I could not accept. I
felt strongly that if a person had conviction, he should be brave and put
out all his energy to fight, even if he feels afraid.
“Dr. Kaplan,” I said, “What do you mean? When I ask you to declare
the end of communism, I have a reason. The day you declare the end of
communism, it will take energy away from it and help bring about its
peaceful collapse. Why are you hesitating?”
In the end, Dr. Kaplan declared “the end of Soviet communism” at
a conference of the Professors World Peace Academy (PWPA) held in
Geneva under the title, “The Fall of the Soviet Empire: Prospects for
Transition to a Post-Soviet World.” It was something that no one had
dared consider. Because Switzerland was a neutral country, Geneva was
a major staging area for the Soviet Committee for State Security (KGB),
and many KGB agents worked from there to carry out espionage and
terror activities around the world. The Intercontinental Hotel, where
the PWPA conference was held, faced the Soviet embassy across the
street, so I can well imagine how much fear Dr. Kaplan must have felt.
A few years later, however, he became well-known as the scholar who
first predicted the end of Soviet communism.
In April 1990, I convened the World Media Conference held in Moscow.
Unexpectedly, the Soviet government gave me head-of-state–level
protocol, beginning at the airport. We were transported to the center
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of Moscow in a police-escorted motorcade. The car that carried me
traveled on the yellow section of the road, which was used only by the
president and state guests. This happened before the collapse of the Soviet
Union. The Soviet government afforded this exceptional treatment
to me, an anti-communist.
At the conference, I gave an address praising the move toward perestroika.
I said this revolution must be bloodless, and that it must be a
revolution of the mind and spirit. The purpose of my visit was to attend
the World Media Conference, but my mind was focused on meeting
President Gorbachev.
At the time, President Gorbachev was popular within the Soviet
Union, following the successes of his perestroika policies. I could have
met the U.S. president ten times if I’d wanted to, but meeting President
Gorbachev was much more difficult. I was concerned that even one
meeting might be difficult to achieve. I had a message to give him, and
it was important that I do this in person. He was reforming the Soviet
Union, giving rise to the winds of freedom there, but as time passed,
the swords of reform were being increasingly pointed at his back. If the
situation were left unchecked, he was about to fall into great danger.
I explained, “If he does not meet me, he has no way to catch the wave
of heavenly fortune, and if he cannot do that, he will not last long.”
Perhaps President Gorbachev heard this expression of my concern.
The next day, he invited me to the Kremlin Palace. I rode in a limousine
provided by the Soviet government and entered deep into the Kremlin.
On entering the presidential office, my wife and I took our seats, and
Cabinet ministers of the Soviet Union took seats next to us. President
Gorbachev smiled a big smile and gave us an energetic explanation of
the successes of his perestroika policies. Then he showed me into an
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anteroom, where we met one on one. I used this opportunity to give
him the following message.
“Mr. President, you have already achieved much success through
perestroika, but that alone will not be sufficient for reform. You need
to immediately allow freedom of religion in the Soviet Union. If you
try to reform only the material world, without the involvement of God,
perestroika will be doomed to fail. Communism is about to end. The
only way to save this nation is to allow the freedom of religion. The time
is now for you to act with the courage that you have shown in reforming
the Soviet Union and become a president of the world who works to
bring about world peace.”
President Gorbachev’s face hardened at the mention of religious
freedom, as though he had not been expecting this. As one would
expect from the man who had allowed the reunification of Germany,
however, he quickly relaxed his expression and soberly accepted my
words to him. I continued, saying, “South Korea and the Soviet Union
should now open diplomatic relations. In that context, please invite
South Korean President Roh Tae Woo to visit.” I also explained a list of
reasons why it would be good for the two countries to have diplomatic
relations. After I had finished all I wanted to say, President Gorbachev
made a promise to me with a tone of certitude that I had not heard him
express prior to that point.
“I am confident,” he said, “that relations between South Korea and
the Soviet Union will develop smoothly. I, too, believe that political
stability and the relaxation of tensions on the Korean peninsula is necessary.
Opening diplomatic relations with South Korea is only a matter
of time; there are no obstacles. As you suggested, I will meet President
Roh Tae Woo.”
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As I was about to leave President Gorbachev that day, I took off my
watch and put it on his wrist. He seemed a little bewildered that I would
treat him as I might an old friend. So I told him firmly, “Each time your
reforms face difficulty, please look at this watch and remember your
promise to me. If you do that, Heaven will surely open a path for you.”
As he promised me, President Gorbachev met President Roh in
San Francisco in June that year for a bilateral summit. Then, on September
30, 1990, South Korea and the Soviet Union signed a historic
agreement to open diplomatic relations for the first time in eightysix
years. Of course, politics is the job of politicians, and diplomacy
is the job of diplomats. Sometimes, though, when a door has been
closed for a long time, a religious person who has no interests at
stake can be more effective.
Four years later, President and Mrs. Gorbachev visited Seoul, and
my wife and I hosted them at our home in the Hannam Dong neighborhood.
He had already been removed from power by a coup d’รฉtat.
Following the coup by anti-reformist forces opposed to perestroika, he
had resigned his position as general secretary of the Soviet Communist
Party and dissolved the party. As a communist, he had eliminated the
Communist Party. The former president and first lady used chopsticks
to eat the bulgogi and jabchae we had carefully prepared. When he was
served su-jeong-gwa as dessert, Mr. Gorbachev repeated several times,
“Korea has excellent traditional foods.” He and the first lady appeared
quite different from the days when he was in office. Mrs. Gorbachev,
who had previously been a thoroughgoing Marxist-Leninist lecturing
at Moscow State University, wore a necklace with a crucifix.
“Mr. President, you did a great thing,” I told him. “You gave up your
post as general secretary of the Soviet Union, but now you have become
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the president of peace. Because of your wisdom and courage, we now
have the possibility to bring world peace. You did the most important,
eternal, and beautiful thing for the world. You are a hero of peace who
did God’s work. The name that will be remembered forever in the
history of Russia will not be ‘Marx,’ ‘Lenin,’ or ‘Stalin.’ It will only be
‘Mikhail Gorbachev.’”
I gave high praise to the decision by Mr. Gorbachev to bring about
the breakup of the Soviet Union, the mother country of communism,
without shedding blood.
In response, Mr. Gorbachev said, “Rev. Moon, I have been greatly
comforted by your words. Hearing your words gives me energy. I will
devote the remainder of my life to projects that are for the sake of world
peace.” And he firmly took my hand in his.
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Korea’s Unification Will
Bring World Unification
5
As I was coming out of the Kremlin Palace after meeting Mr.
Gorbachev, I turned to Bo Hi Pak, who had accompanied me,
and gave him a special instruction.
“I need to meet President Kim Il Sung before the end of 1991,” I told
him. “There’s no time. The Soviet Union is going to end in the next year
or two. Our country is the problem. Somehow, I need to meet President
Kim and prevent war from occurring on the Korean peninsula.”
I knew that when the Soviet Union collapsed, most other communist
regimes in the world would also fall. North Korea would find itself
forced into a corner, and there was no telling what provocation it might
commit. North Korea’s obsession with nuclear weapons made the situation
even more worrisome. To prevent a war with North Korea, we
needed a channel to talk to its leadership, but we had no such channel
at that point. Somehow, I needed to meet President Kim and receive his
commitment not to strike first against South Korea.
The Korean peninsula is a scaled-down version of the world. If blood
were shed on the Korean peninsula, it would be shed in the world. If
reconciliation occurred on the peninsula, there would be reconciliation
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in the world. If the peninsula were unified, this would bring about
unification in the world. Beginning in the late 1980s, however, North
Korea had been working hard to become a country possessing nuclear
weapons. Western countries were saying that they would stage a first
strike against North Korea, if necessary. If the situation continued to
the extreme, there was no telling what desperate move North Korea
might attempt. I knew I somehow needed to open a channel of communication
with North Korea.
It was not an easy task. Bo Hi Pak communicated with North Korean
Vice Premier Kim Dal Hyun, but North Korea’s response was firmly in
the negative.
“The people of North Korea know President Moon only as the ringleader
of the international movement for victory over communism,” the
vice premier said. “Why would we welcome the leader of a conservative,
anti-communist group? A visit to North Korea by President Moon
absolutely cannot be permitted.”
Bo Hi Pak did not give up. “President Nixon of the United States
was a strong anti-communist,” he reminded the North Korean official.
“But he visited China, met Chairman Mao Zedong, and opened
diplomatic relations between the United States and China. It was
China that profited from this. Until then, China had been branded
an aggressor nation, but it is now rising as the central country on
the world stage. For North Korea to have international credibility,
it should establish a friendship with a worldwide anti-communist
such as President Moon.”
Finally, President Kim Il Sung invited my wife and me on November
30, 1991. We were in Hawaii at the time, so we quickly flew to Beijing.
While we were waiting in the VIP lounge of Beijing Capital International
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Airport, which the government of China had arranged for us to use, a
representative of the North Korean government came and handed us
the official invitation. The official stamp of the Pyongyang government
was clearly visible on the document.
“The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea extends an invitation to
Mr. Moon Sun Myung of the Unification Church, his wife, and entourage
to enter the Republic. Their safety is guaranteed during the period
of their stay in the North.”
It was signed “Kim Dal Hyun, Vice Premier, Cabinet of the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea. November 30, 1991.”
Our group boarded a special flight of Air Koryo (aircraft no. JS215)
arranged for us by President Kim. A special flight from President Kim
had never been arranged for any foreign head of state, so this was very
exceptional and special treatment.
The aircraft flew over the Yellow Sea, up to Sin-eui-ju, over my
hometown of Jeong-ju, and on to Pyongyang. The special route had
been charted to let me see my hometown. My heart began to pound
as I looked down at my hometown, dyed red by the light of the setting
sun, and I felt numb deep in my being. I wondered, “Can this
really be my hometown?” I wanted to jump out right away and start
running around the hills and valleys.
At Pyongyang’s Sunan International Airport, family members
whom I had not seen for forty-eight years were there to greet me. My
younger sisters, who used to be as beautiful as flowers, had become
grandmothers entering their senior years. They grasped my hands,
creased their eyebrows, and began to cry wildly. My older sister,
now more than seventy, grabbed me by the shoulder and cried. I,
however, did not cry.
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“Please,” I said, “don’t do this. It’s important for me to meet my family,
but I came to do God’s work. Please don’t do this. Get hold of yourselves.”
Inside my heart, I was shedding tears like a waterfall. I was seeing
my sisters for the first time in more than forty years, but I could not
embrace them and cry with them. I maintained control of my heart,
and made my way to our place of lodging.
The next morning, as has been my custom throughout my life, I
awoke early in the morning and began to pray. If there were any surveillance
apparatus in the guesthouse, my tearful prayer for the unification
of the Korean peninsula would have been recorded in its entirety. That
day, we toured the city of Pyongyang. The city was well-fortified with
the red slogans of juche ideology.
On the third day of our visit, we boarded an aircraft to tour Mount
Kumgang. Though it was the winter season, the Kuryong Falls had not
frozen and still spouted a strong flow of water. After touring all the different
areas of Mount Kumgang, we boarded a helicopter on our sixth
day, to be transported to my hometown. In my dreams, I had felt such
a strong yearning for my childhood home that I felt as though I could
run to it in one bound. And now, there it was, appearing before me.
I could hardly believe my eyes. Was this real, or was I dreaming? For
what seemed like the longest time, I could only stand there, like a statue,
in front of my home. After several minutes, I stepped inside. It used to
be in the shape of a square, with the main wing, guest wing, storehouse,
and barn built around a central courtyard. Now, only the main wing
remained. I went into the main room, where I had been born, and sat
on the floor with my legs crossed. Memories of what it had been like in
my childhood came back to me as clearly as if it were only yesterday. I
opened the small door that led from the main room to the kitchen and
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looked out at the backyard. The chestnut tree I used to climb had been
cut down and was gone. It seemed as though I could hear my mother
calling to me sweetly. “Is my little tiny-eyes hungry?” The cotton cloth
of her traditional dress passed quickly before my eyes.
I visited my parents’ grave site and offered a bouquet of flowers. The
last time I saw my mother was when she came to visit me in prison
in Heungnam and cried out loud. Her grave was thinly covered by
the snow that had fallen the night before. I brushed it away with the
palm of my hand and gently caressed the grass that had grown over her
grave. The rough touch of the grass reminded me of the roughness of
my mother’s skin on the back of her hand.
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My Meeting with President Kim Il Sung
5
I had not gone to North Korea because I wanted to see my hometown,
or because I wanted to tour Mount Kumgang. I wanted to
meet President Kim Il Sung and have a serious discussion on the
future of our homeland. Yet, six days into my visit, there was no word
on whether a meeting with President Kim could be arranged. When we
arrived back at Pyongyang’s Sunan Airport by helicopter after visiting
my hometown, however, I found that Vice Premier Kim Dal Hyun had
unexpectedly come to meet me.
“The Great Leader Kim Il Sung will receive you tomorrow,” he told
me. “The place will be the Majeon Presidential Residence in Heungnam,
so you will need to board a special flight immediately, and go to
Heungnam.”
I thought to myself, “They say he has many presidential residences.
Why, of all places, Heungnam?”
On my way, I noticed a large sign for the Heungnam Nitrogen Fertilizer
Factory, where I had been forced to labor. It reminded me of
my time in prison and gave me an odd feeling. I spent the night in a
guesthouse and went the next day to meet the president.
As I approached the official residence, I found President Kim at the
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entrance, waiting to greet me. The two of us simultaneously embraced
each other. I was an anti-communist and he was the leader of a communist
party, but ideology and philosophies were not important in the
context of our meeting. We were like brothers who were meeting for the
first time after a long separation. This was the power of belonging to the
same people and sharing the same blood.
Right at the outset, I said to him: “Mr. President, because of your
warm consideration, I have been able to meet my family. There are,
however, 10 million Koreans who are members of families separated
between North and South, and they are unable even to know whether
their relatives on the other side are alive or dead. I would like to ask you
to grant them the opportunity to meet each other.”
I spent a little more time telling him about my visit to my hometown,
and appealed to his love for the Korean people. He and I spoke the same
dialect, so we were at ease with one another.
President Kim responded, “I feel the same way. From next year, let’s
begin a movement that allows separated compatriots of North and South
to meet one another.” His acceptance of my proposal was as natural as
the snow melting in spring.
After speaking of my visit to Jeong-ju, I moved on to my views on
nuclear weapons. I respectfully proposed that North Korea agree to a
declaration on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and sign a
safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
President Kim responded with candor, “President Moon. Think for
a moment. Who am I going to kill by making nuclear weapons? Kill
my own people? Do I look like that kind of person? I agree that nuclear
energy should be used only for peaceful purposes. I have listened attentively
to what you have to say, and I expect it will be all right.”
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At the time, North-South relations were at a difficult point over the
issue of nuclear inspections in North Korea, and so I had made my proposal
with some reluctance. Everyone present, however, was surprised
that President Kim responded in such a pleasant tone. At this point, we
adjourned our meeting to a dining room, where we took an early lunch.
“President Moon, are you familiar with ‘frozen potato noodles’? It’s a
dish I ate quite often when I was active as a partisan on Mount Baekdu.
Please try some.”
“Well, of course I know it,” I said, responding to his words with delight.
“We used to enjoy this dish in my hometown.”
“Well, I’m sure in your hometown you ate it as a delicacy,” he continued.
“I ate it to survive. The Japanese police used to search for us all the
way to the top of Mount Baekdu. We didn’t have a chance to sit down
to a decent meal. What else is there to eat at the top of Mount Baekdu
other than potatoes?
“We would start to boil some potatoes, and if the Japanese police
came after us, we would bury the potatoes in the ground and run away.
It would be so cold that by the time we got back, the potatoes would
be frozen solid in the ground. The only thing we could do was dig up
the potatoes, thaw them, and then turn them into powder, so we could
make noodles out of them.”
“Mr. President,” I said, “you are an expert on frozen potato noodles.”
“That’s right. They taste good mixed in bean soup, and they also taste
very good if you eat them in sesame soup. It’s a dish that is easy on the
digestion, and because potatoes have a tendency to stick together, it is
very filling.
“Also, President Moon,” he continued, “it tastes really good if you
do like they do in Ham-gyung Province and take some leaf mustard
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kimchi, like this, and put it over the noodles. You should try it.”
I did as he suggested and ate my frozen potato noodles with some
leaf mustard kimchi over them. The tasty flavor of the noodles matched
well the spicy kimchi and left my stomach feeling light.
“There are many delicacies in the world,” President Kim said. “I’m
not interested in any of those. There’s nothing better than the potato
cakes, corn, and sweet potatoes that I used to eat in my hometown.”
“You and I even share similar tastes in food,” I said. “It’s good that
people who share the same homeland can meet like this.”
“How was it when you visited your hometown?” he asked me.
“I was filled with many emotions,” I said. “The home where I lived
was still there, and I sat in the main room to think about the past. I
almost expected to hear the voice of my late mother, calling me. It was
an emotional feeling.”
“I see,” he said. “It shows that our country needs to be unified immediately.
I hear that when you were young, you were quite mischievous.
Did you have a chance to run around while you were there this time?”
Everyone at the table laughed at the president’s comment.
“I wanted to climb a tree and go fishing, but I heard that you were
waiting for me, so I quickly came here. I hope you will invite me to
come again sometime.”
“Well, of course. Of course I will. President Moon, do you like to
hunt? I like hunting very much. I think if you go bear hunting on Mount
Baekdu, you will enjoy it very much. Bears have big bodies and look
uncoordinated, but they are actually very nimble.
“I once came face to face with a bear,” he continued. “The bear
looked at me and didn’t move a muscle. If I had started to run, you
know what would have happened, don’t you? So what was I going to do?
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I stared right back at him and just stood there. One hour passed, then
two hours, three hours. But the bear just kept staring at me. You know
how Mount Baekdu is famous for being cold. I was afraid I might freeze
to death before the bear ate me.”
“So what happened?”
“Well, President Moon, do you see the bear sitting here, or do you
see me?”
I laughed out loud, and President Kim immediately followed with a
suggestion.
“President Moon,” he said, “the next time you come, let’s go hunting
together on Mount Baekdu.”
I responded quickly with my own invitation.
“Mr. President, you like to fish, don’t you? On Kodiak Island in
Alaska, you can catch halibut that are as big as bears. Let’s go fishing for
those sometime.”
“Halibut as big as bears? Well, I will definitely have to go.”
The two of us were able to communicate well about our shared hobbies
of hunting and fishing. At one point, we each felt we had so much
to say to the other that we just started talking like old friends meeting
after a long separation. Our laughter echoed around the dining room.
I also talked about Mount Kumgang.
“I went to Mount Kumgang, and it really is a beautiful mountain,”
I said. “It needs to be developed as a tourism destination for our
people.”
“Mount Kumgang will be an asset to our unified homeland,” President Kim
said. “So I have made sure that only certain people can touch it. If it’s developed
in the wrong way, it could be ruined. You have an international eye,
and I could trust someone like you to take it over and develop it for us.”
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President Kim went so far as to ask that we develop Mount Kumgang.
“Mr. President,” I said, “you are older than me, so you are like my
older brother.”
He responded, “President Moon, from now, let’s refer to each other as
older brother and younger brother,” and he grasped my hand tightly.
President Kim and I held each other’s hand as we walked down the
hallway and took commemorative photographs. Then I left the residence.
After I had gone, I was told that President Kim told his son, Kim
Jong Il, “President Moon is a great man. I have met many people in my
life, but none were like him. He has a broad scale of thinking, and he
overflows with heart. I felt close to him. It made me feel good to be with
him, and I wanted him to stay for a long time. I want to meet him again.
After I die, if there are things to discuss pertaining to North-South relations,
you must always seek the advice of President Moon.”
So it seemed that we had communicated very well.
Soon after I ended my weeklong stay and left Pyongyang, Prime
Minister Hyung Muk Yeon led a North Korean delegation to Seoul.
Prime Minister Yon signed an agreement to denuclearize the Korean
peninsula. On January 30 of the following year, North Korea signed
a nuclear safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy
Agency, thus fulfilling the commitments that President Kim had made
to me. These were the results I accomplished by going to Pyongyang at
the risk of my life.
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The Land May Be Divided,
but Not Its People
5
The Korean peninsula is one of the last remaining divided countries
on earth. We have the responsibility to unify the peninsula.
We cannot pass a divided homeland on to our descendants. It
is impermissible that a single people should be divided and for peaceloving
people to be unable to see their parents or siblings. The line that
divides North and South Korea was drawn by human beings. Land can
be divided that way, but not people. That we do not forget each other
and continue to yearn for each other even after more than fifty years of
separation shows that we are one people.
The Korean people were traditionally known as “people of white
clothing,” because of the color of our clothes. White is the symbol of
peace. Our people are people of peace. During the time of the Japanese
occupation, Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese lived in Manchuria and
Siberia, sometimes helping each other and at other times killing each
other. During that time, Koreans never carried swords or knives as did
the Japanese and Chinese. Instead, we carried flint rocks. Lighting fires
in the frozen land of Manchuria and Siberia was a way of protecting
life. This is the kind of people we are. We respect Heaven, uphold moral
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principles, and love peace. Our people shed much blood during the
time of the Japanese occupation and the Korean War. This, however,
did not bring about the unification of our country or the establishment
of a sovereignty of peace. Our country was broken at the waist into two
pieces, and half became a dark world of communism.
We need unification to restore the sovereignty of our people. We
must end the division between North and South so we can have peace.
Only after we first accomplish peaceful unification and restore our
sovereignty can we bring peace to the world. The Korean people were
created to bring peace to the world. Everything has a name, and names
have meaning. The clothes of the “people of white clothing” are easy to
see, both by day and night. White is good to use for signs during the
night because it is easy to see in the dark. Our people are destined to
convey messages of peace around the world, both day and night.
North and South are divided by a cease-fire line, but this is not the problem.
Once we remove that line, we will find an even larger barrier between
us and Russia and China. For our people to enjoy true peace, we will need
to overcome those cease-fire lines as well. It will be difficult, but it is not
impossible. The important thing is our own attitude.
I believe that when a person sweats, he should sweat every last drop
that he has in him. He should sweat even the last little bit that is in his
heart. That way, he will have no regrets, and everything will become
clean and set in order. The same is true when we attempt anything difficult.
The difficulty will end only when you have gained victory at every
stage, and everything has been made clear. Whatever you are dealing
with needs to be completely put in order. Then it can bear fruit. We cannot
restore our people’s full sovereignty without going through such
tearful difficulties.
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Today, many people talk about peaceful unification. I, however,
spoke about this at a time when people did not dare even use the phrase
“peaceful unification,” for fear of being charged with violating the Anti-
Communist Law and the National Security Law. Today, when people
ask me what must be done to bring about unification, I tell them what
I have always said on this matter: “If South Koreans love North Korea
more than they love the South, and North Koreans love South Korea
more than they love the North, we could unify the peninsula today.”
I was able to risk my life to go to North Korea in 1991 and meet
President Kim because I had a foundation of such love within me. I
made agreements then with him regarding meetings of separated families,
North-South economic cooperation, development of Mount Kumgang,
denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and working toward a
North-South summit conference. No one thought an anti-communist
could go to a communist country and open the floodgate of unification,
but I surprised the world.
Before my meeting with President Kim, I delivered a two-hour address
titled “Blood Is Thicker Than Water,” at the Mansudae Assembly
Hall, seat of the Supreme People’s Assembly, North Korea’s legislature.
I spoke that day to the leadership of North Korea about a way to unify
North and South through love. I stood before the leadership of North
Korea, who were armed with Kim Il Sung’s philosophy, and told them
exactly what I believed.
“North and South must be unified,” I said, “but guns and swords
will not make us one. North-South unification will not happen with
military force. Even the Korean War failed in this respect, and it is foolish
for anyone to think they can make another attempt through military
force. Neither will unification happen with the juche ideology that you
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espouse. What will do it, then? The world does not operate only by the
power of human beings. Because God exists, nothing can be done by
human effort alone. Even in situations of evil, such as war, God carries
out His providence. That is why North and South cannot be unified
through the juche ideology that puts man at the center.
“Bringing about a unified homeland can be done only with
Godism,” I continued. “God is protecting us, and our time of unification
is coming. Unification is the destiny; it is the task that must be
accomplished in our era. If we cannot accomplish the sacred task of
unifying the homeland in our time, we will not be able to hold our
heads high in the presence of our ancestors or descendants for the rest
of eternity.
“What is Godism? It is the practice of God’s perfect love. Neither the
right wing nor the left wing can unify North and South. It will be possible
only when there is a ‘headwing thought’ that is able to harmonize
these two.
“To travel the path of love, you must apologize before the world
for your invasion of the South. I understand that North Korea has
planted twenty thousand resident espionage agents in the South.
Send an order immediately to all of them, instructing them to turn
themselves in to the South Korean authorities. If you do that, I will
give them an education that will rectify their ideology and turn
them into patriots who will contribute to the peaceful unification of
North and South.”
I pounded on the table in front of me as I spoke. The expressions
of Mr. Yun Ki Bok and Vice Premier Kim Dal Hyun grew tense with
fear. I was aware of what dangers I might be exposed to for making such
statements, but I needed to say what I had come to say. I was not simply
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trying to shock the audience. I knew that my speech would be reported
immediately, word for word, to President Kim and his son, Chairman
Kim Jong Il. So I wanted to state my purpose clearly.
When I finished, some of the North Koreans present even protested,
demanding to know how I could dare to speak in such a manner. I
looked at my entourage and saw that their faces were white with fear.
Our members who were with me told me: “The speech had a very
strong tone, and the atmosphere of the audience was not good.” I was
adamant, however.
“Why did I come here?” I asked them. “I didn’t come to see the land
of North Korea. If I were to leave here without saying what needed to be
said, Heaven would punish me. Even if today’s speech is used by them
as an excuse to deny me a meeting with President Kim and to expel us
from the country, I still needed to say what I came to say.”
On July 8, 1994, President Kim suddenly died. His death came when
North-South relations were at an all-time low. Patriot missiles had been
deployed on South Korean soil, and war hawks in the United States
advocated the destruction of nuclear facilities in Yongbyon. It appeared
that war might break out at any time. North Korea announced it would
not receive any mourners from outside the country, but I felt it was
important we send someone. I wanted to fulfill my obligation, as I had
formed a brotherly relationship with President Kim.
I called Bo Hi Pak. “Go immediately to North Korea as my representative
to mourn President Kim’s death.” I said.
“No one can get into North Korea now,” he said.
“I know it’s difficult, but somehow you have to go. I don’t care if
you have to swim across the Yalu River. Get in there and convey my
condolences.”
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Bo Hi Pak first traveled to Beijing and risked his life to communicate
with North Korea. Then, Chairman Kim Jong Il gave the instruction,
“An exception will be made for a mourning representative from President
Moon. Escort him to Pyongyang.”
After condolences had been expressed, Chairman Kim Jong Il met
with Bo Hi Pak and politely greeted him, saying, “My father always
said that President Moon was working hard for the unification of our
homeland. I am glad you came.”
In 1994, the Korean peninsula was in such a crisis that it could have
exploded at any time. In that moment, we were able to resolve the
nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula because of the relationship I had
formed with President Kim Il Sung. Sending a representative to express
my condolences was not a simple matter of mourning.
I described my meeting with President Kim in considerable detail to
illustrate my point about the importance of faith and loyalty between
two people. I met him for the sake of the peaceful unification of our
homeland. I was able to convey my concerns for the destiny of our
people with faith and loyalty. As a result, after his death, his son, Chairman
Kim Jong Il, accepted our mourning representative. There is no
wall that cannot be scaled and no dream that cannot be realized when
we share our love with a sincere heart.
When I went to North Korea, I thought of it as my homeland and
the home of my brother. I didn’t go there with a desire to get something
from them. I went with the purpose to share with them my heart of
love. The power of love touched not only President Kim Il Sung but
also his son, Chairman Kim Jong Il. Since then, and continuing to this
day, we have maintained a special relationship with North Korea. Each
time North-South relations become difficult, we have played a role in
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opening the gateway. It is all based on the fact that I met with President
Kim Il Sung, conveyed to him my sincere heart, and built a relationship
of trust with him. That is the importance of trust.
Following my meeting with President Kim, we now operate the
Pyonghwa Motors plant, the Potonggang Hotel, and the World Peace
Center in North Korea. There are eight billboards for Pyonghwa Motors
around Pyongyang. When the South Korean president visited North
Korea, North Korean officials took him to the Pyonghwa Motors plant.
South Korean business leaders who accompanied the president stayed at
the Potonggang Hotel. Non-North Korean members of our church who
work in North Korea gather at the World Peace Center each Sunday for
worship service. All of these projects are efforts for the sake of peaceful
exchanges and unification of North and South. They are not being
done to make a profit. They are efforts to contribute to the unification of
North and South as an expression of love for the Korean people.
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Not by Guns or Swords, but by True Love
5
It is not just the cease-fire line that divides our people. The Youngnam
and Honam regions are also divided by an invisible line.
Also, Koreans who live in Japan are divided between the Korean
Residents Union in Japan, or Mindan, which has ties to South Korea,
and the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, or Chongryon,
which has ties to North Korea. The conflict between the two
organizations in Japan is based on the hometowns of their respective
members. Second- and third-generation Korean residents in Japan,
who have never been to their parents’ hometowns, still live in conflict
with each other, as they live within the lines drawn by their parents. The
members of the two organizations use slightly different language, send
their children to different schools, and do not intermarry.
In 2005, I put into effect my long-held plan to create oneness among
Koreans in Japan, as well as among Koreans in the Youngnam and Honam
regions. I invited one thousand members of Mindan and one thousand
members of Chongryon to Seoul, and matched them in sisterhood and
brotherhood relationships to one thousand people from the Youngnam
region and one thousand people from the Honam region. It is next to
impossible for Chongryon and Mindan to sit down together in Japan
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and talk about the peaceful unification of North and South. The task
of gathering these people in one place was difficult, but it was deeply
moving for me to see them sitting together and embracing each other.
One Chongryon official at the event was visiting Seoul for the first time.
He spoke in tears as he commented that he deeply regretted the many
years he had spent fighting a war that was not his own, particularly as
he was not even certain which part of the peninsula his father actually
came from. He said he felt immeasurably ashamed for having lived his
life with a meaningless line of division drawn in his heart.
To fully understand the division of the Korean peninsula and the
conflict between the two sides, we must be able to look comprehensively
at the past, present, and future. Every incident has a root cause.
The division of the Korean peninsula was created by the history of
struggle between good and evil. When the Korean War broke out, the
Soviet Union, China, and other communist countries came to the aid
of North Korea. In a similar way, sixteen countries, led by the United
States, sent armed forces to the aid of South Korea. Also, five countries
sent medical teams, and twenty nations provided war supplies. What
other war in history involved so many countries in the fighting? The
reason that the entire world became involved in a war that took place in
the tiny country of Korea is that this was a proxy war between the forces
of communism and the forces of freedom. It could be said that Korea came
to represent the world, and that good and evil fought fiercely on its soil.
Retired general and former U.S. secretary of state Alexander Haig
made an unexpected statement in his congratulatory remarks at the
tenth anniversary of The Washington Times, celebrated in 1992.
“I am a veteran of the Korean War,” he said. “As a commander, I was
in charge of the attack against Heungnam, and we staged the strongest
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attack we could. I am deeply moved to hear that Reverend Moon was
being held by the communists and was set free by that day’s attack. It
seems I was sent there to free Reverend Moon. Now, Reverend Moon is
here to save America. The Washington Times is a newspaper that will
save the American people by providing a balanced view of history that
is neither right nor left, and show us the way forward. As we see, there
is no such thing as coincidence in history.”
A few years ago in Korea, there were people making the argument
that the famous statue of General Douglas MacArthur in an Incheon
park should be removed. If United Nations Forces had not joined the
war effort, the country would not be divided between North and South,
as it is today, this argument went. I was shocked to hear this. Such an
argument can only be made from the position of the communist party
of North Korea.
Great sacrifices were made on a global level, and yet the peninsula
remains divided. We do not know the exact date when unification will
come, but it is clear that we are making strong strides in that direction.
There are many obstacles to be overcome on the road to unification. As
we come face to face with each obstacle, we need to work to tear it down
and then move on. Though it may take a long time and prove difficult,
unification will absolutely come if we work with the same desperation
we would have if we were swimming across the Yalu River.
Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, Romania resisted change
the longest among the communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Then, at the end of 1989, Romania experienced a bloody uprising
by its people. As soon as the regime was toppled, Nicolae Ceauลescu,
who had ruled the country for twenty-four years, was executed, along
with his wife. He was a brutal dictator who mercilessly massacred those
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who opposed his policies. In any country, one reason a dictator will
tend to tighten his grip is that he fears for his life in the event he may
lose power. I think that if a dictator can be certain that his own life will
not be placed in danger, he will not go headlong down a dead-end street
in the manner of Ceauลescu.
Our country, too, will be unified before long, by one means or another.
So politicians and economists need to make the necessary preparations
in their own fields of expertise. As a religious person, I will work hard
to prepare to greet the unified Korea in which we can embrace North
Korean people with love and share in a common peace.
I have studied the unification of Germany for a long time. I have
listened to the experiences of those who were involved with regard to
how it was that unification could come without a single bullet being
fired or a single drop of blood being spilled. In so doing, my hope has
been to find a way that is appropriate for Korea. I have learned that the
main reason Germany could be unified peacefully was that East German
leaders were made to understand that their lives would not be in
danger following unification. If East German leaders had not believed this
would be so, they would not have allowed unification to occur so easily.
I came to believe we need to give a similar understanding toward the
rulers of North Korea. A novel based on North Korea was published
in Japan not long ago. In this fictional novel, the rulers of North Korea
repeatedly watch a video of Ceauลescu’s execution and cry out, “That is
what will happen to us if we lose power. Under no circumstances can
we lose our hold on power!” Of course, that is only a novel published
in Japan. We should, however, devote our attention to this real problem
and find a solution for North Korean leaders, to bring about Korea’s
speedy unification.
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Building a world of peace on the Korean peninsula is not as difficult
as we may think. When South Korea lives fully for the sake of North
Korea, North Korea will not try to fight the South, and peace will come
naturally to the peninsula. The power that can move a rebellious child is
not the fist or brute power. It is the power of love that wells up naturally
from within the heart. More than rice or fertilizer, it is important for
us to give love to North Korea. We must never forget that it is only
when we consider North Korea’s situation and live for its sake with a
loving and sincere heart that the North will open its heart to us and the
world.
CHAPTER Seven
Future of Korea ,
Future of
the World
280
World Harmony and the
Korean Peninsula
5
I miss my hometown so much that I visit it often in my dreams. My
hometown is far beyond Seoul, in Jungju, North Korea. It is an area
that has both mountains and the sea. Wherever I am and whatever
time it may be, my heart is always reaching out to that place where there
is love and life. All of us are born into our parents’ lineage, and as we
grow up we are nourished by our parents’ love. We cannot forget our
hometowns because that is where the ground is soaked with our parents’
love. That is why the older we get, the more we miss our hometowns.
It is where our roots are and where we must return. It is difficult for
people to cut themselves off from things that are fundamentally important
to them. In 2004, I ended my activities in the United States after
thirty-four years and returned to the Korean peninsula, where heavenly
fortune resides.
We are not aware of the exact time when morning becomes noon.
Neither are we aware of the exact time that evening becomes night.
In the same way, human beings have no way of knowing the moment
when Heaven does its work. That is how it is with our lives as well. Our
moments of success and failure all pass us by without our being fully
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aware of exactly when they began to unfold. The same is true with nations.
We cannot know the moment when good or ill fortune comes to a
nation. Heavenly fortune is a force that moves the world; it is a principle
that makes the universe go around. Though we may not know it, there is
clearly something called heavenly fortune, which the One who created
this world uses to conduct His providence.
The universe moves in perfect accordance with its own order. All beings
in the world bear within them a certain principle that is put there
even before they exist. When a baby is born, no one has to teach it
how to breathe or to open its eyes. The baby does these things without
being compelled. Things that happen on their own hold within them
important keys to the secrets of the universe.
Many natural phenomena seem to just happen on their own. In
reality, though, they don’t happen in this way. Hidden within natural
phenomena in the universe is a directional force that we are not aware
of and do not understand. This is the same with the forces of fortune
in the universe, or heavenly fortune. As the universe turns, it is certain
that there will be a period of powerful fortune. If we understand the
principle of the universe whereby spring follows winter and is then followed
by summer, then we can foresee a bright future for Korea after a
long winter of misfortune.
Those who are wise will align themselves with the laws and rhythms
of the universe. When I was in America I would often fish in the Hudson
River near my home. I have been a very skilled fisherman since I
was a young boy, but there were days on the Hudson when I could not
catch so much as a tiny minnow and had to return home disheartened.
Fish have paths that they travel and certain times when they pass along
those paths. If we don’t know where these paths are and what times they
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are on these paths, we won’t catch any fish. Just because there is water,
it does not mean that there will always be fish passing by. A person who
doesn’t understand this could keep his line in the water all day and all
night, and it won’t do him any good. The same is true with heavenly fortune.
If we don’t have an eye to see the future, we will not see heavenly
fortune, even if it is staring us in the face. That is why it is important to
have a keen understanding of heavenly fortune and an ability to sense
its movements.
World civilization has developed throughout history in a westerly
direction. Egypt’s continental civilization gave way to the peninsular
civilizations of Greece and Rome and then developed to the island civilization
of Britain before moving on to another continental civilization,
this time in America. Civilization continued its westerly move, crossing
the Pacific Ocean to Japan. The movement of human civilization didn’t
stop there. The force that raised Japan up to such a great position is now
moving to the Korean peninsula. Human civilization is about to come
to its fruition on the Korean peninsula.
For Japan’s island civilization to link up with the continent, it must
pass through a peninsula. Asia, of course, has other peninsulas, but only
Korea possesses sufficient foundation to inherit contemporary civilization.
The Korean peninsula is in a most exquisite geopolitical position.
It faces Japan and the United States across the Pacific Ocean. It also is
connected to the continents of Asia and Europe and shares common
borders with China and Russia. This is the reason that Korea has been a
focal point in the power struggles among the world’s great powers and
has suffered a great deal as a result.
During the Cold War, we fought for our very existence in a war against
communism. Even now, the concerns and interests of the world’s great
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powers continue to involve the Korean peninsula, so Korea remains a
divided country unable to be completely at peace. The time has come
when the Korean peninsula, where the interests of the great powers collide,
will take on an important role in preventing conflict between these
countries. As a result it will be in a position to lead the rest of the world
into prosperity and peace.
Heavenly fortune comes with tremendous responsibility. Now that
the Korean peninsula has come into its heavenly fortune, it must play a
role similar to a ball bearing, making sure that these countries not only
do not collide with each other but instead cooperate closely for the sake
of the prosperity and peace of the world. The functions of a ball bearing
are to hold the axle of a machine in place while also allowing the axle
to rotate freely. Korea needs to maintain smooth relationships with the
great powers and thus become a ball bearing that allows peace to rotate
freely throughout the world.
For a long time I have been making intensive preparations for
Korea to play this role. I supported the glasnost policies of President
Gorbachev and pushed the goal of improving relations with the Soviet
Union. I also supported the reform and openness policies of Deng Xiao
Ping in China, starting in the late 1980s. I began my work in China
by supporting Yanbian University to establish a college of engineering.
Even after the Tiananmen Square incident, when foreign capital was
leaving China, we remained in China and invested hundreds of millions
of dollars in Huizhou, in Kwangtung Province.
I did not do this just for economic reasons. I am a religious person,
not a businessman. A religious person is someone who sees into the
future and prepares for it. Russia, China, Japan, and the United States
must learn to cooperate with each other while using the spiritual
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bearings of the Korean peninsula. The Korean peninsula is destined to
become the axis for world peace.
When I began working to improve relations between Korea and
the Soviet Union and China, I discovered that Korea did not even
have something as basic as a Russian or Chinese dictionary. Very
little was going to get done as long as we could not understand each
other’s languages. When I heard that there were groups of academics
who had the foresight to begin work on a Chinese–Korean dictionary
and a Russian–Korean dictionary, I supported these two projects.
The Chinese–Korean Dictionary Project was led by Professor Il Seok
Hong of the Korea University’s Institute of Korean Culture, and several
professors in the university’s Russian studies department were behind
the effort to publish a Russian–Korean dictionary. These dictionaries
are playing crucial roles in the exchanges between the two Koreas and
China and Russia.
When a rock sits atop the highest mountain peak, once it begins to
fall it will fall all the way to the deepest part of the valley. This describes
the changing fortunes of Western civilization. It is common knowledge
that the West achieved incredible development through the use of science,
but now moral decay is sending it down to the depths of the valley
floor. That valley floor is the East, which has been developing a spiritual
culture for thousands of years.
In particular, the Korean peninsula is the place where Eastern and
Western cultures meet, as well as the place where continental and oceanic
civilizations meet. The historian and philosopher Oswald Spengler put
forth a cyclical theory of the rise and decline of civilizations that took a
dim view of democracy and described it as the type of government that
is leading Western civilization into decline. He argued that democracy
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is driven by money and that democracy’s corrupting power and its signs
of moral decline include the rise of materialism and cults of science.
Looking at today’s Western culture, it appears that some of his thoughts
were prophetic. The Atlantic civilization that has prospered until now
is clearly facing a new era, the era of a pan-Pacific civilization that is on
the rise. Asia, with Korea poised to take a central role, is becoming the
lead actor in a new world history. Two-thirds of the world’s population
lives in Asia. All the world’s major religions began in Asia. It has long
served as humanity’s spiritual root.
It is inevitable that the Western and Eastern civilizations come
together in harmony on the Korean peninsula. As the world rapidly
changes, heavenly fortune is moving in Korea’s direction at an ever-increasing
speed. However, if the Korean peninsula is to properly perform
its important role in leading the world to harmony and peace during an
era of chaos, then it must prepare itself well. It must do away with a past
marked with prejudice and selfishness and greet the new age with clear
eyes and a new heart.
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From Suffering and
Tears to Peace and Love
5
There is deep meaning in the tragic history that the Korean
people have experienced up to this point. Korea has suffered
a great deal because it is destined to become the foundation
from which world peace will emerge. Because it has endured suffering
and difficulty for such a long time, Korea can now become the central
nation from which God brings peace to the world. Even though Koreans
have experienced countless hardships, we have never made anyone our
enemy or hated anyone. Several of our neighbors have caused difficulty
for us, but we have never made them our irreconcilable enemies.
The Korean people have developed a culture of heart that enables us
to forgive our enemies. It takes mastery over oneself to love and accept
an enemy. The ability to love one’s enemy comes only after an individual
is victorious over his own internal conflicts.
People who are persecuted are the closest to God. To understand
God’s heart, one must experience His tearful heart. Even a person
who normally would not shed tears will do so if he loses his family
and his country. He would desperately plead with God in tears. Suffering
difficulties causes one to have a heart that sheds tears and cries,
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but it is through this type of heart that one can receive God’s blessing.
God comes to a heart that is soaked with tears. Korea has become a land
of heavenly fortune because so many tears have been shed within the
hearts of its people.
Korean people honor their ancestors. No matter how hungry we may
be, we will never sell the land where our ancestors are buried in order
to buy food. Historically we have maintained a way of thinking that
respects Heaven. We are a modern, civilized nation that still honors the
world of the spirit. When we accepted Buddhism and Confucianism,
they gave rise to a beautiful religious culture. More recently Christian
and Muslim traditions have begun to thrive here as well. All these
religions live without conflict within Korea. They blend together and
coexist peacefully. What is it that has made us such a unique people?
From ancient times we have always had religious minds, and our
hearts have always been open to receive the word of God. In addition,
Koreans have always placed a high priority on education and
excellence. As a result the Korean language and the Hangeul alphabet
are considered treasures handed down by Heaven. Our language
is rich with adjectives and adverbs that can be used to express the
human heart.
I love the Hangeul alphabet that we use. I am very fond of the term
Hunminjeongeum, the original name of the Hangeul alphabet. It means
“correct sounds for the instruction of the people.” It has such a beautiful
meaning. The excellence of Hangeul has survived for centuries and
continues to contribute beauty to human communication, even in this
digital age. To me it is truly amazing that through a simple combination
of consonants and vowels humans can communicate and even imitate
all the sounds of the creation.
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For the past thirty years, I have been telling the members of our
church in other countries to prepare for the future by learning Korean.
Recently, the term hallyu, or “Korean wave,” was coined in China by
journalists to describe the rapid spread of Korean popular culture
throughout Asia. The popularity of Korean pop music, TV dramas, and
movies has generated a large increase in the number of people learning
the Korean language. There are now many people in Japan, Mongolia,
Vietnam, and even Africa who can speak Korean. This is certainly not a
coincidence. The soul dwells within language. The reason the Japanese
tried so hard to eliminate the Korean language during their forced occupation
was to destroy the soul of the Korean people. The fact that
many people around the world now speak Korean means that the heart
and soul of the Korean people are thriving in today’s world. It is because
of heavenly fortune that Korea’s cultural influence continues to grow.
The Korean people never want to burden others. When I was in America,
I saw the stubborn character of Korean people. The United States is a country
that has many types of social safety nets, but Koreans almost never want to take
advantage of these. Rather than relying on the support of the government, they
find ways to earn money in order to raise their children and take care of their older
parents. This is how Koreans show self-reliance. I also see this in the missionaries
that we have sent across the world. They don’t fear going to a country they know
little about. This is true not only for missionaries but also for businessmen. Once
they are given a mission, no matter where that mission may take them in the
world, they drop everything and go. They are not indecisive or reluctant.
Koreans have such an enterprising spirit that they can go anywhere in
the world and live a productive life. Our suffering history has taught us
that no obstacle is too great. We have learned to face the worst kinds of
situations and overcome them.
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When there is a neighborhood celebration, people compete for the
best spot to view the celebration. This is a very self-centered kind of
behavior. The person who quietly sits down in the worst seat will be the
leader of the coming age. Anyone who worries first about putting food
in his own mouth will be a failure in the coming age. Even if we are
going to eat only one spoonful, we must think of others first. If we are
to receive the heavenly fortune that is coming to the Korean peninsula,
then we must be aware in the deepest part of our hearts that “others” are
more valuable than “myself.”
In the past, everything we loved was taken away from us. During
Japan’s forced occupation, our country was taken away. Our country
was split in two, and we were forcibly separated from our loving parents
and siblings. So Korea became a land of tears. Now, however, we must
cry for the world. From now on, rather than shedding tears for ourselves,
we must shed tears more sincerely and more desperately for the
sake of the world. This is what we must do on the Korean peninsula if
we want to continue to receive heavenly fortune. When we do this, the
heavenly fortune on the Korean peninsula will then spread out to the
world. Korean people have a great opportunity to be at the center of an
era of world peace.
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The Ultimate Purpose of
Twenty-first-Century Religion
5
The twentieth century was a time of tremendous change.
More happened in that hundred-year period than during
the past two thousand years. It was the century when there
were two world wars and when communism rose to great strength
and then disappeared. It was also the century when humanity turned
its back on God and buried itself in material things. What about
the twenty-first century, then? Some say that advances in science have
proven that many religious beliefs are mere superstition and irrelevant
to the modern world. I contend, however, that the role of religion will
always be relevant as long as the spiritual aspect of human beings remains
a reality and a world of peace has not been established.
What is the purpose of religion? It is to bring about God’s
ideal world. The reason religions evangelize is because they
desire to increase the number of citizens under God’s sovereignty.
If everyone were to live under God’s sovereignty, we
would have a world of peace where there would be no war
or division. The ultimate destination of the path followed by
religions should be peace.
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God created this world out of a desire for love and peace. If we create
division by insisting that our own religion is the only path to salvation,
we go against God’s desire. God wants everyone in the world to
work hard for peace, reconciliation, and coexistence. If people say
that coming to church creates division in their family, then I do not
hesitate to tell them that they should put their family first. Religion
is only a means to bring about God’s perfect world; it is not an end
in itself.
Humankind’s destiny is to bring together all the points of view that
are now divided against each other. The philosophy that will lead humanity
in the future must be able to bring together all religions and
philosophies. The days have ended when one country stands at the
forefront and leads humanity. The era of nationalism has also ended.
If we continue the era of people congregating together only by religion
or race, then humanity cannot avoid a repetition of war. The age
of peace absolutely cannot come unless we transcend cultural customs
and traditions. No ideology, philosophy, or religion that has influenced
humanity in the past is capable of bringing about the peace and unification
that is needed for the future. We need a new ideology and philosophy
that goes beyond Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. For my entire
life, I have called on people until my voice is hoarse to transcend their
religious factions and even their religions.
There are more than two hundred countries in the world, and each has
its own national borders. A border separates one country from another,
but countries separated by borders cannot endure eternally. Only religion
can overcome national borders. However, religions that should be bringing
people together have instead divided themselves into many factions that
are busy fighting each other. They have fallen into a selfish thought process
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that puts their religion or faction first. They are oblivious to the fact that the
world has changed and a new era of selflessness has dawned.
It will not be easy to tear down the religious walls that have stood
for thousands of years, but these walls must come down if we are to
advance into a world of peace. Religions and their factions must stop
their meaningless fighting, find a middle ground for their differing
opinions, and develop concrete ways to advance the world of peace.
For humanity to be happy in the future, material affluence alone will
not be sufficient. It is urgent that the struggles of modern ideologies,
cultures, and races be overcome through interreligious understanding
and spiritual harmony.
All my life I have made the following appeals to the wide variety of
religious people I have met around the world: First, respect the traditions
of other religions and do everything you can to prevent conflict
and discord among religions. Second, all religious communities should
cooperate with each other to serve the world. Third, the leaders of all
religions should work together to develop a structure that will let us
accomplish our mutual mission of establishing world peace.
The right eye is there for the left eye, and the left for the sake of the
right. The two eyes together exist for the sake of the whole body. The
same can be said for every other part of the body. Nothing exists for its
own sake. Religion, too, does not exist for its own sake but for the sake
of love and peace. Once world peace is accomplished, there will be no
further need for religion. The ultimate purpose of religion is to bring
about the reality of a human community filled with love and peace. This
is God’s Will.
It is not easy to create an environment where people’s hearts are filled
with a craving for peace. Continuous education is the only solution.
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This is the reason that I devote myself to projects in the field of education.
We founded the Sunhwa Arts School even before our church had
developed enough to stand on its own.
A school is a holy place where truth is taught. What are the most
important truths that should be taught in school? The first is to know
God and recognize His existence in the world around us. The second is
to know the fundamental origin of human beings, our responsibilities,
and how to fulfill our responsibilities for the sake of the world. The third
is to realize the purpose for the existence of human beings and to then
create an ideal world for that existence. These things can be understood
only after they have been taught with sincerity and dedication over a
long period.
Education today is focused on creating a winner-take-all society
where those who finish first are rewarded with a monopoly on happiness.
This is not the right way to educate children. Education must be
a means for creating a world where all humanity can live well together.
The philosophies and methods of education that have dominated us until
now must be changed to ones that let us advance toward humanity’s
common goals. If the United States were to educate only for the sake of
the United States, and Britain only for sake of Britain, then humanity’s
future would be dark.
Educators must not teach how to live selfishly but instead impart the
wisdom needed to resolve the myriad social problems we face today.
The role of religious scholars is even more important. Religious scholars
do not need to be teaching complex theories and the superiority of their
own religions. Instead, they need to give their students the wisdom
to love humanity and build a world of peace. They need to teach the
principle of selflessness. We cannot expect a future of happiness for
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humanity if scholars do not take the lead in teaching our descendants
the principles of peace. Humanity is one brotherhood and sisterhood,
and the world is one family.
The most important wisdom needed by humankind comes from
knowing God’s heart and His ideal. For this reason, the role of religion
continues to be important, especially in the twenty-first century, when
science and technology seem to be replacing the role of religion in
understanding how the universe operates. Religions around the world
must understand the destination of the human journey and immediately
cease all major and minor struggles. They should not be fighting for the
purpose of protecting their own honor. Religions must pool their wisdom
and combine their energies and work diligently to build the ideal
world. They must forget the past struggles filled with hatred and work
out peaceful solutions. No matter how much we have done for world
peace, there is always more to be done. Religious people, whose mission
is to lead humanity into the ideal world, must not forget for a moment
that truly their only mission is to be apostles of peace.
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Cultural Projects Express God’s Creativity
5
sports
In 1988, Seoul hosted the Summer Olympics. I saw this as a potential
festival of peace in my own backyard and had many of our
members from around the world come to Seoul for the event. The
members helped guide the international athletes and officials, cheered
the athletes, served them food, and presented them with mementos
of their visit to Korea. Since China and the Soviet Union were both
participants in the Games, I saw it as an event that could critically alter
the Cold War era. Seeing the Olympic Games as a festival of peace gave
it the potential to create harmony between the communist bloc and
the free world. On the day of the opening ceremony I sat in the general
seating area of Jamsil Main Stadium and watched with great joy.
After the Olympics, I carried on the energy of the Games by founding
the Ilhwa Chunma professional soccer team. The Ilhwa team has
won several championships and built up a strong fan base. We have
since founded the soccer teams Clube Atlรฉtico Sorocaba and Centro Esportivo
Nova Esperanรงa (CENE) in Brazil, the home of samba football,
and continue to operate them today. The reason I chose to create soccer
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teams is that I enjoy the sport. I have enjoyed sports since I was young,
and for a time I did some boxing and some traditional martial arts. Soccer,
however, is the one sport that I continue to enjoy into my old age. In
my school days I used to run around the schoolyard diligently kicking
the ball, but now I enjoy watching it. When the World Cup was held in
Seoul, I had three television sets set up side by side so that I could watch
all the games. I never missed a game that Korea played.
Soccer is a microcosm of life. No matter how well I might dribble the
ball down the field, if someone from the opposing team who is faster
and more skilled comes along and steals the ball away from me, then
in an instant everything I did until then is for nothing. Also, even if
I might dribble all the way down the field and take a shot at the goal,
if the ball hits the goalpost and bounces back, that’s the end. It’s up to
me to dribble the ball, but it takes more than one person to get the ball
into the goal. I need a teammate like Ji Sung Park, who will assist me at
the critical moment, or someone like Young Pyo Lee, who will adroitly
draw the other team away from me.
The most important person on the team is the manager, who watches
over the entire team from the sidelines. The manager doesn’t run or
score goals, but his power is greater than that of all the players put
together. Similar to a manager who sees things that the players cannot
see and gives signals, God sees things that we cannot see and gives us
signs. If the players follow the manager’s signs well, they will almost
always win. But if the manager sends signs and foolish players either
don’t understand them or ignore them and play according to their own
thinking, the team can only lose.
Soccer is a sport where competition takes place and someone wins or
loses, but it also has the potential for significantly influencing countries
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and increasing their cooperation toward peace. I was told that twice as
many people watched the World Cup as watched the Olympics. This
provides an idea of how many people around the world love soccer.
Therefore, just like the Olympics, it has the power to become a force for
harmony between countries, races, religions, and cultures. I see soccer
and peace among countries as potentially powerful partners.
Pelรฉ, who was appointed as Brazil’s Extraordinary Minister for Sport
in 1995, once visited Korea and spent time in the Hannam Dong neighborhood
of Seoul. People remember him as the greatest soccer player
in the world, but the Pelรฉ I met was a peace activist. He wanted to bring
world peace through soccer. When I met him, he laughed as he told
me the story of a game in Africa. He said, “I once played in Gabon in
Africa, but the country was at war then. How do you think we were able
play in a place where bombs were exploding all around? Thankfully,
there was a cease-fire during the time that we played. That’s when I
realized deeply that football was more than just a sport where we kick
a ball around. Football is a means shared by all people in the world
for creating world peace. After that, I decided that I had to carry out a
movement for world peace through football.”
I was so impressed with Pelรฉ in that moment that I firmly grasped his
hand. We live in a competitive society where there is a great deal of stress.
Stress creates tension in our lives and takes away our peace of mind. When
stress accumulates, people can become irritated and sometimes fight each
other. Sports and the arts are examples of things that help us to lower our
levels of stress. These things help us to vent our pent-up urges and bring
humanity together. The reason for my devotion to soccer teams, symphony
orchestras, and ballet companies is that these activities are a means to bring
world peace. Pelรฉ understands this kind of thinking.
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Finding ourselves in agreement, Pelรฉ and I created a new competition
of international dimensions called Peace Cup, and tournaments
have been held every two years since 2003. We brought famous soccer
teams from around the world to Korea. A corresponding women’s
tournament called the Peace Queen Cup is held in alternate years. In
the summer of 2009 we held the first men’s tournament outside Korea.
The 2009 competition was held in Spain’s Andalusia region. All profits
from the tournaments are used to support soccer events for children
and youth in developing countries. In particular, we use soccer to help
children with physical disabilities keep their dreams alive.
Working with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees,
the U.N. refugee agency, we held a soccer tournament for young people
in Liberia. This is a country where fifteen years of tribal warfare has
left its people exhausted. It receives special protection from the United
Nations because of its precipitous drop in population. The children of
this war-torn country gathered together to play soccer and sing songs
of peace. In the process of kicking the ball around, they were learning
skills of teamwork and fair play that are necessary for bringing harmony
between tribes.
The Peace Cup organization also has a goal of building a peace
stadium in the Israel–Palestine–Jordan region, as close as possible to
the Israel–Palestine border. The stadium would be freely available to
all as a peace-building venture. We want to bring famous coaches from
Europe and start a soccer academy for the children in the region. The
adults may want to point guns at each other, but the children will want
to come to the soccer stadium and kick the ball around. People say it is
unrealistic and shake their heads, but we will do this. Already a member
of the Israeli cabinet has said the stadium should be built in the Israeli
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area, and a member of the Palestinian cabinet says it should be in the
Palestinian area. I am determined, however, to build it in a way that
connects the two sides. I am not one to be pressured into giving up my
dreams. I have a bullheaded strength of will that I use to pursue dreams
that will lead to a world of peace.
arts
The creation of our ballet company is a perfect example of the same
strength of will. People said it couldn’t be done. We established the Universal
Ballet in 1984. Today more people in Korea are enjoying ballet
than ever before. When we first created our ballet company, Korea was
like a barren wasteland as far as ballet was concerned. Korea now even
has its own world-renowned ballerinas.
Every time I watch ballet, I feel that this must be what art in the
Heavenly Kingdom is like. When a ballerina stands on her toes and
holds her head toward the heavens, this stance strikes me as a perfect
pose for the way we should hold God in awe. It has the look of ardent
desire. In ballet, human beings can use the beautiful body given to them
by God to express their love for Him. It is the highest form of art.
The Universal Ballet began by performing Swan Lake and the Nutcracker
Suite. It has added Don Quixote, Giselle, and its own original
creations Shim Chung and The Love of Chunhyang. It has developed
to the point of being internationally acclaimed. The Universal Ballet
receives invitations from the world’s most famous venues. Its dancers
are credited with adding a uniquely Korean beauty to the energetic
moves of Western ballet. They are praised for the way they harmonize
Eastern and Western styles in their performances. The Universal Ballet
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has an academy in Washington, D.C. I also created the New York City
Symphony Orchestra and the New Hope Singers.
The arts enable humankind to reflect the high ideals embodied in
God’s own creative work. God poured His entire heart into human beings
and the world He created, just as artists invest their entire being
into their works. The Book of Genesis makes it seem as though things
came into being simply by God speaking a word, but that is absolutely
not how it was. God invested all His energy into creating the waters and
the land. In the same way, the movements of the ballerinas onstage are
fruits of the creative process that require total investment.
The same thing can be said about soccer. A successful soccer team
will invest its full energies into a ninety-minute game. In making a
single run for the goal, a player will invest every bit of energy that he
can call up, as if his life depended on it. This is similar to what God went
through as He created the world. To pour out everything we have, to
offer ourselves up completely for the sake of one moment in time—this
is how greatness is achieved and how humankind comes to resemble
God.
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Master of the Seas and
the Future of the World
5
History has shown that the country that controls the seas
will become a world leader. Consider Britain. It was once
invaded by the Vikings from Norway and Sweden. In the
sixteenth century, soon after she was crowned, Queen Elizabeth I
realized that if Britain didn’t have control of the sea it could lose
everything. She strengthened her country’s maritime policy, and
through her dedicated effort Britain became a powerful maritime
country. She mobilized capital and technology to have strong ships
built, manned the ships with brave sailors, and sent them out to sea.
They did not know what was waiting for them beyond the seas, but
they risked their lives to go. As a result, Britain, a small island nation
in the Atlantic, came to possess colonies on all the continents and
oceans and built an empire.
Western civilization centering on Britain saw tremendous development
in science and technology. With the aid of the compass,
British ships journeyed to many different places in the world. The
country’s highly developed material knowledge and technology gave
it abilities with which it sought to conquer the entire world.
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Korea, and most of the rest of the East, has taken a different approach.
The Eastern world does not discard the spirit in the pursuit of the material.
If there is a conflict between the material and the spiritual, the East
would rather discard the material. So generally speaking, life in the East
has been more difficult than in the West because it is less materially
developed. In the West, however, spirit will not be dominated by the
material forever. As a totally materialistic civilization brings degradation,
the opportunity presents itself to learn from the more spiritually
oriented East.
Civilization developed from Egypt to Greece and Rome to Britain
and the United States and is now moving toward the Pacific region
surrounding the Korean peninsula. The era of a Pacific civilization is
opening, bringing together Western science and Eastern spirituality.
The leaders in this new era will be nations like Korea and its Asian
neighbors. It is not by mere coincidence that Korea and Japan have been
able to rise to international prominence in a short time. This development
was a historical inevitability pointing to the Asian era.
The United States and Russia, however, will not stand by and
watch as our country rises to a leadership role in the world. It is
possible that there could be a major conflict involving the United
States, Japan, Russia, and China in the vicinity of Korea. We must
prepare for this contingency in two ways.
First, we must create a strong bond between Japan and the
United States and link this to Russia and China so as to protect
Korea. How can we do this? With a philosophy and a heart that
create oneness. The only philosophy that can prevent wars between
religions and open a path to a peaceful world is one that
proclaims that humanity is one, transcendent of race, nationality,
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and religion. To protect itself from the dangers of war, Korea
must plant a philosophy of oneness in the world.
The second thing we must do is prepare ourselves for the new oceanic
era. The Pacific era is at hand. Anyone who cannot rule the ocean cannot
become a leader in the Pacific age. If heavenly fortune comes and
we are not prepared, we cannot take advantage of the opportunity. If we
know that an oceanic era is about to begin and Korea wants to be the
leader of that era, then Korea must make the necessary preparations.
There are more resources than fish in the ocean. A greater treasure
is its ability to provide energy. As crude oil reserves decrease, a sense
of crisis over sources of energy is growing day by day. If the world runs
out of oil, human civilization will immediately find itself in the dark.
There is an effort to develop alternative energy from corn, but this does
not seem realistic when there is not enough food being distributed to
feed the world’s population as it is. The true alternative energy source
is the ocean. Energy from the hydrogen in the sea represents the future
of humanity.
Two-thirds of the earth’s surface is water. This means that two-thirds
of the raw materials that humanity needs for the future are contained in
the ocean. A new future for humanity cannot be accomplished without
the ocean’s resources. Developed countries are already extracting oil
and natural gas from the ocean and selling it at high prices. The world
has only begun to discover the resources in the ocean. The day is at
hand when humanity will find itself dependent on the ocean.
The oceanic era will not begin without human effort. We must first
go out into the oceans. We must go out on boats and fight the waves.
Without such courage we cannot prepare ourselves for the oceanic age.
The country that conquers the oceans will become a dominant power
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in the world and find the world eager to study its culture and language.
Korea must become the champion steward of the Pacific Ocean. It must
understand the will of the Creator and manage His resources well.
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Great Opportunity in the Oceanic Era
5
The oceans can become a central point for bringing the world
together. To take ownership over the oceans we must be trained
to live on it with the same ease as we live on land. When I train
people to fish, I send ten small boats out with one large boat. When the
boats leave port, the small boats are towed by the large boat. Once they
are out on the open sea, however, the small boats are responsible for
themselves. They must know the direction of the wind, what is on the
ocean floor, and what route the fish are taking. They must learn all this
on their own.
I like to use the phrase Alaska spirit. This refers to getting up at five
o’clock in the morning, going out to sea, and not returning until well
after midnight. The person stays out on the ocean until he catches the
daily allowance. One cannot become a true fisherman unless he learns
how to endure this way.
Catching fish is not a pleasure cruise. No matter how many fish may
be in the ocean, they are not going to just jump into the boat. It takes
specialized knowledge and much experience. A person must know how
to mend a net and how to tie an anchor rope. Once a person receives
intense training to become a fisherman, he can go anywhere in the
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world and become a leader of people. Learning to be a fisherman is
good leadership training.
Dominance at sea will require ships, including submarines, that can
go anywhere in the world. Korea is already the largest shipbuilding
country in the world. It has the ability to become a great sea power.
What it needs now is more people willing to go out to sea. We are the
descendants of Chang Bo Go, a wealthy man of the ninth century who
ran an international maritime trading business and was called “Ocean
King.” We have a long tradition of going out to sea on ships, fighting the
waves, and winning battles.
People fear the waves. When waves catch the wind, they become
swells. The formation of waves and swells is needed for oxygen to be
mixed into the ocean. If the ocean is calm for an extended period, without
wind or waves, it begins to die. When we realize the value of waves,
they are no longer something to be feared. Even if a strong wind blows and
the waves become fearsome, we understand that this is the way to help the
fish live. Then the waves become part of the attraction of the sea.
A hundred feet below the surface of the ocean there are no waves. If
we were to take a submarine to the bottom of the ocean it would be so
cool that there would be no need for air conditioners. The fish choose
the depth that has the temperature that is right for them and then perform
wonderful dances as they swim in schools in their favorite waters.
Similar to our Little Angels dance troupe with their fans, the fish have
their colorful outfits and gently wave their fins. It is a beautiful and
peaceful environment that they live in. The world, too, will soon be as
peaceful as this.
The fact that an oceanic era is coming means that Korea will soon
have the opportunity to change the world. People who live in peninsular
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countries have had to contend with invasions from both land and sea
throughout history. To survive they had to be brave and develop a steely
national character. It is not by coincidence that civilization developed
in peninsular countries such as Greece and Italy. Civilization could
blossom in these countries because they had the enterprising and
tough, adventurous spirit needed to spread their influence across both
continents and seas.
Have you heard about the Black Stream? In the East it is known as
the Kuroshio. This is a current in the Pacific that travels four thousand
miles a year, based on the gravitational pull of the moon. It is an oceanic
gyre that revolves all the way around the Pacific Ocean. To describe it
simply as “tremendous” is not sufficient. All the oceans of the world
move by the same power that moves the Black Stream. If these currents
did not exist, the oceans would not move and would die. Just as even
the largest and mightiest rivers eventually must flow into the sea, so also
even the largest oceans must move in accordance with currents like the
Black Stream. The Korean people must become like the Black Stream
and cause the flow of their peace-loving culture to influence the whole
world. We must become a source of strength in the world, the place
where all of life’s forces come together in a peaceful concentration.
I have visited Korea’s southern coast many times in an effort to find
the place that could become the center of a Pacific civilization, and I
believe that Yeosu and Sooncheon are suited to the task. The sea off
the coast of Yeosu is tranquil, clear, and mirrorlike. It is where Admiral
Yi Soon Shin dealt the Japanese a heavy defeat in the late 1600s, and it
is also where he died in battle. Yeosu has a great history of sea battles,
and it is also the point where the Youngnam and Honam regions meet.
It is at the end of the foothills of Mount Jiri, where leftists and rightists
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fought each other following the Korean War. In this sense, it is a land
imbued with the pain of our people. Sooncheon Bay, famous for its reed
beds, has a beautiful and world-famous ria coast. Out on the sea there,
with its clear waters that shimmer in the sunlight, we can catch many
different types of fish. Abalone and brown seaweed grow in the tranquil
waters of the bay. The large tidal flats are filled with cockles and other
types of shellfish and small octopus. I have been out on the seas in that
area and also climbed the mountains, and it is clear that this is a beautiful
land that has everything necessary for the coming Pacific age.
I am now developing Korea’s southern coast, with the focus on
Yeosu. As a part of the preparations for this, I have been to Geomun
Island and other islands in the area and lived there for several
months. I consider people who live there, farming and fishing for
the past several decades, to be my teachers. I ate and slept in humble
inns as I studied everything in detail. I didn’t just study books. I
went everywhere, using my eyes and feet to check everything.
As a result, I now know what kinds of fish can be found in what
area of the ocean, what kind of net needs to be used to catch them,
what kinds of trees grow in the mountains, and which home on
the island has an old man living alone after having suffered a
stroke.
The day I finished my studies of the southern coast I took the village
mayor, who had been helping me, on an airplane to Alaska. He
had taught me everything he knew, so I wanted to return the favor
by teaching him what I knew about Alaska. I went fishing with him
in Alaska and told him about the different kinds of fish and how
they can be caught. Even if I know only a little about something,
I don’t feel comfortable unless I share it with others.
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Very soon after I began developing Yeosu, it was chosen as the venue
for an international maritime exposition to be held in 2012. Together
with the Olympic Games and the World Cup, international expositions
are among the three largest festivals on a global scale. During the six
months that Expo 2012 is held in Yeosu, 154 member countries of the
International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) will operate various exhibits.
This will focus the world’s attention on Yeosu, and the technology and
culture of developed countries will flow into Yeosu. Have you ever
looked up at a summer sky and seen clouds blowing by at an amazing
speed? Once clouds catch the wind, they move quickly over mountains
and oceans. Now is not the time to be hesitating. In a way similar to
those clouds, heavenly fortune will be blowing the world toward Yeosu
and the Korean peninsula.
I plan to connect all the islands along the southern coast with bridges
and build condominiums where boat-loving people from around the
world can come and stay. These will not be condominiums just for play.
Americans, Germans, Japanese, Brazilians, and Africans will come.
They may go out on different boats to catch fish, but I will have them
stay in the same condominiums to show that humanity is one family.
The oceanic era will also be an era of outer space. The time is coming
when aeronautic technology will be an absolute necessity. It will be
too late for Korea to prepare its space industry if it doesn’t start now.
I am preparing an aeronautic industrial park in Gimpo, in Kyounggi
Province. I plan to produce world-famous Sikorsky helicopters. Soon
the day will come when helicopters bearing the Taeguk mark of Korea
will fly the seas and skies all over the world.
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A Single Dandelion Is
More Precious Than Gold
5
The three greatest challenges of modern society are solving pollution
problems, creating a consciousness for protecting the
environment, and increasing food production. If any one of
these is neglected, humanity will become extinct. The earth has already
been damaged extensively. Endless greed for material possessions has
brought about serious air and water pollution that is destroying nature,
including the ozone layer that protects us. If present trends continue,
humanity will find itself destroyed by the traps of material civilization.
For the past twenty years, I have been working to sustain and preserve
Brazil’s Pantanal region. The Pantanal—a region that lies in Brazil,
Bolivia, and Paraguay—is the world’s largest wetlands area. It is listed
with UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. I am carrying on a global environmental
movement to preserve the living creatures of the Pantanal in
the pristine state in which God created them.
The Pantanal—where the sea, land, animals, and plants live in
harmony—is a magnificent place. Simple words such as beautiful and
fantastic cannot begin to describe its value. Photos of the area taken
from the sky are so beautiful that a collection of these photos is one of
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the best-selling photo collections in the world. It is humanity’s treasure
trove, where rare species such as the white-throated capuchin, the red
howler monkey, macaw, jaguar, anaconda, ostrich, and caiman live.
The flora and fauna of the Pantanal and the Amazon basin exist as
they did at the time of Creation. The Pantanal is Edenic. Human beings
have destroyed a great many beings that God created. Too many species
of plants and animals have become extinct because of human greed. In
the Pantanal, though, the original forms that God created still remain.
I am working to establish a bird atrium and an insect preserve in the
Pantanal to save these unique species from extinction.
In addition to being a habitat for many plants and animals, the Pantanal
is also an important source of oxygen for the earth. It is the “lungs
of the world” and “nature’s sponge,” producing more oxygen than any
other area. It is also a storehouse of greenhouse gases. The Pantanal is
changing rapidly, however, due to industrial development. If the Amazon
region, which provides such a large amount of oxygen for the earth,
is destroyed, the future of humanity will be dismal.
Some thirty-six hundred species of fish live in the Pantanal. One is
a gold-colored fish called the dorado, which usually weighs more than
forty pounds. When a dorado first took my hook, it felt like my body
was being sucked into the river. As I was reeling in the line with all my
strength, it jumped out of the water several times. After several jumps it
still had plenty of strength left to fight. It was so strong it seemed more
like a bear or a tiger than a fish.
The lakes in the Pantanal are always clean. No matter what is put
into the water, it quickly becomes clean again. The water is cleansed
quickly because there are so many different species of fish living there.
Each species feeds on something different. Living together in a complex
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system, they devour anything that dirties the water. Their act of feeding
has the function of keeping the water pure. Fish are very different from
human beings. The fish don’t live for their own sake. They live to clean
their environment and make it better.
The back of a water hyacinth’s leaf in the Pantanal wetlands is black
with bugs. If the bugs were to remain there, the hyacinth would not
be able to live, but there are fish that eat those bugs off the leaves. So
the bugs live, the hyacinth lives, and the fish live. This is what nature is
like. No creature lives for itself. Instead, they live for each other. Nature
teaches us this tremendous lesson.
No matter how many fish there are in the Pantanal, if people are
given the freedom to fish there, the population is bound to decrease. To
protect the fish we need to develop fish farms. Because the fish in the
Pantanal are so precious, we need to develop many fish farms. Similar
facilities to protect insects, birds, and mammals are also needed. Raising
insects will help increase the bird population. The Pantanal provides a
perfect environment for all these creatures, and by focusing on how to
increase their population humankind can continue to enjoy them for
centuries to come.
It is not just fish that are plentiful in the Pantanal. The riverbanks have
pineapples, banana trees, and mango trees. Rice grows so well there that it
is possible to have three harvests a year, even without irrigated fields. That’s
how rich the soil is. Crops such as beans and corn can be grown just by
spreading the seeds over the ground. Very little human labor is needed.
Once while traveling down the Paraguay River on a boat, we stopped
at a house sitting near the bank. The farmer who lived there realized that
we were hungry, so he went into his field and dug up a sweet potato. It was
the size of a watermelon! He told us that as long as he leaves the root in the
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ground it will continue to produce potatoes for several years. To think
that potatoes can be harvested without annual planting left me with a
strong desire to take them to countries where food is lacking.
People who advocate developing wetlands stress the economic
benefits of such development. The Pantanal, however, provides plenty
of economic benefit just as a wetland. The area has virgin forests of
ebony pine, and the wood is hard with high density. Natives claim that
a person could drive a spike into one of these trees and it would still
live more than a hundred years. These trees are used to produce ebony,
which does not rot and is said to last longer than iron. These trees are
so large that a man cannot put his arms around them. Imagine what
it looks like to have forests filled with such precious trees. I had some
seedlings of these trees planted on four hundred hectares of land in the
Pantanal. The trees our members planted have made the Pantanal even
more beautiful.
It is human selfishness that is destroying nature. Human competition
for the shortest route to economic success is the reason that the
earth’s environment has been damaged. We cannot allow the earth to be
damaged any further. Religious people must lead the way in the effort
to save nature. Nature is God’s creation and His gift to humankind. We
must work quickly to awaken people to the preciousness of nature and
the urgent need to restore it to the rich and free state it enjoyed at the
time of Creation.
Because it has become widely known that the Pantanal is a treasure
trove, a struggle over its future has begun. The place that we should be
protecting is about to become a battlefield for greedy humans. For the
past ten years, I have been taking leaders from countries around the
world to the Pantanal and sponsoring discussions on how to protect
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this region and the rest of the world’s environment. I am gathering the
world’s environmental experts and scholars in order to encourage them
to take an interest in preserving the Pantanal. I am working to stop
the Pantanal from being destroyed by the merciless material desires of
human beings.
As the environmental issues grow more serious, many environmental
groups have sprung up. The best environmental movement, however,
is the one that spreads love. People take care of things that belong to
people they love. They do not, however, take care of or love the natural
environment that God created. God gave this environment to humanity.
It was His will that we use the environment to obtain food, to have
it in abundance, and to experience the joy of living in the beauty of
nature. Nature is not something to be used once and thrown away. Our
descendants for many generations to come must be able to rely on it
just as we have.
The shortcut to protecting nature is to develop a heart that loves
nature. We must be able to shed a tear at the sight of even a blade of
grass that we see as we walk along the road. We must be able to grab
hold of a tree and weep. We must understand that God’s breath is hidden
inside a single boulder or a single gust of wind. To care for and love
the environment is to love God. We must be able to see each creature
created by God as an object of our love. With our spiritual eyes opened
we could see that a single dandelion by the roadside is more valuable
than the gold crowns of kings.
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Solution to Poverty and Hunger
5
If you are never hungry, you cannot know God. The times when you
are hungry are opportunities to be nearest to God. When you are
hungry and are able to look humbly at each approaching person as
if he were a close family member who wants to help him, then you are
more likely to be fed. In such situations, it is important to maintain a
sympathetic heart of goodness.
Hunger is not an issue relegated to less-developed areas of the world.
Even in the United States, which enjoys one of the highest standards
of living in the world, there are people who are undernourished and
hungry. When I went to the United States, one of my first projects was
to purchase trucks to be used for the distribution of food to the poor.
The situation in impoverished countries is unspeakably worse. When
I look at the world situation, I feel that securing sufficient food supplies
is the most pressing problem. Solving the food crisis cannot be put off for
even a moment. Even now, some twenty thousand people around the world
die of hunger-related causes every day. We cannot afford to be apathetic just
because we and our immediate families are not facing hunger.
Simply distributing food supplies by itself will not resolve hunger,
though. A more fundamental approach to the problem is needed. I
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am considering two fundamental and concrete methods. The first is to
provide ample supplies of food at low cost, and the second is to share
technology that people can use to overcome hunger on their own.
The issue of food will present humankind with a very serious crisis
in the future. We cannot build a world of peace without first resolving
the food issue. Sufficient food supplies for all the world’s population
cannot be produced on the limited amount of land area that is currently
available. We must look to the oceans for a solution. The oceans hold
the key to solving the food crisis of the future. This is the reason I have
been pioneering the oceans for the past several decades.
In Alaska, pollack smaller than fifteen inches long are used for fertilizer.
They would make wonderful food, but people don’t know how to
prepare them so they use them just for fertilizer. As recently as twenty
or thirty years ago, we could ask Westerners to give us the tail of an ox
and they would let us have it for free. Koreans are very fond of food
prepared with the bones or the intestines of cows, but some Westerners
do not know that these are edible.
The same is true with fish. About 20 percent of the world’s fish catch
is thrown out. Whenever I see this, I think of the people who are dying
of hunger, and I feel pain. Fish is a much more reliable source of protein
than beef. How wonderful it would be if we made fish cakes or fish
sausages to give to people in impoverished lands!
Once this thought came to me, I started projects to process and store
large volumes of fish. It does not do any good to catch large amounts of
fish if you cannot handle them properly after the catch. Even the best
fish cannot be kept well for more than eight months. Even if they are
frozen and placed in refrigeration, air gets in through cracks in the ice,
and water escapes. You could pour water on the fish and freeze them
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again, but by then the best flavor is already gone and the fish might as
well be thrown out.
We gathered fish that were being thrown out and researched how to
turn it into fish powder. We sought to do something that even advanced
countries like France and Germany have not done. Fish turned into
powder could be transported and stored easily, even in hot and humid
climates. Fish powder is 98-percent protein, among the very highest
protein content of all food products. For this reason it can be used to
save people from dying of hunger. Fish powder could also be used to
make bread. We are still searching for ways to make it available to impoverished
countries around the world.
The oceans contain limitless food supplies, but the best method for
saving humanity from the food crisis is fish farming. I foresee that there
will be buildings, similar to the skyscrapers we see in our cities today,
devoted to fish farming. By using water pipe systems, we can farm fish
in tall buildings or even on the tops of mountains. With fish farming we
can produce more than enough food to feed all the world’s people.
The ocean is a blessing bequeathed to us by God. When I go out on
the ocean, I am completely absorbed in fishing. I have caught all kinds
of fish in different countries. One reason I fish is so I can teach people
who don’t know how to fish. In South America I spent several months
showing local people my fishing methods. I took in tangled fishnets myself
and spent three or four hours showing them how to untangle them.
To secure adequate supplies of food at a low cost, humankind will
need to develop the ocean. This and the great grasslands that are still
in their prehistoric state are our final storehouses of wealth. This task,
though, will not be easy. It will require us to go to places that are so
hot and humid that moving around and working hard with a strong
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sense of dedication become very difficult. Developing the grasslands in
tropical regions cannot be done without a love for humankind that is
passionate and dedicated.
Jardim, in Brazil, is just such a place. It is a quite difficult place to
live. The weather is hot, and bugs that have not even been named yet
are continuously biting. I lived in that place and made friends with all
its various creatures. I walked around barefooted, feeling the red soil
of Jardim beneath my feet, looking just like a peasant farmer. When I
was at the river catching fish, I looked like the local fishermen. It is only
when the local people look at you and say, “You really are a farmer,”
or “You really are a fisherman,” that you are qualified to receive their
knowledge and share your own knowledge with them. It is not something
that can be done by someone who needs to sleep eight hours a
night in a clean and comfortable bed, eat three square meals a day, and
take naps under a shady tree.
When we were developing a project in Paraguay, a group of our
members and I were living in a small hut in Olimpo. There was only one
toilet, and each morning we had to take turns using it. I would get up
each morning at three o’clock, do some exercises, and then go fishing.
Because of this, the members who were with me went through some
very difficult times. It was usual for them to be cutting bait early in the
morning before they were completely awake.
When we took the boat out, we had to cross through a number of
other properties in order to reach the mooring site. Unlocking the gates
to these properties in pitch darkness was difficult. One morning when
the members were fumbling with a lock, unable to open it, I yelled at
them, “What are you doing?!” I shouted so loudly and fiercely that I
surprised even myself, so I am sure it must have been difficult for them.
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But I feel that I cannot afford to waste so much as a single second. I
don’t have any time to be idly standing around. I can clearly see a list of
all the things I must accomplish before there can be a world of peace, so
my heart is always in a hurry.
When I fished there on the river before dawn, the mosquitoes would
swarm like a dark cloud. Their stingers were so sharp they would pierce
right through a pair of jeans. In the predawn darkness we could not see the
floats on our fishing lines, so we had to attach white plastic bags to them. I
could not wait for the sun to come up. I was in too much of a hurry.
I still miss Jardim. I miss everything about it. When I close my
eyes, I can still feel the heat of the Jardim air pressing against my face.
The minor inconveniences to my body were nothing. Bodily suffering
passes quickly. What is important is that this place can one day play
a significant role in serving the world. Being in Jardim brought great
happiness to my heart.
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More Than Giving Bread,
Teaching How to Make Bread
5
To solve the problem of hunger we must have a heart that is willing
to plant seeds. Seeds are planted and wait unseen under the
soil until they are able to germinate and break through their
outer cover. Similarly, it is better to teach a person how to plant and
harvest wheat and then turn it into bread than it is to give a piece of
bread to a person who is about to die. The former may be more difficult
and not result in as much public recognition, but it is the only way to
arrive at a fundamental and sustainable solution to world hunger. We
need to begin now to study the climate, the soil, and the character of the
people in areas that suffer from hunger.
In Africa, there is a species of tree called manchuka. The people in
Congo feed the leaves of this tree, which are high in nutrition, to their
cattle to fatten them up before taking them to market. They also pound
the leaves of this tree on a stone mill, add some oil, and fry them in batter.
It may be a good idea to plant many manchuka trees and make powder
out of the entire tree after throwing out the root, which is poisonous.
The powder can be used to make bread. Also, Jerusalem artichokes,
which resemble sweet potatoes, grow very quickly once they are planted
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in the soil. The amount that can be harvested is three times greater than
that of other famine relief crops. Planting a lot of Jerusalem artichokes
is another way to contribute to resolving the hunger problem.
In Jardim, a large earthworm is used in farming, and this makes the
soil quite fertile. This earthworm exists only in Campana, but perhaps
we can study its ecology and use it to help agriculture in other areas.
Koreans are working in the Mato Grosso region to study silkworms.
If the cultivation of silkworms is successful there, it will be possible to
make silk cheaply and sell it to buy food.
There is no quick fix to the problem of world hunger. People in each
country have different tastes for food and different customs, and the
plants and animals are different. The important point is concern for
our neighbors. We first need to develop the heart that, when we are eating
enough to fill our own stomachs, we think of others who are going
hungry and consider how we can help them. True peace will not come
as long as humanity does not solve the problem of hunger. If the person
next to me is about to die of hunger, peace is a mere luxury.
It is as important to teach the skills needed to become self-sufficient
in producing food as it is to distribute food directly to those in need.
To teach such skills, we need to build schools in remote areas to combat
illiteracy. Technical schools will need to be established in order to give
people the ability to support themselves. The Westerners who conquered
Africa and South America did not provide technology to the
people who were already there. They only used the people as laborers
as they sought to dig up and take away the resources that were buried
in the ground. They did not teach the people how to farm or how to
operate a factory. This was not right. Our church has, from the early
stage of our foreign mission work, established schools in places such as
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Zaire for teaching agriculture and industrial technology.
Another problem faced by people suffering from hunger is that
they cannot afford proper medical treatment when they become ill. On
the other side of the world, developed countries are seeing an overuse
of drugs, but people who are hungry often die because they cannot
afford simple medicine for diarrhea or a cold. Therefore, as we work
to eradicate hunger we must also provide medical support. We must
establish clinics and care for those who suffer from chronic illness.
I created New Hope Farms in Brazil’s Jardim region as a model to
show how humanity can live together in peace. We tilled a wide expanse
of land to make farmland, and there is a cattle ranch in the higher elevations.
New Hope Farms is in Brazil, but it does not belong only to the
people of Brazil. Anyone who is hungry can go to New Hope Farms,
work, and be fed. Some two thousand people from all races and from all
over the world can always eat and sleep there. We will establish schools
all the way from elementary school to university. People will be taught
how to farm and how to raise cattle. We will also teach how to plant and
raise trees and how to catch, process, and sell fish. We do not have only
a farm. We use the numerous lakes in the vicinity of the river to create
fish farms and fishing grounds.
Paraguay’s Chaco region occupies 60 percent of that country’s territory,
but it has been a neglected land. The Chaco region was formed
when the sea rose to cover the land, and even now you get salty water
gushing up when you dig into the ground. I was in my seventies when
I first went to Paraguay. The lives of the people living in this longneglected
land were impoverished beyond words. It caused me great
pain in my heart to see them. I sincerely wanted to help them, but they
were not prepared to accept me, a person of a different skin color who
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spoke a different language. I did not give up, however.
I traveled the Paraguay River for three months, eating and sleeping
with people from the area. At more than seventy years of age, I was taking
on a task that people said was impossible. I taught the people I met
what I know about fishing, and they taught me their language. We were
on the boat like this together for three months and became friends.
Once they began to open their hearts, I talked to them again and
again about why the world must become one. At first their reaction was
indifferent. Year by year, though, the people of Chaco began to change.
After ten years, they changed so much that they held a global peace
festival with great enthusiasm.
Resolving the food situation does not mean that peace will follow
immediately. After the hunger issue has been resolved, it is important
to carry out educational programs on peace and love. I have built many
schools in places such as Jardim and Chaco. At first people didn’t send
their children to school but instead had them help raise their cattle.
We worked hard to convince them that the children and young people
needed an education. As a result, we now have many students. We built
a light industrial factory where they could produce items using simple
technologies, and the students became more interested in attending
school so they could work in the factory.
We are all responsible for the people around the world who die of
hunger. We need to take action to help them. We need to feel a clear
sense of responsibility and find a way that they can be fed and saved.
People who live well should come down to a slightly lower position and
raise up those who live poorly, to bring about a world where all people
live well.
CHAPTER eight
message for the
young people
326
Find Your Purpose, Change Your Life
5
When we meet someone new, we are always curious about
who he or she is. God has the same curiosity about each
human being. He is especially curious about young people,
and it brings Him great joy when He gets to know them intimately. Why
is this? It is because our youth is the most important and most beautiful
period of our lives. This period should be a time of tranquility as one
prepares for the future. The process of growing to maturity is a building
block that opens the way to a new era.
It is difficult to find young people today who are passionate about
their lives. We find so many young people who, with no goal or purpose
for their life, are just wandering around. All great leaders in history had
a definite sense of purpose in life from the time they were children.
From childhood they nurtured that purpose held within their hearts
and exerted great energy to achieve it. Whether they were sleeping or
playing with their friends, every youthful action of these great leaders
was geared toward preparing for the stage that they would stand on in
the future. Is that how you are living your life?
We were all created to be great men and women. God did not send
us into this world without purpose. When God created us He invested
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His complete love into each person. So we were all created for greatness.
Because God exists, we can accomplish anything.
I became a completely different person when I began to love God.
I loved humanity more than myself and was more concerned with the
problems of others than the problems of my family. I loved everything
that God created. I deeply loved the trees on the hills and the fish in the
waters. My spiritual senses developed so I could discern God’s handiwork
in all things of creation.
As I was changing my heart to conform to God’s love, I also strengthened
my body so that I could fulfill my mission. I wanted to be ready to
go anywhere, anytime that God called on me. I played soccer and did
boxing, some traditional Korean martial arts, and wonhwado, a form of
martial arts that I developed. In wonhwado the athlete moves his body
in a smooth circular motion, almost as in a dance. It is based on the
principle that greater power comes from circular motion than moving
in a straight line.
Even now I begin each day with stretching exercises for my muscles
and joints and a breathing exercise that I developed. Sometimes when I
am traveling around the world on speaking tours, I may not have time
for these exercises in the morning. Still I will find the time, sometimes
while sitting on the toilet. I never miss a day of exercise. When I was
young, thirty minutes a day was plenty, but now that I am older I have
increased it to an hour a day.
In 2008 I was involved in a helicopter crash. The helicopter was suddenly
surrounded by black rain clouds and in an instant crashed onto a
mountainside. The helicopter rolled over, and I was left hanging upside
down by my seatbelt. Instinctively I tightly grabbed the arm rests on
both sides of my seat. If I had not been so diligent in my exercises, I
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think I would have broken my hip the instant that I was suspended
upside down. The body is the container to hold a healthy spirit. It is
important for us to be diligent about training our bodies.
Few students go to school because they like to study. They usually
go because their parents tell them to, not because they look forward to
studying. As students continue to study, however, they gradually learn
to enjoy it. From that point they will start to study on their own and
find their own path. This self-developed interest in learning is a sign of
maturity.
Parents cannot wait until their children mature enough to study on
their own. They tell them, “You have to study. Please make up your
mind to study,” and put pressure on them. Parents do this because they
know that children need to study in order to prepare for the future.
They worry that if their children don’t study at the proper age level, they
will face the future unprepared.
There is, however, something more important than studying to prepare
for the future. Before unconditionally focusing entirely on studies,
young people must realize what they want to do in life. They must make
a determination to use their talents to help the world rather than just
serve themselves. Many young people today seem to be studying just
for its own sake. Unless you have a purpose in life, your studies will lack
the passion needed for happiness.
Once I came across a Korean student working hard on his English schoolwork.
I asked him, “Why are you working so hard to learn English?”
He answered, “To get into a university.”
What could be more foolish? Getting into a university is not a purpose.
A university is a place to go to study particular subjects in the
course of pursuing a larger objective. It cannot be the objective itself.
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Also, do not define your life goal in terms of how much money you
want to make. I have never received a salary, but I managed to eat and
stay alive. Money is a means to do something, not the goal. Before you
make money, have a plan for spending it. Money gained without a prior
objective will soon be wasted.
Your choice of occupation should not be based on just your talents
and interests. Whether you become a fire fighter, a farmer, or a soccer
player is up to you. But what I am referring to transcends your occupation.
What kind of life will you lead as a soccer player? How will you live
as a farmer? What is your objective in life?
To set your objective is to give meaning to the life you will lead.
If you are going to be a farmer, then you should set your objective to
test new agricultural methods, develop better species of crops, and help
eradicate world hunger. If you are going to be a soccer player, then set
a meaningful objective such as to heighten your country’s image in
the world or to establish soccer camps that will nurture the dreams of
economically deprived children.
To become a world-class soccer player takes incredible work. If you
do not have a definite purpose in your heart, you will not be able to
endure the difficult training required to reach the top. Only if you have
an objective will you have the power to maintain your course and live a
life that is a cut above those around you.
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Embrace the World
5
Setting a goal in life is similar to planting a tree. If you plant a
jujube tree in the front yard of your home, you will have jujubes
in your home. If you plant apple trees on the hill behind your
home, then they will produce apples. Think carefully about your choice
of goals and where you intend to plant them. Depending on the goal
you choose and where you plant it, you can become a jujube tree in
Seoul or an apple tree in Africa. Or you can become a palm tree in the
South Pacific. The goal you plant will bear fruit in the future. Think
carefully where the best place is to plant your goal so that it will bear
the best fruit.
When you are setting your goal, be sure to consider the entire
world. Consider Africa, which continues to suffer from poverty and
disease. Consider Israel and Palestine, where people continue to aim
their weapons at each other and fight over matters of religion. Consider
Afghanistan, where people barely keep themselves alive by raising
poppy plants used to make harmful drugs. Consider the United States,
which has thrown the world’s economy into a pit with its extreme greed
and selfishness. Consider Indonesia, which suffers from continued
earthquakes and tidal waves. Imagine yourself in the context of those
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countries, and think which country and which situation would be most
appropriate for you. It may be that you are best suited to India, where
a new religious conflict may erupt. Or it could be Rwanda, which languishes
in drought and hunger.
In setting a goal, students shouldn’t be so foolish as to decide that
because a country is small, like Korea, it isn’t worthy of your goals. Depending
on what you do, there is no limit to how large a small country
can become. Its national boundaries could even disappear. Whether you
do good work on the large continent of Africa or in the small country
of Korea, your goal should not be restricted by size. Your goals should
be about where your talents can have the most impact. So you should
think of the world as your stage as you decide what you want to do in
life. If you do, you will likely find many more things to do than what you
were originally dreaming about. You have only one life to live, so use
it to do something that the world needs. You cannot reach the hidden
treasure on an island without adventure. Please think beyond your own
country, and think of the world as your stage in setting your goal.
During the 1980s, I sent many Korean university students to Japan
and the United States. I wanted them to leave Korea, where teargas
canisters were exploding almost daily, and let them see a wider world
with greater variety. The frog that lives at the bottom of a well does not
realize that there is a bigger world outside the well.
I was thinking globally before that word even entered the Korean
language. The reason I went to Japan to study was to see a wider world.
The reason I planned to work for the Manchuria Electric Company
in Hailar, China, and learn the Chinese, Russian, and Mongolian languages,
even before Korea was liberated, was to enable me to live as a
global citizen. Even now I travel by plane to many places in the world.
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If I were to visit a different country every day, it would take more
than six months to visit all of them. People live in many countries, and
they all live in different circumstances. There are places where there is
no water to cook rice with, while other places have too much water.
Some places have no electricity, while some countries are not able to
consume all the electricity that they produce. There are many examples
of how something is lacking in one place but overabundant in another.
The problem is there are not enough people focused on equalizing the
distribution.
The same is true with raw materials. Some countries have an abundance
of coal and iron ore stacked in piles. They don’t even need to dig
into the earth. All they need to do is shovel the coal and iron ore from
piles that are easily accessed. Korea, however, has a critical shortage of
coal and iron ore reserves. To dig out anthracite coal we need to risk our
lives to go thousands of feet underground.
Likewise with technology. Africa has many places where bananas
grow naturally in abundance, and they could keep people from starving.
But there is a lack of technology and lack of access to productive
land, so not enough banana plantations are created. Korea’s climate is
not suited for growing bananas, and yet we grow bananas. This technology
in Korea could be very helpful in solving the problem of poverty in
Africa. It is similar to the way that South Korean technology for planting
corn has helped relieve starvation in North Korea.
The phrase global leader is now in vogue in Korea. People say they
want to become fluent in English and become global leaders. Becoming
a global leader, however, is not a matter of a person’s fluency in English.
The ability to communicate in English is nothing more than a tool. A
true global leader is someone who is able to embrace the world in his
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own bosom. A person who has no interest in the problems of the world
cannot become a global leader, no matter how well he might communicate
in English.
To be a global leader a person must think of the world’s problems
as his own and have the pioneering spirit that is needed for
finding difficult solutions. A person who is attached to a secure
and fixed income, or dreams of having a pension after retirement
and a comfortable family life, cannot be a global leader. To become
a global leader a person must consider the whole world to
be his country and all humanity to be his brothers and sisters and
not be overly concerned that he does not know what the future
may hold for him.
What are siblings? Why did God give us siblings? Siblings symbolize
human beings around the world. The experience of loving
our brothers and sisters in the family teaches us how to love our fellow
countrymen and love humanity. Our love for our own siblings
expands in this way. The family whose members love each other is a
model of how humanity can live together in harmony. Love among
siblings means that one sibling is willing to go hungry, if necessary,
so that his brother or sister can eat. A global leader is someone who
loves humanity as he loves his own family.
It has been awhile since we first heard the phrase global village.
Yet the earth has always been a single community. If a person’s goal
in life is to graduate from a university, get a job with a company that
will pay him a high salary, and lead a secure life, then that person
will have the success of a puppy. But if he dedicates his life to helping
refugees in Africa, he will have the success of a lion. The course that
is chosen depends on the heart of the individual.
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Even at the age of ninety, I continue to travel around the world. I
refuse to rest from my mission. The world is like a living organism in
that it is always changing. New problems are always arising. I go to the
dark corners of the world where these problems exist. These are not the
places with beautiful views or comfortable amenities, but I feel happy
in places that are dark, difficult, and lonely because that is where I’m
fulfilling my mission, my purpose, my goals.
My hope is that Korea will produce global leaders in the true sense.
I hope to see more political leaders who will lead the United Nations to
fulfill its purpose and more diplomatic leaders who will stop the fighting
in areas of conflict. I hope to see someone like Mother Teresa who
will take care of those wandering and dying on the streets. I hope to see
peace leaders who will take on my mission of pioneering new solutions
from the land and sea.
The starting point is to have a dream and a goal. Please have an
adventurous and pioneering spirit. Dream dreams that others dare not
imagine. Set goals for yourselves that have meaning, and become global
leaders who will bring benefit to humankind.
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Everything We Have Is
Borrowed from Heaven
5
People say I am one of the richest people in the world, but they
don’t know what they are talking about. I have worked hard all
my life, but I don’t own so much as a single house in my name.
Neither have I placed property in my wife’s name or in the names of my
children so as to conceal its true ownership. Every adult Korean has his
official stamp that he registers with the government and uses to sign
legal documents. I don’t have such a stamp.
You may wonder, then, what benefit I have received from working
hard and not eating or sleeping while others ate and slept. I didn’t work
so I could be rich. Money has no meaning to me. Any money not used
for the sake of humanity, or for the sake of my neighbor who is dying in
poverty, is nothing more than a piece of paper. Money earned through
hard work should always be used to love the world and carry out projects
that benefit the world.
When I send missionaries overseas, I don’t give them a lot of money.
Yet they survive wherever they go. It takes very little for us to support
ourselves. If we have a sleeping bag, that is enough for us to sleep anywhere.
What is important is not how we live but the kind of life we
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lead. Material affluence is not a condition for happiness. It is sad to me
that the phrase to live well has come to be defined in terms of material
affluence. To live well means to live a life that has meaning.
I wear a necktie only for worship services or special events. I don’t
wear a suit often, either. I generally wear a sweater when I am at home.
I sometimes imagine how much money is spent on neckties in Western
societies. Necktie pins, dress shirts, and cuff links are very expensive.
If everyone stopped buying neckties and used the money instead for
the sake of our neighbors who suffer from hunger, the world would be
a little bit better place to live. Expensive things are not necessarily the
best to have. Imagine what it would be like if the building were on fire.
Who would be the first to get out: Me in my sweater or some guy in a
tie? I’m always ready to run outside.
Some people might think I take conservation to extremes. I’m not
in favor of taking a bath every day. Once every three days is enough. I
also don’t wash my socks every day. In the evening, I take off my socks
and put them in my back pocket so that I can wear them again the next
day. When I am in a hotel, I use only the smallest of the towels that are
hanging in the bathroom. I flush the toilet only after I have urinated in
it three times. I use only a single square of toilet paper, after folding it
in half three times. I don’t care if you call me uncivilized or barbaric for
this. The same desire to conserve is true at mealtime. I have no interest
in elaborate meals. There may be all sorts of exotic foods and different
types of desserts in front of me, but I am not interested in those. I don’t
fill my rice bowl completely. It’s enough if it is three-fifths full.
The shoes I prefer most in Korea cost 49,000 won (about $40) at a
large discount store. The pants I wear every day are well over five years
old. The meal I enjoy the most in America is McDonald’s. Some people
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call it junk food and don’t eat it, but I like eating at McDonald’s for two
reasons. It’s cheap, and it saves time. When I take the children out to
eat, we often go to McDonald’s. I don’t know how it came to be known
that I often go to McDonald’s, but now the chairman of the McDonald’s
Corporation sends me a New Year’s greeting card every year.
The message that I give to our members every year is “Spend money
carefully, and conserve on everything.” I tell them they should drink
water instead of buying ice cream or soft drinks. I don’t tell them this so
they can save money and become rich. I want them to have a consciousness
of conserving in order to help the country and save humanity. We
don’t take anything with us when we leave this world. Everyone knows
this, and yet for some reason people are desperate to get their hands on
as many things as possible. I plan to give away everything I have built
up during my life before leaving this world. The Heavenly Kingdom has
plenty of treasure, and there is no need to take anything there from this
world. When we understand that we are going to a place that is better
than where we are now, there is no need to become attached to the
things of this world.
There is a song that I have always liked to sing. It’s an old popular
song that many Koreans know. Every time I sing this song it sets my
heart at ease and tears come to my eyes. It reminds me of my boyhood
when I used to lie in the fields near home.
You may say you will give me a crown with platinum and jewels,
But a shirt smelling of dirt and dripping with sweat is worth more.
A pure heart wells up within my bosom,
I can make a flute out of willow leaves,
And the sparrows sing along with my tune.
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You may say you will give me enough gold to buy the world,
But an ox that will till the soil in a barley field is worth more.
The buds of hope sprout in my bosom,
I can talk freely with the rabbits,
And the days go by as I play my tune.
Happiness is always waiting for us. The reason we can’t get happiness
is that our own desires block the way. As long as our eyes are fixed on
our desires, they cannot see the path we should follow. We are so busy
trying to pick up the scraps of gold lying on the ground near us that we
do not see the huge pile of gold that is a little way up the road. We are
so busy stuffing things into our pockets that we don’t realize that there
are holes in those pockets. I have not forgotten what it was like to live
in Heungnam Prison. Even the most terrible place in this world is more
comfortable and more materially abundant than Heungnam Prison.
Every object belongs to Heaven. We are only its stewards.
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Happiness Is a Life Lived for Others
5
Children are born from the flesh and blood of their parents.
Without parents there would be no children. Yet people in this
world shout out for individualism as though they came into
this world on their own. Only a person who receives no help whatsoever
from anyone at all would have the right to speak of individualism.
There is nothing in this world that comes into being for its own sake
alone. All created beings are created for one another. I exist for you, and
you exist for me.
There is no one as foolish as the selfish person who lives only for his
or her own sake. It may appear that a selfish life benefits the individual,
but ultimately it is a life of self-destruction. The individual must live for
the family, the family for the people, the people for the world, and the
world for God.
All the schools I have founded have three mottos. The first is
“Live a life that casts no shadows, as if you were under the sun at
high noon.” A life without shadows is a life with a clear conscience.
When we finish our life here on earth and go to the spirit world, our
entire life will unfold before us, as though it were being played back
on videotape. Whether we go to heaven or to hell is determined by
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how we live. So we need to live spotlessly clean lives, casting not
even the smallest shadow.
The second motto is “Live shedding sweat for earth, tears for humanity,
and blood for heaven.” There are no lies in the blood, sweat,
and tears that people shed. There is only truth. There is no meaning,
however, in the blood, sweat, and tears that a person sheds for his own
sake. This great investment must be shed for the sake of others.
The final motto is “One Family under God!” There is only one God,
and all human beings are brothers and sisters. Differences of language,
race, and culture account for only 0.1 percent. As human beings, we are
99.9 percent the same.
There are fourteen island countries in the South Pacific. When I visited
the Marshall Islands, I asked its president, “This is a beautiful land,
but it must still be difficult to lead this country, isn’t it?” The president
sighed and replied, “Our population is just sixty thousand, and the land
is just two meters (78 inches) above sea level on average. So a wave just
one meter (39 inches) high can flood much of the country. Our most
serious problem, though, is education. Children of rich families go to
America or Europe to be educated and do not return. Children of poor
families have no schools from which to receive a good education, so
even the brightest child cannot be trained properly for leadership. The
concern for an island country such as ours is that we are unable to raise
up leaders who will lead us in the future.”
After hearing his lament, I established the High School of the Pacific,
in Kona, Hawaii, for the sake of the children of these island countries.
This school provides secondary education to children from countries
throughout the Pacific and helps them apply to college. We provide
round-trip airfare to Hawaii, tuition, board, and even computers so
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that they can receive the best education. We attach just one condition
to receive this education: Once they finish, they must return to their
countries and work in the service of their nation and its people. Living
for the sake of others requires sacrifices from time to time. Some years
ago one of our church missionaries was touring South America when
the place he was visiting was hit by a major earthquake. His wife came
running to me with her face as white as a sheet.
“What should I do?” she asked with tears in her eyes. “I’m so worried,
I don’t know what to do.”
You might be surprised by my response. Instead of patting her on the
shoulder and comforting her, I shouted at her, “Are you worried about
your husband, or are you worried about how many lives he may be able
to save in that disaster area?”
It was natural for her to be concerned for her husband’s safety. But
because she was the wife of a missionary, her concerns should have been
of a higher order. Rather than pray for her husband’s safety, she should
have prayed that her husband could save as many lives as possible.
Nothing exists for its own sake. That is not how God created the
world. Man exists for the sake of woman, and woman exists for the sake
of man. Nature exists for the sake of humanity, and humanity exists for
the sake of nature. All created beings in this world exist for the sake of
their counterparts. It is an axiom of Heaven that every being lives for
the sake of its partner.
Happiness is possible only in a relationship with a partner. Imagine
that some fellow who has lived his life as a singer goes to an uninhabited
island and sings as loudly as possible. If there is no one there to hear
him, he will not be happy. To realize that we exist for the sake of others
is the great achievement that changes our lives. When we realize that
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our life is not ours alone but is meant to be for the sake of the other, we
begin to follow a path different from the one we were on.
Just as singing to yourself will not make you happy, there is no joy
without a partner. Even the smallest and most trivial thing can bring
you happiness when you do it for another.
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Dreaming of a Peaceful World
5
For years I have called for a world where all religions live together
as one, all races live as one, and all nations exist as one. For
thousands of years history has seen the continuous increase of
divisions. Each time a different religion was adopted or a new regime
came into power, more boundaries were drawn and wars were fought.
Now, however, we live in an age of globalism. For the sake of the future
we must become one.
One way I propose to facilitate that is through the International
Peace Highway, a huge undertaking. It will link Korea and Japan by
an undersea tunnel and create a bridge across the Bering Strait that
separates Russia and North America. These great links can unify the
world. When the highway is completed it will be possible to travel by
car from Africa’s Cape of Good Hope to Santiago, Chile, and from London
to New York. There will be no roadblocks; the entire world will be
interconnected as if by capillary vessels.
The world will become one integrated community, and everyone will
be able to travel freely across international borders. Borders that give
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free passage to anyone will lose their significance as borders. Something
similar will be true for religion. As the frequency of exchanges among
religions increases, greater mutual understanding will arise, conflict
will disappear, and the walls of separation will crumble. When different
types of people live together in a single global community, barriers
between races will come down. Interaction between races will occur
despite differences in appearance and language. This cultural revolution
will bring the world into one.
The Silk Road was not simply a trade route that people used in order
to sell silk and buy spices. It was also a vehicle for the peoples of the East
and West to meet and for Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity to meet.
These different cultures intermingled and gave rise to a new culture.
The International Peace Highway will play a similar role in the twentyfirst
century.
Rome could thrive because all roads led to Rome. This illustrates the
importance of roads. When a road is built, people use it to travel. It is
used to transport culture and ideology. That is why when a road is built
it changes the course of history. When the International Peace Highway
is completed, the world can be physically bound together as one. The
road will make this possible. I cannot overemphasize the importance of
bringing the world together. Some may think that this is an idea ahead
of its time. Religious people, however, foresee the future and prepare for
it. So it is only natural that we are ahead of our time. The world may not
understand us and may cause us to suffer, but religious believers must
persevere to lead the way to the future.
Completing the International Peace Highway will require the
cooperation of many nations. China, which was a victim of Japanese
aggression, may not welcome the idea of being connected to Japan by
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a highway. Japan and Korea, however, cannot connect to the rest of the
world without going through China, so we need to make efforts to win
China’s trust. Who will do this? Those of us who will take spiritual ownership
over the International Peace Highway in the twenty-first century
need to take the lead in this effort.
How about bridging the Bering Strait? It will cost a great deal, but
this should not cause concern. The amount of money that the United
States has spent in Iraq would be more than enough to build such a
bridge. We must stop waging war and forcing people to suffer. It is
perverse to start wars and squander hundreds of billions of dollars. The
time has come for us to beat our swords into plowshares and our spears
into pruning hooks.
The International Peace Highway is a project to bring the world
together as one. To become one means more than simply connecting
continents by tunnels and bridges. It refers to an equalization of the
world’s standards of living. When someone monopolizes a technology
and keeps the profit for himself, the balance of the world is upset. The
International Peace Highway will rearrange the current inequality by
creating access to existing natural and human resources. This will bring
about a leveling of wealth. Leveling means that a little is taken off places
that are high and added to places that are low. As a result, the two have
the same height. This will require sacrifice from those with greater material
possessions or knowledge. Building a world of peace cannot be
done with one-time charitable acts or donations. Only sincere love and
continuous sacrifice is capable of creating a world of peace. We must be
willing to offer everything.
Building the International Peace Highway does more than just provide
the world with a physical means of communication. Human beings
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are created so that their mind and body become one. Something similar
is true for the world we live in. The world can be completely unified
only when there is both physical communication and communication
of heart.
The United Nations has done much for world peace. More than sixty
years after its founding, however, the United Nations is losing sight
of its original purpose and is now an organization that works for the
interests of a few powerful countries. The U.N. was created to solve
the conflicts that arise in the world, so it must put the world’s interests
before the interests of one side or the other. It only leads to further
conflict when a powerful country insists on its own way and uses force
to pursue it. Unfortunately, the U.N. today is unable to do much about
such situations.
In this light, I have proposed a restructuring of the United Nations
as a bicameral institution. In addition to the General Assembly there
would be a religious, or cultural, assembly or council. This body would
consist of respected spiritual leaders in fields such as religion, culture,
and education. The members of this interreligious assembly would need
to demonstrate an ability to transcend the limited interests of particular
religions and cultures and to speak for the spiritual and moral purposes
of all humanity. I maintain that the two chambers, working together in
mutual respect and cooperation, will be able to make great advances in
ushering in a world of peace.
Some may oppose this, saying, “Why should religious people become
involved in world affairs?” My answer is that the world today is
in a period when the participation of religious people is crucial. Those
who have achieved deep self-awareness through religious practice are
needed now more than ever. It is only truly religious people who can
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stand up to the unrighteousness and evil of the world and practice true
love. It is only when the knowledge and experience of political leaders
are combined with the wisdom of interreligious leaders that the world
will be able to find the path to true peace.
Again today I set out on my path with renewed determination to
achieve that goal. My prayer is that every person on earth will be reborn
as a peace-loving global citizen, transcending barriers of religion,
ideology, and race.
