Dreaming of a Peaceful World

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
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
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
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
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.

Happiness Is a Life Lived for Others

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
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
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
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.

Everything We Have Is Borrowed from Heaven

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
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
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.
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.

Embrace the World

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
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.
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
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.
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.