Pyeong Hwa Gyeong (035) - Today’s Intellectuals and Religion
5. The ultimate purpose of all beings is God’s love
Today, the desires of human beings are fragmented. The economist is interested in the economy, the intellectual craves knowledge, the politician wants power.
The desires of each individual, of families, of clans, all have their circumstances connected with the past, yet they are pulled around according to the situation. People are doing things, but everything falls short. That’s because human desire has a fundamental problem: everyone demands to be the subject partner. Each person is saying, “I am the subject partner, and so you have to attach yourself to me.”
What is the malady affecting humankind today? Having no money is not the malady. Lack of knowledge is not the malady. A particular social group lacking sovereign power is not the malady. Rather, the malady is trying to draw everything to oneself.
When every individual insists on his or her own opinion, the basis for the plus-minus ideal is nullified. Human beings have to move according to the right action. Action has to perfect itself and proceed in a way that can lead to engagement in another subject partner-object partner relationship.
If every existence tries to center on itself, it will cease existing. If it revolves only inside this cramped space, it will cease existing. It confronts itself. The formation of the great universe becomes impossible. If God exists, what would God think? He would say in order for each existence to connect to the universe and continue living, it needs to live for others. Everything has to go along the path of living for others.
Every existence is designed to live for a greater purpose. The individual can advance forward by living for the family purpose, the family for the purpose of the tribe, the tribe for the purpose of the nation, the nation for the purpose of the world, and, if there is a spirit world, the world for the purpose of heaven and earth, and heaven and earth for the purpose of God. If we ask what God’s purpose is, the answer is that God’s purpose is love. Everything is on the path of love.
There is a flow of love, and everything, beginning from single cells and microorganisms, is like a tributary that flows to become a great river that’s connected to the ocean. Unless the rule and content of this flow accord with natural law, it cannot go into the ocean. Because I realized all this from a young age, I knew we had to have a new revolution. And this great revolution is taking place now.
A child of filial piety has to walk the path of suffering. When he or she follows this path, there has to be some stimulating source of power by which he or she can overcome and digest all the valuable contents of the ordeals and suffering. The subject partner that can take responsibility for this is love. Even distinguished scholars cannot deny this.
What is a patriot? A patriot follows the same principle. When it comes to loving the citizens and the leader of his or her country, a patriot is a person who can unite the elements of the principle of love of the universe, embracing the citizens. When he or she embraces the citizens with love, they are happy even if they are roughed up a bit.
Ladies and gentlemen, what kind of person is a saint? There are many patriots in each country. There are many great people in each country. So what is the difference between a saint and a patriot or great person? A saint is someone who loves all humankind, attending God. When it comes to loving humankind, a saint takes the position of a standard-bearer.
He or she leads others to the path that is in accord with the great way of the universe. A saint’s life doesn’t end there. Next, he or she has to become a son or daughter of Heaven. What is the path of a son or daughter of Heaven? It is the path to sort out the suffering of God and humankind and achieve the purpose of love.
What, then, is it that the Unification Church asserts? Each of you must walk the path that follows the way of the original love of the universe and then pour out all you have for your parents, your children, your tribe, your nation and the world. You have to develop a higher level of love like this. And in the end, all that is left is to occupy God’s love.
Seen in this light, it is only through love that unity is possible. When you go to that place of love, you become one with your object partner of love. However, when you center such action on your own mind and body, it usually does not work very well. This is because of the Fall, which put human beings out of order. Existential philosophy discusses extreme alienation and anxiety, and the question is how we can overcome that. We have to overcome it with love.
Our theme today is, “Today’s Intellectuals and Religion.” In your position, then, what do you need to think about? No matter how great a scholar you are, no matter what kind of world-level politician or saint you may be, as a person who needs love, you cannot escape the conclusion that you need a religion that believes in God. If you don’t need love, it is all right to ignore the way of religion and the way of seeking for God.
You came here today, and if you consider my words and apply them to your life, or to ethics and morality in society, or to each of your fields of work, I believe that a new standard of ideals and happiness will expand to the Republic of Korea and the world. It is with this in mind that I have briefly spoken to you today. Thank you very much. |