Whether we live in glory or in shame, every one of us will live forever. God originally willed everyone to eventually live in heaven. We Unificationists are aware that restoration involves indemnity; those of us who push it away from ourselves will have to pay indemnity in the long run, because God determined that His creation and humanity will become perfected. And the way I perceive it, God is also anxiously waiting to fulfill His own perfection. He will only be able to reach perfection once the whole universe is perfected, otherwise God will never be able to appear in His full glory. Even if people deny the spirit world now, they will someday discover they will live for eternity.

Life as an embryo or fetus is very confining. A fetus cannot comprehend either the large world in which we live or the even greater environment of the spirit world. Our lives here on earth are to prepare us for life in the spirit world. Even now that world is awaiting us. And although many of us are also waiting for it, most of us don't know quite what to expect. Based on his own travels to that world, Father has shared with us the fact that God is the center of that eternal world. Furthermore, he explains that love is the "spoken" language, and that the amount of love we have within us when we die physically will determine in which realm we must live.

Growth and development of character does not stop with physical death; if we have not reached perfection while on earth, we will continue to grow toward it once we live in spirit world. Schooling and education are still a large part of life in spirit world; God has purposed that everyone will reach perfection of heart and that His Kingdom will be established on earth and in heaven.

It is especially important that we are alert and sensitive to how God is working with us. To do this we must become centered upon God and the Messiah at all times and do our best to live according to the Principle. We should work on developing a magnificent and even daring prayer life. On the basis of what we understand about the Principle and God's will, we have to knock loudly enough on that door to heaven to make sure He will hear us. If we really cry from the depths of our heart, He will answer. He would not be a God of love if He didn't.

Our life on earth prepares us for life in the world of spirit. An embryo snuggled within its mother's womb is being prepared for the physical world. For a number of months that entity floats in water as it grows and develops.

Time spent in the womb constitutes one lifetime, normally lasting nine months. Once we start life in the physical world, many things will contribute to how long we live here. But one thing is for sure: we will live for eternity in the spirit world.

The fetus relates to "god," its mother. It depends upon the mother for food and air. But the moment the child leaves the mother's womb and becomes an individual, it takes full responsibility before God. Yet the father and mother act as caretakers; they do not merely stand in the position of parents, but rather occupy the position of God.

Human beings also live in a womb -- Mother Earth -- and because we were endowed with a spirit from God, we are taken care of by its natural laws, as well as God's spiritual principles. Through a process, we become a personality that can cope with life in both the physical and spiritual worlds. In fact, we are to harmonize and mediate between them. While we live on the earth, we must inherit everything possible -- developing communion with nature, and creating bonds with other human beings. The composite of all those experiences forms our spirit. When the spirit mind and spirit body enter the spirit world, their former "house" is left behind. While in the womb, a fetus floats in a fluid and is nourished by the placenta. The "placenta" for our physical life is this universe; we will leave it behind when we enter the spirit world. It will no longer be necessary because we will live in a freer environment.

A child in the womb has almost no freedom. We feel much more freedom in this universe, yet this world is still limited compared to the spirit world. For example, we are bound to the earth by many physical laws. But someday we will leave this environment just as the fetus left the fluid in which it lived. The umbilical cord that was our lifeline while we lived in the womb is cut once we are born into this world. The "umbilical cord" of this world is our connection to God, that invisible line linking our original mind to God Himself. But this umbilical cord will be severed in the process of our birth into the spirit world.

We will have to learn what substance is breathed in spirit world, just as we had to test out the air of this world. That new substance is love. The breath of love will bring us to life, and reconnect us to God once we arrive there. Preparing to breathe love is a serious matter. If we do not learn how to breathe spiritually while we live here on earth, we will have to gasp for "air" in the next world. If the umbilical cord becomes twisted in the womb, it may cut off the nutrients necessary for the fetus to grow healthy. Just as a fetus must have a properly functioning umbilical cord, a human being must have a proper bond to both God and the physical environment. They are the lifelines through which we receive our spiritual food and air. People who live in harmony with God during their physical lifetime will have nothing to fear about birth into the spirit world.

There will be a natural transition from this world to the next. We commonly refer to it as death. People do not like to talk about it because they feel it is something terrible; they know death will take their loved ones away from them and feel that such a loss will fill them with sorrow and cause them to feel empty and lonely.

Did you ever notice the beauty of autumn? Leaves turn from green to brown, to yellow, to orange and finally turn red. A landscape of autumn trees looks magnificent, but do you realize those leaves are dying? You can pick up colored leaves to study or keep; maybe you can collect a huge pile of them to jump into. But you usually don't think of them as being dead. Yet once they die, you can see all the lines in them results of their lives. They were fed on the tree through nutrients; their daily bath in sunlight or rain helped them grow. But all of a sudden, plop they fall off their tree. A falling leaf never clings to its former life; it does not feel that with its comrades it must continue to form an umbrella of greenery, but instead takes its death as something natural.

You are now green, to be compared with leaves that are still growing on a tree. But before you know it, you will be in the autumn of your life. Your hair may turn gray; perhaps you will lose it. Such signs indicate that you are in the waiting hall of spirit world.

When you see the leaves turning a different color, they are ready to die and go on to their next stage in the ecological chain. When they die, they go into a different state of existence and thereby fulfill a higher purpose. Through dying, they become fertilizer and will eventually inject life elements into a tree; as a result, many other types of vegetation begin to grow. The fertilizer is used by certain plants that in turn are eaten by man. Minerals too are being drawn through the roots and trunk to the branches and leaves. They go from the ground into vegetation and eventually the human body. The human body in time becomes a spiritual being and also returns to God -- one huge cycle.

In human reproduction the sperm is implanted into the fertile "ground" of the mother. Within her are all things needed to house a baby. The seed grows through the nourishment and minerals it receives in the field, or womb. After its existence as an embryo and fetus, it becomes a human being and lives in the physical world. It multiplies itself; it starts as one seed, which can ultimately become a parent, grandparent, and even great-grandparent.

But the time will come to leave the shell of the physical body. Death, a time when those still living on the earth cry tears of sorrow as their loved one departs; yet if we could glimpse into spirit world, we would see we are all made of the same light of God, and eventually we will all return to that source. It is because people generally do not understand this that they fear death. They want to stay on the earth because everything they love is here, and they do not want to lose their objects of love. A human being's greatest dilemma is to discover what the true meaning of life and death really is.

Nothing dies forever. It simply goes from one state to the next, for example, if you burn wood in a stove it is simply transformed into a different state of energy. Therefore, it is actually a beautiful thing to die. Humanity has never looked at death that way because so many people have been unaware that they will continue living and are merely transformed into a different state.

Strengthening our relationship with God should take absolute priority. We never know when we will die; if we are not equipped with enough love for God and our fellow human beings, we may come to have tremendous regrets. But developing a deep bond with God will secure our existence in a high realm of spirit world.

We must view God as our subject, and understand our position as His object. We should strive to become one with Him, living almost like His spouse. This kind of relationship is symbolic and lasts only for a time; after the Blessing we have the assurance that we will eventually live with our partner in spirit world eternally. Although in spirit world we will live in a different environment, God and true love will continue to be the center of life.

Do you see the necessity of knowing about spirit world and developing your capacity to exist there even before you go? Once our physical umbilical cord was cut, we began to breathe air for the first time. The air that filled our lungs was a shock and most of us cried. It may be just as traumatic for some people when they enter the spirit world; some might suffer a bit. But it does not really make a difference. All of humanity is bound for that same place.

Why will we need to feel any fear of death once we learn how to breathe love and put God first? There is no need. The moment or even the hours or days before death comprise only a little suffering. But we are no strangers to suffering. Haven't we endured plenty of suffering in our lives?

Father has said that if we really knew the reality of the spirit world, we would never want to stay in this world. We actually have something to look forward to. Once we know where we are going and know that we can expect to live in a beautiful new world, we will be able to conquer the dread and anxiety attached to the idea of "death."

If we learn how to breathe the love of God, then it won't even matter if we are tortured. The relationship with Him is the one that refreshes and satisfies more than the one with our spouse, children, society, nation, or world. And that is what will nourish us in the next world.

How is it possible to sustain spiritual life while we are still on earth? How can we become successful people? We must connect to God. Although it is the most simple thing, people of the world rarely do it because somehow there is difficulty attached to it. Yet unless we are hooked to the "oxygen" bottle of God's love and until we become His true objects, we will never be truly successful. God measures success in terms of ability to love. There is no other source of love but God. We cannot live spiritually without this love, this air.

Unificationists who continually face major problems in their lives of faith do not receive enough spiritual oxygen. There is only one answer for the people who complain about being blocked, not having enough give and take with brothers and sisters, not accomplishing, being constantly physically sick, not being able to get off the ground, or thinking that the future is a burden: they do not receive enough air to breathe. They do not allow themselves to feel the love of God. It is because they are not in touch with the Eternal that they suffocate.

Those who think they should belong to the highest realm in spirit world but do not qualify, could only stay for a moment or two because they would be forced to descend to a lower realm. They have to return to their appropriate place in order to exist and be healthy. If people can breathe only in hell, they will have to stay there until they are able to love enough to ascend to a higher sphere.

Yet people who are experienced in loving will be able to live in a higher realm with no problem because they had been exposed and became accustomed to the rarified air of love during their physical lifetimes. That is the reason we have to expose ourselves to the intensity of love here on earth. Once our physical bodies are no longer a part of us, we cannot retreat physically and will have to confront the spiritual world because there is no other world in which to live. It is critical that we develop our capacity to perceive the love of God, to return love to Him, and in so doing, sustain the intensity of the presence of God.

The embryo in its small world is affected by certain elements. Studies conducted on the relationship between mother and child point to the fact that the mother's thoughts, emotions, and even fears may be transmitted to the child in her womb. During our physical lifetime, we are also subjected to many elements -- a great number of them satanic ones. Yet we are able to lift ourselves out of unfounded fears and emotions through such things as our free will, the process of thought, and the education we receive; these all afford us greater responsibility to make decisions. The impact from our environment and the thousands of people with whom we come in contact during our lifetime play a great part in forming our characters. The earth's "womb" keeps us until it is time for us to enter the spirit world. According to the Principle, we must work hard at becoming perfected beings before we depart from this world.

While we were in our mother's womb, we undoubtedly received great influence from our parents and brothers and sisters. We should be grateful for the good influence we received. However, pregnant mothers often give negative influence to their children. Smoking, drinking, excessive anger, uncontrollable fears, and any number of habits may physically or mentally affect the children they carry in their wombs.

Likewise, we should now be thankful for all the impulses we receive, good or bad. They all have a hand in shaping us. Within the Unification movement, we are surrounded by many grinding stones that work to polish our rough edges. There are also many policemen around us who show us in which direction we should proceed. It is not always easy to face these officers of God's law, but we should try to understand how they help us to adjust. We are forced to cope with making many decisions and cannot hide from the inconsistencies we find in our hearts.

We Unificationists should be thankful that we can live such a life; in comparison, other people have very few opportunities. Most people have a small number of co-workers and an intimate circle of friends. But this really limits their ability to know about and work with the twelve different character types. It is much harder for them to reach perfection of heart when they have the chance to scurry back to their homes and escape to their comforts and pleasures. Although we can also enjoy such pleasures as movies, music, and literature, they do not become the central point of our lives. People in society know little about how to form lasting friendships or how to live with those of another skin color, or people from a culture opposite their own. On the other hand, Unificationists are constantly purified in heart because we are daily confronted with our own fallen nature and the reality of perfecting ourselves because we do have such opportunities.

A child in its mother's womb is indirectly exposed to the whole world; it can do nothing to hide from the influence it receives. If we are able to understand this point, we will see how the same is true about life in this world, and come to appreciate any person and any experience that helps us grow to perfection. If we do not always attempt to hide or strike back at people who help us change and inject good elements into our hearts, we will advance further more quickly.

We will bring with us to the spirit world certain components which we learned on earth, but once there we will also be confronted with yet another scope -- the dimension of love. In the spirit world we will no longer face five billion people, but instead encounter tens of billions of spiritual beings. And even though He is invisible to us here on earth, we will definitely recognize that God is the center of the "hallelujah chorus" there. Everything will be whitewashed with His truth, no longer stained with satanic elements. Once we enter the spirit world, we will be able to tangibly use the essence of all the colors and music of life we experienced in the physical world. The knowledge we acquire now will allow us to be creative without bounds once we live in the spirit world. That is why True Parents urge us to reach perfection here.

The embryo develops in the mother's womb in such a way that it can breathe and function as a separate entity after birth. The fluid which encased the baby is dried off; once we enter the spirit world, the air that we have breathed here will be blown out of us.

When the fetus lived in the water of the womb, it could never imagine that someday it would be walking instead of floating. It never dreamed what it would be like to breathe air; it took a bit of time to adjust to this world. We also cannot conceive what the mode of transport is in the spirit world. Neither do we know what it will be like to breathe love. Although that intangible and invisible thing called "love" is vaguely familiar to us here on earth, it is amazing to consider that we will be surrounded by it during our life in spirit world. Obviously, this life is the training ground for us to learn something about how to live in love.

The beautiful world in which we live here is so much greater than the womb of the mother. But we actually haven't seen anything yet! The magnificence of the spirit world cannot be matched. Our perceptions and experiences are limited. For example in this world we can see the outside of homes but cannot look through the walls to view inside. We may climb on the roof and have a better view of the neighborhood, but we see very little else. And even if we view a skyline of roofs, we still cannot see within any of the homes. We can climb a high tower and unless there are low clouds, using a pair of binoculars will allow us to see for miles. The higher we climb, the more we can see. If we could climb all the way to the spirit world, we could see everything. It is when we stay in the "basement" that our world has many limits; we just notice the cement floor and see how hard and dirty it is. Most people live in a "basement" in their minds. They see only how rigid and filthy this world is. They cannot see spiritually and do not notice that a cleansing process of this world has begun. The majority do not realize they will continue to live somewhere other than this world, but feel if this is "it," they had better enjoy life here. If they were to become connected to the spiritual world and could realize that they will live there, they would be able to see more than the cement and concrete of this life.

The process of dying is actually rebirth into a new world. The stronger our belief in that world, the less we would feel the sting of death and the more we would use our earthly lives to prepare to live in the spirit world. It would be good if we had a glimpse of the spiritual world and at times could recall its beauty and splendor. That would better help us view this life as a preparation period for eternal life in the spirit world. If we even had only one experience or vision of the spirit world that would absolutely affirm its existence, our pattern of thinking would no longer stay in the abstract. We would realistically relate to the three worlds -- life in the womb, life on earth, and life in the spirit world.

The fetus in the mother's womb is so comfortable and protected. It does not want to face "dying." But all of a sudden, it is born into a different world. No matter how much we cling to the protection and comfort of this world, the same thing will once again happen to us one day.

Envision a fetus in its mother's womb. If it could talk, it would probably ask its mother, "What do you breathe? What is life like out there anyway?" When it received the answer that she breathes air, the fetus would not be able to understand, because it has never experienced air.

If the mother explained the freedoms of this world -- work, relaxation, creativity, or any number of things -- the fetus could not perceive what she was talking about because its life experience is limited to the womb. The environment of the womb becomes too limiting; eventually the fetus "dies," is born as a human being, and enters a totally different world.

This is similar to what will happen when we enter the spirit world. If we were to ask a spiritual being, "What do you breathe? What is life like up there anyway?" they may tell us about the possibilities that exist for us in the spirit world to work, to relax, to create, and indulge in any number of activities -- but we cannot relate to how things are done there because our life experience has been limited to the boundaries of this physical world. But eventually this world, just like the womb, becomes too limiting. We eventually "die" as a human being and leave our body behind; our spirit then enters a totally different world.

The physical world occupies a certain plane but just like the womb, has its confinements. We are bound by time and space which are very limiting when compared to the spiritual world. Yet there are laws which we will experience there, too. We will be confined to a certain sphere of the spiritual world according to our level of love, and only when we have increased in love will we be able to live in a higher realm.

Several spiritual beings have tried to convey their perception of life in the spiritual world by inspiring writers on earth to describe it. The books and articles that have resulted are helpful in bringing us novices to an awareness of the realities of the spiritual world however we must remember that their picture of spirit world is not total. The same is true for any writer on earth; he is able to convey only his life experiences or the adventures of his imagination which do not encompass all facets of life.

When we are born into this world, we are faced with so many opportunities. We gather experiences and are even taught by the creation. The sciences provide proof of many of the laws of nature. Yet although we have no concrete proof of the spirit world, our emotions touch the skies of that world. This cognition accumulates within us as we grow; we are able to derive godliness and divinity from that wisdom through exposure to the truth, through activities, and through love relationships with other human beings and God.

When we die physically and go to spirit world, we may experience a shock. Yet we should not view this in the same way "death" is generally considered; we should instead view it as our ascension into heaven.

Though the fetus has no clue of what the physical world is like, human beings know that this is a beautiful world or could be if God was the center. Life here gives us the chance to create and even become co-creators by having children. It is a much more splendid place than the dark chamber underneath our mother's stomach. Yet this world is very small when compared to the spirit world.

We have little idea what our capabilities might be in the spirit world. We are limited in our imagination based on our comprehension of this world. We are used to the forms of communication in this world and by what we experience here on earth, we judge our future world. Yet we should refrain from doing that. Everything will be on such a high level in the spirit world -- most unrelated to what we encounter here. We will be able to command all our senses in order to align ourselves to the laws of heaven even before we enter the spirit world. Once we comply with them, we need not fear that stage but look forward to it as our homecoming. We will ascend into a higher realm and experience birth once again.

Death is no longer anything to fear. People fear death only because they do not know where they will go. Subconsciously, they feel the burden of their sin and have great fear that judgment awaits them. This anxiety is the greatest fear in all human society. Therefore, it is essential that we use the time we still have on earth and do our best to relate to God at all times. We must unite with God, harmonizing with Him and humanity to prepare ourselves to meet Him both physically and spiritually. We should not do this from a selfish motivation, but to better assist in the creation of the Kingdom of Heaven.

We are naturally curious about the spirit world but should we know what goes on there? A fetus is unaware of what goes on in this world. Do you think it knows that it knocks on a wall from the inside? From the vibration does it rationalize, "Aha, there must be air out there." A fetus kicks inside its mother. Does it feel and sense that there is something outside the wall of its world?

A fetus does not yet have a spirit. There is a spiritual base formed at the time of conception, but God imparts the spirit to the body when the fetus is newly born as a human being and takes its first breath of air. Therefore, because it does not yet have a spirit, the sensation that a fetus experiences while in the mother's womb must be different from the kind of sensation all of us "fetuses" feel in this world. Once we receive a spirit, we are already connected to the spirit world. As soon as we take our first breath, we begin to have knowledge of the spiritual world because that is when God imparts a unique portion of His spirit to us. A fetus in the mother's womb however has no relationship to spirit world.

From the time of our first breath, we have both a spiritual and a physical body; we should be able to relate to the physical world with our physical self and at the same time, connect to the spirit world with our spiritual self. As our physical self increases in awareness and cognition of the physical world and we grow through childhood into maturity, our spiritual self should also grow in awareness of the spirit world.

Yet mankind has neglected that rather foreign world. As a whole, we have not been aware of spiritual growth since the time humanity was cut off from God through the fall. But according to God's original plan, there should be a simultaneous development physically and spiritually. And we should explore the spirit world in the same way we probe new discoveries in the physical world.

When a baby begins to crawl and walk, it surveys its world by touching everything and then checking things with its mouth. Things must be put out of reach because a child cannot distinguish those things which might harm him from those which are toys. Once we arrive in spirit world, we will undoubtedly explore our new environment in much the same way a child does now -- by testing and trying out whatever we find within our reach. Yet even now we have the chance to become aware of the spiritual world.

Being born into the spiritual world is not just a philosophical concept. As we are re-created, something within us begins to experience new things. We experience something inside our spiritual heart beginning to beat. That is already an experience with spirit world.

The secret of entering into the spirit world with no fear is to long for and love and trust God and True Parents. On the basis of that, we will be able to love everybody. That is the key to spiritual experiences.

We must understand that this earthly life is not the final stage. While we lived in the womb, our mother was the main key to life. But now many people and incidents in our daily lives help us grow toward perfection. They all participate in shaping our lives through either a direct or an indirect influence. We see many people every day; each of them has an impact upon our lives. Subconsciously all their faces, what they were wearing, and even what they said is all recorded in our internal computer and often becomes part of our readout.

We become so comfortable in this world that most of us do not consider that this life is a preparation for the final stage of our existence. We think about today, about tomorrow, and even what happened yesterday. We focus on our goals and center on our marriages, our children, our roles in society. We may desire to work for God, but in the process, how many times do we reflect about dying and where our spirits will go after death? The "umbilical cord" of this life -- the silver line between our physical and spiritual bodies will be severed someday. But what we often forget is the freedom that awaits us after we cross the veil between the two worlds and finally enter that third and final stage of life.

All events in life are an amalgamation of your encounters and confrontations. When you arrive in spirit world, you will have the possibility to review all your life experiences once again. But this is nothing to worry about; you must understand that there is a better life ahead. You would have been disappointed at missing out on the experiences of this life if you had only lived within your mother's womb, right?

If a young girl dies, she may recall the doll she played with on earth, and even in spirit world hold that toy in her arms and mother it. That little girl has a limited view of life which she naturally takes with her to the spirit world. Yet when an older person enters that new life, he will be able to comprehend many more things than a child. A person who has had spiritual experiences during his physical lifetime can easily relate to his new surroundings. Such a person built up a strong relationship with God and the angelic world, developed many relationships with people as well as things of the creation, and may even have become a co-creator with God. He is certainly not afraid of death and intuitively knows that he will be able to look deep into the heart of God once he arrives.

Some people may be frightened by the prospect of going into spirit world; they simply don't know what to expect. Will their lives flash before them and will they be forced to remember the horrible moments? The people who are consumed by fear may go into a realm and just stay there because they are too afraid to go elsewhere.

You have recorded all your life experiences in the internal memory of your spiritual personal computer. Yet as you grow older, you find it hard to print out your data. It is stored someplace, but you cannot make it show up on your screen anymore. When you go into the next world, you find the magic button that brings everything out of the memory once again.

When Princess Diana was about to deliver, many thousands of people stood in the courtyard awaiting the arrival of the new prince or princess. We will have a similar experience when we enter spirit world. Millions of spiritual beings will be in the courtyard of spirit world, awaiting our arrival. They already know who we are. They want to meet and work with us as well as learn whatever they can from us. Yet if we are reluctant or afraid, the angels may wonder why we don't want to come to heaven. They call it a new birth, we call it death, but it is the same process.

It is most important to understand the value of eternal life. While we still live on the earth we can adjust, change, and restore things. But once we are dead, we are dead. The physical body cannot be revived; death definitely terminates this section of life. Yet as long as we are still physically alive, we have the chance to rectify any mistake we make or sin we commit.

During our physical lifetime we have the chance to experiment and discover spirit world, not only the physical world. We should evolve into full-grown spirits which then will be able to exist as healthy spiritual beings in the next world. If we do not learn to love during our physical lifetime, we will have difficulty breathing in the spirit world. It is love that will allow us entry into many of the realms there.

God devised a wonderful method to help prepare us for the spirit world. Older people often become forgetful, unable to remember things dealing with the physical world. The memory disengages step by step and a person will find that his eyesight and hearing also start to fail. Forgetfulness can be considered the grace of God, for it allows easy detachment from this physical world and an openness to the new world. Older people often become frail. They become tired of the aches and pains that rack their bodies; they would be only too happy to shed them to become free of that suffering. We naturally slow down when we get older. It would be rather incongruous if we were still interested in doing the things we did at twenty after we turn eighty. Once we are ready to go, there is little that holds us to the things which previously captivated us. We feel a deeper and deeper longing to go home, and it is only after we arrive that our senses will return to full capacity again.

In order not to be so attached to the physical world, it is better not to be too tied down to your house, money, or environment. The more you love these things, the harder it will be for you to leave them. At this stage in our lives, the loss of mate or children is surely the most difficult to bear. But when you and your mate are both old, you will both be ready to go to spirit world. You might even march into that kingdom hand in hand; that would be an amazing experience!

Many people experience being a member of three generations during their lives. Through these three generations, a person usually experiences all levels of love and may even subconsciously be bored to live here any longer. The person may have been a parent and grandparent and is simply tired. It is normal for an eighty year old to be tired. Spirit world pulls him and he feels that coaxing even if he doesn't understand.

The people connected to God and the Messiah must really understand the necessity of becoming one with them; for those people, it will be a beautiful experience to enter spirit world. It is the people who do not recognize the existence of God that fear dying. They don't want to leave anything behind, and since they have no assurance that there is another life, they may squander their money and their lives. However, True Parents have assured us that the greatest freedom and fulfillment awaits us in the spirit world.

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