The Words of the Seuk Family
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The Words of the Seuk Family |
A new leader and a new campaign greeted American CARP members. Dr. Joon Ho Seuk and a Wonhwa-do exhibition team are traveling throughout the United States promoting "Unificationism and Martial Arts." At a young age, Dr. Seuk learned martial arts from his father, a widely respected instructor of martial arts in Korea, winning national recognition as a martial arts expert as a high school student. His mother [Mrs. Won Pok Choi] joined the Unification Church in 1956, and while convalescing from pleurisy during his first year at Yonsei University, Dr. Seuk began a religious search, which led to his joining the Church in /965. Based on Unification Principle, Dr. Seuk founded a new system of martial arts called Wonhwa-do, "The Way of Harmony," integrating "hard" and "soft" techniques. After earning a doctoral degree in public administration in 1978, Dr. Seuk joined the staff of the Unification Theological Seminary Barrytown, where he has taught Principle and Wonhwa-do to many students. As leader of U.S. CARP, Dr. Seuk replaces Rev. Choi, who is heading the newly formed IOWC teams traveling in the United States.
The February 13 Wonhwa-do demonstration and lecture by Dr. Seuk, described below, kicked off a national CARP campaign in the United States. Already, many students have expressed interest in studying Unificationism, as well as martial arts. Dr. Seuk and the exhibition team continue on to universities in Berkeley, California; Houston, Texas; Madison, Wisconsin; and Knoxville, Tennessee.
I hope you are enjoying the Wonhwa-do demonstration. You may already be aware that it is more spiritual strength than physical strength that enables Wonhwa-do students to break boards and to jump over so many people. What you see here tonight is possible only because these young people have dedicated themselves to strict discipline and concentration of mind and body. Just imagine what a world we could make if everyone could transfer such physical and mental powers to scientific and humanistic endeavors for the betterment of mankind!
As the creator of Wonhwa-do, the Unified Martial Art, I'd like to share with you our guiding philosophy, which is Unificationism. Why do you find a Wonhwa-do demonstration inspiring and exciting? Perhaps you can identify with the young people who are involved; they have a talent and strong spirit that has been nurtured through hard work and effort over a period of time. Strenuous training and a willing commitment to the arduous task of spiritual and physical development has enabled these young people to touch something within us. That "something" is our own desire to strive and to grow. We feel inspired because within our deepest selves we want to aspire for a high goal, we want to be involved in a monumental task, and we want to fulfill our potential as individuals.
Although Wonhwa-do serves as an arena for physical and spiritual growth, it is limited in scope, because it focuses primarily on individual growth. If we had to think of the greatest goal for ourselves, what would it be? Many might answer, "The attainment of vast amounts of money"; some would say "Vast amounts of power"; while yet others -- scholars like yourselves, perhaps -- would say, "The attainment of vast amounts of knowledge!"
For myself, the answer is clear. The greatest goal possible involves three stages: first, to become an ideal person with mind and body totally united in perfect harmony; second, to create an ideal family of true love; and third and most challenging, to establish a unified, peaceful, loving world. To create such an ideal world is the ultimate goal of mankind, the greatest goal imaginable!
The center of this unified peaceful world that we long for cannot be money, power, or knowledge. These have motivated many people, yet all have failed to bring true happiness. The center of an ideal world must be true love, because the fundamental character of God -- who is the center of all creation -- is true love.
In order for a martial artist to become proficient, he needs to exert much effort and emulate a good teacher who knows the way. The same holds true for the creation of the ideal world: we need great efforts and a clear guiding principle to accomplish that goal.
Actually, throughout history, mankind has striven for a peaceful and harmonious world. In recent times, two major ideologies have vied for the world's attention, each proclaiming to hold the key or way to achieve an ideal world of unity and peace. These are the democratic ideology based on the Judeo-Christian tradition and the communistic ideology based on Marxism- Leninism. Let us examine the results of these two ideological developments.
Marxism-Leninism was an outcry against an intolerably oppressive society in which the Christian ideal was professed but not practiced. Attacking the "class structure" and inequality of the capitalist society, the communists have sought to establish an ideal world by violent revolution.
As a child I experienced the misery of war and poverty when communists invaded my country, Korea. As a young man I participated in the Vietnam War and tasted the bitterness of misery and death. Given the evidence of mass murder and terror over the past 65 years (such as the recent slaughter of 3,000,000 Cambodians), we can conclude that communism is a false ideology. In actuality, the fatal defect of the communist ideology is that its philosophical basis is atheism and materialism; atheism denies God's existence, and materialism destroys human dignity, reducing man to the level of an animal. It is evident that our goal of a unified, peaceful world can never come about through communism.
On the other hand, democracy also espouses high hopes of liberating man and establishing a world of peace. Democratic philosophy upholds the freedom and rights of the individual. However, even in the most advanced democratic countries, there is much social injustice, poverty, crime, and immorality. The decay of democratic societies is now evident. Furthermore, the free democratic world has not solved the growing threat posed by the communist revolution.
The democratic principle has been guided by the light of Christianity. However, Christianity is suffering from a lack of unity and vision. The solutions for the practical problems of an oppressed world do not seem to be forthcoming.
Thus the path to our goal of a unified, loving world is dark and obstructed -- whether we choose left or right, communism or democracy. Even though many have given their lives seeking solutions, no solutions have come. It is evident that the world needs a new guiding principle which is of a higher dimension than either democratic capitalism or communism. We need a new world view that will fulfill the goals of both ideologies, communism and democracy.
The main reason I stand before you today is because I have discovered a great teacher who knows the way to bring about an ideal world of true love. That teacher is Rev. Sun Myung Moon and the way is called Unificationism. I have been deeply touched directly by this man's fatherly love, sacrificial heart, and true love toward God and humanity.
It is his love and inspiration which has given me hope for a better world and his vision which allows me to open my eyes to a great future.
Unificationism is "Godism" and promotes God-centered principles. It challenges each of us to live a godly life centering on God's love. It is also "familyism," for it teaches that the family unit, centering on God's love, is the cornerstone of a true society. The ideal world will be realized when the true love of the God-centered family is expanded to the societal, national and eventually worldwide levels.
Unificationism is the guiding principle which can harmonize West and East, materialism and spirituality, science and religion, centering on God's love. By its application, we can create the world of true peace, true happiness and true freedom for which mankind has longed.
Unificationism brings solutions to today's gravest problems. First, it presents a positive solution to the problem of communism. Communism can only be solved by a spiritual awakening. And that awakening is already being brought by Unificationism. It will provide the necessary foundation for the solution to the social problems of mankind.
Secondly, Unificationism brings together all denominations of Christianity and all the religions of the world. The higher mind of man recognizes our common Creator as Father. Under this common Father, we can unite into one human family. This new thought, therefore, lifts the Judeo-Christian tradition to a higher dimension, from which one peaceful world under God can finally come.
Thirdly, Unificationism brings a new morality. This is especially important for young people today. In the absence of an absolute moral standard, immorality pervades. A greedy, self- centered way of life, in which others are used solely for personal gain, is gaining approval and even encouragement. If this trend persists, it will certainly lead to the destruction of society.
I would like to humbly and solemnly declare that Unificationism is the most comprehensive worldview and the only one which can solve today's problems. With this principle we can build a unified world of freedom, peace and happiness. Without God there can be no true love, and without the family there can be no expression or transmission of this love.
Through Unificationism, we can truly fulfill the ideal of democracy. This truth can also embrace the communists and actually fulfill their goal of an ideal world -- not centered on atheism, but on Godism. We do not hate communists. On the contrary, we love them. Many communists are sincerely and sacrificially devoted to bringing justice and peace to the world. However, they are the victims of their false ideology. We must liberate them! Not with guns, but with the truth -- and with true love and brotherhood.
Everyone's cherished desire is to achieve unity. Today there are Jewish Unificationists, Christian Unificationists, Buddhist Unificationists and even communist Unificationists.
As young people, we must not lose our idealism. Our spirit of hope must not be crushed by apathy and conformity. Let us sing out, not with violent songs of hate and resentment, but with the vision of a new age.
If each of us can make a commitment to reach out for the ultimate goal of a peaceful loving world, then our voices will echo around the earth, touching others who in turn will make the commitment to a unified world through true love and a sacrificial heart.
We can create what was originally meant to be -- that one world of peace and harmony. I see this country as the last beacon of hope in a dark world. God has blessed America for the last 200 years. He desperately desires that this country become a saving light to the rest of the world.
We must rise up in response to this challenge, bearing true love and a sacrificial heart of concern not only for America but for all mankind.
It is my sincere desire and the hope of the Unification movement and CARP that we can work together and challenge one another in the spirit of brotherhood to make our dream of a peaceful world a reality on this earth.
Thank you very much, and may God bless you.