This is the text of the speech given by Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon on her American Hoon Dok Hwe Speaking Tour, April 1 - 16, 1998.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues and friends: Thank you for coming tonight. My husband, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, and I are speaking throughout the world. We are sharing our desire to work with each one of you, beyond race, nation and religion, to create a world of peace. Therefore I know that you will consider my message seriously.

Humanity is now facing the challenge of the Last Days. In this era, families the world over are breaking down. Husbands and wives, parents and children are becoming enemies to one another. What is the cause of this tragedy? The cause is a lack of true love. Equally significant is the fact that we are ignorant of our most important responsibility. That responsibility is to prepare for eternal life. If we are clear about the concept of eternal life, and if we accept its reality in our hearts, then we can lead our children and our families properly. But in truth, most people are unsure if the spirit world even exists.

If we truly understand the reality of the spirit world, we cannot sin, even when temptation presents itself. We cannot live selfishly, even if told to do so. On the other hand, if we do not understand the spirit world, we cannot enter the Kingdom of God, no matter what our religion.

On the larger scale, without knowing the meaning of eternal life, we cannot create a true social revolution. If it is not connected to eternal life, social revolution may make things worse. No one desires that.

To this day, religions have neither embraced nor encompassed the secular world. As a result, secularism now controls culture. Secularism overpowers the influence of religion. This happened because religions were unable to establish a clear concept of eternal life.

Christianity also faces this challenge. Although people have practiced Christianity faithfully for many centuries, many churches today are confused. In the Last Days, they are objective to the changes taking place in the world. Even Christianity does not have a clear and logical understanding of eternal life.

In short, no one has complete confidence concerning eternal life. In fact, people do not even know with certainty whether or not God exists. When faced with the obstacles and temptations of this world, most people waver. They fall away from their faith, and follow the secular way.

As we reach our forties and fifties, we come closer to the end of our life. We naturally become serious about the concept of eternal life. The older we become, the more serious we are. Ordinarily, the intensity of love declines as people age. But if our perception of eternal life has strong roots, then our love will grow and deepen as we get older. How often have you been confused by the changes taking place in our world today? If our focus on eternal life is clear and unchanging, we will overcome the insecurities of our changing environment. We will be able to digest all the circumstances of our lives, the joys and sorrows that come our way. God created Adam and Eve as His partners of true love. Accordingly, we should live as God’s true love partners. This should not be a theory. We should allow this dynamic to work in our lives and put it into practice each day.

Once we realize the power of true love, we will strive against adversity to walk the road of true love. In daily life, we will always feel the security which comes from belief in eternal life. When this conviction overflows within us, our lives will be secure.

This has important implications for education of our children. If it is clearly explained to them, young people readily embrace the concept of eternal life. They are uniquely blessed to feel eternal life resonate in their mind and body.

Until reaching age sixteen, boys and girls possess an unfallen purity of character. They reflect the original character of Adam and Eve, who did not fall until they were sixteen. Because of this, it is vital that young people know God deeply. Through knowledge of God, we can understand our inseparable relationship with Him. But in order to know this, young people must first understand the concept of eternal life.

How long do you think you will live? All of us think we will live until we are seventy or eighty years old. It is hard to imagine that we will die before then. In this regard, we can all be considered greedy.

But in truth, even those who seem confident that they will live a long time have no idea when they are going to die. It could be as soon as today or tomorrow. We may even die during a meal or while we are sleeping. Does God guarantee anyone a long lifespan?

Imagine that you knew you would die within a year. You would have to prepare for your passing in a very short period of time. With this new found urgency, you might actually be happier. After all, you would be able to prepare for death in less time. The less time you use to prepare for death, the less time you will waste in your life. And if you prepare well, you can build a home for your eternal life.

How long do you wish to live? What if God told you that you had to die tonight? What legacy would you leave behind? Would you leave behind something of which God would be proud? While we are living in this world, we should always give our best. We should invest 24 hours-a-day to bring even one more person to God’s love.

The highest standard of dedication to God is to not even want to stop to eat or sleep. We should not be consumed by worry over worldly needs. If you live with such sincerity, you will have eternal life in the next world.

The shorter we expect our physical life to be, the more value we will find in it. In this context, we should ask ourselves, "How much do I love others?" "How much do I love my family?" "How much do I love my clan?" "What does it mean to love others, to love my family, to love my clan?" This serves as the foundation to love all humanity. It is a wise approach to life. You will not lose if you live this way.

The purpose of a life of faith is to seek the world of eternal life and God’s eternal love. The way of a life of faith is to discover and rejoice in God’s joy as our own. By living this way, we become one with God’s eternal love and eternal life.

Accordingly, it is most important for people of faith to invest unceasing energy for God’s life and love. The world’s religions have expanded through history, against the backdrop of every culture. This is because our human destiny is to live an eternal life.

We are to live not just in our own era, but also in harmony with the entire universe. Once we reach the limit of life on Earth, we continue life in an eternal, unlimited world. Such a world exists in reality. Even those who do not believe it exists, or who do not fully comprehend it, have postulated eternal life. They did this in order to help and comfort humanity through their suffering and pain. But God’s existence is a reality beyond time and space. When we internalize the depth of this eternal truth, it becomes our starting point. Then we can find the answers to our questions concerning eternal life and God.

For what purpose and in what position did God create humankind? God created man and woman as His partners of true love. We were to have God’s absolute and unique value. This is a startling revelation! In this light, the value of each person’s life is infinite. Even the entire universe cannot replace the value of one person in the eyes of God.

All people are meant to be born in true love, to live and grow in true love, and even to die in true love. God is eternal, unchanging and unique. We stand as the eternal object of God’s true love. Therefore, we are created to live eternally. Our eternal life has its roots in our relationship with God, as His partner of true love.

God’s love is absolute. Since God’s love was lost through the human fall, God has experienced indescribable misery and almost hopeless sorrow throughout history. No one has ever understood this; no one has been able to fully comfort God.

God, in the depth of His heart, wants to recreate His long-awaited love partner. God wants to embrace His children. He will travel any distance to meet them. Only by meeting His sons and daughters can He express His joy to the fullest. In actuality, God created the entire universe for His children.

Consider the earth’s atmosphere. When a low pressure system forms, a high pressure system appears automatically. Through this phenomenon, air circulation is self-sustaining.

God has taught us to forget the good that we do for others. This creates a spontaneous and natural circular motion of give and take in our daily lives. It is similar to the natural phenomenon we observe in the atmosphere. This constant cycle of give and take leads to eternal life.

Eternal life can begin with nothing other than eternal commitment. To be specific, as long as one lives for the sake of others, one will never perish. A life of giving will surely grow and progress steadily. The person who lives thus will eventually take a central position as the nucleus of society.

If God were to seek an absolute love partner, who would merit such a position? It is natural to conclude that God’s love partner would have to be humankind. That is why human beings are held to be the most precious being among all of God’s creation.

When we are able to accept that we are the eternal true love partner of the Creator, we can easily understand that we live for eternity. The concept of eternity naturally follows from this. It takes place right here! The religious world must bear in mind that the foundation of eternal life is the relationship of true love. In its simplest terms, eternal life stems neither from man nor from woman but from God’s true love.

Today, Christians proclaim that any individual can possess eternal life just by believing in Jesus. If I ask them how one can secure eternal life, they answer, "Just believe." Of course it is essential that we have absolute faith, but I would like you to consider a further perspective based on the meaning of eternal life.

Consider the aspect of continuity. The functioning of the physical body has continuity. For instance, our blood circulation, nervous system and brain should function continuously and smoothly.

From this perspective, what would you answer if someone asked you how you plan to secure eternal life? The life of the spirit also should have continuity. Then are you truly able to claim, "My eternal life is guaranteed through belief alone?" Does salvation come from belief and nothing else? Absolutely not. True salvation requires a continuity of the practice of true love from this physical world to the spirit world.

According to the principles by which God created this world, only a true person can become God’s true love partner. Only with true love can one become such a person and obtain eternal life.

The key is to rid ourselves of the ignorance and burdens of the Fall. The fundamental question is how to free ourselves from evil love, an evil life and an evil lineage. Only in this context does liberation have any meaning. Only complete liberation from evil brings true freedom. True freedom is self-sustaining.

We are created to live an eternal life. We are similarly created to practice true love. Furthermore, we are to practice true love here on the Earth. We engage ourselves with many things in this world. These things become the material which insures our eternal life. In other words, everything we do in this world is training for eternal life.

We are fully capable of living forever! We desire an eternal life! In our search for eternal life, what does not change? Only true love does not change! Everything in this universe changes, but true love does not change.

This is because true love is the center. The center will remain intact even if everything that surrounds it disappears. True love is the center of the universe. It is one with God’s love. Consequently, as long as God is unchanging, true love is unchanging.

What does true love mean? A husband desires that his wife be better than he is. A wife also wants her husband to surpass her. Are there any parents who do not want their children to surpass them? Why do we share this feeling? It is because we all are created in the very image of God. In other words, even God wants His love partner to be better than Himself, in the same sense that parents want their children to surpass them.

God is absolute, but at the same time He is our Parent. Can God impose an absolute standard upon us, and not upon Himself as well? No, He cannot. In light of this, our value is the highest in the universe. In fact, in the realm of true love, we can have a value even higher than that of God Himself. This is why our minds have the highest of aspirations. Thus, we truly should feel that nothing is impossible.

God originally intended that His children rule this universe from the position of highest value. We were not to have been sidetracked or manipulated in any way. We were never to have been under the dominance of any force or being.

To confirm this, simply look into your mind. The mind desires complete freedom. No one wants their mind to be controlled. Once we secure the position of true love, we are totally free. We can travel anywhere. We can travel to God’s throne and become God’s friend.

God is eternal and absolute. Therefore, since God created us as His partners of true love, it is natural to conclude that we can enjoy eternal life. Clearly then, in order for a man to live an eternal life, he must dwell in the realm of true love. Only through true love is abundant eternal life possible.

The origin, motive and process of God’s creation center on true love. No result can come without a process taking place, and the process of perfection is based upon the practice of true love. The perfection of mind and body is possible only when they both belong to the realm of true love.

Only true love can bring about the ideal. This is because God Himself exists for eternity upon the foundation of true love. Upon what, do you think, does God center His own eternal existence? Without question, God’s eternal life is centered on true love. Therefore, we also live with true love as our center. In this way we create the realm of eternal life. In order to find this realm, we practice true love in daily life. I would like you to know that Reverend Moon has poured his life, his heart, and the resources of his church into America. Through this practice, true love was actualized. Without actualizing true love, there is no eternal life.

Even though we are not sure where in the spirit world God dwells, we should at least clearly understand that God is the center of true love. The power of true love is the fastest and the most direct. True love travels in a straight line. Why do you think I emphasize true love so fervently? It is because of my direct experience of this truth. Once you experience God and the eternal world, you too will never be able to have an indifferent attitude toward life.

First, we must know God. Second, we must know our eternal life. Third, we must know true love. True love means giving more than 100 percent of oneself. In this way, we can find eternal life. Without true love, there is no eternal life. Without eternal life, we can never meet God.

How should you prepare for the world of the future? First, be altruistic. Second, practice true love. Third, seek eternal life. With the sincere practice of these virtues, we can manage the world in the coming age. The opposite way is the self-centered way of life. That is the ideology of Satan. In contrast to satanic love, what is true love? True love is to invest yourself beyond the point of life and death. It is only through this intensity of life that we can find true love.

The fundamental root of evil life is the satanic lineage. Our lineage belongs to Satan. Our love belongs to Satan. But God’s love transcends satanic love. And so the Bible teaches, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment." (Mt 22:37-38)

What does this really mean? Loving God with all your soul and with all your mind means to give your life completely to God. This is the first great commandment. The second commandment is, "Love your neighbor as yourself." What does this mean? It tells us to love others even at the cost of our lives. We have to invest ourselves in this way of life.

Then why should we commit ourselves with total intensity? Unless we commit ourselves to this degree, first, we cannot make Satan surrender. Second, we cannot free ourselves from the satanic environment in which we live. Third, we cannot eradicate our satanic lineage. Even if we were able to separate from the satanic environment, we cannot eradicate the satanic lineage by ourselves. We need the power of true love, which is greater than our life.

There is no concept of time for God. This means that the beginning and the end are the same in eternity. Likewise, the past, the present and the future are the same. Then what within God harmonizes everything and enables God to dwell in peace? This is a serious question. It is not God’s almighty power. It is not His omniscience. It is nothing other than the power of love. Even God Himself responds unconditionally to true love. This is because God does not need anything other than true love.

Most people agree that we will enter the spirit world upon our death. But the spirit world is not just the dwelling place of the departed. The spirit world is connected to true love. The starting point of God’s creation is true love. Therefore, once we secure true love in the physical world, this too will become the spirit world. This alone tells us how powerful true love is.

Through the perfect relationship of vertical and horizontal, harmonious movement in all directions–up and down, right and left, forward and back–can take place. But when vertical and horizontal are disconnected, there is no harmony. In that case, there can be no unification. True love alone can connect vertical and horizontal. This brings about unification and harmony. The central thought of the Unification Church, based on the perspective of the Divine Principle, is that the ideal world is centered on true love.

Ladies and Gentlemen, God wants to guide humankind. God breathes through true love. Since the rhythm of the universe is in harmony with God, the universe exists for eternity. In God’s true love, we can find eternal life. That is why when husband and wife connect with true love, they find complete joy. When the rhythm of true love is in balance, we can love one another. In this atmosphere there is only one direction in our life. That direction is centered on God.

Both the spirit world and the physical world move in conjunction with true love. The universe maintains a natural balance, centering on the vertical axis of true love. What is the common denominator of the universe? What is the universal norm, by which people of the past and the present can live together for eternity? What is the origin of human desire? The answer to all these questions is the same. The answer is true love. The norm is not selfish love; it is true love. Only the practice of true love can embrace people of all races, all nations and all religions.

There are over five billion people living in this world at present. Yet there are not many among the world’s population who understand the meaning of the Blessing. My husband and I have been the first to adopt the word "blessing" in the context of marriage. Many such marriage Blessings have now been conducted.

Where will humanity head in the future? Humanity can enter the Kingdom of God by passing through the gate of this Blessing. There are millions of Christians in our world today, and Christianity itself can enter the Kingdom of God through the gate of the Blessing.

Some Christians complain that Reverend Moon’s teaching is self-righteous. Of course, nothing can be done about this point of view since it is their own. Nonetheless, I am here to convey the message that the Unification marriage Blessing is the true road for all fallen people to take.

No matter how much persecution it may cause, we are to connect the spirit world and the physical world through this Blessing, and enter the Kingdom of God.

Other religious people think of salvation in terms of the individual. They believe that as long as their faith is strong, they can enter the Kingdom of Heaven as individuals. But from the viewpoint of God’s original ideal, we were never intended to enter the Kingdom of Heaven as single people. We enter only with our loving spouse and family.

The real purpose of life is to walk forward on the road of true love. We are to grow through harmonious relationships of true love. We should carefully maintain the ideal of true love in our hearts. We are actually the representatives of the spirit world. Let us constantly strive to spread true love. Let us sow the seeds of true love throughout our lives.

When we bear the fruit of true love and enter the eternal spirit world as a loving couple, we will be embraced by God’s eternal love. We then truly become one with God. Even though the physical body grows old, as long as we live as husband and wife centering on true love, our spiritual body will actually become younger! This means that the longer we live, the more handsome or beautiful our spiritual body becomes.

Our spirit is our internal self. At the proper time we simply will shed the physical body. Our physical body may feel that it does not want to retire. But with the coming of old age, it eventually must surrender its life. On the other hand, our spiritual body, like a chestnut in autumn, becomes more solid and more handsome as it becomes our physical body’s successor.

We must love the things of the material world, which includes our physical body and the food which nourishes it. We love what is close to us before loving God directly. By loving all things, we absorb the essence of the creation. By doing this, we love and nourish the physical body.

Your first parents, of course, are your physical parents. Your second parent is the Earth. From the Earth we receive essential elements which the body needs in order to grow. In this way the Earth is the second parent.

After being nurtured and cared for by our second parent, we prepare to meet our third parent. There is a process through which we pass in order to realize this. That process is our physical death. We do not meet our third parent free of charge. To be able to return to our third parent, we must resemble our original parent, God.

Why then do we get married? Very simply, we marry in order to resemble God. God exists as a being of dual characteristics. In God, the dual characteristics are completely harmonized as One. When God’s dual characteristics manifest in our world, they do so as man and woman. Accordingly, at the proper time, a man and a woman are like a seed. They unite to become one. Thus, husband and wife return to God. Together, we are a reflection of His original nature.

We need marriage because it is the true way to develop our love. In marriage, we ripen as a seed of God. Our entire life should be centered on true love. We should be born in true love; we should grow in true love; we should live centered on true love, and we should return to true love when we die. The way of true love is life for the sake of others. This is the purpose of a holy marriage. If we take any other path, we are taking the wrong direction for eternal life.

The marriage Blessing and eternal life stem from God working through true parents’ love. Through our union with the True Parents, we can fulfill God’s original hope for the individual, the family, the nation, the world and the entire cosmos. Ultimately, we can complete God’s ideal of creation. Through True Parents we can find our original homeland, the starting place for the Kingdom of God on Earth and in Heaven. With this foundation in place, we can welcome an era in which God is our sovereign. The society which does so will never perish. It will continuously prosper and reach its fullest strength.

I sincerely ask that you contemplate deeply about the meaning of this sermon. If you practice it, you will find the way to receive God’s abundant Blessing and eternal life. May God truly bless you. Thank you very much. 

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