The Words of Won Pil Kim
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The Words of Won Pil Kim |
Following are some of the thoughts Mr. Kim shared with our New York and Philadelphia Families on New Year's Eve:
Everyone who comes to Divine Principle thinks our Leader's character is higher than ours -- of a different nature or divine quality. This is not so. His nature is human, just as ours. Great men and saints such as Jesus and Buddha and our Leader all have physical needs. Perhaps some think they don't suffer from hunger; they do get hungry.
The difference between saints and ordinary men is that saints can stand any and all suffering, whereas we would break down under the same. This ability is strength of character. Jesus could become the Son of God because he thought of the heavenly Father and of mankind all the time. Take the example of this glass of water: It may be too heavy for us to pick up, but if a man's dying son will be saved by this water, the father will be able to pick it up. If his family, his nation, all mankind will be saved, the power to do will come. Great men can endure suffering because they think of others, of heavenly Father; ordinary men think only of their own lives, therefore they have no power beyond themselves. The outside of great men is identical with us; the inside is different.
Mr. Kim came to our movement when he was eighteen years old, in 1946. He was then in North Korea and learned of our movement through his aunt, who was a member. The first group there in the North numbered around twenty, both men and women, generally middle-aged. All had been led to our Leader by the heavenly Father. For eight or nine years previous, our Leader had appeared to them in their dreams to instruct them. Then when our Leader began his ministry in the North, one by one they were led to him: God would say, "This is where you will find him; go this way, and up this alley, down this street." After so many dreams, they recognized him when they first met him.
At that time, there was intense spiritual activity in the movement. If someone lost his way on the street, our Leader would appear in a vision and direct him to the church. And he knew all their secrets and would tell them before all. These things served as a direct witness to our Leader. He also performed spiritual healing. One man had an illness, a very serious one, which was healed immediately by our Leader. Then he would suffer in place of the one healed.
Spiritually, by God and our Leader, they were instructed in the most minute matters. At a time when he had no money, a woman who was a member was instructed by God to give her entire estate to him. She hesitated to do so. One day she returned home to find all her money stolen.
Anyone who rejected suffered terribly. The many miracles that occurred then were part of the dispensation for that stage. For reason of the miracles, Communists and atheists could believe in our Leader and the Divine Principle and had strength of conviction even to withstand being ostracized by friends and persecuted by the government. Heavenly Father commanded all things, which they had to do. Our Leader could never get off alone, since God would tell where he was.
One member rented a home as a church, a small, poor house. His room was like a corner of this room (perhaps five by eight), very cold. He spent much of the time praying in that cold, dark room. Can you imagine such a life?
Just before he was taken to prison, our Leader was told by the heavenly Father that he would meet a man there who had been preparing all things for him for the past three months. This man was a spy for South Korea and was in the prison awaiting his execution. One day, as he sat thinking on his impending death, a voice said, "You will not die, don't worry about it. In three months you will meet a man in the prison. Prepare everything for him. " Then one day someone cal1ed him, summoned him; he thought his execution had come. But the guard told him that he had received a second judgment and was sentenced to only three years imprisonment. He was only happy to know that.
This man was a genius, a crack shot with cannon. He was one of three favorites beloved by his commanding officer. This commanding officer intervened on his behalf, begging again and again for his life to be spared and offering to bear all responsibility for him. Thus the sentence was altered.
God can have whoever He needs for His dispensation. But He had a problem with this spy since he was an atheist. The spy was only glad to live, but he had forgotten the voice from heaven. Later, the voice came again: "Why don't you remember me and prepare for the man who wil1 come?" After that the man's dead father appeared to him in a vision. "I will show you the man; follow me.” He led his son up, up, up a long flight of stairs, at first bowing on every third step, then on every single step.
The son, following behind, did likewise. When they reached the top, his father instructed him to bow very formally and carefully three times. This he did; and when he had bowed the third time, his father said, “Now you can look up.” Where before had been darkness, now before him was a king seated upon a throne bathed in such intense light that he could hardly see. Then he fol1owed his father back down the stairs. Upon reaching the last step, the father disappeared and the vision was gone.
The spy forgot his vision. One month later, our Leader entered his cell. The spy didn't recognize him. After three days, he desired to talk about anything. Our Leader told him of the Divine Principle. While he spoke, the spy recognized him as the one, the king in his vision. From this he could follow him through anything.
We can know our Leader in three ways:
1) by spirit, as the spy did;
2) by
the Divine Principle, which is easiest;
3) by everyday life.
The following episode is an example of the third way: there were 2000 prisoners together there. All had to do hard work daily; our Leader always chose the hardest job. One prisoner, a very strong man, was placed as boss over all the others. As a child he had been a Christian, so he knew the Bible. During lunch one day, our Leader went to him and spoke about the Divine Principle. The boss could not understand at all and called him crazy. Our Leader just told him if he knew the Divine Principle he wouldn't say such a thing.
That night, the boss's grandfather appeared in a dream. "Do you know who he is?" He afflicted him all night long. After his night of suffering, the boss repented of what he had said. The next day at lunch, our Leader said, "I know your dream." So the boss told him everything that had occurred, promising to follow. Our Leader thereupon taught him again, but in such a difficult and advanced way that the man could not understand it. This man could comprehend all things about Christianity, but not the Divine Principle. He thought it nonsense. So our Leader said to him, "You said you would follow me, but you don't." And he left him.
Again that night, his grandfather appeared and pressured the man again. And again, at noon our Leader said he knew his dream, and the boss told him all of it. Again he taught him very deeply the Divine Principle, which the boss did not understand at all. So they parted.
A third time, his grandfather appeared to press him all night. From this time he followed our Leader without understanding the Divine Principle but knowing his authority by spirit and by the extraordinary life of service and compassion that our Leader led. After some time, the boss was released from prison. Although he desired to assist our Leader, he was prevented from doing so by a broken leg. Members would bring gifts of food and clothing to our Leader in prison from time to time, but he always gave them away. His own clothing was tattered and in shreds, yet he gave everything away. By such example, the prisoners could be made aware of his greatness.
On October 14, 1952, our Leader and all prisoners were liberated from prison camp by the war action. Everyone was fleeing to South Korea. Before fleeing, our Leader greeted everyone of his followers. The boss with a broken leg, he took on a bicycle, with our Leader pushing and the boss steering. Mr. Kim carried a large pack on his back. The three of them set out walking from North Korea to the south. It was the cold of winter, and none of them had warm clothing.
Just think of the situation: It was war. All the people were fleeing to the South, so many of them streaming along a narrow, winding path that there was no room to take the cow or their belongings. In the midst of all this crowd came our Leader with a large man on a bicycle. Most people had fled before them. These three were among the last of the refugees, with the Red Army pursuing on their heels. It was such a dangerous situation. The boss begged them to go on without him. "I don't want you two dead; better leave me to die." But our Leader replied, "We three will die together or live together." In this way he could encourage them.
Day and night they hurried along a narrow path winding up mountains. They had no relief from the cold, nor from the Red Army at the rear. Under such pressure, they threw away all their possessions and food, keeping only the bicycle.
At midnight one night, they came to the edge of a river four kilometers in width. Mr. Kim strapped the bicycle to his back while our Leader carried the boss so carefully on the slippery stones, so carefully on his back as he swam across the deep river. Had the boss become loosened and fallen, he would surely have drowned, for with a broken leg he could not swim. There was danger from every side, and all around the guns of the Red Army waited in the dark of midnight.
On the far bank of the river they fell, exhausted and chilled. They were so depleted, they wanted to die there. But our Leader cheered them up by saying, "We will meet a wonderful man who will help us." Thus encouraged, they could go on. As they passed through a village, very close to the 38th Parallel, some youths mistook our Leader for a Communist because of his shaven head from the prison camp. So angered, they beat and beat him.
The others, not knowing the reason, were left helpless. Still they continued on their way. As night came, they sought a place to sleep and met a young couple living near the border. In wartime, everyone is distraught, with no means of helping others. But this young couple took them in, treating them so kindly, bedding them down with clean sheets and soft quilts. Mr. Kim always remembers that as the most wonderful night. The promise of our Leader came true. He had said that in order to cheer up his two followers. For such a blessing as was then prepared for them, he had to first endure the beating as a condition of indemnity. The love our Leader has for us knows no bounds.
When parents want to make a gift for their children, they must sacrifice themselves. So when the child receives a gift from his parents, he should think of how they suffered to give it to him before thinking of his own happiness.
In the early days, the one appointed as treasurer would prepare money for the month. Our Leader would ask for that and spend the entire month's money in one day for food. They would be so worried. But the next day, money would come, or they would be given food. By the principle of give and take, what you spend for others will be returned to you. If you spend only for yourself, you will have nothing soon.
You cannot breathe in all the time. You must also breathe out. All things must be given in order to be received. Don't just worry for your own self.