The Words of Young Oon Kim
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The Words of Young Oon Kim |
[The following two essays by Miss Kim are expansion of specific points of the Principle which she has incorporated into her teaching in England.]
God's primary purpose in the dispensation of restoration is to obtain a center in His creation.
In creating Adam and Eve in His own image, God intended that they should become united through the give and take of love. This unit of man and woman was to form, with God, a trinity, and would produce children.
Thus a pattern of four positions would be formed, in which each member would have three others with whom to enter into a give and take relationship. This unit of four positions includes the three basic relationships of human love: filial love, the love of a child toward his parents; marital love, that between husband and wife; and parental love, that of parents toward their children. All other forms of human love are derivatives of these forms of love. When this unit of four positions is completely centered on the love of God, then this will act as a model for all other relationships.
These relationships can be thought of as circulations or circling movements of love, God's energy. God would be at the point of intersection -- the very center of the pattern -- which would then build outwards in all directions with a circulation of love that can be pictured as spherically symmetrical. Thus the growing family of God was to have developed and covered the whole earth. The dynamic circulation of love would insure harmony, whereas a uni-directional flow of love would have been lifeless. It is the give and take of love which is the very mechanism of creation and propagation, not only in physical, but also in spiritual terms. It is God's intention that He should be at the center of a creation filled with an all-pervading pattern of circulation of love.
Let us first examine what man is. Man consists of a body and an inner self, which may be called mind, soul or personality. The personality is made up of what you have thought, loved and willed. These are three faculties of the inner self which find their expression in actions of the physical body. The essence of a human being is the inner self.
When we say that someone is good, we mean that he thinks and loves good. When we say that someone is bad, we mean that he thinks, loves and wills evil.
The faculties of thinking and loving transcend time and space. One can think about and understand the philosophy of a man who died many centuries ago. One can love someone who is at a great distance. These faculties never cease to function. Indeed, one wishes to continue to think and love throughout eternity and infinity. Consequently, we wish never to die, but hope to live forever. The world's religions teach that this is not just a hope, but a fact: the inner self is immortal.
Through the faculty of thinking we can understand truth, but the degree of understanding varies from one person to another. Some grasp only a superficial appreciation of their immediate surroundings, while others gain an understanding of the heights and underlying depths of truth. Truth, for each one of us, is what we have succeeded in comprehending.
The more we can gather in, the greater is our store of truth.
Hence it is clear that truth itself is not inborn in man, but is something that we imbibe and acquire, It exists objectively outside us.
Through the faculty of feeling we love and appreciate good, but the degree and scope of love varies from one person to another. Some feel love only for themselves or for their immediate associates, whereas others feel love for higher and greater objects. The extent of our love defines the extent of what is, for us, goodness -- it is our good.
Hence it is clear that man is not love or good itself, but we can possess as much good as we can embrace with our love. Love -- good -- itself exists objectively outside us.
Truth and good are one and inseparable -- and this is God, the ultimate reality. Man can only imbibe and acquire good and truth, love and wisdom, from their source, God, through his faculties of feeling and thinking. God is the Subject, the source of good and truth.
Even though a man's eyes are both wide open, he can see nothing if there is no light. Our eyes see things because the things emit or reflect light, but the ultimate source of light, the sun, is taken for granted. The same is true of our ears; we can only hear because waves of sound are carried to us through the air, but the air is taken for granted. Were there no air, we could hear nothing. If the ultimate source of good and truth did not exist, our faculties of thinking and feeling could not function, and would wither away. In the same way, if one were confined in an unlighted cave for the whole of one's life, the eyes would become useless. The source -- God -- does exist, but is taken for granted, being invisible and inaudible.
When we both understand and love good and truth, then our will to accomplish them becomes strong and nothing can stop us or change our minds. On the other hand, if we neither understand clearly, nor love good and truth intensely -- we shall have little inclination to practice them.
What God thinks is Absolute Truth and what God feels is Absolute Good for humanity and all the rest of His creation. Does it not follow that His Will is Absolute -- that He is Almighty? If we ourselves can stand on Absolute Truth and aim at Absolute Good, we shall find ourselves in possession of tremendous spiritual power, for the Will of God is behind us. Putting it another way, the Host of Heaven is with us.
Now it is clear to me that there exists a Source of truth and good and power outside myself. I derive my being from this Source -- God -- without whom my faculties of thinking and feeling could not operate, just as, without the light and heat of the sun, I could not live. So I affirm that God exists and is, indeed, the Source of life itself.
We may call this an ontological approach to the question of the existence of God.
My second approach is the historical one. The existence of God has been repeatedly affirmed in the past. There are a great many accounts of personal confrontations with the living God. I am and have been deeply interested in the life stories of great souls, both within the Christian Church and throughout world history. For these people, individual encounters often marked a turning point in their lives, when they received enlightenment, conversion or a call to a great mission. They have done much more than others to elevate the life of mankind. Their accounts strike me as trustworthy, and their evidence is given substance by their accomplishments. If you can trust them and their accounts of their experiences, you need no further proof that God exists.
My third affirmation is made on an empirical basis. I know God in my heart and through my experience.
I was led to the Christian faith by an inner voice when I was 16 years old. Since then, I have been guided at every turning point of my life by voices speaking to me, sometimes audibly, sometimes inwardly.
These voices have been so insistent that I could neither ignore nor escape them. Who is this? Who could be so concerned about me? His voice has guided me along a consistent and purposeful path. Sometimes there have been warnings of dangers ahead. When I think or do something really constructive in a positive way, I am filled with joy and power.
On the other hand, when my thoughts and feelings are negative, I am conscious of a lack of power, of sorrow and depression. Then He comes to me, and His power causes me to put aside such thoughts. Sometimes He fills me with willingness to make sacrifices for the sake of the supreme good, despite the contempt and rejection of others. His voice is greater to me than that of any worldly power.
I can readily understand the wonderful experiences of conversion which have brought about such radical changes in the lives of great men and women of the past and, for that matter, of the present day. The inner voice is neither hallucination nor imagination in my case, but most solemn and consistent law, power and love. The voice makes me courageous, bold and persevering in the cause of righteousness and love.
So I know exactly how the same voice works in the hearts of others. I can readily believe that their biographies are entirely honest accounts of personal confrontations with God.
In my heart I know that God exists. Through my experiences I know that God exists.