Book Seven - Etiquette And Ceremonies
Chapter Four - Tradition and Daily Etiquette of Blessed Families
Section 7. Love between Siblings

If parents have only one son or daughter, what happens? The son needs an elder sister and an elder brother, does he not? The daughter needs an elder brother and an elder sister. They also need a younger brother and sister. If they don't have siblings of all kinds, they are unhappy. God protects the family in which the younger brother and sister and the elder brother and sister are all present and completely one. This becomes the foundation for a tribe, a people, and a nation.

The elder brother and elder sister represent the east and west; the younger brother and younger sister represent the north and south. When these become perfected, they become three-dimensional. This is the law of love. When this law of love is established, the origin of peace is created. (20-40, 1961.3.31)

The heart of parents desires that children love each other more than they love the parents. Even if you cannot take care of your parents, if you say, "Mom, please wait. I will take care of my younger brother first," your parents will say, "My boy! Oh, he'll grow up to be a good man." Isn't that right? (78-41, 1975.5.1)

The person who is willing to love his brother even more than he does his parents will live eternally in heaven. Those who cannot love their brother as they would their parents are not included in this place. The source of this principle, when understood, is simple. Members were incapable of loving one another because they did not know this until now. The question is whether our members can unite among themselves. If you stand in a position where you cannot fulfill your filial duty to True Parents, you should offer those things that you wanted to devote to them to the members instead. Then Heaven can accept this offering as something greater than your filial devotion to True Parents. Such a person will surely be blessed. (78-41, 1975.5.1)

The path to heaven is opened by loving the members in the same way that you love God. You are trying to follow me, yet, with that same heart, you should strive to go together with your siblings. In this respect, we can conclude that the one who teaches the highest, quickest, and best way to go to heaven is neither God nor me but your siblings. The one who exerts himself with love greater than parental or conjugal love becomes the supreme subject being of love who then searches for his object partner. (66-125, 1971.4.18)

Is it not wonderful when the younger sibling in a family does something wrong, and the other siblings support him and the parents love him? The mother and father would say, "He is our future God!" Why is that so? It is the same when you connect to God's love. You should know that in a family with that kind of love, where the elder siblings love the younger ones like a mother and where the mother displays love when serving the father, God will be with that family and the children will become God's representatives in the future. (184-63, 1988.11.13)

Who are siblings? They are partners in the same kind of love; they are comrades who share the same parents love. If that is the case, can they fight with one another? They cannot. When you raise your right hand it is your father's hand, and when you raise your left hand it is your mother's hand. Your right foot is your father's foot. When I asked my daughter, Sun-jin, "Whose feet are these?" she answered that the right foot was her father's and the left was her mother's. She was really right. Why is that so? It was made that way because of love. (106-80, 1979.12.9)

An elder brother may love his younger sister and the younger sister may love her older brother, but their love should involve not only them. They should always involve their parents so that they can love each other with the emphasis on the fact that they were raised within their parents' bosom. They should be siblings connected on the foundation of unity between the parent and child. Only then can they ascend together as they grow. They continue to ascend in this way through elementary school and middle school. (236-11, 1992.11.2)

No matter how often you travel around the world, you will not find love like that of siblings, the love between siblings born from the same parents. Is there anyone closer to you than your own siblings in society? Others may become close, but they fall away. (228-199, 1992.1.3)

If there are many siblings in a family, two must share one dish when they eat. They should not quarrel, saying that there is only one dish. No matter how difficult life is with many siblings, all will be well if you can have a loving heart in offering your own meal to your eldest sister or your younger brother, even if you have to skip a meal. (112-195, 1981.4.12)

A nation is citizens and all humankind emerge from brothers and sisters. Siblings represent the front and back. Then what is two-dimensional takes on flesh. From here a sphere is created. Siblings create this sphere, and as they expand they become citizens of a nation. Brotherly love leads to love toward the world. A family that raises many siblings is like a model that embraces humankind and creates the ideal heaven in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and in the spirit world. Consequently, siblings expand in number. (235-268, 1992.10.1)