On August 31, the General Family Assembly for 30,000 Couples was held at Shoto Headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo. This message is a summary of what President Tomihiro Tanaka said on the occasion.
Editorial Department
Good morning to all the members gathered here at the family assembly for 30,000 couples. Congratulations on the 32nd anniversary of your blessing (which was on August 25). Also, congratulations to the 360,000 couples whose anniversary is also on August 25.
Today, I would like to consider what the entrance into Cheon Won Gung and Cheon Il Sanctum, scheduled to open next year, will mean to us all.
If we do not understand this point correctly, it may end up being just another moment in history. If this happens, we may look back in ten or twenty years and realize, “This is what that meant,” and we may regret why we spent the time the way we did. We would like to work together with you to sort things out so that such things do not happen.
Married couples in the church as taught by True Mother
During my recent visit to Korea, I had the opportunity to meet with True Mother. I was able to listen to many talks and had a very valuable time.
I would like to share with you a particularly important point mentioned during this time.
Only seven regional group presidents were called by True Mother. When regional group presidents are usually called, there are often major events or personnel matters, but it was a little different this time around.
True Mother gave a tie to me and a necklace for my wife.
Under normal circumstances, she would often scold me by starting off with, “Tanaka!” But this time was different. She took the time to speak to us about “conjugal love.” It was the first time for me to hear True Mother speak so carefully about the love between husband and wife.
True Mother emphasized the importance of couples truly becoming one. And in the culture of service and worship, the culture of husband and wife must be central to this. She said that when families gather at church, many children come, but the most important thing is the husband and wife. The mother told us how important the husband and wife are in the church.
She said, “If I were to paint a picture, the most beautiful picture would be that of a family gathered in church, the children together with their father and mother (married couple).” We must build such a culture. She also said that the church needs to have dignity and character, and to express this, it is important to always aim for a church that is clean, beautiful, and full of smiling faces.
True Mother told us that for this reason, the way we dress is also very important, which leads us to this discussion of ties and necklaces. True Mother said, “It is important to maintain an unashamed appearance no matter when or who you meet,” and she gave us these gifts to help us have such an attitude.
In fact, when you visit the Cheon Jeong Gung Museum, you will find that the staff, the janitors, and even the people behind the scenes are always neat and tidy. They are always neat and tidy to accommodate any visitor.
I asked one of the staff members, “Isn’t it hard to have to (wear such clothes) all the time?” He replied, “Of course it is hard. But the atmosphere created by this kind of attitude is an expression of True Mother’s feelings when she deals with visitors. It is a great joy to be able to express True Mother’s thoughts in a tangible manner.”
In this way, I felt that all the staff members of the Cheon Jeong Gung Museum, who are serving True Mother by her side, are working based on their respective roles and positions, and they are always considerate about how to express True Mother’s thoughts in a tangible manner. I felt a renewed sense of respect for the way they work with a sense of urgency, while maintaining their positions.
There are times where I remember the sense of pressure that warns me I may lose this sense of urgency and develop humanistic feelings towards True Mother by meeting her so often.
Therefore, we must always be aware of the fear of complacency. It is not good to become too accustomed to living together with each other. Even in close relationships, we must not forget to be courteous.
We are to remain courteous, even as husband and wife. We must not show a lack of decency in front of our relatives. It is very important how we maintain our decency and protect our own hearts.
Our 4 Goals until April 13
This time (when I visited), there was the Resolution Week for a Victorious Entrance into the Cheon Il Sanctum in Cheon Won Gung (August 20-25) in Korea. The following major events took place.
12th Anniversary of the Universal Seonghwa of True Father of Heaven, Earth, and Humankind
Paying Respects at Bon Hyang Won
Cheon Il Guk Leaders’ Special Assembly
Cheon Il Guk ChamBumo-Ron (True Parents Theory) Lecture Competition by Leaders of Heavenly Korea
Cheon Il Guk ChamBumo-Ron (True Parents Theory) Sermon Competition
Cheon Il Guk Songs of Praise Competition
Resolution Rally for a Victorious Entrance into the Cheon Il Sanctum in Cheon Won Gung
Hyojeong CheonBo Special Great Works
1,111th Cheon Shim Won Special Vigil Prayer
About 90 world leaders participated in the Paying Respects at Bon Hyang Won. In addition, the sermon competition for Chambumo-Ron was conducted entirely in English. The Cheon Il Guk Songs of Praise Competition was attended by one team from each continent and three teams from Korea. Furthermore, the Resolution Rally for a Victorious Entrance into the Cheon Il Sanctum in Cheon Won Gung was held, as well as the Hyojeong CheonBo Special Great Works, and the Cheon Shim Won Special Vigil Prayer.
When I arrived in Korea and looked at each of these events, I found that the name of all of these events included, “for the Victorious Entrance into the Cheon Il Sanctum in Cheon Won Gung.” In other words, all the plans and events were not mere ceremonies, but were deeply imbued with True Mother’s intention to consecrate our “determination” to Heaven throughout the series of events during this period.
True Mother repeatedly said that there are only eight months left. Mother’s consciousness is always directed toward April 13th of next year (Entrance Ceremony of Cheon Won Gung and Cheon Il Sanctum).
True Mother has repeatedly said, “Heavenly Parent’s (God’s) dream was to embrace and love His children as True Parents on earth, and after living their lives on earth, to go to the Kingdom of Heaven in heaven and live there together in the eternal world.” That is why it is said that the entrance into Cheon Il Sanctum and Cheon Won Gung is “the completion of the providence of Heaven” and “the completion of the history of humankind.”
We need to understand this correctly. It is easy to say that we are welcoming God here on earth, but after 6,000 years of leading the providence, we have finally reached that moment (where He can be received).
We have four objectives as we approach this historic moment in history.
Blessing
Next year, True Mother will hold the blessing ceremony from the position of welcoming God as the Heavenly Parent on earth. Therefore, this blessing will be on a different dimension from past blessings. When I say “different dimension,” some may wonder about the significance of past blessings, but the value of the blessing itself is the same from the viewpoint of the recipient. However, from God’s perspective—who is the giver—this blessing has a deeper meaning.
The blessing that God originally intended to give Adam and Eve was not merely a bestowment. After receiving the blessing, they were to live with God, pass through the four great realms of heart, give birth to children, and experience the realm of heart on earth under God’s watchful eye as they progressed towards eternal life. Next year’s blessing is the first time such things can be realized. Therefore, it will be the fist blessing that will be realized on earth from the perspective of God, the Giving Parent.
This may be difficult to grasp for those of us who have already received the blessing, but it is of great significance to those who will receive the blessing from now. We must understand the significance of this blessing and go into next year’s blessing with a clear understanding of its significance.
In this context, it is clear what we must do during the remaining seven months: prepare for the blessing. This is a major theme for all blessed families. We need to have as many candidates as possible attend next year’s blessing ceremony.
Next year’s blessing will be the first blessing to take place after welcoming God to earth, and is the occasion for the great act of grace in which all amnesty will be given (sins will be forgiven). All of us who have received the blessing have many shortcomings and need this amnesty in order to receive this grace and proceed towards this new blessing. This is an important ceremony where all of us can receive this amnesty once again and make a decision to live with the Heavenly Parent and start anew.
Let us be grateful to True Mother for granting us this great act of grace, and let us gather as many people as possible to Korea for this blessing ceremony and fill the Cheon Shim Peace World Center with those who will receive the blessing.
Last year, more than 6,000 Japanese youth promised to “bring back the second generation who have turned their backs” in front of True Mother at the “General Assembly of Second Generation for the Heavenly Japan.” In order to fulfill that promise, I would like to bring as many blessing candidates as possible. It is important to tell Mother, “Don’t worry, we are here.”She trusts us, so we must respond to that trust.
CheonBo
Next, we are to receive God as our parents on earth. The word “parents” makes sense only when “children”are present. More specifically, the term “parents” is used by children. A family where the parents have to claim themselves as “parents” is an unhappy home. The words “father” and “mother” are used by the children, and are only possible because of them.
The welcoming of God on earth is not something that is done by True Mother or even True Parents. It is a ceremony where the people of Cheon Il Guk welcome the Heavenly Parent. This is the part that is not yet fully understood by Japan’s members. True Parents are already one with the Heavenly Parent. It is we, the children, the people of Cheon Il Guk, who will welcome the Heavenly Parent on earth.
True Mother has clearly told us who the people of Cheon Il Guk are. We are the people who are working on becoming CheonBo families. In other words, the children who will welcome the Heavenly Parent on earth, are the CheonBo families who are the children of Cheon Il Guk. That is why we are clearly required to become CheonBo families in the remaining seven months.
Those who have already been recognized as a CheonBo family are required to prepare their “inner reality.” The “inner reality” is the witnessing of 430 families. This must be done even if it takes two or three generations.
If you are not able to do so now, you should aim to reach at least a tenth of that, or forty-three families. Forty-three families are the families of your direct spiritual children. If you have not achieved this, you must boldly take up the challenge during the remaining seven months and increase the number of families by even one.
Religion
Furthermore, in welcoming God as the Parent on earth, the most important thing is that the religious world, especially the Christian world, welcomes God as the Parent. The moment the Christian world welcomes God as the Parent, the walls of religion will crumble.
True Mother has consistently said that we must let a third of humanity know about the Heavenly Parent and True Parents. This will be realized when the religious community becomes one in receiving God as the Parent.
That is what the Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community is. When the religious community accepts God as the Parent and unites, the religious barriers will collapse and the realization of witnessing a third of humanity will become visible. Unless the religious community becomes one this objective will not be achieved.
Central to the religious world becoming one is the understanding that God is the Parent. By welcoming the Heavenly Parent next year, religious harmony will begin in earnest in the religious community, especially among the religious leaders of the Christian community.
The Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community is a flock that serves God as its Parents. The Family Federation is a flock that serves True Parents as the substantial parents. Therefore, we stand in the position of Abel in the Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community. The Family Federation is the Family Federation of World Peace and Unification for the Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community. Other churches and religions will be called the XYZ (Christian) Church for the Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community or XYZ Religion for the Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community, etc. In the future, many people will gather under the crown of the Heavenly Parent.
For this purpose, we must steadily collaborate with religious people close to us and tell them that God is our Parent.
Construction (of the Temples)
Of particular importance to Japan is the construction of Cheon Won Gung and Cheon Il Guk Sanctum. It would be meaningless unless they are completed. In order to conduct the entrance ceremony, we must be aware of the great mission the Mother Nation carries to complete the construction of these facilities, and we must work on it in the remaining seven months.
We must boldly set our own goals and strive to meet the four objectives mentioned above.
The Settlement of the Dualistic System and True Parents Theory
An unseen and even more important matter has been running through True Mother’s mind for the coming seven months. That is the firm settlement of the dualistic system and True Parents Theory.
First, we also need to understand what the dualistic system is.
Until now, we have understood the dualistic system as witnessing and creating a witnessing environment.
From now on, however, even if the term “dualistic system” is used, the concept will change. Cheon Shim Won will be considered the world of heart and the subject, and the object will be the creation of an environment that is promoted by the Family Federation together with affiliated groups. Above all, the central axis will be placed on the spiritual enlightenment centering on the heavenly heart. Since the time has come for the spirit world and the earthly world to become completely one, True Mother has been solely emphasizing the spirit world. At the same time, she is emphasizing cheongseong offered at Cheon Shim Won.
Cheon Shim Won is True Father’s oval office, the base for his work on earth, and the place where we can meet Father. It is said that after True Mother goes to the spirit world, Cheon Shim Won will also be her oval office when she performs her works on earth.
Therefore, it is important for us to improve our spirituality and live our earthly lives while conversing with True Parents at Cheon Shim Won. Cheon Shim Won is the base and main hall of spiritual enlightenment.
A family altar is set up in the home. If you go to a church, there is a Cheon Shim Won Special Prayer Room, and spiritual enlightenment is conducted based on the Cheon Shim Won Special Prayer Room.
When I first heard about the significance of Cheon Shim Won, I understood that it was True Father’s oval office on earth and that it was the main building for spiritual enlightenment, but I did not understand that it was the main building for second-generation education.
However, when I was having dinner with True Mother in Hawaii last April, she said, “From now on, second generation who can listen to Father’s voice will be raised.” The significance of this (building) became clear to me.
Until then, we had understood that whenever True Father’s voice was delivered to earth, it always came through True Mother. We took it as a matter of fact that revelations would come through Mother. However, the second generation spiritual workshops began at Cheon Shim Won, and second generation have appeared who can directly hear Father’s voice.
When this started happening, I was puzzled by the change. To help us cope with this new situation, I asked Ki-seong Lee, Director of Cheon Shim Won. I asked him how we should confirm whether these people were telling the truth or not when they say, “I heard True Father’s voice.” Director Lee’s answer was the most important aspect of spiritual revelation is how centered it is, and that only what has been delivered and certified by the “center” should be made public. Therefore, everything that Director Lee says is also reported to True Mother.
A spiritual person is spiritually oriented, but it is possible for them to lose their centeredness, and eventually they become the center (of their spirituality). If this happens, confusion will ensue.
Even if True Mother goes to the spirit world in the future, we are required to lead a life with a firm spiritual enlightenment centered on Cheon Shim Won.
Another important matter is the firm establishment of True Parents Theory. This is absolutely non-negotiable for True Mother in welcoming God as the Parent on earth.
True Mother’s greatest objective is God’s liberation. “Liberating God” refers to freeing God from the anguish of not being called “Parent” even though He is our Parent.
Throughout history, God’s title has changed. First He was called “Yahweh,” then “Lord,” and now, with the reception of Jesus, He is called “Heavenly Father.” However, because there was no “Heavenly Mother,” God was never recognized as the perfect “Parent.”
The greatest goal of True Mother and True Father is to receive God as the perfect Parent on earth.
True Father said “I have no mother” during the Abel Women UN Inauguration Assembly (July 16, 2012), when he delivered his last official message. There is a deep meaning behind his words. What Father wanted to convey through that message was that in order for God to be welcomed on earth as the perfect Parent, there must be a Heavenly Mother.
This message is an important point towards the objective of liberating God, and we need to deepen our understanding of it.
One of the most important points that True Father made about God during his lifetime is that God’s desire is to become our parent. Father taught us that God is the master of all the created world and at the same time, the Parent of human beings. This is because God desires to be recognized not only as the “Father” but also as the perfect “Parent.”
If God only has the “Father” aspect without the “Mother” aspect, God’s complete liberation cannot be achieved. If True Father were alive, he would have further emphasized this issue and continued to seek God’s complete liberation. After Father’s seonghwa, True Mother took over this task. Mother completely understands God’s parental aspect and strives to welcome God as the Heavenly Parent on earth.
Therefore, our mission is to witness about God as the Parent (Father and Mother.)
Regarding the 14 holy paintings in the Cheon Il Sanctum, True Mother said that they are to help people understand “that God is the Parent” through True Parents’ life, and not to show the greatness of True Parents. The holy paintings are meant for people to see God’s heart and hopes through True Parents’ life course, and they are a testimony to the parental aspect of God.
Why did True Parents risk their lives to enter North Korea? Because they are parents. It is because their children are there too. It is the same reason why they entered the Kremlin of the then-Soviet Union, a stronghold of communism.
To understand the lives of True Parents, we must understand that God is the Parent. In order for us to have this unwavering perspective, we need to preserve the holy paintings.
By understanding that God is the Father and Mother, all issues of the earth, all problems of humanity, all religious issues, all racial issues, etc., can be resolved. It begins with the acceptance of the realization that God is the Parent.
The purpose of Cheon Shim Training and CheonBo Training is to practice love and lead people to the blessing
Finally, I would like to give my conclusion.
We are aiming to become CheonBo (families), and we are striving to substantiate it. However, becoming CheonBo families is not our ultimate goal. Our goal is to create Heaven on Earth. To do so, we must surely build God’s nation.
The nation and the family are interlinked. Since the foundation of the nation is the family, we must thoroughly uphold our values towards the family. True Mother also emphasizes creating churches based on the spirit and truth. This linking of CheonBo families and the nation is CheonBo training.
CheonBo training means the practice of love. It includes the practice of love within the family, the practice of love for the community, and the practice of love for the nation. The place to practice love is in the family, and when the love cultivated in the family is extended to the community, society, and nation, we will be able to see a nation (built on love). It is easy to speak of restoring the nation, but we must understand that the actual restoration of the community and family is a prerequisite.
Furthermore, the aspect concerning spirit and truth is the Cheon Shim training. Therefore, a life of practice centering on Cheon Shim Won, pursuing God’s heart and True Parents’ heart, is required.
We train from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. every day. It is meaningless unless we enhance our own spirituality through Cheon Shim training, grasp heaven’s hopes, and apply them in our daily lives. It is not enough to just say, “I am doing Cheon Shim training” or “I am doing all-night vigils,” and that is the end of it.
The purpose of all-night vigils does not lie in the all-night vigils. The purpose of all-night vigils is not to give orders to spirit world, nor is it to just make your wishes known to spirit world.
Then, for what purpose do we perform all-night vigils? We do it so that what we desire for can be realized on earth. The essence of the cooperation between heaven and earth is not to perform vigils for the sake of prayer, but to clarify what we should do on earth, and to ask for cooperation from the spirit world to help us achieve that objective.
Therefore, unless you are clear about what you want to accomplish on earth, no matter how many vigils you attend, it will be meaningless. Please clearly define what you are hoping for and what you are seeking help for. The ones who are seeking assistance are your ancestors, or the absolute good spirits.
Ladies and gentlemen, you have many ancestors who have been blessed in the spirit world. There are 6,880. If you are here as a single individual, you have 430 generations spread out in four lineages, and for couples, there are 430 generations spread out through eight lineages, for a total of 6,880 ancestors. All of them are your spiritual children.
Everyone, please love them well. Just because you have helped them become absolute good spirits, that is not the end. Your work is not finished. Love is to lead your 6,880 ancestors, who have become absolute good spirits, to perfection.
The way to achieving this perfection is to practice love with people on earth. Therefore, if we do not seriously practice CheonBo training and love on earth, our ancestors in the spirit world will not reach perfection even if they become absolute good spirits. Just because we have completed the ancestor liberation and blessing does not mean that it is the end.
The outcome of Cheon Shim training and CheonBo training is the blessing. The providence of God’s blessings will not end until all of humanity have attained the blessing.
Therefore, we must return as many families as possible to heaven as (God’s) children. Based on this blessing, it is our heavenly families that stand at the center, and our families must be families that serve God.
The most important part of the Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community must include heavenly families. And those who understand that God is the Parent are members of the Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community. From there, they will be educated and become a member, become a blessed family, and eventually mature into CheonBo families.
People will flock to you when they can see heavenly families and see its substance
Now, in order to protect our church, it is important to go out on the street corner and proudly say, “I am of the Family Federation, the former Unification Church.” Now, we don’t have to explain every single detail; we can just say, “I’m part of the former Unification Church.” Witnessing is much easier now because people will just say, “Oh, that group.”
We will not become the centripetal force if people don’t notice us. People will flock to you (when we are noticed and) they see the image of heavenly families and the substance from these families. Keeping this in mind, from today onward, let us all walk around with the mark of the Family Federation. Let us be recognized as the Family Federation from all angles.
People may whisper things like, “The Family Fed is here,” “The Family Fed is over there,” “The Family Fed is picking up trash,” “The Family Fed is in a convenience store,” or “The Family Fed is buying a salmon bento,” but the proof of victory is when they say that we are “normal people.” Since people think we are currently “out of the ordinary,” it is important that we first show a usual selves in order to win “citizenship.”
However, it won’t even be a conversation if they don’t know that you are a member of the Family Federation. We must show this attitude in a dignified manner. Children who see their parents will be proud that their parents are in the Family Federation and will not feel ashamed of it. Parents must become parents whom their children can be proud of.
Today, I spoke about True Mother’s greatest desire which is the entry into Cheon Won Gung and Cheon Il Sanctum next year, and the core of this is to receive God as our Parent. We are the ones that need to welcome the Parent, not Mother. Where we welcome Him is important. It is not only in the Cheon Il Sanctum, but we also need to welcome Him in our own families.
We must accept that we are entering an era in which our authenticity is being questioned, and we must boldly take up the challenge. During the next seven months, let us set goals and take on challenges in each household and spend our time focusing on the blessing of our children, the challenge of becoming CheonBo families, liaising with other religions, building relationships with religious people among our relatives, the establishment of Cheon Won Gung and Cheon Il Sanctum, the firm establishment of True Parents Theory, and the prayer vigils at Cheon Shim Won.