The Way For Students

by Rev. Sun Myung Moon

What kind of time is adolescence? It is the time when your mind feels like getting out and about. The mind has matured only to a certain degree, so it cannot stay upright but sways like a reed or a bamboo stick. It wants to get out of the body, while the body wants to find the mind. This kind of time is adolescence. Before adolescence, mind and body were traveling in parallel, but they come together during adolescence. The mind wants to move forward, to relate and to dominate the outside world, whereas the body wants to follow the mind. That's how it is. (140-20)

Everyone here, why do you think adolescence is a good time? Because it is a precious time for unmarried virgins, men and women. What do you think, those here who are married? Adolescence is the most precious time. Married ladies here, was it that way for you? You cannot but admit it.

Adolescence is the time you send waves of signals, to a distance, and you want to relate with things far in the distance. Do you understand? The more you have give and take, the more you feel joy.

It is the time you may feel that, "I am the best." When you watch a marathon, you may feel that you are like the first runner crossing the finish line, with style. "I came first in the race." You would like be a participant in whatever sport you see. This is adolescence.

At this time, no one denies that he is an author or a poet. All adolescents, for reasons unknown to them, are restless. They hum, they sing with their nose, ears, eyes, mouth, arms and their body. This is why they run around. Their eyes are restless, their ears, mouth, hands and every part of them, because they wish to relate with others.

It is the only time in your life that you have this kind of heart. It would be good to have this kind of heart all our life, but somehow it goes away as we get older, which is a bit of a problem. Is it good to have a fruitful time like adolescence in our life? This is the question. This age is what you experience in spirit world, which is the world of God's love. Because of that, when you are in spirit world, you live with features similar to adolescence. Do you feel good? There, your face always looks youthful.

During adolescence, if in the autumn you happened to catch the moment that a persimmon leaf falls off its branch, snap! at a gust of wind, after it had been swaying in the breeze, you will laugh, hee, hee, hee! People in general may be feeling sentimental, but not you. If you are serious in those moments, doesn't it seem rather depressing? You'll laugh as the last leaf falls off. If we compare the situation to human life, the last one surviving after the passing of many people, even when that last person is dying, an adolescent would laugh. As the fallen leaf is being blown about by the wind, he still laughs, hee, hee, hee! In such a way, they want to adapt to everything and take dominion over it. This is the time of adolescence.

When is the time you want to adapt and have dominion over everything in your life? At this time, emotions of different natures, which were bestowed to you from your ancestors, merge and are released as one. You not only want to give out, you also want to receive. Adolescence is like this, and it is good. (50-268)

Adolescence is the time when your mind is opening to love all creation of the external world. (136-32)

Adolescence is a time in our lives when our minds expand and live on joyful emotions, while our eyes are opened wide in all directions. Our mind is inflated in every direction. Our body is also inflated. Also, adolescence is when our minds expand to relate with the whole universe.

All of this symbolizes the spring season. Spring is the season of expansion, and exertion of all the energy you have. You can display all the energy of your original elements of given nature during adolescence. (166-209)

What would Adam and Eve have been like after their growth period? Ages five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten pass as they grow to adolescence. As they grow, they team things. Then, where are they going to? They come to know their relatives, the world and so on. Then they say, "Oh, so this is what love is," and so they grow.

When they reach adolescence, they know that the world and universe belong in their realm, meaning, "I am the representative of all the elements of this realm," or "I am the great representative of all of this realm." So they feel that they are the first and the best. Is that right? (130-156)

Everyone here who is an adolescent, do you or do you not feel that you will become kings of this world? Of course you do. You're at the age when you think everything is centered on yourself. Because adolescents are at the age of refutation, they who find themselves not accepted can direct themselves in the wrong direction. This is why the problems of the youth have become worldwide problems. You don't like it when things are happening around you that do not involve you. But if you are involved even if in a small way, you feel happy, even though it may be a trivial matter.

Sometimes we can see women even nearing twenty laughing, "Hee, hee, hee," for no particular reason. (Laughter) In fall, they even laugh when they see the last persimmon leaf falling off a branch, "Ha, ha, ha." Because everything is relating to themselves, their best emotion is being motivated. So, adolescence is the time you can relate with everything in contact with yourself. This is the time of transition in life.

Why is it like that? It is because there is a certain foundation, which is God's original nature of creation, working for man and woman to come together in love perfectly, becoming one body 100%. But this idea has been going in the wrong direction, squeezed, trampled on and destroyed, like cracks in a beautiful bowl. (33-333)

Everybody here, adolescents, all your thoughts concentrate as you start to open to the opposite sex. All the actions of the cells in our body are all focused on it. (108-233)

Even though people live in the fallen world, during adolescence our spirit selves and the cells in our body are parallel and are harmonized in love. You old men are like grandfathers. You don't know that, do you? You've gotten old not knowing this fact, haven't you? So it is the time when men and woman become bigger. "Yah! The universe is like this!" "Uh, everything is poetic, literary, and everything in the universe is dancing according to the mood of my love." Therefore they welcome everything, opening the doors of their spirit selves and physical selves, and whatever door they have, saying, "Welcome! Please bring your love." If people had such an adolescence centered on God's love, we would have had no tragedies and no Fall. Instead we would have been ,one centered on God's love. (130-121)

When men and women reach adolescence, the development of the organs of their physical bodies are complete. When all the organs reach 100% perfection, that means they have to come to a standstill, the saturation status. Is that right? All growth moves to the saturation point, then it stops, or turns. Isn't that so? The stage just before the saturation point is adolescence. Do you understand? It is easy to understand if it is explained this way. What is adolescence? It is the time when all of our organs and their cells are perfected in their growth. When talking about a musical instrument, it comes to the stage when air can no longer be blown into it before rupturing. If you blow into it more, it will burst . . . Bang! If you think of it this way, what is meant by the bursting? It is love. How good would it be if our love was like this?

By the same token, when people reach 18 years of age, it is the stage of being inflated with puffs of breath. . . into what? It is like balloons blown up. So it reaches the stage of inflation just before it bursts. It enters the stage of living together with the universe in harmony.

If you ask your children in elementary school, "Do you want to have a tour of Korea or a tour of the whole world?" they will answer, "Of course, the world tour." I would also answer in this way. Would you give the same answer? [Yes] Then you'd be similar to me? (Laughter) (110-84)

Ideally if people grow and mature centered on mind and love, they will be automatically in harmony. The body feels what the mind feels, and the mind feels what the body feels. Have you heard of the phenomenon of resonance? Have you heard of the theories of tuning forks? Once one tuning fork vibrates, another would also. When the plus and minus come into position in the same frequency, they will vibrate in accordance. When is this accomplished? At the time of adolescence. Such a time of maturation. What will you be like when mature? (18-309)

When you reach adolescence, your mind vibrates, as well as your face. At this stage, mind and body become one. Do you understand what this means? God has love . . . The invisible world and the visible world become one in love. (105-194)

Look at the youths at adolescence. Girls flutter their eyelashes, wear colorful clothes, and go around tightening their bottoms. If their bottoms look big, it is a disaster. Trying to avoid being ashamed of that, they go around making their bottoms seem smaller.

You, everyone here, the time when people can use all their wisdom and all of their physical attributes at 100% is during adolescence. All the cells work at 100%. Only at that time will they be at 100% in action.

Why do the girls wear beautiful and colorful clothes? They are like traffic lights. (144-202)

During adolescence, a man wants to meet a woman, and a woman wants to meet a man. Is this right? [Yes] Your mind starts to feel restless. Does it or not? [It does] Does your mind really work that way? When there is a woman, do you turn your eyes towards her not knowing why? (Laughter) You pretend not to see, but your eyes follow her. Does this kind of thing happen? Is it true or not? [True] Please be frank, do you ladies like that? If there is a man looking at you, you may pretend not to notice him, saying, "Gee! Silly!" But in reality you may like him. Isn't this right? That's how it is.

When those boys aged 17-18 who loiter around the rail stations see a female student or beautiful woman pass by, they will think, "When can I see her again?" Women think like this, "If I could have a man like that, I wouldn't mind marrying him." This is how they think. That's all they think! (Laughter) When I feel this way after going somewhere, I feel very bad. (Laughter) Emotions well up very quickly. At a glance, I think and I already know how good the person is. Is that so? Is that so or not? [It is] You are the same! (Laughter) That is why adolescence is dangerous.

The world nowadays is very confused. In such a trend of promiscuity, can Unification Church members do the same? [No] No! This kind of adolescence is not sa choon gi, time of thinking of spring, but is sa choon gi, time of the death of spring. (Laughter) Do you understand? [Yes] Once again, (points to sa choon gi with the character sa meaning death) do you feel good or not? Which one do you choose, this one (sa choon gi with character sa meaning thinking) or that one (sa choon gi with sa meaning death)? It's very serious.

Do without your eyes, or else they will lead you to spiritual death. In the same sense, you've got to twist the ridge of your nose, block your nostrils, and twist your tongue. As you do this, you can kill your bad self. Can you do this! Did Jesus go through adolescence or not? [Yes] Jesus also went through adolescence. What kind of adolescence did he have? This one (pointing to thinking character) or that one (death character)? What kind of adolescence did he have? Did he have the kind where he can whistle at girls? [No] So, he went through adolescence of sa choon gi with the sa character meaning thinking of spring.

First of all, you should go through adolescence safely. If you want to live, this adolescence of sa choon gi (with the thinking character) is for you; if you want to die, the adolescence of sa choon gi (with the death character) is for you. If you turn 180 degrees from the one with death character adolescence, you come to the thinking character adolescence. Therefore Jesus came to have sa. choon gi of the thinking character, which is for the bridegrooms and brides in the hopeful spring and living spring by overcoming the adolescence of death. Do you understand? That is the way to be. That is what history is about.

What is the human Fall? It means that we did not have spring centered on God. Is that right? When spring comes, do pious sons enjoy the season by themselves? They may say to their parents, "Mom and dad, since it is Spring, let us have a joyful time together by having an outing!" This is the way of pious sons. Suppose there are those who say, "Mum and dad, even though it is Spring, it is a good time to have a nap." Then while their parents sleep, they go outside to sing and dance. Then, are they pious or unpious? [Unpious] They are not only unpious, but they also deserve to be beaten to death. Is this right?

What is the Fall? Adolescence, sa choon gi with the death character, began because they were not connected to God. History started with the adolescence of death. Therefore, spring is coming for those who risk their lives. The new season comes. The history of Christianity has developed in this way. (57-159)

Nowadays, we say that teenagers are important, but what does that mean? Well, many pluses and minuses are everywhere. . . They want to walk about everywhere, but they are possessed and spaced out. When they do, they bring about self destruction as well as the destruction of their society. Since adolescence is the transitional time, it is very easy to go against someone who guides them, saying, "Eh! I don't think so. . ." Everyone is on the verge of transition. Because it is the time of change, they want to run around.

Therefore, to go the right path, you must arrange yourself with order, even when it is hard to do so. What is evil? Evil is something which destroys good. There is no protection for evil. Do you understand what this means? [Yes] (118-197)

Whether you are a man or a woman, adolescence is a dangerous time. Because of this, if you choose the wrong place to sit, you may ruin your life. If you make a good choice, you can live a good life for the rest of your life. These kinds of things happen. (124-120, 50-270)

You are young only once. Only one time do you have youth. Rev. Moon has been through this precious time safely and constructively. How do you become a plus? You cannot waste your time playing and dancing around in your youth, but you should seek to realize the truth, even though you may be persecuted or mocked. Teacher's course was like that in the past, and it will be the same in the future. This path is the same all the time. (129-180)

Well, why is it bad to be self-centered? If there is no self-centeredness, it is good, but somehow it is difficult to assure yourself. Yet the bad point is, if you are self-centered, you still assure yourself, even though you may be going against the right order. Do you understand? [Yes] It is wrong to go against the right order. What is the bad point of love? Love is not always evil since everybody has to go through love, yet if you do not do it at the right time and not in the right order, it is evil.

Well, look how different are God and Satan. They are close to each other like next door neighbors. (Laughter) Do you feet that "side-by-side" describes the situation realistically? [Yes] What is the difference They have difference in order and sequence.

Nowadays Satan expands this kind of action throughout the world. Youths go against their parents, and this destroys families, because they are destroying the right order and sequence. Because of this, families are being broken. Because of this, societies are being broken. Because of this, nations are being destroyed. Because of this, humanity is being destroyed. That is why you cannot deny that this is evil.

During adolescence, you may want to try really hard to copy the activity in a thrilling movie. People ask, "What's wrong with that?" It is wrong because irresponsible actions lead to the destruction of the environment. So, it is necessary to use forcible strength against such actions. When you mature and have wisdom and knowledge, and can control your social and environmental experiences, then you are free to do so. But not during adolescence.

Well, why do we say, "Do not give a knife to a child"? It is because the child would wave it around. He understands how to cut with a knife, but he cuts without control. He may even cut his mother's fingers. These things can happen. Because children would destroy order in this manner, we do not give them knives. Do you understand what this means? [Yes]

If we decided to meet together at eight o'clock sharp but you came at ten past eight, then you cannot argue that you were right, saying, "I came here only ten minutes late, how come it's wrong?" What if you came one second after eight o'clock? Is that good or bad? [Bad] How bad is it being one second late? Is this forgivable, while the other one who came at ten past eight . . . ? (Laughter) It is not forgivable. It is unacceptable in this part of the world, because it was agreed that the meeting was to be at eight o'clock sharp.

If it was scheduled for 8:01 o'clock, but some came at six, some came at seven, and some at 7:59:59. What is the difference? The answer is the same. The person who came at 7:59:59, kept the time very well and was punctual.

Well, if there are two people who say, "I am the best at keeping the right time," then both are good and we cannot complain about them or say they are bad. For this reason, we can understand why we need to have the law of order and sequence.

Because of that, we need order. The universe has been moving in accordance with order and law. We can see, for instance, if the Moon says, "I have been going around the Earth for so long, I feel bored. I would like to revolve around the sun just once!," then the value of the Moon disappears and it may be destroyed.

If the Earth says to the Sun, "Ah, it is very boring for me to revolve around the Sun, it is now your turn to revolve around me!," what do you think? (Laughter) What happens then? This universe will be destroyed. As other planets become involved in the chaos, it leads to the destruction of the universe. Do you understand what this means? [Yes] (117-184)

Everyone in the world, particularly the adolescents might think this way, "The most freedom you can have is to do whatever you wish to do," and, "Who made all the laws and systems in this world? They made them as they wished and needed. I did not make them, so I disregard them." When they do so, they do not feel any fear towards the world. During adolescence, you want to live life however you want to, and have a well-spring of hope. But it does not work out that way. (156-84)

The Bible, says, "Do not eat." Why is it said in that way? Does it mean, "Do not eat forever," or for a certain time period? [A certain time period] As we think this way, the words "Do not eat" are acceptable as a warning for love. It was spoken because there is a growing period called adolescence, and it does not mean forever. Then why did God say, "Do not to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil"? What was the problem? It was regarded as a problem because it had the possibility of becoming destructive between God and man. Otherwise it would have not been worthy of any attention.

The Fall, as it is taught in the Divine Principle, is a great gospel for all humanity who have been without knowledge. Again, it is a great gospel. The words of warning concerning the fall are extremely important.

If the fruit had been a literal fruit. . . it cannot have been a literal fruit. Then, what kind of fruit was it? Because of this fruit, the humanity of thousands of generations suffered. Why did God make such a fruit, that humanity now cries in agony and has a course of struggle and destruction? This question cannot be answered without the teachings of Rev. Moon, which explain that the fruit is related to love. It is a very deep theory. (128-87)

Do you like flower buds that are ready to bloom or do you like the flowers that have already bloomed? [We like buds.] Teacher likes the flowers that have bloomed. . . [We like buds.] You say that because you are like buds. Do you like flowers that are going to bloom or flowers that have already bloomed wide open? [Flowers that are going to bloom.] You are the ones who are going to bloom, aren't you? [Yes]

As you grow, you grow and blossom wide open as much as you wish. Do you understand? Do not rely on someone else to bloom, but do so by your own wish and open very wide. This means you should grow by the natural way, going through adolescence naturally, and open the flower, then you have to receive your husband, whom you want to love. Do you understand? [Yes] Do not be squeezed unless the flowers have bloomed. Do not be flowers that leaves have fallen off and the pollen shaken out. This is what I do not want you to be. Do you understand? [Yes] It is the same for the men. Men should also blossom widely open.

As buds you have not yet bloomed. Do not become bad like those that write love letters and have illicit love relationships. [Right] You should naturally blossom brightly and radiantly. When God sees you, He should be able to say, "Oh! As I smell the fragrance, I can tell that you have blossomed purely and naturally; surely you are a virgin." Do you understand? For this reason, God has so much hope.

Such a God, does he want a pure one or a wrinkled one? What about you then! A pure one or a wrinkled one? [Pure one] Even fallen men want to have pure self. God would want to have a higher degree of pure self. Because of that, you should blossom brightly and radiantly with a pure heart, and not be trapped in the fallen world with sorrow, but go beyond. In this way, you can be of value. This is my wish. (47-88)

First love should occupy everything. Who is the subject of love? God is. Because the subject of love is God, He is the only being who can love. Ideally, the first love should be with God alone. But due to the Fall, it means that it was not possible.

Who did Eve have a love relationship with? [the archangel] She should have loved with joy, but she loved weeping wildly. Do you think Eve, while eating the fruit at the time of the Fall, said, "Oh, I like it. This fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is very delicious, so very delicious."? What mind do you think Eve had as she was being raped? She was being drawn in by the archangel while feeling disliked and accused by her conscience. She did not make love with happiness in all her cells like a flower in spring. Instead, she was depressed in her heart and every one of her cells.

Everyone here, have you heard that first love is precious? I don't know myself, but what about you? [It is precious.] You are better than me. Well, it sounds like the ones who have answered, have experienced first love, have you? (someone laughs) When I say this kind of thing, you should stay quiet. If one of you girls answered that, I would have given her a hard time, but because you are a boy who resembles the bogey man, I will be patient with you. Anyway, you might have heard that first love is precious.

Think about it, when you are nearing twenty, where do you take your clean and unstained pure love, all wrapped up? To the altar of God, the place where Heaven and God will be most happy to receive it. Then you become a holy husband and wife together with a man of pure love and a woman with pure love. This is where the holy place should be. . .

You should become the people that Teacher remembers in his mind. Understand? Next, you should become people that God remembers. With this kind of thought, you are to be the youth who take responsibility for the struggles in Korea, after you complete junior and senior high school studies in the near future. (64-84)

Your bodies are precious. Be pious, do not stain your body. You have to escape from Satan's realm of death with the responsibility to serve Heaven and with the bodies which God accepts. This is the highest goal and standard man should have. According to the Principle of Creation, you cannot help but be that way. (15-202)

Have you become pure blood in front of God? [Not yet] Not yet, then what do you have to do? You should be obedient. Therefore, if you are disobedient you have to be taught the way of obedience, even if it means being hit. It means that you are taught the love of God. This is Christianity. This is why Christianity is the center of all religions.

What is the center of a seed? It is God's love. Then, if you chop your skull in half, what is the center? It is God's love. What is the center of a seed which can then become a sprout? It is God's love. It starts from God's Love. But everyone here has been able to say, "Even though my looks are poor, whether five or six feet tall, I have God's love in me. God's love is overflowing inside of my mind, which is bright red." (33-332)

Teacher thinks that this earth plane is precious. It is especially important for young people to keep their bodies pure. When you are obedient with a clean mind and body, you can become truly filial to your pure parents. (15-201)

You have to go to God with a mind of first love. (129-149)

You should know that people who go to the spirit world with first love, can go to the highest position. Do you understand what these words mean? [Yes] (129-135)

People on Earth who can go to the Kingdom of Heaven are those who lived their lives centered on first love. Giving up everything for the sake of first love and risking their lives for the sake of first love. Therefore, you must have a safe first love. (128-85)