True Parents honored the process of aging by declaring the three great kingships, of the children, parents and grandparents, and the three seonghwas, birth, marriage and death.
As he did with everything, True Father spoke of grand-parenting and the end of life based upon his experience of it. “Old people are not a separate category of people. We all become old. In the end, we are like chestnuts becoming dry in the autumn.”
“Inevitably, we will reach the end of earthly life.”
Inevitably, we will reach the end of earthly life. At that point, there is no obsession with money, power or fame. Our happiness at the end of life consists in our children and grandchildren. True Father’s lesson for all children is: attend your parents as they decline. It is a privilege. It is your path to Heaven. It unites you as siblings. And it frees you too from obsession with money, power and fame.
“If you can truly devote yourselves to your grandparents, your parents and even your husband or wife when they can no longer take care of themselves, with greater devotion than you gave to your infant children, then you will gain a free pass to the Kingdom of Heaven.”
“Not everyone has the privilege of serving their elderly grandparents and parents. Therefore, we should demonstrate this heart of love to others in the place of our elderly grandparents and parents. Heartfelt service to elderly people will give you the qualification to enter Heaven.”
“Perfect the four-position foundation through the form of grandfather and grandmother. “
In 1980, as the True Family expanded into its third generation, in prayer True Father gazed upon his and True Mother’s becoming grandparents as the perfection of the four position foundation.
Let us remember the fact that the historical tradition,
The new tradition of grandfather and grandmother
Centered on the new tradition of parents,
Still remains for us to establish.
Centering on Home Church, we should pray with joined hands
And embark on the world historical course of indemnity
And lay down the foundation
On which we can assume the new form of son and daughter
And, starting from there,
Complete the form of bridegroom and bride
And of parents,
And then perfect the four-position foundation
Through the form of grandfather and grandmother.
This is the one central altar
On the world historical and cosmic level.
This was True Father’s prayer as he and True Mother entered the stage of grandparents.
(References: As a Peace Loving Global Citizen, p. 224; “My Life’s Fate and Destiny,” True Father, May 26, 1996, Belvedere; Second Cheon Seong Gyeong, pp. 1476-7, April 15, 1980.)
– TH
