1. Divine Image
Divine Image refers to the “form” attribute of God. We can not see God. Yet, He has definite forms. Strictly speaking, He has the potential to take definite forms, or He has a determinativeness. This is called Divine Image. Divine Image includes Sungsang and Hyungsang, Yang and Yin, and the Individual Images. First, I will explain Sungsang and Hyungsang.
1.1. Sungsang and Hyungsang
God has the dual characteristics of Sungsang and Hyungsang as His attributes. God’s Sungsang and Hyungsang are also called Original Sung-sang and Original Hyungsang in order to differentiate them from the sungsangs and Hyungsangs of all creation. The relationship between God and all things is that of Creator and created, that is, cause and effect. Therefore, Original Sungsang is the root cause of the intangible, functional aspect of all created beings, and Original Hyungsang is the root cause of the tangible, material aspect of creation.
The relationship between God and human beings is that of father and children. We were created in the image of God according to the principle of “creation in likeness, ”Original Sungsang corresponding to the minds of human beings, and Original Hyungsang corresponding to their bodies. Sungsang and Hyungsang are not separate, different attributes, but are harmonized as one in a reciprocal relationship 1. This is what is meant in the Divine Principle when it states that “God is the Subject in whom the dual characteristics of original internal nature [Original Sungsang] and original external form [Original Hyungsang] are in harmony” (Exposition of the Divine Principle, hereafter cited as DP, 19) 2. Thus, God is a being with the dual characteristics of Original Sungsang and Original Hyungsang harmoniously united.
From an ontological viewpoint, the concept of Divine Image is neither just spiritual nor just material: it can be described as a “Theory of Oneness” or “Unification Theory”. It can be said that spiritualism, in limited perspective, regards only Original Sungsang as the cause of the universe, whereas materialism regards only Original Hyungsang as the cause of the universe. Let us consider the content of Sungsang and Hyungsang, and explain them in more detail.
a) Sungsang (Original Sungsang)
Original Sungsang and Created Beings
God’s Sungsang corresponds to the mind of a human being. Therefore, Original Sungsang is the mind of God, and it is the root cause of the intangible, functional aspects of all created beings. Thus, God’s Sungsang is the root cause of the human mind, animal instinct, vegetable life, and mineral physicochemical character. In other words, God’s Sungsang is manifested in space and time on various levels, forming mineral physico-chemical character, vegetable life, animal instinct, and the human mind; all according to the principle of “creation in likeness.”
Even on the lowest level of the chain of being, God’s Sungsang is manifested in inorganic materials and minerals as law. In plants, God’s Sungsang manifests itself as life on a higher dimension (recently experiments have shown that plants have mental functions able to react to a human mind). In animals, God’s Sungsang manifests itself in a still higher form of mental function as instinct. According to recent research by scholars, we can see that animals also have functions of intellect, emotion and will; they have consciousness as humans do. Yet, animals do not have the self-consciousness which humans have.
Inner Structure of the Original Sungsang
God’s Sungsang has the duality of Inner Sungsang and Inner Hyungsang. Inner Sungsang refers to the functional, subjective part, and Inner Hyungsang refers to the objective part. I will explain God’s Inner Sungsang and Inner Hyungsang, taking a human being as an example, inasmuch as the human mind resembles that of God.
Inner Sungsang
The Inner Sungsang, the functional part within the Sungsang, refers to the faculties of intellect, emotion and will. Intellect, which is the faculty of cognition, consists of perception, understanding and reason; emotion is the faculty of feeling joy, anger, sadness and happiness; and will is the faculty of desiring, intentionality, or determining. These faculties all work actively on the Inner Hyungsang. Inner Sungsang is the subjective part within the Sungsang. The perception faculty of the intellect refers to one’s ability to perceive external objects just as they are reflected on one’s five senses, or one’s ability to perceive intuitively; understanding refers to one’s ability to perceive logically following cause and effect; and reason refers to one’s ability to comprehend universal truths, and one’s capacity for conceptualization. These three functions can be explained by taking as an example the process of Isaac Newton’s discovery of universal gravitation. First, Newton perceived as fact that an apple had fallen from an apple tree. Next, he reflected about the cause of the apple falling, and came to understand that the earth and the apple attracted each other. Finally, by studying, experimenting, and observing, he inferred that, in the universe, all material bodies with mass―aside from the earth and the apple―attract one another. In this process, the first stage in Newton’s cognition is perception, the second stage is understanding, and the third stage is reason, which can be called universal cognition.
Inner Hyungsang
Inner Hyungsang refers to the objective part within the Original Sungsang, and contains elements that have form. These important elements include ideas, concepts, laws, and mathematical principles.
i) Ideas: Ideas are concrete representations or images of individual created beings within God’s Sungsang. We human beings also have concrete pictures of individual created beings in the objective world within our minds as images, and those images are our ideas. Our ideas come from our experiences, but in God, the absolute being, ideas have existed within Him from the beginning.
ii) Concepts: A concept is an abstract and universal image, which arises from the common elements among a group of ideas. Common elements among the ideas of dog, chicken, cow, and pig include, for example, “movement” and “senses”. These are collected into an image, and we obtain an abstract image of “animal”, which is a concept. Concepts may be further differentiated as specific concepts and generic concepts.
iii) Laws (Principles): Laws or principles in the Inner Hyungsang are the original laws at the root of natural laws and norms (laws of value). In other words, it is in and through the numerous natural laws of nature and norms of human life that these original laws find their expression. It can be seen that, as the seed of a plant germinates, and its trunk and branches grow, and many leaves develop, these natural laws, and human norms as well, all derive from the original laws in God.
iv) Mathematical Principles: Mathematical principles are the ultimate cause for the mathematical phenomena inherent in the natural world. All numbers, mathematical values and formulas, which lie in mathematical phenomena, come ultimately from the mathematical principles in the Inner Hyungsang. Pythagoras (ca. 570-496) asserted that numbers are the root of all things. The British physicist Paul Dirac (1902-84), who contributed to the formulation of quantum mechanics, held that “God is a high-level mathematician using high-level mathematics in forming the universe.” 3 The numbers and mathematics referred to here are the mathematical principles in the Inner Hyungsang.
Divine Principle and Biblical Foundation for the Inner Hyungsang
I would like to explain about the foundation for the Inner Hyungsang as it can be found in the Divine Principle and in the Bible.
i) Inner Hyungsang: In the Divine Principle it is written, “The inner quality, though invisible, possesses a certain structure which is manifested visibly in the particular outer form. The inner quality is called internal nature, and the outer form or shape is called external form” (DP, 17). This passage means that prior to the visible forms, there exists a form within the Sungsang. This refers to the Inner Hyungsang.
ii) Ideas and Concepts: The Bible says, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen. 1:27, Revised Standard Version) (hereafter Biblical quotations are from RSV). On each day, God said, “Let there be….” And it was so. And God saw that it was good (Gen. 1:3-31). This means that all things were created according to the ideas and concepts He had in His mind.
iii) Laws (Principles): In the Divine Principle it is written, “God made the world and carried out His providence according to the Principle” (DP, Korean version, 108) 4, “[God is] the Author of the Principle” (DP, 43), “Although God created human beings based on the Principle, He governs us through love” (DP, 66). Thus God first established the Principle and then He created human beings and all things.
iv) Mathematical Principles: In the Divine Principle it is written, “The universe unfolds and manifests God’s original internal nature and original external form based on mathematical principles. Hence, we can infer that one aspect of God’s nature is mathematical” (DP, 41), and “God exists upon His Principle, which has a numerical aspect” (DP, 294). We can, therefore, understand that all of the elements that constitute the Inner Hyungsang have a reference in the Divine Principle and in the Bible.
So far, I have explained about the functional part (Inner Sungsang) and objective part (Inner Hyungsang) in God’s Original Sungsang through comparisons with a human mind. It is for the purpose of solving actual problems that I have explained God’s Original Sungsang in some detail. For example, when we say that intellect, emotion and will are centered on Heart, this means that the values of truth, beauty, and goodness―the values which correspond to intellect, emotion and will, respectively―are based on love. Inner Hyungsang is objective to Inner Sungsang consisting of intellect, emotion, and will; and at the same time, together with Original Hyungsang, it is the cause of the tangible aspects of all created beings. From this, it may be concluded that, in our actual life, we should give priority to a life of value (truth, goodness, and beauty) over a material life of food, clothing and shelter. Next, I would like to explain about God’s Hyungsang in more detail.
b) Hyungsang (Original Hyungsang)
Original Hyungsang and Created Beings
In terms of a human being, God’s Hyungsang corresponds to the human body. It is the fundamental cause of the corporeal, material aspect of all created beings: the human body, the animal body, plant cells and tissues, and the atoms and molecules of minerals. In other words, God’s Hyungsang was manifested in different forms in time and space. This, again, reflects the principle of “creation in likeness.”
Thus, the fundamental cause of the corporeal aspect of all created beings is God’s Hyungsang, and it has two characters. One is the material element, and the other is the potential for a limitless number of forms. (The origin of the actual forms of all things exists in the Inner Hyungsang.)
Here, I can explain the potential for a limitless number of forms by taking the example of water. Water itself has no definite shape of its own. However, it takes various shapes according to its container. In a circular container, it appears as circular; in a rectangular container, it appears rectangular; and in a tall container, it appears columnar. It is because water itself is shapeless and has the potential for a limitless number of forms that accommodation in any shape is possible. In other words, water exists in countless shapes. In an analogous manner, God’s Hyungsang has no specific form of its own, and yet it possesses the nature of adjusting itself to any image or adapting itself to countless forms. Thus, the fundamental cause of the corporeal aspect of created beings has two characteristics: the material element and the potential for a limitless number of forms.
In human creative activities, visible materials (plaster or marble in the case of a sculpture, for example) are transformed in such a way as to conform to the design of the artist’s mind. In other words, it can be said that the creative activity is the transformation of materials according to the artist’s design. A similar thing can be said for God and His creation. God put the material elements of the Original Hyungsang, having the potential for a limitless number of forms, into the mold of the Inner Hyungsang in making all things with definite concrete forms. This was the manner of God’s creation.
Original Hyungsang and Science
The fundamental material element, which is the fundamental cause of the corporeal aspect of created beings, is also the fundamental cause of the “matter” that science has been pursuing. Let us look more closely at the fundamental material element as seen by science. According to today’s science, the fundamental cause of matter is energy (physical energy) which gives rise to elementary particles: That energy has both particle and wave natures. However, since science only conducts its research within the parameters of the phenomenal, resultant world, the energy science is describing is not yet the fundamental and primary cause of matter. The Theory of the Original Image holds that the ultimate cause of matter lies in the Original Hyungsang. Thus, the Original Hyungsang is the stage just prior to the physical energy being described by science, and so it can be called “prior-stage energy” or simply “pre-energy.” 5
Original Hyungsang and Force
In God’s creation, two kinds of energy―”forming energy” and “acting energy”―are generated from the pre-energy in the Original Hyungsang through give and receive action (which will be explained in the next section “Structure of the Original Image”). Forming energy is that energy which becomes particles and creates material. On the other hand, acting energy is that energy which acts upon all things and is manifested as the force that causes give and receive action (i.e., centripetal force and centrifugal force) among all things. This causal force is called “Prime Force” in Unification Thought. When Prime Force acts horizontally as the acting force among all things, it is called “Universal Prime Force.” 6
Forming energy and acting energy both appear from the Original Hyungsang when it is engaged in give and receive action with the Original Sungsang. Heart, the root of love, is the base of give and receive action and therefore, the two energies are both the unity of physical energy and the force of love. Thus, the force of love is contained in Prime Force, and in Universal Prime Force as well. (Since his New Hope Banquet speech in May, 1975, Rev. Sun Myung Moon has often mentioned that the force of love is acting in Universal Prime Force.)
Difference and Homogeneity between Sungsang and Hyungsang
The question of whether Sungsang and Hyungsang are essentially heterogeneous or homogeneous, that is, the question concerning the difference between Sungsang and Hyungsang should be considered. What position does the “theory of the dual characteristics of Sungsang and Hyungsang” occupy among the ontologies of traditional philosophies? Is the “theory of the dual characteristics of Sungsang and Hyungsang” a monism or dualism? Is it materialistic or idealistic? Here, monism refers either to monistic materialism, which asserts that the origin of the universe is solely matter, or to monistic spiritualism (idealism), which asserts that the origin of the universe is solely spirit. Marxist materialism is an example of the former, and Hegelian idealism is an example of the latter. Dualism holds that matter and spirit are separate entities, which gave rise to the universe. For example, Cartesian dualism recognizes the two distinct substances of thought (spirit) and extension (matter).
Given this, is the “theory of the dual characteristics of Sungsang and Hyungsang” in Unification Thought monistic or dualistic? Stating the question in different terms, are Sungsang and Hyungsang in the Original Image homogeneous or heterogeneous? If we say they are completely heterogeneous, God becomes a dualistic being, and so we must examine this issue closely. We must ask whether the Original Sungsang and the Original Hyungsang are two heterogeneous elements, or if they are simply two expressions of one homogeneous element. Unification Thought holds that the Original Sungsang and the Original Hyungsang are two forms of expression of one homogeneous element. As an analogy we can say that steam and ice are the two different forms of expression of one entity, water (H2O). In water, the attraction and repulsion of molecules are balanced, but when it is heated, the repulsive force becomes predominant and water vaporizes into steam; when it is cooled, the attractive force becomes predominant and water turns into ice. Steam and ice are but two states of water; in other words, they are simply different expressions of the relative relationships between attraction and repulsion of water molecules. Therefore, they are not totally heterogeneous entities.
In the same way, the Sungsang and Hyungsang of God are the forms of expression of God’s absolute attribute. This absolute attribute refers to mind possessing energy, or on the other hand, to energy possessing mind. That is to say, energy and mind are not totally different elements, but are originally united as one. This absolute attribute manifests itself as Sungsang, the mind of God, and as Hyungsang, the body of God. 7
Sungsang consists primarily of mental elements, but there is some element of energy in it as well. In Sungsang, the mental element is predominant over the element of energy. Likewise, Hyungsang is made of energy, but there is some mental element included in it. Thus, Sungsang and Hyungsang are not totally heterogeneous elements. Both have the mental element and the element of energy in common.
In the created world, Sungsang and Hyungsang are manifested as the elements of spirit and matter. Yet, there are still some common elements between them. This can be understood from the following example. If an electrical impulse is applied to the nerve of a leg muscle removed from a frog, the muscle will contract. On the other hand, we can move the muscles of our hands and legs by our thinking (mind): Our thought stimulates our nerves and moves our muscles. This means that our mind has the same kind of energy as the physical electrical energy. The fact that there are people who can move another person’s body through hypnotism also indicates that there is some energy in the mind.
On the other hand, we can say that there is some sungsang element in energy. According to recent scientific understanding, elementary particles are formed in a vacuum state through the vibration of energy. When the particles are formed, however, the vibration of energy is not continuous, but occurs at graded levels, or states. Just as there are scales in music, there are graded states in the vibration of energy and, as a result, different types of elementary particles come into being at graded states. It is concluded that a sungsang aspect exists behind energy which determines the stages of the vibration of energy, in the same way that scales in music are determined by our mind. Thus, there is some Hyungsang element in the sungsang, and likewise there is some sungsang element in the Hyungsang. In the Original Image, Sungsang and Hyungsang are united into one. They are at the root one and the same absolute attribute, from which are engendered the different sungsang and Hyungsang. When this absolute attribute is manifested in the created world through creation, it becomes two different elements. This is analogous to the drawing of two straight lines from a single point. One of the lines, in this case, corresponds to sungsang (or spirit), and the other corresponds to Hyungsang (or matter) (see fig. 1.1).
It is written in the Bible that one can understand the nature of God by observing created beings (Rom. 1:20). If we observe created beings, we will notice that they have the dual aspects of mind and body, of instinct and body, of life and body (which is made of cells and tissues), and so on. From this we can infer that God, who is the absolute causal being, is, likewise, of dual aspects. These are the dual characteristics of God. In God, however, the dual characteristics are essentially one. In reference to this point, the Divine Principle states that “God is the Subject in whom the dual characteristics of original internal nature [Original Sungsang] and original external form [Original Hyungsang] are in harmony” (DP, 19). We call this viewpoint “Unification Theory” 8 . This is also called “Theory of Oneness” 9 , referring to God’s absolute attribute.
For Aristotle (384-322 BC), substance consists of eidos (form) and hylē (matter). Eidos refers to the essence that makes a substance into what it is; hylē refers to the material that forms the substance. Aristotle’s eidos and hylē, which became two basic concepts in Western philosophy, correspond to sungsang and Hyungsang in Unification Thought. There are, however, fundamental differences between the two views, as follows.
According to Aristotle, when we trace eidos and hylē back to their ultimate origin, we arrive at “pure eidos” (or prime eidos) and “prime hylē”. Pure eidos, or God, is pure activity without any form; it is nothing but thinking itself. Thus, God was regarded as pure thinking, or the thinking of thinking. “Prime hylē“. however, was considered to be entirely independent of God. Hence, Aristotle’s ontology was dualistic and thus different from Unification Thought; it is also different from the Christian view that God is the Creator of all things.
Incorporating Aristotle’s thought into Christianity; Thomas Aquinas (1225-74) considered pure eidos, or the thinking of thinking, to be God. Just as Augustine (354-430) had done before him, Aquinas claimed that God created the world from nothing. God created everything, including hylē, and since no element of hylē existed within God, Aquinas had to affirm the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo (“creation out of nothing”). The doctrine that matter (energy) comes from nothing, however, is unacceptable to modern science, which holds that the universe is made of energy.
René Descartes (1596-1650) held that God, spirit, and matter are three different types of substance. He believed that God is the only real sub-stance. Spirit and matter are totally independent from each other, though each of them is dependent on God. Hence, Descartes proposed a dualism. As a result, it became difficult for him to explain how spirit and matter can interact with each other. The Flemish philosopher A. Geulincx (1625-69), succeeded Descartes in developing the doctrine of dualism. He sought to solve the problem of how mind and body interact with each other by explaining that God mediates between the two. In other words, the occurrence of a mental state gives God the occasion to cause a physical action corresponding to it; and the occurrence of a physical state gives God the occasion to cause a mental state corresponding to it. This was the essence of occasionalism. 10 This explanation, however, is unacceptable expediency, which no philosopher now takes seriously. The root of Descartes’ problem was that he conceived of spirit and matter as totally heterogeneous entities. It is clear from the above discussion that the concepts of eidos (form) and hylē (matter), as well as spirit and matter, as held in Western thought, have presented a difficult impasse. These difficult problems have been resolved by the Unification Thought theory of sungsang and Hyungsang, namely, the theory that the Original Sungsang and Original Hyungsang are the two forms of expression of one and the same essential element. This concludes my explanation of “Sungsang and Hyungsang” of the Divine Image. Next, I would like to explain “Yang and Yin,” which is another aspect of the Divine Image.
1.2. Yang and Yin
Yang and Yin Are Also Dual Characteristics of God
However, the dual characteristics of Yang and Yin are different in dimension from those of Sungsang and Hyungsang, which were previously dealt with. Sungsang and Hyungsang are God’s direct attributes, while Yang and Yin are God’s indirect attributes; in other words, Yang and Yin are the attributes of both Sungsang and Hyungsang, respectively. To put it another way, God’s Sungsang has Yang and Yin as its attributes, as does God’s Hyungsang.
The dual characteristics of Yang and Yin are completely harmonized, as are the dual characteristics of Sungsang and Hyungsang. This is what the Divine Principle means in saying that “God, as the Subject partner, has dual characteristics of Yang and Yin in perfect harmony [Chung-hwa]” (DP, 18-19). The Korean term Chung-hwa, as used for Yang and Yin, as well as for Sungsang and Hyungsang, means harmony and unity. The dual characteristics were united into oneness before creation was designed. From this oneness, Yang and Yin attributes were separated at the time of creation. Looking at Yang and Yin from this perspective, I Ching, or the Book of Changes, is correct in saying that “The Great Ultimate, or T’aichi, generates the two primary elements of yin and yang.” The concept of yang and yin in Unification Thought looks similar to that in the I Ching, but they are actually different. In the Oriental concept yang means light or brightness, while yin means shade or darkness. These basic meanings are extended, and used in various ways. For example, yang is used to refer to the sun, a mountain, heaven, day, hard, hot, high, and so on, while yin is used as referring to the moon, a valley, earth, night, soft, cold, low and so on.
However, in Unification Thought yang and yin are the attributes of sungsang and Hyungsang. This is why sungsang and Hyungsang make up an individual or substance, while yang and yin only appear as the attributes of a substance. For example, the sun (an individual) is a union of sungsang and Hyungsang, and the brightness of the sun is yang. In the same way, the moon itself is an individual (substance) consisting of sungsang and Hyungsang, and the paleness of the moon is yin.
I would like to explain the concept of substance in Unification Thought. The concept of substance, as used in Unification Thought, originates in the Divine Principle. There, many terms with the word “substance” are used, such as “foundation of substance,” “substantial offering,” “substantial temple,” “substantial world,” “substantial embodiment,” “substantial object,” “substantial course” and so on, whereas the term “substance” traditionally refers to a created being, an individual, a human being with physical body, a material being, and so on.
Every created being, including human beings, is the united being of sungsang and Hyungsang. In other words, in a created being sungsang and Hyungsang are components of that individual (substance). Moreover, sungsang and Hyungsang themselves each have the character of substance. It is like saying that an automobile is a product (substance) as are each of its parts, such as the tires, the transmission, and so on. Thus, especially in human beings, both sungsang and Hyungsang are included in this general concept of substance in Unification Thought.
To be precise, Yang and Yin in the Original Image are called Original Yang and Original Yin, respectively (DP, 19).“ sungsang and Hyungsang” and “yang and yin” in a human being resemble the “Original Sungsang and Original Hyungsang” and “Original Yang and Original Yin” in the Original Image. As explained above, in the created world sungsang and Hyungsang have the character of substance, while yang and yin are the attributes of sungsang and Hyungsang; in other words, yang and yin are the attributes of an individual being which is the united being of sungsang and Hyungsang. The unity of the dual characteristics of Sungsang and Hyungsang and the dual characteristics of Yang and Yin in the Original Image is shown in fig. 1.2. In order to know correctly the relationship between Sungsang and Hyungsang and the relationship between Yang and Yin in the Original Image, we need to study the relationship between the sungsang and Hyungsang of a person, and the relationship between yang and yin as his or her attributes. The relationship between sungsang and Hyungsang, and that between yang and yin, in human beings are shown in table 1.1.
| Yang | Yin | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sungsang | Intellect | clarity, good memory, distinctiveness, wittiness |
vagueness, forgetfulness, unclear ideas, seriousness |
| Emotion | pleasantness, loudness, joy, excitement |
unpleasantness, quietness, sorrow, composure |
|
| Will | activeness, aggressiveness, creativeness, carefreeness |
passiveness, tolerance, conservativeness, carefulness |
|
| Hyunsang | protuberant parts, protrusions, convex parts, front side |
sunken parts, orifices, concave Parts, back side |
|
As shown in the table, the faculties of intellect, emotion and will of the sungsang (mind) have the attributes of yang and yin. The yang aspects of the intellect are clarity, distinctiveness, and so on. The yin aspects of the intellect are vagueness, unclear ideas, and so on. The yang aspects of emotion are pleasantness, joy, and so on. The yin aspects of emotion are unpleasantness, sorrow, and so on. The yang aspects of will are activeness, creativeness and so on. And the yin aspects of will are passivity, conservativeness and so on. Needless to say, the Hyungsang (physical body) also has yang aspects (protuberant parts, protrusions) and yin aspects (sunken parts, orifices).
To clarify, what is explained in the above table applies only to human beings. God is the causal being centered on Heart. Prior to the creation, He has Yang and Yin, the attributes of Sungsang and Hyungsang, as potentials to realize harmonious interactions. Once creation starts, Yang and Yin as potentials become active and bring about harmonious changes to the faculties of intellect, emotion, and will, and also harmonious changes to Hyungsang.
1.2.1. Relationship between Yang and Yin, and Man and Woman
We will next examine the relationship between yang and yin with regard to man and woman. In the Orient, from ancient times, man and woman have been equated with yang and yin. In Unification Thought, however, man is considered as a “yang substantial being” and woman as a “yin substantial being.” The oriental philosophical view and the viewpoint of Unification Thought concerning man and woman seem to be, but are not, the same.
In Unification Thought, man is the “union of sungsang and Hyungsang with yang characteristics” and woman is the “union of sungsang and Hyungsang with yin characteristics.” Thus, man is described as a “yang substantial being” and woman as a “yin substantial being.”
It should be noted here that the meaning of yang when used in calling man a yang substantial being and the meaning of yin when used in calling woman a yin substantial being are not identical with the meanings of yang and yin as described in table 1.1. In other words, the yang and yin in sungsang and in Hyungsang, as described in table 1.1, are not related to man and woman. Let me explain this point more concretely. First, let us consider the difference between yang and yin in the Hyungsang, in man and woman. In the Hyungsang (body), both man and woman have the yang protuberant parts and protrusions, and the yin sunken parts and orifices, but these characteristics are not the same in man and woman. Man has more defining protuberant parts than woman does, and woman has more defining sunken parts than man does. Also, there is a difference between man and woman in the average height, and in the average size of their hips. Thus, the difference between yang and yin in a man’s and in a woman’s Hyungsang is a quantitative one. In other words, man has more defining yang elements expressed while woman has more defining yin elements expressed.
Then, how about the sungsang aspect? The difference between yang and yin in a man’s and in a woman’s sungsang is not quantitative but qualitative (There is no quantitative difference in this respect between man and woman). For example, man and woman both possess clarity (yang) in the intellectual faculty of sungsang, but the character is different as between man and woman. Generally, clarity in man is expressed more in terms of comprehensive thinking, while clarity in woman is oriented more towards details. A similar thing can be said for other aspects of the intellect.
Looking at the emotional faculty, man’s sorrow (yin) tends to be of a painful kind, whereas woman’s sorrow tends to be of a grieving kind. As for the activeness (yang) of will, man’s activity generally gives an impression of hardness while woman’s activity gives a softer impression to others. Such differences between man and woman are characteristic. This can be summarized in table 1.2.
| Man | Woman | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yang | Intellect | clarity, wittiness | comprehensive, boldness | attention to detail, minuteness |
| Will | activeness | hardness | softness | |
| Yin | Emotion | sorrow | painful sorrow | grieving sorrow |
Thus, between men and women there are characteristic differences between yang and yin in the sungsangs of both. Such differences can be likened to the differences found in vocal music. In the high vocal ranges there is a difference between tenor (male) and soprano (female), and in the low vocal ranges there is a difference between bass (male) and alto (female).
Given the above, we can understand that the yang and yin of the sungsang represent characteristic differences between man and woman, and so we express man’s yang and yin as masculine, and woman’s yang and yin as feminine. Thus, we have the concepts of “masculine yang and yin” and “feminine yang and yin.” Since the differences between man and woman in terms of Hyungsang are quantitative, it is easily accepted that man is a yang substantial being and woman is a yin substantial being. In terms of sungsang, however, the differences between man and woman are characteristic. Then, why is man called a yang substantial being and woman a yin substantial being? Concerning this point, it can be explained as follows: whether quantitative or qualitative, the difference in yang and yin between man and woman is the difference between subject and object. As will be explained below, the character of the relationship between subject and object is that of active and passive, initiating and responding, and so forth.
For example, in a yang aspect of the intellectual faculty, namely clarity, man’s comprehensiveness and woman’s orientation toward details are in the relationship of subject and object, and in a yin aspect of the emotional faculty, namely sorrow, the relationship between man’s painful sorrow and woman’s grieving sorrow is that of subject and object. Also, in a yang aspect of the volitional faculty, in other words, activeness, the relationship between man’s hardness and woman’s softness is that between subject and object. This concludes my explanation that the relationship between man and woman is that between yang and yin, and that man is called a yang substantial being and woman, a yin substantial being.
1.2.2. Solution of Actual Problems through Understanding that Yang and Yin Are the Attributes of Sungsang and Hyungsang
From the explanation above, it has been clarified that yang and yin are the attributes of sungsang and Hyungsang. The reason why this is important is that this also becomes the standard for the solution of actual problems. Actual problems here refers to the problems between man and woman, such as degradation of sexual morality, disharmony between husband and wife, destruction of the family, and so on. That yang and yin are the attributes of sungsang and Hyungsang means that the relationship between ‘Sungsang and Hyungsang’ and ‘yang and yin’ is one of substance and attribute. Between substance and attribute, substance is more important, for it is the attribute’s foundation. Without substance attribute has no meaning. Hence, without sungsang and Hyungsang , yang and yin have no meaning. Thus, sungsang and Hyungsang are substances and so they are the foundations for yang and yin.
In human beings, the sungsang and Hyungsang task is to realize unity between mind and body, or between spirit mind and physical mind; in other words, to attain the perfection of character. The yang and yin task, likewise, is to unite man and woman (husband and wife). Here, there are two tasks to achieve: the perfection of one’s character and the unity between man and woman. According to the statement that “yang and yin are the attributes of sungsang and Hyungsang” it is concluded that man and woman have to perfect their characters before they get married.
In the three great blessings (perfection of indivduality, perfection of the family, and the perfection of dominion) explained in the Divine Principle, the perfection of individuality (perfection of character) is placed prior to the perfection of the family, or the unity between husband and wife. The reason for this lies in the statement that “yang and yin are the attributes of sungsang and Hyungsang.”
In Confucius’s Eight Articles of The Great Learning, it is written that “Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their States were rightly governed. Their States being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy”. 11 Here, the cultivation of the person is placed prior to the regulation of the family. This is because the author of The Great Learning understood this pattern, even if unconsciously.
Today, there are many social problems, including degradation of sexual morality, disharmony and destruction of the family, divorce, and so on, which are all connected to the relationship between man and woman. These problems occur because the perfection of character is not achieved prior to the perfection of the family. In other words, the “cultivation of the person” is not achieved before the “regulation of the family”.
In conclusion, the problem of man and woman, which is one of the most difficult of all actual problems today, can only be solved through the perfection of character in both man and woman before starting a family (before they get married); namely, through the cultivation of the individual prior to the regulation of the family. Thus, the statement that “yang and yin are the attributes of sungsang and Hyungsang” is another way of viewing the standard for the solution of actual problems.
1.3. Individual Image
1.3.1. What Is the Individual Image?
Sungsang and Hyungsang, and Yang and Yin, are the dual characteristics of God, and these two correlative attributes are universally manifested in every being in the created world. What is meant here is explained in the Bible: Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity [Divine Image and Divine Character] has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made (Rom. 1:20). Thus, since all things universally have sungsang and Hyungsang, and yang and yin, both sungsang and Hyungsang, and yang and yin are called the “Universal Image.” In addition to this, there are many kinds of minerals, plants and animals and all existing things have their unique individual natures. All heavenly bodies, whether fixed stars or planets, have their own characteristics. Especially in the case of human beings, each person has remarkably unique natures in his or her build, constitution, looks, character, disposition, and so on. The origin of such individual characteristics of all things and human beings lies in the Inner Hyungsang within God’s Original Sungsang, and it is called the “Individual Image.” In other words, the Individual Images in God which are manifested in created beings are called the individual images of those created beings. Since in human beings characteristics are different from person to person, the individual image of human beings is called the “personal individual image” and since all things (other than human beings) are different from species to species, the individual image of all things is called the “species individual image.” Thus, in human beings, the individual image refers to the characteristics of an individual, while the individual image of all things (animals, plants, and minerals) refers to the characteristics of a species, which is the specific difference on the lowest taxonomic level. The reason for differences in individual images is that human beings are created as the object partners of joy for God, and as His children, while all things are created as the object partners of joy for human beings.
1.3.2. Individual Image and Universal Image
At this point, the relationship between the individual image and the universal image of created beings can be explained. The individual image, which is the unique characteristic of an individual, does not exist independently of the universal image; actually, the individual image is the universal image which has been individualized. For example, the particular look of a person is the individualization or particularization of the universal image of the human body, and the unique character of a person is the individualization or particularization of the universal image of the human mind. In human beings, the individual image is the universal image which is individualized for each individual person, and in other created beings, it is the universal image individualized for each species. The reason that the individual image is the individualized universal image is that the Individual Images (in the Inner Hyungsang), which are the cause of the individualization of created beings, are working through the give and receive actions between Sungsang and Hyungsang, and between Yang and Yin in the Original Image. The Universal Image of God is also called the “Original Universal Image,” and the Individual Image within the Inner Hyungsang of God is also called the “Original Individual Image.” The universal image and individual image of created beings derive from the Original Universal Image and the Original Individual Image, respectively.
1.3.3. Individual Image and Mutation
Let me now discuss the individual image and the gene. According to the theory of evolution, the appearance of the individual image of a living being, which is the specific difference, is understood as the appearance of a new character caused by mutation. Furthermore, the appearance of the individual image of a person is understood as having been caused by the mixing or combination of his or her parents’ DNA. However, as understood from Unification Thought, the theory of evolution is merely a phenomenological understanding of the process of creation. In fact, the appearance of a new character in a living being, seemingly caused by mutation, is instead the creation of a new being with a new individual image through gene recombination; that is, the appearance of a new character by the mixing of the parents’ DNA is the creation of a new being with a new individual image achieved through the mixing of the hereditary information. To be precise, the creation of a new individual image in living beings or in human beings means that an Original Individual Image is given to a species or to a person.
1.3.4. Individual Image and the Environment
In order for an individual being, which has an individual image, to grow and develop, it must be continuously engaged in reciprocal relationships with its environment. In other words, an individual being changes, grows, and develops while being engaged in give and receive action with the environment. This is in accordance with the give and receive law that a new being or a change is caused by give and receive action. As a matter of fact, the characteristic (individual image) of a being is, in principle, native, but some aspects of the individual image change through the influence of the environment. This is why some people misunderstand and think that characteristics are acquired a posteriori. Also, there are different ways of change in the characteristics among people in the same environment. This means that the way one adjusts to the environment differs from person to person. This difference also derives from the individual image of a being. Such a character, which sometimes has the appearance of an a posteriori character, is the modification of an individual image, and it can be called a “transformed individual image.”
1.3.5. Preciousness of Human Individuality
The characteristics of created beings thus derive from the Individual Images in God, and therefore they are precious. Especially human individuality is more remarkable than others and is far more holy and precious. This is because a human being is the lord of creation, and is at the same time a united being of spirit self and physical self, wherein the spirit self lives eternally even after the death of the physical self. Human beings have been created to pursue the ideal of creation while practicing love through their individualities; therefore, human individualities are very precious and holy. Humanism also asserts the preciousness of human individuality, but so long as it does not recognize that such human individuality has come from God, it is difficult to overcome the materialistic view of human beings, which regards humans as animal-like beings. Thus, the theory of the Individual Image becomes the answer to another actual question, that is, why should human individuality be respected? This concludes my explanation of the Divine Image.