1. What Is a Connected Being?
1.1 A Connected Being Seen from the Viewpoint of Structure
As stated earlier, each individual truth being contains within itself the correlative elements of subject and object centered on purpose, and these two elements are united through give and receive action. In addition, an individual truth being can also form a relationship of subject and object with other individual truth beings, whereby they can engage in give and receive action. In such a relationship, the individual truth being is called a “connected being.” In other words, when an individual being which has formed an inner four position foundation enters into a relationship with another individual being to form an outer four position foundation, this individual being (an individual truth being) forms a structure which resembles the two stage structure of the Original Image, and is called a connected being.
1.2. A Connected Being Seen from the Viewpoint of Purpose
When an individual being is seen as a being with dual purposes, namely, the “purpose for the individual” and the “purpose for the whole,” it can be called a connected being. Its purpose for the individual is to maintain its existence and development as an individual, and its purpose for the whole is to live for the existence and development of the whole.
As examples of dual purposes, let us consider the system of the created world, which extends from the level of elementary particles all the way up to the level of the universe. Elementary particles exist for the purpose of forming atoms, but at the same time, they maintain their own existence as elementary particles. Atoms exist for the purpose of forming molecules, but at the same time, they maintain their own existence as atoms. Molecules exist for the purpose of forming cells and matter, but at the same time they maintain their own existence as molecules. Cells exist for the purpose of forming tissues and organs, but at the same time they maintain their own existence as cells. Atoms and molecules also exist for the purpose of forming minerals, which form all material bodies, such as the earth. The earth exists for the purpose of forming the solar system, but at the same time, it maintains its own existence as the earth. The solar system exists for the purpose of forming the galaxy, but at the same time, it maintains its own existence as the solar system. The galaxy exists for the purpose of forming the universe, but at the same time, it maintains its own existence as the galaxy. Furthermore, the universe exists for the sake of humankind, but at the same time, it maintains its own existence as the universe.
Human beings are minute beings compared to the vast universe, but their value is greater than the totality of the whole universe. That is why the universe exists for the sake of human beings. In this way, all created beings have dual purposes, namely, their purpose for the individual and their purpose for the whole. Among the various purposes for the whole, which one is the highest purpose? In the created world, the highest purpose is to exist for the sake of human beings. For example, the earth has the purpose of forming the solar system, but at the same time it has the purpose of serving as the dwelling place for human beings. In the case of electrons, they revolve around the atomic nucleus in order to form an atom, but they also do this for human beings by forming all things, which exist for the sake of human beings, since things are objects of human dominion. Thus, each level of created beings―from elementary particles to the universe―exists both for the purpose of being part of a higher-level being and, at the same time, for the sake of humankind. The former purpose is called the “Hyungsang purpose for the whole,” and the latter purpose is called the “Sungsang purpose for the whole.”
For human beings, the purpose for the whole is to exist for the sake of God. Thus, all created beings, from elementary particles to the universe, and to human beings, exist as connected beings with dual purposes. Fig 2.2 illustrates a series of connected beings with dual purposes.
1.3. A Connected Being Seen from the Viewpoint of Relationship
We saw previously that the Original Image exists in a two-stage structure, namely, the inner four position foundation and the outer four position foundation. In the created world (including humans), all existing beings exist in a similar two-stage structure: they maintain inner four position foundations as individual truth beings, while at the same time forming outer four position foundations with other individual truth beings. Based on these inner and outer four position foundations, all existing beings are engaged in inner and outer give and receive actions. This structure is the two-stage structure of existence. In forming an outer four position foundation, a person enters into give and receive action with other persons in six directions, namely, above and below, front and back, and right and left. Taking oneself as the center, above there exist one’s parents, superiors, and elder persons; below there exist one’s children, subordinates, and younger persons; to the front, there are teachers, senior colleagues, and leaders; to the back, there are students, junior colleagues, and followers; to the right, there are brothers and sisters, intimate friends, and intimate colleagues; and to the left, there are competitors, opponents, and strangers. The original way of human life is to form harmonious relationships in all six directions. In this way, a person is related to other persons in six directions. The same thing can be said about all things as well. An individual being, related to other beings in six directions, is a connected being. The six directions of human relationships are illustrated in Fig. 2.3.
Human beings also stand in a relationship with the natural environment. They are susceptible even to the influence of the stars; that is to say, it is commonly held that cosmic rays exert a certain influence on human physiological functions. Needless to say, human beings have a close connection to minerals, plants, and animals. In this sense as well, a human being is a connected being.
1.4. A Connected Being Seen from the Viewpoint of Position
In order for an individual being to exist, it necessarily has to be engaged in subject-object relationships with other beings. Hence, an individual being exists standing either in a subject position or in an object position in relation with another being. An individual truth being with such a “position of existence” is also called a connected being. I will explain this topic more in detail when I discuss the “position of existence.”
1.5. Materialist Dialectic and Interconnectedness
In relation to the connected being, one can critique the concept of “interconnectedness,” which is one of the main concepts in the materialist dialectic. Stalin, for instance, emphasized the interconnectedness of all things and branded as metaphysical the position of those who regarded things as separate beings:
Contrary to metaphysics, dialectics does not regard nature as an accidental agglomeration of things, of phenomena, unconnected with, isolated from, and independent of, each other, but as a connected and integral whole, in which things, phenomena, are organically connected with, dependent on, and determined by, each other. 7
From the perspective of Unification Thought, all beings are created in the likeness of God’s dual characteristics, and therefore they exist not only as individual truth beings, but also as connected beings, whereby they are connected, directly or indirectly, with other individual truth beings. From this perspective, we regard the universe as one huge, organic body. The materialist dialectic explains this in terms of interconnectedness. Nevertheless, the materialist dialectic merely acknowledges the inter-connectedness of all things; it does not and can not offer any adequate explanation as to why things are interconnected. Furthermore, for a long time Communists asserted, on the basis of this theory of interconnectedness, that the world laborers must unite for the sake of revolution. Such an assertion is a jump in logic. In contrast, Unification Thought maintains that each being is interconnected with other beings centering on a purpose. Interconnectedness is something inevitable because every existing being is related to other beings in six directions, above and below, front and back, and right and left. From this perspective, the entire universe can be regarded as an immense, organic body consisting of innumerable individual beings, all of which are mutually interconnected.