In oriental teaching, there is a saying that goes, “All goes well if there is true harmony in the family.” This is a good saying. When we talk about a home, of course, it has people at its heart. There are the grandparents, parents and children, but this is not all.
The house itself is a microcosm of all creation. All things are gathered here. When we say, “my home,” we normally think of it as the place where my mother and father and wife and children are. But my home is not just this. There would also be my grandparents, and the house itself and the yard. The surrounding environment harmonizes well with this microcosm of creation. This is essential for happiness. If grandparents are in an environment that is not harmonized, they do not feel good.
The sight of a grandfather and grandmother laughing with each other cannot be compared to the noisy laughter of a young couple. The deep laughter of wrinkled grandparents is quite dignified.
You may not know this, but all things come together in harmony through the grandfather and grandmother’s laughter as they harmonize with each other. The grandfather’s laughter is deep and hearty. When he gestures, his movements are slow, but broad, high, deep and large. Everything should be connected through the three stages of top, middle and bottom to bring about any harmony. That is why harmony does not come from a straight line linking two points on a horizontal level. That which goes through two points is called a line, and just two points cannot bring about the beauty of harmony. Would there be harmony when there is just a straight line? It has to curve and bend. So there can be harmony only when something goes through three points.
So we have the grandfather, the father in the middle and then those who are underneath. Normally, we think of a family as consisting of four generations. You have the grandfather and grandmother, father and mother, your own couple and then your sons and daughters.
We have a saying that refers to serving both parents and grandparents. How many levels are there? There may be five generations in a family, but normally there are four – your grandfather, your father, your own couple and then your sons and daughters. With this in mind, the Unification Church Principle introduces the three stages of formation, growth and completion. This teaching deals with living in harmony and declares, “All goes well if there is harmony in the family.” Why is this?
Is it because it sounds nice? Is it because someone wanted to be poetic? No. That is not the case. Harmony in the family means that four generations revolving around the grandparents unite – top and bottom, east and west, north and south, front and back, and left and right – and will live together in the joy of laughter. (139-12, 01/26/1986)
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