2. Harmony

World Scripture

Music expresses the harmony of the universe, while rituals express the order of the universe. Through harmony all things are influenced, and through order all things have a proper place. Music rises to heaven, while rituals are patterned on the earth… Therefore the Sage creates music to correlate with Heaven and creates rituals to correlate with the Earth. When rituals and music are well established, we have the Heaven and Earth functioning in perfect order.
Book of Ritual 19 (Confucianism)

Music creates order out of chaos; for rhythm imposes unanimity upon the divergent, melody imposes continuity upon the disjointed, and harmony imposes compatibility upon the incongruous. Thus, a confusion surrenders to order and noise to music, and as we through music attain that greater universal order which rests upon fundamental relationships of geometrical and mathematical proportion, direction is supplied to mere repetitious, power to the multiplication of elements, and purpose to random association.
Yehudi Menuhin

True poetry, complete poetry, consists in the harmony of contraries. Hence, it is time to say aloud—and it is here above all that exceptions prove the rule—that everything that exists in nature exists in art.
Victor Hugo

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

Always bear in mind that you stand in relation to others. A dancer expresses the beauty of her art while always standing in the position of an object to her partner. Like a dancer, you should live with the feeling of being embraced in God’s bosom. With such a mind, you can become a handsome man or a beautiful woman. Bring love’s activity and beauty’s receptivity into harmony.
(15:171, 1965.10.07)

We need a realm of partners. When man and woman love each other, all kinds of harmony emerge in heaven and on earth. Literature and art emerged centering on the love between man and woman. Literature deals with their yearning to find the original Being (through their love). What is art? It is that which beautifies love.
(354:21, September 16, 2001)

A good singer knows the art of harmony, balancing her highs and lows. When she sings her highest note beyond which she can go no higher, she must then come down to a lower note. No one wants to listen to a soprano who keeps ascending; when she skillfully lowers her voice you feel relieved. A soprano who knows how to lower her voice at the right time is a good singer. Likewise, the art of happiness in human life is the ability to go up and down smoothly.
(98:50, April 9, 1978)