4. The Problem with Asceticism—Lack of Love
World Scripture
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1 Corinthians 13.2-3
If a man should go naked…feed on potherbs, wild rice, or Nivara seeds…wear coarse hempen cloth, or carry out any other [ascetic] practices…yet the state of blissful attainment in conduct, in heart, in intellect, have not been practiced by him, realized by him, then he is far from shramanaship, far from brahminship. But from the time, O Kassapa, when a monk has cultivated the heart of love that knows no anger, that knows no ill will—from the time when, by the destruction of the deadly intoxications, he dwells in that emancipation of heart, that emancipation of mind, that is free from those intoxications, and that he, while yet in this visible world, has come to realize and know—from that time, O Kassapa, is it that the monk is called a shramana, is called a brahmin!
Digha Nikaya 1.167 (Buddhism)
Some invent harsh penances. Motivated by hypocrisy and egoism, they torture their innocent bodies and Me who dwells within. Blinded by their strength and passion, they act and think like demons.24
Bhagavad-Gita 17.5-6
O brother, wither away your sensuality, passions, and egotism. There is no benefit in emaciating this gross body [through penances]. We will never praise you merely because of your withered body.
Nisitha-bhasya 3758 (Jainism)
Should one perform a million ritual acts and of these be proud,
they leave him only fatigued, and are of little avail.
One who performs innumerable austerities and for these bears pride,
shall remain caught in transmigration, moving between heaven and hell.
With all a man’s effort, should his self not turn compassionate,
How may he have access to the Divine Portal?
Adi Granth, Gauri Sukhmani 12,
M.5, p. 278 (Sikhism)
There was a great seer of strict vows, foremost of those wise in the law, the learned ascetic Mandapala. He followed the path of the seers who held up their seed [in chastity], austere and master of his senses. After he had abandoned his body, he attained to the world of the ancestors. Yet he failed to find the fruit of his acts there. Finding his worlds without reward, although he had won them with his asceticism, he questioned the celestials: “Why are these worlds that I won with my austerities closed to me? Where did I fail that this should be the results of my acts?” They said, “Men are born indebted to rites, to the study of the Veda, and to offspring, doubt it not. You are an ascetic and a sacrificer, but you have no offspring; these worlds are closed to you because of this matter of offspring. A son saves his father from the hell called Put, Hermit. Therefore, O brahmin, strive for the continuity of children!”25
Mahabharata 1.220 (Hinduism)
We sent Jesus son of Mary, and gave him the Gospel, and placed compassion and mercy in the hearts of those who followed him. But monasticism they invented—We ordained it not for them—only seeking God’s pleasure, and they observed it not with right observance. We give those who believe their reward, but many of them are evil-livers.26
Qur’an 57.27
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?”
Matthew 9.14-15
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
Revelation 19.7-8
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Can celibacy as taught by Catholicism and Buddhism be the basis of human happiness? No. Yet no religion on earth has demonstrated what the basis of happiness is. Religions did not uphold the family as the basis because no family had appeared that was worthy of that position. However, sensing that one day such a family would appear, they emphasized celibacy. It was the foundation for people to form a pure and correct family.
(Blessing and Ideal Family 2.2.4)
God intended man and woman to live in perfect love and perfect eternity, without the slightest separation. God is perfect and eternal; the position of children is perfect and eternal, and therefore God wanted the positions of husband and wife to be perfect and eternal. Is passionate lovemaking divine or sinful? After the Fall, human love became dirty and stained. Has humankind ever seen perfect love under God, manifesting the purpose of God?
Who has really known the purpose of religion and salvation? Many religious people feel that the world is filled with filthiness; therefore they separate themselves from it and live a solitary life. It is often thought that a religious, divine life is a solitary life, but we must realize that the Kingdom of God in heaven and on earth has been ready for a long, long time, from the very beginning of creation, and it is just waiting to be occupied. The problem has been to find occupants fit for that kingdom.
(99:225, April 17, 1977)
We enter the Kingdom of Heaven as married couples, as families, as clans extending out to third cousins, and as whole nations. Ultimately the entire world will be Heaven. This is the way of the Unification Church. Its goal is not individual salvation. Consistent with this principle, the church holds mass weddings. Today these mass weddings are objects of mockery and curiosity, but to anyone who knows their content, they are amazing phenomena.
Marriage was not recognized during the religious age of the archangel. But we are now entering the age of marriage, and marriage in the Kingdom of Heaven as well. The time has come when the married Buddhist priest will win over the Buddhist monk. In the Roman Catholic Church the priests and nuns are fast disappearing; if Catholic priests and nuns remain single, they will end up in hell. Now, when universal fortune seeks the bond of bride and bridegroom, Catholic priests and nuns must get married; otherwise, they will perish.
(50:31, October 3, 1971)
If I, Reverend Moon, do not encourage celibate Buddhist monks and Catholic priests and nuns to marry now, monasteries will very soon become arenas of free sex. Flirtations and illicit affairs will cause many to fall away. When the Buddhist and Catholic religions bring millions of monks and nuns to receive the Marriage Blessing, then they will come alive. Otherwise, they will die out.
Some priests are having illicit affairs. Others are getting married despite their vows. Why is that? Since the time has come, their minds are pulled in that direction. When the high tide comes in, you have to move with the tide and walk back to the shore; otherwise you will drown. Now the tide is coming in, and those priests who were used to standing up at low tide are being forced to turn around and marry in order to keep from swallowing water.
(246:24, March 23, 1993)
The internal reason why the higher religions have advocated celibacy is because the True Parents of humankind had not yet come and instituted marriage before God. But now the Unification Church has appeared as the first religion in history to promote marriages approved by God, and it began to hold mass weddings. Hence, from now on Buddhism will have more married monks. The same is happening in the Catholic Church. The reason why the Catholic Church faces problems today is because it still does not permit its priests to marry. If it continues this way, they will all leave the church.
These problems arose particularly after 1960, the year the True Parents were married. From that year, everything began to change. This change permeated the non-religious world as well, and it entered the era of free sex. In the non-religious world the family is being destroyed through free sex, while the sphere of religion is entering the age of marriage.
(244:148, February 1, 1993)