3. Restoration by Returning to the Original State

World Scripture

If you wish to untie a knot, you must first understand how it was tied.
Surangama Sutra (Buddhism)

Sentient beings wish to return to their origin where their nature will be in perfect unity.
Surangama Sutra (Buddhism)

Confucius said, “To subdue one’s self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him.”
Analects 12.1.1 (Confucianism)

Always to know the standard is called profound and secret virtue. Virtue becomes deep and far reaching, And with it all things return to their original natural state. Then complete harmony will be reached.
Tao Te Ching 65 (Taoism)

It is as if a man traveled through the forest, through the great wood, should see an ancient road traversed by men of former days… And that man brings word to the prince, “My lord, as I traveled through the forest, I saw an ancient path, an ancient road traversed by men of former days. Going along it I saw the ruins of an ancient city, an ancient prince’s domain, wherein dwelt men of former days, having gardens, groves, pools, foundations of walls, a goodly spot. Lord, restore that city.” The prince or his minister then restores the city, so that it becomes prosperous and flourishing, populous and teeming with people who thrive and reach old age. Even so have I seen an ancient Path, an ancient road traversed by the rightly enlightened ones of former times.
Samyutta Nikaya 2.106 (Buddhism)

For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.³⁷
1 Corinthians 15.21-22

Why are idolators lustful? Because they did not stand at Mount Sinai. For when the serpent came upon Eve he injected lust into her; as for the Israelites who stood at Mount Sinai, their lustfulness departed; but as for the idolators who did not stand at Mount Sinai, their lustfulness did not depart.³⁸
Talmud, Shabbat 145b-146a (Judaism)

In the messianic future the Holy One will heal the injury [of Adam’s sin]. He will heal the wound of the world.
Genesis Rabbah 10.4 (Judaism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

The way of restoration is to return to the origin. Therefore, unless you make the required indemnity condition, you cannot return to the origin. It is human beings, not God, who make the indemnity condition. In order for a sick person to be healed, he must take the medicine even if it is bitter. Real medicine is bitter medicine. Making the indemnity condition is like taking bitter medicine; it is difficult work. However, without making the indemnity condition, you cannot go the path of restoration.
(92:254-55, April 18, 1977)

How can we be re-created as God’s children? There is only one way: by going all the way back, before the many generations of your ancestors, before fallen Adam and Eve, and come to God through the gate of the True Ancestors.
(96:40, January 1, 1978)

Adam and Eve took a path that resulted in their drowning. Hence, all fallen human beings are like drowned men. They cannot save themselves; someone must come and resolve the problem for them. We who are called to this task must go all the way to the root of the problem and fix it there.
(248:149, August 1, 1993)

At the Fall, human beings disobeyed God’s word and rebelled against Him. Hence they were subjugated by Satan’s lies. Once united with Satan, human beings received Satan’s nature and Satan’s love instead of God’s nature and God’s love.
To be restored as an original human being, we must reverse the process of the Fall. This time we must separate ourselves from Satan, reach out to God whom we had lost, and obey His Word. In this way, we can receive God’s nature and His love.
(88:208, September 18, 1976)

Father! All the situations of history are entangled in us today. Therefore we wish and pray that Thou wilt cut all those tangles by connecting us with the Center of liberation.
(1:345-46, December 30, 1956)