Universal Prime Energy, Give and Take Action, and the Four Position Foundation

Chapter The Principle of Creation

Section II

Universal Prime Energy, Give and Take Action, and the Four Position Foundation

1. Universal Prime Energy

God is the Creator of all things. He is the absolute reality eternally self-existent, transcendent of time and space (Ex. 3:14). Therefore, the fundamental energy of His being must also be absolute and eternally self-existent. At the same time, He is the source of the energy which enables all things to maintain their existence. We call this energy "Universal Prime Energy".

2. Give and Take Action

When a subject and an object are engaged in give and take action within a being, after having established a reciprocal relationship between themselves through the Universal Prime Energy, the energy necessary to maintain the existence of that being is produced. This energy provides power for existence, multiplication and action. The process which generates the necessary energy is called "give and take action". Therefore, Universal Prime Energy and the power of give and take action form a reciprocal relationship of cause and effect, internal and external, and subject and object. Consequently, Universal Prime Energy is a vertical power, while the power of give and take action is a horizontal power.

Let us further investigate God and His creation from the standpoint of Universal Prime Energy and give and take action.

God contains within Himself dual essentialities which exist forever. Through Universal Prime Energy, these two form a mutual or reciprocal relationship which develops into an eternal give and take action. The energy produced through this process is the force of give and take action. Through this force, God's dual essentialities establish a reciprocal base. This results in the "foundation of existence" upon which God, Himself, exists forever.

Each and every creation enters into give and take action between the dual essentialities that form an individual self by forming a reciprocal relationship through Universal Prime Energy. Through the force of give and take action, the dual essentialities produce a reciprocal base, which in turn produces a foundation of existence in an individual self; then upon this foundation, the individual self can stand as God's object and receive all the power necessary for its own existence.

For example:

• An atom comes to exist through the give and take action between a proton and an electron. This is the action of fusion. A molecule comes into being through the give and take action between a positive ion and a negative ion which causes a chemical reaction. Electricity is produced through the give and take action between positive electrical charges and negative electrical charges, which causes electrical action. All plants multiply through the give and take action between the stamen and pistil.
• Animals maintain their existence and multiply through the give and take action between male and female. Between the animal kingdom and the plant kingdom, co-existence is made possible through give and take action. Plants give oxygen to animals and animals return carbon dioxide to plants. Flowers offer nectar to bees and bees pollinate flowers.
• When we study the heavenly bodies, we find that the solar system exists through the give and take action between the sun and the planets. The earth and moon are also able to maintain their orbital movements through give and take action.
• The human body maintains its life through the give and take action between arteries and veins, inhalation and exhalation, sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. An individual is able to achieve his purpose of existence through the give and take action between mind and body.
• There is give and take action between husband and wife in a home, among individuals in a society, between government and people in a nation, and among nations in the world. Give and take action governs all relationships within man and all relationships among men.

However evil man may have been through all ages and in all places, he at least has the power of conscience remaining in his inmost self. This conscience is always at work, influencing him to live for righteousness. No one can prevent this power from operating within himself. It causes him to feel conscience-stricken at the moment of committing evil. If there were no conscience left in fallen men, God's providence of restoration would be impossible. Where does this power of conscience originate? Since all power comes from give and take action, the conscience must be no exception. The conscience is able to operate because it stands as an object to a certain subject, thus performing the action of give and take on a reciprocal base formed between the two. We know that the subject of the conscience is God.

The human fall signifies that through some act, man was cut off from having a give and take relationship with God, thus failing to unite into one body with Him. Instead, man entered into a give and take relationship with Satan, forming a reciprocal base with him. Jesus, having become one with God through the relationship of give and take, came to this world as His son. Therefore, if and when fallen man unites with Jesus in a perfect give and take relationship, he will be able to restore his original nature, thus entering again into a give and take relationship with God and becoming one with Him. Therefore, Jesus is called the "mediator" for fallen man, being the way, the truth and the life. He came to serve mankind with love and sacrifice, giving even his own life. If we turn to him with faith, we "should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

True Christianity is a religion of life, through which men can restore the vertical give and take circuit with God by establishing, through love and sacrifice, the horizontal give and take circuit between men centering on Jesus. The teachings and deeds of Jesus were solely for this purpose, as he indicated on numerous occasions:

• Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. (Matt. 7:1-2)
• So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. (Matt. 7:12)
• So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven. (Matt. 10:32)
• He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's rewards. (Matt. 10:41)
• And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward. (Matt. 10:42)

3. The Four Position Foundation

Three Objective Purposes through Origin-Division-Union Action

(1) Origin-Division-Union Action

When, through Universal Prime Energy, the dual essentialities of God enter into give and take action by forming a reciprocal relationship, the force of give and take action causes multiplication. This action causes the dual essentialities to separate into two substantial objects centered upon God. The substantial subject and object pair then enter into another give and take action by forming a reciprocal relationship, through Universal Prime Energy. By forming one pair they become an object to God. In this manner, God, as the origin, is divided into two separated substances, after which these two again unite to form one body. We call this process "origin-division-union action".

(2) Three Objective Purposes

When, according to origin-division-union action (O-D-U action), the origin has divided into two separated substances of subject and object, which have again united into one body, four positions are formed. One takes a subjective position while the remaining three stand as objects, thus producing three objective bases. When they enter into give and take action among themselves, one of the four positions assumes the role of subject, while the other three fulfill their objective purposes respectively.

(3) The Four-Position Foundation

When, according to O-D-U action, the origin is divided into two substantial objects, they assume the roles of subject and object respectively, and finally unite into one body. Thus three objective positions are fulfilled. Since these three objective positions are centered on the origin, four respective positions are formed altogether. This creates "the four position foundation".

The significance of the number "four" is derived from this four position foundation. And since this is the result of the fulfillment of the three objective purposes, the significance of the number "three" is also found here. The four position foundation is manifested as God, husband and wife, and their offspring. With God as the origin, husband and wife as the manifested subject and object, and their offspring as the result of their unity, one can see three distinct stages. Thus the four position foundation becomes the basis of the three stages because it is fulfilled in three stages according to O-D-U action.

This is also the basis of the significance of the number "twelve", because each of the four positions will take three objects, thus bringing about a total of twelve objects. The four position foundation is the base for the fulfillment of God's goodness and is the ultimate goal of His creation. This is the base through which God's power is channeled to flow into all of His creation in order for the creation to exist. Therefore, the formation of the four position foundation is ultimately God's eternal purpose of creation.

(4) The Status of Existence of the Four-Position Foundation

Whenever a creation has formed a four-position foundation by fulfilling its three objective purposes through O-D-U action, it begins to perform global spherical movement in order to maintain its three-dimensional existence. Let us now investigate the reason for this.

When God's dual essentialities are divided and manifest into two substantial objects, one serving as subject and the other as object, they enter into a relationship and produce a reciprocal base. The object enters into give and take action by centering itself on the subject through centripetal force and centrifugal force. Consequently, the object begins to revolve around the subject, and thus they form one unit.

According to this same principle, the subject, in turn, becomes an object to God, revolving around Him to form one unit with Him. When the object forms one unit with the subject, together they become a substantial object to God, since they reflect His dual essentialities.

For this reason, any object must first unite with its subject before it is able to stand as an object to God. This substantial object to God has within itself the dual essentialities of subject and object, which perform continuous circular movement respectively, due to the give and take action between the two. Therefore, this circular movement forms a specific orbit on a horizontal level according to the particular motion of the subject and object. However, since this movement is generally performed with the angles of the orbit constantly varying, centering on the subject, this circular movement will eventually become spherical movement, making the manner of existence three-dimensional.

Let us look at the example of the solar system. With the sun as the subject, all the planets act as its objects by forming a reciprocal relationship with the sun, through the action of give and take.

Through the action of centripetal force and centrifugal force, each planet consequently revolves around the sun. During this process of revolution, the sun and the planets become one unit, thus creating the solar system. The earth, which in itself is a complete body of dual essentialities, is not the only body, which rotates on its axis. The sun and the planets around it, which are complex bodies of dual essentialities in themselves, also rotate upon their own axes.

The circular movement of the solar system which has been caused by the give and take action between the sun and the planets does not always occur on a single plane, but constantly changes its angle of orbit around the sun. Thus the solar system, by performing the spherical movement, becomes three-dimensional. In this manner, all the heavenly bodies exist in three dimensions, through either circular or spherical movement. The entire universe, which consists of numerous heavenly bodies, exists as one unit through give and take action, and moves spherically under the same principle, thus existing three-dimensionally.

When a proton and an electron, by forming a reciprocal base, enter into give and take action with the proton as the center, there occurs a circular movement, which makes the two into one unit, and thus an atom is produced. The proton and the electron also have dual essentialities, which are engaged in continuous individual movement. Therefore, the circular movement caused by the give and take action between the proton and electron does not occur on a horizontal level alone, but constantly changes its angle of movement so that it becomes spherical movement. Thus the atom, too, exists on the three-dimensional level.

The magnetic force occurring between the positive and negative poles of electricity also exists in spherical movement by the same principle.

Let us take man as an example

The body is the object to the mind, which is the subject. When the body forms a reciprocal relationship with the mind, it performs circular movement centered on the mind, thus forming one unit. If and when the mind becomes the object of God, and revolves around Him, becoming one unit with Him, and the body unites with the mind, the individual then becomes the substantial object to God, since he reflects God's dual essentialities.

In this way he becomes a man in whom the purpose of creation is accomplished.

The body and mind each contain a dual essentiality, which continues to move individually; and so, the circular movement occurring through the give and take action between such a body and mind finally becomes a spherical movement by revolving around God, constantly changing its angles. Therefore, the man in whom the purpose of creation is accomplished is a three-dimensional being, always living in a spherical existence centered upon God. In this way he will be able to dominate even the invisible world of spirit (cf. Part I, Ch. 1, Sec. VI--57).

Similarly, when the circular movement between a subject and an object occurring on a horizontal level becomes a spherical one through a three-dimensional orbit, the wonders of creation come into existence. That is, the beauty of the things of creation exists in infinite variety, and this is due to their varied orbit, form, state, direction, angle and speed of individual give and take action.

Every existence has it own internal character and external form, and naturally its spherical movement also contains that same aspect of character and form. Accordingly, there are both the center of character and center of form, even in the center of movement. What would the ultimate center of this spherical movement be? Man is the center of all creation, which was created to be the symbolic substantial objects of God's dual essentialities. God is the center of all men, who have been created to be His substantial objects in His image. Therefore, the ultimate center of the spherical movement of the whole universe is God.

Let us further investigate this matter.

Every substantial object of God contains a subject and object within itself, and the subject is the center in their relationship. Therefore, the center of the unified body of subject and object also lies in the subject. The ultimate center of the subject is God, and the ultimate center of the unified body is also God. Therefore, when God's three objects form a respective basis of reciprocation, and their three centers (subjects) enter into give and take action, centering upon God in complete oneness with Him, fulfilling their three objective purposes, the four position foundation is complete for the first time.

Consequently, the ultimate center of the four position foundation is God.

Every individual creation, having thus fulfilled the four position foundation, is an individual truth incarnation. As mentioned before, this exists in two forms: the truth incarnation in image (man) and the symbolic truth incarnation (all creation except man).

The universe consists of countless such individual truth incarnations, mutually related in good order, from the creature of the lowest grade to the highest, with man as the highest truth incarnation. Again, every individual truth incarnation moves spherically with the lower individual truth incarnation in the objective position to the higher ones. The center of the spherical movement of this objects is in the individual truth incarnation which is in the position of subject, on a higher level. Likewise, the centers of countless such symbolic individual truth incarnations are connected with one another from the lowest to the highest. Man, the individual truth incarnation in image, is the highest and central created being.

Let us illustrate this with an example

Today's science states that atoms are made of elementary particles which are composed of energy. Observing the purpose of existence of the individual truth incarnations at different stages, we can understand that energy exists in order to form elementary particles. The elementary particle, in turn, exists to form an atom, an atom to form a molecule, a molecule to form any type of matter, and all matter to form the whole universe.

For what purpose, then, does the universe exist; and what is its center?

The answer is none other than man himself. That is why God, after creating man, told him to subdue the earth (Gen. 1:28). If there were no men to see and appreciate the universe, the universe could be compared to a museum without any visitors. The articles exhibited in the museum can display the value of their existence only when there is a man to appreciate, love, and take delight in them. Man is able to form a close relationship with them, and in this way, they assume value. If there were no man to appreciate them, would they have any significance?

The same applies to the case of the whole universe with man as its center. Only through man are they mutually related in a united purpose. The relationship becomes apparent when man clarifies the source and the nature of all materials which form the whole creation. Man alone studies and classifies the true characters of all the animals and plants, including everything on the earth and sea as well as the constellations which form the whole universe. As the center and subject of the creation, man enables the things of creation to have an organized mutual relationship with each other. Materials absorbed by the human body are changed into elements which maintain the physiological function of man, while the whole creation provides the material to make a pleasant living environment for him.

On the basis of external form, these are man's relationships to the universe, with man as the center. But there is still another relationship, with man as the center, on the basis of internal character. We may call the former a "physical relationship" while the latter we may call a "spiritual relationship".

The physiological elements of man, which consists of material substance, respond to the intellect, emotion, and will of the mind. This indicates that materials have certain elements through which they can respond to man's intellect, emotion, and will. Such elements form the internal character of matter so that every creation is able to respond to human intellect, emotion, and will, though the degree of response may vary. It is because man is the center of the internal character of creation that he can become intoxicated with the beauty of nature, and experience the mystery of being one in harmony with it. Man was thus created to be the center of the whole creation, and so the point where God and man become one united body is where we find the center of the macrocosm.

Let us discuss man's being the center of the macrocosm from a different aspect.

We call the two worlds, the visible and invisible, the "macrocosm", with man being the substantial center of this total macrocosm. Every creation forming the macrocosm is divided into a subject and an object element.

Here we may reach the conclusion that if Adam, who was the first human ancestor, had been perfected, he would have become the substantial embodiment of all the subject elements in the creation; and if Eve had been perfected, she would have become the substantial embodiment of all the object elements in the creation. If Adam and Eve together had grown wholesomely to the perfection stage--one becoming the lord of all the subjects in the creation and the other becoming the lord of all the objects--and had they joined into one body as man and wife, they would have become a central body dominating the whole universe, since God created man to have dominion over the creation.

Man was created to be the center of harmony with the whole macrocosm. Thus, if Adam and Eve had become husband and wife after perfection, thus joining into one body as the substantial center of the dual essentialities contained in every creature, the macrocosm, which was created to have dual essentialities as an individual being, would also move in harmony with Adam and Eve as the nucleus, Likewise, the point at which Adam and Eve join into one body as a husband and wife is also the point at which God, the subject of love, and man, the object of beauty, become one unit, thus establishing the center of goodness. Here, for the first time, the purpose of creation is accomplished.

God, our Parent, is able to abide with perfected men as His children, and peacefully rest for eternity. At that time, this center would become the object of God's eternal love, and through this, God would be stimulated with happiness for eternity. Here God's Word would be physically incarnated for the first time in human history.

Therefore, this point would become the very center of the truth and also the center of man's original mind, which has been directing man to attain the purpose creation. Consequently, the whole universe will perform a spherical movement of unified purpose, centered on the four position foundation, when a perfected man and woman become husband and wife, with God at their center. However, the universe lost this center when men fell; consequently, all of creation has been groaning in travail, waiting for the children of God--that is, men whose original nature of creation is restored--to appear and take their position as the macrocosm's center (Rom. 8:19-22).

4. The Omnipresence of God

Our understanding is thus increased, and we know that the four position foundation, having completed the three objective purposes through the O-D-U action, becomes one body with God through spherical movement centering on Him. This creates the basic foundation of both the power within every existing being, through which God may work, and the power which enables all beings in creation to maintain their existence. Likewise, God is omnipresent in the creation.

5. The Multiplication of physiological Bodies

In order for a physical body to continue to exist, it must multiply, and this multiplication occurs through the O-D-U action caused by the action of give and take.

• For example, seeds of plants are produced through a give and take action between stamen and pistil. They will again multiply themselves, repeating the same course.
• In the animal world too, the male and female grow to have give and take action with each other, thus breeding and multiplying. The cell division of animals and plants also occurs through the give and take action.
• If the body obeys the mind's desires, according to a certain purpose, it enters into the action of give and take with the mind, and they become companions. Whenever friends have give and take action wholesomely between them, their friendship will increase.

Seen from this aspect, the universe is the substantial manifestation of the invisible God, occurring through the give and take action between His essential character and form, centered on the purpose of creation.

6. The reason every being consists of dual essentialities

Everything, in order to exist, needs energy--and this comes through give and take action. However nothing can perform give and take action by itself. Therefore, in order to generate the energy to exist, there must be a subject and object who can perform give and take action.

Any movement that goes in a straight line will finally come to an end, and no being performing such movement can exist eternally. Consequently, in order to exist eternally, everything moves in circular motion. In order for revolution to occur, the action of give and take between a subject and an object must take place. Therefore, in order to exist eternally, God has dual essentialities. If His creation is to be an eternal object, it must reflect God's dual essentialities. In this way, "time" also maintains its perpetuity by going through periodic cycles.