In Memoriam President Gil Ja Sa Eu, a Cheon Il Guk Saint

President Gil-ja Sa Eu is one of the first three couples who served as a foundation for the providence of salvation led by True Parents. She was one of the greatest mothers in the unification movement, a great Divine Principle lecturer and teacher. She ascended to the spirit world on August 20 (7.20 by the heavenly calendar) at eighty-six years old. True Mother wrote a posthumous calligraphic tribute. Love and blessings from True Mother, world leaders and family members filled her Seonghwa ceremony. True Mother heard about her ascension during a morning meeting, where- upon she, after a brief meditation, gave the calligraphic tribute, “A hyoseong family that opened the doors for the era of the safe settlement of a heavenly unified Korea.” As we try to build Cheon Il Guk, let’s look at the lessons we can learn from her deeds and life.

The providential role as a couple of President Hyo-won Eu and Gil-ja Sa Eu

True Parents’ Advent, resulting from their Holy Wedding on April 11, 1960 (3.16 by the heavenly calendar) is the most precious event in the history of the providence of restoration. To create the original true family that Jesus could not fulfill, True Parents went through the indemnity condition of finding three couples representing Jesus’ three disciples. They became engaged couples awaiting their marriage. True Parents’ Holy Wedding happened on that principled foundation. The three couples are Won-pil Kim and Dal-ok Chung, Hyo- won Eu and Gil-ja Sa, and Young-hwi Kim and Dae-hwa Chung. These three couples had the mission of restoring the three archangels in the garden of Eden, who should have protected and supported Adam and Eve as well as of restoring the mission of the three disciples that should have followed Jesus. Furthermore, they were chosen as model families of the three eras — the Old Testament Age (formation stage), the New Testament Age (growth stage) and the Completed Testament Age (perfection stage).

Five days after their Holy Wedding, True Parents officially blessed the three families. They were to become the first blessed ancestors in the history of the providence for humanity’s salvation. In 1961, a year after the three-couple blessing, True Parents horizontally expanded the blessing to thirty-three couples by selecting eleven couples in each of three sessions and creating the thirty-six-couple blessing group. Thus, Won-pil Kim, Hyo-won Eu and President Young-whi Kim led the thirty-six couples. Blessed families must attend and serve our True Parents, True Family members and these three couples, as they are our precious ancestors.

The family that wrote Divine Principle and compiled textbooks

The most precious and No. 1 treasure of the unification family is, without a doubt, the True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind. Furthermore, the Divine Principle, which teaches us about our True Parents and their value, may be called the No. 2 treasure of the unification family. Both Hyo-won Eu and Gil-ja Sa Eu were among the greatest contributors in the area of the Divine Principle. In Beomnaegol, Busan, True Father had a revelation and compiled Wolli Wonbon (Original Text of the Divine Principle). On that foundation, we saw the arrival of a new era, and the Wolli Haeseol (Explanation of the Divine Principle, 1957) was declared. From the compiled notes of the Wolli Haeseol, Hyo-won Eu, the first president of the Unification Church, created a logical explanation of the providence of salvation, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, and published the Wolli Gangron (Exposition of the Divine Principle) in 1966.

Dr. Seo Nam-dong, a Korean and a world-renowned theologian, praised the Divine Principle theory saying, “Out of all theological literature produced by Korean theological circles, so far, this is the best in

terms of the quantity and systematic explanation.” The Divine Principle has been translated into major languages, eventually leading people around the world to ultimately understand who True Parents are and what the fundamentals of life and of the universe are, thereby showing the path to a new life to fallen people. Following President H. Eu’s systematic organization of principles, his wife, President G. Eu, contributed greatly to the compilation of educational materials, to make it easier to teach a wide range of people. In 1992, True Father created Tongil Dang (the House of Unification for World Peace) as a center of education, clarifying that the Chinese character dang referred to an educational institution, not a political party. For the past twenty-seven years, as the president of the House of Unification for World Peace, President G. Eu produced and distributed about fifty educational materials in Korean, English and Japanese.

In particular, President G. Eu created the popular 556-page color-coded Divine Principle book, which highlights sections (by the level of importance) based on keywords, making it easier for people to study the Divine Principle. It’s available in various languages and has become a valuable resource. In the past, people that wanted to study the Divine Principle needed to participate in at least a one-week seminar. Now, various textbooks exist to make study easier, including the twelve-hour lecture manual, the three- hour lecture manual and even the one-hour lecture manual. These books have also been used by many members around the world for a one-hundred-time reading conditions. Moreover, many senior members have been giving lectures from memory, often using parables outside the Divine Principle and failing to present the content faithfully. Hence, President G. Eu’s lecture manuals are a great contribution to upholding the tradition of authentic lectures. At present, a majority of the lecturers in the House of Unification for World Peace are women. She opened the door for anyone to easily become a Divine Principle lecturer, if the person concentrates on it. During her Seonghwa time, I was surprised to meet over fifty second- or third-generation members in middle school or high school that became Divine Principle lecturers under the President G. Eu’s guidance.

From left: Jinseung Eu, Mrs. Gil Ja Sa Eu and Dr Yang Chang-shik

An embodiment of the pursuit of truth and of the word

President G. Eu was in her fourth year of Pharmaceutical studies at Ehwa University when she joined on March 3, 1955. At that time, many people joined through spiritual experiences. President G. Eu was a deeply devout Christian but had questions. When she could understand through the Principle the meaning of the Bible’s ambiguous words and symbols, this touched her so deeply that she decided to join. She saw a ray of hope in her country, which the Korean War had devastated. During the war, she could not answer challenges by atheistic communists to show them God. But now, with her solid foundation in Christianity and through Divine Principle’s scientific approach, she could understand God’s existence.

After encountering the truth and the Holy Spirit, she deeply understood True Parents’ value. She diligently took notes of True Father’s words and left dozens of notebooks that record his words. She conveyed these words to us, pouring them out like a waterfall when she could. She would explain to us True Father’s messages from the Divine Principle point of view, giving us the food of life. She was able to speak the word like a machine gun, twice as fast as ordinary people.

So many members have testimonies; they speak of how she helped them naturally understand the Divine Principle, making it enter their head, flow into their heart, and pour out from their mouth like a fountain of clear water. In particular, American and European families enjoyed stories of early experiences she and other close aides had with True Parents. To their ears what she said felt like sweet rain amidst a drought. The books that summarized many such experiences are A Testimony to God’s Word in Regard to Divine Principle and Danbury and the American Providence.

One who lived a public life with absolute faith

In short, President G. Eu was a believer with absolute faith. There are two and only two words that

permeate her consciousness and each cell of her body: “True Parents” and “Divine Principle.” For her whole life she served as a missionary, itinerant worker, and educator, spreading the new truth. She held her current position until the last day of her life. In the last two to three years, even though she had difficulties moving about, she went to work every day, not wanting to miss a day in which she could devote herself to preparing textbooks and training lecturers.

In particular, she thought deeply about the future of the church; as a result, she paid keen attention to teaching the Principle to those in our second and third generations. She also went to Chung Pyung Training Center every summer vacation and winter vacation to meet and teach students that came for vacation seminars. President G. Eu lived in intoxication from the word, so whether she walked or ate, and whoever she met, there was rarely a conversation outside of Principle topics, and when she opened her mouth, the Divine Principle would pour out like a waterfall. Despite being over eighty years old, she kept working and going around the world. Every time she toured the United States, Europe or Japan, her clear memory and logical way of explaining the word impressed blessed family members. President G. Eu was one of the few Korean leaders who could teach in Japanese (as naturally as she did in her own language); hence, she helped awaken many Japanese members’ core faith. She was also quite good at English. She was a regional director for eight years from 1983, the year she arrived in the States, and was instrumental in nurturing many American leaders.

Whatever True Parents said or asked, she would do her utmost to obey to the letter. After Father talked about 30 percent tithing, she kept this tradition under all circumstances. She was highly intelligent, while her inner true love was consistently and quietly flowing; hence, many people who knew her say that she was indeed a great elder sister, and a mother representing True Parents. She lived a completely public life, with almost no private time, controlling herself and creating conditions to avoid any accusation from Satan.

When I went to her house after her Seonghwa Ceremony, I saw a single bed in a small apartment owned by the Foundation. Beside the bed, textbooks and notes were everywhere. These were all her property, all she owned. She lived with her son’s family. Every night at bedtime, she would give each member of the family a cheek kiss. She was such a warmhearted person. She lived a completely public life and a life of poverty, not owning a house or a car. As a result, her own children had to share the burden of her poverty. She indeed came with nothing and left with nothing. But who would say that she is poor? She is a hyoseong family of Cheon Il Guk, who lived as the poorest and yet the richest at the same time.

What we need to resolve — the Ehwa Incident

President G. Eu grew up in a high-class family; her father was a prosecutor, and her uncle a Supreme Court judge and later the chairman of the Central Election Commission. However, after suffering challenges from non-believers of the Communist Party, she met True Parents and encountered the Divine Principle. After joining the church, she followed with absolute faith. On May 11, 1955, however, she was expelled from Ehwa University’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences during her fourth year in what is known in our movement’s history as the Ehwa-Yonsei Incident. It was only two months after she joined the church.

At the time, due to political pressure, the school expelled five professors, including Won-bok Choi, and fourteen students. It was an unprecedented illegal act and a violation of school rules, the Constitution and common sense. At the time, leading newspapers, including Dong-A Ilbo, criticized the school authorities in their editorials. What wrong could she have done during the two months of her church membership that she had to be expelled only one semester before graduation? Unfortunately, this incident became a source of many bad false rumors about our movement. In our efforts to right the wrongs of the providence, rectifying this unprecedented illegal act is a task we younger members must embrace as a top priority. Now the outside world is correcting many historical wrongs, reestablishing and revealing past wrongdoings through “history-correcting movements.” The school should do likewise and restore the honor of the fourteen unfairly expelled students by giving them an honorary diploma. True Parents named the association of the expellees Myeongwonhwe and emphasized often that we must restore their honor. Only a few members of the association remain with us today — Dae-hwa Chung, Jung-won Kang and Young-sook Park. These elders we should serve with great deference.

A Cheon Il Guk saint loving wife registered in the Cheonbowon

President G. Eu only had ten years of married life after her blessing. When her husband passed away in 1970, she was left alone in her late thirties with three sons. True Father offered to give her a pharmacy store so she could earn a living and support her family. But she declined the offer and asked to serve God’s will instead. Hence, True Father told her to continue President H. Eu’s work and just like male leaders gave her positions such as an American regional director and a global itinerant worker. She went everywhere for her mission and never rested during her sixty-five years of public service.

After her husband passed away, she lived alone for fifty years, missing his company by her side. When I

heard their life story, it seemed that the time they actually lived together as a couple during the ten years was less than a third of that time. What this means is that as the first church president, they had to create a foundation for the church and attend True Parents. Theirs was not a comfortable family life. In her thirties, she had to raise three sons and do her public mission work. Later, following True Father suggestion, she went to the Paju Wonjeon once every month and made conditions at her husband’s grave. She had missed him for fifty years. As time passed, she patiently looked out for others and replaced that longing with the love she poured out to their children and to members. Now she is finally back in his embrace.

President G. Eu was intelligent. She sometimes seemed cold on the outside, but inside she always lived as if her husband were with her twenty-four hours a day. She did that for her family and for other blessed families. She loved everyone equally, whether they were from the East or the West. I am proof of that love. From my high school years, I fed on that love and that truth; I then decided to join the unification movement and live a public life.

Personally, I came to know her better than I did my own mother. I felt she was like my real mother and I called her mother. I kept as precious the many letters she wrote to me during her missionary years. When she wrote, she used to sign the letters with “your mother” and in my heart, I became Chang-shik, her son.

After fifty years of separation, you are finally returning to your husband, having completed everything that your husband left behind. Missionary Gil Ja Sa Eu, you accomplished everything and now you return as a Cheon Il Guk hyoseong family. My mother is an eternal Cheon Il Guk saint, a loving wife of the unification family, and I want to say this and call you a loving mother.

MOTHER HAS LEFT The poet ;s the oldest son ofthe first pres;dent of the UnificaUon Church Hyo-won Eu and Mrs. en Ja Sa Eu, who ascended on August 20.

By Jinseu ng Eu

She is one who lived in longing; She walked a long road with her aching body Longing for parents Longing for family.

Now I realize Things I did for her Things I found tiresome and annoying Were infact sources ofmy little happiness.

One day, when the sun was warm and tender Hand in hand I walked that sidewall<. with her. Like a little child she toddled along. Like a gentle breeze we whispered.

Mother has left To be with father.

Mother has left Like a lover who lost his love To be with father. Like a child who lost his mom I called and called but she was nowhere. She is a beautiful one; Her wrinkly face I like She is one who went on a trail of flowers; More than the bouncy face ofher youth. I have seen her there, my mother.

Tonight while lying alone To the place of her yearning, a place of no pain I missed her and cried in stealth Having leftgreat love for me Longing to touch that face again. Mother has left A beautiful smile on a wrinkly face To be with father. ‘f, That will never return I missed and missed Dr. Eu read this poem at his mother’s ascension ceremony And cried in stealth. on August 23.