In this chapter, I would like to differentiate the various levels of the human being using the mystical term "mind-body unity" as used in the Divine Principle.
Many misunderstandings in religious considerations arise because we cannot clearly distinguish the levels within ourselves.
The term also has the potential to connect Buddhist and Christian perspectives.
Mind-Body Unity in the Divine Principle
In the Divine Principle, the mind-body unity, aligned with God, is considered the state of personal perfection.
This perfection is not only an ethical or moral practice but also unity with God or the manifestation of the invisible God in the human being. God, the human mind, and body become one.
Let’s take a look at the translation
When we examine the original Korean term for "mind" or "spirit," we come to the Chinese character xin (心), which corresponds to the Sino-Korean word shim in shim-jeong, or to the native Korean word ma-eum. In the Divine Principle, the unity of mind and body is described as the unity of ma-eum (heart-spirit) and mom (body).
Religious scholar D.Z.
In German, mind-body unity is translated as Geist-Körper-Einheit. However, Geist could also be translated into English as spirit, which is closer to the original meaning.
Over the course of this chapter, we will learn to distinguish between the mind as the ordinary intellect, emotion, and will, and the spirit-mind as a component of the spiritual self or the human soul.
To make this distinction clearer, I will also use the term spirit-mind or simply spirit in English to refer to this aspect.
Perfection in the Christian Understanding
In the Christian context, union with God is understood as divine perfection. This means living in harmony with God's will and striving for spiritual purity and moral perfection.
In Orthodox Christianity, however, this perfection goes even further: It is not only understood as an ethical way of life but as the
deification of the human being.
This process, known as Theosis, describes the spiritual transformation through which the person increasingly absorbs the divine nature within themselves and lives in perfect harmony with God.
Mind-Body Unity in the Buddhist Understanding
In Buddhism, enlightenment means a spiritual awakening characterized by perfect mindfulness.
In the state of enlightenment, consciousness awakens to the realization that the individual self is an illusion and that we are one with all beings. In this state, the awakened and all-connected spirit manifests through the body, allowing spirit and body to act in complete unity.
In the non-enlightened state, however, the spirit is not fully manifested in the body, and the person is governed by their deluded ego and illusory ideas of the self.
A Simplified Understanding
In the Unification movement, mind-body unity is often greatly simplified as body control and the willpower to do good.
This is because the term is viewed purely from a truth-oriented perspective here – understanding the truth and acting accordingly – and not from a mystical standpoint.
If we are satisfied with this understanding, the door to the true understanding of the mind-body unity remains closed to us.
Consequently, we also find no access to profound inner transformation and effective mystical practice.
The central question in understanding the term "spirit-mind/mind-body unity" is:
What exactly is meant by "spirit-mind"?
The spirit-mind should be aligned with God and take the subject position over the body.
However, in controlling the body, the intellect with its principled knowledge and good will are usually at the forefront.
Both – intellect and will – are components of the mind but do not necessarily belong to the spiritual self.