Hyo Jin Moon
August 26, 2007 7:00 am
Belvedere, NY
Here are my notes from Hyo Jin nim's speech Sunday 26 August 2007. My ability to convey what was actually said is limited. These, at most, convey some sense of what Hyo Jin nim said and are not a verbatim record. Hyo Jin nim's website is: www.canaanstation.com/ To see two of the projects that Hyo Jin nim is working on log on to: definingmoment.tv/ and definingmoment.eu/
Joe Kinney
Rev. Andrew Compton is the MC. All welcome Hyo Jin nim and Yeon Ah nim and offer a standing bow.
Hyo Jin nim bows to the audience as he approaches the stage.
Good morning (Good morning)
How are you doing, OK? (OK)
We all know that changes are in the future right?
If anything is going to change, it's going to happen in the future.
Is all change good? Is it all just good? (No)
Sometimes changes can be bad. So how can we determine the change to be the change that we want? How do you go about achieving that?
What's the kind of change that you want? What is an ideal change? Do you have a relationship with God? (Yes) You do? You talk to Him every day? (Yes) Really? (Laughter) OK, that's your opinion. (Laughter) We all have opinions. You can believe what ever you want to believe. This is America. Right? (Laughter)
Do you idolize something, idealize something, does that has to do with something between God and humanity? Or is it personal? Can you make something that is ideal personal? And if you can and if that is doable, then how do you go about achieving that? What had to happen to make ideal personal? What do you have to be to actually achieve that?
Because when you talk about ideal, in a way you have to talk about the relationship between God and humanity. It's God and humanity. Even when you talk with the little information that is there with Jesus, he is a representation of humanity. It is the relationship between God and humanity through our representation, a single representation.
And obviously his course was tragic. And through that something was manifested called Christianity. What is Christianity? There are so many versions of Christianity. How many denominations are there, close to five hundred and growing every day. They (each) have a different interpretation of that single person who represented the relationship between God and humanity.
So when you idolize something and you try to make it personal, you have to know where you stand. Why do you want to make it personal? "Because only then can I have some kind of give and take that I can feel, that can give me some kind of satisfaction or something!"
And why do you want that kind of satisfaction with the relationship between God and humanity? Change, change for the better.
You know, the first thing that goes against change is arrogance. Right? There are so many experts out there that say" I know everything about this, and unless you pass me, you aren't going anywhere, what ever you think you have." And there's another opposite group of people, the insecure defeatists, doomsday sayers, nay-sayers. And there are people in the middle, skeptics and cynics. (that say) "I don't trust you" Trust is a very difficult thing for the cynics and the skeptics. Why? Because they say "look at the history" and that's all they need to say, and they go down the list, bla bla bla bla bla. And (they say) "who the heck are you?"
And how are you going to prove ... it takes time to prove something. Right off the bat you have that kind of challenge. Change (is) difficult just because of the way we think and where we are in reality.
I mean you have to deal with ... I mean you can separate them into all sorts of other levels but basically that's what you have to deal with in order to make change real. You can talk about change, but first of all, you have to go up to that hurdle. How do you do that? How do you convince those people? How do you convince the so-called experts, the arrogant people that (say) "I know everything in this field; unless you prove to me that you know better than I do, I'm not going to move; I'm staying here; this is my authority."
And you go to those people who are absolutely insecure (They say) "No! It isn't going to happen; it isn't going to happen; it isn't going to happen. Just living with my neighbors it isn't going to happen."
So what is the ideal? What is the ideal relationship between God and mankind? What does God want from us? Do you feel His love? (Yes) Really? (Yes) It's a concept isn't it? (One sister says no I feel it) OK. Every body feels the same? (No answer) That's a problem! (Laughter)
That's love. And how do you teach somebody that stuff? How do you learn about that kind of stuff? How do you have the kind of feeling that you have that they can have it as well? How do you do that?
You have to be honest. And you have to try to be as transparent as you can possibly be. Even if it means that you have to be vulnerable, so be it.
What you see is what you get, no other one; that's it. And from there you can start. If anything is going to change, it's going to start with a very simple goodness. That's about it. That we all know, but many times we don't practice because of all sorts of reasons. You can find your own, living in this pretentious world.
You pretend and you try to take as much as you can when the opportunity arises. Right? That's the way. Right? That's the way of capitalism isn't it? You gamble with your life in that way. And it's a short life, and what do you want to change? How long do you think it's going to take to change the world?
We haven't even found the proper communication, ways to communicate with other religions, that are warring in the name of God. That's a big homework isn't it? And it's a very important one because it affects everybody. What good is freedom when you live in terror? What's the point? And how do you go about addressing that issue?
It has to start from very, very basic things; you have to answer that. If you can't do that, there's no way you're going to change the world. I want to change too. I'll always ... All my life I expect things to change for the better, because it was promised to me. I'm still waiting. Most likely, I'll die for it. That's pretty much what I see, the price that I have to pay for the change. So be it. And it's not just me, you too. As long as you are here that's the price you pay.
So what can I do now? You tell me. You want an ideal relationship with God; you want to learn about the greatest love, the eternal love, all the blessing and joy and happiness, everything that was promised, everything that is ideal that you can fantasize. I want that. I want that with God. I want it forever because that's where forever comes from.
Because I want that forever, I need to make that relationship with God. So be it. How do you go about starting that relationship? What are you going to do? What is your first step? What is your second step? What is your third step?
The first step is understanding basic vows. That's about it. The promises that were made, you have to understand that then go to the next one.
What is the next one, after the basic vows? It's you're blessing. Make the blessing work.
And what is the final ... I'm simplifying things. You give your life for it.
And I'll do my best as I learn these things, I'll do my best to help you so that I can help my self achieve that ultimate end, that I'll give my life. Judgment. People die every day. People get born every day. Right?
That's how you change the world, knowing the absolute basic stuff. First of all it's necessary, you have to live it, and I try to live it. That's the pain in the butt part, because it lasts your whole life.
What else can I say? Life sucks! (Laughter) But it can be good. It's just the way that you look at things. It varies in different days.
OK?
Alright, take care.
Taps podium twice