Independence

Hyo Jin Moon November 25, 2007 Belvedere, 7:00 am

Here are my notes from Hyo Jin nim's speech Sunday 25 November 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. To see projects that Hyo Jin nim is working on log on to: definingmoment.tv Joe Kinney

Rev. Jack Corley 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)

America is the most proud nation on earth, right?

They're proud of their strength and they believe it came from independence.

How does one feel independent? What is independence? I mean, you can't really separate yourself from anything permanently. You are always attached to something; otherwise you have to live like a hermit.

Living in a society or being civil, you're connected to something, always, absolutely. So how are you independent? What is the nature of independence? And why is that important to you? And why is that important to everybody?

Because that's what you wave as a flag to the rest of the world.

How do you teach yourself? How do you get taught?

The first step is that you have to accept something. That's the first step. If you don't accept, you don't get taught. No matter what other people try to drill into your head, if you don't want to accept it... They can torture you; they can imprison you; you will not accept it. If you don't accept it, you will never be taught.

So if you can't accept something that comes from somewhere else, you'll never be taught. So as part of that process, what is important is acceptance. That's the first step.

And the next step is belief. You have to believe what you have accepted. And you have to be willing to act upon it, and to practice it, to try to live by it.

And the next step is faith. You have to be willing to die by it.