Prosperity

Hyo Jin Moon May 6, 2007 7:00 am Belvedere, Tarrytown, NY

Here are my notes from Hyo Jin nim's speech Sunday 06 May 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 offer a standing bow.

Rev Michael Jenkins and Rev Bruce Grodner are in attendance.

(Hyo Jin nim bows to the audience as he approaches the stage.)

Good morning. (Good morning)

Does everybody want to be prosperous?

Prosperity.

Do you want to be prosperous? (Yes)

In what way? (Laughter)

Money? Money way?

I'll cut right to the chase.

To me prosperity is a perception, a perception of how ones self thinks of ones self in contentment.

So when are you satisfied? Because prosperity equals satisfaction.

That varies. How do YOU see prosperity? Because it's a perception of how ones self thinks about ones self in contentment.

If you see today, like televangelists, people that are doing very well; they put on a great show. They package them selves very well and it's an event when you go there.

And an event has, I guess, a certain kind of appeal or expectation. For instance like on a commercial level, you create an event to sell your product.

In politics you create an event, make budget promises, and ask for your vote. (Laughter)

At times, in religious circles, you have an event and make a statement, make a proclamation of some sort, representing the Divine.

And it's how you use that kind of stuff to draw attention that makes the event highly successful or not. Right? (Yes)

And pretty much, that's how we communicate with one another on a larger scale. Otherwise it's one-on-one. You have to literally build things one-on-one.

And because of modernization we can afford that kind of large scale give and take using those kinds of situations, because we all have that kind of situational awareness of how things work.

Especially when people put on those kind's of things, they have certain expectations so to listen better to what the point is, and they'll try to hold you to it whether they're selling the right product (or not). And time will tell right? Whether it's a good politician or not or whatever.

Time will tell.

So however in the end what is all that for? Why is it necessary? You have to ask yourself, ultimately in the end, if we can find something that is universal.

What is that universality that we can all share in contentment?

And that's important. Because when you talk about being prosperous it's physical mind and body, and I guess certain people are stuck on a physical level because that's all they understand because I guess it might be environmental or whatever.

They're some people that are kind of stuck in the intellectual level. And they pretty much give their whole life in pursuit of creating that and getting greater and greater satisfaction in terms of their expansion intellectually.

And spiritually... And in spirituality it goes the same way but that's a very broad kind of reality. Because how do YOU find satisfaction, unless you have a telephone, a direct line to God, a red telephone, like Batman's Phone. (Laughter)

It's very difficult. If something is tangible or if something is intellectual at least you can feel it because there is give and take you can perceive and determine, analyze or whatever.

But how do you go about doing that, analyzing and defining perception when it comes to having a relationship with God? How do you ultimately feel that satisfaction?

So you have to take a leap of faith, right, and try to predict how God will think in satisfaction. NOT YOU! Not you first, but how HE would… What would He... What would God think that will make God satisfied, make Him feel that contentment?

When you chase after the notion, the feel of God, you can't determine based on your self. It's foolish isn't it? You have to think about how HE would perceive. That's the leap of faith that we have to take. What would make Him content?

He wanted us to procreate and proliferate like all the stars in the universe. What would make Him satisfied in the end? What would make Him happy? Because anything that gives contentment has all that stuff in there, prosperity, happiness and all that stuff that you want. But in the end if you want to chase God, that's what you have to do. You can't ask yourself, you have to ask what would make Him contented. That's the only way, because you have no idea.

Do you truly know what makes you feel satisfaction yet? You're still chasing it aren't you? At least I am. I'm not going to live that long. I'm still trying to figure out what, to this person, defines contentment. Only then can you truly feel prosperous in my eye.

Give a bunch of candy and French fries to children and they think that they're in prosperity. (Laughter) When they grow up that perception changes. That's about it isn't it?

It's true. I still think like that. I don't know about you. In my own way, in my own stupid way I do. The desire keeps you pushing on to try to expand to try to ask questions, what is more that I have?

Before you talk about giving, I have to know what I've got. What more do I have. Then comes the part about giving. That's the choice. It's the choice that made us fall. It's the choice that can make us successful too. Heavenly.

If it has to come from your responsibility, me and you, then that determination ultimately falls on you, and you have to expand your limitations. If you don't, you can never be prosperous.

You're going to make a big booboo. (Laughter) It just might be criminal.

So prosperity is in you. It's how you perceive seeing your limitations, but at the same time, don't let the notion of limitations bind you. You can expand. The world has boundaries, sure, but expand, right?

Unconditional love has conditions right? (Laughter) Know yourself and that answer lies in you. No body else can give it to you.

And if we can be the church that can understand more that just the kind of prosperity stuck on the body or the mind. Maybe a little higher.. Hey let the best man win right? That's about it isn't it.

We'll attract people because that's how we think, that's how we live and if we can showcase those more in confidence, trust me; it will be beautiful. And people are attracted to beautiful things.

It can be done. Others can sort of do it. We can do it too; we'll certainly do it if we put our hearts and minds together in our efforts. Faith and effort, hey, to start that's all you have.

But you have to believe. God still believes that this world can become an ideal world. We have to believe right? Otherwise we will all perish right?

We can't let that happen right? That's not an option.

So let's see what we got! OK?

I guess next week is Mother's day. You guys going to be busy? (Busy fundraising so perhaps Hyo Jin nim should not speak. Audience responds "We'll be here!) I'll be here. (Much laughter)

I'll see you next week.