What do You Want to Inherit
Hyo Jin Moon May 27, 2007 7:00 am Belvedere, NY
Here are my notes from Hyo Jin nim's speech Sunday 27 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.
Hyo Jin nim bows to the audience as he approaches the stage.
Good morning. (Good morning)
What do you want to inherit? (From Audience: True Parents tradition)
What else? Everything is in there right?
Do you have any particular things? (Blood lineage)
Blood lineage… Come on help us out here! (True Love)
True Love. Out of the things that you've said what is the first thing that you can actually handle?
What can you actually handle? True love, love and lineage, True Parents Tradition, what can you actually handle? Or do we have to be more particular?
Well then, let's be honest. If you're going to find an answer you have to make the question relatable to you. It has to be rational to you based on your understanding or reason, your ability to reason. It has to be plausible initially Possibilities will grow in it and hopefully you can develop into it; and ultimately, in the end, you can find what you're looking for.
But even the question itself has to be relatable to you, otherwise it's irrelevant and you'd might as well just watch talk shows (on TV). Talk shows seem like they're relevant, but in the end they become entertainment. You get hooked on that entertainment and they drag it on to increase the production value, and it becomes more and more frivolous.
That's the nature of the way things exist in the multimedia realm. It can start off with some serious stuff but the whole purpose of it in the end is production value.
So how many times do you need to regurgitate the basic stuff? And if you tried to even find an interesting point of view, perspective, it becomes more and more difficult and you're just pressed for time and cut corners.
Once people start settling in on certain things, a lot of times unless you're always "feel the heat" so to speak, you'll settle down. Settling down means nothing other than just trying to find the easiest way to maximize whatever gain that you're looking for. That's about it.
So when you talk about inheritance, what do you want to inherit? Why do you go to church? Why do you want to believe in God?
Before you talk about inheritance, let's talk about the reality of what people do with an inheritance. You see a lot of struggles right? Especially when folks die or whatever, they fight over what ever has value, in terms of what, monetary value.
Survival, if you're a cave man a long time ago prior to us being a little more intellectual, living out there was a struggle. Sometimes it was very violent. You had to deal with the environment; it was harsh, was brutal and goes in cycles regardless of your needs. You have to go out and gather and hunt or whatever, so you can survive.
And many times it's just like what you see on the National Geographic Channel, when they showcase the animal kingdom. It's brutal; it's very violent. Civilization teaches us that, OK, and however stupid it might be to some people, violence can exist as a last resort. We accept that premise. Some people might vehemently disagree, but that's in the minority. The majority agree, accept, and embrace that concept. And unfortunately that's reality.
So when you talk about inheritance, what is important, what is of value to you, is there anything that you really want to be violent to inherit? And what causes violence when it comes to the core of inheritance? What triggers that thought of violence? You say "I have to act upon it somehow, as my last resort. I have to claim my stake." What is so worth committing violence for?
You can teach people to hate, even religion can do that. And they can justify it simply because the cultures and how they interpret the relationship between God and human beings, humanity, in such ways that sometimes, as a last resort, you can commit horrendous stuff in the name of God until you defeat your enemy however long it takes. Because, they too, want to inherit something. They want to inherit the divine eternal life centered on God, in His blessing, in His glory, and eternally be peaceful, live in joy and happiness forever for the mere sacrifices however it is done. Most likely in violence because you think that you can inherit all that stuff.
And you teach people. There are people who teach people that that is how you inherit God's eternal love.
What is important to Capitalism? What is the definition of a capitalist? Let's say that we're agnostic or atheist. What's the definition of inheritance? (Money) I guess so. It's all about stuff isn't it? Either you inherit it, or if you don't do the best that you can to gain it. Quote, unquote, earn it. You will do everything under the sun short of going to jail to get what you want. Nobody wants to go to jail; jail sucks. But that's reality. They say "If I can get it in an orderly way, then I'm going to get it one way or the other. And I'll inherit from this earth. I might not believe in God but I'll take as much as I can for its here"
We are supposedly civilized because; we are inheriting our knowledge through history, from history, standing on the shoulders of others right? That's one way of inheriting. A lot of people devote their whole life to intellectualism. It's all about that, inheriting from their knowledge. You just want to put something more on the table. That's about it, isn't it?
But what does religion try to teach you? Inheriting something from God. How do you measure that? How do you measure inheriting something from God? It starts from your attitude, knowing what is valuable, in faith as God will see it. And that is the belief that you are willing to give your life for. Because even in measured stuff, if you believe in a certain concept, to prove it, most people dedicate their life for it in science and medicine, in the intellectual world.
The thing is: I want more than just my intellect. I want to have a relationship greater. I believe in a greater being. That's a leap of faith. That's why you believe in religion. Anybody who says that they believe in God, whether they fully understand the meaning of leap of faith, making that challenge to them self, they're making that decision.
They're taking a giant leap from what they know in body, physicality and intellectualism into something that is absolutely... mysterious in certain ways. Why? There are so many things that we don't know even about this planet. We have only observed about four or five percent of the ocean and bla, bla, bla. We haven't named all the creatures and plants in the forest where it rains constantly.
What gives us the right to make that decision unless we become humble to ourselves and are willing to die for it?
(From now until the end of the speech Hyo Jin nim is deeply emotional and tears fall down his cheeks)
That is the greatest price that you pay to learn about something. You're willing to pay the price to gain a greater knowledge. Whether you like it, you have to do that physically, intellectually, spiritually, of course, but it has to be your life and you have to mean it.
Yes you can screw up and make mistakes, but never loose sight of it. You try. You try. If people succeed in the first shot then you're lucky. We can ALL be successful if we understand how we can come about reaching that end. And that is with dedication, with our lives. That's the only way that I can grow too.
I'm doing this (speaking every Sunday) because I'm getting attached to certain things, physically, intellectually, certain faces, but to make this into a duty that I want to carry on, now that's the next step. I might have done it because of extra-ordinary circumstances. I forced… willed myself to do this stuff. But in the process I changed. I know because at least I had some experience in the past, I wanted to do this kind of stuff; and I wanted to go back and find what I lost. That's about it.
Because I know what's right; you know what is right. You're finding something that is right and that is important. There is no exception. You can't be free without boundaries and consequences right? That's right.
And I want it back. That's why you try.
And what do you want to inherit?
Personally speaking, if I want to inherit something, I want to inherit how my Father built this church. That's all. That's enough, because that's what's important. I know that He spent every waking moment, every breathing moment to build something from nothing to what he has now. I know that He valued every single one of those people who came in the beginning. And that's what made Unification Church what it is, if it means anything to anybody.
Now THAT'S important. That is the most important value, truth value, that I want to inherit.
I could care less about... If I want stuff, I do stuff. And I'll do a whole lot of stuff.
What's important will last forever, truth value, that I want to inherit. That's enough.
I could care less about anything else. I can get everything else on my own. I don't need anyone's help. I'll get it in my own way.
It's not about external. Even if I do become successful, what I'm trying to put on to the table, I'm trying to put it on to the table because I feel it's necessary for the betterment of all for what we stand for, for the stuff we can't erase.
I fear God; I fear my children; I fear History. That's about it. I don't fear anything else. You will die of disease; you will die of accident; somebody can kill you; you will die of natural causes. Suicide is out of the question, but it can be done.
Life is short and I want to put something on the table. I've got to earn my way, earn my keep.
That's love isn't it?
You can't just take right? You've got to give! (Whispering) and everybody knows that.
Why do we stray from that sometimes? Because we get lost in stupidity and our values change.
However primitive my value had been, it hasn't changed yet, no matter what, and I'm trying. I think that's...
Look I'm trying to be responsible, OK, for myself and to my expectations. This is all I can do.
What you see is what you get.
Well, hopefully, it can expand. It can grow.
I'll do my best to make it happen.
I will not... I won't stop trying.
People like me, I don't think I can. (Whispering) I'll find a way somehow.
What do you want to inherit? You want to inherit true love. Start from the thing that you know, what makes love turn around. Try to give. Try.
Even people like me try. I'll keep on trying.
I'll be here as long as you're here. (Laughter)
See you.