Hyo Jin Moon

 

To Die For

 

Tarrytown, New York

July 16, 2006

Edited Transcript by Joe Kinney

 

I thought I was going to leave earlier (to accompany True Mother in Africa) but the schedule changed so I am here. (Hyo Jin nim planned to leave later the same day.)

My topic today is "To Die For"  When somebody says they would die for something it seems to sound so terrible and tragic.  But it's kind of like the saying about the glass being either half empty or half full.  It all depends on how you look at it. To die for sounds terrible, but to have nothing worthy of dying for is worse.

We feel that achieving perfection is very difficult and not many people are successful at achieving it, so we focus on living.  You will die anyway.  Yesterday I drove past a cemetery with my son. He asked me "Daddy what is that?" I told him it was a cemetery where they bury you when you die.  He asked me "Why do we die?"

Many times it is difficult to face what we are doing wrong.  Even with someone else that you know you don't want to deal with the things that are wrong with them so you don't face up to them and just hope that these issues will just go away.  It's not easy caring for someone's limitations.

You want to be optimistic, to reach up to the stars, to become stars.  You want to get your small time of exposure to become a star. (Your 15 minutes of fame)  What do you live for?  In a free society the thing that sticks out, and I believe that America is freer than any other nation that I've been to; the thing that sticks out is that you have the freedom to fail.

How many people try to think freely about every question that comes into their life?  What is the result of free and deep thinking?  When you go to college, you are kind of forced to go to college. That is the only place that you are really encouraged to think freely and deeply.  So you get a degree and then you get a job and go to work and come home tired and turn on the TV and let somebody else do your thinking for you.

So where is your deep thinking?  That is your reality. So how many people in a free society really speak out and make their voices heard?  So how do you think deeply and really have your own thoughts?  What do you have that is worth dying for?  You need to think freely and deeply about what that is.  You need an opportunity.

How can you say that I live for my family, my society, my nation and for God?  To what degree of greatness are you willing to live and die for?  So what is the greatest purpose that you can live and die for?  Which is harder or more difficult receiving or giving to others?

Giving is harder so it must have more value.  Every free moment you have to think about this.  I struggle about this as much as you.  Because of the position and duty that I have, I can only help you here in this moment. (Speaking Sunday mornings at Belvedere.)

You have to think for your self.  I hope that everyone can make it to the ultimate goal.  Some people give up.  Change is inevitable, everybody changes.  Possessing something that is unchanging is the most valuable thing.  Unchanging love is the most precious thing.  I can't tell you about that because I'm not there yet.

If I get there I'll tell you, but most likely I'll be dead. (big laugh)  So this is something that you have to do for yourself that nobody else can take responsibility for.  You have to figure this out for yourself.  So, I wish for all of us to be successful.

I'll see you in a few weeks.

Bye!