Speeches of Hyo Jin Moon: Episode 20
Speeches of Hyo Jin Moon 2006-2008
Delivered Sunday at Belvedere Estate in Tarrytown, New York
Hyo Jin Moon Speaks on Addressing Problems, Page 70
Some episodes may contain explicit language. Listener discretion is advised.
Addressing Problems
March 26,2006
Thank you, please sit down. Today I want to talk about addressing problems.
We all have problems. Nobody has problems in this room? I'm trying to find some kind of universality in sharing.
I guess the way to approach the problem is to understand what kind of standard we set in terms of absolute, first on a primary level, the secondary level, and the physical level. For instance, what I mean by a primary absolute is like the law of physics. It's something we learn that's been confirmed. We know that it exists to the extent that we understand it, and we have verified it to the point that's basically within the range of our limitations about how we perceive certain physical laws. And even that has a certain absolute value.
As for secondary absolute, this is something that has to do with the intelligence that we manifest in our reality to create some kind of law and order. So, it's human made stuff—the laws that we live by. You break the law, or any kind of legal wrongdoing , and it will be dealt with and will be remedied.
And third is physical stuff. But to me it's a kind of etiquette. For example, some people get offended if I use colorful words. They protest to your friends or whatever. Ultimately in the end, because we have a small society, it comes back to my ears, blah, blah, blah. That kind of stuff.
So, basically we have certain things of universal magnitude in the realms of intellect and the physical parameters we set. Then we try to use those as some kind of a benchmark to regulate our lives. Having said that, the problem arises when certain individuals don't recognize the standards that get set as absolute, whether it's primary, secondary, or 'etiquette wise.' That's basically how problems arise. And when you talk about problems in society, most of you don't live alone, right? Even if you are single and don't have family, still, you live in society to make a living. Like Jeremiah Johnson, or whatever his name was, living out in the hills somewhere hunting for life—unless you are somebody like that, maybe there is that kind of exception—but otherwise everybody, everybody, has some connection to society in general. You can't depart from that gregariousness because we need it. You don't want to be alone, first of all.
When you talk about that basic human reality, the problem arises by not understanding the nature of gregariousness, which can be complex. Why? Because it's individuals coming together creating a gregarious reality. And that creates complexity because we each believe that we are individually unique. We are idiosyncratic. However minute the differences might be, it's still difference. There is some sort of recognizable difference but many times because of the complexity, we blame the complexity because we don't take time to understand all the factors that are involved, even just dealing with your immediate group—never mind society in general—just in your gregarious sect. That's why problems arise. I mean, how many parents can honestly say that they understand all their children's idiosyncratic reality. Sometimes I want to ask that to my father. Well, I ask you the same question. Let's say, if you have more than two or three, how much do you really know about your kids? How much are you connected with them?
Problems arise when there is disconnection.In order to recognize a problem, first of all you have to understand how many factors are involved in the picture. What are the components, what are the vital components? There is always a vital component in any complex organism or complex things. How many vital factors are there? You have to identify them, recognize them, understand them, and know how they connect to one another. How do you make a relationship, in whatever reciprocal ways people act just to have a relationship. If you don't understand that clearly, you cannot go forward. If there's a problem, let's say, you can never address it. Many times, the problem goes unsolved or you say to yourself it's difficult to solve. But that's because you haven't fully identified all the factors. That's why it's unsolved, cannot be solved, it's difficult to solve. But the truth is, it can be solved. Just as with anything we are still learning, through science or whatever just to leam about the physical universe and the laws of physics, we still have a ways to go. Or even about healing our bodies for instance. There are many diseases that we don't understand how to cure because we haven't fully comprehended or identified all the factors that cause that kind of problem. Therefore, we don't have the ability to address and remedy the problem. We still have a long way to go even just to deal with the physical universe as we know it.
So, let's start with things that you can do. Let's not talk about things that it'll take years and years and generations and generations to fully comprehend. Even changing the world, it'll take generations. That's why you can't really take yourself that seriously. I'm in the process of things—that's about it. That's the best I can do, I'm not Father. I'm in the process of things, that's about it. So, when you address that kind of reality, face what's true, and what affects our lives. It has something to do with our future, too. However long you may live. Even just recently a member I know personally passed away. I hope she goes in peace, she settles in quickly, and I believe and have hope that her family will be taken care of by people who care about them. In other words, our life is very short.
Even with the short life we are faced with, we still have a ways to go. And there are many problems that we still haven't fully comprehended. Why? Because we can't control things. Just because you have the position of a leader, if you don't understand the people who work under you, you can't really become a good leader. Of course, there is a kind of cliché, a certain concept that is obvious, 'if you want to be a leader you have to lead the way.'
There are so many programs that try to teach you, whether it's governmental or religiously motivated, that try to help people. The U.S. government has a program called The Peace Corps, right? I think it was started in the 1960s by John Kennedy. And there are other organizations that have done a lot of good, mostly Christian-based organizations, that try to do charitable work. I mean even for crying out loud, Jimmy Carter with Habitat for Humanity. He goes and starts building these houses to give to people in need, people with low income, or in hard times in poverty. If you don't do something like that, it's very difficult even for that good-intended stuff and ideas, to last.
You have to know what your limitations are. You have to know yourself. You have to know what you are doing. You have to understand your position, yourself, first. Know your limitations, know your boundaries, know your responsibility and how it connects to others. That kind of reality should come down from above, right? We try to talk about hierarchy, law and order. If that is important to us then that's what should be passed down. That kind of attitude, that kind of way of living should be given. Otherwise, it's do your own thing. You don't want to pretend. You don't go far, don't last. What you see is what you get, you know what I'm saying? And it should be that. Because you can't change yourself if you are going to pretend. Obviously, you are not going to help people around you and certainly you are not going to change the world. You can only get better when you understand your limitations. Then you can try to expand it, increase your boundary, your potential.
As in many things, the thing that gives us a problem is this kind of immature confidence. Arrogance. Quick judgment, jumping into judgment without fully grasping the issue at hand. That's the problem. If we can just step back before making any decisions, if we talk about that basic stuff, I think we can solve many problems that we have. We can tackle them with our own hands. We don't need God's help. We don't need Father's intervention. You can solve it. We can solve it. We can take care of those problems. If we can't do that, don't think you are going to change the world. Because that is just—that's a lie. That will never come true.
But, we can do it. Start from yourself. Understand your limitations. Know you and try to connect to the people around you, and try to get to know them, understand all the factors, including the ones that create complexity. So, work small, you don't have to always think big. Everybody likes to do that, I know. But work within your limit. Start, if you want to understand greater computations, start small and try to understand it, see how it works and learn. Have life experience. That's more important than just the theory stuff. You can talk about stuff until whenever. But look, you have to know how to work it. If you don't know how to work it, you are not going to change anything. Start from there. Tell yourself that's important to you for your future, for your betterment. If you can't, if you just say 'oh, it's Father,' it just sounds so cliché-ish and like lip service. You then tempt people to think of that brainwashed stuff.
But I tell you as it is, as you would like to hear it, the way you would understand. There's nothing wrong with that. But keep it to yourself. You know what to me a humble man is? Nothing other than a man who keeps his arrogance to himself, you understand me? Everybody's arrogant. Everybody's self-glorifying, or can be. You are so yourself, right? Just try to work with what you got. Don't mind if you just recognize it and sometimes say it—hey, if it's true, it's true. I don't want somebody telling me it's not true when I know it's true. Anyway, something like that. If we can start like that I think we can do something about it. We'lI start to feel this kind of stuff in our lives. Then that's something. That is a new beginning. Because you feel it. It's not someone telling you. You feel it. You see it. You can see it in your mind. Even if you don't see it right now—you feel it, at the same time you can see it. That's something. That something is change. Anyway, I'll be away for a month. I have something to take care of, so I'll see you in May. Sorry, but I have to take care of something. Take care of yourself, okay? See you later.
(Note: what Hyo Jin nim so humbly referred to as "something to take care of' was his forthcoming concert tour in Japan.)
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