Speeches of Hyo Jin Moon 2006-2008
Delivered Sunday at Belvedere Estate in Tarrytown, New York
Hyo Jin Moon Speaks on Leadership, Page 101

Some episodes may contain explicit language. Listener discretion is advised.

Leadership

June 25,2006

How are you doing? Nice to see you again. Today, I would like to talk about something called, “Leadership." Leadership, leadership. Let me just start with a little opening from what I experienced during my absence the last few weeks.

It was interesting. But I did go beyond because of the premise with which I started this, on my own. I did share it with people I normally do not talk in front of. A personal coming together. Because I want to know, I need to know. If you are going to make something right, I guess that is the first response you have to get.

So I did, unlike the way I lived before for a decade. I did go out of my way to try to understand what is going on. I do not know about you, but all I can say is what I feel in front of you, because that's our occasion. That is the nature of it. And somehow after my experience to make that connection with you, that is the only offering I can give. And that's about it. That's the end of it. I know.

Okay, I didn't expect Michael [Jenkins] to be here today because I was going to talk about him. It makes me feel very uncomfortable to talk about somebody when he is sitting in front of your face. (Michael Jenkins: "Should I go back?”) No, no, anyway. You know, he took on a mission to be the president of the Unification Church in America. Prior to that, he had his own business and stuff. He had his own ups and downs, and his own turmoil that he had to endure and conquer and transcend.

When he became president, he gave it all up. Whether it is technical, it does not matter. But that is important. That attitude is important. That kind of sincerity is important. That kind of willingness to show that occasion is important. Commitment. Basic virtues are important because what we are dealing with in today's world, is starting to define ourselves and find ourselves, so we can do something great based on common sense. We are not stupid anymore.

We understand, regardless of what you are, across boundaries, culture, and borders, we understand there is some form of universality. And that common sense, the notion of common sense is getting thicker and thicker and deeper and deeper. That's about it.

And that is enviable. That is admirable. You can admire it. You can respect it. That action, that willingness to separate myself from private life because of the responsibility at hand, now that is good. That is good. It is not extraordinary. But that is good because that is our standard. If you want to do that, if you want to live a public life, if you want to lead it, then that is what you have to do.

You look at the world, especially when you focus on a monotheistic religion, they do have certain absolute kinds of ways of looking at the world,looking at the street, and looking at themselves in relation to God. Of course, Muslims, Jews, and Christians have used holy wars in history and carried their banners to conquer.

However, when you look at it at this present time, Muslims are basically still into that stuff. Jews are a little bit too, even at this present time, they have the policy of revenge. And when you look at Christians, of course, it is a little milder version than the Jews and the idea of revenge, right off the bat. They will retaliate against what's antichrist. In other words, they do have that sanctimonious something about them, some special prerogative they feel because they think they understand the absolute God, one God. That is about it.

When you understand the absolute God, religion as we know it represents monotheism, it can act in certain ways, in ways to further itself. Because of that, it can never end that kind of strife, struggle, and conflict that we face today. Because I am a violent person, I know violence will not solve every problem. I do not think much about violence.

I have been violent all my life trying to fight my way through school, just to be somebody, and just to hold on to my name. If I have to strike you down, just to hold onto my name, when you do not know me, I will do it. Why? I have no choice. Because there is no hope in sight. Nobody is going to kill my hope. And I have to live with this stuff.

What to do, you live with it. It doesn't matter what. If you want to be the best, you have to make it on your own, right? That is the American way, right? So, having said that, what does that prove? How can we communicate with these people who still hold that kind of concept? Ultimately, in the end that is doable. When you allow that stuff, when you open the floodgate, it is like opening the mythical Pandora's Box. Anything is doable then.

Because apparently, based on violence, that apparent no-no and extreme measure, anything less becomes questionable then. Then it's open to description and interpretation, personal description, interpretation and practice. That is nasty stuff.

You try to do good. And even when you say to yourself, “Oh, I haven't done anything wrong. I have followed Father all my life. I gave everything." And when you start to take on certain things because you feel that you can and you start to do things, you have to realize you are responsible, not Father. You cannot just say in the end, "I messed up. I'm sorry. Forgive me."

And it's not going to go away. You can cry all you want. You can cry a river. It is not going to remedy the problem that you have created. Based on your holiness, your sanctimoniousness, and based on your sanctimonious perception of your reality, what you have done—it is not sanctimonious. And tears alone will not just wash it away.

And if you believe it works like that, you got another thing coming. Do you know why? Because I always call on myself. People like me, like me, have no choice. Accepting the fact that I have no choice—that choice gives me freedom. That is about it. That is ironic. It is paradox in itself. I mean, think about it. God says, "Do not take the fruit." That is a loaded question, isn't it? And you do it, and you can get away with it? Obviously not, right? You can't blame anybody else.

Even from the very beginning, the nature of responsibility goes beyond your individual absolute, and how you describe your perfection, or even how you describe your obedience for that matter. How do you, as an object, define obedience and make that to be absolute regardless of what is in the air to be true that is grander than you? How does that work? Nobody has that kind of prerogative. Nobody has that kind of prestige. It doesn't matter if you are a king.

Look, nobody wants to be a king. If somebody thinks they do, they are crazy. I know my father suffered. He lives a miserable life in my eyes. He lives in a fishbowl that is the size of a molecule. That is about it. How big a neutron is, that is about it. That is where he dwells. Try to be king in this world!

But there are all sorts of crazy people with charges, plus and minus, floating around his reality, creating stuff. Becoming this one day, becoming that one day. Because that determines it, you know what I am saying? And that is a miserable life.

And in the end, he is going to be shafted for it. He is going to be responsible for that stuff. All of it, absolutely, as an absolute king should. That's it. And he knows, I know he knows. And people who know him to a point, in a basic sense, try to help that poor miserable man. Well, hey, that's about it. Life is short. Trust me.