Speeches of Hyo Jin Moon 2006-2008
Delivered Sunday at Belvedere Estate in Tarrytown, New York
Hyo Jin Moon Speaks on Happiness, Page 237

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

Happiness

December 24, 2006

Good morning.

This is the holiday season. Is it supposed to be a happy occasion?

The topic today is, "Happiness." When do we feel happy? Help me out here. (Asking for responses from the audience.)

(When our desire is fulfilled.)

(When we are with people we love.)

(When our kids are with us.)

That's true, all those things.

Happiness begins with life itself, right? Happiness can be as simple as when you see children just feeling life as they start to walk and run. If they see an open field, they want to run. They have a clear blue sky and it makes them happy, like a little colt.

All those things, just life. In life itself you can start to find out what basic happiness is all about—then comes the phases of growth, and finding the meaning of life. Understanding the meaning of life becomes more important than the actual physical give-and-take. That is very necessary for us, however the meaning of life and that understanding, finding the meaning of life becomes more relevant as we inspire others. Because life itself is about growth. It's perpetual growth. It's constant growth. 

We have to learn. One way or another we will learn about the greater meaning of God, the will of God, and the love of God, whether we like it or not. Understanding the essence of God's love is a life-long journey, and I don't think that it ends even there. That's what we're taught that we will have a relationship with God forever, eternally. In this divine relationship there is something called True Love that we offer each other. This is because the meaning of love to me is offering. When we truly offer ourselves, our greatest, of course the meaning of love, the definition of love, will constantly expand because it should. You're growing, and you have to expand.

Of course, after finding the meaning of life you come to the point where it has to be manifest some way or another. It has to be substantiated. This is the fulfillment of life that will give us happiness. We complete the course by going through the stages of growth­ formation, growth, and completion/perfection as we understand it. This is the process we go through as we deliver the expectation, and in this way complete the course. That's when you understand what greater happiness means. 

When you're young, just learning something new or exciting can give you a feeling of stimulation. But it becomes more when you complete something and find fulfillment that way. The fulfillment of life will give you the happiness you seek.

Of course, the final phase will be the legacy phase of your life. You will die. We will die. I believe the greater problem is the period of growth where you're trying to seek out understanding, new understanding, greater understanding, about the meaning of life. Sometimes it can be confusing.

You can say that true happiness comes from having the ability of being able to see happiness in the eyes of others. It sounds nice, but I'm not talking about a bank robber's happiness. He'd say, "I scored big and I'm very happy." I'm not talking about that kind of happiness. There are certain boundaries there. Understand that boundary; it takes time because we have to find the meaning in the end.

Obviously to a bank robber money is meaningful. That's why he robs banks! I guess he is unable to make it properly. So, happiness itself can be defined in many different ways. You can say that in the process of growth, we try to understand happiness based on individual, idiosyncratic ways first. Whatever your preferences are you can say that we define happiness based on our idiosyncrasies or preferences. When we get something that we prefer over some other thing, and we have it or possess it, it gives us happiness. 

The process of growth becomes difficult because you have to evaluate all those things. You have to make proper analysis for judgment ultimately because in the end you'll be judged. Prior to that, you have to make that analysis. What is truly happy for me? What will bring me true happiness?

That is the period in which you struggle. Sometimes the happiness that we seek might infringe upon somebody else's existence. In the late 1980s and early 1990s my little brothers were becoming company heads and Father was putting them in charge of businesses and stuff and there were a lot of complaints. I used to tell them, as long as I don't have it, don't complain too much. And bringing that order, for me, is happiness. Because that's what you have achieved.

It's not really what that I possess that brings me happiness—sometimes it's the opposite. Understanding that kind of stuff through life, and understanding how you connect what is, understanding the kind of things you're trying to achieve, the things that you are building—all these things can bring happiness. Once you start to figure out the meaning behind it—the meaning always has to be connected to something greater.

So, until this day I try to keep that kind of concept and that way of life. That's better especially because of what I was saying. There was a time when I was struggling too on a personal level, kind of personal faith challenges. But all-in-all in the end, if you have to think about it, you are not just you who you are alone. You always are who you are in connection to something greater. There is an historical presence. You are that, a by-product of, according to Father, the providence.

So, that's a challenge to understand and try to manifest, and if you do, if you do succeed in your mind, it starts from somewhere—it starts with you. And others can recognize. Obviously, that will define happiness for you. It will substantiate the happiness to you because of your action, not just to yourself, but to others.

That kind of stuff, as it accumulates, becomes something greater, and pretty much that's what you're going to fulfill in the end. Fulfillment is all those feelings that happen, all those things that others recognize, and ultimately that will be your legacy. When you're dead and gone that's all they will remember. 

That will become not just your own happiness. Why? Because you have completed something, because you have perfected yourself? It's beyond that. It becomes something to someone else too, even after you're gone. It can count as something that can make other people happy after you're dead. 

Happiness is not that far away from you—it starts from oneself and how much you're willing to listen to what your inner self, your true self, is saying. Finding that is going to take your lifetime. You're not always sensitive. You have good days and you have bad days. You feel like an idiot on some days—you don't always feel sharp and smart. It's a life—long journey. Just listen to that inner self because it's what makes everybody true in the end. True happiness is the kind of happiness through which we can rejoice with God, exchange with God, and relate with God.

It has to be something that all of us can feel. True happiness is universal. Universal in what way? It is the Creator's own. You have to understand and recognize that—it takes time to recognize that. Try to talk about your inner self, your inner truth, and your inner happiness to a little kid—I don't think they'll understand what you're talking about.

There are always steps. There's always formation, growth, and perfection to something just to get to a certain phase—and there will be many phases. How can you be happy with just completing one thing? Everybody says that something better is coming tomorrow. Right? Because, if you have everything today, then there is no concept of better, right?

That's why we live. We try to find happiness in life itself. We are given the opportunity to have life and constantly search for a state of greater things. People who have faith, at least try to have some kind of a pure and humble heart. I don't want you to give up. If you ask all the people who say they believe in such things, and then if you ask them to define it, they'll come up with all sorts of definitions.

The thing is, it takes time. It takes time to be humble. It takes time to be pure. It's never ending. You wash one time and you don't wash anymore until you die? (Laughter.) Nobody would live like that because of hygienic reasons. It's something like that. Keeping purity takes a lot of effort. 

Anyway, you know that I don't like to talk too long. (Laughter.) 

I guess today is the last day of the year. I'll be gone a few days.

It was meaningful for me personally. I feel I've made some kind of a difference. It is healing to forgive his mother, to care about her, and in the end to take care of the family. That's what I feel. I think it's fine.

At the same time this has been a journey for me. It was challenging in the beginning because I hadn't spoken here for such a long time. It means something to me. It meant something to me. I learned a lot. I hope that I have shared something that helped you in some ways.

I hope you guys will have a Merry Christmas and a great New Year. And I'll see you next year. I'll see you the second Sunday. Okay? All right, take care.

(Much applause to congratulate Hyo Jin nim for speaking for one year.)