Speeches of Hyo Jin Moon 2006-2008
Delivered Sunday at Belvedere Estate in Tarrytown, New York
Hyo Jin Moon Speaks on What Do You Want to Inherit?, Page 298

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

What Do You Want to Inherit?

May 27, 2007

Good morning. (Good morning.)

"What Do You Want to Inherit?" Do you have any particular things? You say “blood lineage.” come on, help me out here! You say, “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? You say, “True Love, love and lineage, True Parents' Tradition,” but 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 to my original question 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 initially plausible. Possibilities will grow in it and hopefully you can develop into it, and ultimately, in the end, you can find the answer you're looking for. But even the question itself has to be relatable to you, otherwise it's irrelevant and you might as well just watch TV talk shows. 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 are 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 have to cut corners. 

Once people start settling in on certain things, a lot of times, unless you're always feeling 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, their heirs fight over whatever is left that has value, in terms of monetary value. If you were a caveman a long time ago, prior to us being a little more intellectual, living out there was a struggle, and survival was the priority. Sometimes it was very violent. You had to deal with the environment. It was harsh and brutal and went in cycles regardless of your needs. You had to go out and gather and hunt or whatever, just so you could survive. And many times it's just like when you watch the National Geographic Channel, where they showcase the animal kingdom. It's brutal. It's very violent. Civilization teaches us that, okay. 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 they're in the minority. The majority agree, accept, and embrace that concept because 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 so much that you want to be violent to inherit it? 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 it's my last resort. I have to claim my stake." But what is so worth committing violence for? You can teach people to hate. Even religion can do that. They can justify it simply because of cultures and how they interpret the relationship between God and human beings, humanity, in such ways that sometimes—and as a last resort—you can commit horrendous stuff in the name of God until you defeat your enemy, however long it takes. Why? 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 be eternally peaceful, live in joy and happiness forever for the mere sacrifices, however those are done. And most likely those are done in violence because you think that you can inherit all that stuff. And people teach people to do so. 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? It's all about material stuff, isn't it? Either you inherit it, or if you don't then do the best that you can to gain it. Or, 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't 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 it's 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 a certain concept in say, science and medicine, you will dedicate your life to prove it in the intellectual world. The thing is, I want more than just my intellect. I want to have a greater relationship because 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 a leap of faith or not, they challenge themselves once they make that decision. They're taking a giant leap from what they know in body, in 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 blah, blah, blah. We haven't named all the creatures and plants in the rainforests. What gives us the right to make that decision unless we become humble to ourselves and are willing to die for it? 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 or not, you have to do that physically, intellectually, and 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 lose 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 reach that end. And that is with dedication, with our lives. That's the only way that I can grow too.

I'm speaking every Sunday because I'm getting attached to certain things, physically, intellectually, even certain faces. But to make this into a duty that I want to carry on, now that's the next step. I might have initially done it because of extraordinary circumstances. I forced, I willed myself to do this stuff. But in the process I changed. I know that 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 anything else. 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, I'm trying to put it on the table because I feel it's necessary for the betterment of all and for what we stand for, and that's the stuff we can't erase. I fear God. I fear for 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 or 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, 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. Look, I'm trying to be responsible, okay, for myself and for 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. 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 tum 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. See you.