Here are my notes from Hyo-Jin-nim's speech Sunday 03 December 2006. My ability to convey what was actually said is limited. These, at most, convey some sense of what Hyo-Jin-nim said and are not a verbatim record. Hyo-Jin-nim's website is: http://www.canaanstation.com/ To see two of the projects that Hyo-Jin-nim is working on log on to: http://definingmoment.tv/ and http://definingmoment.eu/

Joe Kinney

Rev. Andrew Compton is the MC. All welcome Hyo-Jin-nim and offer a bow.

(Hyo-Jin-nim bows to the audience as he approaches the stage. He places a small notebook on the podium.)

Good morning.

Today's topic is "How can we earn something that can last?"

Anything that can last has to have some kind of relevance to the human and Divine relationship, right? It has to reflect your understanding, at least, your recognition of the existence of God. That's where we have to start. Otherwise it's going to be very difficult to define it, because you can't prove it; you'd be dead.

When we talk about our individual perfection, how do you define that? What is perfection, just being mechanical? What is the reference that we're using to define perfection? In the twentieth century a lot of heavy emphasis was given to technological advancement and we pride ourselves because that civilization benefited in many convenient ways.

What's beyond that? What is beyond what we are? How do you define perfection beyond the reference that we have, that gives us what we have, that gives us convenience, and the lifestyle as we know it?

And for some it's never enough. Most people appreciate the development of humankind in terms of understanding and our ability to control the advancement of knowledge and know-how into things and the ability that comes from understanding, the ability to manipulate and control for the service of our usage, needs, and what-not.

From that you have some definition of convenience, but to some people that's not enough. They want more beyond this convenience and this basic comfort that we expect in a civil society. They want more. It goes beyond that for some people, luxury, VIP treatment and just the best in everything. It never ends!

To many people earning is a concept especially looking at it in the capitalistic way of looking at things. It's very, very important. The bottom line is important. "Make sure the profit is decent." For the amount of investment, for the amount your sacrifice in your mind, what ever that might be, what ever point of reference that you are using, as some kind of central guideline.

A lot of people, when they use a point of referenced like that, they kind of set themselves in a central figure position. Many times that becomes a problem with how everything is viewed upon, how everything is judged by people like that, and the people that they are influencing.

So how do you deal with that kind of difference in... They'll be many people like that with their very strong view of how things should be, of how profit should be made and making all sorts of different standards of judgment.

In that situation what are we competing against? Who are we competing against, and to what end, what purpose? What kind of group of people are we competing with and why should that be important to everyone else? What if you don't believe in that thing? What if you say "My life is too short for that nonsense. I want to find something more meaningful. Is there something more meaningful than that?"

So who sets the target? In Democracy majority rules, right? In any Democratic society, if you're going to find the pulse of that society, you have to define what the majority is and you have to properly define it if you want to make a difference.

There is a way to earn things. Earning is important to you. Why, because you have to make a living. It's a personal earning. Yes there's a concept of that. But shouldn't there be a concept of universal earning? What's that? I guess that's the opposite of personal earning, something that can benefit something greater than yourself, in the extreme sense humanity. That's big, but hey! Why not? We have to at least talk about it; think about that concept; and why not make it exist? Is that the sense of idealism? Is that how idealism is born? Should that matter to everybody?

If you think about earnings, you have to think about that too... not just you but all… if you believe in God. Otherwise why would you want to talk about God?

When you talk about individual perfection, to me it's an awareness, an awareness of me, myself, that I exist with God, that I have a relationship with God. That's what perfection is to me, individually. I will die. I will probably die without knowing everybody's (people in the room) name. (Laughter) If God exists and if I want to earn something on my own that can last forever, literally that's how it's going to be; it's going to be forever. Forever relationship and in that relationship forever changing and greater understanding of one another however many it might be.

What ever that I believe God to be that keeps me good, I will forever continuously understand more, more in depth and breadth, in three dimensions forever, universally. That's the kind of excitement that I look forward to if I think about dying. If you don't have something like that it going to be one heck of a miserable ride, right? I know it's going to be miserable.

It aught to be miserable; the more you take on it gets harder. It's not going to get any easier. I certainly have to try to keep my sanity intact, and at the same time my humility intact. It's going to be hard.

I always have to ask myself "Why the heck am I doing this?" in what ever that I do. For me when I play something, it's just a tool for me. I'm trying to so something so that I can help the old man. I wouldn't touch it otherwise.

I terms of how Parents look at status and stuff, I'll do something else a little more overtly, but that kind of stuff is just peripheral. It (music) is just a tool I don't need it. That doesn't have to be some kind of central thing in my life. It's just a part of something that I know how to use. It's a tool.

Because everything matters, in this job, in our endeavor; everything that is visual, oral, communicational, it matters. This kind of conversation matters too right? (Yes.) What ever it takes; that's the bottom line. That's what I'm trying to do… to earn something that I can… long time.

How can you earn something when you don't have an audience? If you make a gummy bear (a kind of candy) and you don't have a consumer, you aren't going to earn anything. (Laughter) You'll have a bunch of gummy bears that you made and you can eat them until your teeth drop. (Laughter)

So what ever you do. At least I can have respect for something like that. That's important. It's important for people too. People care about those kind of things. Some people just need to grow up. How much is enough? (Hyo-Jin-nim is in tears.)

Anyway you have to love everybody right? You can't kill people! So you try. You try every day. Because it matters; those things matter to you. When you know that this is the essence of something; when you grow in it, it matters to you. It really does because you start to see something and that something is called value.

When you seat yourself in that, you'll start to learn something meaningful and that's true earning; because that will last with you till the day you die and after. (Hyo-Jin-nim is very emotional, in tears, and speaks haltingly.)

That's why even your burnt out soul can be reignited.

You don't need millions to do this. Even just one, one on one, a handful; that's more meaningful.

See you next week.