Hyung Jin Moon
September 26, 2010
Cheon Bok Gung, Yongsan Seoul Korea
Transcriber/Proofreader: Beatrice Clyburn
Welcoming remarks:
Yeon-ah nim
Good afternoon brothers and sisters! (Good afternoon!) Welcome to the headquarters’s of the Unification Church! It is really, really nice to see you here today in this sanctuary! Today let us all go back to our prayer life and let us all return glory and our gratitude to our Heavenly Father and True Parents! Aju!
Hyung-jin nim
Good afternoon brothers and sisters!
We’ll start by manifesting the Principle: give and receive action, four position foundation, may I inherit the true love of God! Aju!
Today we read from Cheong Seong Gyung p.763. Father says
”The spirit world is the homeland of our original mind. The world we are to enter after this one is the world of heart, the spirit world. Hence if we train ourselves for our future entry into the spirit world we will have no problems once we get there.”
Brothers and sisters, it is such a precious time that we have on this earth plane, very short time but precious time! And it is during this time that we have the ability to train and practice so that we are ready for our entrance into the eternal world.
Hyung-jin nim’s introduction of Dr. Seuk:
Brothers and sisters, today we are going to hear from a very wonderful guest, very wonderful guest! We have the pleasure of hearing Dr. Seuk speak to us today. Many in the West of course will know Dr. Seuk. He spent over 21 years in America. He worked there as the CARP leader. He also has an illustrious career, an incredible career; he has an incredible testimony!
I personally saw Dr. Seuk when I was very young. We used to see him because he used to be around the New York area, and I thought he looked like a gentleman. He was also a martial artist, so we really looked up to him then, “Oh! He is so cool; he knows judo and all that stuff!” In working with him I came to understand what a great man this is, such an incredible man with such an amazing testimony!
He has pioneered some of the largest countries, the Soviet Union, Mongolia, China. It was under his leadership that the missionaries and pioneers began doing work and activities there, bringing people to True Parents and to the teachings of True Parents.
But Dr. Seuk is just an amazing man! We were here yesterday and I asked him if he could speak on the 10/10 blessing coming up in about fourteen days, and we were here practicing last night, and I asked him,”You know Dr. Seuk, can you tell us a little bit about your testimony too? You have such an amazing story!” As you know if we really live out our testimony till our Seunghwa ceremony, till our dying day, in glorifying heaven, then that testimony becomes a true beacon and example of hope. Within a testimony there are always tests– always a test that makes up your testimony and Dr. Seuk, through the many years pioneering many nations, has been through many tests.
Today he’s going to share some of those incredible experiences and how he was able to overcome those things. He is actually very bashful about his testimony. I had to really squeeze him! He is a judo black belt, 9th degree. 9th degree black belt! There are not too many in the world that are 9th degree! But I won, I won, I won! And he is going to talk about his testimony today.
Just an amazing gentleman! An amazing leader, and truly one that I am very proud to be able to work with, here in Korea.
As I mentioned in 1990 he went to the Soviet Union upon Father’s order to start pioneering work there. It was in the heart of the Cold War. In 1994 he started to pioneer in Mongolia, and he was the North Eastern region continental director until 2008. That’s when Father asked him to come to Korea and that’s when I actually began to work with him and I’ve had a great pleasure of working with him until this day.
He is currently the leader of the Unification Church here in Korea; he is also the Vice Headquarters’s Director of the World Mission Department. He is also the chairman of Sun Moon Educational Foundation which is the organization that holds all the different academic institutions that we have as the Unification movement. He is also recognized in outside organizations, Segye Pyunghwa Moodo Yana which is a martial arts’ federation; he is also recognized as the chair of the Korean police association. So he is not only recognized within our church but also in society.
A great leader, a great man, a humble servant of our Unification family and our True Parents! When he comes up let’s give him a warm round of applause because this man deserves it! When Dr. Seuk comes up, let’s give him a big round of applause! Let’s welcome him up to the stage! (Long applause)
Dr. Seuk’s testimony:
I feel very unworthy to receive such praise given by Dr. Hyung-jin Moon.
Back to 1954, I was around 10 years old, and my mother Mrs. Won Bok Choi, joined our movement. At that time she was a professor of Ewha women’s university; because of her faith she was dismissed from the university. At that time the whole nation persecuted our movement and our True Father. Actually our family was a very happy family that many people envied. But because of the Unification Church, because my mother joined our family then my family was broken. Because of that I had a lot of animosity against our movement, against our church. One day my mother did not even say one word of goodbye but she disappeared. So I had a great deal of animosity against our church.
Since then ten years passed.
As Dr. Hyung-jin Moon mentioned I was a martial artist, very healthy, very strong person but all of a sudden without any reason, I got a physical attack and lost my health. I got a very serious lung infection (pleurisy or tuberculosis) and I was struggling because of my health. I did not feel any hope in my life and I was struggling to find the true meaning of my life. So I searched around, reading books and visiting many churches and Buddhist temples, but I could not find the true meaning of my life.
I had been struggling for almost three years and all of a sudden I heard a heavenly voice,”You’d better find what the Unification Church is all about!” I had no idea where our church was located. I asked one of my neighbors,”Where is the Unification Church?” and actually he did not know. He said,”You just go to Myung Dong Street.” At that time we had a lecture hall there; many members were witnessing. So if you visited Myung Dong in front of the national theater, you would find the Unification Church.
So I visited there; I was caught by one of our witnessers and was guided to the lecture hall. Then I started to study the Divine Principle very seriously. For me to join our movement would mean betrayal of my father, my family, my brothers, and my friends, because they all were against our movement, our church. For me it was a very serious decision to be a family member; so I studied the Divine Principle very seriously more than three months, and finally I got the conclusion: Father is truly the Messiah, the Lord of the Second Advent, True Parents of all mankind… and I joined our family. It was 1965.
Later I heard the story that at that time Father was traveling around the world setting up Holy Grounds, and one day in Manilla, in the Philippines, all of a sudden True Father asked my physical mother, Mrs Won Bok Choi,”What about your children? I heard you have three sons; how are they?”
Mrs Choi answered back to True Father,”Frankly speaking, ever since I left my family it has been ten years but I never met my sons, or never heard about them, never even phoned them.” Actually that was true! We were completely separated. I never made any effort to find or see my mother and my mother also never made that effort.
At that time Father answered,”Time has come when one of your children will join.” Exactly around that time I began to study the Divine Principle. So I voluntarily joined our movement. Nobody witnessed to me but I feel that True Father is my spiritual father, as well as Messiah, Lord of the Second Advent and True Parent. So I am eternally grateful to True Parents.
My physical father was actually a highly educated person; he graduated from Law school in Kyoto, Japan. Also he was a very respected person by his disciples. Actually he loved my mother so much! Ever since my mother left her own family, my father had a lot of animosity against our movement, of course. So for me joining our family created a big struggle for my physical father, and whenever he saw me, his blood pressure increased. He could not bear it. Always he was watching me, checking whether I was attending the church. Early mornings I tried to go to the prayer meeting, and kyungbae service; I got up very early but I could not even attend the service freely.
My dream, my hope and desire was to freely attend the church and freely witness. Around that time the Vietnam war had seriously started. There was an announcement, “Army recruits martial artists to go to Vietnam!” One could wear civilian clothes because, in Vietnam, there was no frontline and wearing a uniform would be very dangerous. I would be free from psychological warfare. I could teach civilians martial arts plus I could win their heart and bring them to our side.
Then I felt,”I can witness very freely in Vietnam!” So I volunteered to a become martial arts’ instructor as Korean soldier. Actually at that time tens of thousands of Korean or American soldiers were killed -- it was a very intense part of the Vietnam war so there was no guarantee that I could come back alive.
I had to actually determine to die.”If you are willing to die you will gain your life; if you are willing to lose your life, you will gain it!” Believing in such a teaching, I volunteered to go to Vietnam, wearing a civilian uniform, and teaching martial arts. Then whenever I had time, I witnessed, using the English language. I contacted highly educated people who could understand good English.
I could witness to several people. Two people joined, the president of an international school and also the general secretary of the WMCA. They came to Korea to see Father, and Father offered them a meal. But later on, Vietnam was communized, so I could not find out where or how they were.
After coming back from Vietnam, I was discharged from army service, and was ready to do public mission; then again, I was stopped by my father. Whenever my father saw me his blood pressure increased. So some people told me,”You’d better leave your family otherwise your father’s health will be greatly damaged. For the sake of your father’s health, you’d better leave your family!” So I determine to leave my family. I reported to my father and he just cried and cried. The day I left my family, my father prepared a very good meal and he just cried and cried. Then also he gave me his blessing,”Please be successful in your new effort and in the rest of your life.”
At the time I had a serious determination,”Now humanistically speaking,in the secular sense I am betraying my father. How can I justify my action? What is the meaning of my betrayal of my physical father who loves me so much?” My father said,”I love your mother and you so much! Your mother betrayed me and ten years later you also. I love you so much! Son you betray me!” He was just crying and crying.
So how could I justify this action of betraying my physical father who loved me so much? So I had a very serious determination, “In order to justify my action and give it meaning, the only way I can live is to be a true filial son of True Parents, so that one day, when my physical father understands the true value of True Parents he will shed tears of joy. This time I make him shed tears of agony, but some day I will make him shed tears of joy!” That was my determination!
Then I started my public mission. So I became local church leader, then CARP leader for a few months. Then Father called me to come to America. In February 1972 I arrived in America. I stayed in America twenty-one years. Then I had a public mission in the former Soviet Union, China, Mongolia for eighteen years; altogether thirty-six years because for three years I had mission both in America and in Russia. So altogether for thirty-six years I had a public mission in foreign countries, leaving my home country and hometown, and two years ago because of True Parents’ graceful calling, I came back to my mother country.
I will omit to talk about my life in America and I’ll give you two testimonies from Russia and Mongolia.
As you know on April 11th 1990, True Parents visited Moscow. April 11th was the day of True Parents’ holy wedding, so they celebrated their holy wedding ceremony in Moscow. Then True Parents met Mr. Gorbachev. They completed the Moscow rally very victoriously, then Father came back to Korea, and later went to America.
At the time I was president of American CARP, and Father told me,”You must bring three hundred Soviet students to America and educate them.” We fulfilled actually more than three hundred fifty people. Father was very happy, then Father gave me direction, “You must bring three thousand people, so all together three thousand five hundred people, to America within one year.”
At that time the number of students exchanged between Russia and America was seven or eight. One year the University of Wisconsin located in Madison, a Communist hotbed, sent twenty students to Russia. Including that figure, the average number of students exchanged between America and Russia was seven or eight!! A severe cold war was still going on.
Father says,”Three thousand five hundred!” You can easily say,”Father, it’s impossible, slow down! Why not slow down? Three thousand five hundred, maybe in ten years!” We can say, “Slow down!”
When Father gives us such a direction, there is some meaning. We don’t know it; only Father knows. In order to educate three thousand five hundred people, we invited Soviet students to America twenty-seven times; minimum one hundred people, maximum two hundred and ten people twenty-seven different times! Many difficulties!
One time, we invited two hundred and ten students from the Institute of International Relations which produced many foreign ambassadors from the Soviet Union. They came to the airport but we could not get a visa for them. They were very disappointed. They were murmuring,”It’s impossible! How can we go now? We completely lost our chance!” But we told them,”Don’t worry! You will get a visa next Monday.” It was Thursday; Monday was only three or four days away, and excluding weekend, we had only two days to work on the visas.
We called each individual in their home.” You must come to the airport next Monday morning!” Meanwhile we found a secret window of the department of state, mobilizing senators and congressmen, Father’s good friends, True Parents’ foundation. The visa problem was immediately solved. Then we told Finn Air that we would charter another flight; they could not believe it!
Early morning on Monday, we went to the American consulate, and they said that putting the stamp on two hundred and ten people’s passports would take all day. We had only a few hours left before the departure of the flight. So we told them,”We, ourselves, will help you put the stamps; the KGB will guarantee!” After stamping all the passports, we had only forty minutes left before the flight departure. We needed to drive to the airport full speed; so we told all the police through the KGB,”Such a car with such a number will go full speed. Never bother them!”
We arrived barely on time, and we had no time to give all the passports, so we just distributed them randomly,”you get any passport, any passport!” The KGB already gave direction to the immigration office that the situation was taken care of. The students rushed inside the airplane and then the passports were given to the proper persons. Everybody was very shocked to see this kind of result and confessed, “Now we realize the power of Rev. Moon!” Give a big hand to True Parents! (Applause) This is one small example of the power of True Parents!
After suffering and overcoming many difficulties, we finally finished educating three thousand five hundred people. Then what happened? On August 17th 1991 there was a coup d’etat, a military coup d’etat with tanks in the heart of Moscow. The leaders of the KGB, of the military, of the department of foreign affairs, and the interior department all opposed Gorbachev’s glastnost and perestroika. At the time Gorbachev and his wife were on vacation in Yalta, in Crimea. They arrested Gorbachev and his wife and forced them to come to Moscow.
This was a coup d’etat, because Gorbachev’s right hand, left hand and all the leaders of the different departments were the main force behind it, and according to common sense this coup d’etat could not fail. But, miraculously, this coup d’etat failed in three days. If this coup d’etat had been successful, what could have happened? We may still have cold war now; history would have gone back to the cold war-time.
Father knew this would happen but could not reveal it. That was the reason Father said, “You must educate three thousand five hundred Soviet students within one year!” Father knew this day would happen, this coup would take place. Father knew! That’s why Father asked us to educate Soviet students.
So a miraculous thing happened. For the first time in Soviet history, civilian students opposed the government and stopped the coup d’etat. University students mobilized other young people, civilians. Then ten thousand people came to Moscow and with bare hands stopped the advancement of military tanks.
Who were the main persons? Those who were educated by True Parents in America. They got new vision, new courage, new hope for their country. They realized that if the coup was successful, history would go back to the cold war time and it would be eternal misery for mankind.
Mr. Gouliav, vice-chairman of the department of education, and of the national educational committee, was held in jail during the coup. Later he testified with these words, “Those who were educated by Rev. Moon saved the Soviet Union, saved the world.”
So Father knew those things would happen. Only Father knows -- we don’t know right?- but Father cannot reveal this kind of things because Satan would invade.
So what should we do? Have absolute faith in True Parents, absolute obedience to True Parents, because True Parents know everything and we don’t know anything.
Another story: after the coup was put down, the same year on December 24th, Yeltsin from Russia, Shushkevich from Bielarus and Kravchuk from Ukraine signed the papers and the Soviet Union was dissolved. Mr. Shushkevich, former Bielarus president and his wife are now a blessed couple!
From that time on we educated Soviet students from all the countries on a large-scale; in the winter time in Crimea, Black Sea area, and in the summer time in the Baltic area.
At that time I told our members and the missionaries, “From now we should prepare to pioneer Mongolia and China!” Nobody could believe it! The Soviet Union was a vast territory, one of the six largest lands in the world. In the Soviet Union, we had so many places to pioneer within 15 different republics! Russia alone had twenty-one autonomous republics. So many places to pioneer! But I told them,”From now, we must prepare to pioneer Mongolia and China!” Then everybody said,”It’s impossible!”
In 1994 Father gave me a special direction,”You must visit and pioneer Mongolia!” I was shocked to receive such a direction. I woke up; it was a dream! At the time in the former Soviet Union the telephone communication was so poor; calling people far away took sometimes two, three or four hours. So Father could not give me direction by telephone. I was moving around and Father did not know where I was. What was a sure way to give me direction? Through a dream! I could not escape, right?
So Father gave me direction through dream,”You must go to Mongolia!” When Father gives us a direction, Father always paved the way; it is not just at random or without any foundation.
Russia is a very vast country and by spiritual world guidance -- I can only interpret it that way we went to pioneer the Republic of Kalmykia where Mongolian descendants stayed after Genghis Khan attacked Russia. We pioneered the Republic of Kalmykia; we met the president, explained our goal, and the reason why we came to his country. And he welcomed us, surprisingly enough!
Then he gave me his testimony. He said that when he was a student in the Institute of International Relations in Moscow, one day a professor called all the students of the institute; he had a copy of Father’s message and gave it to everybody with these words,”This person, Rev. Moon, is the arch-enemy of the Soviet Union. You must know his thought so that you can destroy him.” So everybody studied Father’s words very seriously -- maybe more than us! They studied Father’s words very seriously.
Then Mr. Ilyumzhinov gave me testimony that by reading Father’s words he was inspired, and changed his view of life; he was very interested in Father’s life and Father’s words, so he got a book from Japan because he understands Japanese language very well. He studied Father’s words very seriously, reading many books, and he totally changed his view of life; he got a new vision for his future. He said to me, “Now I became the president of this country because of Rev. Moon!”
In 1994 Father gave me direction to go to Mongolia, so I consulted again with Mr. Ilyumzhinov. He is still the president and also the president of the international chess association.
So I told him,”Now I got direction from Rev. Moon to go to Mongolia” -- I could not say I got direction in a dream, he may not understand! -- Then he said,”Don’t worry the president of Mongolia is my friend, the prime minister is my friend, the chairman of Congress is my friend, I will introduce you to my friends”. He wrote letters of recommendation and called Mongolia to get appointments for me with the president, the prime minister, the chairman of Congress, everybody.
So we arrived in Mongolia one evening in the middle of May, and the very next day, early morning, at nine o’clock I met President Ochirbat, the first president after the liberation from the Soviet dominion.
So the first person to whom I taught Father’s message in Mongolia was the president; the second person was the prime minister, the third person was the chairman of Congress, the fourth person was the minister of education, then university presidents. (Applause)
I told them, “Now that Mongolia is liberated from being a Soviet Union’s satellite country, you will get confusion of values for young people, so we must educate young people quickly.” They agreed that in the summer time, in June, July and August, we could educate them in Baikal Lake- not inside the Baikal Lake, where there are several sanatoriums!- Straight up from Ulaanbaatar is the beautiful Baikal lake. Have you ever been to Baikal Lake? It is beautiful!
So we educated university professors, university students and junior and senior high schools’ teachers. And everybody agreed,”Young people need this kind of content.” So we quickly translated our textbooks from russian into Mongolian, then printed them in Mongolia and China. And then we moved to Mongolia, and spread Father’s message through textbooks in all different high schools.
Later in 2003 Mr. Ochirbat came to Seoul, Korea, gave testimony to all the ILC conference participants. He said, “Ever since Mongolia was liberated from being a Soviet Union satellite country, there was a great deal of confusion of values; then Rev. Moon’s thoughts gave new direction and new vision to my country. Mongolia is eternally indebted to True Parents, eternally grateful to True Parents!” That was Mr. Ochirbat’s testimony. (Applause)
What is the meaning of this story? Heavenly Father and True Parents arrange all the spiritual world for us if we make certain conditions. Even with me such a poor person, not so good with not enough Cheong Seong conditions, still Heavenly Father and True Parents arranged the spiritual world to be mobilized to help us.
Now I’ll give you my conclusion. Is it OK Dr. Hyung-jin Moon? May I speak one more minute?
Father fulfilled his mission completely right? So why should he be in the frontline mission suffering so much? Because we don’t fulfill our responsibility. What is our responsibility? It is to fulfill our tribal messiah mission.
To fulfill our tribal messiah mission, Father gave us big tools. One is Father’s autobiography. Mrs. Eun Ju Park, the president of Gym Young Publishers is an ardent Buddhist. One day Buddha appeared to her and gave her the direction to publish Father’s book. The spiritual world helped.
Also on April 19th in Hawaii Father proclaimed that he had mobilized all the ancestors since Adam and Eve; that they were all liberated and mobilized. So we must mobilize the spiritual world. In order to mobilize the spiritual world, we must set Jeong Seong conditions.
For that reason we must follow the example of Sae Gye Hae Jang nim, Chook-sa-jang nim (International President Hyung Jin Moon and Rev. Yeon Ah Nim). For more than ten years, without even missing one day, they have been doing Jeong Seong conditions from three o’clock in the morning! Now they are giving Jeong Seong conditions eight different times. The whole day!
After Hyung-jin nim came back from visiting Nepal, Thailand, and the Philippines, Father said that is was a great accomplishment. Father received one report and made one comment in Yeosu
”My son Hyung-jin always feels sorry to me and feels unworthy and inadequate. He always has such a feeling, then always feels grateful to True Parents”.
Even though he made a great accomplishment, this is his attitude towards True Parents, unworthy, sorry, inadequate! What about us, including myself? Even though we don’t fulfill our responsibility we never feel sorry to True Parents.
This time Hyung-jin nim and Chook-sa-jang nim (It is the title that Yeon Ah Nim is called in Korean) went to Israel right? He made such a great declaration in front of religious leaders from Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Father was so happy, so joyful, so moved by Hyung-jin nim for standing on behalf of True Parents with a great deal of conviction and confidence.(Applause)
When Hyung-jin nim and Chook-sa-jang nim came back to Korea, Father was so moved and touched that he gave a deep embrace to Hyung-jin nim and shed tears of gratitude.
When we reflect upon ourselves, we know that we are not such a person, right? Always we are someone that gives Father worry, concern, and headache; sometimes we even put burden on True Parents. So I think that we should really reflect upon our sin, and repent trying to resemble Hyung-jin nim and Chook-sa-jang nim.
Also, many times, whenever Hyung-jin nim came together with True Father, as he was entering and leaving the Hoon Dok Hae room, he was holding onto True Father’s arm tightly. Then one day True Father told him,”You don’t have to hold my arm so tightly.” And Hyung-jin nim’s answer was,”Aboji, if I leave your arm I will die!” Father was very happy to hear that.
So we must hold onto True Parents’ arm tightly, tightly! Never lose hold of True Father’s arm! Of course we cannot hold onto True Father’s arm substantially but at least spiritually. Tightly hold onto True Father’s arm then you can advance to the day of Ki Won Jeol, January 13 2013, with deep conviction and confidence, investing your total heart and effort! Utmost sincere heart moves heaven!
So today is the day of Il Gung Il Sa Chuk Pok Chik. (10.14 Blessing) Il Gung Il Sa (10.14) has a special meaning; it is the day of Father’s liberation from Hungnam prison. Until Ki Won Jeol how many days are left? 880 days!
What kind of day is today? Today is the birthday of Hyung-jin nim. You know that? Let’s give a big congratulatory applause to Hyung-jin nim. (Applause)
So on this very precious day we must have a new determination and conviction. We’ll be true loyal and filial sons and daughters to God and True Parents. If you agree let’s give a big warm applause to our True Parents with conviction and determination.
God bless you and your family! Thank you very much! (Applause)
Hyung-jin nim’s final remarks and prayer:
Let’s give it up one more time for Dr. Seuk, an incredible man of faith, an amazing man! Thank you so much for your beautiful testimony!
Brothers and sisters, let’s all rise, and let’s end with a final prayer. Let’s raise our hands towards the heavens and pray.
Dear most beloved Heavenly Father, we thank you so much! Father we want You to receive all the glory and praise today, because anything we do, Father, is because of You. We thank You so much that You were able to speak through your son today, and Father, through his words we were able to realize that You are overseeing the entire works of creation. You are overseeing our lives, and Father, when we believe and have faith, or when we move forward without fear into uncertainty, You will use that faith as a condition to bring about a substantial victory for heaven.
We thank you so much this day and we want to offer our glory to True Parents who lead us into the path of salvation, and bring us into the dimension of union with You. Father, we thank You so much that today we are able to remember that we are more than just this individual; that our purpose and mission is much greater than just our own personal desires and wants.
Father, lead us! And this day we also pray that You may move the spiritual world as Dr. Seuk mentioned, that You may use our Jeong Seong and acts of sincerity as spiritual conditions, Father, so that new realities and new victories on earth can be manifested.
We thank You so much. We pray also for the world, that we may have unity, unification; that we may become one and return back to You, and Father, find our true identity. We pray for the nations, and in particular for the nation of Korea, our Fatherland, which is still divided between democracy and communism. And Father, we pray that the thirty-eighth parallel will dissolve, that this nation can become one as the condition for the unity of the world. Bless this Fatherland, Father, that we are in today, and use us for that tremendous task.
Father, we pray for the communities, and all the tribes and all the families of this world, that we may bring glory to You and to heaven. We thank You so much and we pray that You may use us, and that we may lead our lives for the sake of your purpose and for the sake of your will. And Father when we move in that direction, we know that our life will be one that is unforgettable.
We thank you so much and pray all these things with a grateful heart, returning all the glory to You and True Parents this day as central blessed families. As Father said, the filial sons and daughters need to rise up and surround True Parents, protect them, be with them and move with them; and that is when Tong Il Gyo, real unification, will occur. We pray for that, we believe in that and Father we move towards that with our lives and our purposes.
We pray these things in our own names as central blessed families. Aju!