From: William Stoertz 
Reply to: , not  please.
Date: Friday, July 29th, 1999 - 155 days until the millennium change.

HAPPINESS!

Did someone say the purpose of life is happiness?
Isn't that something we all know but almost always forget?
Well, recently I haven't been getting that many revelations, 
but last night in prayer I got a little brief one:
"The purpose of life is happiness, you silly, you're 
supposed to know that!"

Why did that happen, that I got that revelation this time?

Well, in our office, at lunch, our senior elder, Rev. Hyun 
Shil Kang, asked me with a smile, "Well, William, have you 
gotten any revelations recently?"

I returned a smile, sheepishly, and said, "Well, as a matter 
of fact, I did, just last night: God said to me, 'The purpose 
of life is happiness.' I know we're all supposed to know 
that, but I had sort of forgotten."

The elders had a quick little chatter back and forth, 
explaining to each other in Korean what I had just said, 
and then everybody started to laugh heartily.

So my "boss", who's an Englishman, rather my comrade in this 
sense, nudged me and said, "Well, looks like you made 
everyone happy!"

Actually, the first person who had ever met me on the street, 
in Germany, at a time when I had been very depressed and 
heavy, and wondering for several years what was my purpose 
of life, had asked me just this question.

He had said, "What is the purpose of your life?"

And I was surprised that this total stranger knew exactly 
what had been on my mind, and I immediately snapped back, 
"The purpose of my life is to contribute to the benefit 
of mankind through science and technology."

And he looked at me rather sad and bewildered, and said, 
"The purpose of life is happiness."

I was jolted -- "Happiness"? I had forgotten about that. 
What is that? Something childish. Something I had given 
up on a long time ago, and I thought was no longer 
possible, or just meaningless.

This quaint question and answer brought me back to my 
senses. I rediscovered my long-lost original self.

Shall I go on to say what happened? I went at this person's 
invitation to their center, and later came out, and I was 
transformed. I was filled with elation.

Somehow the old ancestors, Germans, had been looking for 
the same thing I had found, and I had gone back to their 
old country, and found it there, of all places. They, like 
me, had committed themselves to a stern, dire quest for 
some Truth or Good, but had lost the Joy in the midst of 
their austerity. That had happened to me too.

That time now, coming out of the Church center, which 
I had visited for the very first time, I felt uplifted, and 
the whole city (Munich) was also transformed. I went 
somewhere I never went before, to the Bierstube -- the big 
famous beer hall, and got a half-liter.

After years of self-imposed austerity and sobriety, the 
effect was psychedelic! The streets shone with orange 
light in the afternoon sun. The river was jumping up and 
dancing at flood stage! Everything burst into life. What 
with a year of dull grey and heavy spiritual clouds over 
everything.... it all lifted on that day!

So now, 24 years later, I have been continuously going 
on this way; now I have a lovely Japanese wife who is 
full of mystery and challenge for an intellectual and 
orderly person like me... a little baby girl who has 
already subjugated me at the age of three... and a 
belt-full of world traveling experiences.

Now we live in Moscow, another city, in a different 
realm, with another legacy of historical overtones to 
swim through.

Recently, we conducted such a ceremony, called "Seven 
Generations Ancestor Liberation." A mouthful? You said 
it! Seven generations, if you count everyone, is 254 
people. It takes a lifetime to get to know one! Well, 
when all 254 come to you eager for restoration, then 
it's like a big dumptruck came, and.... you said it!

The struggles for ancestor liberation are, well, like, 
each of their struggles (pains, moods, resentment, 
jealousy, depression, anger, passion...) comes to you. 
Not all at once, but one by one, day by day. And so 
many different struggles come to you!

But, then, in such a case, you must not do the WRONG 
thing (like, if you feel depressed, jumping out the 
window; or if you feel angry, punching the person; 
or if you feel lustful, well, going out...)

Then step by step you can restore the problems, and 
restore your ancestors.

Then they can be educated, take a guided tour of 
Heaven and Hell, and see what they did wrong, and 
make amends, and by and by, lo and behold, come out 
to be Good Ancestors!

So, having forgotten about all these things, and I 
was just praying by myself, feeling no particular 
inspiration, and suddenly, I remembered that initial 
experience of mine, and that wonderful realization:

"The purpose of life is happiness!"

Love, William Stoertz


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