Rearing Monarchs #16:

A third focus of education
Unification Thoughts, August 2022

Welcome back
As the title above might suggest, this time we’ll be moving into a new area. But in case you’re joining us for the first time, please take a moment to read about the purpose and focus of this Rearing Monarchs series¹, of which this article is the 15^th.

Where we left off and where we’re going

Last time, we’d looked at the application of family ethics in politics. That was the final part of explaining Godism’s perspective on family ethics as well as its extension into society (articles 8–14). That addressed the second focus of education. And before that, we looked into Godism’s perspective on nurturing a child’s individuality (articles 1–7). And that addressed the first focus of education.

With this article, we’ll turn to the nurture of a child’s “dominion”, i.e., the third focus of education.

But first, a clarification

Later in my teaching life, when I began working with our next generation, I’d notice that many of them make a negative association of “dominion” with domination. According to a dictionary, “dominion” is defined with words like “supreme authority, sovereignty…absolute ownership”.² While that dictionary definition is accurate, the negative association needs to be cleared up.

We only need to step back and look carefully into the etymology of the word. And its root meanings reveal a different dimension:

“Medieval Latin dominionem…corresponding to Latin dominium ‘property, ownership,’…from domus ‘house’ (from Proto-Indo-European language root *dem- ‘house, household’).”

• https://www.etymonline.com

So dominion isn’t only about control and having authority, but more essentially it’s about ownership of one’s home—something which we should naturally appreciate, love and care for. And for God’s children, “home” includes all of nature. I think that this understanding leads more clearly into the dimension of heart that is at the core of Godism’s values. The Principle puts it beautifully:

“The meaning of God’s third blessing is the perfection of a human being’s dominion over the natural world. …Human beings and the natural world… must share love and beauty to become completely one.”

• Exposition of the DP, p. 35

And Unification Thought goes a little further:

“…what should be the mental attitude of human beings who are enjoying dominion over all things? They should have a heart of love for all things, and take care of all things with warm care and concern; in other words, they should deal with, and manage, all things with love. This kind of dominion is in accordance with the Way of Heaven: if there is love, then all things will be very happy to receive the dominion of human beings.”

• New Essentials of UT, p. 179

It is this kind of ownership of heart that Godism seeks to cultivate toward the created world. But a child’s intended dominion extends even further:

“…various human activities fall under the category of dominion. For instance, industrial production, commercial enterprises, farming, scientific research, artistic creativity — all these can be considered under the concept of ‘dominion’.”

• Explaining UT, p. 27

An education of dominion

To nurture this capacity within a child, UT explains:

“For the perfection of the individual, an education of heart is required; for the perfection of one’s family, an education of norm is required; and for the perfection of one’s dominion, an education of dominion is required…”

• New Essentials of UT, p. 250

How then do we cultivate this gift so that a child can reach its full potential in life? Thankfully, UT breaks it down into some specific areas of education that need attention.

Three areas of education for dominion

The three areas of education a child needs to achieve dominion are summarized this way:

“…intellectual education (provides) the knowledge necessary for us to have dominion. …Since technology is a direct means of exercising dominion over all things, technical education serves as the core in the education of dominion. Finally… physical education and the promotion of physical ability is important for a dominion over all things.”

• New Essentials of UT, p. 260–261

This provides a focus for parents and grandparents and indeed for a long-term education program.

First, there’s intellectual education. This kind helps a person:

“…acquire knowledge about the objects over which one is to have dominion. …Intellectual education comprises various fields including the natural sciences, politics, economics, social studies, cultural studies, and so on, according to the field of dominion.”

• New Essentials of UT, p. 260–261

The “field of dominion” refers to the kind of work that a young person will eventually choose. But even if this changes, expanding a child’s intellectual awareness in general will affect whatever they do in life later on. Understanding the areas mentioned above (i.e., the sciences, politics, etc.) provides a larger context for a child to understand where their profession fits and how they could contribute to the greater society through it. For example, one eventually famous engineering student dropped out, studied calligraphy and traveled to India to gain spiritual understanding. These experiences expanded his concept of computing, which shaped the graphical user interface that all our personal electronic devices now use.³

So it would be wise to guide a child to appreciate the neighborhood library and all of the different resources available there. Books contain the knowledge of the ages, about a huge range of topics. And not only books, but there might be some remarkable films and music as well.

I’m of course aware that “everything” is available online now.⁴ But engagement with physical materials is more enriching than total immersion in the digital world. There’s less distraction there, when you’ve got just a single, tactile book in your hands, without all the ads and links that appear on web pages, pulling you to click away to something else, ad infinitum.⁵ And if a child learns to take notes or sketch ideas, it solidifies the material in their mind.⁶

Next is technical education and it’s explained this way:

“Next, one needs to be educated in those techniques through which one can express the creativity necessary to have dominion over objects. That purpose is served by technical education. …Since technology is a direct means of exercising dominion over all things, technical education serves as the core in the education of dominion”

• New Essentials of UT, p. 260–261

One can of course be self-taught in many areas, but for most people the fastest way to progress and advance is to apprentice with a master and inherit a lifetime of secrets. Or more practically, apply to a school and major in the techniques and skills needed by a specific field. Either way provides the opportunity to learn secrets that masters might have learned from their own teachers.

The place of technical education in supporting creativity is essential. UT observes: “…the purpose of man’s creativity is to enable him to dominate all things.”⁷ Indeed, if a child has an interest or an aptitude in some area, its ability to express its creativity rests largely on how skilled it is in substantially realizing the vision. Technical education is where a child can acquire those skills.

And this goes far beyond the matter of facility. There’s a very beautiful paragraph in UT about this:

“…creative expression will differ from person to person. In this sense, if one lives one day to its fullest, expressing his or her creativity in everything they do, the footprints of that day become a work of art. Furthermore, the footprints of one’s entire life course become a life work of art.”

• New Essentials of UT, p. 162

There’s one more thought that I think is important to mention here. It won’t apply to young children, but I think that it’s something parents and grandparents need to keep in mind, because it will eventually become very important. Father Moon said:

“Before unconditionally focusing entirely on studies, young people must realize what they want to do in life. They must make a determination to use their talents to help the world rather than just serve themselves… Unless you have a purpose in life, your studies will lack the passion needed for happiness.”

• A Peace Loving Global Citizen, p. 328

As we’d mentioned earlier, a child is uniquely gifted and has a destiny to fulfill in its life. So I think that Heaven really hopes and needs parents and grandparents to help each child find their gift and make their contribution to the world.⁸

And finally, there’s physical education:

“Furthermore, in order for us to become the subjects of dominion, our physical strength must be developed. That purpose is realized through physical education.”

• New Essentials of UT, p. 260

This concept of education is reminiscent of the Greek idea of a sound mind in a sound body. But for me, UT’s notion that every child should receive all three of these types of education is very personal. I say this because, during my years of teaching our young ones, I noticed that some of them were burdened by the stereotypes that some classmates assigned them. Maybe you know these stereotypes: “geeks”, “nerds” or “jocks” for example.

My impression is that kids who like math and science are “geeks”; kids who like books or subjects like history are “nerds” (particularly if they’re physically weaker or smaller). The “jock” stereotype is someone who’s physically strong, coordinated and athletic, but less brainy. Accepting these stereotypes as applied to themselves isn’t at all healthy; it cripples their self-esteem and might lead to anti-social or even self-destructive behavior and substance abuse.

But Godism’s emphasis on these three types of education would change that. In UTS especially, it was obvious that we were all to train intellectually, technically, and physically. Father Moon knew that accomplishment in all these areas provides joy, and so he encouraged us to participate in all the activities and training that the seminary had to offer—academics, river- or ocean-fishing, martial arts and equestrian, for example. And for me, having grown up typed as an “artistic” (non-athletic) type, it was enormously liberating to attain a black belt. It really did open new doors and lead my life into unforgettable adventures that I’d never imagined.

When I applied these experiences to the DP module of GPA, we did all three. Intellectually, we studied the Principle and watched documentaries or movies that provided deeper insight on some of its core themes. Technically, the students learned how to outline and rehearse what we read and use paper or even digital tablets to explain the Principle. And physically, some of the afternoon activities introduced martial arts basics. Over the course of the 21-days, there were many wonderful discoveries; different young people would discover that they could understand and do things that they never thought they could. This reaffirmed my appreciation and enthusiasm for Father and Mother Moon’s deeply perceptive and wholistic concept of education.

Conclusion

So I very much believe that our children should not just accept the viewpoint that others might have of them, but rather see themselves from God’s viewpoint, receive all three of these types of education and discover the very real joy that comes from hard-earned accomplishment in each of them.

Because they're unique individuals, it’s natural that their personalities would be stronger in certain areas than others—whether it’s intellectual or technical or physical—but that doesn’t mean that they should exclude them from their education. At least some experience in all of them leads to a more healthy, well-rounded and confident personality; it nurtures a child’s self-respect. It's really up to us to guide and encourage them.

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