2. A Leader Strives to Be a True Parent, a True Teacher and a True Owner
World Scripture
Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way; for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for God’s church?
1 Timothy 3.2-5
Heaven and Earth are the father and mother of all things. Men are the sensibility of all things. It is telling the truth, thinking well, and seeing things clearly that make the principal ruler. The principal ruler is father and mother to the common people.
Book of History 5.1.1: The Great Declaration (Confucianism)
What is meant by saying that “in order to establish moral order in his state, one must first guide his family properly” is this: One cannot convince others of what he cannot convince the members of his own family. Therefore the wise governor does not need to go beyond his family in order to find the principles needed for governing his state. Here he finds his own son’s respectful obedience to his father, with which a governor should be served; affection for one’s relatives, with which higher officials should be treated; and paternal kindness, with which all people should be regarded.10
Great Learning 9.1 (Confucianism)
Heaven, earth and man are the basis of all creatures. Heaven gives them birth, earth nourishes them, and man brings them to completion… The enlightened and worthy ruler, being of good faith, is strictly attentive to the three bases.
His sacrifices are conducted with utmost reverence; he makes offerings to and serves his ancestors; he advances brotherly affection and encourages filial conduct. In this way he serves the basis of Heaven.
He personally grasps the plough handle and ploughs a furrow, plucks the mulberry himself and feeds the silkworms, breaks new ground to increase the grain supply and opens the way for a sufficiency of clothing and food. In this way he serves the basis of earth.
He sets up schools for the nobles and in the towns and villages to teach filial piety and brotherly affection, reverence and humility. He enlightens the people with education and moves them with rites and music. Thus he serves the basis of man.
Tung Chung-shu, Luxuriant Gems of the Spring and Autumn Annals (Confucianism)
Those who in ancient times invented writing drew three lines and connected them through the middle, calling the character “king” (王). The three lines are Heaven, earth and man, and that which passes through the middle joins the principles of all three. Occupying the center of Heaven, earth and man, passing through and joining all three— if he is not a king, who can do this?
Thus the king is but the executor of Heaven… He patterns his actions on its commands and causes the people to follow them… The highest humanity rests with Heaven, for Heaven is humaneness itself. It shelters and sustains all creatures, transforms them and brings them to birth, nourishes them and completes them…
Since man receives his life from Heaven, he must also take from Heaven its humaneness and himself be humane. Therefore he reveres Heaven and knows the affections of father and son, brother and brother; he has a heart of trust and faithfulness, compassion and mercy; he is capable of acts of decorum and righteousness, modesty and humility; he can judge between right and wrong, between what accords with and what violates duty. His sense of moral order is brilliant and deep, his understanding is great, encompassing all things.
Only the way of man can form a triad with Heaven. Heaven’s will is constantly to love and benefit, its business to nourish and bring to age, and spring and autumn, winter and summer are the instruments of its will. The will of the king is likewise to love and benefit the world, and his business to bring peace and joy to his time; and his love and hate, his joy and anger, are his instruments… Therefore the great concern of the ruler lies in diligently watching over and guarding his heart, that his loves and hates, his angers and joys may be displayed in accordance with right, as the mild and cool, the cold and hot weather come forth in proper season.
Tung Chung-shu, Luxuriant Gems of the Spring and Autumn Annals (Confucianism)
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Our three great wishes are, first, to become a true parent; second, to become a true teacher; and third, to become a true leader. Do you want to be successful and become a governor or even the President of the United States? First, you must become the head of your own household. To become the head of your household, you must inherit the family tradition and stand in the position of the head who can represent God and your ancestors. By doing so, all families in the nation will come to respect you.
(205:20, July 15, 1990)
Among all parents, those who live more for the sake of their children are true parents. Teachers who do more for the sake of their students are true teachers, and the president who sacrifices more for the nation is a true president.
(285:226, May 19, 1997)
A leader must take responsibility for his people. More than that, he must protect them. And not only protect them, but also raise them.
(210:98, December 1, 1990)
Everyone here has parents and teachers, and you also have the leader of your nation. Everyone undeniably needs such people. However, when compared to the true standard of parenthood, parents are at many different levels. What level of parent do you want to attain? Likewise, the standard of a true teacher is not measured by whether someone is a professor at an Ivy League university such as Harvard, Yale or Columbia in the United States, or Oxford and Cambridge in England. Also, leaders of nations are at different levels compared to the true standard of leadership. Even if someone is the president of a superpower such as the United States, does this mean he or she is a true president?
In fact, today in the family, children do not trust parents. In school, students do not trust their teachers. Citizens do not trust the leaders of their nation. Whose responsibility is it that children do not trust their parents? Since their father and mother are not united as one, not trusting each other fully, the children cannot trust them. Neither can they trust their siblings.
Family relationships have reached the breaking-point. From this perspective, how can we possibly attain the true standard of even one of these three subject positions—either as a parent, teacher or leader?
(285:214-15, May 3, 1997)
The principle of true parent-child relationships applies to the philosophy of management. The relationship between an employer and his employees should be viewed in this way, not as a conflict relationship… in the manner of Communism. Problems in labor relations can be solved by practicing parental love. The owner of the company is in the role of parent, and his employees are in the position of children. The owner should care for his employees as parents care for their children. Don’t parents save money to bequeath it to their children? The owner should likewise think that his purpose is to bequeath his company’s wealth to his employees.
(116:121, December 27, 1981)
God expects you to become a true parent, a true teacher and a true leader. What do you think is the highest standard and absolute model for those three positions? It is God. God is the True Parent among parents, True Teacher among teachers, and True King among kings. God is the Eternal True Parent, Eternal True Teacher, Eternal True Leader and King. If we are children of God, we need to become a true parent first, just like God. We should also follow the way of a true teacher, just like God. And we need to follow the way of a true leader, just like God. The ultimate model for the three subject positions is God.
(285:224, May 3, 1997)