Family

“Why do we have such large temples and churches and mosques?” a stranger asked.

“To see the limits of us as individuals in our size” came the answer.

“Why do we have such large body of literature and scriptures?” a stranger asked.

“To recognize the limits of what we know” came the answer.

“Why do we have such high mountains and deep oceans?” a stranger asked

“To visualize the grandeur of nature” came the answer.

“Why do we have such divisions like nations, community and religions?” a stranger asked

“To accommodate our limits in size, our limits to know and limits in our ability to see the grandeur of nature” came the answer.

“I am small, limited in my knowledge and vision and limited in my ability to see the grandeur of the large temples, the larger themes of the scriptures and the largeness of nature“said the stranger.

“Yes, you are. That is why you are the individual, with your specific name, size, age, background and all other limitations. Your details are known to a few, and they know you well. They are your family” came the answer.

“No, I am more than that. I know many friends outside of my family; I am part of a larger community. I have travelled farther, learned better and can see issues connecting across nations and religions” said the stranger.

“Yes, you are. That is why you are part of a family that is larger than your father, mother and siblings. You are part of a larger family known to you and you alone” came the answer.

“How do I define my family?” asked the stranger

“You define the family, the way you choose to define it” said the stranger.

“My family could be as small as I choose or as large as I wish?” asked the stranger.

“Yes” came the answer.

“What connects a family – a desire and commitment to love and allow to be loved?” asked the stranger.

“Yes” came the answer.

“What is love – a bondage for shared common good?” asked the stranger.

“Yes” came the answer.

“Larger the reach of my love, larger my commitment for shared common good, larger is my family?” asked the stranger.

“Yes” came the answer.

“My family, its size – depends on my understanding of what is love, how to extend my love farther and let others who are far away love me?” asked the stranger.

“Yes” came the answer.

“You have expanded my mind greatly. You have liberated me from the shackles of my limitations. You have enabled me to become limitless and large. I can see the whole universe as my family. Please confirm to me “Am I correct?” asked the stranger.

“Yes” came the answer.

“Thank you. Thank you very much. My joy is limitless. I am eternally grateful to you. By the way, who are you?” asked the stranger.

“I am your reasoning, your knowledge, your teachings in the scriptures, your God in your temple, your father, your mother, your siblings and friends and everything that has enabled you to be who you are. I am the limitless “You” in you, your family at large”, came the answer.

Hope you like the reading. Please share with others as you see needed.
The format is very similar to the writing style you will see in some of the Upanishads. Hence I must admit that neither the style nor the substance is original. Simply passing along what I have learned. Of course the manuscript is original.