Three brothers prepared themselves to set out into the world.  They had been given a mission by their father; they were to climb to the top of a distant mountain, and bring back the water from a sacred pond that would provide eternal salvation and happiness.  Whichever of the brothers succeeded in this quest would be able to drink the water with Father and Mother, and spend eternity with them in happiness.  The Father and Mother hoped that all three of their children would spend eternity with them.  Each of them was given a gift to help them in their quest: their Father blessed them with the ability to make contact with him, to get guidance for how they should proceed on their journey.  All they had to do was sit and quiet their mind in order to be able to hear his voice.  Surely, with this ability, all three should be able to succeed.

The first brother took this challenge very seriously.  He did all the research he could, and he found a group of professional trekkers who had all the best equipment, plenty of food, and the security that comes in the safety of numbers.  So the first brother paid what money he had and joined the group, with their promise that they would surely get him to the place that his Father wanted him to go … and that he would assuredly spend eternity with his Father and Mother in blissful happiness.  Years went by, and the first brother learned how to be the best of the best in their group … there wasn’t a trick of the trade he didn’t know.  Every time it seemed like he would accomplish the task his Father had given him, however, the group would have to go somewhere else to get supplies, or to recruit more people to replace those who had left.  As time went by, the first brother met someone he fell in love with.  The two of them hiked all over with their group, but somehow they never got to the pond his father had told him about.  No one in the group had been to this specific place, and it apparently was very hard to find.  They did however have a great many adventures that they shared and enjoyed together.  For a while the first brother tried to re-establish the connection his Father had given to him as a gift; but he couldn’t feel the internal guidance system within him any longer … for he had spent too much time listening to the leaders of the group for guidance.  He no longer knew how to sit, and be quiet, and listen to his Father.  He lived a happy life, and occasionally went back to introduce his Father and Mother to the children he and his partner had raised.  The Father and Mother were glad for him … but saddened that they would eventually lose their son to Death.

The second brother was equally as zealous, but instead of looking for a professional group he convinced his best friends to go with him.  Surely there would be enough water for all of them to bring back.  The group of friends went out into the world on a mission: they were going to find the holy pond and live forever together as best of friends!  Time wore on, and it seemed that this journey would never end to some of the friends though.  The second brother consistently kept touch with his Father to make sure that they were going the right direction.  Disputes broke out though as the path became more difficult, and food was hard to find.  Some of the friends left to go back home; to find happiness there.  More and more time went by, until there was only one of his friends left … his best friend.  His best friend refused to leave him on this journey alone, but he too was tired of it … he wanted a family and happiness back with their friends at home.  After an especially disappointing and arduous climb ended in a dead-end, the second brother finally acquiesced to his best friend.  They returned home to find partners, and enjoy the life that they had.  The second brother always felt guilty, however, because he knew that his Father and Mother were saddened by the fact that they would eventually lose their son to Death.

The third brother was more independent and struck out on his own.  He wandered through the countryside, enjoying the land and the people in it.  There were even times where he became distracted by the thought of having a relationship, or of making himself successful in business.  However, he loved the times where he would connect with his Father … and his Father was never satisfied with those things.  So great was his love for his Father and Mother that he could not bear to feel their sadness.  So he pressed on, never in a reckless hurry but tireless in his resolve.  The third brother met all sorts of people on his journey.  He even encountered his other two brothers along the way; the one with his group of professional trekkers, and the other with his lifelong friends.  However, the guidance of his father seemed to take him in different directions than his brothers.  This made him worry that he was imagining things, that he was hearing his Father incorrectly.  Still he pressed on.  Eventually, the third brother did meet someone that he fell in love with as well.  This person understood how important the task his father had given him was though, and in fact was on a similar mission.  So they helped and encouraged each other on their journey.

Finally, they reached the holy pond.  It was in a small crater on the far side of what had been the distant mountain.  There was a flower tree splayed out above it, which gave off the most lovely aroma … their aches and pains were soothed just from the smell.  Arm in arm they took in the tranquility of this place.  The third brother sat next to the tree, quieted his mind, and made contact with his Father to tell him the good news.  His Father and Mother were so overjoyed that their love for their son almost overwhelmed him.  His heart was alive with fire, his forehead tingled with electricity, and he felt he would explode out of pure joy.  He took this fire to his partner, and they shared in the bliss of it.  They gathered the water from the holy pond and began the long journey back home … to spend the rest of eternity with the Father and Mother.

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The moral of this parable is one of paths … paths we choose, and whom we choose to take with us.  Most importantly though, it is about taking the time to sit, and listen, and receive the guidance that is there for us.  The importance is not in the partners we choose to sojourn with, but that we maintain our connection with God.  If there is someone you are intended to share the journey with, they will understand that … and even encourage you in that. (the inspiration for this parable was influenced by two of my prior posts; Buddhist Proverb, and Slavery)

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Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.

We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!

There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.

By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.

In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.

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