What counts, relationship through blood or relationship through experience?
I ask this question, not because I’m in the situation, but because it’s valid. Let’s say that there are two families, A and B. One family has two sons, A1 and A2. The other family has one son B1. A1 is 1 year older than A2 & B2. Families A & B are mortal enemies. However, at birth A2 & B1 were switched by Person X without either families knowing. When A1 was 10, he saw that Family B killed their parents and vowed to take revenge.
Twenty years later, both A1 & B1 who are now living as brothers are both successful and are set to ruin anyone that has to do with Family B (that includes A2 of course). Family B is equally successful. In the process, A1 hurts A2 and parents of Family B hurts B1, not lethally of course. Furthermore, Person X reveals the truth to both families.
Let’s take an assumption that the sins of Family B to Family A cannot be forgiven. If you were to meditate the story, will you allow A1 to continue with the revenge and in the process hurt A2, B1 continue on with the revenge against his blood family, A2 to defend and retaliate and in the process hurt A1, and finally the parents of Family B to do the same which and hurt B1 in the process?
I myself has no definite answer to this query, but I am leaning towards favoring experience. Nobody can turn back time and the moments shared by people are too precious. Memories linger, matters don’t. A2 could be as well dead as far as A1 is concerned and vice-versa.
In my meditation, I would finish the story by completing the revenge without A1 and B1 feeling remorse. They’ve shared a connection – a bond that cannot be unbound.
Family is not defined by the parents and children. Family is a close and unique bond between people. Such bond can only be created through shared experiences. conventionally, this bond develops in a blood relation because they become together as soon as the children are born. So basically, a family is a collection of very close bondage.