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I added, that although Erica's dream was but a dream that occurred in the background to her research into the deeper layers of life and love, her dream reflected nevertheless the recognition of a principle that she may have realized would ultimately become imperative because of the privilege it opens up, the privilege for one to live in a richer world. I pointed out how small and superficial the world's traditional marriage ideals appear, such as, "to have and to hold," in comparison with the wider commitment to an endless celebration of honoring one another, enriching one another's life, honoring life and love itself, and the bonds they forge in the brightness in which we all have our being together. I suggested that we should explore the larger dynamics of this celebration that, as far as I knew, had never been explored in all the ages of human history. I suggested that we then share this celebration and its principles with the people around us, since the underlying principles have the potential to uplift all communities. I suggested that this process would bring a new and honorable glow to the modern Chinese proverb that "being rich is glorious."
Steve focused once more on the subject of a continuous celebration. Then he stopped and waited, to let the subject simmer in each one's mind. He said that the real marriage bond exists on its own merits. It is something that no ceremony has created, nor a priest has ever consummated. It is something that exists in truth to be discovered, to be acknowledged, and to be celebrated in countless individual ways.
Later, in the early morning hours, after Steve had made one last pot of tea, he stood up and began to explore that bond once more that already included everyone, "a bond that isn't centered on sex, or personal privileges, or ownership rights," as he put it, "but is centered on something that is new in the world, a commitment to enrich one another's life and thereby to enrich the whole world by the same process of acknowledged principles." He said that this commitment was a commitment to our freedom to love and to honor, and a celebration of the unity that unfolds from a person's commitment to truth, and to honor the beauty of life. Steve said that this commitment represents the leading edge in human relationships. He also said that this fact needs to be constantly acknowledged, "and how better to acknowledge it, than to celebrate it in deed and in truth - hourly and daily - in a continuous celebration."
Steve then invited our two Chinese ladies, Mai-seong Wong, and Wai-yi Chan, to feel themselves included in this celebration of a truth that includes us all as human beings. He said that this bond is not a trap, but an open door to the celebration of life. He said that in this bond nothing is bound that we don't bind ourselves as we envelop one another with our love. He said that this bond is not a doctrine or a law, but unfolds by itself when one becomes honest with oneself. "Some call this love," he said. "The end result is always bigger than oneself. No person forces this bond and everyone is free at any time to step away from it. But why would anyone wish to step back from the leading edge of freedom, love, and life, to the older worlds of self-isolation?"
With this thought, Steve took his cup of Chinese tea and formally welcomed Mei-seong and Wai-yi to feel themselves included as a part of our family.
Both responded in the Chinese tradition, by saying that they felt deeply honored thereby.
Steve explained to our Chinese ladies during the next morning's breakfast how the existence of this bond and its principles were discovered, and how they had been applied in the past. He talked about our struggles and failures and victories. He made quite a speech that morning. Mostly he talked about our victories. He explained the potential of the principles we had endeavored to bring to light. He was comparing them to the vast potential of the great river Yangtze that is far from being fully explored, and is much less so realized. He said that even this was nevertheless a poor comparison, because no one knew, or had the potential of knowing, what worlds upon worlds the unfolding larger bond of love would bring into view, since such bonds have never before unfolded in the history of the world. He confessed that we ourselves had only experienced in part what it means to honor every bond between people that becomes established when people begin to envelop one another in love. He suggested that we were the leading edge of this movement, of which there were no limits in sight.
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