MISHA’S TALES FOR CHILDREN:
HOW MARRIAGE CAME TO BE

Once,
a very long time ago,
after seven hundred million years
of violent electrical storms,
pummeling meteorite showers,
volcanoes belching minerals and moisture,
the earth cooled and was covered with murky seas.

Perceiving a wondrous opportunity,
the Awareness Absolute summoned into Its Abode,
Grandfather Wisdom and Grandmother Love.

Our Holy Awareness said,
Grandfather and Grandmother,
a beautiful new home for you, I have seen,
a green-blue planet to be,
requiring your special skills so to
attain what I think it can attain.

I will make you Stewards of this Earth.
And so … it became so.

Grandfather Wisdom
crafted a grand plan for the Earth.
First, we add seeds of life,
single-celled animals
moving within the murkiness, then,
spiny creatures crawling upon the floor of the seas,
creeping animals and plants for the dry lands,
and so on and so on.

Finally, Grandmother Love
asked Grandfather Wisdom,
dear, has the time for humans come?
Grandfather said, Yes.

So together,
gathering up moist living soil,
fashioning it carefully,
wasting not a drop,
forming two statutes of earth,
like Grandfather and like Grandmother.

Then Grandfather and Grandmother
gave to them life and all of life’s possibilities.

Grandfather said,
let us join them together as he-she,
so to honor Awareness Absolute.

Grandfather said to man-half,
I shall give you my wisdom.
Grandmother said to woman-half,
I shall give you my love.

And Grandfather and Grandmother
taught he-she many useful things,
hunting, farming, cooking and such.
All seemed well,
and Grandfather and Grandmother
made many more,
sending them out into the world
to prosper and evolve.

But soon,
man-woman forgot about
Grandfather and Grandmother
and all of their teachings.
Men-women did many bad things and
became lost in the wilderness.

This made Grandfather and Grandmother very sad.

What shall we do, Grandfather?
It hurts me so,
seeing one child harming another.
I am afraid my tears will flow so copiously
that our children shall all drown in my sorrow.

Grandfather thought for a very long time–
he said, Grandmother,
we must send to them another gift of remembrance.
We shall reform them into two
and teach them of marriage.

Grandmother thought this a very good idea
and smiled.

So Grandfather and Grandmother
came to visit their children,
reminding them of how they came to be.
Soon, man-woman remembered
Grandfather and Grandmother.

Grandfather said, children,
far, far away, but also very close,
lives Awareness Absolute.
Awareness Absolute is the Eternal Source
for all things,
even old Grandfather and Grandmother.

Grandfather and Grandmother told stories
of all the wonders and goals
Awareness Absolute has for this planet.
And how someday,
if all is as it should be,
mankind may come and live in its lofty Abode.
For it is the Nature of Awareness Absolute to Give
as it is yours to Receive.

And then one, he-she asked,
Grandfather and Grandmother,
when we live with Awareness Absolute
are we to be like He-She is?

Grandmother smiled,
what a bright child you are!
But to live with Awareness Absolute
you must be as It is,
before you come to be there.
Grandfather, asked this he-she,
how do I do this?
Is it difficult?

Grandfather said,
I was wrong to fashion you in the image of the All,
for souls must be earned and not pre-given.
Your sins are of my making and not of your own.
I shall divide each into parts two,
one male and one female,
and scatter you to the winds.
And place within your heart
a remembrance of having been
once in the image of Awareness Absolute.

Grandmother smiled once more, saying,
Grandfather and I have made something
very, very special so to help you.
It is called Sacred Marriage.

From now until such time as
all are living with Awareness Absolute,
this is how grown little boys and girls
shall join together in a family.

So to be as one, once again,
you must find and join together
in body, mind and soul
and learn to love and care for the other
more than you love and care for yourself.
Just like I love and care for Grandfather and
he loves and cares for me.

Grandfather said,
and we shall make two other statues
called little boy and little girl.
And from out of the issue of union
of man and woman
shall come little boy and little girl.
And you both must learn to love
little boy and little girl,
provide a warm and safe home,
give them healthy food and water,
clothe them from the cold,
be mother and father till they leave home,
and teach them Love and Wisdom,
as we teach these things to you.

And if either betrays the other
or the children,
a great illness shall be given onto you
so to remind you of this unworthy sin.

But, if you strive to be together as one,
in body, mind and spirit,
you will live with Awareness Absolute
having learned how to give and how to receive in kind.

And this is how Marriage came into the world.