The word “Family” means love or warmth. It is to be shared by persons who also share a common family name. In the West, wives adopt their husband’s family names and the couples addressed each other as “my home’s man” or “my family’s woman” respectively.
When you were young, we lived happily together. We played together, ate together and did everything together in a very lively atmosphere. After a day of hard work, no matter how tired we were, we felt completely relieved to see you coming to help us carrying things and ask us about our work. We were happy to see you sleep and eat well. This satisfaction is what people use to call a warm family.
Now that you have grown up and as brothers and sisters you must love each other. As you are biologically related you cannot disregard each other. As old saying states: “You can never cut water into pieces, and in the same way, you can never really estrange brothers and sisters”. You should not despise each other. Don’t be stingy, or get angry and vengeful. You must be helpful to each other and look after each other.
It is shameful for you as brothers and sisters to have any quarrels. Good siblings do not quarrel and should think of your parents’ feelings and concerns. Remember that when you were young, after you fought each other, you reconciled and you started to play together. You forgot your quarrel and forgave each other. You loved each other, and you cooperated again as it was. It is good to recall past memories and study them. If you think that you are grown up, forgive the bad incidents of the past. Beloved children, you can look for a new partner and even have a new child, but you cannot replace your brothers and sisters because their number is fixed. To disown your brothers and sisters, means you cut the flesh of your parents.
The following is the rendering of a Khmer poem into English:
A warm family environment requires that parents and children must live according to the dhamma. Don’t be influenced by your sense-desires but stick to blessings that yield beautiful life and endowed with virtuous mind.
When you were young, we lived happily together. We played together, ate together and did everything together in a very lively atmosphere. After a day of hard work, no matter how tired we were, we felt completely relieved to see you coming to help us carrying things and ask us about our work. We were happy to see you sleep and eat well. This satisfaction is what people use to call a warm family.
Now that you have grown up and as brothers and sisters you must love each other. As you are biologically related you cannot disregard each other. As old saying states: “You can never cut water into pieces, and in the same way, you can never really estrange brothers and sisters”. You should not despise each other. Don’t be stingy, or get angry and vengeful. You must be helpful to each other and look after each other.
It is shameful for you as brothers and sisters to have any quarrels. Good siblings do not quarrel and should think of your parents’ feelings and concerns. Remember that when you were young, after you fought each other, you reconciled and you started to play together. You forgot your quarrel and forgave each other. You loved each other, and you cooperated again as it was. It is good to recall past memories and study them. If you think that you are grown up, forgive the bad incidents of the past. Beloved children, you can look for a new partner and even have a new child, but you cannot replace your brothers and sisters because their number is fixed. To disown your brothers and sisters, means you cut the flesh of your parents.
The following is the rendering of a Khmer poem into English:
A warm family environment requires that parents and children must live according to the dhamma. Don’t be influenced by your sense-desires but stick to blessings that yield beautiful life and endowed with virtuous mind.
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