How to have one’s parents understand him?

The following excerpt is from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Question (Q): My concern is about relationships we share with our near ones. I find so many limitations in every relationship which I make. What to do in such situations where my parents do not understand me? What to do to have them understand me?”

Acharya Prashant (AP): First of all, you have to stop thinking of yourself primarily, fundamentally as a daughter or a son. Being a daughter, being a son, being a born one — these are the facts of this body; they are not to be ignored. At the same time, they are not your primary identity. One must be very cautious; discretion has to be applied. There is no doubt that this you call as ‘yourself’ was born on a particular date to a particular woman. And your body contains what you initially received from a man and a woman. That must be acknowledged. And for that, you must remain grateful. At the same time — and more importantly — your essence does not come from anywhere, any persons. The more you think of yourself as a born body, the more you will have to comply with all bondages that this bodily world has imposed upon you.

Look at the world around you. What do you see? What is this? (Picks up a stone) It’s a body. Have you ever seen anything in the world except bodies? What is that river? It’s a body of water, is it not? What do you call it? A water body. That tree is a body; this receiver is a body. Body, body — ah! Such a vast collection of bodies. If you too are a body, then you fully belong to the body. That is alright. Except for one minor glitch, what is that? Freedom has no body. Show me the body of freedom. The question that you have raised is crying for freedom; the question that you have raised is crying for rightness, Dharma, Truth. That’s what you’re asking for, right? In fact, love and compassion too are hidden in what you’re asking: you don’t want to hurt your mother. Show me the body of love and compassion, come on! Go search the entire world and bring me the body of love. Would you find it anywhere? This world or any other world? This planet, this solar system, this galaxy, this universe, all multiverses — where is the body of love?

But if you are a body, born to bodies, then you belong only to the world of…? Speak, please!