The Festival of Raksha Bandhan, celebrated annually in August, is a memorial of a time when humanity was united by a loving relationship with God that protected and uplifted them and created a heavenly renewed world.
After a few thousand years had passed, the present era has modernized and limited this festival to relationships within the nuclear family, where sisters lovingly tie the threads of beautiful hand made ‘bracelets’, called Rakhis, around the wrist of their brothers to honor, protect and pray for their well-being. The brother, in turn, promises to protect the dignity and honor of his sister and family.
To date the customs and lessons demonstrated in this special celebration have kept the family strong, functional and united. Families remain close knit as it strengthens the bonding, respect, caring, trust and love among them.
Raksha Bandhan is celebrated this year on Aug. 30, the day of the Full Moon, 16 celestial degrees complete. When I am tied with this sacred thread of protection, the rakhi, I promise to stay in my original nature of peace, love, purity, wisdom, and mercy. I remember to see myself as a soul with a body, rather than a body with a brain!
It shows us what relationships should be like characterized by love, respect, kindness and empathy. Now, with soul conscious knowledge, I see others as being a child of God and part of my spiritual family.
This unlimited vision of universal brotherhood breaks all barriers of caste, creed, age, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, and color and personality traits. Our vision is broadened to the entire earth as one family under the Fatherhood of God.
Currently, all religions and over 100 countries value and celebrate this festival.
Raksha Bandhan encourages respect for both genders, particularly women, to protect and ensure their equality and safety. Their protection and honor rests not only on brothers within their family, but also on every member of society.
No single individual can protect another person all the time, especially now with the decline in moral values. Lust and anger start in the mind and are the root criminal causes, but positive change can happen with spiritual training and empowerment.
The antidote is to create pure feelings within, through the daily practice of meditation. This practice enables us to channel our thoughts in a positive direction and put a full stop to wasteful and negative body conscious thoughts. It creates purity of mind and brings happiness, wisdom and the power to keep on giving. My every thought, word and action becomes one having good wishes, which work as my protection and stay with me forever!
Yes, this is possible! In these times of potential and possibly deadly changes, the Supreme Father is bound to look after us. God is surrounding and also tying an ‘unlimited rakhi’ on his loving spiritual children with golden strings of pure love and light! Each time we meditate we can experience being tied and surrounded with God’s subtle ever present and loving rakhi of light and might!
My pure thoughts and actions ensure I receive blessings from God, my loving Father, and also receive good wishes from all souls, my brothers, and from my global family. Together these work as my protection and stay with me forever.
Visit brahmakumaris.org to learn more about special programs conducted for Rakhi. You can also call Peace Village Retreat Center, located in Hunter Mountain, N.Y., at (518) 589-5000 for details.
(Yvonne Risely, from Owego, N.Y., can be reached at bkchirya@gmail.com. Sister Chirya is a student and teacher with the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University for over 40 years. She has a BSc from Cornell University in Education, and is published in several national publications and the Daily Guardian in Delhi.)
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