The auspicious festival of Raksha Bandhan is celebrated as the pure love of a sister for her brother.
Traditionally, a sister ties a sacred thread on her brother’s wrist as he goes to war, as a symbol of protection, to remind him of his innate resilience and courage.
In fact, this sacred thread that the sister ties around the wrist of her brother is reminiscent of the eternal, invisible link of love between the soul and the Supreme Soul.
When an individual remains conscious of the connection with the love of the Supreme Parent, an indomitable bond is sealed. With the power of that union, the individual experiences the strength, courage, determination, and clarity to overcome any adversities.
This union activates the coming together of the mind (which has knowledge of belonging to the One) and the heart (that feels the warmth and comfort of that belonging). Thus, the individual attains the power to be a self-sovereign, self-aware soul, who is master over the physical senses of the body.
In the light of this self-sovereignty, the authentic beauty of being a subtle, nonphysical entity is accessed, and the intrinsic soul virtues of peace, purity, power, love, and bliss are experienced.
So, on this occasion of Raksha Bandhan, allow yourself the opportunity to explore and experiment with this awareness as you undertake the various symbolic practices:
Let this tilak awaken me to the awareness that I am not a mere body of flesh and bones, but I am a living being of pure consciousness. A being of light in the centre of the forehead.
Let this thread rekindle the eternal relationship and bond of love between me, the Soul, and God, the Supreme Soul — the Supreme Being who is ever pure beyond this world of matter; who is called by many names: Shiva, Jehovah, Allah…
Let the sweets remind me that my mouth should always be filled with words of sweetness that create harmony. Let the exchange of gifts be the symbol of good wishes and blessings to every person.
As we collectively shift our consciousness from the festival rituals into the spiritual awareness that underpins these physical practices, we can collectively create a world of harmony and pure love.
We all understand the enormous power of love. The energy of love can transform the world of sorrow into a world of peace for all. Love can bring heaven onto earth. (By Brahma Kumari)
