Raksha Bandhan: Bond of Protection

It is that auspicious time again!

When, in the month of the Supreme Light and under the pure light of the full moon, we celebrate a wonderful ancient festival called Raksha Bandhan (the “bond of protection”).

The bond of protection is a celebration of recognising the eternal thread of pure love between each other as souls. We are a brotherhood of souls, and this is why we symbolically recognise our brothers during this time.

To celebrate means to celebrate a meeting of souls.  In many cultures we see this in a practical form –  Namaste in Hindi (which means “greeting the light within”), the practise of the Hongi in Maori ( which represents “sharing the breath of life”) and the greeting of Sawubona in Zulu (which means “I see you”) – just to highlight a few.

It is therefore not just a celebration for one culture, but a celebration for all of us! A day of truce and peace and brotherhood.

To recognise the truth within each other is also a method for keeping yourself safe. What we see in others, we think about and what we think about, we feel within. The feeling of brotherhood and truth of the soul becomes the pure light within that protects us.

Why not make a promise today to reach out, not just to your brother or your sister, but to all your brother souls, to let the past be the past for whatever has happened up to now, whether to ourselves or to others.

To seal the promise made by one, the other usually gives a small token or gift from the heart. 


Step further into the light….

What is the significance of the timing of Raksha Bandhan?

Well, the full moon has always been a symbol of divinity and purity. The natural beauty of the moonlight can heighten our state of consciousness.  It is also the holy month of special worship of the Lord of Divinity, the Supreme Soul, Shiva. So, the full moon combined with the auspiciousness of the month is the greatest meeting of all – that of meeting the Supreme Light, the Supreme Soul.  The Supreme Father of all souls.

When and how to meet such a Light is a great fortune one should never deny oneself. Let me share my experience with you.

I received an invitation to a retreat run by The Brahma Kumaris under the theme of the Bond of Love at the appointed auspicious time. The atmosphere created by the yogi instruments was so blissful and powerful, that when it was my turn to get a rakhi tied, I was physically in the room, but I was also pulled into another world of light. In this world of light, an angel of moonlight was tying the rakhi to my hand. Our eyes met, and while His was glistening with absolute love, mine were streaming with tears of love.  But most of all, I was feeling an overwhelming sense of relief, that I no longer needed to protect myself or struggle to keep myself safe. He was going to do this now. He was my Protector. Following this profound experience, I made a promise to keep Him with me and learn His ways. The heart was finally free.


Immerse yourself in the Light

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