Re: Happy Raksha Bandhan Day, everybody!

nice going there dianne. thanks for a good post.
but pls be careful out there, for the pope has a big problem with kirastani
people celebrating hindu festivals. pls don't let your church guys know you
did this, for they might outcaste you.
you are very brave. good luck.


"Dianne" <diannefinnigan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1155099370.131260.157420@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Woo-Hoo! It's Raksha Bhandan Day! The day we all celebrate the
spiritual bond of love between brothers and sisters all over the world!
It is a day for feasting, dancing and celebrating the love bond within
families.

For those who don't know yet what Raksha (protection) Bandhan (bond)
is, here's a brief explanation. First, a brother and sister makes a
sacred vow to the God of their heart to live a life of purity in
thoughts, words and actions, so that you bring honour to the other
participating sister or brother.

Then the sister ties a sacred thread called a Rakhi, on the right hand
of her brother, as a symbol of their bond, and its presence on the
wrist serves as a gentle reminder that we must protect ourselves
spiritually from any temptations we may experience to commit wrongdoing
such as promiscuity, self-indulgence or to be influenced by
materialism.

This vow to live a life of purity and to remain free from material
bondage elevates the soul to its original pure condition of inner peace
and calm. A sacred vow is made to the sister to always do one's utmost
to protect her always from harm, especially spiritual harm but also
emotional and physical harm.

To compare Raksha Bandhan with marriage, we would say that it is as
sacred as marriage should be, but in practice it is actually far more
sacred than marriage is. There is no such thing as a divorce from the
bond of Rakhi. The sister places her complete trust in her brother's
love and knows that he will always honour her love, even if it means
sacrificing his life to try to protect hers.

Sisters tie the Rakhi thread of love to their brothers amongst chanting
of mantras, put roli and rice on his forehead and pray for his well
being. She bestows him with gifts and blessings. The tying of the
Rakhi string is the ceremonial expression of her pious hope and wish
that her brother be guided by spiritual vision.

If the brother and the sister both feel the deepest love for each
other, and a lifelong commitment for each other, then a part of that
bond will be to express their divine love in the most sacred act of
all, the beautiful ritual of holy incest. But those who feel less love
may choose not to, there is no pressure whatsoever. This sacred act is
the highest fulfilment of the Rakhi bond.

Today there is a lot of pressure from the anti-love, anti-life,
anti-sex, anti-incest elements of our society to suppress or deny the
nature of the loving bond between brother and sister, and deny that the
sacred act of love between them is divine.

So some people who practice it have been protecting themselves from the
hatred and prejudice by denying that they approve of it, and sometimes
even denying that the Rakhi bond has anything to do with it. That is
understandable - why create unnecessary trouble for yourself by making
public an act that is completely private, just between a brother and a
sister?

The lesson we can all learn in this is to trust in one's own
conscience, and follow the innocence and beauty and the love that we
find within, honouring our brothers and sisters by remaining in harmony
with the inner peace, without allowing ourselves to be influenced in
any way by the storms in the hearts of others.

Dianne Finnigan



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