Gurugram, Delhi NCR, 26 Aug: B K Asha, Director of the Brahma Kumaris Centre, Gurugram, upholds the power of pure love.
Raksha Bandhan, which literally means ‘knot of protection’, is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Shravan in the Hindu calendar, during the monsoon season, in July-August.
Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and people of other faiths also celebrate this festival. Priests tie rakhis (sacred thread) around the wrists of congregation members, rakhis are shared between friends and, in some parts of India, people offer prayers to deities and men change the sacred thread they wear.
The most common way of celebrating this festival is for sisters to tie the sacred thread around the wrist of their brothers and pray for their well-being. The brothers, in turn, promise to protect the sister’s dignity and honour.
There are also pubic celebrations, with ceremonies held to tie rakhis around the wrists of soldiers, and women and schoolgirls visit political and social leaders, and other public figures to carry out this symbolic ritual. Such gestures help bring people from different walks of life together, but our celebration of this festival needs to go further.
At a time when frequent incidents of sexual assault have brought to the fore the issue of women’s safety, Raksha Bandhan can be celebrated in a more meaningful way. India has several festivals in which goddesses, the feminine incarnation of power, are worshipped, but Raksha Bandhan is different in that it encourages respect for ordinary women.
The power of the humble rakhi is illustrated by legends related to this festival. There are stories of enemy kings turning protectors after having a change of heart on receiving a rakhi sent by the queen of a rival kingdom. If the rakhi could change political fortunes in the past, it can also help create a safer environment for women today. The onus of protecting women’s dignity and honour rests not only on their brothers but on every member of society. No single individual can protect another person all the time.
Raksha Bandhan shows us what relationships should be like: characterised by love, respect, and empathy. Our attitude and approach even towards people we do not know personally should be governed by these qualities, which are, in fact, intrinsic to the human soul. That is why even a person, who has committed crimes against women, wishes for his sister to be treated with respect by others. Such a person only needs to be reminded that every woman deserves the same respect.
Like all criminal acts, crimes against women begin in the mind, and it is there that the remedy must be applied. The antidote to lust, the root cause, is pure feelings. On the day of Raksha Bandhan, we can decide to extend pure love to everyone. More than a change in laws, it is this change in attitude that will better ensure the safety of women.
Positive change can happen with spiritual training and empowerment. Practice of meditation enables one to channel one’s thoughts in a positive direction. The Gita says,“All the lower impulses of the body, mind and senses must be controlled by the power of the higher Self. Then the higher Self becomes one’s friend.” Purity of mind, the Gita tells us, brings happiness, wisdom and illumination. This year, we can begin to illumine the lives of all women by celebrating Raksha Bandhan in a more elevated way.
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