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Rakṣā Bandhan is a very ancient festival that originated and developed in India. It was established to maintain and protect human society, and to create peace within it. Its purpose is to overcome conflict between male and female, granting equal rights to both—meaning perfect emancipation. It is especially about respect for and protection of females. This festival arose at a time when people were discriminating against feminine power, and so it was begun as a corrective. This is a sign of love, but please do not always think of physical love. In Europe today, whenever one speaks of love, it is understood completely differently. One hardly dares to tell someone, "I love you." So here, love means harmony. Love means peace. Love means protection. Love means understanding. Love means balance. Love means unity. And that is the meaning of Rakṣā Bandhan. "Rakṣā" means protection, and "Bandhan" means a bond. It is the protection of all women through this bond. It does not matter if she is your mother, wife, sister, daughter, or neighbor; it does not matter her age. It is a mutual understanding, and it is the prime duty of the male to protect the dignity of the feminine world. Therefore, it is not merely a religious festival. It is cultural, it is universal, and it is a mutual understanding. It is about respect and protection, and that is what yogīs should do. That is why you all should respect this day. It does not matter if you are here next year or not; do not forget your sisters—your real sisters as well as your Rakṣā Bandhan sisters. So I pray to God for the protection of the dignity of the feminine world, and I pray to Mahāprabhujī to give the right thinking, the right thoughts to every man, to cultivate a positive, respectful, and responsible attitude towards every female. With this, I bless you all in the name of Mahāprabhujī with a happy Rakṣā Bandhan. All blessings for this full moon day. This is the full moon of Lord Śiva, because in India we have this one month completely dedicated to Lord Śiva: Śrāvaṇa Māsa. This day also represents the unity of Śiva and Pārvatī, and it is the consciousness from which Guru Pūrṇimā begins. Therefore, this Pūrṇimā is also a very, very special Pūrṇimā. I wish you all the best. Recording location: Czech Republic, Strilky, Summer seminar