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Part 1: A Celebration of Three Auspicious Occasions These two weeks mark the fourth night retreat in Hungary: Vip, Yoga, and Daily Life. It is good that our retreat began on this very auspicious day. Today, there are three very auspicious occasions on which we shall reflect and celebrate. As you know, Guru Pūrṇimā was one month before, on the 18th of July. Due to long distances and various circumstances, all devotees from around the world could not come to India. Therefore, we celebrate our Guru Pūrṇimā today to adore our spiritual lineage: our Gurudev, Alakhpurījī, Devpurījī, Mahāprabhujī, and Holy Gurujī. So, this Pūrṇimā is a Guru Pūrṇimā for us. We are all devotees and disciples; we are not yet perfect. But we believe that our Gurudev, Mahāprabhujī, Devpurījī, Holī Gurujī, and Alakhpurījī will bless us to attain perfection in this life. However, it also depends on us. Not only the Gurudev, but we must also do something. Every thought, word, action, and step will be counted. Whether you step forward or backward, both will be counted. Purījī, Siddha Pīṭh Paramparā, Viśokānandajī, Mahānirvāṇī Akhāṛā, Nahaṁ Karatā Purījī, Siddha Pīṭh Paramparā, Viśokānandajī, Mahānirvāṇī Akhāṛā, Nahaṁ Karatā Purījī, Siddha Pīṭh Paramparā, Viśokānandajī, Mahānirvāṇī Akhāṛā, Nahaṁ Karatā. The lunar eclipse also holds great meaning. If we proceed spiritually on this path and contemplate the moon—its meaning for our planet, for nature, and for our life—we understand we are one with the moon. This darkness that appears on the moon causes immense damage to our planet, to nature, and also to our body. It is said that people fast, especially strictly when it occurs in a particular constellation. When it is over, you bathe, change your clothes, clean your dress, clean your kitchen, your windows, and purify everything. Why? Because a great deal of energy, or cells, die due to this moon eclipse. Then you give donations, meaning you throw seeds for the birds. Do not feed the fish that you will later catch and eat. If there are hungry animals or poor people, give them something. This will free you from this negative energy. It is a science. It is a truth given to us by great, self-realized saints who could see and feel it. The third occasion is called Rakṣābandhan. Rakṣabandhan means protection. We need protection in every aspect: protection against Ādhibhautik, Ādhidaivik, and Ādhyātmik—these three types of affliction. Not only on this planet, where you can escape or hide, or have someone protect you. But how will you protect yourself if you are not on the spiritual level and find yourself somewhere in the astral world? So, we need protection in this physical world, we need protection in the astral world, we need protection for our birth, and we need protection for our future life. This protection is very, very important. We cannot survive without it. When it rains, we need an umbrella. When it is cold, we need an umbrella and a blanket. When it is hot, we need cool air. When we are hungry, we need food. When we are thirsty, we need water. When we are sad or unhappy, we need a mother’s lap, or a father’s lap. We need the strong shoulder of a brother, and we need the strong protection and blessing of our sisters. We need protection against all three afflictions from other creatures. We need protection against illnesses. We need protection against negative energies. When the path is thorny and stony, we need the protection of good shoes. When we fall into water and cannot swim, we need the protection of a balloon, a life jacket. When we are very little and cannot walk, we need the finger of our father to walk with us. When your teeth are not in order, you need the protection of a dentist. When your hair is not good, you need the protection of a hairdresser. When there is much wind and dust and bad air, you need the protection of your window to close it. There are certain situations where you need the protection of your dog. When your dog is there, you are not afraid; you can sleep peacefully because if anything happens, your dog will wake you up. So, where do we find ourselves where we do not need protection? We need the protection of Gurudev. We need the protection of our family, our brothers and sisters. We need protection from our society. We need protection from our politics. Everywhere we need protection. When you drive a car, you need protection from your front window, and you need great protection from the driver coming toward you. So, who does not need protection? That is it. Holī Gurujī said in a beautiful bhajan: "Terī Satguru Rākhe Lāj Chintāmaṭkā." Therefore, it is very important that we are protected. Especially now, in this modern civilization and with modern technology, we need much protection. Without protection, we cannot survive. You can never say you are strong enough; that is our biggest mistake. Always be humble, and respect and seek protection. So, rakṣā means protection. Protection is something great. Without this protection, there is no liberation. Without this protection, there is no self-realization. So, we always say, "God protect you." We need blessings. It does not matter who is who. We need a blessing. Even from your enemy, you seek their blessing—blessings that will work in miraculous ways in our life. Blessings from parents, blessings from your brothers and sisters, blessings from your relatives, blessings from your colleagues, blessings from your school teachers, and blessings from your spiritual teacher. Those who have humbleness in the heart, those who are spiritually purified, and those who have understood what life means, they seek the blessing. They seek the blessing for protection. It is the biggest blessing that can protect us. So, Rakṣā Bandhan means you are protected. You have that protection. From that protection, you are protected. You are within that realm, within that aura. We say, "My right hand or the left hand." We call the right arm or the left arm; a brother is your arms. Sisters who have a brother need not worry or be afraid in any circumstances. Once, a girl found herself in an unpleasant situation on the street. A few boys were there, and one boy said, "Be careful, her brother is a karate trainer." So, say proudly that you have a brother, and your brother is strong. You have the arm of your brother to hold and walk. We need the soldier, the solid soldier that is a brother. That is very important. If you are older than your brother, then you are a solid soldier for him. But when he is grown, he will be your protector. In nature, God made different relations. We are born as brothers and sisters, and humans understand these relations very well. There are certain good things to do, which we call puṇya—pious, good karma. You can give something to your sister, and that will be counted as good karma. A sister is a symbol of mercy, a symbol of love, a symbol of beauty, and a symbol of spirituality, the divine. Therefore, whatever you give to your sister is counted as good karma. If the sister is elder than you, then she gives you a blessing. She gives you many things. If you are not brave enough, she can also give you something on the cheek. A sister has a birthright; she can give you a good slap on your cheek. A brother has no such right. If a man hits a woman, it is counted as the biggest sin. If you hit your sister, it is one of the biggest sins. It is said that when your hand once hits your sister, this hand has no more value. For you, it is like a chipped-off hand. That is it. So, a sister has more rights than a brother, and a brother has more rights than a sister to give, to remember her. Today is the day every sister remembers her brother. If the brother is not near, today the sisters are weeping. They say, "My Rakhi remained only in my hand because my brother is not here." If a brother has passed away, a sister feels lost. For a sister, the brother is the biggest protection, protecting her from many bad energies and bad societies. A brother’s life is not complete if he is not present at her wedding. When a sister marries and goes with her husband, it is the brother who feels his heart is torn in two. The sister does not feel it as much, but the brother does. So, you should know the value of a sister, and you should know the value of a brother. If you do not have a blood sister, you can adopt one, and then you have all the rights. All the rights for that sister, and it is a beautiful relation. Even if your sister is married, gone to other countries, at a distance, or old, it is first the brother who should remember her, right? A postcard, a birthday greeting, or nowadays a telephone call or message on Diwali, Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Guru Pūrṇimā, or Christmas. Occasionally you must remember her. Even if support was taken far away from the younger sister, we should have the opportunity, for example, to work during Diwali or Christmas; in that case, the elder brother must remember it, or write a capable letter, or nowadays help comes through the phone—first, the brother must be found. We know very soon the time will come in our life when our parents will depart from this planet. So, if we change these traditions, it means we change and help the people. A person needs to come forth and transform into such beautiful beings as these individuals. People nowadays are changemakers. We have some people who are simply retired and say they do not want festivals, they do not want ceremonies. This means that this person, who feels shy about the human community, must help themselves. Part 2: The Sacred Bond of Rakṣā Bandhan With the help of these various cultural developments, it is said that they should unite us, not divide us. They should hold us tight, and we should ask, "Please hold me," not leave it to me. God should hold our life and us in His hands forever. What we call "I am in good hands"—so you are in your brother’s hands. And your brother will protect you more than anyone. What can I expect from my brother, and what can I expect from my sister? That’s it. I see in my brother my father and mother, and I see in my sister my mother and father. If a brother dies, the sister cries while holding her hands because she lost her strong hand, her strong arm. And when the sister dies, the brother cries, holding the heart. That is a relation. That means a sister. Don’t make Rakṣā Bandhan and then, after a while, say, "No, I think we will marry." Then, no. So decide first. If you are adopting a sister, you will really help and protect her and respect her as your blood sister. So, such festivals, such traditions, such a culture are for the protection of human love, life, and society. Therefore, that’s why I’ve been introducing you, for the last ten years, to Rakṣā Bandhan. Of course, your brothers are not here. They are maybe in other countries or at home. You can give the Rakhi when you come home. You should tell what it means. He will never refuse then. You know, in the last, middle of last century, something developed that girls used to make for their boyfriend a tie on their hand. They were making it with the hand and then giving it. And that boy kept it, with great love and respect, for my girlfriend. And it’s the same thing when the sister also gives to the brother. Today, you can see in India who doesn’t have a sister. And the person who has no rakhi on his hand today is very unhappy. But thanks to God, there are enough; many girls are there, and they give the rakhi. Our mother also can give. So today, you should not remain, your hand should not remain empty without the rakhi. And brother, invite the sister for a good meal, or give her something. It depends how rich your brother is and how rich your sister is. There are some sisters who will buy their brother a watch with diamonds and a golden belt, which costs about two to three million dollars. I think we like to have a sister like this, no? I think if one sister comes with a five million rupee rakhi, many brothers will stand up. He will say, "I am the brother, come, I am that." But if she brings you a five-million rupee rakhi, you are obliged to give her twenty-five million. And still you are not free. Still you owe her a lot. That’s it. So it’s a beautiful relation. And between brother and sister, there is no confusion, no jealousy, nothing. Between brother and sister, there is such a pure love. And there is certainty, the security. And therefore, we should support such traditions or festivals. And this festival was especially begun to protect the feminine world. It is said it began long ago. There was one lady, Satī Sāvitrī, and Satī Sāvitrī—Satī means the truthful one—and her name was Sāvitrī. And it is said that she and her husband went to the forest to collect some dry wood for fuel. And her husband climbed under a dry tree to chip a dry branch, and he fell down and died. Now, Yama is coming to take his soul, but Sāvitrī didn’t let him go. All the time, she followed with her astral body. And she told him to go back. It’s a long story, a beautiful story. But you see, there is a very strict protocol. If all this has to be brought, only this; the second cannot accompany, even if it is your child, your mother, or your father. And it means physically, mentally, and verbally, you should be one with that one. So this messenger of Yama, the date, they were so scared. They tried everything to send Sāvitrī back, but she didn’t go. Finally, they came to the king Yama, the king of death. And he promised her a kingdom. He promised her a long and good life. But she said, "I don’t want anything. I want my husband." And it came to Dharmarāja, the king of Dharma. And when it came to the Dharmarāja, then again, we will call the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the Dharmarāja, and Dharmarāja gave the judgment that Sāvitrī deserves her husband and sent him back with her, and he came alive. It is a beautiful story, beautiful, but only can be that you are really that one. That’s it. There are many boys named Kṛṣṇa, but you have to be Kṛṣṇa. On the 24th, it will be Krishna’s birthday. Anyhow, perhaps we will see Krishna’s birth from the Bhārata video. Yes? Nobody said yes, okay. Yeah, then why don’t you say, when I say, feedback, okay? So, there was a king. And he heard and he saw that Sāvitrī was a very beautiful girl. Well, there is always attraction on both sides, but her side was zero. But the king asked to bring Sāvitrī to him. And she did not know what to do. But she was a very wise, very brilliant, and very clear thinker. She was thinking how to act. If I am angry, I have not that power. But what I can do is have him surrender to me. So she had a thread in her pocket and went to the king, and the king said, "Come, Sāvitrī." And she said, "Yes, dear brother." And she put the thread on his head, and he was so happy. These beautiful, gentle hands of that lady, or a girl, are putting him the thread. And he smiled and he said, "What is this, Avatārī?" She says, "Brother, this is a tie between brother and sister. You are my brother, and I am your sister." The king’s heart melted. His heart melted. He wept. And he told his soldiers, his people, to bring a tray full of jewelry and beautiful cloths, and he said, "My dear sister, this is for you. I promise you, I will protect you from everything. It doesn’t matter what happens, every situation, every condition, I will be there as your brother, as a protector." And so, from that day, this tradition began. So, actually, it began. This is one of the beautiful occasions where the feminine power principle is protected. And we have to thank that Sāvitrī, that she reminds and she awoke the dormant love of the brother in the heart again. From that time, the human society was again protected. Ethics and moral principles were spread. And therefore, every sister on that day feels like that truthful Sāvitrī. And every brother feels proud to have such a loving sister. Even the brother was naughty, but the sister forgave him. And therefore, we shall proudly celebrate the Rakṣā Bandhan. It is not something fanatical. And now, at the present time, humans need this very much. You know, the real face of the brother and sister you see when your parents die and they leave some property behind. Then you will see how your brother tries to take away everything, or how your sister tries to take everything away. But real brothers and sisters who have this love will put this big cake on the table and say, "Please, you take first, as much as you like." Others will say, "No, no, you take first. Sister, you are the first one." She is saying, "Stop, I am the elder one, you are the young one, take." This is not a cake. It is the millions of heritages that you inherit from your parents. So now is the real time for you to know how much love you have for your sister or how much love you have for your brother. And not fighting that, "This house I want, and that money I want, and that bank account is mine, and that ring was from me, and that necklace I gave to mother on her birthday." You know, no. There is no bargain between brothers and sisters. And sisters have the first right. Even a sister will take all, and a brother will never say why. He will be happy to give something more and will feel happy and proud that at least he did something, that his sister fulfilled her wish. So we search for such a sister in this world. We search for such a brother in this world. And we search for that Sāvitrī and that Satya. That’s it. And therefore, we remember this beautiful day. And we remember our Guru brothers and sisters. Mahāprabhujī Karatā Mahāprabhujī Karatā... So this is the day when you remember your real protector, Gurudev, and brother. Your wife or your husband can divorce you, but your sister or brother cannot divorce you. This is an eternal relation. There is no separation. And if you can maintain this, you will have a lot of happiness and little tension in your life. And that was also that marriage was according to the constellations and was decided by parents and society. It is the culture which unites. So, any elderly person you see, you will say, "Mother." Even if you don’t know her, you see her face for the first time. That doesn’t matter. She is the principle of mother. And when you tell Mother, Mātājī, then she will be for you as a mother protection. And when you say "the sister," even you don’t know, then she or he, as a brother, will be your protector. Or you say, "My daughter," or, "My son." It unites the society. It unites mankind. So we should develop such a culture which unites us, not divides us. That culture which protects us, not destroys us. That culture which creates the satsaṅg, not the wars. And that is what we want to do for the sake of humanity and for the sake of this planet and environment. But if we ourselves don’t have peace in the heart, only war in the heart, you cannot have peace outside. So, inner peace for outer peace. That peace is within you, but there is a turbulence inside. So, okay, it can be turbulence too, but your wings should be strong. Not by turbulence, the wing falls like this. Then you will go like that, down, always down. It doesn’t go up, that’s it. So these wings are brothers and sisters, husband and wife, father and mother, that’s it. And Ātmā is inside, so you and Gurudev are the Ātmā. You are the soul, and Gurujī is the ātmā. So I wish you all the best. Still, there are many brothers waiting to invite the sister for the cakes. Yes, and I will be sitting there, and I will be so happy to see how the sister enjoys the cake. So, that will be the great joy of this day. So, today you should help in every aspect our sisters, mothers, daughters.