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What About The Women In Sikhism?


SinclairP
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SinclairP it is vital for a Gursikh to follow Teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji.

There is no question of doing as you please, this makes a person Manmukh.

In order to be Gurmukh one needs to read, contemplate & apply Gurbani in life.

Here are some verses from Gurbani which you should Research

http://www.sikhnet.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?p=32508

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Dear Friends, I am a westerner sikh trying very hard to follow this religion so I can achieve union with God. I first learned about this religion at school in Religious studies. I was very impressed and since then I wanted to become a sikh and lead a spiritual life. I have noticed while men can leave home and join a place where they can receive spiritual instructions by a Sant or a Master, women have no such place or places to go to. My question is, are there any women who feel like joining/starting a community like a christian 'convent' where women can concentrate on their spiritual development and progress in isolation like the sikh men can do? I have a christian background and I saw many women joining the convents when they were called by God to dedicate their lives to his service. It did not appeal to me at all at the time. I thought how awful!! Now that I have become a sikh for the past five years I find that is exactly what I need to do, to join a community where women can dedicate their lives towards God and make progress spiritually.

I think a life in convent prepares a person to develop a special kind of relationship with God. The nuns there know why they have entered it. It gives them a clear idea of what they want to do by entering the convent. Whereas, by becoming a sikh, I did not realize how difficult it would be to dedicate my life to God because we are always surrounded with people with so many different backgrounds and never understand what your aim in life is. I really need to be alone and among those that are like minded and seeking God in this life realizing that I may never be born again as a human next time. The chances are we may never come back again as humans for a long time. I am quite disheartened about this situation.

I definitely need a place where I can concentrate on God without distractions. I know some people might think it is odd for someone to think this way, but if you live with people who are walking the same path it helps to stay on the path. On the other hand, no matter how determined you are in what you are doing, there are people who will make fun of you and try to dissuade you from following your path with distractions and rude comments. And for someone like me who is a total beginner, it takes a lot of courage and confidence to come back on the path again after I have faced those that challenge me again and again, day in and day out. Even though sikhsim preaches to lead a householder's life we still find men wearing white clothes living in groups with their Master for spiritual instructions. Most Mahapurushas are single and live in sort of manastries, away from their families, why? Why have they not made any or the same provisions for women to do the same? Women also need to grow spiritually and have a special relationship with God to attain liberation.

Hi Christian convents were originally places to dump women when parents wanted their daughters controlled and not become a burden see 'Gailieo's Daughter' , true a percentage of women dedicated themselves as you described by it was mostly treated as a place to keep your womenfolk 'on the straight and narrow' while you were absent from their lives . Monasteries, convents and ashrams are a kind of self-imposed distancing from the world , which if you think about is kind of selfish because you have found a good path but you don't want to share it or increase the compassion and positivity in the world by interacting with the wider community?

Like most things worthwhile it does takes effort and dedication but please don't imprison yourself , turn it outwards join a sewa group like SWAT or Nishkam Sewa or Midland Langar , find out if there is a women's group doing paat and kirtan at the Gurdwara , if there isn't maybe start one with others (sorry I am assuming you are female because of the questions) , even online chat group working through basics of sikhi katha/bani videos would be a way of being less isolated . I grew up in a neighbourhood where we were the only sikh family for years so I understand what you are feeling , and yes I had that whole 'nun' thing too , it's funny but I found out that a lot of different faith girls go through that desire . I think it is the soul just wanting to get solid naam abhihaas (practice) down while you are young and unattached . I tell my kids the same, start while you are young because you haven't done anything bad in your lives yet so you can cut down a lot of the old stuff(karmic) in this time.

these guys in white clothes , it might all be show just cos someone looks holy they might not be really , you don't need to risk your precious time on a baba when you have the true word and guaranteed path of Guru ji to guide you always. If you feel like learning or discussing stuff there are a lot of English articles and translations out there in internetland . I'd be happy to keep you company .

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How does a woman tell her parents that she wants to spend her life dedicated to vaheguru? Will her parents allow her to follow her heart ever, no matter how serious she is regarding her quest for spiritual knowledge or vaheguru? This is surely a right of a western woman and not of a woman coming from the east. In the eastern thinking only men are allowed to do such things which goes to show how we have ignored Guru Sahibans teachings on gender equality. It is a shame.

I agree, one of the reasons why our aunty jis consult babbeys is because of their failure to experience that special relationship with God that many Christian women claim to have experienced. Just look at Mother Teresa of Calcutta, she was a Christian woman who lived her life in a nunnery and managed to achieve very high spiritual status in her lifetime. I cannot imagine even for a moment a Sikh woman achieving this! Her parents will simply not allow her to walk the Path of God, ever. There are so many Christian women saints that lived in nunneries as nuns and were able to dedicate their lives to God.

some names Mata Bhani ji married and yet Brahamgiani daughter, wife,mother, grandmother of Guru Sahiban managed to reach such a super high avasta within family life. Mata Sahib Kaur ji she served Guru and Khalsa but only had a nominal marriage so people would not raise question about her , Mata Bhag Kaur ji : she was brahamgiani and hazoori Gursikh. It is clear from the examples in our history , the girls developed early spiritually before marriage and they were blessed with further development after . From this i take it that Parents should allow and encourage their daughter's bhagti and spiritual education /pursuits as much as possible to afford her the best development.

I would be hesitant to use Mother theresa as a paragon of bhagti she did some rather nasty things to the people she was supposed to care for.

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There r meditation centers for interfaith ppl. Search for those...go on a retreat. The best solution guruji gave us was sangat. Congregation. So u go and get rejevenated by the presence of true seekers and u are inspired for a while. Then world intrudes then u beg for sangat again.thats why in ardaas( standing up prayer) we ask to meet those who never forget the naam. So yeah, sikh retreats, sikhi camps are a big thing in the west. If u are in the UK, there is BOSS, there is khalsa camp. They have websites, look them up. In canada, there is khalsa camps too. In California, west coast sikhi camp, virsa retreat. In new york there is chardi kala camp. Yes, these are short term camps, for a week or so. But very inspirational and uplifting. Also the best retreat is to come talk to the guru. Come tell all your problems to guruji then take a hukamnama. Also Amrit Vela which is meditation in the early hours and we are supposed to remember waheguru throughout the day. If we forget and get angry at someone or sad over something someone said, then we thank god when we remember god again and chide ourselves for thinking this world is real enough to matter. Thank god and be grateful that u could spend even a few minutes in his remembrance.

Also very inspiring sangat includes rainsbais ( all night long kirtan) rainsbais happen once a month all over the world. Also Sunday diwaans, also sikh youtube channels like basics of sikhi ( maybe u could join their parcharik school. They teach u about sikhi so that u could be a preacher) also meditation camps, or planned prayers like 40 day simran jaap. There r no convents as far as i know, so best thing is to inspire yourself regularly so u dont feel too down.

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Go to the Gurdwara do simran, kirtan and the women will assist

This is not what the OP is asking from us. The person wants to know if there are any present day women who would want to lead a spiritual life totally dedicated to God. No marriage, no children, no housework or any other distractions that can stop them from leading this kind of life. What is wrong with you all, can't you understand what OP is asking of us? There is no point in making references to historical women, the questioner is concerned about the present day women only.

How does one go to the gurdwara and do simran? Kirtan is fine but which women will assist the OP in his/her questions? Sikh women in the gurdwara or community are mostly married and leading/playing 16 types of different roles, so which one will be able to 'assist' in this situation? They are not nuns. How many women have taken vows of Silence, taken lead in Prayer, Sewa outside of gurdwara situation etc? None. I think the question is very deep and we don't have the answer to what the person is trying to find out. Women can do kirtan but after that they don't return to the convent to be alone with Him. The simran has to be done alone sitting quietly in your own home and space, gurdwara is too busy for someone looking for quiet solitude.

The answer to the OP's question is that our kom has become far too involved with material gains/concerns/ far too materialistic, with no time to look for the Beloved. The Beloved can wait, having a beautiful relationship with Him is not one of the top priorities for the kom! Our worship has become too ritualistic, meaning, as long as we do 1000000000000 Akhand Paaths and spend $100000000000000000000000000 on them will suffice. For the majority of the kom this will amount to 'worship' of Waheguru. Our definition of being 'spiritual and religious' is doing our Nit nem and naam jap with our minds traveling at the speed of 10000000000000000000 thoughts per second. It has all become a dikhaawa a pakhand. It is ever so sad that we cannot answer OP's question with sufficient insight or wisdom to what is required.

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This is not what the OP is asking from us. The person wants to know if there are any present day women who would want to lead a spiritual life totally dedicated to God. No marriage, no children, no housework or any other distractions that can stop them from leading this kind of life. What is wrong with you all, can't you understand what OP is asking of us? There is no point in making references to historical women, the questioner is concerned about the present day women only.

How does one go to the gurdwara and do simran? Kirtan is fine but which women will assist the OP in his/her questions? Sikh women in the gurdwara or community are mostly married and leading/playing 16 types of different roles, so which one will be able to 'assist' in this situation? They are not nuns. How many women have taken vows of Silence, taken lead in Prayer, Sewa outside of gurdwara situation etc? None. I think the question is very deep and we don't have the answer to what the person is trying to find out. Women can do kirtan but after that they don't return to the convent to be alone with Him. The simran has to be done alone sitting quietly in your own home and space, gurdwara is too busy for someone looking for quiet solitude.

The answer to the OP's question is that our kom has become far too involved with material gains/concerns/ far too materialistic, with no time to look for the Beloved. The Beloved can wait, having a beautiful relationship with Him is not one of the top priorities for the kom! Our worship has become too ritualistic, meaning, as long as we do 1000000000000 Akhand Paaths and spend $100000000000000000000000000 on them will suffice. For the majority of the kom this will amount to 'worship' of Waheguru. Our definition of being 'spiritual and religious' is doing our Nit nem and naam jap with our minds traveling at the speed of 10000000000000000000 thoughts per second. It has all become a dikhaawa a pakhand. It is ever so sad that we cannot answer OP's question with sufficient insight or wisdom to what is required.

problem is OPs concept is outside of Sikh methods of practice , we are supposed to be in the world but not of the world. We are meant to be catalysts by being examples by conduct and lifestyle . Monasteries, nunneries and ashrams are not the path we tread , our retreats are daily in the amritvela when we commune with the Creator's bani and naam in the still hours while the world sleeps. You could arrange with other females to do a round of naam abihaas together in amritvela followed by nitnem and asa di // , where you takes turns in each person space to give them an energy boost and vice versa.

I would try to start a regular amritvela habit ...it will give you many rewards including the peace and centering you need , I loved doing this during my youth and uni halls days because at home I had three siblings in a tiny flat and at uni there were many many people on different levels , including the resident dawah gang. A deep meditation in amritvela gives you a calm and level of acceptance that helps deflect the disruptive influences of others during the day ...

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