jasleen k

agreed. but does it mean you can't use anything else? do you have to use it every single time you comb your hair? just curious, coz i haven't seen it written anywhere. i mean, we can use other shastars besides the kirpan, right? i can wear a mala on my wrist in addition to my kadha, can't i? i wear a dastaar in addition to my keski... do you see where i'm going with this?

*sigh* not to defend the actions of the evil, but A), i don't think they've hit 1 million just yet. iraqis kill more of each other than americans kill them. and B), the commander in chief (george bush) and the generals in charge hold far more responsibility than the average army personnel. i was in the US army. i didn't kill anyone. i was a medic. i saved people's lives. i met some incredible people in the army. and i met some jerks too. sorry, i know i shouldn't even respond to these posts, i just don't like to see this broad stroke condemnation of an entire organization based on the actions of a very few. please don't attack me for having been in the army. it was before george bush's time.

even if you can't adopt now, you can donate or do seva for the Sikh Orphan Fund (part of Bhai Fauja Singh charitable trust). http://www.sikhorphanfund.org/html/home.php everyone i have met who has done seva there (they have a school at harimandir sahib) has been SO impressed with the kids. they do amritvela panj bania nitnem and naam simran, they do a full day of school work, plus seva, plus lots of sikhi education, plus more banis... seriously impressive kids!

good point.

great point about the kirpan, bhenji... be sure not to wear a kirpan with wood or leather on the handle or cover (sheath), because those will rot when they get wet. stainless steel is best for swimming!

where is it written? 52 Hukams of Guru Gobind Singh ji. Sarabloh Granth (khalsa mero roop hai khas is written here, maybe you've heard this shabad) multiple historic rehatnamas and yes, Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji speaks against meat and intoxicants. here's a list of common rehat questions with gurbani answers, as well as open discussion on the responses: http://www.sikhitothemax.com/Rehat.asp?Order=Alpha

lol... i'm an amritdhari girl. i wear shorts to swim in. i'm wearing a skirt today. who cares if my legs are hairy. that's how God made me. if society thinks hairy legs are uncool... to bad for them. i'm not out to impress society. in fact, i think their idea of beauty (a woman with no hair on her body- like a child) are disgusting. don't let leg hair stop you from getting great exercise and having fun! show your leg hair with pride, bhenji. it's very liberating! :D

i have a gursikh friend who is a doctor in the US Army. he's the first turbaned sikh who was allowed to enlist since the law changed in the '80s. they made an exception specifically because he was studying medicine. i think the reason you don't see gursikhs pushing for a change in this, is that most sikhs in america are well educated and would be in support positions anyway. indians are the best educated (and wealthiest) ethnic group in america. you'll see very few indians (regardless of religion) on the frontline, most will be in the back- doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. the main exception i think we need to look into is chaplains. there are currently NO sikh chaplains in the US armed forces. jewish and muslim chaplains have an exemptions for beards, native american chaplains have exemptions for long hair, so i think it should be allowed for sikh chaplains to keep turban and beard. and chaplains are allowed in frontline units. but i guess if there are no sikh soldiers, there's no need for sikh chaplains, right? :S

you guys rock! i'd guess that most kids who are in orphanage are not there because someone gave them up, but because someone died. OR because someone was not ready or able to care for a child and did not want to have an abortion. so it's better not to worry about why the kids are there, but instead realize they need US to help them.

tie it into your keski. for girls, wear shorts that will cover your kachhera and a modest swim top. it's totally possible (and fun) to go swimming, even as an amritdhari. i'd actually encourage everyone to know how to swim. it's a skill that could save someone's life someday.

ਬਹੁ ਤਾਲ ਪੂਰੇ ਵਾਜੇ ਵਜਾਏ ॥ One may beat upon and play all sorts of instruments, ਨਾ ਕੋ ਸੁਣੇ ਨ ਮੰਨਿ ਵਸਾਏ ॥ but no one will listen, and no one will enshrine it in the mind. ਮਾਇਆ ਕਾਰਣਿ ਪਿੜ ਬੰਧਿ ਨਾਚੈ ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਦੁਖੁ ਪਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੬॥ For the sake of Maya, they set the stage and dance, but they are in love with duality, and they obtain only sorrow. ||6|| ਜਿਸੁ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਲਗੈ ਸੋ ਮੁਕਤਾ ॥ Those whose inner beings are attached to the Lord's Love are liberated. ਇੰਦ੍ਰੀ ਵਸਿ ਸਚ ਸੰਜਮਿ ਜੁਗਤਾ ॥ They control their sexual desires, and their lifestyle is the self-discipline of Truth. ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਸਦਾ ਹਰਿ ਧਿਆਏ ਏਹਾ ਭਗਤਿ ਹਰਿ ਭਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੭॥ Through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, they meditate forever on the Lord. This devotional worship is pleasing to the Lord. ||7|| i think this is usually interpreted as meaning that dancing is not encouraged.

ok, for anyone who wears a dastaar to school let me just say, YOU ARE AWESOME! :D i see all these guys in patkas with beards and it makes me feel weird. but i LOVE to see school aged sikhs in dastaars. it makes me so happy... one of the kids in my gurdwara who always wears a little "rumal" thing over his joodha (i don't know what it's called, like a handkerchief tied around the joodha, like little tiny kids wear) he showed up in a full pagh last week and i was so happy! i was telling his parents that he should wear it every day! so full props to all the singhs and singhnia who wear dastaars to school. you guys are the best!

hey guys? are you amritdhari yet? isn't that the first step... shastars should come after, shoudn't they? i mean, it's a HUGE responsibility to carry a kirpan. why is it so important to do so before taking amrit? is this a new trend? or is it common in the UK? my husband's family in india treat the kirpan with so much respect, so much reverence, the thought of someone who wasn't ready for amrit to be wearing one is almost sacrilegious to them. it's only recently i've heard of this. no offence, and i'm sure you guys are really mature and all, i'm more curious about the trend in general. i mean, shouldn't amrit come before shastars? and if you're already amritdhari and your mom says not to wear it, then forget everything i said. follow Guru ji first, mom second.

12 jee chota veer, don't get me wrong, but did you receive amrit yet? the only reason i ask, is that if you look a certain way (bana- or in the case of girls, even a dastaar), people will assume that you're amritdhari, and possibly make other assumptions about you and your level of responsibility, devotion, etc. so i'm not saying don't do it, but just be ready for people to treat you differently. when i started wearing a dastaar (6 months before amrit), everyone was like, "oh, you took amrit" and started treating me completely differently. it was kind of weird that the way we look can make such a huge difference in the way we are treated! anyway, i admire your enthusiasm for sikh at that age! i pray that it only grows from here.

:| there is nothing in the rehat maryada issued by akal takht saying what kind of comb or brush to use in your hair. this was simply a statement of fact, it was not meant to endorse or dismiss any maryada followed by any sect, jatha, faction, samparda, or other group of sikhs or other people who may use combs or kangas. that aside... personally, i used a nylon brush to brush my hair in the morning and evening. my hair is very thick, and the kanga (or any comb for that matter) tends to break my hairs off when i use it. a brush is more gentle. i DO use my kanga when i gather my joodha, or for a good scalp massage (it really stimulates the blood flow to your scalp which is healthy for your hair). once again, this is my personal opinion and i am not endorsing any sect, faction, jatha, samparda, or other group with my words. good luck!

i think if the rehat maryada had evolved with the times, sikhs would be wearing baseball caps rather than turbans. i think, rather, it has been updated from the old "jungi" rehatnamas (designed for life as a nomadic warrior, constantly in battle and on the move, not really relevant for most householders). i hope i haven't offended anyone with this idea. i think SGGS ji is obviously where we should be getting our spiritual wisdom. however, we also have a temporal code of conduct to follow, rules regarding care of SGGS ji, day-to-day mundane details of life and how to run a gurdwara, how to make prashad, etc... there are so many little life details which are not included in SGGSji, because they're less about spiritual wisdom and more about daily basics. here's how i look at it. Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji is for everyone. anyone, of any faith, can take knowledge from Guru ji and apply it to their lives. and many do (see sindhis, sufis, etc). however, the rehat maryada ONLY applies to Sikhs. i mean, obviously, we don't expect sindhis to wear turban and keep kes, just because they appreciate the spiritual knowledge they can learn from Guru ji, right? but the Khalsa, is an army (whether a fighting army or a standing army depending on time and situation), and armies need rules in order to function seamlessly. that's where the rehat maryada comes in. right? i hope i'm making sense and not offending people. and sorry if i did offend, it wasn't my intention.

there seems to be a common theory among many punjabis i have talked to, that it is not "worth it" to adopt orphans, because they will feel no need to care for you in your old age, and will leave you. somehow, i think this is an excuse. if you raise a child with love, obviously they will love you in return. my mom was adopted, so was her mom and her dad, and so was her grandmother. everyone of them loved their parents as if they were their birth parents. so from first hand experience. i think this is a weak excuse. anyway, whenever i have discussed this topic, that's basically the answer i get. they say moms don't love adopted kids (a lie), and that adopted kids don't love their adoptive parents (another lie). i wonder what the real reason is behind adoption being so unpopular? obviously this is a topic which is close to my heart, so i'd love to hear other people's thoughts...

WOW, thanks bhenji for so many links! i love this shabad.

today i was upset. i was arguing with someone i respect. i was having tension with friends. i was filled with gussa. it's hard for me, krodh is my number one vikkar, it drags me everywhere. i saw "Divided we Fall", and it made me sad, and angry, to see how people treat their fellow human beings. i still have it turning through my mind. photos of those beaten or murdered for the crime of wearing a turban. it makes me want to wear a bigger turban. but it also makes me uneasy. i am tired of the fire of anger burning inside me. so i did ardas. i cried. i took a hukamnama before i did sukhasan. this is what it said: ਦੇਵਗੰਧਾਰੀ ੫ ॥ Dayv-Gandhaaree, Fifth Mehl: ਸੋ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਜਤ ਕਤ ਪੇਖਿਓ ਨੈਣੀ ॥ I have seen that God with my eyes everywhere. ਸੁਖਦਾਈ ਜੀਅਨ ਕੋ ਦਾਤਾ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਬੈਣੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ The Giver of peace, the Giver of souls, His Speech is Ambrosial Nectar. ||1||Pause|| ਅਗਿਆਨੁ ਅਧੇਰਾ ਸੰਤੀ ਕਾਟਿਆ ਜੀਅ ਦਾਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਦੈਣੀ ॥ The Saints dispel the darkness of ignorance; the Guru is the Giver of the gift of life. ਕਰਿ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰਿ ਲੀਨੋ ਅਪੁਨਾ ਜਲਤੇ ਸੀਤਲ ਹੋਣੀ ॥੧॥ Granting His Grace, the Lord has made me His own; I was on fire, but now I am cooled. ||1|| ਕਰਮੁ ਧਰਮੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਉਪਜਿ ਨ ਆਇਓ ਨਹ ਉਪਜੀ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਕਰਣੀ ॥ The karma of good deeds, and the Dharma of righteous faith, have not been produced in me, in the least; nor has pure conduct welled up in me. ਛਾਡਿ ਸਿਆਨਪ ਸੰਜਮ ਨਾਨਕ ਲਾਗੋ ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਚਰਣੀ ॥੨॥੯॥ Renouncing cleverness and self-mortification, O Nanak, I fall at the Guru's feet. ||2||9|| sometimes Guru ji hits us over the head with a sledge hammer when we're not paying attention. this is one of those times. please post hukamnamae that have touched or shocked or amazed or comforted you.

veerji, i can see we will disagree on many things. but i don't want to argue, so i'll try to make it short. first, a sikh is one who follows the teachings of ALL the gurus, that includes Guru Gobind Singh ji. when he made khalsa, when he begged for amrit from the panj piyara, he showed us just how necessary amrit is. i know i will get harassed for it, but i believe that one must be amritdhari to be considered sikh. i came from a different perspective. i was not born to a sikh family. and before i was blessed with amrit, i wasn't a sikh. i was just a white girl in a turban who hung out at the gurdwara. i was never considered a sikh, by others or by myself, until amrit sanchar. the path should be no different for people who are born to sikh families. you have to make a conscious decision to follow sikhi. for every one "thug" dressed as a sikh, there are thousands, millions, who are not thugs. who are good people with good hearts and strong rehet. ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੧ ॥ Shalok, First Mehl: ਨਾ ਸਤਿ ਦੁਖੀਆ ਨਾ ਸਤਿ ਸੁਖੀਆ ਨਾ ਸਤਿ ਪਾਣੀ ਜੰਤ ਫਿਰਹਿ ॥ There is no Truth in suffering, there is no Truth in comfort. There is no Truth in wandering like animals through the water. ਨਾ ਸਤਿ ਮੂੰਡ ਮੁਡਾਈ ਕੇਸੀ ਨਾ ਸਤਿ ਪੜਿਆ ਦੇਸ ਫਿਰਹਿ ॥ There is no Truth in shaving one's head; there is no Truth is studying the scriptures or wandering in foreign lands. ਨਾ ਸਤਿ ਰੁਖੀ ਬਿਰਖੀ ਪਥਰ ਆਪੁ ਤਛਾਵਹਿ ਦੁਖ ਸਹਹਿ ॥ There is no Truth in trees, plants or stones, in mutilating oneself or suffering in pain. ਨਾ ਸਤਿ ਹਸਤੀ ਬਧੇ ਸੰਗਲ ਨਾ ਸਤਿ ਗਾਈ ਘਾਹੁ ਚਰਹਿ ॥ There is no Truth in binding elephants in chains; there is no Truth in grazing cows. ਜਿਸੁ ਹਥਿ ਸਿਧਿ ਦੇਵੈ ਜੇ ਸੋਈ ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਦੇਇ ਤਿਸੁ ਆਇ ਮਿਲੈ ॥ He alone grants it, whose hands hold spritual perfection; he alone receives it, unto whom it is given. ਨਾਨਕ ਤਾ ਕਉ ਮਿਲੈ ਵਡਾਈ ਜਿਸੁ ਘਟ ਭੀਤਰਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਰਵੈ ॥ O Nanak, he alone is blessed with glorious greatness, whose heart is filled with the Word of the Shabad. ਸਭਿ ਘਟ ਮੇਰੇ ਹਉ ਸਭਨਾ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਜਿਸਹਿ ਖੁਆਈ ਤਿਸੁ ਕਉਣੁ ਕਹੈ ॥ God says, all hearts are mine, and I am in all hearts. Who can explain this to one who is confused? ਜਿਸਹਿ ਦਿਖਾਲਾ ਵਾਟੜੀ ਤਿਸਹਿ ਭੁਲਾਵੈ ਕਉਣੁ ॥ Who can confuse that being, unto whom I have shown the Way? ਜਿਸਹਿ ਭੁਲਾਈ ਪੰਧ ਸਿਰਿ ਤਿਸਹਿ ਦਿਖਾਵੈ ਕਉਣੁ ॥੧॥ And who can show the Path to that being whom I have confused since the beginning of time? ||1||

And what about you? :LOLz: I will become a pig. NEECH KARAM PRABH MERE. I'll be a skunk then :umm: hmm... pig, skunk... i don't know what i'll be. maybe sugar cane so i can get the sweetness grinded out of me as i scream in pain.

can you write it in gurmukhi?

veerji, we can be well educated and still do whatever Guru ji says. it's our education in Sikhi that teaches us to have faith. Sikhi is a logical faith, it stands up to educated questioning. because of this, i think the answer to the original question is that yes, we can have complete faith in Waheguru without it being "blind" faith. he has given us an eternal guru, the answer to any question we have. just in our daily nitnem banis, there is the answer to every question we can ask! and even the most educated person will have to sit back and listen when they get a Hukamnama that directly speaks to their situation.

i'm no gursikh, but even manmukhs like me get amazing hukamnamae.... when waheguru speaks, he does it loud and clear. my friend's daughter died and the morning after, i got this: ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ One Universal Creator God. Truth Is The Name. Creative Being Personified. No Fear. No Hatred. Image Of The Undying. Beyond Birth. Self-Existent. By Guru's Grace: ਸੋਰਠਿ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ਘਰੁ ੧ ਚਉਪਦੇ ॥ Sorat'h, First Mehl, First House, Chau-Padas: ਸਭਨਾ ਮਰਣਾ ਆਇਆ ਵੇਛੋੜਾ ਸਭਨਾਹ ॥ Death comes to all, and all must suffer separation. ਪੁਛਹੁ ਜਾਇ ਸਿਆਣਿਆ ਆਗੈ ਮਿਲਣੁ ਕਿਨਾਹ ॥ Go and ask the clever people, whether they shall meet in the world hereafter. ਜਿਨ ਮੇਰਾ ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਵੀਸਰੈ ਵਡੜੀ ਵੇਦਨ ਤਿਨਾਹ ॥੧॥ Those who forget my Lord and Master shall suffer in terrible pain. ||1|| ਭੀ ਸਾਲਾਹਿਹੁ ਸਾਚਾ ਸੋਇ ॥ So praise the True Lord, ਜਾ ਕੀ ਨਦਰਿ ਸਦਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ by whose Grace peace ever prevails. ||Pause|| ਵਡਾ ਕਰਿ ਸਾਲਾਹਣਾ ਹੈ ਭੀ ਹੋਸੀ ਸੋਇ ॥ Praise Him as great; He is, and He shall ever be. ਸਭਨਾ ਦਾਤਾ ਏਕੁ ਤੂ ਮਾਣਸ ਦਾਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥ You alone are the Great Giver; mankind cannot give anything. ਜੋ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੋ ਥੀਐ ਰੰਨ ਕਿ ਰੁੰਨੈ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥ Whatever pleases Him, comes to pass; what good does it do to cry out in protest? ||2|| the morning of the funeral, i got this: ਭੈਰਉ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥ Bhairao, Fifth Mehl: ਤਉ ਕੜੀਐ ਜੇ ਹੋਵੈ ਬਾਹਰਿ ॥ We should feel sad, if God were beyond us. ਤਉ ਕੜੀਐ ਜੇ ਵਿਸਰੈ ਨਰਹਰਿ ॥ We should feel sad, if we forget the Lord. ਤਉ ਕੜੀਐ ਜੇ ਦੂਜਾ ਭਾਏ ॥ We should feel sad, if we are in love with duality. ਕਿਆ ਕੜੀਐ ਜਾਂ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਏ ॥੧॥ But why should we feel sad? The Lord is pervading everywhere. ||1|| ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹਿ ਕੜੇ ਕੜਿ ਪਚਿਆ ॥ In love and attachment to Maya, the mortals are sad, and are consumed by sadness. ਬਿਨੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਭ੍ਰਮਿ ਭ੍ਰਮਿ ਭ੍ਰਮਿ ਖਪਿਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ Without the Name, they wander and wander and wander, and waste away. ||1||Pause|| ਤਉ ਕੜੀਐ ਜੇ ਦੂਜਾ ਕਰਤਾ ॥ We should feel sad, if there were another Creator Lord. ਤਉ ਕੜੀਐ ਜੇ ਅਨਿਆਇ ਕੋ ਮਰਤਾ ॥ We should feel sad, if someone dies by injustice. ਤਉ ਕੜੀਐ ਜੇ ਕਿਛੁ ਜਾਣੈ ਨਾਹੀ ॥ We should feel sad, if something were not known to the Lord. ਕਿਆ ਕੜੀਐ ਜਾਂ ਭਰਪੂਰਿ ਸਮਾਹੀ ॥੨॥ But why should we feel sad? The Lord is totally permeating everywhere. ||2|| ਤਉ ਕੜੀਐ ਜੇ ਕਿਛੁ ਹੋਇ ਧਿਙਾਣੈ ॥ We should feel sad, if God were a tyrant. ਤਉ ਕੜੀਐ ਜੇ ਭੂਲਿ ਰੰਞਾਣੈ ॥ We should feel sad, if He made us suffer by mistake. ਗੁਰਿ ਕਹਿਆ ਜੋ ਹੋਇ ਸਭੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਤੇ ॥ The Guru says that whatever happens is all by God's Will. ਤਬ ਕਾੜਾ ਛੋਡਿ ਅਚਿੰਤ ਹਮ ਸੋਤੇ ॥੩॥ So I have abandoned sadness, and I now sleep without anxiety. ||3|| ਪ੍ਰਭ ਤੂਹੈ ਠਾਕੁਰੁ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਤੇਰਾ ॥ O God, You alone are my Lord and Master; all belong to You. ਜਿਉ ਭਾਵੈ ਤਿਉ ਕਰਹਿ ਨਿਬੇਰਾ ॥ According to Your Will, You pass judgement. ਦੁਤੀਆ ਨਾਸਤਿ ਇਕੁ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਇ ॥ There is no other at all; the One Lord is permeating and pervading everywhere. ਰਾਖਹੁ ਪੈਜ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਰਣਾਇ ॥੪॥੫॥੧੮॥ Please save Nanak's honor; I have come to Your Sanctuary. ||4||5||18|| waheguru speaks directly to us when we ask him to. in times of trauma, we do ardas with our whole hearts. when we do this, we get responses. what we need to learn to do is to put our whole heart into ardas EVERY day, not only on bad days. anyway, i don't know if this is what you're looking for, but i hope it helps.

I'm in quite a blissful state myself, it's those around me that feel the need to resort to dragging others down. And once again, I'm taking methadone as part of a recovery process, try typing "Methadone" into "Google.com." I do my banis every morning, my rehras sahib... I don't think you understand, I CAN'T become a baptised Sikh. I don't know how to, there are no gurudwaras in my city. I can go on a ferry an hour away to Vancouver, but I'de much rather somebody from Vancouver help me out here. (Like, in person.) I live in Victoria BC, by the way... No YOUTH Sikh Sangats, not a chance! Not even a Gurudwara! um, chota veer, have you ever looked for a gurdwara in victoria? http://www.worldgurudwara.com/V4/598.asp http://www.worldgurudwara.com/V4/581.asp http://www.worldgurudwara.com/V4/640.asp you're right. how can you receive amrit if you're not even willing to do a simple google search for victoria gurdwaras? you're going to have to leave your house to find sangat... but trust me, they ARE in victoria!