Questioner

I also would like to ask about few things:

1. Hair, I completely understand it and I'm ready to do not cut it, of course official texts say a lot about not cutting it but how is it in every-day life? When I type in Google "Sikh man" it also shows me men who definitely cut their beards a little. There is also the hygiene thing, today almost all women shave their armpits and other places, are Sikh women doing it as well?

2. Turbans, I read that men take them off just when going to sleep and taking a bath but again they are the strict rules, how is it in practice?

3. Food, I read a lot of information which is saying different things, I understand that vegetarianism is recommended but I think it also might depend on the place you are from, the religion has got origins in India where carbohydrate-based diet was the whole time but in Europe it's different - people are used to fat-based diet. I'm thinking about reducing the amount of meat I'm eating. I thought that fish (white meat) would be preferred than red meat but I read a text where it was compared to drugs - WHY?

1. Orthodox Sikh men and women do not shave, trim or remove any hair. It is not unhygienic, and I find it a little strange that the norm has become for women to shave their armpits while most men don't - are the men not unhygienic then? In terms of hygiene, a Sikh must wash every day and keep clean. It's just natural, only seems weird to the unnatural Western world today.

2. A lot of Sikhs sleep, shower (unless washing hair) in a keski, which is a small turban. Some believe that the turban should be kept on whenever possible, while others may be more lenient.

3. There are lots of reasons that many Sikhs hold that eating any meat is unacceptable, I don't think it has anything to do with origin. For example, we're told that a Sikh must be truly compassionate, and accept a humble, healthy diet, and these things are incompatible with eating slaughtered animals.

Paaji, I'm not a Singh.

Peta offer a free vegan starter kit which I'll look into :D

http://www.peta.org/living/food/free-vegetarian-starter-kit/

Anyone?

Lol. Is he at least singing about God? xD

it's funny how I seem to get members messaging me and telling me they like my views and complain about others

Sounds like some people are doing a sneaky bit of nindiya. :nono:

Just FYI sisters, if you hadn't already realised it: those of you who make your own life decisions have been misguided and brainwashed by some group or person. Silly disobedient girls.

(Sarcasm, for the bewildered).

Questioner ji , whats your target weight and current weight , do you work out ? I can create a thread in health fitness section if people are interested.

I thing losing weight is almost always a good thing unless you go ketotic like with cancer or tb ....

Not sure to be honest! I don't weigh myself nor do I have a target lol. I just know that I'm skinny and attempting veganism for the second time has made me far too skinny! Would appreciate some sort of plan or tips.

If our Gurus thought like this, why would they have even bothered to have kids?

They lived in gristhi jeevan. U may not feel the love for children now, but try asking people who don't have any or can't, it may make ur mind think differently. If u have been given a Gift by God, then be grateful for it and accept it, as there are so many out there that would want what u could have.

I don't think it's sexist, if it was I wouldn't be saying what I am. I used to say exactly what Op is saying at her age, and wish I never.

Don't ask for something that u will have to go back to ask for same thing again.

Daatan oh na mangiye,, fir mangan jaiye.. .

Let me enlighten you on the meaning of sexism.

"Sexism or gender discrimination is prejudice or discrimination based on a person's sex or gender."

The belief that women must have kids is, I'm afraid, sexist. Not to mention the misogynistic undercurrent in these posts of "the purpose of a woman is to give birth to Singhs/ Kings."

The rest of your argument is an emotional one, which there is no need to respond to.

Look at the analogy between AATMA, (Bride) and PARAMAATMA, (Husband).

Don't forget Sikhi is walking on Khandey di dhaar (double edged sword), temporal & spiritual.

Therefore consider both aspects.

And I would prefer you call me Uncle ji, am more mature than most of the members.

Waheguru ji ka khalsa

Waheguru ji ki fateh

Yes, and gurbani makes it clear that we are all considered to be soul-brides of parmaatma. It's been said already that the worldly part of our jeevan constitutes an honest living, seva and generally functioning within society; nobody here has denied the temporal aspect and encouraged renunciation.

Men will always feel that they have some sort of right to tell women what their purpose is and what they should do with their bodies. This is something I've come to realise. Our purpose as a genderless soul is to become one with Vaheguru; our purpose as a Gursikh is to live within the world, contributing to society and doing seva whilst remaining detached from it. This is our spiritual path, and not a list of dogma which we must follow or risk being condemned to hell. We all have different paths; kamai-wale Singhs who hadn't got married are not condemned by the sangat for not procreating. You should, as I'm sure you will, live without the expectation of anything and not commit yourself to any particular thought about what will happen. Who knows. When the time comes, if you still feel the same, then that's cool beans.

I know a Gursikh couple who thought seriously about having children, waiting a good 7 years before coming to the decision to have them; they didn't regard having children as some sort of obligation, but rather a huge responsibility which one should not partake in if the chances are that you will not be able to put your everything into it. Their daughter is lucky, they put their everything into directing her passions towards Sikhi.

Personally, I've experienced much criticism for having opinions about what I want or do not want to do. I'm uncertain about marriage, because I simply don't what will happen. And if I am in a good position in the future, I might want to adopt. But why the stringent rules and regulations? Why do people feel they can dictate the decisions of a woman's life? We don't have much of a say anyway, it's all written for us.

Don't feel obligated to do something that you don't want to do. Family life is encouraged, but I've interpreted grist as living within society as opposed to asceticism. Having kids is no small thing, it's pretty much a life long obligation- it's not compulsory, women are not to be regarded as baby making machines. Focus on your Sikhi and do seva.

Vaheguru ji,

Post your vegan meal plans please? May sound a little strange but that would benefit people like myself who are planning to go vegan again

Last two times I did it, I lost tooo much weight.

Want to talk about it?

Message me brother/ sister.

Of course, nobody has said that one gains liberation through veganism and without Naam, lol. That feels like a bit of an insecure reaction if I'm honest.

Questioner - I totally agree that Guroo Sahib would probably want everyone to be vegan now. If I take degh isn't that being a part time vegan? I know Gursikhs that use vegan products and replacements in Degh - the taste is immense. But nowadays it's just random people at the Gurdwara who dont read Bani when making Degh - so is it really that bad if I don't take it? I've got far worse things to worry about in my jeevan rather than not taking a piece of degh.

Don't know jee. I tried veganism and during that time I didn't take degh, of course, and Gursikhs were horrified at this. So I assumed it's a bigger deal than I understand.

Why Sikhs ignore the horrific treatment of animals for dairy, I don't know. Move with the times, would the Guru support the dairy industry today people?

Good on you OP, encourage others too. I don't know about degh, personally I would take it and do ardaas that it was okay to do so.

To the above:

1. Yes, dating is against maryada, nothing he can do about that now.

2. A Gursikh without compassion is not a pretty sight.

To the poster:

Please do not ruin your/ your partner's life by going into something you aren't happy with.

"karmee aapo aapnee"

Why can't god be cruel?If we limit god then we are limiting his powers.The abrahamic perception of god is that god does good and satan does bad.In sikhi god is both good and bad.He created the panj chor,he created death,disease,etc.If it wasn't god then who created all of the bad things?Something powerful as god?

If god was nice and happy then there should be no hate,death,famine,sickness,disease etc.Everyone would love everyone and we should not work etc.

It's not the case that God CANNOT be bad, it's the case that God IS NOT bad. The Mool Mantar tells us the basic truth that God is without hate. The Abrahamic perspective of God includes jealousy, vengefulness and wrath- for example, in regards to Sodom and Gomorrah, or the worship of other Gods. This is all scripturally based. But Gurbani makes no mention of such a God (unless you can find me a Shabad that does). Yes, we know that suffering exists and that God causes and destroys, but it does not logically follow that a hate-less and all-loving God is therefore cruel as well. Perhaps it is our perception of cruelness, suffering and evil which is flawed.

The real question is why should Waheguru have compassion?Waheguru is not limited to being kind and nice but also cruel and mean.If he was only nice and compassion then who is mean and cruel.If Waheguru is all powerful then he should also be the one who is mean,cruel evil etc.

I don't think Vaheguru is mean or cruel, because They are without hate completely. The Abrahamic perception of God includes characteristics of hatred and jealousy... but the Sikh view of God I believe is all loving, all compassionate and all understanding.

Yay men!

No offence but I don't think it's a big deal if a little kid does not have their head covered. A kid whose parents tied a dastaar or put a ramaal on them would not be head-covering out of respect since they don't know what the heck is going on. Nor would they be bare headed for the sake of causing havoc. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't see the biggy at all.

K, this is something that I feel is blown out of proportion - I genuinely feel that a lot of moneh judge Amritdharis harshly or are paranoid that they're being looked down at. For example, I'm quite quiet and stick to myself, rather than being really outgoing and talkative, especially when it comes to strangers. So when I've gone to the Gurdwara, and moneh have been looking at me and I've not smiled at them and greeted them warmly, made conversation with them, etc, I'm sure that they've judged me, and consequently all Amritdharis, to be judgemental and snobby.

I have personal experience with this, before I came into Sikhi I had moneh friends who I've not been able to keep good relationships with, since they seem to have a belief that "Amritdharis look down on us" "Amritdharis think they know it all" "Amrtidharis are meant to be bringing people into Sikhi but instead they push people away"- despite the fact that I've not said anything to them. It's paranoia and it's uncalled for. I wonder what it'd be like if we openly judged moneh based on a couple of encounters in which we were not treated the way we wanted to be.