WILDSINGH

Many Gurdwara do accept donations from all sorts of businesses and also i've known represetatives from Gurdwara going to some of these places of business and asking fro donations. This is my own personal experience, we had a convinience store in the past and had representatives come in there and also a chip shop in my family we've had them come in there and when we gave a donation they did an ardaas in the shops, it all seemed a bit wrong then and reading what i've written it seems really wrong now. Somebody should really cleear this matter up. Also Caldmore Gurdwara in Walsall, there has been many many donations for the new building and I know that the majority of those donations have not been made by Gursikhs (but they are all sangat at the Gurdwara).

I posted that link yesterday just show the level ignorance in regards to other peoples reading of OUR history and OUR religion. If i did offend anybody I do apologise but that was not the intention but when I read it, it made me laugh. I am a Sikh. :T:

What is it with people giving their kids english or just weird names . It relly does my head in. :<Edited>: I see some people trying to move away from sikhi and their roots to such an extent that they have stopped using Singh & Kaur after their names and just using their family surname. What' going on!!!!!!!!!!! :

Ok I hate it when some posts or stories give singhs reason to believe that they are at some disadvantage when it comes to these things. So, just to let all of the singhs know, it goes both ways so dont ever get discouraged..there are monay that want to be with girls that want to be with a singh instead, and not a mona...so dont feel that you are at a disadvantage and that monay always "get what they want", b/c they dont. I don't think 'Singh' is trying to say its a disadvantage to be kesdhari its just his personal situation. I know many sardar's in the uk who are happily married to girls from the uk some of them were clean shaven before marriage and embraced Sikhi after marriage and became kesdhari. :e: At the end of the day its freedom of choice nobody should be forced in to situation they are not comfortable with.

Dude??? : What have you been puttin' in your tea???

who said there wasn't? Who said there were. You ask a question, but refuse to read posts? If you read Bani only two Sants mentioned in SGGS are, 'Sant Prahalad' and 'Sant Kabeer' Take note! Calm Down, Calm Down, it's only a forum. :console: I stand corrected, I did read your post so I do apologise. :cool: _oh_OLD:

Ahh the road to becoming a Sant is a long and tortuos one my friend, and you must follow these steps: 1) Fail all your exams at school and not have any skills to do any sort of work. 2) Be incredibly lazy and expect the government to give you handouts. 3) When Government handouts run out, and your money for alcohol, betting and dirty magazines runs out, grow and enormously long beard. 4) Sit in a Gurudwara all day long and hopefully some gulible people will start thinking you must be incredibly holy. 5) Get the gullible people to start donating money to you to build a temple. 6) Once the temple is built start trying to consolidate your Sant Business by making rules more stricter than neighbouring Sants. For example if neighbouring Sant says you must not eat onions, you say don't eat anything extracted from the soil. 7) Sit back and enjoy the earnings of your ill gotten gains and get a few cronies around you to set up more temples elsewhere to increase income. PART 2 OF HOW TO BE A SANT WILL COME LATER. LOL !!!

From what i've read in the past Sant/Baba Jarnail Singh Ji Bhinderwale did not like the use of Sant before his name?.?.

Nice post veer ji, but (don't you hate buts) why are some referred to as Baba & Sant eg. Sant/Baba Jarnail Singh Ji Bhinderwale?

I think the only Brian Friel plays on film (as far as i know) are: Dancing at Lughnasa (1998) (play) Philadelphia, Here I Come (1975) (play) Philadelphia, ich bin da! (1967) (TV) (play) (german version)

Spiderman rocks But he'll never leave Mary Jane.

who said there wasn't? Who said there were.

Why weren't there any Sikh "Sants" during the times of our Guru Sahibs?

This Sant issue gets me all confused, how do you become a sant or who decides who is a sant? Please could somebody explain??? !!! ???

Just wanted to know the opinion of the sangat in regards to punjabi singers doing dharmic albums. What d'ya reckon, good thing or not so good thing???????????

Nothing surprises me about some of these speakers with their, we are tolerant of all religions in public and kill all the non - muslim speeches behind closed doors. No wonder they have to pray 5 times a day the amount they lie. But I do have to say the editing of the speeches was a bit dodgy.

Is that the only argument you use for everything. nice one bro! Actually no mate. My essay at the link below is the reply to the IDIOTS that argue over vegetarianism and meat eating. My view is meat should not be mate in Gurudwara's, because it would exclude some people (vegetarians), from participating in Langaar. As well as other denominations that prepare meat in other way. Apart from that I am tired of Sant Mat nonsense posted here, because these Sant Mat Dogma merchants a creating Manmat by taking one or two lines from Bani to promote their agenda. You don't wanna eat....fair enough....you do fair enough..............but don't make Bani into a cheap a la carte menu to back up your point!!!! I've read the essay, makes a lot of sense and so do a lot of other things i've read so i will agree to disagree. I thank you. :TH:

Is that the only argument you use for everything. nice one bro!

We are talking about killing another living being , cutting its flesh and muscles which that animal relied upon for its existence and consuming it, primarily for the taste. It has been said that we are designed to eat meat and that we evolved to eat meat. There are many things that we can do but that does not make them right, we as gursikhs need to overcome these primal urges, we need to rise above them. We can exist quite happily without meat so why do many people feel the urge to consume it, taste plays a large part of it. Can we in our hearts believe that the Gurus advocated this?Question : Are beings born on this earth and have living bodies just to be a convenience food ? Or are beings born into a life with a body so that they can develop and eventually evolve away from karma and into Dharma ? In the beginnings of SGGS , Guru Ji says :This human body has been given to you.This is your chance to meet the Lord of the Universe.Nothing else will work.Join the SaadhSangat, the company of the holy.Vibrate and meditate on the Jewel on the Naam.Make every effort to cross over this terrifying world-ocean.Your are squandering this life uselessly in the love of MayaI have not practiced meditation, self discipline,Self restraint or righteous living.I have not served the holy;I have not acknowledged the Lord, my king.Says Nanak, my actions are contemptible!O Lord, I seek Your Sanctuary, please preserve my honour. This 'body' is given to all in order to meet Akal Purkh and the Guru says that there is no other way to meet him. We are so fortunate that in Gods wisdom he has blessed us with a human body, for it is only a human who can meditate upon His Name and gain salvation, no other animal has this ability. By killing a healthy animal for consumption interrupts its life experience and its evolution towards meeting God. Animals can sense impending doom especially if they can hear the death throws of their colleagues. This can evoke a very powerful glandular response in the animal, pumping hormones around its body. When you eat that flesh you take on those hormones, and you take on its karma. This has a great effect on your Atma (soul) , for the Atma feels pain. Why do you think we are always restless and only catch brief moments of inner peace ? This is beacuse the atma is seperated from its maker, it longs to be reunited with it, but adding the karma of another soul to yours you are 'weighing' yourself down even more with paap, you are also interfering with your own desire to meet Akal Pukh. If you have not cleared away your own karma why would you want to create the karma of killing and consuming the flesh of another being ?Sikhs do not eat or take into their bodies anything which is harmful or have an ill effect upon the body or mind. Meat is a stimulant of the gross passions of the mind and body. Meat is harmful on a physical, mental and spiritual level. You are killing a soul who is in the process of evolving towards God this is not going to help you in any way on your journey towards God. Meat stimulates your 'lower nature' making it impossible to achieve a meditative spiritual mind set, try sitting down and clearing your mind to meditate after comsuming meat, it cannot be done. If you want constant confusion and irritation then chew on a piece of flesh, if you want to feed your lower passions then carry on as you are. Make no mistake, when the noose of death is around your neck and the jaal (net) of maya (illusion) is finally lifted then all will become clear, but my friend, it will all be too late. If on the other hand you want to evolve spiritually , open up the capacity for meditative comprehension of higher truths, gain inner peace of which you have never known before, then the karmic and polluting nature of meat cannot be ignored. It is said by many that plants also have life so why do we not abstain from eating plants ?It is very true that plants do have life, Guru Nanak dev Ji has said "patti toray maalni, patti patti geeo" (The gardner plucks leaves from the plant, (but she does not know that) there is life in each leaf) but the karmic energy and consequences of eating plants do not compare to those of an animal which has feeling, possible thoughts, parental instincts towards its offspring, also plants (lentils, maize , spinach etc) are not harmful on a mental, spiritual level but are in fact good for the digestion.Much has been made of the Nihang Singh sect eating Maha Parshad, but the Nihangs also drink a concoction of Marihuana and opium called Suckha, are we all to start taking drugs because of this? They (the truest of the true) burn away the bonds of the world, And eat a simple diet of grain and water.(SGGS p467)Kabir, those mortals who consume marijuana, fish and wine - no matter what pilgrimages, fasts and rituals they follow, they will all go to hell.(SGGS p1337)You kill living beings and worship lifeless things, at your very last moment, You will suffer terrible pain. (SGGS p332)Do not say that the Vedas are false, false are those who do not reflect. If in all is one god, then why does one kill the hen ? (SGGS p1350)Sayeth Kabir, that the best food is eating kichree (daal/lentils) where nectar sweet is the salt.You eat hunted meat, but which animal is willing to have their head cut ?(SGGS p1378)In this dark age of Kali Yuga, people have faces like dogs;They eat rotting dead bodies for food.(SGGS p1242)Sayeth Kabir, sayeth thou by "forcefully" killing living beings, Halaal.When in God's house, your accounts be taken, what will then there happen to you! (SGGS p1375) Kabeer bhang mashalee suraapaan, jo jo pranee khaan-heteerath barat neym kee-ey, te sabh rasaatal jaan-he (1377) suraapaan=alcohol rasaatal=below hell, underground. Those people who drink bhang, eat fish, drink alcohol,and do ritual bathing, keep fast, all shall be burried underground. The Vars of Bhai Gurdas Ji are known as the 'kunji' (key) to Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji.// 31 pauree 9 : "Just because the Guru has saved the butcher,That does not mean that we can kill animals and eat them." The only hymn in the whole of Sri Guru Granth Sahib that is specifically cited in support of eating meat is the hymn of Sahib Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the // of Raag Malhar on pages 1289-90 beginning with the couplet: Maas Maas Kar Moorakh Jhaghrrey. Gian dhian Nahin Jaaney. Kaun Maas Kaun Saag Kahaavey Kis Mah Paap Samaaney. (pg. 1289-1290) Only the fool quarrels over the question of eating or not eating of the meat. He does not have the True Wisdom. Without True Wisdom or Meditation, he harps onwhich is flesh and which is not flesh and which food is sinful and which is not. A deeper study of the whole hymn brings out:Herein, Guru Sahib is addressing a Vaishnav Pandit who believes that he can achieve his spiritual goal only by avoiding meat as food and not trying to obtain the true wisdom through meditation. Guru Ji has stressed that only avoiding meat will not lead one to the achievement of Spiritual Bliss if one does not do Naam-Simran. This equally applies to all, including non-meat-eating Sikhs. It relates to the flesh or meat in general and not to any particular type of flesh - whether prepared by Halaal or Jhatka method. The Sikh supporters of flesh eating do not accept at all the intake of all types of meat, but according to them, only Jhatka meat is permissible and Halaal is totally prohibited. In other words, what does the term "Kuthha" denote? The flesh of the mother's womb wherein the human body is born, the flesh of the mother's breasts which feed the infant, the flesh of the tongue, ears, mouth, etc., used for perception of various senses of the body, the flesh in the form of wife and off-springs referred to in the Shabad, is flesh no doubt and one cannot escape it, but is it the flesh to be eaten as food by the humans? Does the love for this type of flesh involve any cruelty or slaughter of living bodies? Obviously, the Shabad has a deeper meaning telling Vaishnav pandits that merely escaping from the flesh does not take one anywhere. Nor can anyone get rid of the flesh (i.e., attainment of salvation from the cycle of birth and death) by his own futile efforts without the Grace of the True Guru.

We are talking about killing another living being , cutting its flesh and muscles which that animal relied upon for its existence and consuming it, primarily for the taste. It has been said that we are designed to eat meat and that we evolved to eat meat. There are many things that we can do but that does not make them right, we as gursikhs need to overcome these primal urges, we need to rise above them. We can exist quite happily without meat so why do many people feel the urge to consume it, taste plays a large part of it. Can we in our hearts believe that the Gurus advocated this?Question : Are beings born on this earth and have living bodies just to be a convenience food ? Or are beings born into a life with a body so that they can develop and eventually evolve away from karma and into Dharma ? In the beginnings of SGGS , Guru Ji says :This human body has been given to you.This is your chance to meet the Lord of the Universe.Nothing else will work.Join the SaadhSangat, the company of the holy.Vibrate and meditate on the Jewel on the Naam.Make every effort to cross over this terrifying world-ocean.Your are squandering this life uselessly in the love of MayaI have not practiced meditation, self discipline,Self restraint or righteous living.I have not served the holy;I have not acknowledged the Lord, my king.Says Nanak, my actions are contemptible!O Lord, I seek Your Sanctuary, please preserve my honour. This 'body' is given to all in order to meet Akal Purkh and the Guru says that there is no other way to meet him. We are so fortunate that in Gods wisdom he has blessed us with a human body, for it is only a human who can meditate upon His Name and gain salvation, no other animal has this ability. By killing a healthy animal for consumption interrupts its life experience and its evolution towards meeting God. Animals can sense impending doom especially if they can hear the death throws of their colleagues. This can evoke a very powerful glandular response in the animal, pumping hormones around its body. When you eat that flesh you take on those hormones, and you take on its karma. This has a great effect on your Atma (soul) , for the Atma feels pain. Why do you think we are always restless and only catch brief moments of inner peace ? This is beacuse the atma is seperated from its maker, it longs to be reunited with it, but adding the karma of another soul to yours you are 'weighing' yourself down even more with paap, you are also interfering with your own desire to meet Akal Pukh. If you have not cleared away your own karma why would you want to create the karma of killing and consuming the flesh of another being ?Sikhs do not eat or take into their bodies anything which is harmful or have an ill effect upon the body or mind. Meat is a stimulant of the gross passions of the mind and body. Meat is harmful on a physical, mental and spiritual level. You are killing a soul who is in the process of evolving towards God this is not going to help you in any way on your journey towards God. Meat stimulates your 'lower nature' making it impossible to achieve a meditative spiritual mind set, try sitting down and clearing your mind to meditate after comsuming meat, it cannot be done. If you want constant confusion and irritation then chew on a piece of flesh, if you want to feed your lower passions then carry on as you are. Make no mistake, when the noose of death is around your neck and the jaal (net) of maya (illusion) is finally lifted then all will become clear, but my friend, it will all be too late. If on the other hand you want to evolve spiritually , open up the capacity for meditative comprehension of higher truths, gain inner peace of which you have never known before, then the karmic and polluting nature of meat cannot be ignored. It is said by many that plants also have life so why do we not abstain from eating plants ?It is very true that plants do have life, Guru Nanak dev Ji has said "patti toray maalni, patti patti geeo" (The gardner plucks leaves from the plant, (but she does not know that) there is life in each leaf) but the karmic energy and consequences of eating plants do not compare to those of an animal which has feeling, possible thoughts, parental instincts towards its offspring, also plants (lentils, maize , spinach etc) are not harmful on a mental, spiritual level but are in fact good for the digestion.Much has been made of the Nihang Singh sect eating Maha Parshad, but the Nihangs also drink a concoction of Marihuana and opium called Suckha, are we all to start taking drugs because of this? They (the truest of the true) burn away the bonds of the world, And eat a simple diet of grain and water.(SGGS p467)Kabir, those mortals who consume marijuana, fish and wine - no matter what pilgrimages, fasts and rituals they follow, they will all go to hell.(SGGS p1337)You kill living beings and worship lifeless things, at your very last moment, You will suffer terrible pain. (SGGS p332)Do not say that the Vedas are false, false are those who do not reflect. If in all is one god, then why does one kill the hen ? (SGGS p1350)Sayeth Kabir, that the best food is eating kichree (daal/lentils) where nectar sweet is the salt.You eat hunted meat, but which animal is willing to have their head cut ?(SGGS p1378)In this dark age of Kali Yuga, people have faces like dogs;They eat rotting dead bodies for food.(SGGS p1242)Sayeth Kabir, sayeth thou by "forcefully" killing living beings, Halaal.When in God's house, your accounts be taken, what will then there happen to you! (SGGS p1375) Kabeer bhang mashalee suraapaan, jo jo pranee khaan-heteerath barat neym kee-ey, te sabh rasaatal jaan-he (1377) suraapaan=alcohol rasaatal=below hell, underground. Those people who drink bhang, eat fish, drink alcohol,and do ritual bathing, keep fast, all shall be burried underground. The Vars of Bhai Gurdas Ji are known as the 'kunji' (key) to Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji.// 31 pauree 9 : "Just because the Guru has saved the butcher,That does not mean that we can kill animals and eat them." The only hymn in the whole of Sri Guru Granth Sahib that is specifically cited in support of eating meat is the hymn of Sahib Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the // of Raag Malhar on pages 1289-90 beginning with the couplet: Maas Maas Kar Moorakh Jhaghrrey. Gian dhian Nahin Jaaney. Kaun Maas Kaun Saag Kahaavey Kis Mah Paap Samaaney. (pg. 1289-1290) Only the fool quarrels over the question of eating or not eating of the meat. He does not have the True Wisdom. Without True Wisdom or Meditation, he harps onwhich is flesh and which is not flesh and which food is sinful and which is not. A deeper study of the whole hymn brings out:Herein, Guru Sahib is addressing a Vaishnav Pandit who believes that he can achieve his spiritual goal only by avoiding meat as food and not trying to obtain the true wisdom through meditation. Guru Ji has stressed that only avoiding meat will not lead one to the achievement of Spiritual Bliss if one does not do Naam-Simran. This equally applies to all, including non-meat-eating Sikhs. It relates to the flesh or meat in general and not to any particular type of flesh - whether prepared by Halaal or Jhatka method. The Sikh supporters of flesh eating do not accept at all the intake of all types of meat, but according to them, only Jhatka meat is permissible and Halaal is totally prohibited. In other words, what does the term "Kuthha" denote? The flesh of the mother's womb wherein the human body is born, the flesh of the mother's breasts which feed the infant, the flesh of the tongue, ears, mouth, etc., used for perception of various senses of the body, the flesh in the form of wife and off-springs referred to in the Shabad, is flesh no doubt and one cannot escape it, but is it the flesh to be eaten as food by the humans? Does the love for this type of flesh involve any cruelty or slaughter of living bodies? Obviously, the Shabad has a deeper meaning telling Vaishnav pandits that merely escaping from the flesh does not take one anywhere. Nor can anyone get rid of the flesh (i.e., attainment of salvation from the cycle of birth and death) by his own futile efforts without the Grace of the True Guru.

I don't know anyone thats kept a balance between their family and their wife. It truly would be a miracle if that ever happened. I speak from experience. :e:

Do we eat to live, or do we live to eat ? Sounds like the latter with most of you.

Religion is a belief or way of life, dharm is a lif of righteousness. Dharm has evolved, a set of principles according to which one lives and which are true and real, but most of all they make sense. My parents are Sikh, so I was born a sikh and brought up according to the dharm. I am a Sikh because I know and understand my dharm. To follow one has to understand. Its difficult to carry out an instruction without knowing how, when and why. I have questioned my dharm and it has always made sense to me, so I am a Sikh. I do not follow my faith blindly. I disagree, argue and oppose some statements, but yet I begin to understand and change my views and values accordingly. Sikhism is my dharma because I cannot think of another dharam I would more like to follow. I have appraised Sikhism and I recognise its importance to me, It has taken me time and hard work to understand Sikhism, but I have achieved something. :TH:

I thought this was quite interesting. Hair - a Divine gift Introduction The essential five external Sikh-Symbols (5 Ks) are a unique gift to a Sikh from the Great Guru Gobind Singh Sahib and a baptised Amritdhari Sikh should, under no circumstances, willingly part company with any of them. Among four prohibitions (Kurehet) removal of Kesh (hair) is the most significant. To keep hair intact is the first and the foremost duty of a Sikh. The Guru gave paramount importance to Kesh as is apparent from the fact that in the sweet memory of First Sikh Amrit (Baptism) Ceremony of Five Beloved Ones, the relevant place at Anandpur Sahib was named Kesh-Garh. The Sikh Panth are proud of one of their great sons, Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh Jee, who lived a life of a true Gursikh and suffered every hardship in the true sense of a determined and completely dedicated Sikh of modern times in treading the path shown by the Gurus. He sang Akhand Kirtan and loved Gurbani from the inner depths of his heart. His viewpoint on the basic and fundamental question of Kesh (uncut hair) is best described in the dialogue between him (Bhai Sahib) and the prison Superintendent at Nagpur Prison, where he spent 7 ½ years out of his life-imprisonment because he had taken active part in the Freedom Movement during the first quarter of the 20th century. The dialogue makes an interesting reading strictly from a religious point of view. It reveals the deep faith Bhai Sahib held and sustained in the supreme Will of the Karta Purakh (God, the Creator) and the acceptance of God's gift of Kesh, without meddling with it in any form. What I have done in this respect, is an attempt to translate in English Bhai Sahib's writing on the subject from his book entitled "Letters from Prison", I have every hope that our younger Sikhs will, by reading through this, further strengthen their faith in one of the most prominent symbols of Sikh Dharma. This brochure is being printed with the concurrence of the Central Office of the Akhand Kirtani Jath -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Importance of Hair Is it necessary to keep a full-length hair intact? (A Dialogue between Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Ji and the Prison-Superintendent Mr. Gupta at Nagpur prison.) One day, it so happened that the Prison Officer bought a poor quality and a cheap brand of hair oil for our use while in prison. I refused to accept it, and asked him to get a better quality hair oil instead. I had already washed my hair with a strong soap, which had made my hair very rough and dry. I was to comb my hair only after it had been softened with hair oil in order to avoid damage to it. Without combing my hair, I was not going to take my meals. The Prison Officer, jailer and other staff with the exception of the new Prison-Superintendent, knew well about my problem. I had washed my hair in the early morning, then midday came and passed and it was now late afternoon yet nobody bothered to supply me requisite hair oil. As a result of their negligence, I had to go without lunch and supper as well. Next morning it was Sunday and the Prison-Officer did not turn up for duty while the Prison-Superintendent usually stayed away on Sundays. On the third day, the Superintendent kept himself busy inspecting another section of the jail and nobody bothered to enquire about me. Everybody, perhaps, took it as a trifling matter and nobody brought me good quality hair oil. The prison superintendent knew nothing about it at all. On the fourth day, when the Superintendent was on a round to our ward, the prison officer and others joined hands to complain against me telling him that, under protest, I had been on a hunger strike for the last four days. The helpless yet kind Superintendent came to see me and the succeeding dialogue commenced between us. Prison Superintendent: Well, Randhir Singh! Ever since I have taken over here in this prison, this is the first time that someone has bothered and harassed me with a protest in the form of a hunger strike. Why haven't you taken anything for so many days and why have you made me carry the burden of it all? Myself: Good Sir, I haven't done anything to make you feel the burden of my not eating anything for the last four days, nor have I harassed you in any manner. It just happened that I had washed my hair four days ago and I could not obtain proper hair oil for my use. Had I known that I was not likely to get proper hair oil, I would not have washed my hair with caustic soap on that day. After washing hair with caustic soap, it becomes rough, dry and entangled, and unless hair oil is applied, its combing becomes rather impossible. Hair oil softens the hair and they do not suffer from dropping off or breaking off during combing process. We, the Sikhs, have a strict religious order to comb our hair twice a day and we are forbidden to eat with our hair uncombed. So I could not eat anything out of respect for my religious commandments. It is not correct to say that I resorted to this as protest to your authority. On hearing this, the kindhearted Superintendent got very much displeased with his prisonstaff and asked them why he was not informed of this problem earlier. He immediately ordered for a good quality hair oil. Within half an hour, good quality oil was brought and the Superintendent himself came and while handing it over to me he said very humbly, "Please forgive me, you had to suffer this trouble undeservedly because of my unawareness and absence. I should have respected your religious sentiments. I am sorry for what has happened this time. I promise it won't happen again." Myself: Thank you very much. The fact is that both in the prison department and in other government departments, the sense of responsibility and integrity have vanished and the employees in general have become selfish and dishonest. The prison storemen buy the cheapest items for prisoners and charge the highest price from the government. Nobody bothers to investigate, especially in a prison. The poor prisoners do not dare make a complaint, and even if they do, no one listens to them. I have had a bitter experience during my prison sentence. There is a lot of meanness going on. There are only eight political and criminal Sikh prisoners in this prison. They would need hardly one large bottle of coconut oil for their use throughout the month, but these people depict such meanness that they bring the poorest quality oil and in this way, they cheat the government and exploit the poor prisoners. The prison Superintendent listened to this all and accepted the criticism of the misdeeds of prison management. He assured me that he'd be taking steps to remedy these shortcomings. Then, all of a sudden, he raised a question and asked me, 'IS IT NECESSARY TO KEEP LONG HAIR?' Myself: Is it necessary to keep the head on the human body? Supdt: The body cannot survive without the head. Myself: If, however, it could survive, would you be willing to get rid of it? (If the body could survive without the head, would you remove the head?) Supdt: The head is more important and is an integral part of the body. With the head the body becomes complete and without the head, body cannot survive at all. Myself: Have you placed the head on your body yourself? Supdt: No, God has placed it there. Myself: Undoubtedly God has placed the head on your body. If, however, it were placed by you, perhaps, you could afford to remove it as an unwanted burden. Supdt: Of course. But how can we remove or afford to get rid of something given to us by God? Myself: Well, suppose, if someone removes that God-given head from the body, what would you call that person? Supdt: Undoubtedly, he would be called a tyrant, oppressor, murderer and an assassin. Myself: If someone asks you questions as to why you have kept a head on your body, what will you think of him? Supdt: It would be a sheer stupidity on the part of the questioner. Myself: Just the way, our heads are placed on our bodies by the Creator Himself, the same way, the hair on my head and yours as well, have been grown by the same God, the Creator. Therefore, your question regarding keeping of long hair is irrelevant in itself, because it is not I who has grown it there, but the hair is God's gift. Just as the head on the body is God's special gift, so is the hair given by Him. It is our first and foremost duty to look after the hair (God's gift) as we would like to look after and protect our head. Those who do not maintain God-given gift on the head, (cut off or completely shave off their hair), are, in my well-considered view, ungrateful and disloyal to the supreme will of God. I consider them murderers. Supdt: No, they cannot be called so, you can give them some other name, because in cutting hair no blood is spilt. Myself: You mean if blood is spilt, then alone it can be called a murder or assassination. What if someone is strangled to death? Would you still not declare it a murder, because in strangling a person, no blood is spilt, though death does occur? It is no use indulging in verbal arguments. You know very well that in certain methods of murder, not even a drop of blood is allowed to spill. Would you not call perpetrators of these crimes as murderers? If not, what else will you call them? Supdt: Excuse me, the head when once chopped off renders the body dead and the head does not grow again. But on the other hand the hair completely shorn off or hair cut short start growing again. There is a world of difference between the two instances. Myself: Do you believe in reincarnation or transmigration of the soul? Supdt: Yes, I do. Myself: Nobody dies even after death, because the soul migrates. Those who kill others cannot kill their souls. The soul cannot die and it continues to take new births. The attempt to kill a soul goes in vain. There can be no success in doing this. In the same way, the effort of those who cut or shave their hair time and again, goes futile because the shaven or cut hair continue to grow again and again, the same way as the soul of a killed or dead person takes birth again and again. The difference, however, is only this that the soul moves on from one life to another and the killer or the murderer does not realise it, but the hair continue to grow until death of the person. Persistent growth of hair acts as a rebuff to the efforts of the shaver. The way in which the life-spark of a soul exists in the total life-spark of God, the same way, the life-spark in the hair continues to exist in the life-spark of the human body until its (body's) complete destruction. It is very important that each hair on the human head and on the entire body be kept intact, because these are created there by God - our Creator. The hair on our head and body grow to such length as is needed by the physiology and biology of each individual body according to God's plan. The hair grows to certain length and then stops growing further naturally. Any attempt to undo the Creator's work by either trying to artificially make hair grow thicker and longer or get rid of it is our folly and also against the Law of God. Women do not have hair on the face. Any human attempt to grow it there would not succeed. Similarly, to cut hair from the head is also sheer folly. God - the Creator, has given beards to men but they shave them every day and try to look like women. But Nature does not let them do so. They shave but Nature administers a snub to them every morning by letting it grow again. The shavers receive double blow, one from the shaving blade and the other from Nature when every morning new beard comes out in defiance of their intentions. But they do not wake up to the ultimate Reality. Women as well suffer humility when they try to cut their hair and look like men by imitating them in this mad pursuit. Both male and female have gained absolutely nothing from this pursuit. The question should have been "Why Nature's gift (Hair) should not be left intact on the head and elsewhere and why should it be cropped?" But, surprisingly, questions are asked the other way. The stark reality is that there is an overwhelming majority of people who defy the Divine because of this habit inherited from others through centuries and have mistaken the shaven face and shorn hair as a natural form. The reason is that, in the world, there are so few and so rare people who stick to and are consistent with the Eternal Law of Nature. When any person from powerful nations of the world chances to have a glance at a Sikh in natural form, he wonders at the latter's completely natural face and asks the question: "Is it necessary to keep hair intact?" In his ignorance he forgets that hair like other limbs of the body is part and parcel of the human body. A Sikh would never allow a single hair to be removed from his body because he bows to God's Law, he understands that hair growth has a purpose behind it and believes it a sin to do otherwise; just as a doctor would not advise to close a pore on the body. This is a very complex question you have raised. Volumes can be written on this topic. We do not have enough time at our disposal to do full justice to the discussion on the sanctity of our hair. Those who raise such objections are usually Arya Samajists. Are you not prejudiced like them? Supdt: (Smiling) No, I am not that much of an Arya Samajist, though, to some extent I am inclined towards Arya Samaj beliefs and practices. But I have asked this question to you just spontaneously. Even though you have used some very blunt epithets but I have, all the same, liked the line of your argument. A lot of my misconceptions and suspicions have vanished now. When you leave jail, I wish you would write a detailed book on the philosophy of hair and propagate it throughout the world in all languages. Your argument that in cropping hair or shaving beards people just follow suit, like the movement of an individual sheep in a flock, has impressed me. All of our rishies, sages and prophets in the ancient times, were kesbadharis (with natural unshorn hair), which means they kept their hair intact. There is evidence that up to Mahabharat times all Khatries, Brahmins and religious leaders used to have long hair intact. In old Hindu books and scriptures it is written down how ignoble it was to cut hair and it was, in fact one of the seven punishments under the then state law. Lord Krishna, our Avtar, substituted cutting off hair of Rukmani's brother Rukman for death sentence in pursuance of her appeal to save his life. Rukman was so angry with this. He was so much grieved that he called his sister his enemy, because it was she who had recommended the cutting off his hair. Rukman himself thought that this punishment was worse than the death sentence. I value your viewpoint, you are really a Singh with high ideals, Sardar Randhir Singh! No other Singh has ever convinced me like this. A grain of cogent argument is more than sufficient for a seeker after truth. Well, time has passed so quickly. Let us leave it there. Namaste. We will see to the rest later on. Myself: Sat Sri Akal. 'Later on', surely does not so easily. To be honest, the occasion to continue that dialogue 'later on' never arrived again, but that prison Superintendent struck me as a very kind and a thoughtful person.

NOT SAYING IT WOULD OR IT WOULDN'T, JUST WONDERING WHAT THE (CURRENT) GENERAL OPINION IS.