Cutting Hair

[Balwinder Singh 16]

When We are born, does our body have any tatoos, piercings etc, do we have cut kes?

we dont were born without a peircing on our body, nor do we have tatoos, our kes is on our heads, doesnt that ring a bell maybe god didnt want us to cut kes, get piercings or tatoos

but hey who am i to say anything, mayaa affects me the most so until i cant fix myself up no worth in trying to advise others

Why do u forget nails in ur above question to urself. Add nails and ask again, you will have the same confusion which the original poster have.

You were never born with so many things u use and wear. Why dont we wander arond naked as we were born naked?

[Harmeet_Singh 21]

We keep kesh because the Guru told us to do so. Nothing more. Kesh are also a marker of Sikh identity that identify to the world who is a Sikh. Sikhs walk the earth announcing proudly their religion while others give no sign of their convictions. In addition, hair and nails are totally different. Having long nails inhibits use of the hand and is dirty with filth being stuck under the nails as well as bacteria. Long hair is quite healthy as it is even a reflection of good health: (when healthy, hair shines, when sick, it loses luster), it is also not an impediment to daily life. In fact, you'll be healthier if you have long hair: no body resources go to replacing the hair that was cut: isn't it a slap on the face when you shave and then a day later, the hair returns? Maybe it was supposed to be there! Nails, if left uncut, will break; Hair never will

[carin 0]

while others give no sign of their convictions.

How dare you say that.

[Balwinder Singh 16]

We keep kesh because the Guru told us to do so.

But why? thats what the original poster asking. isn't it?

Nothing more. Kesh are also a marker of Sikh identity that identify to the world who is a Sikh. Sikhs walk the earth announcing proudly their religion while others give no sign of their convictions.

But people still confuse us with muslims. right? Also other religion show signs. I can easily identify muslims and jew. I think they are also proud of their religion. Right?

In addition, hair and nails are totally different.

Thats right!!

Having long nails inhibits use of the hand and is dirty with filth being stuck under the nails as well as bacteria.

That makes perfect sense.

Long hair is quite healthy as it is even a reflection of good health: (when healthy, hair shines, when sick, it loses luster), it is also not an impediment to daily life.

I had many friends who thought hair obstructs them from few normal activities. For example eating food. Mucchha keep on coming in the way. They had to wash and dry hair every week (extra task). They had to put extra work to keep hair tidy and neat....and couple other things.

In fact, you'll be healthier if you have long hair: no body resources go to replacing the hair that was cut:

That exactly can be said about nails, isn't it?

isn't it a slap on the face when you shave and then a day later, the hair returns? Maybe it was supposed to be there!

Thats again not a very good argument as it can be used for nails also. Right?

Nails, if left uncut, will break; Hair never will

Well that just doesn't fit into discussion, everybdy knows nails and hair have different properties. Nobody is proving that nail and hair are the same. Right?

[Amrit Kaur Khalsa 2]

Q: Why Sikhs do not cut their hair but they cut their nails?

A: It is often argued that Sikhs do not cut their hair so why do they cut their nails. Sikhs only cut the dead gray part of their nails, not the alive pink/red part. This is similar to combing and removing dead hair while retaining live hair. Just like we do not cut the pink/red part of our nails, why should we cut our perfectly live and healthy hair?

In addition, hair is not a hindrance to anyone. Because hair can be placed in a bun and kept clean and does perform a number of functions, it is only pragmatic to realize that hair is not bad. On the other hand, having long nails is a hindrance to the body. An individual with long nails cannot functions and do everyday chores comfortably. In order to ensure that one can perform the tasks of everyday life, only the dead part of nails are trimmed.

In addition, whereas the hair grows from a tubular pit (hair follicle), formed by sinking in of the most actively dividing layer of the skin (stratum germinativum) into the lower dermis, the gray part of nails is only modifications of the upper dead layer (stratum corneum). Further, the base of every follicle bulges out forming an inverted cup, which receives blood capillaries for nourishment and nerve fibers to make the hair sensitive. An oil gland, known as sebaceous gland, opens into every hair follicle, the secretion of which lubricates the hair. A muscle is also attached to the base of every hair for bringing about movement. Pigments are added to the shaft of the hair as it grows. None of these features is associated with the dead part of nails.

Structurally, hair is extremely strong, and resists breaking due to its elasticity and flexibility. Strength of hair can be estimated from the following facts, a human hair laid on a bar of steel and then passed through a cold rolling mill would leave an imprint on the face of the steel. A hair of a man’s beard is about as strong as a copper wire of the same dimensions. If a rope were made out of strands of long hair, it would be strong enough to lift an automobile. Dead part of nails, on the other hand, are very brittle and rigid, breaking off easily. Hair are countless (upto 1,25,000 on head region alone), thereby increasing the surface area, as if to meet a specific requirement.

The differences between the two do not end with the structural features. Even the body’s response towards the two is totally different. Our body, throughout life, tries to maintain a particular length of hair. And if the hair is cut anywhere, the body responds by growing it again to the specific length. It clearly indicates the link of the body with the hair all along its length. The body shows no such response to the nails, which grow from birth to death at the same rate, irrespective of whether cut or not. It follows, thus, that cutting of the dead part of nails does not tell on the body at all, whereas, cutting of hair puts extra load on the body. To sum up, if there is anything on the head that can be compared with the dead part of nails, it is either dandruff or dead hair which are removed by combing!

Nature knows best what to discard or retain. Whatever is retained is not without purpose. Hair is a gift from God, not a burden. Guru Gobind Singh Ji, in his infinite wisdom, commanded us to respect hair and refrain from tampering with it. This is the visible token of his affection for us, as well as our faith in him.

source

the only reason nails keep growing is to replace them when they break off - hair keeps growing until it reaches it's natural length.

[Hershi 0]

Someone once told me while we were having this discussion thatthe tip of your nails...where like the white part starts is where guruji drew a line ..showing u cut from there or something...it was a while ago so i dun remember exactly....hm i hope i made sense lol.

[Harmeet_Singh 21]

This video should help answer some of your answers, about why Guru Ji made us follow such a strict life style.

.

[V 11]

The myth that hair are alive and nails are not is not true.

If I understand it they are made by the same substance -

Quote from Wiki on hair -

The primary component of hair fiber is keratin. Keratins are proteins: long chains (polymers) of amino acids.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair

About nails -

Anatomically fingernails and toenails, which are made of a tough protein called keratin and are produced from living skin cells in the fingers and toes, are made up of many different parts:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nail_%28anatomy%29

Yes Wiki isn't the best source, but if you want to look deeper into it you can; but they're essentially made out of the same substance - that one is "alive" and the other is "dead" is nonsense.

The entire hair (except the part under the skin - follicle and roots) are dead.

Do not use that argument - it will easily be refuted :s

[Matheen 86]

Isn't it enough that Maharaj Ji asked not to cut our (their!) Kesh?

Bani repeatedly tells us we must give both mind AND body to Maharaj Ji - the body is no longer ours. The owner of this body doesn't want the Kesh to be cut. What's the problem?

[B4ND4 15]

cleanliness is next to godliness. we should stay clean. If we dont cut our nails there are chances we'll get sick, we use the same hands to eat. same way we should keep our hair clean too.

[Tejvir 20]

The myth that hair are alive and nails are not is not true.

If I understand it they are made by the same substance -

Quote from Wiki on hair -

The primary component of hair fiber is keratin. Keratins are proteins: long chains (polymers) of amino acids.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair

About nails -

Anatomically fingernails and toenails, which are made of a tough protein called keratin and are produced from living skin cells in the fingers and toes, are made up of many different parts:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nail_%28anatomy%29

Yes Wiki isn't the best source, but if you want to look deeper into it you can; but they're essentially made out of the same substance - that one is "alive" and the other is "dead" is nonsense.

The entire hair (except the part under the skin - follicle and roots) are dead.

Do not use that argument - it will easily be refuted

bump

[njjassa 13]

as a hukam to most amritdharis ..... wash you hair twice a week to keep the cleanliness intact and the thing about the nails is not at all justifiable with the hair because hair are on the top .....having utmost spiritual importance according to many religions .......why wud ancient hindus like in dwaapar yug like arjun and Lord Krishan would keep their long hair........think about it ..... theres a reason to why we all have been given a common identity.....there a symbolic meaning to it .....think about it.....

[Bored 7]

I read a book called Hair power. From that book i learned that: the white part of your nails is dead...so there is no need to keep that just like when u comb your hair, dead hair comes out. Now you dont take that dead hair and start glueing it bak on your head. Its dead so you throw it away. THe same goes for nails. You also cut em cuz of the dirt etc and if u didnt cut ur nails, thats a direct ticket to death cuz long nails equals to high risks of damaging your nerves in your fingers or somything and if those nerves are ifected etc. it can cause serious issues(ie. death). I learned the nerve thingy from guinness book of world records when some indian guy with the longest nails was talking about the critical care he takes after his long nails so he doesnt end u screwing up his nerves or wat not.

gg.bmp

[Guest headache child]

what is wroung with having tatoos or cutting hair. But that is like saying don't cut ur nails isn't that cause if u can't cut ur hair but u can cut ur nail don't get this sombody explain.

im kinda wondering the same thing. and im a sikh girl. my arms and legs are hairless and i get my eyebrows done. and for almost a year i have been getting major headaches and neck pains and then back pains every time my hair gets pulled (whether the pulling is brushing it, stuck in door, sitting on it, etc.) and i cant do stuff like listen to music, watch movies/tv, be on computer for longer than 1 hour and its hard on my studies because im constantly dealing with headaches. just yesterday i told my dad this because i was suffering and he saw i was in pain. i told him its hard for him to hear this but its the truth and i think getting a load off my head would help relieve pressure. I've done some reasearch and im ready to present it to my parents if they need it. in this situation i thought my dad would not try to understand this but he gets it more than my mother. my mother is saying things like im faking it. but why would anyone fake headaches, neck pain and back pain? why would i let my grades drop? why would i fake cry every time its unbearable? sometimes i feel like dying because of the pain. ive tried other alternatives like getting my posture corrected and more rest and better food. nothing has helped yet. if i do my legs and arms and eyebrows, whats the difference with hair on my head?

[Hau Apraadhi 80]

Nails are dead, just totally dead. They act as tools in our life.

Hair is beneficial for us in life spiritually. Vaaheguroo is SOOOOOOO generous that every time we say vaaheguroo once, we end up earning the amount equal to the amount of hairs that we have on our body because every hair on our body japs naam/meditates on the name too. Hair also acts as an aerial to vaaheguroo. just like a tv aerial to the satellite thingy in space...

romy roim roim romy mY gurmuiK rwmu iDAwey rwm ]

romae rom rom romae mai guramukh raam dhhiaaeae raam ||

With each and every hair, with each and every hair, as Gurmukh, I meditate on the Lord.

vaaheguroooo!