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WJKK WJKF

I need some advice, and was wondering if anyone would be able to spare a few minutes for me I would be very grateful.

I have had the opportunity to purchase a newsagents. My wife and I have been looking for a business or at least another way of earning an income- I have a 9-5 job but I know its not going anywhere. Now I am a bit weary of opening a newsagents because of the what we sell. In this particular one there are cigarettes and some meat items. I have also thought of the other implications such as the long hours etc, but the main thing that’s pushing me back is the cigarettes meat etc.

Im a mona, but I am into Sikhi. I’ve stopped eating meat, don’t smoke drink, try doing Parth in the morning and night. Recently I have seriously thought of becoming a Singh, and it is something I want to do. I just become a dad and think that the best way for me to show my child the right path is to at least look the part, but there is something stopping me, maybe I’m too scared to make the change and because I’m too paranoid of what work would say etc.

I wanted to open a business for my child as well, getting a steady income providing for them. I see this as ideal money wise, but there is that nagging thought of me selling items that my faith doesn’t promote. Although, someone once told me that we are only selling them not using, and if they didn’t get these items from us, they would from somewhere else. Also what about people who work for certain companies that promotes items that our faith is against but indirectly? Or for example if you worked as a bouncer on a door at a club, your working where there is alcohol and lewd behaviour (well unless its changed over the last 5 years since I went last!)

I want to start some business, get on my own two feet, I’m not particular of working 9-5 I get bored quite easily. I have looked at other business ( electronic stores etc) but newsagents is something that my family members are in and know about and also there is less risk involved for me. Obviously if I don’t take this, then I don’t know what else to do, I feel that I’m stuck in this job, I don’t really have enough experience or qualification in my field to excel, and I feel opening some sort of business will be a good thing for me.

Sorry for taking up your time, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Phul Chuk Marf

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can't you run the store sans the cigs and meat?

you have to view these obsticles as tests of faith. There is always an alternative, you know that too.

If you're keeping love for Guruji in your heart and doing simran/paath, then you're on the right track.

For sure keep trying to improve your financial situation, but don't do things you know are wrong.

I know many Sikh families run corner stores (which sell cigs), but it's not right.

Selling cigs, running a butcher shop, hair salon....each corresponds to one the 4 Bajjar Kurehits.

Brother, even if you're still a mona, Guruji has done kirpa on you that you're having second thoughts about selling these items. It means the inner viel has lifted enough that you can hear your soul.

Have faith brother and do the right thing.

I personally liked your electronics store idea more. Keep trying. Keep doing ardassan for guidance.

http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=KeertanPage&K=1096&L=15&Lang=1&I=7980

This shabad covers much of what you're seeking. Perhaps memorize and recite it as part of your daily paath.

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Guest same situation

brother,

i was a mona four years ago. I went through this exact situation. i worked in a shop n sold cigs and alcohol and meat. I also developed my sikhi, and Guru di kirpa naal took amrit.

But veer ji my greatest fall was to sell these things. This was my karam, i regret it so much.

Guru gobind singh ji will help us if we live a true and righteou lifestyle. please do not enter this narak of selling such things.

Maharaj will give us roti, he will provide for us, if he provides for the whole universe that he created himself, i dont think he will forget to feed his creation.

We have been brought up thinkin that the purpose of life is to achive a good job, or get good money, so that we can have a good and easy life, then we can have time to do seva and read bani. but infact that is the trap. we need to focus our jeevan on reading bani, on doing simran. even if we have little money it is better than taking on such a big paap as selling these things.

because you sell the alcohol and cigs and meat, this is then consumed, those ppl do not know the consequences, and there lives get worse. this profit you will use to cook your food, is this going to be a sachi kamai? then with this dirty money you will feed you kids..... will this have a positive effect on their jeevan. infact will this bring any good? is it not better to not have this money and have the grace of satguru

if you dont do this business Guru ji will be very happy, because this decision is a big big test for you. is money important or is sikhi?

All im saying is that I am just leaving this business this year. I spent much of my childhood in these businesses and it took me along time to get out of it, and realise the truth. we all go through this, but i am only warning you according to my experience.

please do ardas to maharaj

a shop without alcohol , ciggs and meat will not run well. profit will be low. however you can do it. but maybe instead you can open a electrical store. or stationary/card store or toys , or phone shop, or look for a job. if we do it for Maharaj and have the sharda and trust that he is looking out for us then Guru ji will show you a path.

it may be the test of mukti or going bk into charasi..... your choice

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Any job you do will have some moral ambiguity involved where one questions whether it clashes with their religious values. Im not going to say selling alc and cigs is ok, my fam is in the same business, but I would question that most jobs will in some way challenge Sikh principles, the difference being the degree to which they do.

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Whether family is doing it, your father or your mother or brother is selling this stuff it does not matter, it is still wrong. It's funny that people want to discuss to what degree is someone doing something wrong. Really what the person is askin is do I want the person to become long term customer, or a quick cash cow, where I milk him for whatever he has and then he ends up in some crack house dead.

Now that's one tough decision to make for a businessman, but for a Sikh the answer is simple and straight forward, no need to discuss degrees or levels or market shares or debt ratios.

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None the less one would have to ask is there any job thats doesn't impinge in some way or the other on Sikh principles whether it be a little bit or a lot every job will in some way or the other to some degree. Everyone here will be engaged in some work which could be argued isn't suchi kamai Running a business or making a living is never that cut and dry ethically.

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None the less one would have to ask is there any job thats doesn't impinge in some way or the other on Sikh principles whether it be a little bit or a lot every job will in some way or the other to some degree. Everyone here will be engaged in some work which could be argued isn't suchi kamai Running a business or making a living is never that cut and dry ethically.

So, the job of real estate agent or contractor is to some degree against Sikh principles. Your painting everyone with the same brush, without even looking into what your saying.

There is more, but let's see how honest people are, when they ask these questions to cover up their own wrong doing. You can teach a man to fish and he'll live for a long time, but if he's handed the fish, then he lives for 2 seconds.

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What about an Estate Agent that sell you a shoddy house or contractors that do shoddy jobs? Do you wear Nikes made from leather in a sweatshop? Any person can act in a honest or fake way in what ever they do. But what your saying is that Fams like mine cannot be judged by their character in how they conduct themselves in the work they do but simply by what they sell which surpasses all other factors whos painting who with what brush? Your prob right I can face facts it probably is wrong.

But maybe the Singhs and the Gurudwara committees should ask themselves that before they approach families like mine for donations.

Anyway I was editing this post the guy above gives some good advice, your only going to see decent money once your business T/O's 10k a week because your working on 20%, and good money at 15-20k min T/O per week. My Fam have a takeaway aswell, you work at 45-60% P/M if you can T/O 4-5k a week its a decent/good living which is pretty average. 45% of 4k is the same as 20@10k. Pizzas are the easiest thing to sell, low level of skill, required, stay away from deliveries as much as you can they raise costs too much but if you do choose pizzas deliveries pretty much go hand in hand, I wouldnt bother with a chippy skill level is much higher.

Electronics high levels of residual stock. I wanted to get into high brand fashion retail but its the same thing the profits are high but the risk is extreme.

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What about an Estate Agent that sell you a shoddy house or contractors that do shoddy jobs?

If I was a fool I would fall into this fallacy and agree with you. But let me show what you just did. We are talking about any job, not peoples characteristics, but job that goes against Sikhi. Now is it in the job details that say, every real estate agent must sell shoddy houses or a contractor must give out shoddy jobs. Again, I am not a fool and I know in the description of a real eastate agent it say to be honest and in the law, it says we have to disclose the condition of the house or whatever. Here is the previous post of yours, which will help you refresh your memory on we were talking about JOBS that go against Sikhi.

None the less one would have to ask is there any job thats doesn't impinge in some way or the other on Sikh principles whether it be a little bit or a lot every job will in some way or the other to some degree.

Please learn the difference between job descriptions and what people do in those positions, which is called people behavior.

Do you wear Nikes made from leather in a sweatshop? Any person can act in a honest or fake way in what ever they do. But what your saying is that Fams like mine cannot be judged by their character in how they conduct themselves in the work they do but simply by what they sell which surpasses all other factors whos painting who with what brush? Your prob right I can face facts it probably is wrong.

The fact you say it is 'probably is wrong' is a clear sign, you don't have a grib on what is honest. You can't tell from dishonesty and honesty, so for you selling cigarettes, which is a gateway drug is part of business. If you can sell cigarettes and call it honest living, then why can't I sell cocaine and make more money in the same amount of time and call it honest living. Why has governments made cocaine illegal and cigarettes legal. Both do harm to a person and creates addicts that move on to harder drugs. Why is a youth in his 20s who is selling dope off the corner, so he can feed his young son, seen as bad and criminal. Then why is an adult in his 40s selling drugs, cigarettes and alcohol to others in a corner store, so he can feed his kids,is being called good?

Please help me make sense of the above scenario, and if you can make sense out of it in Gurmat terms, then I will stop writing at this site for good. That's a promise. I expect a reply from you.

But maybe the Singhs and the Gurudwara committees should ask themselves that before they approach families like mine for donations.

Answer the above question for me; that is the core to this whole discussion. If the Gurdwara committees are doing something wrong, then be the honest man and say I can't give you the money since, I sell cigarettes, which is a drug and they do harm to others.

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