Think.

[singhapore]

If you were told today that your children or grandchildren will be bricked alive tomorrow, how would you feel? Or worse, if they told this to you themselves, how then? tonight, they're with you, tomorrow they'll be gone. Will you try to plead with the authorities? Will you agree to their conditions? Will you have so much courage as to suck it all up and instead prepare your children or grandchildren for death tomorrow? How will you prepare them? Will you have enough composure to recite to them tales of the bravery their elders displayed, so that they won't give in at the last minute?

Will your hands be stable enough to tie their dastaars tomorrow? (Oh wait, do your children even have their kes kept?)When they stand admist tyranny tomorrow and proudly get bricked up, will your eyes be dry enough to be able to watch?5 and 7 years old. Just imagine.they gave up their toys, comforts, luxuries so we can keep our heads held high today. How many of us sport uncut hair and turbans on those heads? Think. And think again.

Remember our shaheeds. For their blood has kept the tree of sikhi and Khalsa panth green and growing.

[VanHelsingh]

Good post and I agree with your sentiments.

But inciting people to feel guilty at every turn is not the best way to get through to them. The constant finger-wagging and "shame on you" attitude when people are - on the whole - good people and obedient to their faith is occasionally off-putting, especially if one doesn't deserve to be made to feel inadequate and sub-par. We could always do more for Sikhi - of course there's no doubt about this.

How many of us TRULY will be able to send our children (or brother, sisters, nieces, nephews, etc) to their deaths with a smile on our face and joy in our heart? Certainly nobody on this website and dare I say nobody on this earth.

Like you said, remember our shaheeds and their sacrifices. But let's not be judgemental and assume that we're the only ones who feel the dard of our painful history. Most Sikhs with the awareness and knowledge of these matters feel exactly the same.

[singhapore]

No. Being judgmental or inciting guilt was not my intention. The post was directed at those who stray away from sikhi and it's history. The rest of us could've used it to reflect about what mata gujar kaur must've gone through. My point was, the next time we see our kids, think of the sahibzadey and try to model our own children after them. Our children get made fun of, ridiculed, at school, I went through it myself when I was a kid. By telling our children about our rich history, we can instil the sense of pride in them to look the way they look.

That was my point. My topic was "think" I.e. Reflection.

[VanHelsingh]

I agree with you, brother. I suppose the true intention of the written word is sometimes lost in translation on internet forums, etc.

Apologies if I offended you.

[DustOfTheSaintsFeet]

Good post and I agree with your sentiments.

But inciting people to feel guilty at every turn is not the best way to get through to them. The constant finger-wagging and "shame on you" attitude when people are - on the whole - good people and obedient to their faith is occasionally off-putting, especially if one doesn't deserve to be made to feel inadequate and sub-par. We could always do more for Sikhi - of course there's no doubt about this.

How many of us TRULY will be able to send our children (or brother, sisters, nieces, nephews, etc) to their deaths with a smile on our face and joy in our heart? Certainly nobody on this website and dare I say nobody on this earth.

Like you said, remember our shaheeds and their sacrifices. But let's not be judgemental and assume that we're the only ones who feel the dard of our painful history. Most Sikhs with the awareness and knowledge of these matters feel exactly the same.

We can only take the sacrifices of our shaheeds as lessons. They sacrificed everything for Truth, they wouldn't turn their backs on Truth for even a moment to accept islam, how beautiful. Their sacrifice was physical but it was soley to uphold their spirituality and faith, to unphold the glory of God.

we can fight for truth in each moment of our lives, that is the aim of sikhi, to fight our theives day and night, not to let maya settle and delude us for a minute.

We are spiritual warriors, we can fight for truth in each moment of our lives- that is the aim of sikhi, to fight our theives day and night- not to let maya settle and delude us for a minute. A physical sacrifice for us is a reflection of our love of glorifying Truth- The glory of truth and love of fighting the 5 theives with the sword of truth and humility on a spiritual level is reflected on a physical level.

Noone need feel guilty as our faith increases and decreases according to hukam and to our deeds, however if one reads gurbani and fails to apply it, they are turning their backs on the Guru(Gurbani)- Glorifying truth is incomparably and indescribably blissful so its not like a chore, its a reward and a pleasure- it the most beautiful gift.

[JSinghnz]

Good post and I agree with your sentiments.

But inciting people to feel guilty at every turn is not the best way to get through to them. The constant finger-wagging and "shame on you" attitude when people are - on the whole - good people and obedient to their faith is occasionally off-putting, especially if one doesn't deserve to be made to feel inadequate and sub-par. We could always do more for Sikhi - of course there's no doubt about this.

How many of us TRULY will be able to send our children (or brother, sisters, nieces, nephews, etc) to their deaths with a smile on our face and joy in our heart? Certainly nobody on this website and dare I say nobody on this earth.

Like you said, remember our shaheeds and their sacrifices. But let's not be judgemental and assume that we're the only ones who feel the dard of our painful history. Most Sikhs with the awareness and knowledge of these matters feel exactly the same.

And what makes you so judgemental in saying people are " people are - on the whole - good people and obedient to their faith".

Which rule makes people obedient to their faith when they cannot follow the basic tenets of their faith.

[VanHelsingh]

And what makes you so judgemental in saying people are " people are - on the whole - good people and obedient to their faith".

Which rule makes people obedient to their faith when they cannot follow the basic tenets of their faith.

I've never come across truly wicked or evil Sikhs who abuse the faith and revel in their misdeeds. I've come across a lot of people are born into Panjabi families and get up to nonsense but I don't think even they refer to themselves as Sikhs.

The amritdhari - or even keshdhari - Sikhs I know "follow the basic tenets of their faith", work hard and live honestly, ergo my statement above. I cannot vouch for anyone else's experiences.

[JSinghnz]

I've never come across truly wicked or evil Sikhs who abuse the faith and revel in their misdeeds. I've come across a lot of people are born into Panjabi families and get up to nonsense but I don't think even they refer to themselves as Sikhs.

The amritdhari - or even keshdhari - Sikhs I know "follow the basic tenets of their faith", work hard and live honestly, ergo my statement above. I cannot vouch for anyone else's experiences.

In your experience have you seen any kind of remorse or guilt in the cut hair individuals who call themselves Sikhs.

Have they ever felt the desire to become keshdhari?

In your experience, what kind of principles of Sikhi would they be teaching their children?

Nearly all the children of these cut hair individuals have cut hair too.

We are trying to fool ourselves by saying these people are "obedient to their faith."

And you yourself have admitted you do not have many Sikh friends.

So where is your experience coming from?

Or are you just jumping to conclusions without any basis to make those conclusions.

[VanHelsingh]

I was referring to people who have kesh. I didn't refer to people who don't follow the basic tenets of Sikh as "obedient to their faith". I would think that was a given. Re-read my post again. You're embarrassing yourself and you're boring me.

Think.

[JSinghnz]

But inciting people to feel guilty at every turn is not the best way to get through to them. The constant finger-wagging and "shame on you" attitude when people are - on the whole - good people and obedient to their faith is occasionally off-putting, especially if one doesn't deserve to be made to feel inadequate and sub-par. We could always do more for Sikhi - of course there's no doubt about this.

So you wrote the above without thinking?

Learn to admit your ignorance and lack of ability to express your thoughts.

THINK BEFORE YOU WRITE.