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Trimming Beard vs. Cutting Hair and Shaving: What is more appropriate?


Guest Tired Singh
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Guest Tired Singh

Hello Everyone,

I am a young Sikh man who has kept uncut hair and and untrimmed beard my entire life.

I have decided that for now, it has taken too much of a toll and I need to try something else if for no other reason than to get some perspective and see what it's like to feel more "modern" and fit in.

I am considering the following two options:

1. Trimming my beard down to a stubble while keeping my head hair and continuing to wear a turban

2. Shaving off my beard and cutting my hair

What I want is some feedback.

Is it more insulting to our religion to wear a turban while trimming your beard? Or is it in fact better to at least keep your head hair and turban (i.e. at least do something)?

I feel like cutting my hair and removing my turban might be too radical of a change, and maybe by continuing to wear a turban over uncut hair I can still feel like I am "myself" (even though I will have strayed from the path of Sikhi). I won't feel like I have changed identities.

But on the other hand, I worry whether doing so would make a mockery of a religion I still care about and respect, and maybe an "all or nothing" approach is better.

What do you think? I'd appreciate serious thoughts about the two options rather than admonishments that I should do neither.

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You don't become more modern or even look more modern by merely cutting your beard. It's about self confidence and how you carry yourself. No one hires someone if they "look modern". They look at whether this individual's education and skill set is up to standard.

Don't make any rash decisions just for some girls. Girls aren't worth it, just wait until you're married. You'll realize it wasn't worth the self hurt in the end when it's a bit too late. (When I say this, I mean the same for girls in your position, guys are definitely not worth it either at the cost of your Sikhi).

If you ever need someone to talk to, sangat is here for you. As an ex-mona I can tell you I'm more confident with who I am and am more empowered as being a Sikh with a unique identity. Many people respect it and find it cool.

In the mean time, have a listen my brother.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ELORiWzZXs&

taru.jpg

http://www.searchsikhism.com/taru.html

There's a very spiritual reason for keeping our kesh, but kesh alone without rehit and understanding them and without the piyaas/pyaar to meet Waheguru is useless as without Path and Simran a Sikh is like they are already dead.

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Hey,

I see you already make up your decision, and it looks like nobody can "stop" you from doing this.. . I don´t know whats the reason, maybe you are just shallow or ignorant about Sikhi or your entire life you SIkhi was teached wrong to you ( I mean, with all these rituals and stuff, all this shallowness) . I don´t know so I can´t judge.

Anyway, I would like to entrust you that you should keep your head hair and just trim beard, because it will get difficult to get back to Sikhi once you cut your hair.

You will realize early enough what you did wrong, and that what you did is a bad decision. But do it, you need make that experience. Maybe one day you will find way back to Guru ji and Sikhi( and not the ritualized/expended SIkhi, you can see everywhere) The real Sikhi is still there, but it is hard to find it.

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Well you've thought about it already and pretty much decided that you shall cut hair.

Be it your beard or khes or both!

I don't know why you are worrying about making a mockery of your religion because you have already done that by getting this far and deciding you need to be modern.

There is nothing modern and I don't know why you feel left out. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and giving yourself excuses.

If you don't have the Prem for your dharm then you simply aint gonna find it when your clean shaved and look like a hindu or paki !

Since you want a choice of what to go for, then I would say take the beard down and trim it to a 5 o'clock shadow with tiny stuble. Then you will notice all the girls going crazy just to stroke your 5 o'clock shadow !!

Maybe then you will realise if you want material world and Maya prem or prem for the Guru..

Go ahead, get some blades and scissors

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Guest Saba's finest

Heres my advice :

1) If your body physique is not attractive , you are not going to look anymore attractive with cut hair or trimmed beard.

2) If you dont have a strong jawline or attractive jawline , again trimming wont help you much. you would be better off with beard.

Instead of trimming your beard, have you tried tying your beard properly.

Once you cut your hair, you will get the license to indulge in all the carnal desires, and it will be difficult to come back to your original path.

So just prioritize...whats your goal when you are lying on your bed , in your last breaths, what do you want to be thinking of ?

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Guest Just a guy

Dont look to others for answers because they will provide their own opinions that may be in conflict with how you are feeling at the moment. At the end of the day it really is your life and you should live it how you want to, dont live to please other people or be concerned about how the sikh community will react. Chances are most of them are hypocrites themselves.

Just because a guy keeps a beard doesnt mean he has any better morals than someone who doesnt keep a beard. As keshdhari guys also do enough dodgy stuff as well. Whole point is not to judge this guy but to support him, everybody is at a different level of spirituality when it comes to sikhi anyway.

To the original poster, go away for a while and have a think deep down about how YOU want to live your own life, waheguru will always be by your side no matter what.

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How dare any of you judge the OP.

What do you know about what he is going through. Everyone talks about panth Ekta, but we are the first to point the finger. Support others instead of making them feel lower than yourselves !

(null)

WHere did I say he's lower than me? Everyone's going through a struggle I'm just trying to let him reevaluate his decision by showing him what it means to keep your kesh. A Sikh would never encourage another sister/brother to cut their kesh because if the person really wants to, they wouldn't need approval from someone like us.

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i think beards look great! i can't wait for mine to grow fully. anyway your decision is your own. whats the point of keeping your hair if you aren't going to uphold sikhi values. what is it to anyone of whether you look "modern"? define modern to me? the hair keeps growing, keeps comming back. why not keep it there? be proud of your mane. i fit in fine with my appearence, i can start conversations, people sometimes ask me things. i am different and i'm happy. i've had my share of people putting me down, but these insults cause me to hold my head higher every day. whats the point of keeping a pagh on your head but no beard? its pointless. all hair is meant to be kept. and anyway, maybe you are left out because you can't talk to people, be more confident. i have never had trouble feeling left out.

but brother, your decision is your own. think carefully about what you do.

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