Do Moneh Have The Right To Ask Sikh Question Or Talk About Sikhi?

[Summy]

I would like to ask, When you cut your hair, do you think of Guru Ji?

Everyone who wants to gain knowledge has the right to ask about Sikhi.

Your first question will never be answered by monahs.

[MKaur89]

Keeping kesh and becoming Amritdhari is the beginning of the journey, not the final destination.

At home, anyone is free to read path and do nitnem etc, but when it comes to reading path in sangat at the gurdwara, then certain maryada has to be upheld, which normally means only Amritdharis are allowed to take part in Akhand Path seva. In smaller gurdwaras, where there are fewer Amritdharis readily available to do seva, I have seen non-Amritdharis participate in Akhand Path seva. I have seen plenty of non-Amritdharis/keshdharis do all kinds seva with pyar and sharda but have also seen many do seva without pyar and sharda, but then again the same applies to Amritdharis/keshdharis- you can’t tar both groups with the same brush.

I guess the same thing applies to doing kirtan/katha on stage, surely it is best to practice what you preach, which is why almost always I have only ever seen Amritdhari kathavachaks/kirtanis on stage. The exception to this is sometimes you see children/teenagers with cut hair or trimmed beards do kirtan/play tabla on stage but I think this case is slightly different and perhaps it’s best to encourage and not deter these youngsters from taking part in seva, as who knows one day these children may grow up and keep kesh.

The main thing is that in terms of keeping rehat, both inner rehat and outer rehat are important- you can’t have one without the other.

Someone may take Amrit, wear the panj kakkars and have the outer appearance of an Amritdhari, but if that person makes no effort to maintain inner rehat and is corrupted by the panj chor and has no simran, seva, sangat or nitnem- then is this person really better than someone who may cut their hair, but makes a conscious effort to do nitnem, read and contemplate on Gurbani, do seva, attend gurdwara and sits in sangat? Maybe doing all these things will eventually lead that person to adopt kesh and lead a Gursikh jeevan.

Everyone has their own unique relationship with Guru Ji, and as a result of previous karams and also efforts in this lifetime, some of us may struggle to keep kesh while others find it easy, some Amritdharis may spend many years still struggling to wake up at Amritvela and maintain nitnem, whilst someone with cut hair may find it easy to maintain Amrtivela nitnem.

Becoming Amritdhari is without a doubt the minimum requirement of being a Gursikh, but there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach as everyone is at different levels in their bhagti. We should all strive to become Amritdhari and maintain both inner and outer rehat to the highest standards possible, but need to remember that Amrit di daat is given, not taken. When Guru Ji bestows kirpa on someone, anything is possible and your whole jeevan can change in an instant.

To answer the question, ‘moneh’ do have the right to talk and ask questions about Sikhi- how else are they meant to learn anything? But when it comes to talking on stage or in sangat, then certain maryada has to be followed and I don’t think it’s discrimination to ensure that only Amritdhari kirtanis/kathavachaks/parcharaks sit on stage. The bottom line is that everyone has to start somewhere, whether that is by just reading Jap Ji Sahib every day, going to gurdwara every day, doing seva in langar, or becoming Amritdhari.

Sometimes it’s so easy to sit back and judge others, but why not focus that energy on judging ourselves and trying to become better Sikhs ourselves?

[Summy]

But when it comes to talking on stage or in sangat, then certain maryada has to be followed and I don’t think it’s discrimination to ensure that only Amritdhari kirtanis/kathavachaks/parcharaks sit on stage.

Spot on with this one. "Cut hair" so called learned and self proclaimed scholars cannot come on stage and speak in a Gurudwara.

[GPS]

I have seen non sikh scholars presenting excellent research papers on sikhism in our gurudwaras. Sikhi does not debar anyone from

presenting his positive views on sikhi.

Keep in mind they are not performing kirtan or katha, they are presenting their research work.

Now coming to someone objecting to GS Mann.GS Mann is a sikh but has not hair. He has done excellent job in researching

history of Dasam Granth.His presentation has silenced many fifth grade self made scholars who were throwing mud on bani

of Guru Gobind Singh ji. He is not doing kirtan or katha in gurudawras. He has love for sikhi and that is why he is in this field.

Who knows when with akal purakh kirpa he becomes a singh.

Lastly Guru Gobind singh ji has over hundred poets in his court and many of them were non sikhs. Let us learn to appreciate

academic contribution positively for furthering of sikhi.

[Mehtab Singh]

Has anyone watched talk shows of one Sohan Lal? I've seen him on Sikh channels discussing Gurbani and have heard from Singhs he is pretty good. I don't think I've seen many of his talks so can't be sure.

[jasdeepsingh2k125]

Lastly Guru Gobind singh ji has over hundred poets in his court and many of them were non sikhs. Let us learn to appreciate

academic contribution positively for furthering of sikhi.

veerji those poets were not in gurudwara but in sabha of dhan sri guru gobind singh ji maharaj..... everybody have more than one role in life to play and those kavis were kavis of sahba of king of anandpur sahib none other than maharaj

on the side note regarding the topic ppl here which r encouraging monas in seva of gurudwara better

think of a example that u dont go to x school and when thats school annual function comes will management of that certain school will allow to perform in it? :huh2:

[GPS]

Chaman Lal ji another example who was doing kirtan without hair.Now he is in full bana.

[GPS]

The poets were at paonta sahib.When you go to paonta sahib Gurudwara there is a plaque giving history

of kavi darbars that were held at that place.

We never know when people change in life. Sikhs with cut hair may become full rehatwans later. Their academic

contribution when it is positive should not be discouraged.

[GPS]

Seva of Gurudwaras and control should always be under Amritdhari singhs. There is no second opinion about that.

[VanHelsingh]

Seva of Gurudwaras and control should always be under Amritdhari singhs. There is no second opinion about that.

Yes, it gives everyone else an incentive to work towards that ideal. I appreciate historically there were moments when there weren't Gursikhs around for various reasons, and non-Gursikhs stepped up to fill the void, but where there is willing Gursikhs available to do seva then, without breaking any hearts or the shardaa of moneh, just make it clear that seva must be carried out by those who have taken Amrit.