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Can Non-Sikh Friend Wear Kara?


Guest NYSingh
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Guest NYSingh

My friend is Chinese Buddhist, but he doesn't practice. I've known him since middle school. I've been teaching him about Sikhi, and I took him to gurdwara. He said he wouldn't mind becoming a Sikh, but I don't know how serious he is because he is not a very religious person in general. He's been asking me for a Kara, so he can wear it. Is there anything wrong with this?

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My friend is Chinese Buddhist, but he doesn't practice. I've known him since middle school. I've been teaching him about Sikhi, and I took him to gurdwara. He said he wouldn't mind becoming a Sikh, but I don't know how serious he is because he is not a very religious person in general. He's been asking me for a Kara, so he can wear it. Is there anything wrong with this?

Loads of punjabi hindus and other hindus do wear them aswell in India some sikhs might object but how much can we say when it comes to other people's right to believe; the 9th guru gave shaheedi for the right for people to believe in what they do. We see kara worn by certain rajput groups, aswell as shown in a murial painting used by Lord Krishna in a battle.

I have seen various African symbols worn by some individuals with african descent and some items resemble karas some might be open end but the item itself is worn by many groups. Some women while wearing bracelets might retain one and these days Sikhs don't all wear big sarbloh ones to distinguish between shiny ones such as gold, silver, shiny stainless steel. African ceremonious bracelet (I think some represent currency as it was used in trade while others might be believed to have some charming effect) http://ancientpoint.com/inf/41598-congo_old_african_bracelet_ancien_kuba_afrika_kongo_africa_d__afrique_currency.html

http://www.coincoin.com/I062.htm

I think the problem people have majorily with people wearing kara is when pakistani muslim youth wear them pretend to be sikhs only to groom and rape sikh girls or use them in clubs to find consenting sikh females to have intercourse with since their own group is off limit and they believe it's not a sin to have intercourse with kaffirs. That whole thing puts a major strain on community relations, it's disrespectful to the article of faith but we have some introspecting to do since we can't expect a non muslim wearing muslim attire to get away with the opposite since their daughters are more well informed and generally more educated in their religious awareness weather they chose to follow it or not. Although some older punjabi stories do tell of sufis who wore them but in the major sense most pakistanis don't really majorly believe in sufism anymore.

I don't see any problem with a Buddhist wearing a kara many buddhists including the dalai lama believes Guru Nanak Dev ji was an incarnation of the Buddha and he himself as Nanak Lama was recognized in many tibetan orders to be, his descending orders don't cut their hair. There is some hidden history from the Sikh Misl period with great sikhs who went to tibet who may have also had an influence in spreading the message. Buddhism's main message of the Dhammapada doesn't really contradict with Guru Granth Sahib in the major sense. I reckon there might be people who believe he should be all the way and not half way so either take it off or take the amrit and do panj bania straight which isn't always realistic for everyone. In your scenario I don't see anything wrong. If he wants to become Sikh he is more than welcome we have people leaving Sikhi and we need people who really believe in Sikhi besides he is Chinese the guy must be clever, we need clever people. And our relationship with China needs to improve right now Pakistan is able to get away with terror attacks because china supports pakistan in any event of a war. If china was able to see how much it had in common with the residents of India through dharm(a) we might be able to truly make the world a more peaceful place to live in.

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Give him Kara to wear but also tell him the significance of Kara and tell him that Guru Sahib will held him responsible for his actions. This is not just a Kara but Hathkariya put on our hands by our beloved Guru.

I remember telling someone the kara is a hathkariya they viewed it as if god has put a shackle of slavery on us and we are just following god as if he is a burden on us rather than it being a privilege; which could be an analogy of a faith which promotes blind faith

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I remember telling someone the kara is a hathkariya they viewed it as if god has put a shackle of slavery on us and we are just following god as if he is a burden on us rather than it being a privilege; which could be an analogy of a faith which promotes blind faith

These words are of Guru Gobind Singh Maharaj. It is not bind faith Veerji.

When a criminal commits a crime and get arrested, cops would put handcuffs on him. Our Guru has put permanent handcuffs on us so that whenever we are going to do something wrong, our Kara would remind us that we always have to do good. It makes perfect sense to me.

Wearing a Kara is a choice unless you are Amritdhari( even being an Amritdhari is a choice). God isn't enforcing us to wear it so it can't be slavery, if one choses to wear it, it is out of love and respect.

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These words are of Guru Gobind Singh Maharaj. It is not bind faith Veerji.

When a criminal commits a crime and get arrested, cops would put handcuffs on him. Our Guru has put permanent handcuffs on us so that whenever we are going to do something wrong, our Kara would remind us that we always have to do good. It makes perfect sense to me.

Wearing a Kara is a choice unless you are Amritdhari( even being an Amritdhari is a choice). God isn't enforcing us to wear it so it can't be slavery, if one choses to wear it, it is out of love and respect.

Do you have a reference brother? Because I always thought it was an analogy that paracharaks used abit like how they talk about plucking mangoes and eating them when talking about karam.

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