Why are there so many Rehit Maryadas?

[Deep Singh]

Source: http://members.pgonline.com/~mpurewal/chapter03.html

1. Guru Gobind Singh gave one Amrit. Now, we have so many Amrits - Akal Takhat Amrit, Sant Amrit, Jatha Amrit, etc. Why is there such a conflict about what an Amritdhari should do or should not do?

Ans: i) The Guru gave one Amrit and one Maryada, then why are there so many Amrits today? This is rightly a big question in the minds of all Sikhs. We know the reason for there being so many Maryadas, but we don't know how to convince these different groups to accept the approved Maryada as the one given by the Guru.

The Guru authorized the Panj Pyaras to give Amrit to anyone desirous of joining the Khalsa Panth. Thousands joined this brotherhood on Baisakhi Day of 1699 after the founding of the Khalsa Panth. When these Singhs came to their villages they started giving Amrit to more people.

They passed on the code of the Reht Maryada verbally to the new members of the Khalsa. This procedure is still going on today. During the Amrit ceremony, the candidates for Amrit do not take paper and pen to record all what is told to them. They listen to it, remember it and try to practice it in their lives.

When Amritdhari Sikhs explained the Maryada to the new members, they did contribute, unintentionally of course, some variations in the instructions. It is now a known social phenomenon that when one hears a message and passes it on to another person, it is impossible to convey the message in the same spirit. He cannot help giving his own

interpretation to the message, because of which the message may sometimes be

totally changed. This happens even when one takes all precautions to communicate the message correctly without adding or deleting anything from it. It is easy to imagine the changes which

could take place in the Maryada when there is a desire to make the Maryada “better and holier” than the one practiced by other Sikhs.

(ii) We do not have a complete set of systematically written directions regarding Reht from the Guru. Of course, many Sikhs, some contemporaries of the Guru and others descendent of those who attended the Guru, have written their observations and instructions regarding the

Reht to be practiced by the Khalsa. When all these writings are put together, not only do they not agree, but some observations contradict each other. In a few cases, the instructions go against the principles of Gurmat (Gurbani in Guru Granth Sahib).

Sikh scholars, therefore, fear that some sections of the Reht Namas were not written by the persons whose names are associated with

those writings. They must have been modified later on.

(iii) During the 18th century, the Khalsa were always harassed by the government. They had to leave their Gurdwaras and move to the woods for protection from the police and army.

This situation prevailed for more than half a century. During this time, the Sehjdharis (without long hair) were in charge of the Gurdwaras. Later, the Gurdwara management slipped into the hands of Mahants, who became hereditary custodians of the Gurdwaras. Because of the Hindu environment and Brahmanical influence, they introduced many Hindu rituals in the Gurdwaras.

During the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh no effort was made to crystallize the Sikh Reht from the mixture of Hindu rituals.

(iv) It was during the British rule that Sikhs, having lost all political power, thought of their religious principles to get guidance for their future. The Gurdwara management under the Mahants had so much deteriorated during the previous 100 years that Mahants had become corru

pt and started leading immoral lives. To increase their income they introduced worship of Hindu gods in the Gurdwaras, and act strictly prohibited for the Sikhs. There was no discipline, and women visiting the Gurdwaras were often harassed or even molested.

This irreligious and immoral behavior of the Mahants gave birth to the Gurdwara Reform Movement. The intellectuals, the Sikh scholars, and the Sikh Sants supported the movement. They all got together to protest the anti Sikh and non Sikh rituals forced on them by the Mahants managing the Gurdwaras. For political reasons, the Government supported the Mahants in order to keep the Sikhs away from the control of the Gurdwaras. After enduring a long struggle and paying a heavy price in to form of blood and money, the Sikhs won control of their Gurdwaras in

1925.

The first and one of the best actions they took was to appoint a committee to decide and put in writing the Sikh Reht Maryada to be followed by all Sikhs. The committee worked for many years, and sifted through all the available scriptures and writings of the times of Guru Gobind Singh. They finally presented the results of their research to the Sikh community. After

receiving comments from all sections of the Sikh community, the final form of the Sikh Reht Marayada was approved and published by the Gurdwara Committee, Amritsar.

It is this booklet which we should popularize and follow, even it we, individually, have different opinions. If a Sikh wants a change in it, the best course for him is to present his suggestions with logical arguments and authenticated evidence to the Khalsa Panth for consideration.

(v) It must be mentioned here that interference in the Sikh faith by certain forces against Sikhs and Sikhism is always widespread. Concerted efforts are often made by these forces to confuse the issues more, rather than let them to be decided by Sikh scholars. The Nirankari Sect, practicing anti-Sik

h Reht, but claiming themselves to be Sikhs, are supported and helped by the political enemies of the Sikhs. These false Nirankaris disrespect the Guru Granth Sahib publicly and criticize the Reht in their writings and speeches. Sikhs have protested against this

strongly. The government in power, rather than stopping Nirankaris from hurting the Sikh feelings, sided with them, resulting in the 1978 episode and later genocide of the Sikhs in 1984.

There are many other anti Sikh splinter groups sponsored and supported by the government to mislead the Sikhs. There are, however, many genuine Sikhs who want certain changes/additions in the Sikh Reht Maryada booklet. The suggestion to such Sikhs is that they observe the Maryada already prescribed by the Gurdwara Committee, Amritsar, and hold on to it for the present for the sake of Panthic unity. This is not the proper time for making changes and asserting individual thoughts on the Khalsa Panth. Let the Khalsa first resolve the current life and death struggle before this topic is put on the agenda.

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My opinion:

we all know that various Panthic groups have formed their own written Rehits....online we have of Rehits of AKJ, Damdami Taksal, so on....

however AKJ on their site show us a written rehit maryada....but it is not complete...that is mainly their views about the 4-5 controversial points...meat, keski, bibeek-sarbloh, pad-ched printing and raag maala.....AND does not work as the fullfledged Rehit because it does not say anything about Amrit and so on...so Sikh Rehit Maryada should be considered the Panthic Rehit, ALSO by AKJers...

Damdami Taksal although has a 'complete' Rehit....and so do almost all other Deras and Samparyadas....but they are not online....

the thing is that all these organizations argue with the SGPC/mainsteam Sikhs about certain issues and are bacially FOR having a Panthic Rehit Maryada....but since their views are not followed they have made their

own Maryada....this gives them lesser opportunities to discuss such affairs at a Panthic level because SGPC/mainstream Sikhs can just say:' how come you discuss these matters when you do not accept the One Rehit given by Akal Takht? since you have made your own Rehits...you are no more then cults and are not part of Sikh Panth!'

in a similar way the 'modern' Sikhs have something to say against some points of this One Rehit.....such as Dr. Chahal how on his site chahal.info (?) writes a lot of things....in an acadamic way and says that the this Rehit should be edited......i believe the non-kesadharis also want to say something about this...

but to my understanding they have not created any "modern Sikh Rehit Maryada" as Samparyadas/Jathebanidan have their "Puraataan Sikh Rehit Maryada"....

so the right way is to YES! discuss and say your opinions about the Rehit...but DO NOT write new documents...so that after this century we have maybe 1000 different Rehits!

if you have anything that you feel is to be "changed" or edited in the Rehit...then firdt of all contact some local GurSikhs and ask for their opinion....secondly write to known Sikh scholars/Gianis and maybe after reading their reply you might change your mind.....aif not, write a letter to Akal Takht where you ask for a meeting to be held where Surbat Khalsa can deciede which point of the Rehit is best according to Gurmat...

and finally say your opinions at Surbat Khalsa meeting....and after that new issues may arise and similar meetings to be held......BUT EITHER WAY this One is your Rehit! THIS ONE is your constitution...! no other! i also have some things that i feel should be revised in the Rehit....mainly the same as Taksal...but also some points by modern Sikh scholars.....but still i consider THIS as our Code and no other!

:T:

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

There IS only one Rehat...people just choose to ignore the Panth's commandment and do whatever they wish. The loser is the Sikh Panth from these battles.

[Guest learner singh]

Admin Note: This is not a forum to bash AKJ, Taksal or anyone who might be unlike to you. So please choose a better place to post your opinions which you cannot support with facts.

[Deep Singh]

yeah...i got this one from sikhawarness forum...

i believe the article is taken from a book by Dr. Gurbaksh Singh [he is a Sikh research scholar who has worked fro SGPC before...and now lives in US i think....not the same person as kala...]

http://www.sikhpoint.com/religion/Questions_new.asp

(chapter 3 question 1)

i think the book is great...

[Guest learner singh]

Admin Note: This is not a forum to bash AKJ, Taksal or anyone who might be unlike to you. So please choose a better place to post your opinions which you cannot support with facts.

Where did you see me bashing? Writing truth is bashing? Also, deep singh posted after me so confirm with him if I was bashing.

I wrote Akj supports that "Keski" is Kakkar as compare to most of the panth which believes in Kesh ( hair ) as kakkar. Also I mentioned that Rag Maal is forced as "NOT gurbani" in Akj group as compare to Hukumnama which is simple that its upto you but forcing it on follower is quiet opposite.

Can you support your "editing" with facts?

:D

[Deep Singh]

i remember that Learner Singh asked whether i took this post from Sikhawarenss forum....and that i answared in my post.....

and no i can not recall where he bashed Akj or Taksal....maybe our Admins are just little frustrated over the recent "bashing" of Akj and other jathe done at various sites, particularly Sikhawareness.....

so my advice to both learner jee and admin sahib that chill down guys.... live in peace and harmony.....

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

Learner Singh Ji, I am intrigued by your wording...that the AKJ forces people to do things. How so? What do you mean force? Will the threaten you...or physically harm you?

Please, explain this terminology.

[Guest learner singh]

Sat Sri Akal:

Learner Singh Ji, I am intrigued by your wording

Sorry brother, and I will explain it to make you feel better.

..that the AKJ forces people to do things. How so? What do you mean force? Will the threaten you...or physically harm you?

No, not physically but mentally by showing all the literature and books to convince me that "Ragmala" is not Gurbani. I hope I cleared it for you.

My personal belief is in favour of Akal Thakat sahib that its up to us whatever we consider it as, but when someone is spending 4-5 hours to show you and try his best to convince you that its not gurbani then I assume we can claim that he tried to force his views on us.

[me moorakh mugadh]

My personal belief is in favour of Akal Thakat sahib that its up to us whatever we consider it as, but

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

pyare learner veerje the answer u have given by ur self so why to debate on this topic :D )

there are no if and buts after this :D