The 10Ks that please God

[Guest G.Kaur]

E-mail I got..............................

Dear members: Like to share this illuminating message that I

came across from unknown source identifying himself or herself

as "dust of your feet"--indicating the humility of the writer. The

10k's are Keski, Kesh,Kanga, Kirpan,Kara, Kacha,Khanda,

KHALISTAN,KAUM and KHALSA PANTH.

With regards to all,

dr sukhraj singh dhillon

USA

************************************

ik oankar satnaam kartapurakh gurprasad||

Something I and every Sikh soon realises is that there are alot of

contradictions in the religion.This confuses the seeker and many get

disillusioned and leave the path. Or just carry on the path but

never really understand why.

For example take the 5Ks, they are very visible symbols of the

religion. Everyone knows about them. Everyone says Guru Gobind Singh

Ji told us to wear them. When I started wearing them I along with

many other Sikhs I know went through a stage of thinking I am better

than the people who are not wearing them. Because we had the belief

that by strictly wearing these symbols it showed Guru Gobind Singh

Ji how much we loved him. And that would mean we will be blessed.

However, when we read the Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji we quickly

learnt that NOT ONE SINGLE EXTERNAL symbol or uniform or ritual

gives us salvation. And that believing any symbol , any religious

uniform or any religious ritual was going to please God was false.

So there we were CONFUSED. On one side you have the relgion saying

we need all these symbols, uniforms and rituals. But the very Guru

we have infront of us r

ight now says they are USELESS. Only NAAM is

of any use.

Then I found that most Sikhs I know choose to follow what the

religion says and keep on getting harder in the symbols, uniforms

and rituals. And totally ignore what their Guru Granth Sahib ji is

telling them. We keep saying Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji is our Guru,

so read the following from our Guru and apply it to our own attitude

towards the 5Ks,Bana and Sikh rituals.

I realise that some Sikhs will feel offended that this email is

challenging what they hold most dear. But this is not meant to

offend. Guru Gobind Singh ji gave us all these external things in

1699, but he also told us that Guru Granth Sahib ji is now our Guru.

So why dont we put the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib ji - our Guru

right now, HIGHER THAN ANYTHING that has gone before? And stop

judging others who dont have the same Sikh appearance?

If we put the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib Ji higher than even our

Sikh religious practises, we would be the greatest, open minded,

loving hearts,full of naam that the world had ever seen.

Read the following quotes carefully and apply them to our own Sikh

practises - they are the benchmark of Truth:

Keski : The Turban that pleases God nwpwk pwku kir hdUir hdIsw swbq

sUriq dsqwr isrw ]12] (1084-9, mwrU, mÚ 5) Purify what is impure,

and let the Lord's Presence be your religious tradition.Let your

total awareness be the turban on your head. ||12||

Kesh : The Hairstyle that pleases God kbIr pRIiq iek isau kIey Awn

duibDw jwie ] (1365-15, slok, Bgq kbIr jI)BwvY lWby kys kru BwvY

Grir mufwie ]25] (1365-16, slok, Bgq kbIr jI) Kabeer, when you are

in love with the One Lord, duality and alienation depart. You may

have long hair, or you may shave your head bald. ||25||

Kanga : The comb that pleases God kbIr inRp nwrI ikau inMdIAY ikau

hir cyrI kau mwnu ] (1373-2, slok, Bgq

kbIr jI) Eh mWg svwrY ibKY

kau Eh ismrY hir nwmu ]160] (1373-2, slok, Bgq kbIr jI) Kabeer, why

do you slander the wife of the king? Why do you honor the slave of

the Lord? Because one combs her hair for corruption, while the other

remembers the Name of the Lord. ||160||

Kirpan : The sword that pleases God miq gur Awqm dyv dI KVig joir

prwkuie jIA dY ] (966-17, rwmklI, blvMif qy sqw) Guru (Nanak Ji)

implanted the almighty sword of the Teachings to illuminate his

(Guru Angad Ji) soul.

Kara : The bangle that pleases God hir hir hwru kMiT ly pihrY

dwmodru dMqu lyeI ] (359-10, Awsw, mÚ 1) kr kir krqw kMgn pihrY ien

ibiD icqu DryeI ]2] (359-10, Awsw, mÚ 1) If the bride wears the

Lord's Name, as the garland around her neck, if she uses the Lord as

her toothbrush;and if she fashions and wears the Creator as the

bracelet around her wrist,then she shall hold her consciousness

steady. ||2||

Kacha : The underwear that pleases God duie DoqI bsqR kpwtM ] (1353-

8, shsik®qI, mÚ 1) jo jwnis bRhmM krmM ] (1353-8, shsik®qI, mÚ 1) sB

Pokt inscY krmM ] (1353-8, shsik®qI, mÚ 1) khu nwnk inscO iD´wvY ]

(1353-9, shsik®qI, mÚ 1) ibnu siqgur bwt n pwvY ]1] (1353-9,

shsik®qI, mÚ 1) You wear two loin cloths, and keep your head

covered. If you know God and the nature of karma,you know that all

these rituals and beliefs are useless.Says Nanak, meditate on the

Lord with faith.Without the True Guru, no one finds the Way. ||1||

Khanda : The path of the double edged sword that leads to God mwn

attachment myr qyr ibbrijq eyhu mwrgu KMfy Dwr ]3] (534-13,

dyvgMDwrI mÚ 5) To forsake pride, emotional attachment, and the

sense of 'mine and yours', is the path of the double-edged sword.

||3||

Khalistan : The Kingdom of the Pure jo suKu pRB goibMd kI syvw so

suKu rwij n lhIAY ]1] rhwau ] (336-8, gauVI,Bgq kbIr jI) The peace

r>which is obtained by serving God, the Lord of the Universe -that

peace cannot be found in kingdoms or power. ||1||Pause|| koit rwj

nwm Dnu myrY AMimRq idRsit Dwrhu pRB mwn ]1] (716-11, tofI, mÚ 5)

The wealth of the Naam is worth millions of kingdoms to me; O God,

please bless me with Your Ambrosial Glance of Grace. ||1||

Kaum : The Greatest Tribe Twkur mih TkurweI qyrI komn isir komw ]1]

(507-11, gUjrI, mÚ 5) Among masters, You are the Master. Among

tribes, Yours is the Supreme Tribe. ||1||

Khalsa Panth : Path of the Pure mnu Ariphu haumY qjhu iequ pMiQ

julweIAw ] (1098-14, mwrU, mÚ 5) I dedicate my mind to Him, and

renounce my ego. This is the Path which I shall take.

dust of your feet