My Hair, My Principle, My Honor, My Uniform

harpritgr8 · #1 (**permalink**) 20-Nov-2011, 09:55 AM

It amazes me to see so many Sikh fighting and arguing with each other on the issue of hairs. Makes me wonder why are we doing this? Makes me wonder whom are we trying to change and for what purpose? Makes me also wonder what are we trying to justify?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/hard-talk/37632-my-hair-my-principle-my-honor.html

Honestly, the youth will get more confused day by day if our elders keep on arguing amongst themselves on issues of hair. I don’t understand, why few people insist in scaring the youth? They say, “If you cut your hair you are committing a sin! If you cut your hair you are going to go in hell!” I thought there was no such thing!

Try to inspire and not dictate - Teach Sikhi; not fear!

Let alone the youth or elders, few so called scholars and the leant ones also argue with each other on these issues. For instance, I have been reading many emails and come across books giving a scientific reason why we should not cut our hair. Other emails say, “You are not a Sikh if you do not keep your hair.” “God will punish you for that.” “You are going against the nature” These emails keep on going and going trying to change someone’s minds. I ask, for what reason? What are these emails and books trying to achieve? Khalsa! I ask is this the way we will achieve pureness?

On the other side, the people who cut their hair say, “Sikhism is from inside and not outside.” Hmm, I really don’t know what to say! Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. Recently, I ask one of a Sikh guy in our university about Sikhism. He says, “If religion cannot make me happy then I don’t have to follow.” Now how can I comment on this? What do I say? I don’t understand what are these people trying to justify? Are we twisting things to match our own personal needs? Or are we confused? Or do we simply not understand? There certainly seems to be something fundamentally wrong here.

I always wonder why we persist in finding mistakes in others? Why does Sikhs who cut hairs use examples like, “Oh I saw a turbaned Sikh smoking a cigarette.” What are you trying to accomplish by saying this? What are you trying to justify? Why cannot we use examples of Guru Gobind Singh? Why do we use examples of some crocks?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=37632

Recently in our university I saw a turbaned Sikh smoking a cigarette. I felt really bad and ashamed. However, I did not think or say that if he smokes cigarette then I can drink! I don’t want to jump from a bridge if rest of the world is doing so! What is the link between this and us not following the Sikh principles? Who or what is stopping us? Can this man smoking a cigarette stop us? Why do we have to justify our actions with his?

Quite honestly, the sentence “Sikhi is from within” has started to annoy me. Just like in United State people use the ‘dude’ a lot – Us Sikhs use the sentence ‘Sikhi is from within’ a lot. It has become very popular saying. It may not mean much for most who say this, but they say it anyways. Then again, who am I to judge someone’s claim?

Back to the other side of the coin, many Sikhs insist in telling others why they should keep hairs. They give biological reason, they give religious reasons, and they give philosophical reasons. But nothing works. You know why it does not work?

It does not work because you cannot teach someone how to feel. It does not work because you cannot teach someone how to love. I do not know the biological importance of keeping hair and I do not feel it has anything to do with keeping hairs. I do not believe that by keeping hairs I will attain a higher standard in Gods eyes or I will attain spirituality.

I keep my hairs to honor our Gurus. I keep my hairs as a uniform. I keep my hairs as my principle. I keep my hairs because I feel the importance of my hairs. I keep my hairs because I love my Guru.

Guru Ji is my role model whom I follow. It should be my goal in life to be like him both from inside and outside.

Sikhi can never be enforced neither can it be thought! You may teach History! You may teach Philosophy! You may teach Panjabi or Gurmuki! But you cannot teach a way of life! You cannot teach how to understand! You cannot teach how to feel!

I think, the day we start feeling we will understand that we cannot teach others what we have. We can only inspire and leave the rest to the person to decide.

I can only speak for myself. The rest of us have to find our own answers in our own ways. I cannot dictate others what is right and what is wrong. It is up to God to decide.

All I ask for us is to stop fighting over this issue and stop pointing fingers at others trying to justify our own actions. Instead use our energy to inspire others. There are so many of us who need a lot of inspirations and less confusion. These issues only make our lives difficult.

source : my old mail dated 2005 , must be from some blog . I tried searching the source on internet but could not find .