A Confused Punjabi-Sikh Girl

[kanwars]

"I hold my religion very close to my heart... however I am very critical of Punjabi culture, and I do notice the bad things like: double-standard in men and women, racism towards other cultures, caste system, extreme pride in having a 'good' family. Many Punjabi people say that I am departing from my beliefs and morals because I absolutely love music and to dance...."

First I am really sorry you feel so lost and alone and isolated. You are absolutely correct in identifying many of the vices that prevailed in Punjab (and which originally triggered Sikhism as a reformist faith) but which have crept back in. It has been a great failure that we do not universally provide safe non-judgmental environments for children of first generation immigrant Sikhs in Australia, USA, UK etc., and that we do not better address the social concerns many of them have.

You are right to be concerned about social pressures, which ARE unfair, but try not to let them dishearten you about Sikhi. True Sikhs do not care whether you sing or dance or wear a salwar kameez or a pair of jeans, only that you be good and charitable and that your heart be pure...

 

[Aulakh]

Gurfateh to all the members
Spirtual living is not a part time activity,it is holistic living, involving outer form and inner qualities.Real religion, if I may use this word, starts with self and spreads beyond.All efforts to change others will be effective only when one has changed oneself.All the social problems stem from individuals and can be corrected or tackled at that level only.The concept of Sangat in Sikhism is to learn from others in the Sangat and transform oneself,human beings learn by seeing and copying.But if thre is none in the Sangat whom we can see and copy then the purpose of Sangat remains unrealized.So changing others is futile, we have to change ourselves,it will lead tofurther unhappiness.