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Who Is Sehajdhari? A Question As Old As The 1925 Sikh Gurdwara Act

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Who is a 'sehajdhari'?



CHANDIGARH: For the past several years, the Sikh community has been besieged by confusion and legal conflicts in the absence of clarity on the term 'Sehajdhari'. The present development arising out of withdrawal of a notification by the central government is all set to create further confusion.

Community leaders point that the original Sikh Gurdwara Act of 1925 had three basic terms related to Sikhs - amritdhari Sikhs, keshdhari Sikhs and patit. Amritdhari being those who had partaken Amrit, prepared and administered according to the tenets of Sikh religion and rites, at the hands of panj pyaras. Keshdhari were those who were yet to partake Amrit and evolve into the 'pure' form of Khalsa.

The leaders, quoting various amendments in the Act, say that Patit, or apostates were those who being a Keshadhari, trimmed or shaved the hair or beard, or who after taking amrit, commits any one or more of the social evils described in the Sikh rehat maryada (code of conduct) governing Sikhs. It inherently implied that that keeping hair is the basic identity of a Sikh, besides being one of the five 'K', which an Amritdhari Sikh have to maintain).

A similar definition was presented in the HC by the SGPC in 2008, during a case involving admission of a Sikh girl into an SGPC run institution. Her case was eventually rejected after the community leaders and legal experts decided the definition of Sikh, wherein only a Keshadhari could be called a Sikh. "A person born into a Sikh family cannot claim to be a Sehajdhari by trimming or cutting his/her hair, beard or eyebrows in any manner," the SGPC affidavit stated.


"Sehajdhari term came to be included in the Act in 1959, when Pepsu states were merged in Punjab. The word is a combination of two terms 'Sehaj' (gradually) and 'Dhari' (loosely translated as 'evolving'), or someone who evolved slowly as Sikhs,'' says former general secretary of SGPC Manjit Singh Calcutta, citing Mahan Kosh, the Sikh encyclopedia. "It means that persons outside Sikh religion, who want to embrace Sikhism gradually through the phases of Keshdhari and Amritdhari, can be called Sehajdhari. Those who are born in Sikh families, but who get their hair shorn are 'patit' and not 'sehajdharis'."

However, many, including Sehajdhari Sikh Federation president Paramjit Singh Ranu, who had filed the petition in the high court, question this interpretation. "Those born in Sikh families, who had never maintained hair, could not be called 'patit', and only the amritdhari Sikhs, who cut their hair can be called 'patit'.''

With traditional community leaders opposing the entry of those who do not abide by the Sikh rehat maryada, the conflict is likely to continue.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Who-is-a-sehajdhari/articleshow/9830416.cms
 

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Sehajdhari Issue: As Old as the Gurdwara Act


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Sehajdhari issue as old as Gurdwara Act
Prabhjot Singh/TNS
Chandigarh, September 2

Even after 86 years of legislation to administer historic gurdwaras, the debate over recognition of Sehajdharis as Sikhs continues. Though the term Sehajdhari Sikh finds no mention in the more recent Acts, including the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act or the Acts that govern Takhts at Hazur Sahib (Nanded) or Patna Sahib, it was incorporated in the original Gurdwara Act: 1925 in 1959 by including Section 2(10-A).


The debate over the issue becomes centrestage every time elections to the SGPC are held.
In the first 12 or 13 elections to the general house of the SGPC, Sehajdhari Sikhs exercised their right to vote. They were defranchised in 2003 when the general house of the SGPC passed a resolution to that effect. Subsequently, the Union Home Ministry put its stamp of approval on the general house decision on October 8, 2003, notifying that Sehajdhari Sikhs were no more part of the electoral college of the SGPC.

This notification was challenged by the Sehajdharis in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. They, however, did not get any reprieve as the 2004 SGPC elections were held without restoration of their voting right.

Since the withdrawal of right to vote was notified in 2003 and the 2004 elections were held without Sehajdharis on the electroal rolls, the withdrawal of the notification now would have created both legal and social problems.

Histrorically speaking, the term word Sehajdhari finds no mention either in any of the Sikh granths or the Sikh Rehat Maryada. In 2008, when the issue of defining a Sikh was taken up by the Constitution Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the Gurleen Kaur vs SGPC case, the Sehajdhari issue figured nowhere though references were made to Amritdhari” (baptised) Sikhs, non-baptised Sikhs and “patit” Sikhs , those who have cut or plucked their hair.

The Bench had concluded that only those who maintain “Sikhi swarup” and follow the Sikh Gurus, Guru Granth Sahib and do not believe in any other religion or faith can be considered as Sikhs.

Even at that time, though the SGPC had submitted an affidavit defining Sehajdhari Sikhs, it was later withdrawn following objections from various quarters. While the Sehajdharis maintain they follow the Sikh tenets, they do not agree with the definition of the SGPC .

Other schools of thought clubbed the Sehajdharis with traditional Punjabi Hindu families that raised their eldest son as a Sikh. Another difference of opinion between Sehajdharis and the SGPC has been over “patit” Sikhs. Some believe that those who deviate from the “rehat” after getting “baptised” become “patit”. The Sehajdharis, however, subscribe to the belief that any non-baptised Sikh who cuts hair or plucks hair is “patit”.

The definition of Sikh had generated an animated debate at a time when the draft of the All-India Gurdwara Act was being approved. At that time, the SGPC had endorsed the definition of Sikh as mentioned in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act.

Looking back, Sehajdharis, especially those in some parts of western Punjab (now in Pakistan), were recognised as Sikhs as they believed only in Guru Granth Sahib and gurdwaras. Since the Sikhs enjoyed some special facilities at that time, the same were extended to Sehajdhari Sikhs. It is part of history that certificates issued by the SGPC got them recognition as Sehajdhari Sikhs. They all followed Sikh rites and rituals.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110903/punjab.htm#8
Rajneesh Madhok
 

Scarlet Pimpernel

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Re: Who is a Sehajdhari? Truth or Fiction?

Spnadmin Ji,if the terms origin was related to a geographic occurence could it then not be applied to those born or brought up in the West. As those poor souls must be allowed time to assimilate.(A long shot but worth a try )I much prefer the shorter label too ,as I already have adopted it as my identity!
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

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Re: Sehajdhari issue as old as Gurdwara Act

a person BORN into a SIKH Family...growing up in Sikhism..still trims his beard and shaves, cuts his hair etc...what "sehaj" is that ?? Most of such actually had dataars and long Hair..well into their TEENS..before they went and CUT it ( as we can see from frequent news emdia articles..)..so how are they "sehaj"...trying to ENTER Sikhi ?? They are LEAVING Sikhi...
Those in teh WEST born in Catholic, Jewish, Christian etc etc families..grew up NOT SIKH...well into their TEENS only decided to embrace SIKHI ands began to wear datsaars keep eksh etc...and chhak Amrit...they are NOT sehajdharees as well..they CROSSED the LINE IMMEDIATELY from NON_Sikh to SIKH...this is similar to one who converts to Islam..Christianity etc...there is NO "sehaj".....enter Islam slowly over a few years..?? One has to recite the Klama, undergo circumciison(unreversible) and declare oenself Muslim..and thats it...why sikhi is treated differently..??

Its just an EXCUSE to be "sikh" and yet NOT be SIKH ..just Bow to SGGS BUT dont Follow what its Gurbani Says.....have a cake and eat it too...GENUINELY SEHAJDHAREE wILL make a conscious decision to STOP SHAVING..and never shave again...start follwoing Gurbani immediately...like those in the WEST do...CROSS the LINE !! or DONT.
 

OSingh

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Re: Sehajdhari issue as old as Gurdwara Act

Totally agree with giani Jarnail Singh ji that nobody can be born a Sikh.

This can be proved using Gurbani.

If one is born into a family of doctors that doesn't make he/she a doctor, he/she will have to go to university and get the relevant qualifications.

One has to learn Gurmukhi, maintain rehat, abstain from intoxicants, have good moral character, have amritvela and do paath of required banis.

If one is desperate to vote in SGPC elections surely that person will make an effort to keep kesh, read bani etc.

Keeping kesh does not constitute a Sikh, this is just one part of being a Sikh. If that Sikh still takes intoxicants, has bad morals, doesn't read bani he/she can never be a Sikh.

By the way, this not attack on Sehajdhari's, a Sehajdhari is a person that is genuinely walking on the path towards Sikhi, these type of Sehajdhari's I love. However as SGPC is such an important institution, I only want genuine Sikhs participating in the elections. Badal and Sarna are not interested in the chardikala of Sikhi, they only want to win, by any means neccessary. They will use this Sehajdhari clause to get votes from Hindus, Muslims etc under the name of Sehajdhari, this is just plain corruption.

Thats why in my opinion, SGPC votes should be reserved for baptized Sikhs only, how is somebody going test whether so and so Sehajdhari is genuine or not, its impossible. Make the voting system as simple as possible, this will help cut out the corruption.


Rabb Rakhe
 

Ambarsaria

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Re: Who is a Sehajdhari? Truth or Fiction?

There are only two types of Sikhs,

  • Amritdhari fully compliant with the Sikh Rehat Maryada
  • All others through birth, through choice to slowly become one, non-amritdhari, previously amritdhari that no longer comply per Sikh Rehat Maryada, etc.
List Number 1: Let there be a registration of Amritdhari Singhs worldwide and a simple process to take their name off such if the fail and be added if they become.
List Number 2: There should be a second list of other Sikhs and that should be the end of it.
You create more distinctions you will damage and divide the community into untold fragments and forever.

Sat Sri Akal.
 
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Re: Sehajdhari issue as old as Gurdwara Act

The definition of Sikh:
Any human being who faithfully believes in:
i. One Immortal Being,
ii. Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Sahib to Guru Gobind Singh Sahib,
iii. The Guru Granth Sahib,
iv. The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus and
v. the baptism (or initiation service) bequeathed by the tenth Guru, and who does not
owe allegiance to any other religion, is a Sikh.
In religious terms, a Sikh is defined in Chapter 1, Article 1 of the Sikh Code of
Conduct ... Keshdhari Sikhs who wear the turban do not cut their hair and wear
beards but may or may not be ... constitute part of the Sikh ethnic community. ...
On the other hand, quite a few Sikhs keep the Kesh and wear the turban who are
not ...
http://www.shrg.net/publications/toolkit/SIKHS-v2.pdf

Rajneesh Madhok
 
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Re: Sehajdhari issue as old as Gurdwara Act

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</td> <td class="alt2">swordfight</td> <td class="alt2">
</td></tr></tbody></table>
 

Scarlet Pimpernel

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Re: Who is a Sehajdhari? Truth or Fiction?

Ambarsaria Ji,If there is only one God then there can be only one Sikh.The distinction is more a physical one , when I had a long beard I could not get married and was rejected by 3 western minded girls !eventually an Amritdari family girl was 'lucky 'and accepted .When I later shaved that was a big shock to all of my inlaws!They thought they had chosen a proper Sikh boy.When we get together and take photos I look like the odd one out!
 

Ambarsaria

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Re: Who is a Sehajdhari? Truth or Fiction?

Ambarsaria Ji,If there is only one God then there can be only one Sikh.The distinction is more a physical one , when I had a long beard I could not get married and was rejected by 3 western minded girls !eventually an Amritdari family girl was 'lucky 'and accepted .When I later shaved that was a big shock to all of my inlaws!They thought they had chosen a proper Sikh boy.When we get together and take photos I look like the odd one out!
Sinner ji I agree with one Sikh concept. My suggestion was to proactively have a greater inclusive Sikh populace while recognizing the goals of completeness in an Amritdhari persona. Also to stop infighting and manage affairs of the Khalsa Panth/Nation.

Sat Sri Akal.
 

Scarlet Pimpernel

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Re: Sehajdhari issue as old as Gurdwara Act

there is NO "sehaj".....enter Islam slowly over a few years..?? One has to recite the Klama, undergo circumciison(unreversible) and declare oenself Muslim..and thats it...why sikhi is treated differently..??

Its just an EXCUSE to be "sikh" and yet NOT be SIKH ..just Bow to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji BUT dont Follow what its Gurbani Says.....have a cake and eat it too...GENUINELY SEHAJDHAREE wILL make a conscious decision to STOP SHAVING..and never shave again...start follwoing Gurbani immediately...like those in the WEST do...CROSS the LINE !! or DONT.

Gyani Ji,Some muslims support a beard and some don't, some mulsim women wear a burkha and some don't,they are both considered muslim.Wear does it state in Gurbani that a Sikh must support a beard?
O Veer Ji
It is not easy to see who is on the path and it may be that someone who is not on the path actually is and someone who appears to be on it ,is not .
 

OSingh

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Re: Sehajdhari issue as old as Gurdwara Act

"Gyani Ji,Some muslims support a beard and some don't, some mulim women wear a burkha and some don't,they are both considered muslim.Wear does it state in Gurbani that a Sikh must support a beard?"

Its well known that rehat maryada is not included in Gurbani. Rehat maryada was given to Panj Piare by Guru Gobind Singh ji at Amrit Sanchar in 1699. These rehats have been passed down ever since.

I don't understand why some people ignore this great event in our history, when Satguru ji called for five heads from the Sangat. Rehat maryada was vital then and vital now, only Satguru ji knows the true greatness of each rehat.

Keeping kesh and wearing kakars cannot be bypassed/ignored if one want to be known as a Sikh. Maybe the world will give you title of Sikh, maybe you can fill in forms ticking the 'Sikh' box, maybe you can post messages on forums stating that you are a Sikh, maybe you can vote in election under Sehajdhari, you can decieve the world but not Satguru.

Are we trying to be Sikh of the 'world' or Sikhs of Guru Gobind Singh ji.

Vasakhi of 1699 was when Khalsa was created. Satguru ji himself instructed us to keep kesh so how can we go against bachan (instruction) from Satguru ji himself?

Please read sakhi of shaheed bhai Taru Singh ji, after reading about martyrdom of bhai sahib one will never question importance of kesh, if rehat was not important that mean all of our great shaheeds died for nothing, which is obviously not true. All great Sikhs from Guru Nanak Dev ji to present time were Kesdhari (maintained their hair), name me one great Sikh that cut their hair?

Sri Maan Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh ji - http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/martyrs/tarusingh.html
Parnaam Shaheeda Nuu!

If kesh were not manatory then why did bhai Taru Singh ji give his life for this rehit?

Rabb Rakhe
 

Scarlet Pimpernel

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Re: Sehajdhari issue as old as Gurdwara Act

O Veer Ji,Guru Gobind Singh asked for 5 heads ,he did not say to everyone there that you must adopt this or else!Bhai Taru Singh did what he did because he was already Amritdhari,to forcibly to take away someones Kesh or make them keep Kesh are both wrong.It is not a matter of bypassing anyone or thing,the Guru Ji forgave the forty mukta's and so he will forgive all those who come back to the path or have strayed.The question is what is the path and are you sure you are on it.
 

spnadmin

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Re: Sehajdhari issue as old as Gurdwara Act

Pyare jio

Rehat maryada was given to Panj Piare by Guru Gobind Singh ji at Amrit Sanchar in 1699. These rehats have been passed down ever since.

Point of information: Though many rehats grew up around the quom following the death of Guru Gobind Singh, the rehat maryada was not fashioned until the 20th Century. One of its outstanding features is that it was vetted worldwide and gained acceptance by finding a panthic consensus. The process of finding approval by consensus has implications for this discussion: i.e., whether one can toss aside any measure of Sikhi as an individual.

http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/23141-how-sikhs-got-their-rehat-maryada.html
 

spnadmin

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Re: Sehajdhari issue as old as Gurdwara Act

rajneesh ji

This part of your post underlines the difficulty of the task.

In religious terms, a Sikh is defined in Chapter 1, Article 1 of the Sikh Code of
Conduct ... Keshdhari Sikhs who wear the turban do not cut their hair and wear

beards but may or may not be ... constitute part of the Sikh ethnic community. ...
On the other hand, quite a few Sikhs keep the Kesh and wear the turban who are
not ...
http://www.shrg.net/publications/toolkit/SIKHS-v2.pdf


Rajneesh Madhok

Thanks for posting it. I will be brief. The document is a guideline for employers in England. Valuable to raise awareness of the importance of dastar and kesh, as part of the identity of a Sikh. It also points out in the reading of it that not all Sikhs keep kesh but are still considered Sikhs. So we are not looking at a question that has ever been an easy one to assay. Discussion needs to outline these variations in usage.
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

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Re: Who is a Sehajdhari? Truth or Fiction?

Ambarsaria Ji,If there is only one God then there can be only one Sikh.The distinction is more a physical one , when I had a long beard I could not get married and was rejected by 3 western minded girls !eventually an Amritdari family girl was 'lucky 'and accepted .When I later shaved that was a big shock to all of my inlaws!They thought they had chosen a proper Sikh boy.When we get together and take photos I look like the odd one out!

Ha Ha..Sinner Ji...
many "voters" also feel the same way....when we go to vote..the Candidate declares he is from such and such a Party...for example a Labour....and so the Voters vote for what "Labour" stands for...and then when he wins..the candidate stands up in Parliament and says..Now I am TORY !! He sure looks the odd one out ( to those who "accepted" him...as Labour and voted him based on that)...but then its TOO LATE..at least for 5 years...and for the married ones the choice is..for LIFE..ha ha.
IN Malaysia we have many of these...we call them FROGS...becasue they jump from one side to the other...and in PUNJAB such leaping frogs caused many govts to Fall....becasue in the Election they were AKALIS..and in Parliament they became Congressi....But unlike YOu..i doubt if such politicians feel "odd one out"..becasue they are too thick-skinned to admit it....to them its a culture.."back the winning side"...What has the world coem to...
A film to watch..Ocean of Pearls....where a SIKH surgeon cuts his hair to blend in with the White Heirachy..hoping that will give him a place in the pecking order...hides his new "id" from his staunchly sikh girlfriend and her family becasue hes afraid deep inside she will reject him...and finally discovers that he is now neither a gora nor a sikh..he is like the Dhobi da Kutta..na ghar d na ghaat da...and then he returns to his Sikh ID....roots.
Truth is stranger than FICTION...a LOST SOUL is easily discernible because he stands ona SHORE..looking at the various BOATS...and while those who have deicded..get into their boats and depart..he stands on shore..undecided which boat is right for him...he flies the flags of all the boats...but doesnt realise that no "boat" owner will ever allow him to FLY the other boats FLAG aboard his boat.....so at the END..all hes left with are FLAGS of all the Boats.,....and NO BOAT. Something simialr to a DESI..who migrates to USA...at one point he has to decide which PASSPORT he wnats to hold..India..or USA...he cant have BOTH...BUT a "dreamer" may opt to have "pictures" of ALL the Major Countries' PASSPORTS stuck on His WALL....imagining he is CITIZEN of ALL thsoe countries...hes LOST SOUL...becasue actually hes a citizen of NONE.( although deep inside he knows he actually holds just one passport but hes too full of.....???? to disclose that fact and chooses to fly the flags of many passports....
In RELIGION too GURBANI CLEARLY advises us to place our feet in ONE BOAT....not be in DUBIDHA..doubt ful stage...we have to choose...the choice is ours but we have to choose...NIGURREH da Nau burrah...one without a GURU is worthless..floating aimlessly from boat to boat...
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

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Re: Sehajdhari issue as old as Gurdwara Act

Gyani Ji,Some muslims support a beard and some don't, some mulsim women wear a burkha and some don't,they are both considered muslim.Wear does it state in Gurbani that a Sikh must support a beard?
O Veer Ji
It is not easy to see who is on the path and it may be that someone who is not on the path actually is and someone who appears to be on it ,is not .

Veer Ji,
The shabad often quoted Sabat soorat dastaar sirah..in SGGS is in relation to a MUSLIM with a dastaar...and the essence of that is even for a Muslim the Dastaar only looks "suitable" IF he doesnt BREAK the sabat Soorat image...much more for a SIKH.
Many shabds in which the Sikh GURUS sketch "word images" of their BELOVED (WAHEGURU)..are SABAT SOORAT...long hair, long beards and dastaar wearing. Now the question is why would the GURUS sketch such an image IF they didnt "see" their Beloved Akal Purakh in that image ??
IN the Christian world the Image of GOD is of an old man with a Long flowing BEARD...and the Bible says GOD made MAN in HIS OWN IMAGE !! What Image woudl that be ?? Its clear that the Christians discarded that image long ago..and many sikhs are also DISCARDING the IMAGE our GURUS painted of Akal Purakh.. ( I am just giving the Christian Bible example becasue i noticed the Cross on your wall)

I am NOT giving the shabads as its not my place to spoon feed anyone..and also those who ask..WHERE is it written..are the ones who are simply asking for the sake of asking..the answers can be found if they are interested becasue the SGGS is now freely available everywhere.. I will However DISCUSS the SHABAD in full provided by anyone to "prove" thats a SIKH is required to SHAVE...or thats its mandatory to cut hair in order to be a Sikh. Not in a single shabad has the Sikh Gurus ever described the "sargun" their Beloved Lover Akal purakh as clean shaven.So for me its clear that IF my Gurus' Beloved is dastaar sirrah full keshadharee ( Lammrreh wallah ) then I want that to be MY IMAGE as well.
 

Tejwant Singh

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This question of Sehajdhari , Keshadhari and Amritdhari will not be resolved till we have corrupt honchos of the Akal Takhats, SGPC and of numerous Taksals who misuse Gurmat values given to us in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, our only Guru, to their own personal advantage. And let’s not forget that all these so called big bosses sitting cross-legged on their high chairs are Amritdharis.

Sikhi is a very simple pragmatic way of living that took our visionary Gurus more than 200 years to carve it, through many sacrifices and given to us on a platter as Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, our only Guru-Teacher-GPS- our Tool Box.

Now, the question arises who is a Sikh? Gurbani is full of verses that tell us that a Sikh is the one who breeds goodness within and shares with others irrespective of one’s hue, creed or faith. Sikh Gurdwara is where all are welcome, hence the four doors of Harmander Sahib.

It does not do any justice to compare Sikhi with other religions which are mainly based on dogmas, and hence fenced by their dogmatic walls claiming to hold the “absolute truth” which Sikhi is not about because the first pauri of Jap tells us that Truth is absolute but fluid.

These religions were all created in one generation, by one person and therefore their version of “Truth” stopped in time and became “absolute”.

Most of their scriptures are like the play book; using the American football analogy, rules of do’s and do nots based on what they understood about Ik Ong Kaar during their times. So, it is more an external imposition of the rigid rules rather than the instilling of wills and will nots as an internal manifestation that Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, our only Guru shows us. Gurbani gives us the foundation to be good human beings and how we use that goodness depends on each of us as Sikhs.

One more important thing to point out is that Gurbani and Sikh history are two different things. Our Gurus could have hired great artists of the time to create their own portraits. They could have dictated the history to the academicians of the time or could have written by themselves. They chose not to do either and this point has to be understood and appreciated as a visionary way of instilling wills and will nots rather than dwelling in Me-ism of do’s and do nots. That is why, when we mix Gurbani, Sikh traditions and Sikh history, it becomes not so tasty a gumbo to many because the latter two can be like water and oil because our Gurus did not participate in them, except for some verses by the Bhatts in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

According to Gurbani, one is not born a Sikh but becomes one.

Now, coming back to the original topic of who is Sehajdhari, Keshadhari or Amritdhari .

Gyani ji has eloquently and rightfully mentioned that there is nothing called Sehajdhari in any other religion. People who convert to Sikhi start keeping their hair first and foremost.

So, in other words, keeping unshorn hair is a Sikh tradition etched in our Sikhi psyche. The Brits respected that and saw how important this tradition of unshorn hair and turban was part of Sikhi that they encouraged all to continue. That is why Sikhs’ bravura is well documented in World War l and ll.

If we drop this tradition or claim that this is not important for a Sikhi marg, then we are off the mark because Sikhi look is woven in the Sikhi way of life in how to become a Sikh while looking like one and the latter is explained to us in details in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

Mind you, it is easy to look like a Sikh and pretend to be one as many Muslims did during the 2 wars of 1965 and 1972 against Pakistan. But that is not what a Sikh maketh.

Osingh ji writes:

Thats why in my opinion, SGPC votes should be reserved for baptized Sikhs only, how is somebody going test whether so and so Sehajdhari is genuine or not, its impossible. Make the voting system as simple as possible, this will help cut out the corruption.
I assume that by “ Baptised Sikhs” he means Amritdhari Sikhs. It is a noble thought indeed but we all know the politics behind SGPC are controlled by the Badal group. We all know how these so called Amritdhari Sikhs along with Badal and his cronies go to the Derawalas and prosititute Sikhi to get their voting blocks because many ignorant who call themselves Sikhs follow these charlatans.

Until SGPC is cleaned from corruption and its goals to help other Sikhs grow in a Miri- Piri manner, are not well defined, it matters naught who votes in it because it is all a charade, a kabuki dance in the name of Sikhi. Nothing else.

Sinner ji writes:

Gyani Ji,Some muslims support a beard and some don't, some mulsim women wear a burkha and some don't,they are both considered muslim.Wear does it state in Gurbani that a Sikh must support a beard?
O Veer Ji
It is not easy to see who is on the path and it may be that someone who is not on the path actually is and someone who appears to be on it ,is not
Sinner ji, here you are comparing apples and oranges. For Muslims we are all Kafirs and should be killed if not converted to Islam. Our Sikh history is the proof of all this. Your post shows that there is no rigid tradition in Islam which is a bit misguided because according to the Talibans, there is no option but to keep beard and wear a burka. Even music is shunned.

As mentioned in my post above that Sikh tradition of keeping unshorn hair and Gurbani are intertwined and hence can not be separated.

The beauty of Sikhi is that if you do not follow the Sikhi traditions, you will not be excommunicated, barred from entering any Gurdwara as is required in many religions nor you will be murdered as it often happens in Islam.

So, who is Sehajdhari?

Come to think of it, the name Sikh makes us all Sehajdharis because learning is a slow and lifelong evolving process, but that has nothing to do with shedding the Sikh tradition/look.


Tejwant Singh
 
Jan 1, 2010
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Re: Who is a Sehajdhari? Truth or Fiction?

Sinner ji I agree with one Sikh concept. My suggestion was to proactively have a greater inclusive Sikh populace while recognizing the goals of completeness in an Amritdhari persona. Also to stop infighting and manage affairs of the Khalsa Panth/Nation.

Sat Sri Akal.
In our spiritual books the stress is given on "IK Onkar" means One God. If we elaborate the subject then we conclude that Naam is Prabh and so Prabh is God. In Japji Sahib's Pauri 38, it was very clearly explained by Guru Nanak Dev ji that Naam Juppna--- is the Sikh WAY OF LiFE. In other words we may call it Sikhi or in other words DISCIPLINED LIFE. Guru Amardas ji, Guru Ramdas ji and Guru Arjan Dev ji has elaborated the subject in Guru Granth Sahib.
By the teachings of Gurujis the point highlighted is IK ONKAR then how the matter came to existence like Sehajdaris and all that.
Regards,
Rajneesh madhok
 
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