simi

what do you think puts people off taking amrit? i haven't taken amrit myself and i was just wondering what the amrit dhari people and the non amritdhari people think is the reasoning behind it- not just my reasons but why there are thousands of sikhs who are non amritdhari.

sum one jus rote that the reason behind eyebrow plucking is to "Logic, obviously to beautify yourself, especially if you have bushy eyebrows? "- but i thought the argument was that beauty comes from within?

btw- i do paath every morning, i can read punjabi so i have read parts of the Guru Granth Sahib. I do kirtan and my dad often tells me the morning of pauri's and i sometimes read the english translation. Why do people assume that people with opposing views to themselves havent read the guru granth sahib? everyone interpretes Gurbani in their own way.

why dont we walk around naked? where hiding gods creation with cloths aren't we? we are altering what god gave us by hiding it, adding to it or changing it? WE apply cloths like we apply makeup!

shere khalsa da: your entitled to your opinion about no amrit dhari people not being real sikhs. But i disagree with you in a real way. Most of the Guru's hadn't taken Amrit. Many followers who are hindu and muslim hold Guru Ji's pictures up in their houses and worship our Guru's. I haven't taken amrit but i don't cut my hair. I feel that only God can judge who is more or less sikh. Thats what puts off alot of people from coming gurudwara- actually some of my friends. One of my friends is one of the nicest people i've ever met and she's sikh. She dresses modestly and comes to the gurudwara and some of the women talk about her because she cuts her hair- my auntie heard them. Another friend went to the gurudwara before school, in school uniform (trousers, shirt, blazer) and the women at the gurudwara said you shouldn't come to the gurudwara dressed like that. Her mum said she's going to school. And the woman said "it doesnt matter". People judge other people too much- its got to stop. Theres only one supreme being who had the right to make judgements. For example: You can be an amritdhari but you may not be a good person. So are you proud to have that person classified as a Sikh even though they may be a bad person and be dishonest? And if theres a generous, caring man who comes from a sikh family but hasn't taken amrit- then that person is less of a sikh than the amrit dhari?? Like i said- let god judge! Fateh

kaur- you made a comment about not wearing makeup before your married. May i ask why? Personally i disagree with that statement as i don't really think it matters whether its before or after your married.

personally i don't anything wrong with girls wearing makeup. Women have been doing it for centuries, trying to make their skin look healthier and lips look redder. It boosts your self esteem, makes you feel good. I'm not saying wear it everyday but like when you go out to a school prom for example i don't see nothing wrong with wearing a bit of foundation, lipstick and eyeliner. If you start saying girls shouldn't wear makeup basically its being restrictive and relgion shouldn't be restrictive. What puts many people, especially girls off taking amrit is restrictions such as not wearing makeup. Some people make their own rules. I have a friend who's mother says she is not allowed to go out alot as an amritdhari kuri shouldn't in case someone sees her. Also she has to do paath at certain times so she can't go out then. Ok i'm going off the point but like someone said before makeup accentuates what god has already blessed you with. When a woman is pregnant God accentuates her lips so she looks more attractive so her partner stays with her. (more blood goes to the lips. Also when they say a pregnant woman looks glowing its because her skin looks better. See God also puts his own makeup on women to make them look prettier. You can argue: then just wait for God to do it but i don't see nothing wrong with a woman also making herself feel confident by applying makeup!

lalleshvari- u crack me up! lol! i read wot u wrote on this thread and on the eybrow plucking one! lol

i think this debate can go on for ages! but i agree with lalleshvari- the amtter is debateable and i think everyone should be entitled to do what they please and are happy with when it come to eyebrow plucking shaving etc- only God can judge! thank you everyone for ur input.

yeah i know they'll grow back bushier- thats whats stopping me! And its not an attitude as such- its just a fact- i know its a commitment i cant make. I enjoy being a sikh and many people will say to me that if you pluck your eyebrows then your less of a sikh- and i know many of you will agree with that statement but my own opinion is that only God can say who is less of a Sikh. Also i believe that religion should be something that you enjoy and you should not feel restricted. And not plucking your eyebrows TO ME is a restriction that i don't fully agree with or am happy with. Many people will say you've got to make sacrifices- and i do, but ones i'm happy with. I personally like keeping my hair long, doing kirtan and doing paath because i enjoy it and i feel at peace. I can see conter arguments like: If someone feels restricted then they should cut there hair? Someone can seem like the most religious person in the world yet have the filthiest thoughts, and be very dishonest- again only God can judge whether that person is commiting a sin by cutting their hair as they may have the purest heart, be generous and pray alot. I don't know if i'm making sense to anyone but those are my thoughts and many of you will be thinking what a load of so and so but oh well!

i know it shouldn't be about physical appearence but unfortunetly in todays society it is! culture and relgion clash in a major way- its difficult and yes it is hard to overcome it and people do. I wouldn't ever cut the hair on my head as that is my identity. I haven't touched my eyebrows yet but its likely i will in a few years. Many people will say to me whats the difference between the hair on your head and eyebrows? and i will say that i dont have an answer. Also many people will say to me that if you were to get married you would want a singh with a dastaar and a beard and yet you wish to remove eye brow hair and again i don't have an answer. But i really respect the women who don't remove any hair. I went to the gurudwara yesterday and i saw women with small beards. They have immense strength not to remove those hairs. Unfortunetly i dont posses that strength.

i understand what your saying canadian jathi- thats why i started this thread- basically people are saying you can't pierce your ears but on wedding days you get these gold earings to wear. They say you shouldn't wear makeup- but on your wedding day they pile it on like lotion and put mehndi on you as well- and that yellow stuff that makes you fair. And i have cousin brothers who are gursikh and when they watch the tele and see girls who have plucked their eyebrows and have cut their hair- they say she's pretty but i've never heard them say- look at that gursikh kuri- isn't she pretty! i understand that not all guys are like that and that they understand real beauty- but they are hard to find!!!!

imho- i agree with the people on this thread that say it is all right to remove hair in extreme cases like surgery. When having surgery such as removing a brain tumor, they sometimes dnt ask your consent because they make think you are incompitent to make the decision- therefore they just do it- the patient sometimes aint got a choice. Also again Guru Ji would want us to be healthy and well and i feel waheguru would forgive us for hair removal in extreme cases. A family member was diagnosed with cancer and they had to have chemotherepy- she was a mother of 2- and an amritdhari and she had the treatment as is now happy and well- would you say she sinned??? she fought like a sighni against a disease that would have destroyed her family and left her children without a mother. She is now growing back her hair and it is already shoulder length. IMHO- waheguru makes our hair grow back to a certain length as a sign of forgiveness- as in everyone can make a clean start- and it aint a sin as it grows back.

mugemach singh- wot u said is completely right. so if a amritdhari person for example was telling lies all day and then a non amritdhari who's heart was pure and was a good person had the chance of making langar or parshaad who would you pick? i'm not amritdhari but my mumiji is and she still eats at our house. i do paath, i dont cut my hair nor do i drink, i eat meat though. Someone said previously that a meat eater may not be trusted to make food? i have ultimate respect for my mumiji for making such a sacrifice for guru ji, i would never even think of ever putting meat in her food or any thing like that! everyone has the right to serve their guruji no matter what!

me 2!

i want a singh with a dastaar when i get married- i respect singhs with dastaars- they look like guru ji's warriors man- but he has 2 be into sikhi and has to have the same interests as me! i know i'm asking alot but oh well! i'm a sikh gal- most of my friends cut their hair- i'm the exception and i'm proud to be- i dnt want 2 b a clone of dem gals with their hair up 2 shoulders, wearing long black coats, black trousers and tops from "Time"! To me my hair is a gift from GOd and my identity! SORRY IF I OFFENDED ANYONE!

k i'll try- its jus that its a shame coz he soo angry soo much of the time and i want him 2 stop being and just be happy! he doesn't believe in God and feels God is a creation that people made.

thanks RK- honestly that made me think! well keep following Guru Ji's path n i'll try 2! ur an inspiration and have courage which i'm gonna have 2 find from sumwhere!

think about all the things you have that is good in your life and that God has gifted you with. But it seems the way you are doing Naam Simran is a good technique coz you crying shows that its really touching you. I love music so maybe try doing simran using a waja or a musical instrument- it works for me.

he doesn't believe in reincarnation

k, thats fine- u entitled 2 ur opinion!

well basically he was a child only 4 wen he went through alot of things in his life. He had to grow up fast and prayed for God to protect him when he was young and he said God never helped him. Afterwards he stopped believing in God and i told him that he doens't know what he's missing out on. And he replied people only believe in God for hope- he said they want to believe in a happy ending so they created God- to give them hope.

Does the guru Granth sahib say about formal education?

sort of similar to what my sikh brother asked before.. i have a gora friend who doesn't understand why we believe in God. In his life he has been through alot at a young age and when he asked god to help him and protect him he said God never came to help him. When i said that God has been there for me wen i have needed God and he said what makes you soo special- as in there are thousands of starving kids and why doesn't God come and take away their pain. And i honestly didn't know what to say- i jus said god brings them hope and thats a gift. And things happen for a reason. I honestly didn't know what to say! What would you say?

i have close family that live in Kenya- any basically its getting really bad down there- as in they cant go out wen it gets dark, and loadsa people are turning to crime as in the natives are just to earn a living! violence is a everyday occurence!