Question for the Sistas

[Noor]

I was just wondering how many of you have taken amrit and what problems did you face (if any) ?

Also say if one hasnt taken amrit yet, and probably wont til a while when they are ready to do so.. in the meantime what can you do to start to that path?

Appearance wise, what did you do before you took amrit.. besides the obvious one of not cutting hair ?

What was it like..changing your ways? family/friends reactions? the positives? negatives?

[Tejvir Kaur]

hmmmmmmmmmm......i haven't taken amrit yet....but my sister thinks i'm ready to take it on April 30th.....but i don't think i am....i wanted to take it a bit later, but i am trying to memorize all of the nitnem if u haven't already, and well when my sister took amrit i didn't treat her any differently then when she had not taken amrit....except for the fact that i was more proud of her and that she got to carry a kirpan around(childish I know) but yea...it's not like i would love her any less, and well people take amrit in their own views, my view is when i'm ready, people tell me its not about being ready it just about i dunno.......I guess that could answer bits and pieces fo your questions....in a way.....and yes i do plan on taking amrit, when i am mentally ready, whenever that may be....

[Noor]

Well shouldnt you take it when your ready for it instead of when someone else is telling you to take it? I kinda know what you mean because I dont want to take amrit until I'm ready for it.

I read somewhere that we should keep our head covered, does that apply to everyone or have I gotten it wrong?

[tableji]

yeah only u kno wen u are ready to, bt u shud really take ur time

[tableji]

head shud be covered at all times

[Amrikingh]

yep don't wonna show the bold patches, its embrassingh......innit Rupy

[Guest -akalsharan-]

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh,

I was just wondering how many of you have taken amrit and what problems did you face (if any) ?

I was blessed with Amrit a few years ago now. I took it with my parents and so faced no problems at home. I have always had the support of my family and friends as far as my Sikhi is concerned. I was slightly apprehensive about going to school with my head covered but I faced no problems at all. I did get a few funny looks at first and had a few people come and ask why I had my head covered, but once I explained why I had no problems.

Also say if one hasnt taken amrit yet, and probably wont til a while when they are ready to do so.. in the meantime what can you do to start to that path?

I took interest in Sikhi 2 years before I took Amrit. I started doing my Nitnem from an English Gutka and eventually was able to do it all from a Punjabi Gutka. From the day I woke up to what Sikhi was all about, I had the desire to take my Amrit and started preparing for it in everyway I could, I read as much as I could regarding Sikhi and starting learning Paath.

Appearance wise, what did you do before you took amrit.. besides the obvious one of not cutting hair ?

As I’d never cut my hair from a young age, this was not a major issue. The one thing I had to prepare for was covering my head all the time, as this is something I had not done before. I'd always worn a Kara and like I mentioned I'd never cut my hair, and so the other 3 Kakars's were new to me, but I got used to them in no time.

What was it like..changing your ways? family/friends reactions? the positives? negatives?

As I’d taken Amrit with my parents, all the family knew about it and everyone was happy with it. The negatives; there have not been any, it’s the best thing that ever happened to me

[Noor]

Thnx guys..

-akalsharan- ..what do you cover ur head wid..like a chunni, scarf ? soz I dont know much bout this

Has anyone taken amrit who is not from a amritdhari family?

Only sum elders in my family have taken amrit and none of my close mates have.

[Guest -akalsharan-]

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh,

-akalsharan- ..what do you cover ur head wid..like a chunni, scarf ? soz I dont know much bout this

I keep my head covered with a patka (a bit like a bandana).

[Guest Maha_Pavitar]

When I was blessed with amrit, it was as if a bhoj had been lifted, and I no longer felt 'alone'. My life made complete sense, and one way or another sincere happiness existed in life..it has given me the strength to face all tyrannts and any barriers that come my way. It's made me into who I am today!

Yes, my family had slight concerns at the beginning, but after they saw that I wasn't going to budge into cultural or manmat ideals no one was able to say anything..

I started wearing a kirpan many months before, and since that day I was re-born I wear the same kirpan the Gurdwara provided us with, a little reminder I suppose. Also, I was covering my head for a year (at all times) with putka, bandana, scarf, chunni/dupatta, etc so that too wasn't a problem.

There are no problems, nothing you have to do out of your way..Simply tell your soul that you want to be your Guroo Jee's now, fall at his feet and the sweetest treasure of this world will fill your life with purpose..

the sweet ambrosial nectar trickles down..forever..

[Sherni-E-Punjab]

Amrik

yep don't wonna show the bold patches, its embrassingh......innit Rup

LOL, There was a reason as to why I didn't respond to this thread in the very first place. .Cuz for one ..I haven't taken Amrit , for two I don't know any one directly who has..- well i know, but they all parkhandees , and they shud actually die lol ..for third..i aint planning to take it either....

so tu apna muhh band rakhi es th read tey..we chat it up lata;)

and also if you are on about my hair:p i liked it how once someone said it was like "mal-mal" ..hehehehhehe....long, smooth, dark, yeeeeeeeeeeh-hawwwwww, ..except ..been too rought with the scissors lately:p - practicing my good old kindergarten cutting skills

[Amrikingh]

aho.......im not planning to take it either, its something which takes alot of time, its not something im gonna rush into

but some people hit the climax of chardi kala at different times, it could be weeks, months or years

[Guest Sehjo Kaur]

I was just wondering how many of you have taken amrit and what problems did you face (if any) ?

I took Amrit last September, wanted to when I was 14 but I was told it was not practical for girls. I had a lot of problems from family, no one supported me so I had to take it without telling them. They still dont accept it, and I guess they just feel I let them down.

It was a difficult situation, but now I don't feel alone anymore. My Mum and sisters remove hair etc, face and so did I, then I stopped and it grew back quite thick. People stare and Mum says Im embarrassed to be seen with and encourage me to remove it by electrolysis, but I can't.

One thing our Sikh women say is that as long as you dont remove it with scissors then it's ok. Lol, I found it hard but now I'm proud of it, I guess it reminds me of the little will power I have.

Also say if one hasnt taken amrit yet, and probably wont til a while when they are ready to do so.. in the meantime what can you do to start to that path?

Practise Rehat, learn translation of the 5 Banis. Knowing what the Guru is saying to you is the first step.

Appearance wise, what did you do before you took amrit.. besides the obvious one of not cutting hair

Well, I wore different clothes I guess. Sometimes had my hair out, cut it, removed hair on my face, not much other than that Ji.

What was it like..changing your ways? family/friends reactions? the positives? negatives?

It was difficult to keep Amrit Vela, that's a challenge even now. Friends were very supportive, most of mine are English from Uni, but they were so understanding. In fact the problems I faced were from our people, they think I've ruined my chances of getting married, lol.

Family's reaction was shock, it's died down somewhat, I wear a Patka like Akal Penj, but I guess the shock will return when I start wearing Dastaar soon, so watch this space

GurFateh

[tableji]

aho.......im not planning to take it either, its something which takes alot of time, its not something im gonna rush into

but some people hit the climax of chardi kala at different times, it could be weeks, months or years

Guru Gobind Singh Jis hukam was for everyone who calls themselves a sikh, shud take amrit

[Guest]

tableji,

you said:

Guru Gobind Singh Jis hukam was for everyone who calls themselves a sikh, shud take amrit

I dont beleive in that notion because udhasis and seevapanthis dont take amrit, they still called sikhs dont they???

[Guest Sehjo Kaur]

Wasn't the Hukam for all Sikhs? Or was there a separate Hukam for them? Shouldn't they all 'aspire' to take Amrit?

[tableji]

yes everyone shud aim to take amrit

[Rakash Singh]

GurFateh.

We do not know how long we are to live, even though it seems far fetched it isnt when you think of all the "close calls" you have had i.e car accidents, assualts, illness etc.

Don not miss the opportunity to take Amrit and find out what we are really hear for. After all we all promised Akaal Purak that we would Jap Naam before we took birth ( not sure what bhangthee this is from) but it seems everyone is inevitably corrupted by Kalyug at some stage in their life.

[nirgun]

well i know, but they all parkhandees , and they shud actually die lol

take it ez there kid.

NEO, it doesn't matter. Guru Gobind Singh Ji said that the first rehat is Amrit, so that's the truth. Bani says "jo gur kahey soee bhal mano." We should listen to everything Dasmesh Pita Jee says. It was his Hukam, we should listen to it if we want to be Sikhs. That's the bottom line.

[Singh02]

As a general question, why must the head be covered?

[Tejvir Kaur]

to respect Guru Ji at all times.....at least thats what i've been taught...

[kawal1977]

N30 SINGH

this is hukam of guru gobind singh ji (akal takth sahib) that every sikh SHOULD take amrit & become khalsa. no matter who so ever culture & caste they belong. sikhs does'nt have any caste system. ppl who say i am jaat sikh, khatri sikh, etc etc are not just fooling themselfs infact they are giving wrong & curropted msg to the whole world

minimum MUST critrion for being a sikh or to be called a sikh is

1) one has to keep his/her HAIRS UNCUT.

2) physical relation with only you are married.

3) can't eat non-veg prepared with muslim technique (HALAL)

4) can't eat TOBACOO

along with this one has to put his/her full faith in babaji (guru granth sahib ji) & dicipline ordered by sri akal thakth sahib.

this is according to the sikh rehyat maryada. so we can't change it & can't argue with it.

[Jassa]

a sikh and khalsa are the same...for someone to adopt a guru they have to take their amrit, wether this was charan amrit before the khalsa or khande di pahul. Udhasis are not sikhs and never will be.

Baba Sri Chand did not accept Guru Angad Dev Ji.....just cause he was Guru ji's son does not make him sikh. If that were to be true than Prithi Chand would also be respected. Khalsa=sikh.

Please dont take my words harshly, but I would like to just say a few things to those who have not made that important step...

Taking Guru Ji's amrit is essential to make your jeevan suffal. We donot know Vaheguroo Ji's hukam and you may die tomorrow, so don't hesitate..

Remember if you take Guru Ji's amrit, he himself will protect you and help you keep rehit.

Rehit pyaara mukhko sikh pyaara nahee

So the above line from Guru Ji should ocnvince you.

and those of you who say i dont want to take it coz im scared of what my friends will say...then ask yourself...who do i love more?my Guru who is my eternal companion or my temporary friends. Make excuses all you want, you will only get out of sikhi what you put in..

[SAadmin]

source: http://www.sikhismguide.com/article1.html

Defination of Sikh-

The definition of Sikh

(Amrit Pal Singh 'Amrit')

In the 'Sikh reht maryada', there has been written a definition of a Sikh. The 'Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee' has published its English Translation too.

According to the translation, this is the definition of Sikh

"Any human being, who faithfully believes in

(1) One immortal Being,

(2) Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh,

(3) The Guru Granth Sahib,

(4) The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus and

(5) The baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru,

And who does not owe allegiance to any other religion, is a Sikh."

Often, we ignore the deep meanings of a simple definition. In the definition of Sikh, 'Sikh reht maryada' has made every point clear. Even then, some people are trying to create confusion about the definition of a Sikh.

The points given in the 'Sikh reht maryada' have been discussed in this article.

In original script of 'Sikh reht maryada', which is in Punjabi language, words 'istree jaan purash' (woman or man) have been used. So, it is clear, according to 'Sikh reht maryada', that word 'Sikh' is used both for a male and a female.

Word 'Sikhni' also has been used for a Sikh woman, as word 'Singhni' is used for an Amritdhari woman. Even in this 'Sikh reht maryada', the word 'Sikhni' has been used (see the second point of the portion describing 'Sadharan Path' and the first point of the portion 'Anand sanskar'). Although grammatically word 'Sikh' is a masculine word and 'Sikhni' is feminine, in practical this word is used for both genders.

First condition for a Sikh is he/she believes in the God. He/she cannot be an atheist. Word 'Sikh' has also been used in ancient Buddhist scriptures for the Buddhists. The Buddhists are believed to be atheists. But according to 'Sikh reht maryada', a Sikh in 'Sikhism' believes in the God. This is his first characteristic. It is impossible to think about a nonbeliever Sikh. If we go deep into this point, we can get conclusion that a Sikh cannot join any such a political/social/cultural organization, which promotes atheism. A Sikh has been ordered to preach theism: -

"Aap japo avrah Naam japaavoh." (Chant the Naam yourself, and inspire others to chant it as well).

(Sri Sukhmani Sahib, in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, page 289).

Grammatically, word 'Sikh' means disciple. It is also translated as 'student'. Actually word 'Sikh' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Shishya' (disciple). This word has been used in this meaning sometimes in Guru Granth Sahib too. For example, "Kabeer Sikh saakha bahutey keeye, Kesho keeyo naa meet." (Kabeer! you have made many students and disciples, but you have not made God your friend). (Guru Granth Sahib, page 1369). So, we see that the word 'Sikh' has generally been used for any disciple of any Guru in old scriptures. To differentiate from others, there has been told another characteristic of a 'Sikh' in Sikhism.

A Sikh is a person who believes in ten Gurus, (from Guru Nanak Dev Ji to Guru Gobind Singh) and Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Now word 'Sikh' is a proper noun. For us, word 'Sikh' means 'a Sikh of Guru Nanak-Guru Gobind Singh-Guru Granth Sahib'. Now for the entire world, the word 'Sikh' means 'a Sikh of Guru Nanak-Guru Gobind Singh-Guru Granth Sahib'. 'A Sikh of Gautam Buddha' is a 'Buddhist'. 'A Sikh of Kabeer' is 'Kabeer Panthee'. But 'a Sikh of Guru Nanak-Gobind Singh-Guru Granth Sahib' is 'the Sikh'. No need to know what old dictionaries say about word 'Sikh'.

Many people tried to preach their own opinions under the name of Sikhism. They tried to use word 'Sikh' for their followers, but in vain. Some of them are now known as 'Nirankaris'. Some of them are now known as 'Naamdharis'. They can call themselves 'Nirankari-sikh' and 'Naamdhari-sikh', not just a 'Sikh' because a 'Sikh' means a 'Sikh of Guru Nanak-Gobind Singh-Guru Granth'. This is the point we must understand.

'Sikh reht maryada' made another point very clear. A Sikh is a person, who believes in 'Sri Guru Granth Sahib'. Word 'Guru' is very important. It is 'Sri Guru Granth Sahib', not just 'Granth Sahib'. It means that a Sikh is a person who believes that this 'Granth' (book) is his 'Guru'. There is not any other Guru for him/her. He/she does not accept any other living human being as his/her Guru. If someone does so, he/she has right to, but one thing is certain that he/she is not a 'Sikh', according to 'Sikh reht maryada'. So, 'Sikh reht maryada' indicates that a 'Sikh' does not accept any living human being as his/her Guru. Only Sri Guru Granth Sahib is his/her Guru.

A Sikh obeys the sacred hymns of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. But there are holy hymns of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, which are not included in Guru Granth Sahib Ji. So, 'Sikh reht maryada' says that a Sikh obeys the sacred hymns of ten Gurus. Thus, a Sikh is a person who believes in Gurbani (holy hymns of ten Gurus), whether it is written in Guru Granth Sahib, or not.

A Sikh also believes in the 'Amrit by the tenth Guru'. ('Sikh reht maryada' also describes how this 'Amrit' can be prepared.) Only 'the five beloved ones' have right to baptize (to give Amrit) anyone.

Last characteristic of a Sikh is that he/she does not believe in any other religion.

Thus, according to 'Sikh reht maryada', any male or female, who believes in One Immortal Being, ten Gurus (from Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji to Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib), Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the sacred hymns and teaching of the ten Gurus, and tenth Guru's Amrit; and who does not believe in any other religion, is a Sikh

[sexy_singh]

girls dont need to keep their head covered at all times! sikhism isnt islam is it?

fanatisicm i reckon. but if someone wants to do it for the right reasons all the power to them eh