Eyebrow plucking

[simi]

Is eye brow plucking allowed in sikhism?

I just want to hear peoples opinions on the matter!

[Mr §ingh]

Is eye brow plucking allowed in sikhism?

I just want to hear peoples opinions on the matter!

The fourth Bazar Kurehat

is DIshonoring the hair:

removing the hair from n e part of da body

thus yes

it is NOT alloud 2 pluck of hair from the eye browses

bhulla CHUkka Maaf

[Sikh_Soulja]

WJKK WJKF

No offence but you should know this.

We have to keep the 5 k's and hair, is one of them so no, we shouldnt remove hair off the human body.

Bhul Chuk Maaf Karna

WJKK WJKF

[guv]

i put up a similar reply in another thread...

read what the definition of kesh is in the mahan kosh or even better in a sanskriti dictionary... then try & answer the question.

[Gupt Singh]

the reasons behind doing it make it even less ok so either way its forbidden!

the "hairless" thing has only come around recently.....they didnt worri about it if they had a few hairs "out of place" back in gurus day....but hey its kalyug

[guv]

the reasons behind doing it make it even less ok so either way its forbidden!

please explain what u mean by that

the "hairless" thing has only come around recently.....they didnt worri about it if they had a few hairs "out of place" back in gurus day....but hey its kalyug

do u have any references for that?

[Guest]

i put up a similar reply in another thread...

read what the definition of kesh is in the mahan kosh or even better in a sanskriti dictionary... then try & answer the question.

kesh is the "hair of the head" in sanskrit???

The other word for hair is Sanskrit is kesha (hair of the head).

Kesh is so close to Persian gesu (hair) that its Indo-European origin is obvious. In Punjabi it has become kachch too and can refer to all hair including hair in the armpits. It is obligatory in Sikhism to keep hair of the body. The name singh given to the Sikhs must somehow connect to kesha (mane) which is lion's hair.

Lion is called keshar, which is close to Persian sher. The long hair of the Sikhs is like the mane of the lion; hence, singh. Keshar becomes kehar and when someone is named Kehar Singh it actually means Lion Lion or Lion with a Mane

[vaapaaraa]

its kesh, so naturally not allowed..

anyway they serve to protect your eyes from bright sun's rays, most chinese have a hard time without them =)

[Guest]

its kesh, so naturally not allowed..

anyway they serve to protect your eyes from bright sun's rays, most chinese have a hard time without them =)

dont u mean eye LASHES??/

[nogroup singh]

Simi,

Welcome to the club of sikh sisterhood and brotherhood.

I won't say anything about your question but I will post what our 11th Guru Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji has in it.

NOTE: It is most important to bear in mind that a `QUOTATION' on its own does not narrate the real purport. To grasp the spiritual and terrestrial value it must be studied with reference to the contest of the whole SHABD.

The `verse quoted' itself is not the essence but a mean reach the real place

in the sacred Volume so as to comprehend the totality; the veritable essence lies in the whole SHABD, the revealed hymn. The Author

**The bride may buy sandalwood oil and perfumes, and apply them in great

quantities to her hair; she may sweeten her breath with betel leaf

and camphor, but if this bride is not pleasing to her Husband Lord, then all

these trappings are false. (Sri M.1 P.19)

**The bride braids her hair with Truth; her clothes are decorated with His

Love. Like the essence of sandalwood, He permeates her consciousness, and the Temple of the Tenth Gate is opened. (Sri M.1 P.54)

**In the third watch of the night, O my merchant friend, the swans, the white hairs, come and land upon the fool of the head. (Sri M.1 P.75)

**Your hair is whiter than the jasmine flower, and your voice has grown feeble, as if it comes from the seventh underworld. (Sri Beni Ji P.93)

**He does not need to eat; His Hair is Wondrous and Beautiful; He is free of hate. (Majh M.5 P.98)

**They pluck the hair out of their heads; they drink filthy water, beg

endlessly and eat the garbage which, others have thrown away. (Majh M.3

P.149)

**Those humble beings, with whom the Beautifully-haired Lord is

thoroughly pleased, sing the Glorious Praises f the Lord. (Gauri M.5 P.203)

**The fourteenth lunar day - in the fourteen worlds, and on each and every

hair, the Lord, the Destroyer of pride, is dwelling. (Gauri Kabir P.344)

**Others raise their hair in tufts and wear sacred threads and loin-cloths.

You are the Lord Master; I am just Your puppet. Prays Nanak, what is my social status to be? (Asa M.1 P.358)

**The soul bride should weave patience into the braids of her hair, and apply the lotion of the Lord, the Great Lover. (Asa M.1 359)

**I contemplate, forever and ever, the True Guru; with my hair, I dust the

Feet of the Guru. (Asa M.5 P.387)

**Seizing him by the hair, the Messenger of Death pulls him up; then, he comes to his senses. (Asa M.5 P.408)

**Those heads adorned with braided hair, with their parts painted with vermilion; those heads were shaved with scissors, and their throats were choked with dust.

They lived in palatial mansions, but now, they cannot even sit near the

palaces. (Asa M.1 P.417)

When the hair grows grey, then it shines without shampoo. The hunters of the King of Death come, and bind him in the chains of Maya.

(Asa M.5 P.432)

**With each and every hair, with each and every hair, as Gurmukh, I meditate

upon the Lord. (Asa M.4 P.443)

**Millions of incarnations of Vishnu and Shiva, with matted hair, yearn for

You, O Merciful Lord; their minds and bodies are filled with infinite

longing. (Asa M.5 P.456)

**Sitting on the threshold, his mother weeps, and his

brothers take away the coffin. Taking down her hair, his wife cries out in

sorrow, and the swan-soul departs all alone. (Asa Kabir P.478)

**When the Messenger of Death comes and grabs you by your hair, why do you

cry out then? (Asa Kabir P.481)

**I sing Your Praises night and day. With my hair, I wash the feet of Your

slave; this is my life' purpose. (Gauri M.5 P.500)

**Gabbing them by the hair on their heads, the Lord throws them down, and

leaves them on Death's path.

They cry out in pain, in the darkest of hells. (Gujri M.5 P.524)

**O friend, I may look very attractive, but I am not

pleasing to my Husband Lord at all.

I have woven my hair into lovely braids, and saturated

their partings with vermilion; but when I go before Him,

I am not accepted, and I die, suffering in anguish. (Wadhans M.1 P.558)

**Your Nose is so Graceful, and Your Hair is so Long.

Your Body is so Precious, cast in gold.

His Body is cast in gold, and He wears Krishna's mala; meditate upon Him, O

sisters. (Wadhans M.1 P.567)

**The Creator Lord Himself stood between us, and not a hair upon my head was

touched. The Guru made my cleansing bath successful; meditating upon the

Lord, Har, Har, my sins were erased. (Sorath M.5 P.623)

**The Yogis die, with their matted hair, but even they do not find Your

State, O Lord. (Sorath Kabir P.654)

**You make your hair beautiful, and wear a stylish turban on your head. But

in the end, this body shall be educed to a pile of ashes. (Sorath Ravidas

P.659)

**Azra-eel, the Messenger of Death, has caught me by the hr on my head, and

yet, I do not know it at all in my mind. (Tilang M.1 P.721)

**I make my hair into a fan, and wave it over the Saint.

I bow my head low, to touch his feet, and apply his dust to my face. (Suhi

M.5 P.745)

**The night of my youth has passed away; will the day of old age also pass

away?

My dark hairs, like bumble bees, have gone away, a and grey hairs, like

cranes, have settled upon my head.(Suhi Kabir P.792)

**O Lord of Beautiful Hair, Destroyer of pain, Eradicator of sins, Nanak

lives, gazing upon the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan. (Bilawal M.5 P.829)

**Each and every hair on my head, and my mind and body,suffer the pains of

separation; without seeing my God,

I cannot sleep. (Bilawal M.4 P.836)

**When the Messenger of Death grabs you by your hair, you will be punished.

(Ramkali M.1 P.906)

**Finally, the True Guru said, `When I am gone, sing Kirtan in Praise of the

Lord, in Nirvana.' Call in the long-haired scholarly Saints of the Lord, to

read the Gospel of the Lord, Har, Har. (Ramkali M.3 P.923)

**The Gurmukh meditates upon the Lord with every hair of his body. (Ramkali

M.1 P.941)

**Day and night, I wash Your Feet, Lord; I wave my hair as the chauree, to

brush away the flies. (Ramkali Kabir .969)

**Some shave their heads, some keep their hair in matted tangles; some keep

it in braids, while some keep silent, filled with egotistical pride. Their

minds waver and wander in ten directions, without loving devotion and

enlightenment of the soul. (Maru M.5 P.1013)

**His intellect fails him, his black hair turns white, and no one wants to

keep him in their home.

Forgetting the Naam, these are the stigmas which stick to him; the Messenger

of Death beats him, and drags him to hell. (Maru M.1 P.1014)

**Walking sticks, begging bowls, hair tufts, sacred

threads, loin cloths, pilgrimages to sacred shrines and wandering all

around; without the Lord's Name, peace and tranquillity are not obtained.

(Bhairo M.1 P.1128)

**The Lord's Name permeates each and every hair of mine.

The Perfect True Guru has given me this Gift. (Bhairo M.5 P.1144)

**The poets and the Yogis with their matted hair all lived their lives with

good behaviour. (Basant Kabir P.1194)

Why do you honour the slave of the Lord?

Because the one combs her hair for corruption, while the other remembers the

Name of the Lord. (Slok KabirP.1373)

**Farid, those who did not enjoy their Spouse when theirhair was black;

hardly any of them enjoy Him when their air turns grey.

So be in love with the Lord, so that your colour may ever be

new............................................

Farid, whether one's hair is black or grey, our Lord and Master is always

here, if one remembers Him. (Slok Farid P.1378)

**Farid, your hair has turned grey, your beard has turnedgrey, and your

moustache has turned grey.

O my thoughtless and insane mind, why are you indulging n pleasures? (Slok

Farid P.1380)

**They slap their faces and pull their hair out.

But if they chant the Naam, the Name of the Lord, they shall be absorbed

into it.

O Nanak, I am a sacrifice unto them. (Slok etc. M.1

P.1410)

Source: Sikhnet.com

[nogroup singh]

Also I would like to share the other side of this discussion to give you background.

Please read the following article on hair

Human Hair - A Biological Necessity*

Dr. Birendra Kaur

Hair is a characteristic feature of mammals, commonly known as 'Hairy quadrupeds' - a group of animals that mark the climax of evolution. Mammals are also the dominant animals in the world today, due partly to their ability to regulate body temperature in the face of variations in environmental temperature. This requires regulation of heat production and heat loss by the body. Hair plays an important role in regulating heat loss from the body. Impulses from the brain (hypothalamus) causes the hair to stand on ends, thereby enclosing an insulating layer of air just outside the skin. This layer reduces the loss of heat by radiation.

Man marks the climax of evolution even among mammals, and has the most complex and highly developed brain, and the longest hair on head. This feature cannot be without reason. It cannot be a matter of mere chance or a mistake by nature, because if the tails has been lost the tail too could have been lost. On the contrary, human head-hair has increased manifold as compared to other mammals.

This dense and long growth of hair on the head shows that the body is trying to increase the surface area for some particular function. Such a trend to increase the surface area is seen in every system of the body, e.g. the highly coiled intestines with finger-like villi on their inner surfaces for absorption of digested food; alveoli in the lungs for exchange of O2 and CO2; glomerular capillaries in the form of bunch and coiled tubules in the kidneys where urine formation takes place. The circulatory and nervous systems show extensive branching to reach every nook and corner of the body. Even the surface of the human brain has maximum fissures (folds) corresponding to its increased abilities. The results that will be produced by decreasing the surface area of these points is easy for all to imagine!

FUNCTIONS OF HAIR: Hair performs a variety of functions. Some are listed below:

Form an insulating coat on the body.

Trap a layer of still air just outside the skin, and thereby reduce loss of heat by radiation.

Absorb harmful radiations from the sun.

Keep out coarse dust particles, as in eyelashes, hair in the nasal chambers and ear canals.

Eyebrows prevent water or perspiration from falling into eyes, due to their particular direction.

Axillary and pubic hair lessen friction between limbs and body, and between limbs during locomotion.

Axillary hair provide large surface area for evaporation of sweat.

Beautify the body (otherwise why people do not shave off their hair from the head completely; bald men are desperate and would pay any price to get back on their heads).

Beard and moustaches are for differentiation of sex. Mostly males are decorated in nature, e.g. lion, peacock and other birds, deer, etc.

Protect from sun and rain.

Prevent water from entering into skin.

Impart colour to body.

Vibrissae are sensory hair, tactile in nature and useful in dark burrows.

Defend the body in danger, by standing on their ends, thereby making the body look bigger.

Help to disguise by blending with the colour of the surroundings, to escape the watchful eyes of natural enemies.

IS HAIR LIFELESS? Hair is erroneously considered lifeless because of lack of any visible connection with the brain. But, the drain is not controlling/communicating with our body through nerves alone. Hormones, which are chemical mediators also regulate various body functions. The immune system of the body fights infection with the help of coordinated action of cells, which have no visible connection with each other, or with the brain. So, presence or absence of nerves alone cannot determine the connection of a particular part of the body with the brain. If the hair was really dead to the brain, how then does it come to know that it has been cut, and respond by growing it again to the specific length? Once the specific length has been attained, further lengthening ceases. Thus, undoubtedly the brain is well aware of the condition of the hair, cut or uncut, even upto its tip! This is a sure sign of life. Also, the hair, like any other living organ of the body, responds to ageing, in their length, thickness of g

rowth and greying. The condition of the health of a person is also reflected in the hair, its lustre, shine, etc.

Lack of sensation in hair, is no indication of its being dead, for, even the brain shows no such sensation. There is also a phylum (Porifera), the animals of which do not possess a nervous system at all. A blow to any part of their body produces no response whatsoever. Do we call these animals dead? Most plants do not show any sensation either.

Further, a part of that we call ?dead? may be without sensation but definitely not without function. Rather, its function is as important as any living part of the body, if not more. For example:

What would be the fate of an egg without the shell?

What would be the condition of the body?s living cells without the covering of the dead cells, i.e. upper layers of skin?

How can teeth perform their function without enamel?

What life would a bird lead without feathers?

How would many freshwater animals overcome unfavourable conditions and not become extinct without cysts?

How would plants disperse and reproduce without formation of seeds?

Actually, different parts of the body or different cells cannot be categorised as useful/not useful. Each is only specially modified to perform different function for the benefit of the same individual. What the cells of a kidney can do, the cells of pancreas cannot. That does not mean that the former are more important than the latter, or vice versa.

HAIR VS. NAILS: It is often argued that hair and nails are similar, and a question frequently asked: ?If we should not cut our hair, then why do we cut our nails? But even a superficial study of the two shows them to be extremely different from each other. Whereas the hair grows from a tubular pit, the hair follicle, formed by sinking in of the most actively dividing layer of the skin, i.e., stratum germinativum, into the lower dermis, the nails are only modifications of the upper dead layers of the skin, i.e. stratum corneum. Further, the base of every follicle bulges out forming an inverted cup, which receives blood capillaries for nourishment and nerve fibres that make the hair sensitive to contact. An oil gland, known as sebaceous gland, opens into every hair follicle, the secretion of which lubricates the hair. A muscle is also attacked to the base of every hair for bringing about movement. Pigments are added to the shaft of the hair as it grows. None of these features is associated with nails.

Structurally also hair is extremely strong, and resists breaking due to its elasticity and flexibility. Hair is as strong as steel, if we compare the two of the same diameter. Nails, on the other hand, are very brittle and rigid, breaking off easily. Hair number in thousands, thereby increasing the surface area, as if to meet a specific requirement. Nails number only twenty.

The difference between the two do not end with the structural features. Even the body?s response towards the two is totally different. Our body, throughout life, tries to maintain a particular length of hair, and if cut anywhere along the length, responds by growing them again to the specific length. It clearly indicates the link of the body with the hair all along its length.

The body shows no such response to the nails, which grow from birth to death at the same rate, irrespective of whether cut or not. As has been mentioned earlier, even the shafts of hair, like any other living organ of the body, respond to ageing (in their length, density of growth, greying, etc.) and condition of health is reflected in the person?s hair (in their lustre, shine, etc.), whereas from the dead part of the nail, one can infer no such thing.

Practically also, hair do not interfere in any daily activity, whereas it is impossible to function at all with long nails. And even if not cut, nails generally fall off of their own easily; rather it takes great effort to maintain them, even upto a short length. In contrast to the long list of the functions of hair, only one function can be attributed to nails - that is, protection of the tips of digits.

CONCLUSION: To sum up, if there is anything on the head that can be compared with nails, it is dandruff!

It is also argued that hair have been lost from the body in man, because the body is kept covered. If that be the case, then the axillary and the pubic hair should have been the first to go. Also, the hair on the face, neck and hands should have remained.

Nature knows best what to discard or retain. Whatever is retained is not without purpose. If we are unable to explain something, it does not mean it has no significance. We must look for an explanation, rather than deny the role or existence of something we do not see.

There are sound frequencies we do not hear; light waves, that make everything visible, we do not see; odours that we do not smell; there are animals that do not see as many colours as we do; some things we can neither see nor deny, such as emotions, the bond between mother and child, force of gravity, etc. So, if there are things we do not see, or hear, or smell, it does not imply their absence. Just as an ant cannot apprehend the size and shape of an elephant, life and its processes are beyond human apprehension in the present state of knowledge. Our vast Solar system, which is beyond reach even today, is just a speck in the universe! Even our smallness is beyond our apprehension!

Hair is a gift from God, not a burden. Guru Gobind Singh, in his infinite wisdom, commanded us to respect it and to refrain from tampering with it. This is the visible token of his affection for us, as well as our faith in him. If we have faith in our Guru who was in communion with God, how can we do anything but follow his advice? As Prof. Puran Singh says: ?Let us sing in gratitude ?The Song of the Sikh?:

?Ah! Well, let my hair grow long; ....

I cannot forget the knot He tied on my head;

It is sacred, it is his mark of remembrance.

The Master has bathed me in the light of suns not yet seen;

There is eternity bound in this tender fragile knot.

I touch the sky when I touch my hair, and a thousand stars

twinkle through the night.?

[vaapaaraa]

dont u mean eye LASHES??/

oops err I thought she was sayin eye lashes... lol

[guv]

i havnt heard of that before... could u provide a reference please.

thanks

[guv]

nogroup singh, about your quotations, i agree with u that the whole shabad must be read to get a feeling of the context in which they are written... but also, care must be taken to read which word is used in the gurbani because there are many different words which are all (sometimes falsely) translated as simply 'hair'.

[Amrikingh]

whens girls get there eyebrows plucked, they look like zombies anyway

dont do it

it loooks nasty

[Guest]

lol@ Zombies... amrik you joka

[GABROO KHALISTAN DAH]

so kesh is just hair on the head?? i'm sure its not, its hair of the body rite??

[Jazz]

WJKK WJKF

Hi,

No, your not allowed to pluck your hair. Hair is part of our five K's. This includes all body hair.

Just like to say we should all know this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jazz

[Gupt Singh]

i find it sad how people will go to such lengths, and confuse others, to try and justify their messed up ideas.

let me just clarify, the following are not allowed

removal of any hair, waxing, plucking, biting, sanding, (lol) whatever other imaginative ways u can think of.

bleaching or dying of any hair

tatoos

piercings

if u cant keep your rehit, dont call yourself a sikh, simple.

like i sed before, sikhism is not a system that u can work around because u think girls look prettier when they have triangular eyebrows instead of natural ones. personally i think plucked eyebrows look butters anyway. u either accept all of sikhi or none.

[Mr §ingh]

i find it sad how people will go to such lengths, and confuse others, to try and justify their messed up ideas.

let me just clarify, the following are not allowed

removal of any hair, waxing, plucking, biting, sanding, (lol) whatever other imaginative ways u can think of.

bleaching or dying of any hair

tatoos

piercings

if u cant keep your rehit, dont call yourself a sikh, simple.

like i sed before, sikhism is not a system that u can work around because u think girls look prettier when they have triangular eyebrows instead of natural ones. personally i think plucked eyebrows look butters anyway. u either accept all of sikhi or none.

true said

After ALl its not us sayign it

its GUru ji

Rehat Bina Nai SIkh Kahavai

Good pointed out ther Khalsa Souljah

[Guest]

so kesh is just hair on the head?? i'm sure its not, its hair of the body rite??

kesh is any hair on ur body - just because some sanskrit dictionary states that kesh means the hair on ur head doesnt make the excuse that u can remove any other hair.... in that case i might as well make a thunderbolt dhari style.... :roll: kesh is kesh - whether its on ur head or on ur foot

[GABROO KHALISTAN DAH]

guys u misunderstood what i said, iw uz being sarcastic...........

i agree 100000gajillion that kesh is hair regardless unless its in a tumor

[Amrikingh]

to all the zombie kaurs inda house

big up

[simi]

i'm gona rephrase my question as basically it made me seem un aware of the five k's. In todays society it is very hard for sikh women as removal of hair is forbidden in the sikh religion which clashes with the western view of women having bushy eye brows and hair on their legs as disgusting. My friend is Amrit tari n basically she went to a waterpark in spain as part of a school trip. She didnt go in to the water while all her friends did. When she came back and told me i felt sooo sorry for her.

So do you think hair removal is justified in England for a Sikh woman. I can guess that i'm prbably going to get replies such as sikhism promotes equality and if a man can't cut his beard than why should a woman be allowed to and also that hair removal is against sikhi. But i just want peoples opinions on the matter.

[GABROO KHALISTAN DAH]

simi, guys do go thru the same tihng, how do u think some KHALSAYE MEN are gonna feel with that busy ass'd back hair pokin out of their banan on ahot summers day in the park, or a watter slide park goin down it with ahairy back causing super friction...girls are luckeir in that sense....

well tha's for me...plus guuru ji gave us hair, its part of a trial of life 2 c if u can live in the injust world, dont' be shy of it rather be proud of it