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Summary of Question:	Does Hair Make A Sikh A Sikh?
Category:	Hair
Date Posted:	Wednesday, 1/28/2004 11:58 AM MST

waheguru ji ka khalsa

waheguru ji ki fateh?

I just want to know what exactly does the guru granth sahib say about hair cutting and keep turbans for non-amridhari sikhs? I keep reaeding that sikhs must keep their hair once they take amrit? wut abt if they don't take amrit?because I don't know if I can call myself a sikh b/c i Don't keep my hair but I still do paath, I still thank god for what he has done and try to spread the religion and educate ppl here in thy US (guru gobind singh ji told us to spread our faith and tell others abt it). As per the sggs am I not considered a sikh? Iam trying to do the best taht I can and later I will grow my hair, and when Iam old I want to baptize. So will I be a sikh then as compared to now?

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REPLY
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Sat siri akaal. SGGS says very little about keeping hair or turbans. There is only one command in SGGS, and that is in mul mantra, the opening lines of Siri Guru. That command is Jaap! Meditate. The Sikh in SGGS meditates on the Naam night and day, serves others in God's name, and regards good and bad as equal. Only you can judge for yourself if you are Sikh by this criteria.

Many people who cut their hair self-identify as Sikh. No one else may know they are Sikh, since the idea of the form of the Sikh is the identification, the recognition that one is Guru's Sikh. The form was given by Guru Gobind Singh.
That said, is it what other folks think that has you hung up? If you believe you are Sikh and make an effort to practice as a Sikh (since a Sikh is understood by what s/he DOES), then you are Sikh.

Be careful when you 'spread the faith.' The idea is to share our ideals and teachings, not to convince folks to follow Guru's path!
Guru ang sang, -DKK