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Summary of Question:	Question?
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Wednesday, 1/08/2003 7:16 AM MST

hi waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh

I just have a few qestion that are on my mind at the moment which i cannot find clear answer to. The first is why do we have to always keep our keshera on, while i shower i have to step out of on leg and step into the new dry on, even though i do this i do not undertand why and i feel ritualistic doing it while i stubble and fall doin it loll :) Also where can i find the real Rehit that was written by Guru Gobid Singh ji...i talk to so many Sikhs and some call themselves Akali Nihangs who follow on and others that have a different one. Somone told me that the one on this site is a modified one and isnt really the authentic rehit. Could to clarify this please. Also i meditate on Waheguru, i do my 5 banis daily and it has had a massive impact om my life....it has enabled me to "obtain peace and throw away my pain" to a cretain degree but im education i feel lost. I just feel like im not good enough and when i do my work it never looks decent to me, like im never happy with! I want to make it as i love what i do but is it possible that maybe its just written for me to not make it in the field i want to? I have reached a point in life where i have no idea what im good at and what i wanna be....im lost, i see no future its all blank and it scares me! Why shoukd i be scared i have taken shelter under the master of masters, he will take care of me but maybe im afraid of failing or not living up to expectations. This causes my self esteem to drop and i feel low, i know i shouldnt as i have been blessed with Sikhi and im healthy but is it just somthing we have to work through? Is this what they call hukam, realising that its not for u and accepting it? but what if im wrong hehe ok probabily confusing u so thanks :)

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Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh.

There are many Rehits in existence. There isn't one Rehit that all Sikhs can point to and say, "Here is the one from Guru Gobind Singh," although many may claim it. The key to remember is that the Rehit is a community document. It is something that has been changed based on community needs, and will continue to change depending on the needs of the time, space and societies where the Guru's Sikhs are. So - it is all right that there are minor variations on the Rehit - as there are different communities that practice in slightly different ways. Those people who want all Sikhs to look the same, act the same and think the same are missing one of the most crucial points in the teachings of the Guru: God is infintiely diverse and we can embrace that diversity while still seeing the Oneness behind it all. There can be many different groups of Sikhs with slight variations of the Rehit and it is still the One God behind them all.

As for keshera, again - it is a question of how you have been taught. Not all Sikhs do as you do - step out of one leg from the shower and step into a new one. If it feels ritualistic to you, then maybe you can do what some other Sikhs do which is take off the keshera before you shower and then put a fresh pair on when you are done. There is no need to bind yourself to strict rituals. The point of the keshara is to remind us to consciously regulate our sexual energy. As long as you are in that spirit with it, whether or not you wear your keshara in the shower is beside the point.

As for your work and future- it takes a tremendous amount of courage to say that maybe we are not so good at something we like. Yet, in taking that step, it opens us up to finding out whether or not we can be good at something we do like. Fear of the future always creates doubt in the minds of people. When we don't know what's ahead, we try to invent scenarios in order to make us comfortbale. But the fact is Guru is with you and guiding your every step. The key to going through this is being genuine and honest with yourself about the truth of the situation. If you are not so good at your work, then, without self-judgement, admit it and ask the Guru to guide you to something that you will be good at. Change is a great challenge that allows us to grow. There's nothing to worry about, because what you need to do is already written on your forehead. Just surrender yourself and give yourself permission to look at other options in order to find it.

Hope this has been helpful.

All love,

GPK