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Summary of Question:	The Question That Troubles Me Alot
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Saturday, 3/30/2002 5:01 AM MDT

I have read alot of discusions on the Hairs, that a true sikh never cut his hairs with some exceptions of medical etc. I am still faced with the question that are hairs so important for being called as sikhs? I believe that asking sikhs to have hairs was appropriate at earlier time becoz the guru had some purpose into it. But i believe that the change is the integral part of the humans so with the sikhs. if keeping hairs was with some motive(identity) then the current times have changed as earlier sikh guru never asked for keeping hairs and then moved to times they wanted the sikhs to have. it was all the question of time. If identity was the main reason then sikhs can be confused by talibans and some hindu fakirs who keep hairs. there can be other ways to tag sikhs. I am writing this becoz of curiosity and had discusion abt this many times but we came with no conclusion on this matter.

Another question of mine is also related to the time. the kirpan is one of the 5k's . the main purpose or importance is for self protection, ur faith and others. but can we replace them with some form of high tech guns, since again the motive is to protect. the kirpans were norm of the days when there were no guns or very big guns which a humans find it difficult to carry. why do sikhs do not want to change? I again state "Change is integral for human survival" I dont mean by this that we should change the way of living. but change some means to get to the END or reassure faith of other people with the changing need of the TIME.
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Sat Siri Akal, Parmeet Singh.

The question about hair for the Sikhs is a difficult one. Let me see if there's another way to discuss this.

The problem with uncut hair is that it may make it difficult to find a job, find a spouse-in other words, it makes it more difficult for the modern-day Sikh to be accepted into society. Let's remember, at the time of Guru Gobind Singh, Sikhs were rejected by the society and Guru gave us this distinctive dress so that Sikhs could not hide from their true identity. In other words, all the reasons we have today for cutting our hair applied 300 years ago. It isn't a question of traditional times versus modern times because it was just as difficult back then to be so physcially identifiable.

Guru Gobind Singh gave us bana as part of a spiritual discipline. The heart of the Sikh path is not "faith," not beliefs, nor rituals, nor religion, but an actual discipline that, when followed, takes one on a journey of the Spirit to meet and merge with the Beloved. Spiritual disciplines have never, are not, and never shall be easy paths to walk. And ultimately, it's between you and your soul whether or not to make the commitment to walk it. From a social point of view, there already are plenty of people who consider themselves Sikhs because of their beliefs, but do not feel obliged to follow the spiritual discipline of the Gurus. What you choose to do, how you walk this path and what your experiences are-ultimately-that is up to no one but you. Understand: merging with the Beloved is a moment of grace but without a discipline, even if the moment of grace comes, the capacity to maintain it throughout your life is very very difficult.

What is the main purpose of wearing the kirpan? To protect is one traditional answer. To remind ourselves of our duty to live by the truth is another. The path of truth is finer than a hair and sharper than a razor's edge. There were guns in Guru Gobind Singh's time, but he gave the kirpan as part of the discipline. Again-it's ultimately up to you what you do with this gift from the Gurus.

The question is this: do the Sikhs have the wisdom to alter the spiritual discipline given by the Gurus? Will a 21st-century interpretation of the discipline lead to the same level of realization? If all of this is so much ritual, then altering it is fine in a modern world. But if there is something more to it than ritual, if, in fact, the discipline does lead to spiritual awakening, why change it? Live by it or don't live by it-that's your choice. But honor it for what it is.

Sincerely,

GPK