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Summary of Question:	Need Sum Answers....
Category:	Other
Date Posted:	Sunday, 7/28/2002 6:46 PM MDT

I used to be amrit chak about 4 or 5 years ago but i "broke it" (the common word people around me use) about 2 years ago. However, I dont feel i was amrit chak in the first place because i didn't know wut it really was. Now i know wut you have to do (path, keeping hair, etc) but i dont want to get amrit chak untill im ready because i feel dat i would be disrespecting my religion if i were to "break it" again.

Reply: This is very honest of you and would be expected of anyone considering taking Amrit.

Now i'll get to the questions:
1) If u r a good person--> you donate to charities, treat everyone equally, do path, but u r not amrit chak does that mean u will not go to God? if so then why?? I ask this because i used to go to a Sikh religious school and one of the religion teachers told one of the students dat if u dont get amrit chak u will go to hell. I dont agree with this b/c first of all, there is no "hell" there is only the cycle of birth and death and second i believe dat if ur a good person u'll still go to God.

Reply: You are right, there is no hell and taking amrit is not a guarantee of merging with God. Rather Amrit is a lifestyle given to us by the Gurus to aid us in reaching God. If you wholeheartedly and honestly live the life of Amrit it will certainly lead to your merger with God but if you just take Amrit and then go on being cruel to people and so on, it doesnt matter how much paath you do. As Guru Ji says, reading of holy scriptures amounts to nothing if you do not listen to them. You must be present and bow you head to the truth in order to merge with Truth.

2) why is keeping ur hair so important?

Reply: There are a lot of theories/reasons behind this which you can read throughout this forum. I personally relate to living as God made you with faith in that being the perfect thing.

3) If ur amrit chak but u drink/smoke and basically aren't a good person, will u go to God? This is kinda related to the first question

See answer to #2

4) If ur amrit Chak, is it bad to eat from the hands of someone dat is not amrit chak or that doesn't wear a turban? I ask this b/c my mom is amrit chak and this lady she works with refuses to take parshad or anything else from her hands. I don't understand why b/c guru ji ate from everyones hands regardless of who they were.

Reply: No, it is not an amrithdari's place to judge others or treat anyone as lower than them. This is a caste-related mindset which I think is propogated by Indian culture. It is not in line with the Guru's teachings.

5) why do some religious people only eat out of iron pots?

Reply: Iron is said to be the best for your physical body. Guru Gobind Singh JI is said to have used it, I think this tradition just carried on from then.

This is pretty long:) i just want to know if i got the right answers to my questions. I feel dat the religious school i use to go to is not teaching the students about sikhi b/c they stress the points of not cutting ur hair and eating meat but they don tell the students the most imp. rules of our religion like equality, charity, and stuff like dat.

Reply: I agree with this, many people get into the rules and regulations of Sikhi and turn it into a structured religion, while missing the point of the Spirit of Nanak and his teachings. There is one God within us and everywhere else, we are just here to love and merge with God.
GSKK