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Summary of Question:I Have Cut My Hair Recently And Feel Quite Confused And Scared....
Category:Hair
Date Posted:Friday, 10/27/2000 7:20 PM MDT

Waheguruji Ka Khalsa! Waheguruji Ki Fateh!


I am 23 year old sikh, was born in Delhi and then after 3 years moved to Dubai. I stayed there with my family for 12 years there and moved back to delhi. I have always had hair uptill now. I am in the US doing my post grad course.
I cut my hair two days after i landed. No one influenced or pressurized me to take this decision. Though i feel really bad on what i have done. In the process i have upset my parents, family and betrayed our sikh society. I feel like a traitor and a loser. I have been to a hair parlor twice so far and feel awful and that i am committing some kind of a crime. My mother is a very religious lady and the day she came to know she was very upset...my father said it took him atleast 72 hrs to realize what i have done. I feel i have taken advantage of their innocence and have totally tarnished the trust they had in me. I also had this thing in my mind all the time that god will take his hand off my head and I will not be blessed anymore.
The reasons why had cut my hair is very complex and had accumulated over the years. I was the only sikh in my dubai school and went through lots of humilation. I never took part in extra curricular activities and shied away from it. Unfortunately this made me a very unambitious and laidback person.
I alwyas had this why do I have be different from others...why can't i be a sikh and look like the rest. This feeling has been since then and has only spread in my system. I use to go to Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in Delhi and do seva by cleaning the shoes and taking this thing of my mind. It helped for sometime but would resurface again when i use to interact with the world.
I know i am a Man now to this world but feel really useless when i get such thoughts in my mind. Anyways i met a sikh boy my age here in pittsburgh and he really inspired me becos he had full kesh and tied a turban...and now i am keepingin touch with him. 3 weeks back i could not take it anymore and have started growing my beard and hair again. I called up my parents and my mom said thankyopu to me and later left for gurudwara. But right now i am totaly confused...should i grow and or not. I wnat to but don't have the strength. I decided that first i need to know what exactly is sikhism and what our responsibilities. In the process i feel i am here to study, lot of my parents money has been spent and becos of my act i am wasting a lot of time and not studying what i am here really to do. I know this has turned out to be a long question and even if you don't reply i'll understand..its just that i had to get it out of my system or else i'll be going mad. I need some guidance, advise and knowledge. I am current

ly in Pittsburgh..please let me know if there are any sikh socities here so that i can go and meet them and feel like in home.

Waheguruji Ka Khalsa! Waheguruji Ki Fateh!

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Reply
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Greetings and blessings to you in the Name of God the light of every soul and in the Name of Guru the life if every Sikh.

It is great that you have decided to grow your hairs once again. Sometimes our mistakes allow us the greatest learning experiences of our lives. I think it would help you to know the power and effect of our technology of uncut hair.

The Gurus all taught that the Creator lives within all His creation. We all contain God and were created perfect by this perfect Creator. How could a perfect God ceate anything imperfect? Our form is perfect and there is a purpose for each aspect of our physiology.

We are Akal Murat, the undying picture of God. Our uncut hair and beard presents us in this most princely and noble way. The coil of hair tied at our tenth gate is to keep our composure and high awareness. The beard on the face covers the mooncenter on the chin of the man. This hair channelizes the emotional energy and enables him to be unaffected by mood swings. The clean shaven face is that of a baby that can handle no responsibilities. The turban pulls together the 26 parts of the brain keeping him in constant balance and clear perception.

Rather than consume yourself with guilt and remorse, spend the time applying yourself to expand your experience and learn the value of your form. Your parents were not able to give you the experience and value of our Sikh form and you have been living with so much doubt. You can use your pain to uplift yourself now and move yourself forward to have your own personal experience of the value of keeping your hair and your turban. Then, your Sikh identity will be important to you as well as to your parents.

The human birth is the most exalted of all incarnations, for this is the one life that we have the opportunity to live in God consciousness. Most people are not blessed with a Guru as a guide such as we have. God put you in this world for mastery. So, give your grief and pain back to God through the channel of the Guru. Say a verbal or silent prayer to Wahe Guru to take away your doubt. Ask to be guided.

Finding the company of Sadh Sangat is a wonderful support. There are many Sikhs in the Pittsburgh area. Every year there is a youth kirtan competition there. There is a Gurdwara in Monroeville. I believe that there is a Friday night path in Youngstown. There is a Dr. Bal in Poland or thereabouts that you can contact. You may have to do some research, but I am sure that you will be successful.

Also, for the next 40 days, read the translation of Jap Ji Sahib every day. You will find it in http://www.sikhnet.com/s/gurugranthsahib under English translation. Read it and meditate on it's meaning, understand it and feel what Guru Nanak felt when he spoke those words after coming out from being submerged in the river for 3 days. Understand it! Do it! It will make you a master of your own destiny and will give you the most deep understanding of your life.

God bless you and keep up the good work!!!!



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