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Summary of Question:	I Don't Know What To Do...
Category:	Hair
Date Posted:	Monday, 5/28/2001 1:35 PM MDT

Hi I am 16 years old and I haven't really been bought up religiously, no one in my family is religious. I am the oldest child of 3 and my parents have raised us really well. I have always had my hair cut and I have been shaving now for two years. But for the past year or so I have been wanting to grow my hair and wear a paag. I know I aint the most religious of people but I have been doing alot seva and work for the past year with the Sikh Communinty Youth Services. I have gained alot of respect doing work for them I always volunteer to help with organising events and programmes. All the people I work with wear Turbans and have been bought up religiously and I look up to them all. I want to grow my hair and grow my beard but I just dont know how to go about it, but I dont know what will happen if I do grow it and one day I decide to trim my beard or cut my hair. What I really need is some advice and something to reassure me.

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reply
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Sat Nam Ji!

I appreciate your courage, sincerity and curiosity. As Sikhs everything in our lifestyle has a purpose. Just as the liver filters toxins of the body, our hair has many purposes as well. Everything we do as Sikhs has a technology and therefore will give us an experience. One possibility would be for you to grow your hair and experience what it does for you. Ask yourself, "Do I feel more energetic, centered and calm? Do I feel more connected to my heritage and roots?" There may be other things you experience? It takes a lot of courage to identify yourself. Blacks wear their blackness around with them all the time. They can't escape it. As Sikhs, we wear our identity if we chose to. It takes a lot of courage and commitment to do so. You will not know if having your hair and beard is right for you unless you try it. Do it as a scientific and spiritual experiment. You are a teenager. Teens need to experiment. Then, you will have something real and meaningful on which to base your decision...not because of

your friends, or parents or thinking you "should" or shouldn't but because you know it is right for you. Let Guru guide you.

Feel free to email me directly, if you wish. Humbly, in His Name, Guru Terath Kaur - [email protected]