Previous

Next

Ask a Question

Summary of Question:	Verbal Abuse
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Wednesday, 4/09/2003 8:38 AM MDT

Fateh!

I have a question which i wish to ask

today i was walking back from school (i am 17yrs old)... ask i walking home passing through a small park... a group of cheeky 15 year old kids stared at me (intensely)... one of them whispered to all the others...

to show that i was not scared of the group of 6 or 7 kids i walked right at them and passed by them.. i could tell they anxious and felt challenged by me walking pass at them instead of avoiding them

as i walked well pass them... one of them said "towel head"... i could hear the group talking and then they all laughed and said "towel head" "turban head" etc....

i ignored them and walked home

i felt they call me 'towel head' but this is the Crown of Guru Gobind Singh ji... "may god bless the fools who dont know the Sikh Sardaari di nishaani"

as i walked home i was thinking what would Guru Gobind Singh jee do? What should i have done? should i have turned around and went back to the boys? should i have told them to grow up? should i have challenged them to fight?

what shud i have done?

i eagerly await a reply

many thanks

<<<<< REPLY >>>>>

Wahe Guru Ji ka Khalsa
Wahe Guru Ji ki Fateh!

Manvir Singh Ji - I have had this happen to me many times too. Many, many times I have been called "towel head" or Q-tip" or "Bin Laden" or Ayatollah" and laughed at derisively. At first I would feel angry. But then I meditated on this and understood why it happens and what to do about it. When people see something they don't understand they usually have one of two reactions. Either they want to learn more and understand it better, or they are afraid of it. Fear causes insecurity. Insecure people puff themselves up with beligerence and anger as a defense. Understanding that these people who throw epithets at my bana are fearful and insecure has made me respond in a very different way. Now when this happens, I say a prayer to Guru Ji to bless the abusers with understanding and remove their fear. I give them my warmest smile and say "God bless you!" You see, they are simply trying to annoy me. To 'get my goat'. That makes them feel that they are in control of a situation that scares them. I never let them feel that they have been able to upset me in any way. I take control of the situation and do what they do not expect. I bless them. People learn by example. I want to be an example of the Guru's shining radiance, joy and ecstasy. Let everyone see what a divine thing it is to wear the Guru's radiant crown!

.....G