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Summary of Question:	Teachings Of Guru Gobind Singh Ji
Category:	Sikh Practices
Date Posted:	Monday, 3/12/2001 11:40 AM MDT

I posted this same question not too long ago but didn't receive any reply. So here I go again.

I very close friend of mine is very confused about Sikhi. He is confused especially about Guru Gobinds Singh lifestyle. Why did Guruji choose hunting as a sport. Isn't hunting and killing an animal against Sikh maryada? Guruji told us to live our lifes by his examples so I assume its OK to eat meat and slaughter animals. Because if its not OK, then my question is why did Guru Gobind Singh hunt for sport and kill innocent animals?
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REPLY
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Greetings in the Name of God, the light of every soul and in the Name of Guru, the light of every Sikh. Thank you for writing and sharing your comments and question about hunting. Since I cannot give you an eyewitness account of whether or why Guru Gobind Singh hunted, I offer my observations about this practice from this life. First, I am vegetarian and have been for over 30 years. I am American and since becoming vegetarian, I have been very blessed to always have beautiful and healthy food to nourish my physical body. I have also had occasion to speak to Native Americans who have shared their perspective about the practice of hunting with me. When I first learned about how they viewed hunting I was truly surprised to find how very sacred and spiritual this practice is for them. They have very sacred prayers and ceremonies they follow during a hunt in reverence to the spirit of the animal they kill, and they actually ask permission of the spirit of the animal to take its body for their sustenance, and must

get the animal's permission to do so, before they take its life. They consider it a necessity to gratefully and respectfully use all of the parts of the body of the animal they hunt. Their practices are so very different from the American 'sport' of hunting - so vile and cruel, so disrespectful of the animals and of our earth. After learning about the Native American hunting beliefs and practices, I developed a great respect for these sacred hunters' way of life, even though hunting is certainly not a practice I would follow - and by the Grace of God I have not needed to hunt animals for my food. However during Guru Gobind Singh's time I do not know what the circumstances were. I know they did not have the leisure of living the peaceful agricultural way of life. And I am certain that if it was necessary to hunt for food for their sustenance, that Guruji was absolutely in tune with the spirit of the animals he hunted. Following a vegetarian diet is highly desirable and preferable, but I have come to accept tha
t when necessary, hunting can be done as a sacred and spiritual act. Thank you again for writing. May God and Guru ever bless and guide you. Humbly yours, Gurumeet Kaur Khalsa