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Summary of Question:	Altering Body, Is There A Middle Ground
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Friday, 1/11/2002 7:05 PM MST

First this is a great site, and i'm greatful for an opportunity to ask this question. Recently i became increasingly interest in the subject of body altering. . . my cousin just had a son and he was born with a clef palette (spelling?) which is a malformation of the upper part of the mouth and a disconnection of the upper lip. this malformation is not life threatening or anything it is just a birth defect. My cousin and her family are having a conflict over having this malformation fixed. My cousin's sister in law, a gursikh, says that it cant be allowed under our religion because it is altering the body that God has given him. What do you think. If you follow a strick practice of this anti body altering than can sikhs wear glasses, have opperation for fix diseases, if you are born as siamese twins and you can safly separate both children do you not do it. I believe there is always a spectrum of extremes on any subject, isn't it wrong to follow any extreme, be it tattos and bellybutton rings on one end and the belief that would deny a child medical treatment.

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REPLY
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Dear One:
Sat Siri Akaal. I understand their torment. ALthough I can tell you that a cleft lip can actually be a major discomfort for the one who has it: because it confuses the sinuses and mouth and mixes up the fluids in both; let's say that it could aggravate a common cold into a major infection-- have the parents considered this? (Depends on how bad the cleft is.)

There are several considerations for looking at this issue. First, the baby is not amritdhari, and at such an age requires looking after by his parents. So the BABY is not altering his body or breaking any vows. Second, your point about glasses and operations for cancers is well-taken. The Gurus did not say altering the body for MEDICAL reasons is wrong; altering for ego and fashion and peer pressure is. I can imagine Guru Nanak using eyeglasses without a problem!

While it is the baby's karma to be born this way, medical treatment can make this baby's life better, and the parents might want to think of the comfort of this baby, given what it is like to live with this defect (I'm not talking about how it looks!). The parents and adults in this baby's life are acting as if it is THEIR body, not the baby's.

Rajini's husband was CURED of his leprosy by dipping in the waters of what is now Harimandir Sahib? Does this mean he altered his body wrongly? My Sikh girlfriend has severe arthritis, and has had 2 hip replacements and is still somewhat crippled. Why did she do this? SO she could go on living the life Guru gave her. My devoted Sikh uncle had his cataracts removed so he could continue to see and read Gurbani.

Yes, indeed there is a difference between cutting hair, tattooing and piercing the body, and getting medical treatment for defects and diseases. The intention behind the two is completely different. And you are right, there is no place in Sikhi for fanaticism of any kind. Because what we are here to do is live the lives Guru gave us and learn and practice compassion through meditative mind. The parents of this child should perhaps go into their hearts, not heads, and imagine being this child growing up with a defect that could easily be remedied and ease the child's long-term health risks.
Guru rakha,
-DKK

AN