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| Summary of Question: | If I Have Not Taken Amrit Can I Be Called A Sikh Or A Khalsa |
| Category: | Sikh Practices |
| Date Posted: | Tuesday, 4/16/2002 1:37 AM MDT |
In the simplest terms, a Sikh is a "Seeker of Truth." Anyone who is a Seeker of Truth is a Sikh-because that is what the word means. So, you can call yourself a Sikh if you Seek Truth.
A Sikh of the Guru is a Seeker of Truth who looks to the Siri Guru Granth Sahib for spiritual guidance. Amrit is not required for you to go to the Guru for spiritual counsel. Amrit is one step of a journey in spiritual awakening. When and where you take that step is up to God and Guru, not up to your ego.
A Khlasa is one who disciplines him or herself to live by one's God-given purity. Guru Gobind Singh gave his Sikhs a specific discipline through which to discover and live that purity. The key concepts here are : discipline and purity. Call yourself a Khalsa if you have committed to the discipline. Again-some people may practice the discipline for many years before taking Amrit and still call themselves a Khalsa. Others will take Amrit at the start of living the discipline. It is up to your own spiritual journey how these things occur.
GPK
If I Have Not Taken Amrit Can I Be Called A Sikh Or A Khalsa (04/16/2002)