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Summary of Question:	Amrit, Being Prepared, Wearing The Crown...
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Thursday, 5/22/2003 1:18 AM MDT

dear sister/brother...

vaheguru jee kaa khalsa
vaheguru jee kee fatheh

I tried to search through the forum on almost everything relating to amrit, but i still felt like asking my question..

My question is about taking Amrit, and wearing a keski. Firstly, I don't really know if I am "ready" to take Amrit - I don't wake up at Amrit Vela, I don't do paat every day, I don't know if I'm prepared to keep all of my hair *forever*, etc... But whenever I think of taking Amrit, my knees get weak and I nearly get dizzy just dreaming about it.. It's just something that seems so perfect, so amazing, something that gives meaning and purpose to life, something that truly initiates you into the sisterhood/brotherhood of the Khalsa Panth - something that gives you an unbreakable connection with Guru Gobind Singh... It's just beautiful...

Yet, I still don't know if I am ready. People always tell me, "you're only young once, enjoy it all while you can", and they encourage me to "be free" and roam the world and dance and party and do all that other stuff.. They also make me think of the 'negative effects of amrit' - how I'll never be able to do certain things, and how I'll have problems going to parties and what not..

I just don't know if I should take it soon or if I should wait until I'm 100% prepared..

And one more thing, (sorry to make this so long), I've been doing a lot of research on the 5th kakaar being "Keski" and I feel that it truly makes a lot of sense for all baptised Sikhs to wear turbans. Yet, I KNOW I am not ready to wear one yet, and even if I will be in the future, I still don't know if I'll be prepared to wear it all the time, or if I'll only wear it sometimes..
I was thinking that perhaps I should take Amrit only when I'm ready to wear a keski - and that way I'll be doing everything PROPERLY - or whether I should take Amrit sooner, and just wear a rumaal/chuni.... I guess I would eventually try on a keski and try wearing it sometimes, and hopefully I would begin wearing it more and more, but I still don't know if I should WAIT to take Amrit and do it "properly" or what... Since not many people support me with this path, including my own parents, it makes it really difficult to aim for the truth. It's so easy to get discouraged and get tempted to wear my hair down and wear makeup/jewelry/saris, even though in my heart most of that stuff isn't really meant for me at all..It's just about holding on to something that I'm not even sure I want anymore, yet I always get convinvced I do want it, at least for a little while longer..

I'm a confused kid, and I'm sorry if I confused you as well with my words.. Please forgive me for saying anything offensive or against gurmat..

- chardee kalaa !!!

vaheguru jee ka khalsa
vaheguru jee kee fatheh!
(REPLY) Sat Nam. Taking Amrit is not an intellectual decision based on what is convenient for you! If your heart and soul inspires you to want the blessing of becoming the son of Guru Gobind Singh in fact, as well as in name, then you will take Amrit while you are young, so that His strength and courage can infuse your life, and you will not be doing things that you may come to regret later in life. If you want your whole life to be honorable and to be a shining exaple of a Gursikh, then you take Amrit. Taking Amrit is your commitment, your promise that you want to be the best, you want to serve God and Guru and some old toothless man saying, "Now I'm going to be a vegetarian." You have to decide what is the purpose of your life, and what is the best means to achieve that. There is a power and an energy you will receive when you take Amrit that can enable you to follow the REHIT IF YOU DETERMINE TO DO IT! You'll probably live to be a hundred, but do you know that for sure? That's why our code of conduct is called the Rehit Maryada, "constant remembrance of Death." In other words, if this were to be your last day on Earth, how would you live it? Would you want to be Amritdhari or not? Figure it out! blessings