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Summary of Question:	Amritdhari Vs. Non-Amritdhari Who Acts Amritdhari
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Wednesday, 11/20/2002 7:13 AM MST

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fathey. I thank you for the two answers you have given me about taking Amrit and becoming Amritdhari. In line with those questions, I was asked by a younger member of the Sikh community what the difference is between a sikh with cut hair and one that has taken Amrit. He continued by saying that if a person is good at heart and read's his/her banis and lives an upstanding lifestyle why is he/she any different than another person who does the same that is Amritdhari. Personally, I could only answer him from my heart and with true knowledge so I told him that I personally felt life was more about living right than showing people you live right. But that I could not represent the thoughts of Sikhs in general because I did not have that kind of extended knowledge of Sikhi. As is what would you say in a situation like that, what is the difference? Thank you for all your work with all of our youth.

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REPLY
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Sat Siri AKaal. Your query encapsulates one of the biggest questions facing the world Sikh Panth, and that DIVIDES the Sikh panth.

Here are my thoughts. What is in one's heart, and one's intention, both come into play here. The non-Amritdhari Sikh who sincerely acts Amritdhari in all ways BUT their outward appearance cannot be judged by HUMANS as being less than an Amritdhari doing the same. Lord knows there are plenty of non-Amritdharis out there who act like true Amritdhari Sikhs (but perhaps without kesh/bana), and plenty of Amritdhari Sikhs who do ANYTHING but act Amritdhari! All this is God's play and who are we mere humans to judge it?

But for the sincere Gursikh who takes Amrit and works daily to keep the discipline of an Amritdhari, the difference between him/her and the sincere non-Amritdhari of your example is a VOW and the effort s/he makes to keep that vow. So that is where INTENT comes in, and conciousness to live as a soldier and act like a saint. And that vow made before Guru means one has made a promise to Guru and that one is bound by that promise, karmically and dharmically. In other words, a whole lot more stuff is carried with it. ANd of course, part of being true Amritdhari is keeping one's kesh and bana.

I hope this helps. Guru ang sang,
-DKK