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Summary of Question:	Pierced Ears
Category:	Other
Date Posted:	Thursday, 8/16/2001 10:01 AM MDT

WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH

I would first like to cngratulate you on this most wonderful work you are doing, it has helped me and im sure many others learn about themselves and Sikhi a great deal more.

My question is regarding earrings, it is known that if an earring is worn on a short term basis (2 years say) and then removed the hole it has made will eventually close again. Therefore no permanent hole will remain in the ear. Given that no real damage will be made is piercing seen as being a wrong thing to do? I am not sure but i have heard Sikh warriors of the past wore earrings, is this true? Also is this rule the same for men and women, i am sure it is, but i see far more sikh women with earrings than men.

I am sorry for asking such questions, but i dont know where else to get the answers seeing as i would like to pierce my ear on a short term basis.

Thanks again

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REPLY
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Sat Siri Akaal Dear One:

Piercing alters the body given you by Waheguru. It is not about whether or not the holes close up. It is altering the body, which is against Sikh teachings. So if you pierce you have altered the body, and even when the holes close up, you have scars, so you have permanently altered the body. I know, I had my ears pierced at 12 (I was not Sikh then) and in the last 5 years (I am 45) I stopped wearing earrings. The holes have closed up but there are scars.

Doesn't matter if warriors had pierced ears or not; perhaps they had them pierced before following Guruji.

Yes, more women than men pierce their ears. It is still not Sikh. You should also be aware that in the times of the 10 Gurus, women with pierced ears, nose and/or mouth usually were women of indentured servitude or slaves. So when Guru abolished altering the body through piercing, he was also telling everyone that Sikh women are not the(forced) servants or slaves of others. (This is a different concept than serving someone as seva, from the goodness of one's heart.)

Guru ang sang,
-DKK