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Summary of Question:	Where To Begin When Seriously Interested In Sikhism
Category:	General Q's from Non-Sikhs
Date Posted:	Monday, 8/02/2004 10:43 PM MDT

Hello,

I am a young woman whose parents were sikhs when I was born, which explains my name, but who have stopped practising sikhism actively. I find myself becoming interested in sikhism, wanting to know what it is all about and have been reading information on the internet. Since I would like to learn more about it it seemed like a good idea to read the sri guru granth sahib, until I found out that a copy costs around 200 dollars. So my first question is could you recommend me any literature on sikhism that would answer all of the basic questions? Of course I have found a lot of information on the internet, but it all seems to be very superficial.

I'm wondering who makes the decisions in your religion nowadays, I know that the sggs contains the rules, but since it was written to long ago certain topics that come up now where never included in it. For example organ donation, I've read on your website that it is allowed, but I'm shure that organ donation isn't mentioned in the sggs.

As I have the opportunity to ask you questions I seem to be coming up with more and more, but I would first like to add that my questions are in no way meant to be disrespectfull, I am simply seeking truth and understanding.

How is it possible that everything is God's plan and at the same time there is such a thing as karma and choice. If everything is God's plan hasn't God already planned which choices I will make and therefore how my karma and reincarnation will work out?

To return to organ donations, how come organ donation is allowed when at the same time sikhs believe your body is a temple that should not be modified? Isn't receiving an organ (or any medical attention at all) working against God's will and your karma? And how do sikhs feel about reconstructive plastic surgery or separating siamese twins?

I'm having a bit of trouble with understanding karma in certain situations. I can understand the idea of what you give is what you get, but since I have been lucky enough to live in a liberal country I have been raised with the belief that rape is never the womans fault. But as far as I understand according to sikhs it would be your fault because of things you seem to have done in a previous life. I feel that this is a very depressing thought for a victim of any crime whatsoever, maybe you could help me understand.

If you're not allowed to cut your hair why are you allowed to cut your nails?

How come humans are a higher stage of reincarnation than animals when animals seem to be more honest and true than humans?

How are sikh babies names chosen? I read on your site that the name is meditated upon after the first letter is found in the sggs, but according to my parents they didn't choose my name. Apparently my name was carefully calculated with information taken from astrology and nummerology. Is this done more often?

I think I've asked enough questions for one e-mail, I hope you can answer some or guide me towards more information. Thanks in advance for your time and effort,

Guru Dev Kaur

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Sat Naam Ji. Most of your queries have been answered on this forum before. Use the keywords of your queries in the searchbar on the Youth Forum. Astrology, nails, karma, organ donation, etc. We moderators do not like to repeat ourselves when the answer has been given several times before.
A note on karma and rape: yes, indeed, the 'fault' of the woman may have been from a previous life, but that never is any excuse. It is a karmic perspective that is of little immediate help to the one raped. The thing we learn with karma is that there are no true victims, when the whole of a soul's actions are viewed over lifetimes. Each life offers us opportunities to learn and heal the wounds that create conflict, violence, and disharmony. The experience of rape is an indicator that something needs serious healing and attention (again not trying to blame the woman).
You can read the entire SGGS online here at Sikhnet. The link for Siri Guru is on the home page of www.sikhnet.com. You can print it or read so many pages/day, as you wish, and it won't cost you much at all! You can download it onto your own computer. I really recommend you start with that. Read it through, the English is there with the Gurmukhi. A lot of it will seem to repeat, but those are the consistent messages of Siri Guru. Elsewhere on this site are the Minister's Manual and lots of queries and posts on both the youth forum and discussion forum. Your queries, while valid, are not central to the core of SIkhi, which is a message of love, equality, meditation and service. So start with SGGS and go from there.
Guru ang sang,
-DKK