Why don’t Sikhs get a haircut and trim their beards?

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58 responses to “Why don’t Sikhs get a haircut and trim their beards?”

1. 

   Sikh

   April 30, 2009

   Sikhs do not believe in life after death, because anyone who tells you there is life after death is just lying because no one can die and then come back to life and tell you. The religion concerns itself more with how to conduct yourself during life. The reference to reincarnation is a metaphorical one, not a literal one. The Guru Granth Sahib is written in poetic verses, and it states that one transcends the circle of life and death by meditating on god. You are born as pure and good, and you should die as pure and good as well. Thus you have freed yourself from the circle and become one with the lord.

   Amritdhari Sikhs are those that have taken amrit. They have swore an oath to the Khalsa that they will uphold all of the virtues listed in the Guru Granth Sahib. The Khalsa is the religious military body established by the Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth guru. All Sikhs are supposed to keep their hair, but it is especially important for Amritdhari Sikhs because they have swore an oath. It is not just maintaining the hair, but also wearing the other articles of faith, which includes a small dagger known as a kirpan. Some Sikhs do not wear all of the 5 K’s because they are not as religious as other Sikhs. Every religion has people who are more or less religious than others.

   God does not have a mouth, nor a voice with which to speak, so how can he/she tell you what is the right path? There is no one right path, but there is a natural way and an unnatural way. What is natural is always good, it is always right, and is always what god wants. Keeping one’s hair is natural, and godly. Not destroying god’s creations on earth is natural and godly. Treating other human beings with kindness and respect is natural and godly. Also, defending god’s creation from those who are destructive and evil is also godly.

   It is also natural for men to have long hair, because that is how god meant for us to be. If you do not cut your hair and try to fix it in whatever style is fashionable nowadays, it will grow long, and beautiful. This is god’s will.

   We do not have to wash our hair more than once or twice a week because we keep it covered, and clean. One of the 5 k’s is kanga. A kanga is a comb, that we keep in our hair. Besides practical use, it serves as a symbol for cleanliness. Sikhism is a religion that puts importance on physical appearance, and we are supposed to present ourselves as clean and tidy. However, there are some who adhere to this principle more than others, but this is true of all people, no matter their religion.

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2. 

   Mohammad Yusha

   April 29, 2009

   You mentioned in your previous comment that the purpose of Sikhism is to get reincarnated. Born again and again until one is good enough to find salvation. The question is, many people who believe in reincarnation do not believe in life after death or hell and heaven, as is the case of many Hindus and all Buddhists. Do Sikhs believe in life after death and hell and heaven?

   What is the difference between an Amritdhari Sikh and a regular Sikh, and why is it that only Amritdhari Sikhs are supposed to maintain all their hair?

   I agree that people should not be discriminated due to their religious beliefs, but who is a Guru or anyone to introduce a new path to God? How about following the path introduced by God Himself? The only reason there are so many religions is because everyone thinks they can introduce a new path to God.

   You asked, if women can keep long hair why not men. The answer is that it is natural for women to keep long hair. If it was natural or normal for men to keep long hair, they would not be needing or wearing a Turban.

   If you think there is nothing wrong with washing hair only once a week, then I think there is nothing left to discuss on this point.

   Concerning your last point, I did not mention that keeping a beard is unhygenic. I only referred to the moustache.

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3. 

   Singh

   April 28, 2009

   Perhaps I was unclear in my first post. Amritdhari Sikhs are supposed to maintain all of their hair; Guru Gobind Singh said himself “my Sikhs shall not use the razor.”

   As I said in the previous post, while keeping hair and wearing the turban was a tradition started by the early Gurus emphasizing equality of all people, the mandate was given by the final Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, when he created the Khalsa. Yes, Guru Nanak was /born/ a Hindu, but he denounced many of the irrational and superstitious practices followed by Hindus and Muslims.

   Guru Nanak arguably did not create a new religion. He preached a doctrine, similar in many respects to Hinduism and Islam, that essentially emphasized the existence of one God and the equality of all people in the world. He did not create a religion, but disassociated himself from other religions: “Na koi Hindu, na koi Musalman,” meaning that we are all children of God, so people should not be categorized or discriminated based on religious beliefs. His followers at the time were known as Sikhs, or disciples, and as the religion grew the term Sikh became associated with the doctrine of Guru Nanak.

   It was Guru Gobind Singh who formalized the Sikh doctrine as a brotherhood of saint soldiers and thus established the Sikh religion. Any follower of the Guru was known as a Sikh.

   How do you mean Sikhism is a religion of God? I’m not saying God came down and told Nanak to preach the word. I said that Sikhism is simply a path to God introduced by Nanak, and that its not the only path. And while Sikhism itself may not have been heard of before the Gurus, many of the fundamental principles are shared among all major religions of the world.

   Finally, you seem to be highly biased against keeping hair, and I wonder why. How is it unnatural to let your hair grow…naturally? As for hygiene, it is required by the Sikh Rehet to keep your hair and body clean. The turban has nothing to do with hair being long…and if women can grow their hair long, why not men?

   Sure hair gets dirty and sweaty, which is why you have to wash it regularly. Once a week is not that bad, especially considering that it doesn’t get dirty since its covered. As for sweating, personally, if I exercise or play sports I generally wash my hair afterwards to keep it clean.

   Also, are are you saying that everyone in the world with a long beard is unhygienic? If you wash your face every day, you wash your beard and thus clean your mustache. And how does letting your mustache grow naturally feel unnatural? I’ll admit that when it first comes in it may feel itchy and strange, but you quickly overcome that uncomfort. If you are so opposed to growing your hair long, then don’t. But please don’t tell others what they should be doing.

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4. 

   Mohammad Yusha

   April 28, 2009

   Sikhs are not even allowed to trim their moustaches and shape their beards properly, so why are they allowed to get rid of hair on the body? If hair is not to be shaved or trimmed, why does it apply only to the face and head?

   It was Gurus who told people not to trim hair, not God. Guru Nanak was a Hindu, as you have mentioned, but in Hinduism there is no mention of avoiding trimming hair. Did Guru Nanak invent a new religion? If Sikhism is a religion of God, why was Sikhism never heard of before these Gurus?

   It is unnatural and unhygenic to grow hair so long that it has to be covered in a Turban to avoid looking like a woman. A Sikh told me that he washes his hair once a week, and on other days he takes a bath avoiding his hair. It is common sense that it will get dirty and sweaty. What about the moustache that grows so long it ends up covering the lips. I’m sure this feels uncomfortable and is unnatural. Food and drink goes inside the mouth after touching the moustache. This is also unhygenic.

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5. 

   Singh

   April 28, 2009

   @Shakir Lakhani: It is true that Amritdhari (baptized) Sikhs are required to maintain the 5 K’s, but it is important to put the meaning of the 5 K’s into context. The kirpan represents a Sikh’s commitment to the ways of Sikhism and his duty to righteously defend himself and others, using the kirpan itself as a last resort.

   However, we live in a day that unfortunately the carrying of a kirpan by a Sikh may be fine, but others may impersonate and Amritdhari for malicious intent. Thus, in the sense of defending others, wearing the kirpan on an airplane actually might cause more harm than good for yourself and others.

   This is certainly a worst case, but when security is so tight nowadays, most Sikhs agree that its best to check in the kirpan in packed baggage instead. However, as the Sikh Rehet does not specify a size of the kirpan to be worn, many wear miniature kirpans on a necklace to maintain the symbolic nature, which is really what’s important in today’s society.

   I hope that answered your question.

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6. 

   Shakir Lakhani

   April 28, 2009

   @ Singh: if Sikhs have to obey the 5 K rules, do they have to carry their daggers (kirpans) when travelling by air?

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7. 

   Singh

   April 27, 2009

   If you wish to make such suggestions as you have here, please do your research first before basing your argument on unfounded claims. I wi yll try and tackle each of your points individually.

   First off, this is a completely isolated incident. How can you judge the entire Sikh community of over 23 million based on one kid who had a difficult time? I don’t deny that in many Sikh families there is much pressure laid on children to keep their hair and maintain their identity, but its no different from the religious pressures faced by children in the households of other religions.

   Second, the turban is not uncomfortable. I have worn one for several years now and while it can take some time to get used to and to learn to tie, its hardly much of a burden or hardship for me, and for many. Additionally, why is it important to shape the beard properly? The beard naturally grows into a shaped state as it grows and, as mandated by Sikhism, must be kept clean. Why should hair get dirty when wrapped in a turban? I have never had my head feel uncomfortably warm or sweaty with a turban, and when playing sports I wear a mini-turban called a keski so that I’m not wearing anything too bulky. Enough people in the who have moustaches can tell you that they are not uncomfortable.

   Also, tell me why a turban looks gross??

   The 10 Sikh Gurus never claimed to be prophets or claimed that the path that they preached was the only or proper way to live their lives. The purpose of life, according to Sikhism, is to achieve oneness with God and that the soul is reincarnated until this goal is reached. However, your actions in life determine the state of your reincarnate. Cutting hair and following the Sikh way is not nearly as important as being a good, honest person, which is why this is one of the primary lessons taught in Sikhism. Thus, Sikhism is not the only way to God, but was started due to the corruption and turbulent times of Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak was Hindu-born and was a very spiritual person. It is said that in his 30’s he went to a river and returned 3 days later enlightened, having found God. Whether or not you wish to interpret this as his being a prophet, Guru Nanak simply spread the word of God and a universal path to Him. Thus as a Guru, or spiritual teacher, he is immensely important to Sikhs.

   Sikhism mandates that Amritdhari (baptized) Sikhs keep all of their hair – that they should not shave at all (men & women). You can have cut hair and be clean shaven and still follow the word of the Gurus but you must keep your hair (and the other four of the 5 K’s) to be baptized.

   I have found no reference to your quote on taking care of “bal-bachche” and not hair. Please provide a source if you wish for anyone to comment on it.

   Sikhs do not believe in a simplistic heaven and hell system. I have already discussed this previously, but to reiterate, it is far more important to be a good and honest person in life than to keep hair.

   Finally, why hair and and the turban is important is because it is an outwardly show of commitment to the Gurus and to God. Though it was maintained by followers since the time of Guru Nanak, it was made an article of faith by the tenth and final human Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. It was intended as a way for Sikhs to distinguish themselves from all other people in world as followers of the unique path of Sikhism. This was important since at the time Sikhs were persecuted for opposing the tyrannic Mughal rulers (two Gurus and countless Sikhs were tortured and executed). Thus, this allowed for the creation of the Khalsa, the brother/sisterhood of baptized Sikhs known as Saint-Soldiers who possessed the necessary inner and outer strength to represent and defend Sikhism as well as stand up for the rights of all people.

   I do hope this clarifies several of the issues in your post and the responses

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8. 

   Mohammad Yusha

   April 24, 2009

   How were these directions essential at that time? Can you also tell me why Sikhs are allowed to get rid of hair on the body?

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9. 

   aamadmi

   April 24, 2009

   My dear sir, please put your records straight. It was not Guru Nanak but it was Guru Gobind Singh, who asked his followers to keep beard and grow hair (in addition to five other requirements). It is not good to criticize any other religeon and that besides, these directions were essential at that point of time, when Guru Gobind Singh prescribed them.

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10. 

    Harjeet Singh Khalsa

    April 23, 2009

    i want 2 told u that sikh religions is now growing up bsz most of the majority is now educated & spread the message of sikhism in all over india so pls dont critised the religions But kesh guru ki shan ha aur hame is pe man ha pure sikh never cut his hair & i proud to be a amritthari sikh WAHE GURU JI KA KHALSA WAHE GURU JI KI FATHE.

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