10 Reasons Why I Am A Sikh

 

1. - It is the first religion I have ever encountered that is named after me and not its founder.
Let’s face it, you can probably count on the fingers of one hand (maybe two) the number of people who get a spiritual path named after them. I am proud to be one of the elect. “Sikh” or “Sikhi” means student or seeker. I know that. And I know that I have been a seeker or student of spirituality since before I became a Sikh.

“Sikhism or Sikhi, as Sikhs prefer to call it, is different. The name of the religion has nothing at all to do with the names of the founders or Gurus of the movement. Nanak was the first Guru, but I have never heard this faith called Nanakism.” Inder Jit Singh, Professor of Anatomy, New York University.

It is a matter of fact, or belief, or faith, that all nine human Gurus, who followed the first, to the tenth, Guru Gobind Singh, were simply varied exemplars or enlightened manifestations of the divine and cosmic energy or wisdom or strength of the first, Guru Nanak. There was no differentiation made between any of them. That is exactly why they all acted in the name of Nanak, and used the eponym Nanak in all of their writings.

For my purposes, the word “Sikh” says exactly who we Sikhs are and how we should see ourselves. This word is of Sanskrit origin, meaning a student. Do we have any other purpose on this Earth than to be students of life and seekers of truth, pursuers of the divine? Our path lasts as long as we do. It is endless, just as a true learner should be always seeking the truth. Our lot is to study “God” both within ourselves and in ALL of those that we meet. Our work is never done. The journey becomes the destination.

2 - As a Sikh I am forbidden to proselytize.
There are no missionaries in Sikhism. A Sikh does not search out people to “convert” to his or her way of thinking. A true Sikh accepts all religions and spiritual paths as valid and true. Attempting to convince another of the value and rightness of the Sikh path would be tantamount to saying that my religion was somehow better than theirs. I do of course entertain respectful curiosity and am happy to do so by answering any and all questions if they are put politely.

I once had an acquaintance who was Mormon. He was hard working, cheerful, and serious about his spiritual life. He was also in that time of his life when it was his job to be a missionary for his faith. He understood why I was a Sikh and respected me for it. But he also felt he had to make the attempt to convert me. I remember how uncomfortable he seemed to be as he gave me a copy of the book of Mormons. His words were to the effect that, “I know you’re probably one of the last people who might convert, but here’s the book we give as part of our missionary work.” I felt as though he were doing it out of a sense of obligation to his faith and not because he knew I would somehow see the light the way he saw it.

 

3 - Part of Being a Sikh requires that I get up early (every morning).
This is something that made so much sense to me since the very first moment I found out about Sikhs. It is something I have always done. I was the first person awake in my family just about each and every day of my childhood. It is as though I were meant to be a Sikh from the moment I was born (at about 4 a.m. in the morning). A Sikh rises two and a half hours (approximately) before the Sun to devote one tenth of the day to worship consisting of reading prayers, singing the hymns of the Gurus and meditating on God. Going to bed early also means you don't have a lot of time at night to go out and get into trouble!

4 - I save money on visits to the barbershop, on razors, shaving cream and after  shave lotion (which, by the way stings and sometimes makes others cough!).
Even when I was doing it regularly, shaving has always seemed a barbaric act. Pressing a sharp sliver of metal against my face and throat in an effort to scrape off something (hair) that will inevitably and immediately begin to grow back. Not only is it mildly dangerous (bleeding does happen) but I also found it quite irritating, inducing rashes and other outbreaks, both mild and serious. And since the hair always makes the attempt to grow back, it was also pointless to shave it off! Sikhs believe that since God gave us hair, there must be a good reason for it other than some evolutionary hangover. So shaving and haircuts, I submit, contradict God’s will.

5 - I enjoy wearing a turban—it helps to keep my head together!
No, honest, I’m not kidding. Everybody knows that the skull is made up of 26 bones that move and slide against each other like cranial tectonic plates. Well, a turban exerts subtle pressures to keep these bones in their proper place giving my brain all the room it needs to function properly without constrictions.

6 - There’s not a whole lot to remember about what a Sikh believes.
A Sikh believes in the The Mool Mantra, which follows:

Ek Ong Kar – There is but One Creator
Sat Nam – God’s Identity is Truth
Karta Purkh – God is the Doer of ALL Things
Nir Bhao – God is without anger, and revenge
Nir Vair – God is without fear
Akhal Moort – God is Undying
Sai Bhang – God is Unborn and Self-illumined
Gur Prasad – By the Grace of the Guru
Jaap – Meditate upon this O my mind!
Aad Sach – It was true in the beginning
Jugaad Sach – It is true for ALL of creation
Hebhi Sach – It is true even now
Nanak Hosi Bhi Sach – O Nanak, it shall ever be true.

And that is it! Brief, to the point and if you believe in God as a Supreme Being, undeniably true. These are the first words of the Sikh scriptures, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. And all the beautiful words that follow, some 1200+ pages full are merely exposition upon them. In different ways and by different means, the Gurus that followed Nanak as well as a number of Muslim and Hindu holy men expound on the truths contained therein. But the truth remains, reflected in a thousand different beautiful ways as light projected through the many dazzling facets of a perfectly cut diamond.

7 - If you are a Sikh, it’s OK if you want to go dance with the Sufis, meditate with the Buddhists, and sing hymns with the Christians, read the Koran with the Muslims and so forth.
This is one of the most enjoyable things about being a Sikh. You may experience the uplifting aspects of any religion or religious practice without violating your Sikh beliefs. A Sikh is bound to respect any and all religions and their practitioners. (And it’s OK to participate in any or all of them.) No matter what our creed, we are all travelers to the same destination and a Sikh’s true desire is that we all achieve the oneness that is our birthright and beliefs.

8 - I enjoy being a vegetarian. (I don’t have to be, but I can!)
Not all Sikhs are vegetarians. Those who have taken the amrit (Khalsa vows) choose this dietary option. To be honest, I was a vegetarian before becoming a Sikh. So this part was easy. It also had the advantage that this was something that made perfect sense to me. Like rising early (#3)and not shaving (#4) this seemed to point me in the direction of Sikhism even before I ever knew what a Sikh was.

9 - Wearing a turban and beard really helps me to be a better Sikh and a better person.
The turban and beard (for men) are simple outward manifestations of our spiritual path as a Sikh and a Khalsa.
They (and three other Khalsa requirements—the 5 K’s) were instituted by the 10^th Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, so that we would be readily identified as Sikhs. There’s no going into a bar or adult movie theater for a Sikh. We are too obvious. Also, since Sikhs are morally bound to defend the defenseless, it is easy for the persecuted to find a defender. Since my appearance is so much a part of who I am, who I am then represents who I must be.

10 - Drugs (recreational), alcohol and tobacco ARE bad for you; I think everyone can agree to that. As a Sikh I am proscribed from using them.
Intoxicants of any kind, whether they are hallucinogenic, inebriants or addictive change us into something we are really not. They alter our personality, or our chemical makeup without improving either in any substantial or permanent way. We might temporarily feel good or different but there always seems to be the come down or hangover that deals a counter blow to the previous high. Sikhs, as do many other religious paths prefer to “get high” worshipping, praising, repeating or reading the word or words of God.

Comments

[Jus Kaur Wirring]

I love being a Sikh and very proud to be one. VERY PROUD

[SSingh]

Hey, nice writeup! Your first reason is a unique one that I've never thought about before. Thanks for it! :)

[laura simran kaur]

Many of those reasons are EXACTLY why I am aSikh and have been one inside my soul since I was a child and understood the notion of what "God" is.

[laura simran kaur]

Many of those reasons are EXACTLY why I am a Sikh and have been one inside my soul since I was a child and understood the notion of what "God" is.

[Jivan Mukta Kaur]

I am 45 years young.I have
been a seeker since I can remember. It is amazing how the sikh way fits my natural tendencies, my soul. It was 40 years ago , I was 5 when I experenced God everywhere and infused in everything especially in myself. Now again, having cleared enough space, I am ready to receive all blessings and broadcast them outward. Thank you Karta Purkh for the strong beacon of light that has couraged me on my way.