Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji
Beads of Truth, Fall 1979, #3
 Guru Gobind Singh, at the time of Baisakhi, is known to have asked for heads. The test was to see whether people who claimed that they belonged to the Guru came through or not. Five came and passed the test. To those who offered their head, Guru Gobind Singh did not first give the Amrit. He first gave them the baanaa. It was the foundation stone laid for the beginning of the most beautiful consciousness, the Khalsa. Dress has a very unique power in it. It gives you confirmation in relation to the world around you. It gives you spirit and power to relate in your grace and your value to the values around you.
Sikh Dharma is not a ritual or a philosophy: Sikh Dharma is a living, practical experience of reality. Therefore, because of the values which you valued very much in the past, it is possible that you may be afraid to come out in society with basic values on which Sikh Dharma, the spirit of the Khalsa, stands. Our tolerance of this is not our acceptance. Don't misunderstand for a moment. We tolerate because we are compassionate. But that does not mean that we have accepted a person who calls himself a Sikh and does not wear the baanaa of the given father, Guru Gobind Singh, as his ultimate father on earth and in heaven, in order to walk on the path and thus make himself liberated. In India, the Sikh religion has gone through many political upheavals and even today they survive as a minority. But on the whole, the main body of the Sikhs are very decent, religious and honest people. I would suggest you not follow the few corrupt who have worn the skin of Khalsa with the mind of a donkey. Your relationship has to be direct in spirit and in action. Guru Gobind Singh had mastery, therefore he cut through the mystery of time and space. He gave us the baanaa, then Amrit, later the Sin Guru Granth as baanee. Now this fact and eventful situation is twisted by different people to serve different purposes, and it is sometimes very confusing. However, we belong to the land of free people and our caliber cannot accept slavery. Therefore we must not value social pressure. Social pressure is meant for those who are mentally bankrupt of their spirit and values. Sometime people feel that if you wear a three-piece suit that you will look socially impressive. I ask you, what social impression do you want to create when you are mentally a coward and spiritually bankrupt? This world is a temporary place and it must be played that way. You have the right to enjoy this earth and its values, but don't forget it's a temporary place. To continue reading this article, click here. Copyright The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan. |
We are the by-products of yoga. There's no untruth about it. We are not going to justify ourselves to anybody. This is the way it is. We have adopted this dharma because we raised our consciousness, not because it was thrust upon us. The problem is that there is no man to be worshipped...it is the Infinite God whom we worship. It is the most difficult thing on this planet to have an ego and then to worship the Unknown. 
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