"I'm a 18 yr old guy living in Delhi. I have kept my beard n hair. but now a days i feel sad to see around me sikhs with trimmed beard. my background is from rural punjab n there the condition is more bad. Sikhs have got their beard trimmed n kesh cut(my cousin did this recently) n when u ask them why u did this n they say coz of" headache "or some say to look "GOOD". R SIKHS NOT GOOD LOOKING (TO GALS)??? AND ONE MORE QUESTION IS OUR RELIGION DECLINING DUE TO PATITNESS (TRIMMED BEARD N KESH)???? WHAT CAN B DONE 2 STOP THIS???????"

Here are four of the answers given to this question on the forum:

  • Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Ji Ki Fathe

    I am a girl and I like guys that have a beard because it makes them stand out and I really think that guy do look handsome in a beautifully worn turban and a beard. I think that the guys that shave look really un handsome (I didn't want to use the word 'ugly' because no one is ugly in God's eyes.) Who cares if girls don't like guys with beards. but iam sure that there are other girls like me who like Sikh guys.

    And Sikhism will never die because there will be another like Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, Baba Deep Singh Ji. Khalsa will never die and I am sure of that because 'Raj Karega Khalsa!' Sikhs might be dying but the Khalsa will never die. Amrit gives immortality not death.

    Those people who cut there hair are not sikhs, they just believe in Sikhism but that does not mean that they follow the reath marada of the Sikhs. People who follow the Guru Granth Sahib Ji and live acording to the reath marada are gursikh. Anyone can be sikh but the true sikhs that can be Gursikh.

    So my final say is that Sikhism will never die. because girls like us will never let it die. and I hope my thinking stays this way.

    Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Ji Ki Fathe

  • I don't think the Sikh faith is declining "because" people are cutting/trimming their hair. I think the reason is a result of the Experience of Sikhi not being there. If a person does not have a strong sense of the Sikh lifestyle and feel the benefits...then the social pressures will take over. I think people these days are loosing touch with the roots of Sikhi and doing things in a ritualistic way. When the meaning is lost and you are just doing something then the depth of that experience can be minimal.

    The teachings of the Gurus are not black and white. When you look at the writings of the Gurus there is a lot of depth. People sometimes take things so literally or at surface level without understanding the deeper meanings or the context.

    Be strong! The Gurus gave us this Bana for a reason. Being a Sikh is not about finding the easy way out. It is the warrior/saint lifestyle. If you wish to be a Sikh then you should live to this strength. Most great people are great because they endured hardships. They did not do what everyone else does. Keep up!

  • Between a Sikh and his Guru is just a matter of time. That relationship exists beyond time and space. Sikhi cannot die. It can only evolve. The Guru chooses his Sikh, not the other way around.
  • I had removed my kesh, it is sad for me to say this, I kept my Kesh now, but, I feel that the Sikhs that have removed their have not understood the meaning of Kesh, Now with the Sikhs who are not Punjabi or Indian background, such as the Sikhs in New Mexico, most keep their kesh, and at least half of these Sikhs are White, so if I were to calculate this, the Sikhs that will help bring Khalsa Raj, will not be done by Indians, but these White Sikhs, who follow the Rehat to a higher level, only Guru Ji chooses who is a Sikh, that is why this path seems like it is falling, in the Gurus eyes the Sikh path is forced to become stronger, as there are limits on who we can trust, Sikhi is immortal, something I learned when I kept my Kesh, but despite Sikhi is immortal, I want to say that this path is only being challenged, because Waheguru has created us in 2-3 centuries, and we were kings at the start, kings in the present world, and will be kings in the future, it is Raj Keera Ka Khalsa

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