Title: Sikh Missionary Society UK 25th Annual Gurmat Camp 28th July
1Sikh Missionary Society UK25th Annual Gurmat
Camp 28th July 4th August 2002Guru Gobind
Khalsa CollegeChigwell, Essex.
- Human Hair and its Significance in Sikhism
- Presented by Gurnam Singh, Warwick
2Structure of Presentation
- Biological Perspectives - What is hair and what
practical purpose does it serve? - Sociological/Psychological Perspectives - What
cultural significance does hair have and how does
this impact on self identity? - Theological Perspectives - What place does human
hair have in different religious traditions - Sikh (Gurmat) Perspectives In what ways does
not cutting hair concur with the essence of
Sikhi?
3What is Hair?
- Generic term describing strong thread-like
outgrowths of the epidermis of mammals. - Only mammals (most evolved) have true hair, and
all mammals have hair (including elephants,
whales, sheep (wool), bears (fur) and hedgehogs
(spines). - composed chiefly of the horny, usually pigmented
scleroprotein keratin - contain neither blood vessels nor nerves.
- The hair grows from the bottom of the follicle
where it is nourished by the blood vessels. - A minute muscle, is attached to each hair
follicle under the control of the autonomic
nervous system the muscle contracts to make the
hair stand on end. - Most mammals possess tactile hairs, the roots of
which have a richly supply of sensory nerves. - Humans have the longest hair and the largest
head. - Changes in hair reflect biological ageing process
4What is the Function of Hair?
- Guard Hairs (whiskers, spines) protection (cage
or sensory) - Insulate - retain body heat and fluid
- Camouflage e.g. Zebra
- Signal - e.g white tailed deer -warning others of
predators - Navigation in darkness
- Defence and offence - locate prey and predator
- Absorb harmful radiations from the sun.
- Keep out coarse dust particles, as in eyelashes,
hair in the nasal chambers and ear canals. - Eyebrows prevent water or perspiration from
falling into eyes, due to their particular
direction. - Axillary and pubic hair lessen friction between
limbs and body, and between limbs during
locomotion. - Beautify the body (otherwise why people do not
shave off their hair from the head completely
bald men are desperate and would pay any price to
get back on their heads). - Beard and moustaches are for differentiation of
sex. Mostly males are decorated in nature, e.g.
lion, peacock and other birds, deer, etc. - Defend the body in danger, by standing on their
ends, thereby making the body look bigger.
5Sociological/Psychological Perspectives
- Hair care - consumption i.e. big business
- Group Identity/Affiliation e.g Skin Heads,
Hippies, David Beckham, Dreadlocks, Hair
sculpting. - Symbolising masculinity/femininity.
- Cultural norms peer group pressure
- Symbolises ageing - cosmetic surgery!
6Theological Perspectives
- Jewish/Christian/Greek Tradition
- Long uncut hair symbol of vitality, strength,
morality and wisdom (eg Samson) - Cutting/tearing of hair symbolic of mourning and
death hair sacrificed to the dead - Symbol of great beauty For this reason married
Jewish women were required to cover their heads - Jesus and all his disciples kept their hair in
tact. - In ancient Greece long hair symbolised godliness,
youthfulness and wisdom - Later custom of shaving introduced by Alexander
the Great. Why? Control over his armies perhaps!
7Indian Tradition
- Prior to the Mogul invasions, Brahmins were
required to keep matted hair and rishi knots - Early Buddhist period shaving sign of ugliness
and contempt - Later shaving became a requirement for
renunciation - Evidence that adulteress were punished by having
their head shaven - Yogic/Sadhu tradition - Shaving symbolised
renunciation i.e escape from social, political
and cultural spheres - Thus to be an ascetic one needed to defy the
principle of procreation and multiplication - To the present day at ceremonies long haired
Sadhus and Jains ritually tear out their hair as
an act of renunciation.
8Sikh Tradition
- DnwsrI mhlw 1 Gru 3 Dhanaasaree, First
Mehl, Third House - ltgt siqgur pRswid One Universal Creator
God. By The Grace Of The True Guru - kwlu nwhI jogu nwhI nwhI sq kw Fbu No,
no, this is not the time, when people know the
way to Yoga and Truth.Qwnst jg Birst hoey fUbqw
iev jgu 1 The holy places of worship in the
world are polluted, and so the world is drowning.
1kl mih rwm nwmu swru In this Dark Age of
Kali Yuga, the Lord's Name is the most
sublime.AKI q mItih nwk pkVih Tgx kau sMswru 1
rhwau Some people try to deceive the world by
closing their eyes and holding their nostrils
closed. 1PauseAWt syqI nwku pkVih sUJqy
iqin loA They close off their nostrils with
their fingers, and claim to see the three
worlds.mgr pwCY kCu n sUJY eyhu pdmu AloA
2But they cannot even see what is behind them.
What a strange lotus pose this is! 2KqRIAw q
Drmu CoifAw mlyC BwiKAw ghI The K'shatriyas
have abandoned their religion, and have adopted a
foreign language.isRsit sB iek vrn hoeI Drm kI
giq rhI 3The whole world has been reduced to
the same social status the state of
righteousness and Dharma has been lost. 3Ast
swj swij purwx soDih krih byd AiBAwsu They
analyze eight chapters of (Panini's) grammar and
the Puraanas. They study the Vedas,ibnu nwm hir
ky mukiq nwhI khY nwnku dwsu 4168but
without the Lord's Name, no one is liberated so
says Nanak, the Lord's slave. 4168
9Sikh (Gurmat Principles)
- Sikh scriptures tell us that the gurus rejected
the following practices (Karm Kaand Ritual
practices) Such rituals designed to wash off sins
and achieve salvation (jeeevan mikhti) - Self-mortification tormenting the body
- Enduring hunger, poverty, pain of hot and cold
water / denying sleep - Bathing at places of pilgrimage, river banks,
etc. - Celibacy and renouncing the world
- Dwelling in wilderness,
- Giving any spiritual significance to dress or
nudity - Body painting, marking or rubbing the body with
ash - Circumcision/splitting ears/shaving
head/artificially growing long hair or nails.
10sUhI mhlw 1 Gru Soohee, First Mehl, Seventh
House ltgt siqgur pRswid One Creator. By The
Grace Of The True Guru jogu n iKMQw jogu n
fMfY jogu n Bsm cVweIAY Yoga is not the patched
coat, Yoga is not the walking stick. Yoga is
not smearing the body with ashes. jogu n muMdI
mUMif mufwieAY jogu n isMI vweIAY Yoga is not
the ear-rings, and not the shaven head. Yoga is
not the blowing of the horn. AMjn mwih inrMjin
rhIAY jog jugiq iev pweIAY 1 Remaining
unblemished in the midst of the filth of the
world this is the way to attain Yoga. 1
11glI jogu n hoeI By mere words, Yoga is not
attained. eyk idRsit kir smsir jwxY jogI khIAY
soeI 1 rhwau One who looks upon all with a
single eye, and knows them to be one and the
same he alone is known as a Yogi.
1Pause jogu n bwhir mVI mswxI jogu n qwVI
lweIAY Yoga is not wandering to the tombs of
the dead Yoga is not sitting in trances. jogu
n dyis idsMqir BivAY jogu n qIriQ nweIAY Yoga
is not wandering through foreign lands Yoga is
not bathing at sacred shrines of pilgrimage.
AMjn mwih inrMjin rhIAY jog jugiq iev pweIAY
2 Remaining unblemished in the midst of the
filth of the world this is the way to attain
Yoga. 2
12siqguru BytY qw shsw qUtY Dwvqu vrij rhweIAY
Meeting with the True Guru, doubt is dispelled,
and the wandering mind is restrained. inJru
JrY shj Duin lwgY Gr hI prcw pweIAY Nectar
rains down, celestial music resounds, and deep
within, wisdom is obtained. AMjn mwih inrMjin
rhIAY jog jugiq iev pweIAY 3 Remaining
unblemished in the midst of the filth of the
world - this is the way to attain Yoga.
3 nwnk jIviqAw mir rhIAY AYsw jogu kmweIAY
O Nanak, remain dead while yet alive -
practice such a Yoga. vwjy bwJhu isMI vwjY qau
inrBau pdu pweIAY When the horn is blown
without being blown, then you shall attain the
state of fearless dignity. AMjn mwih inrMjin
rhIAY jog jugiq qau pweIAY 418 Remaining
unblemished in the midst of the filth of the
world this is the way to attain Yoga.
418
13Guru Gobind Singhs views on ritualism- Akal
Ustat, pp. 71-72
- Could the Lord be realised
- by eating filth, then the swine would
- by smearing the body with dust, then the ass and
the elephant would - by haunting the cremation grounds, then the
vulture would - by living in a domed monastery, then the owl
would - by wandering listlessly, then the deer would
- by standing still and silently, then the tree
would - by abstinence from sex, then the eunuch would
- by walking barefoot, then the monkey would."
14Conclusions
- Hair has serves a very important biological
function - Historically most religious traditions were build
upon a respect of the human form - In the Indian Tradition there have been two ideal
paths - Sadhu Maarg - one of becoming a recluse and
renouncing all material possessions including the
body! - Grist Maarg - living ones life in and through
the material world of social, community and
family life
15conclusions
- Sikhi states that the human form, in body, mind
and spirit is the most advanced and perfect
machinery for attaining salvation - Salvation is to be obtained by letting the body
naturally mature and eventually die - By doing nothing, to keep and look after ones
hair (i.e. to preserve that natural form) is to
demonstrate ones inner spiritual strength and to
gain acceptance from god. - Thus to cut ones hair, one is performing a ritual
or cosmetic surgery aimed at gaining acceptance
from others, to fit in, and to pander to ones ego.