Sikh Missionary Society UK 25th Annual Gurmat Camp 28th July - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Sikh Missionary Society UK 25th Annual Gurmat Camp 28th July 4th August 2002 Guru Gobind Khalsa College Chigwell, Essex. Human Hair and its Significance in Sikhism – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Sikh Missionary Society UK 25th Annual Gurmat Camp 28th July


1
Sikh 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

2
Structure 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?

3
What 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

4
What 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.

5
Sociological/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!

6
Theological 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!

7
Indian 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.

8
Sikh 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

9
Sikh (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.

10
sUhI 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 
11
glI 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
12
siqguru 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
13
Guru 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."

14
Conclusions
  • 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

15
conclusions
  • 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.
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