Amrit questions

[Guest daasneedsamrit]

Daas needs Amrit but is confused.

1. There are various options of groups with differing rehats. The Granthi at my local gurdwara (UK, south east) just told me 'Amrit is Amrit', go to the next available Amrit Sanchar, which didn't help.

All groups claim their rehat is historically most accurate, but which one is? Is SGPC rehat a political compromise? Some people say also the lives of panj pyare are important. Does it make a difference? If the ceremony and subsequent rehat varies, they can't all be correct?

Daas has read Bhai Sahib Randir Singh ji's books, he describes how taking Amrit was a sublime experience, a spiritual rebirth but that he did not feel inspired by the way he was given 'naam'. How different exactly is the AKJ naam? Can anyone here say they felt some special spiritual experience when they received Amrit in different groups?

2. Do all Amritdharis wear traditional knee length kacchera? How does one wear 5 kakkars whilst swimming?

3. There are many shapes and sizes of kirpan available, daas is confused. Apart from being sarbloh are there any other requirements? Single or double sided blade, curved or straight tip, 5 or 7 inch?

4. Daas' punjabi is very poor but is learning fast. Can now have basic conversation with native speakers and is teaching computer to old man in Gurdwara- in Punjabi. taught self Gurmukhi, but still read very slowly. Learning (and understanding) nitnem is painfully slow- one page per month. Can daas take Amrit only after having fully mastered and understood every single word in nitnem, or is it acceptable to use nitnem time for gurbani veechar (withouth reciting full nitnem)? Daas could parrot or listen to nitnem without understanding but that seems pointless; he wants to know what is being recited in depth. Daas begs for Guru's Amrit and feels the call inside but if not being able to recite all of nitnem is an obstacle, it may be years before daas is "ready". There is pressure of a deadline as potential future wife is Amritdhari (have only discussed Gurbani with this spiritual lady, nothing inappropriate). If daas doesn't take amrit, his family will not take daas' sikhi ambitions very seriously.

5. Daas lives with 'goras' and 'patits' in shared house. They have bad habits. He cannot afford to live elsewhere. Is there any rehat restriction on sharing a kitchen with non vegetarians or those who break cardinal sins? His food is stored and cooked separately in own vessels, but there is a common fridge and freezer (circulation of bad air?). What about sharing a washing machine, in case some unclean item sticks to my clothes? All these things already makes daas uncomfortable and unhappy being a lifelong vegan, but will it break rehat after taking Amrit?

6. Daas is vegan. He doesn't like using animal and non-organic products. He is very particular about how food is prepared and balanced nutrition. How can he convince himself that langar and karah prasad can be eaten and that kirtan can be listened to? Tabla are made from animal skin (usually the animals are subsequently eaten by muslims- got this straight from a tabla manufacturer when trying to source tabla skin from animal that died natural death- apparently it's just a marketing ploy to make customers feel good about themselves- even goats that die a natural death are eaten (so hypocritical to use skin of animal that was consumed for food but whilst rejecting such food and those people who eat it). Daas asks because after taking Amrit, one surely cannot refuse langar, prasad and kirtan?

6. Daas has seen Amritdharis in extreme agony after being separated from kakkars, however never seen same Amritdharis cry in pain when they have gone for long period without a good meditative naam simran experience. It seems only Sants seem to speak and write about the latter kind of agony. Or is daas wrong? How can daas stop himself from falling into the trap of rehat becoming ritual, isn't it easy for it to become a daily process, following through blindly, e.g. tying kirpan on head during bathing may become a matter of process rather than telling oneself each and every time why one is doing that?

Bhul chuk maaf karna. Please be kind to daas, he is lowest of low worm and may have made many mistakes above. He has noone else to ask. Young amritdharis here have a friends 'circle'. Daas tried to get involved but did not receive a positive response. Cannot ask sewadars these questions.

[Wicked Warrior]

Remember that Amrit is the first step and not the last. IMO the entire rehat thig is about people's expectations of Amrit and Naam. Perhaps they think about it too much, hype it up and it fails their expectations. Giani was right - Naam is Naam. Follow the published sikh maryada rehat.

Learning Nitnem is important. Correct pronunciation is imperative. Learn this first. I prefer to learn listening to a CD of nitnem and following in gutka. I can read Gurmukhi so this helps. I don't know where you are based but if there are punjabi classes, it will help. Alternatively, ask someone at a local Gurdwara to help. All gianis should be able to help.

Regarding animals - if you are concerned about other living beings, do you give any thought to the bacteria in your gut? Do you sweep the floor as you walk in case you tread on anything? Do you avoid washing so you don't harm life in water? To what extent do you avoid harming others? If the chauri sahib is made of horse hair, the tabla out of animal skin and the gatra lined with leather, what are you going to do? There needs to be some "common sense" about these things.

[jaskaransingh1]

The answer to 4 i think is that u are on the right track. It is more important to actually knowing the meaning of the nitnem than recite without knowing anything. Remember 3 very important things in Sikhi are Simran, Seva and Veechar, if u still do these things u will be fine.

[Guest daasneedsamrit]

Thank you for replying, really appreciate it. Is it acceptable then to do nitnem veechar instead of reciting all the banis, after taking amrit?

[jaskaransingh1]

From what ive learnt yes, as it is more important understanding, just try to learn the meanings and pronunciation and then start doing veechar and try and do the nitnem.

I dont have very good pronunciation so at the moment so I only do japji sahib and rehraas. And once ive learnt Japji sahib properly ill do jaap sahib and so on.

And i agree with Wicked Warrior 100%

[Wicked Warrior]

You could spend an entire lifetime learning about the meaning of Ik Oangkar, and yet never recite Japji Sahib. Bani can be interpreted on many levels and the more you delve into Sikhi, the more you will learn and discover.

Learn Nitnem and as you recite, consider and meditate on the Bani. Through time and the Grace of the Guru, you will develop gyaan.