Beard to be kept tied or fully open

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Amandeep82Singh
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Beard to be kept tied or fully open

Post by Amandeep82Singh »

Waheguru jee kaa khalsa Waheguru jee kee fateh jee
I have seen many kirtaniya and Sikh philosophers having full open beard. And the listeners and followers like us are the ones who keep beard tied neatly. But I read in this forum only that someone mentioned, tying beard reduces hair length of beard. Also, my point of view seems that tying your beard is nothing but shortening your caliber. Here in India, only sikh priests have open beard. But in my opinion, all should have full open beard, not tied ones. If anyone has a problem with fully open beard, then that's a racial discrimination. I also started having open fully grown beard sans tied ones, and people see me for a long time as if I am ill. Just due to this tying hair beard, people have gone frustrated with beard opening very easily especially during summers. Please elaborate more if I am wrong in concluding that having fully grown open beard is alright for Sikh people who are more into civilized society than a Sikh priest. That's all for me on the beard issue.
Waheguru jee kaa khalsa Waheguru jee kee fateh jee.
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Yuktanand Singh
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Re: Beard to be kept tied or fully open

Post by Yuktanand Singh »

No one has replied to this question. I agree with you.

Societal norms influence our behavior. Particularly the Indians, they view flowing beard as you stated, as someone who was sick, a priest or a very old person. But here in America flowing beard is viewed as just another style, but a style mostly of lack of hygiene, anti-establishment, motorcycle riders, orthodox Jews and Moslems (not Sikhs). Sikhs are often mistaken as Moslem.

We have failed to promote ourselves and make ourselves visible to the mobs. The mobs are unfamiliar with culture. The western media ignores us. The only documentary on Sikhs (on PBS) I remember, had featured rows of Langar in the “Golden Temple” Amritsar, a pot-bellied Sikh farmer in California with a flowing beard and many young Sikhs without facial hair.

All the gurmukhs I have known have promoted a flowing beard, and this is the preferred way. It is also easier to simply rinse it after eating and thus keep it clean and fresh (but not greasy). The societal norms would change if more educated young Sikhs with natural flowing beards were visible.

Western Sikhs are better at it than Indian Sikhs.

Not to point fingers, but females are the pillars of society. The norms will not change as long as Indian Sikh girls view “clean” shaven faces or “neatly” tied beards associated with hygiene education and desirability.

Work environment sometimes makes it necessary to tuck the beard. For example, I had an open flowing beard. I started tucking it due to interference of my long hair when performing surgery, can’t wait to have it flowing again.

Yuktanand
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