Sikhi Discussion Without Judgment

Acceptance, Growth, Lifelong Friendships…..

When embarking on any new journey in life, people look for others who are similar for company and guidance. As young sikhs, we first looked at older role models, books, camps etc. As technology became more mainstream, the internet became the chosen avenue to ‘connect’ with other young sikhs, learn, share and celebrate sikhi. Many websites, website forums etc cropped up, but it became very apparent, very quickly, that people were more interested in projecting their own views on others, very quick to berate others for not adhering to their rehit, more interested in criticizing others rather than encourage and the whole process felt quite toxic…enter Sikh Awareness.

I was introduced to http://www.sikhawareness.com and the first thing I felt was acceptance. I was able to ask questions freely and people genuinely showed interest in what was being shared. The forum wasn’t without its controversies and issues, but it always had very healthy discussion. I was able to learn so much and was provided the tools and sources to grow on my own. I met people on those boards who I have remained very close to up until today and going abroad always entails routine visits to their houses, kind of like a home away from home.

Let me share what made this forum different, the focus has been on spirituality on the forefront. People discussed history and other non-current/non-modern ways of looking at sikhi. The topics of discussion went beyond ‘ideals’ and people were encouraged to discuss the nitty-gritty…regardless of how much it challenged their current paradigm of sikhi.

I have certainly grown and continued to manifest my passion because of those special years and I encourage fellow sikhs on the journey to at least dig into this treasure trove to find hidden gems.

Barinderpal Singh
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