What do Sikhs think of hair as important?
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This is a very important question. Creator God is the Perfect Creator. Every human being irrespective of country, religion are born with hair. As per living with the Hukam of the Perfect Creator no one should cut hair. Men are born with beard and moustache through out the world. Even among animals males have moustache and beard. So hair is important not only for Sikhs BUT all human beings if they want to live with nature. Only humans have freedom of choice, so they decide to live as per their wishes (Manmukh), but animals don’t. I hope it clarifies.
My answer will be contrary to what most Sikhs believe.
I used to believe the reasoning that we keep kesh because we consider it as a hukam of God, but not anymore. This reasoning is given to us by preachers without any firm evidence. When they faced this question, without doing research, it was easy to relate it with God’s will and pacify the audience (Sangat). However I ask them about those who cut their hair, are they violating the Hukam?
They say Yes. Is it that easy to violate the Hukam?
Gurbani says:
ਹੁਕਮੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਹੁਕਮ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥
Also ਹੁਕਮੀ ਸਭੇ ਊਪਜਹਿ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਕਾਰ ਕਮਾਹਿ ॥
I ask them, what will you do when a doctor recommends removing any body part for medical reasons? Will you accept disease as a Hukam and keep yourself untreated?
We need to understand here is what is Hukam.
Secondly, If it is so important spiritually, It should have been mentioned in SGGS. Kesh used to be an issue for several people but Gurbani abnegates any importance of Kesh spiritually.
ਕਬੀਰ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਇਕ ਸਿਉ ਕੀਏ ਆਨ ਦੁਬਿਧਾ ਜਾਇ ॥ਭਾਵੈ ਲਾਂਬੇ ਕੇਸ ਕਰੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਘਰਰਿ ਮੁਡਾਇ ॥੨੫॥
Means It doesn’t matter whether you grow your hair long or shave it completely as long as you love one God.
Thirdly: Because the reasoning is incorrect, and as per that reasoning Kesh means all hair of body. But Gurbani uses the separate vocabulary for Head Hair (Kesh), Beard (Daadhi), and Mustache (Mucchhan).
Fourthly:
There are different theories given for Sikh hair but different Sikh institutes.
This means there is no clarity, no accord.
The most popular theory says Sikhs keep kesh because of God’s will.
The second argument is we should not ask why, we should just follow as it pleases Guru Gobind (by Giani Pinderpal Singh Ji). Another theory says it is for health reasons and that if you keep cutting, hair keeps growing and it sucks nutrients.
One more theory says it helps block the leakage of energy or concentrate energy while you do Simran. Someone said it helps multiply the effect of Simran.
Since there is no clear response, I feel I have the right to pitch my theory as per my understanding.
Kesh is mandated by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, when he established Khalsa. Khalsa is a social concept, not spiritual. So, the reasoning of kesh should come from Miri, not piri. In my opinion, Kesh was mandated to ensure Khalsa doesn’t become opportunistic.
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