I was recently asked by a non-sikh student studying Sikh Dharma at university what the Kara was. A lot has been written about this but I think this is a great summary:
Blessings,
- The Kara is my handcuff to God. (My commitment to a God-Centered life)
- The Kara is my pledge to be aware of my actions and be in a state of higher conscience in all actions (Hence, it worn on the hand most used or even both arms). Higher Conciousness leads to better actions. Actions are our behavior. Behavior is our society. Society is our world.
- The Kara is my pledge to stand for justice and be courageous. (It has and is also a weapon (melee weapon) sometimes called 'chakar')
- The Kara signifies God's infinite never beginning and never ending nature. (Ofcourse the nature of God is not exactly empirically provable but being beyond the dimension of time would by default make something infinite)
- The Kara for me acts as a balancer of the body's magnetic field (being made of Iron) and provides some iron to the body.
- The Kara for me is symbolic but more importantly it is a spiritual tool gifted to the Sikhs along with 4 other 'k's' (spiritual tools) that help a person on their spiritual journey. The Kara is an integral part of a Sikh's identity because it is an integral part to a Sikhs way of life. It is certainly not jewelry (which is of course the assumed purpose).
Blessings,
Onkardeep Singh Khalsa
Sat Nam,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I want to tell you how much I've enjoyed your blog and appreciate the time you've taken to share with all of us readers.
On the Kara subject, I am an average Joe American white guy who has been introduced to Sikh Dharma through Kundalini Yoga and I experienced an immediate and strong 'yearning' to learn more about the Sikh faith. I recently purchased a Kara to wear for most of the reasons you listed above. But I'm not Indian, and I don't have any of the other "K"s of the Sikhs, and I'm not even sure I will.
I was wondering if you could tell me whether or not my wearing a Kara is potentially offensive to Sikhs or other Indians I may encounter.
Thanks for your time and consideration. And thanks again for the blog.
Sat Nam ji,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment and your kind words!
To answer your question, there may be some Sikhs, mainly of Indian origin, who may find you wearing the Kara offensive. But they shall be in small minority and that's only because they have no understanding of Sikh Dharma as you and I know it.
Sikhs are not obliged to wear the 5Ks, it's only baptised Sikhs that are obliged - called the Khalsa Sikhs. Otherwise the majority of Sikhs do not wear all of the 5Ks, unless they're slowly making their way to becoming Khalsa Sikhs. A Sikh is actually a very general term given to those who wish to discover the purity and light of their own soul. Therefore, any spiritual seeker of any religion can be called a Sikh - it has no pre-requirement or condition.
So ji, it's great you wish to explore Sikh Dharma and you should confidently wear the Kara because you are a Sikh - a seeker of Truth. No one can tell you how to live that Truth and what's right or wrong on the path of Sikh Dharma, since its an inner ascent to find the Divine within the home of your own heart.
Love and Blessings,
J.