#amritsanchar

[gurbaniworld123]

#Vasakhi #khalsa #khalsasirjanadiwas #amritsanchar #waheguru #ikonkaar #khalsapanth #meditation #devotional #regional https://www.instagram.com/p/CNm-rfuMLQm/?igshid=sc2anup0tgjb

[udaarii]

rahet piyaari mujh ko sikh piyaara naahe || 

[clandestinesingh]

Dear God, I'm Gay

Hello folks! Major apologies to all of you for being m.i.a. recently, it's paper season in university, in fact I should be working on one right at this very moment, but I feel this post needs to be made sooner rather than later. 

As many of you may have heard, Guru Ji gave His Grace and I received Amrit a few days back and I am now officially a baptized Sikh. Thank you all for your messages of love, prayers, and congratulations. :) Along with these messages, I received a question on Twitter from a brother asking me if I had disclosed to the Panj Pyare the fact that I was gay (for my friends who don't know, the Panj Pyare, or the Five beloved, are five devout Sikhs who serve as the embodiment of the Tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and administer baptism to the abhilakhees- people wanting to get baptized), and I replied back telling him no, I did not.

After saying this on Twitter I received countless messages asking me why I didn't, some even going as far telling me my Amrit is "false" and doesn't hold any grounds. Instead of responding to all these messages individually, I'll be making this one post in response to it. 

So why did I not tell the Panj Pyare I'm gay? I have reasons.

1. I know it's terribly terribly rude to answer a question with another question, but did you tell them you were straight during YOUR Amrit Sanchar (baptism ceremony)? The Amrit Sanchar is a time when you pledge your head to the Guru, when you say to your Guru that no matter what happens you will serve Him, His creation, and His children (you, me, and all the people in the whole entire world). Where in this context does sexuality play in? Nowhere. My sexuality wasn't relevant at that time. I wasn't relevant at that time. Nothing was relevant but my love for my Guru and the Guru Himself. I kid you not, in that moment the rest of the world has escaped my mind. 

2. Yes, as one sister mentioned, married life is an important topic that the Panj touch on as it is favoured that Amritdhari Sikhs marry Amritdhari Sikhs, and I acknowledge that, but that is a completely different topic, and I've already talked about the topic of Anand Karaj- Sikh marriage- and homosexuality. That being said, at that time they weren't asking anyone about marriage, they were only giving us sikhya- teachings- and we were to only sit and listen.

3. No, I will not go to peshi for being gay. (Peshi is when a Sikh goes to the Panj and confesses a mistake they made and in return they recieve a tankha- a fee- in the form of prayer and community service as a retribution for their mistake.) Peshi is only done when one has done something wrong. My rehat (code of living) is no differet from that of other Amritdhari Sikhs. I pray three times a day, I refrain from non-vegetarian food, and I refrain from acting on the five vices. Being gay is not a sin. Therefore, no, I have no need.

Can I also point out how rediculous it is that this is even an issue? The Panj Pyare are the embodiment of Dasam Pitaa, are they not? Dasam Pitaa is Akal Purakh's light on earth is He not? Akal Purakh (God) is the One we pray to, do we not? If we believe that He's the one who created us, and He is the Knower of All, do you not think God knows I'm gay? It's not like one day I sat down on the ground and wrote Him a note in my Gutka Sahib: "Dear God, I'm gay." No! Gurbani puts this situation into perfect light:

ਆਪੇ ਸਾਜੇ ਆਪੇ ਰੰਗੇ ਆਪੇ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇਇ ॥

Aape Saaje Aape Range Aape Nadar Kare.

He Himself creates, He Himself colours us, He Himself bestows His Glance of Grace.

-Raag Tilang, Mahalla 1: Ang 722 of Sri Guru Granth Sahib

We believe that He created us, yes. We also believe that He made us who we are, He COLOURED our empty souls with our characteristics, and yes that includes sexuality. Thus far He created us, He embued our characteristics into us, and the Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaaj tells us, "Aape nadar kare." Only He can decide when and where He gives us His Glance of Grace. Since he created me as I am and lead me to the path of Amrit, do you think He needed to be told that I was gay? No! Bani also tells us that one cannot come into the fold of Sikhi without God's Grace. So if you are saying God is against me taking Amrit, who am I? I am nothing. I can do nothing. My power is nothing. Neither is your's my brother. The one who has power bestows His Grace and Guru Sahib chose this daas on that day to welcome into His Arms. 

As for the statement, "Your Amrit is false."

First of all, it's not MY Amrit, it's the Guru's Amrit. Secondly, it's not me taking Amrit, it's Guru Sahib bestowing it on me. Is the Guru false? No. Is the bani read at the Sanchar false? No. Is the presence of the Panj Pyare false? No. So is Amrit false? NO. Does me receiving that Amrit make it false? No no no. The feeling of bliss I felt in that room wasn't false. The wall of love that hit me after the Sanchar wasn't false. The tears of love I shed at my Guru's Lotus Feet were not false. That was the truest experience I have been in, and I feel that truth and love running in my very fibre every day.

That's the power of Guru Sahib, and Guru Sahib, Allah, God, YHWH, however you may call upon Him, is Sat. He is not just true, but He is Truth Himself.

Thank you all for the warm wishes. I am truly very grateful. :)

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

-Clandest Singh

Siree Raag, Mahalla 5 (Guru Arjan Dev Ji) Ang 15 of Guru Granth Sahib Ji