PREFACE
We, the Sikhs, revere hair out of love and devotion for our Gurus, and do not need any scientific justification for the same. But, people often ask the astonishing question: "If we should not cut our hair, then why do we cut our nails?" - suggesting thereby that we are being illogical and backward. It was this question that prompted me to have a closer look at the biological aspects of hair, zoology being my subject.
Actually, hair is a characteristic feature of all mammals, but the specific hair and beard of man are peculiar to him alone. Thus, hair / beard is an identification mark of a human being, and not a Sikh alone, and, as such, should be respected by all. A man is incomplete without natural hair. To be a Sikh, the complete natural form is the basic requirement, although by no means, the only requirement. As a complete man, he is to tread the path shown by the Gurus with total dedication and commitment.
It may be felt, after reading the contents, that if hair is really all that important, how come we do not notice any effects of cutting / shaving, etc., even over generations? Well, just as there are influences that are produced instantaneously (cyanide and some poisons), there are others that may take hours / days (allergic reactions), or months / years (addiction to drugs), or even generations (lower sperm count in men). In a similar vein, the effects of removing bodily hair will be noticed over generations. I feel certain that man is more in need of hair today than he has ever been, since more harmful radiation are reaching the earth on account of ozone depletion, and hair has the ability to absorb them.
The book is written in the hope that it will enable man to see the wisdom of leaving the body intact, and hail hair!
July 1, 1998 ---------------------------------------- Birendra Kaur
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The Song Of The Sikh
"Ah! Well, let my hair grow long...
I cannot forget the knot He tied on my head;
It is sacred; it is his mark of remembrance.
The Master has bathed me
In the light of suns not yet seen;
There is eternity bound in this tender fragile knot.
I touch the sky when I touch my hair,
And a thousand stars twinkle through the night...
Who says the hair is no more than grass? ...
Yet a single hair is a dear remembrance,
An heirloom, a trust, a pledge, a love,
A vow, an inspiration.
My form is but a statue of dumb gratitude
for The knot of Friendship tied by those Kings of Eternity,
The Gurus who came to the Punjab;
The Saviors who were gracious to love me,
And made me a home in the Realm of Eternal Beauty."
- Puran Singh
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