“WHY DID YOU BECOME A SIKH?”
I’ve just come back home from a trip to India, and while I was there someone asked me this question. Today in this post I share three reasons for why I became a Sikh.
First of all, I think it’s a good question and a natural one—because of course it is unusual that a woman from Denmark chooses a become part of a foreign religion.
There are many reasons for why I chose to become a Sikh, and the answers continue to unfold all the time.
Initially it was simply a deep knowing. The very first time I saw a Sikh woman dressed like I do now, I just knew, that’s what I wanted too. Of course it was not only how she dressed, but her projection, grace and fierceness. I knew I wanted to take my life into that direction. But it didn’t come all at once (it can though, but for me it took some years, from knowing to fully stepping in).
Another thing that I immediately felt connected with and that drew me in, was the music and the sounds of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy scripture that is considered the eternal Guru). I also immediately loved the life in the Gurdwaras, and the lifestyle of a Sikh, that is also largely found in Kundalini Yoga.
I am a Kundalini Yoga student, and I would also say a yogi, first and foremost. Becoming a Sikh enhanced my practice, and both are part of the same, yet distinct.
You don’t have to become a Sikh to be a kundalini yogi or teacher, and you don’t have to practice Kundalini Yoga to be a Sikh (and pretty much no Indian Sikhs do).
Another simple answer to why I chose to became a Sikh is, because my teachers are Sikhs. I am interested in the experience they offer through their teachings and through the field of the dharma, and so to me, a natural step to go deeper was becoming a Sikh.
Today in this post I have picked three reasons for why I became a Sikh, that I wanted to share about and highlight a little bit more, but of course there are many more reasons (we already kind of started above already).
I feel like this question will continue to unfold, and if you asked me on another day or at another time in my life, the reasons might be different, or there will be another focus that I am connecting with or that feel extra important for me at that time.
It’s important to note that these are my interpretations and my reasons. Maybe there are other Sikhs who see this differently, or who have other reasons for why a Sikh is to observe these points, than what I share.
Essentially, the spiritual path I am on, is one of the mystic, and that is about energy and consciousness. For me being a Sikh brings me more energy, and expands my field of consciousness. And that’s why I chose it, and what I continue to explore every day.
Here are some of the reasons I chose to become a Sikh, what it means to me and how it connects me to Sikhi…
1—A Sikh stands for what is right, and is not afraid to defend themselves and others against injustice.
Sikhs are not afraid to fight back—ideally we are warrior / saints—but a Sikh never initiate violence, and only fight in self defense. A Sikh never revenge, never tortures, and fights fairly.
An example of this was Guru Gobind Singh whose arrows had heads that had been dipped in gold. This meant that if his arrows killed or injured a person during battle, the family of the person could use the gold to cover costs of medical care or for funeral costs.
Another example is Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, a great Sikh warrior, who after conquering in battle in Delhi, was placed on the throne only to quickly renounce it, as this was not the point of his military campaign, and he only fought to bring justice and stand against oppression.
What this signifies to me, and what it means for me in this day and age, is the importance of standing up for what is right, not for personal gain but simply because it is the right thing to do. When you see injustice you don’t stand passive, but you do what you can to help. Never revenge, but also don’t let anyone bully you. Know that you can defend yourself, both mentally, verbally and physically. And don’t be lead by propaganda or agendas, but by truth only.
I would love to take this further for myself by learning martial arts or archery (tried it last summer and loved it!) I believe this types of discipline is such an effective way to develop oneself. Knowing how to defend yourself will give confidence but it also builds your sense of responsibility.
The significance of weapons is very interesting in Sikh culture, because to carry weapons (which not all but many Sikhs do) you have to develop your consciousness and self discipline. A Khalsa Sikh (baptized Sikh) is never supposed to be without a Kirpan (a knife or dagger, but a smaller symbolic knife is also okay).
A weapon is neutral, and it is not bad in and of itself, it all depends which hand is holding it.
Carrying weapons requires of the person that they develop themselves spiritually, and in India nobody fear wrong doing by a Sikh, because they know that Sikhs have strong moral and self discipline. To wield a sword you have to have control of your mind (and interestingly in tarot and mysticism, the mind is represented by the sword).
This brings us to the next principle…
2–The rigorous spiritual practice and self discipline.
A Sikh is required to have a daily spiritual practice, to purify and cleanse the mind and to be lead by the light of truth and by the soul.
The daily practice (Sadhana) of a Sikh can vary. If you are a Amritdhari Sikh (baptized), you have a list of banis (recitations) that you should be doing daily (and it takes about 2 hours—maybe I’m a bit slow—working on my speed😅). Some Sikh clans (fx the Nihang Sikhs) have an even longer list of daily banis.
The reason for this daily Sadhana and personal discipline I think is obvious, and I believe everyone in this world will do good to meditate and use mantras daily, as a way to discipline and purify the mind, and to bring themselves in touch with their spirit and the infinite consciousness.
The sounds (mantras, banis, shabads… there are many names for it) comes from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, which is a compilation of poems and writings by the 10 living Sikh Gurus, and is considered the eternal Guru. The mantras are in Gurmukhi which means “from the mouth of the Guru”. When you recite them you practice what the Guru’s practiced, and your consciousness starts to change and align with that of great masters. I could continue to talk about what reciting mantras does and why, but if you have been following me for a while, or take classes with me, you probably know about the “whys” already. It is a vast subject that we go deeper into in my classes and courses.
What it means to me: I’ve never really questioned the opportunity that lies in discipline, and I really see why this is such an important part of the human experience, and part of our development to meet the Infinite Self.
Through building self trust you build freedom.
But I can of course at times struggle with keeping up. This is part of the practice too—to figure out how to deal with the requirements and how to fit it into your life. A Sikh isn’t supposed to be a renunciate, but a householder, and a Sikh (men and women both) is supposed to work and earn an honest living. Balancing every day life with rigorous spiritual discipline can at times be challenging and feel demanding. But the rewards are priceless.
Part of why I decided to become a Sikh was to make an even deeper commitment to my path and daily practice. When you have taken vows and you are constantly reminding yourself of who you are (or want to be), then you are less likely to fail or to cheat yourself. At least that’s been part of the experience for me.
It’s kind of like getting married (and a Sikh consider the Amrit ceremony—baptism—their marriage to the Guru). It’s like committing to a relationship. You could just date the person but through marriage you make a deep commitment, and it makes it harder and more inconvenient to break the bond.
3–Identify yourself!
As I already shared, I quickly knew that the act of physically identifying myself was to be a part of my spiritual journey.
Guru Gobind Singh created the order of the Khalsa (for many reasons but one of them being) to help Sikhs identify each other.
His father, Guru Teg Bahadur, was martyred because he stood for freedom for all religions. He died, not to protect his own faith, but to protect the right of the Hindus who were forced to convert and under oppression from the Muslim Mughal empire. It turned out many Sikhs were witnessing the martyrdom, but they couldn’t tell each other apart, because they didn’t have any way of identifying each other. If they had been able to, perhaps they would have been able to come together and oppose such a terrible event.
So Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa, to create a visual and distinct appearance, so Sikhs could always identify each other (+ as a test of faith too, you can look up ‘Baisakhi Day’ and read about the whole story).
Bana (spiritual dress) is a technology. I think Sikhs are aware of this, but I am actually not a hundred percent sure. Sometimes religion morph into belief, where something is simply done without questioning, or without knowing the original ‘technology’ behind it (that’s when things morph into ritual).
A Sikh’s reasons for wearing bana could simply be, “because the Guru said so”, or because it created an army and gave courage to the ordinary Sikh. At that time in India (1699) only certain casts were allowed to wear a turban, so this was another important message of the Gurus: to break with the cast system of India, to make equal men and women + to abolish the dowery system for marriage etc. To me this is less relevant because I grew up in a country without a cast system and where men and women do have equal rights. But I can imagine for Sikhs in India, this is an important part of what they love about Sikhi and the messages of the Gurus.
As it has been explained to me, by my lineage and teachers, there is a reason for every single directive of the bana, and it is all meant as a way to enhance one’s energy.
I also wear bana because it challenges me. It also brings me great joy and uplifts me. Both can exist simultaneously.
If I lived in India, it wouldn’t be challenging for me to wear bana, but in Spain where I live, it can be overwhelming at times. And interestingly, I am the “odd one out” regardless of where I am (except when I am with my sangat—my spiritual community—who are mostly in LA or when we gather around the world).
But as some very kind Sikh in the Gurdwara on Mallorca once told me, “there are no black, white or brown Sikhs—only Sikhs”. That was wonderful to be told, but I still do not claim to know what it is like to grow up culturally as a Sikh. I am however honored to have joined the order of the Khalsa, and I do see myself as part of it, and I also learn so much from my personal journey with bana, and how it has changed me for the better.
I will talk more about bana and the technology behind it, in the next post here on Substack. Stay tuned…
At Harimandir Sahib (the Golden Temple) in Amritsar — April 2025.
