JOURNEY OF LIFE
Rites of passage
Becoming an initiated Sikh
Learn what the Sikh Dharam teaches about initiation
A spiritual transformation
In the passage through life, puberty is a time of transformation and gearchanges on life’s journey. Just as puberty is a turning point in our physical life journey, the Sikh initiation, or amrit sanchar, marks a new phase of growth on our spiritual journey.
Through initiation, Sikhs commit to live in a disciplined way, infusing everyday life with a spirit of prayer and service and being mindful of what they consume and how they relate to others. They pledge to abstain from alcohol, nicotine, drugs and meat, and also from premarital or extramarital sexual relations. Through articles of faith, their visible identity reminds them to live in a virtue-centred and accountable way, cultivating self awareness and self-control as members of society and as part of nature.
There is no strict age specification for initiation, other than having a capacity to understand and follow the commitment. In Sikh tradition, such awareness and ability comes around age 11, when young person is deemed to have had enough time and exposure to think and act responsibly.
Preparing for adulthood
As we move from childhood to adulthood, our bodies change through the process of puberty. This includes emotional and hormonal changes, as well as physical ones. Puberty is different for each person.
The evolutionary need to procreate means that this life stage gives rise to the desires and capabilities to reproduce. Hence the importance of managing our health as a foundation for possible future parenthood, as well as building emotional maturity to navigate our drives and envisage healthy, secure and respectful relationships.
The role modelling that young people witness and experience of ten has a formative a influence on their attitudes and expectations in future relationships. Hence puberty is also an important time in terms of personal and social education, where adults play an influential role.
Ageless wisdom
The Sikh Gurus taught that wisdom is not limited to age. Some began leading at a young age. The tenth Guru’s youngest sons, aged 5 and 7, showed extraordinary depth and resilience in the face of oppression. Oral accounts suggest that the Guru’s sons were all initiated at the first amrit sanchar in 1699, during which time the youngest was less than one year old.