Below are some random thoughts on tying beard. Koi Veer gussa na kariyo.

1) The fact that a lot of Sikhs tie beard or that a lot of Sikhs in the past have been tying their beard does not make tying beard a Gurmat Asool (principle). Just because the majority does it does not mean that it is acceptable to Guru Sahib. The reality is that Tatt Khalsa or the real Khalsa of Siri Guru Gobind Singh jee can never show the weakness of tying his beard.

2) Think about it. When Guru Sahib says that don’t cut your hair from any part of the body, he logically has a picture of Khalsa in his mind. The hair of the head are tied since we wear a Dastaar but why how can any Sikh justify tying the beard?

3) Tying beard gives you the look that you would get if you had trimmed your beard. In other words, the Sikh who ties beard is making a mute statement that the look of trimming beard is better than that of the flowing beard. When Guru Sahib told us not to cut hair and have a dastaar on your head, he must have had an image of a tyaar bar tyaar Khalsa in his head. To break this image by tying beard seems to be a paap.

4) A person who ties beard can never do sewa in Punj Pyaaray while his beard is tied. This proves that such person is not tyaar bar tyaar.

5) As for doing such jobs where one’s beard can get in the way, one does not have to tie one’s beard by using fixo or other such despicable lotions. One can do a lose knot underneath and open it as soon as the job is done. I know one Gursikh, who used to work as a machinist. He used to do up a lose knot while on the machine and open it immediately after his work was done.

6) It is hard to believe that to do the job of a warrior i.e. something like military or police, one has to tie one’s beard. Saying that they tie their beard because it can be pulled in cases of scuffles is a lame excuse. A lot of things can happen in accidents. Police personnel get shot in the head while on duty. What do they do to cover their head and face, all the time? Police personnel can get slapped or punched on the face. What do they do to protect their face? Whatever they do to protect from getting punched can be applied to protect your beard. If you talk about beard, what about your hair in the head. Turban can come off really easily when in scuffles. Can’t they pull your hair then? What would you do then? So the essence of the story is that just because there is a chance that your beard can be pulled does not mean that you would became a cat and tie your beard. Stay a Babbar Sher and never tie your beard.

7) People tie beards for different reasons. Some tie it for job and others tie it since they can't face the society. The worse ones are those ones who tie beard to make their wives happy or for other kaam reasons. Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee calls such deplorable Sikhs Vehshi Dangars (savage beasts).

Tying beard is a big weakness that Sikhs must get rid of. Guru Sahib kirpa karan.

Daas,
Kulbir Singh

Vaaheguroo!!!
Spot on bhaisahib jee!!!

I personally have felt the difference one experiences with a tied and an untied beard. A tied beard, especially if you are forced to tie it and you hate it, makes you sad, and an open beard takes you immediately into a state of chardi kala and bir ras when someone looks at you. Keeping an untied beard, non-Sikhs tend to look at your beard rather than your face when talking to you. Because in their mind they wonder many things as they are used to seeing Sikhs either tying or gelling or even worse trimming their beards. I used to tie mine lose, as bhaisahib said, and hated o use gel, so later I switched to oil. No one could tell it was tied, that was how lose I used to tie it. But still it would bother me as I knew I was not in my proper form.

So veero, keep your beard open and relish the joy of Sikhi saroop, the grace of a lion, and the God given divine form which Dasmesh Pita has blessed you with.

Having said that, Guru Maharaj kirpa karan, and may I never ever have to tie my beard for any reason whatsoever, as I am a weak Kaljugi jeev and can slip easily.

so veerji do u think that even if someones working in a place where u have to handle with chemicals and machines they should not tie it or put it in their shirt(i personally wouldn't do a job like that)??

just thinking of someone who is in this situation

Veerjee, at the end of the day its between you and Gurujee as only He fully knows your situation. We can advice you do this do that, but ultimately only Gurujee knows everything. So do ardas and take Hukamnama, or let Him answer you in anyway He wants to.

bhul chuk maaf jee