Scotty Blaze

I will try my best to articulate what I wish to say here, so bear with me.

I'm in my 20's and i've always been at odds with many things, including the requirements of religion. I am religious, so to speak. I can't say that I am a devout person of my religion but, I feel like I have my own connection with a higher being that I don't feel should be dictated by others.

I'm a follower of the Sikh religion, as my parents brought up my brothers and I to follow in their religious footsteps, which has been passed down from generations. The odd thing is, I am the only one of my siblings who continues to follow the religion, as my brothers have all veered off and found solace in their own personal choices of religion.

When I said I wasn't a devout follower, I meant I don't fit the stereotype of the typical Sikh. When I was younger, my parents cut my hair (which they weren't supposed to do) so I never had to wear a patka (a wrap around the head) or a turban. I've never had to keep a beard. I don't know how to read or write in Gurmukhi, which is not necessarily a requirement but, is good to know. I don't recite all the prayers/hymns that we are supposed to everyday. Last but certainly not least, I have consumed alcoholic beverages, and I continue to smoke marijuana.

Ultimately, where I am trying to go with this is the after-life. I'm sure that i'm not the only one who wonders about it. Sometimes, my belief is that there is no after-life, that there is just eternal darkness once you die. Other times, I buy into the notion of the after-life.

According to my religion, there are two paths when you die. There's the path that leads you to The Realm of Truth (Sach Khand) which is where your soul goes to become one with god. Then, there's the other path, which is the cycles of Rebirth/Death. Basically, you come back to earth in the form of every living thing all the way until you return as a human being. The cycle continues until you can break it and reach Sach Khand.

I have asked many people in my family what it takes to reach Sach Khand. I've danced around the topic of intoxicants to see if they have anything to say about it, but mostly all of them say that you should just lead a good life. But, who really knows what it takes?

A lot of these religious doctrines were created when the religion first came to be, and times have certainly changed greatly since. Is it possible that with the times and ways of life changing, shouldn't certain aspects of religion change? I'd like to think so.

My parents don't know I smoke marijuana. I'm sure if they knew, they would feel disappointed in me. But then again, they certainly are oblivious to it and know very little about it.

An interesting point of reference to all this: My first experiences getting high was with one of my friends (a Sikh follower) as well as his brother (also a Sikh follower) who smoked us out.

My reasoning behind writing this was to maybe bring a little insight into a religion that some of you may not know much about, as well as find out what you all think about the after-life.

I'd like to reach that Realm of Truth someday, but I feel i'm flawed with my appreciation of the herb, accompanied by all the things that are requirements of being a devout Sikh. It seems pretty unlikely that I will ever reach that place.

Thanks for taking the time out to read this.