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The Initiated Sikh Who Bears the Amrit

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The Initiated Sikh Who Bears the Amrit

An amritdhari is a Sikh who has received amrit at the initiation ceremony and so belongs to the Khalsa, the word meaning one who bears amrit.

Fully initiated

The amritdhari has passed through the Amrit Sanchar, the rite in which sweetened water stirred with the double-edged sword is administered, and has thereby entered the Khalsa, undertaking to keep the five articles of faith and the full code of conduct of the initiated, so the standing is that of the completely committed Sikh who has taken the formal step into the order founded by Guru Gobind Singh. The amritdhari is bound to the discipline in its fullness, including the maintenance of the five Ks and the avoidance of the major breaches.

The categories of commitment

Sikh usage distinguishes several degrees of observance, and the amritdhari stands at the fullest: above the keshdhari, who keeps the uncut hair but has not taken initiation, and the sahajdhari, who follows the teaching without the outward form, so the terms map a gradation of commitment within the community. Entry to the standing is by the free choice to take initiation, open in principle to any who will accept the discipline, and it is not hereditary. The amritdhari represents the ideal of full membership in the Khalsa, the Sikh who has bound himself or herself by the initiation to the whole of the discipline the Guru established.

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