Sikhs seem really upset when I state my strong opinion that we need to rewrite the Reht Maryada, or at the least retranslate it. This comes across to many as if I am saying we need to rewrite the Guru's teachings! No, rather we need to bring the Rehts up our Siri Guru's standards. In the meantime, I really advise every Sikh to hide the Reht Maryada from Westerners, especially Religious Studies Departments at major Universities, because it gives a FALSE and negative and silly impression of Sikhi to people who speak English.

For instance, given that Sikhi is a religion that preaches equality of the sexes, it is a bit strange that the SGPC is such a male dominated committee, all listed out at the very top of the Reht Maryada, as if SHOWING OFF the gender imbalance in Sikh leadership. Of course, when you let men write such documents they tend to come out sexist, and oooeee is the Reht Maryada an example of this! Women of marrying age are referred to as "girls" - can you believe it? What are the World's women going to think about that? And all sorts of other sexist implications and double standards and language show up throughout the document.

But the most embarrassing part of the Reht Maryada is in the Sikh Marriage Codes! Of course, I am speaking about that HORRIBLE letter O! Don't you all
blush to imagine the educated World reading:

"A baptised Sikh ought to get his wife baptised".

O really! Just how am I supposed to "get" my non-Sikh husband to become a Khalsa Sikh just because I am Khalsa? Isn't it GOD who calls us to become Khalsa, not husbands or wives? My non-Sikh husband Ken, on first reading this, said the obvious, and "What if she is a Methodist minister?"

Moving on and going general for a moment, why aren't we protesting horrible translations? They CHANGE the message of the SIKH GURU. The Sikh Gurus do not ascribe gender to GOD in their poetry very much at all! So why have translators added in all those Hes and Hims? Why did they turn our non-sexist scripture into a sexist one? It is pure blasphemy, and since when is GOD "Lord" in Sikhi? The word "Lord" means a high-caste male. It is a Christian concept that most Westerners, including many Christians, are sick to death of. Right?

Another Christian word used all the time in the present translation of the Reht Maryada, that is really misleading and difficult for me to read, is the word "baptism" used to speak about becoming Khalsa!

My friends, BABIES get baptised.

Also babies eat pudding!

Yes, by the time a Westerner makes it down to the section about Prasad, the idea of "Sacred Pudding" will most likely cause him or her to laugh out loud. Try it! Just say, "Would you like some 'sacred pudding?'" to a native English speaker and watch politeness war with belly laughing!

"Sacred Oatmeal" has about the same tone or "Sacred Bowl of Prunes". Pudding
is very bland and British stuff. "Sacred Pudding" is thus a bit hard to compute. It kind of scrambles the brains, like "sacred scrambled eggs" and makes you laugh before you can stop yourself.

So, of course, we need the Reht Maryada changed or, at the very least, translated into English far more accurately. And, of course, we need a committee to do this work that is half women. But in the meantime, I suggest we follow the good and true basic tenets of the Reht Maryada while we happily HIDE it from Westerners interested in Sikhi. Also hide the SGGS interpretations that are full of sexist language! Personally I like to hand Westerners Dr. Nikki-Guninder Kaur Singh's interpretation of Sikh prayers called "The Name of My Beloved" published by Harper Books, San Francisco, because she uses no sexist language and the beauty of our Guru's poetry comes through.

This is important because misrepresenting the Siri Guru's teachings is a VERY
BAD thing to do.

Of course, we need to change the Reht Maryada!

Kamalla Rose Kaur is a professional writer, theater director, workshop and seminar leader, publicist, events planner and singer.

USA born of Irish descent, Kamalla Rose Kaur embraced Sikhism in 1972 at age 18. She tried everything for over twenty years, including frantic practice of Yoga, until she learned "why Sikhs are so adament about having the Sri Guru Granth Sahib as their only Guru."

The author welcomes comments and feedback: Love&Light. Her articles are available in archives.