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Sikhism - Janamsakhi - Nanak's hymn
Identifier
017083
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
According to the Janamsakhi stories, Nanak like all Hindu boys was required at the age of eleven to participate in an initiation ritual in which he would put on the sacre thread. One of the features of the Hindu religion is a belief in reincarnation and rebirth to higher levels, this someone born into a higher caste wears a sacred thread - a cord indicating a higher social level than the other castes.
Nanak, even bu y the age of eleven found the caste system unacceptable and rejected the sacred thread with these words, which have been turned into a famous Sikh hymn.
A description of the experience
Let compassion be your cotton
Spin it into yarn of contentment
Give it knots of continence
And the twists of truth
Thus will you make a sacred thread for the soul
If such a one you have
Put it on me