five Ks Gurmat teaches that the human being is halfway. The human is half way between the realm of the senses and the Naam. The human has five animal impulses - pride, anger, lust, greed, attachment. When a human turns to God the animal side of their nature comes under natural control and they find their natural balance as self-respect, assertiveness, intimacy, sharing, and warm feeling to all. The five Ks are symbols of this transformation from half-human to more complete humanity. The five Ks are the: Kara Iron Bracelet Kachhera Short Breeches Kirpan Sword Kanga Comb Kesh Uncut Hair They are directly related to the five basic instincts which drive human behaviour - pride, lust, anger, greed, and attachment. Naturally, we would wish to use these instincts to live as fully as possible, but sometimes instead of using them it feels as if the instincts are using us. The five Ks remind us to centre ourselves at the intersection of the flow of our impulses to direct them, rather than being driven by them. Free from being driven by desires we are liberated. By directing our impulses we change them. Pride becomes self-respect, anger becomes assertiveness, lust becomes intimacy, greed becomes sharing, and attachment becomes an appreciation of the One Light behind the rainbow-like diversity of faiths and races. Thus, the five Ks are a directed expression of these impulses. The Kirpan means “sword of mercy” and represents defence of all. Worn alongside others it is part of the self-defence of a free people, a democratic people against any tyranny by individuals or governments directed against themselves or others. Trained through the martial art of “gatka” the individual is encouraged to control and direct their aggression, rather than give up the right to defence. Non-violence is of no use against aggressors like Hitler. The Kesh represents freedom from tribalism and divisions among human beings. People show their different loyalties through different head-dress. But these loyalties are all for worldly power, not the Eternal Power. The Kanga is very closely related to the Kesh. It represents the control of worldly greed for just as it passes through the hair untangling it but taking nothing, so we pass through our lives influencing it but taking nothing. Making money and sharing is more useful than everyone abandoning money and all living in poverty. The Kachhera represents the direction of lust. Chastity is unnatural. If we all were to do this there would be no more human beings. But sex is a gift to be shared to develop a closer intimacy (literally meaning “into me see”) with one other. The Kara represents submission to the Eternal Way, the Natural Code. The bracelet is circular representing the circle of life. One can see how natural the five Ks are if we think of the first humans. They had uncut hair (Kesh), a tradition which was carried down by their holy people whether Druids in Europe, Taoists in China, Rishis in India, or religious persons like Samson in the Middle East. The earliest artifacts which have been found are clothes (Kachhera), weapons (Kirpan), and grooming products (Kanga) for their living hair, and to wash their dead skin and cut dead nail. Their art and jewellery (Kara) were directed towards the circle of life, which is why we find so many circles and spirals. Such universal and natural people, living in harmony with the Spirit of Life are different from the fantasies of Greek philosophy - a man, shaven, unarmed, without a code, naked, sitting in thought. Thought must be combined with heart and action. In the Sikh revelation thought has been blended with five basic instincts and five action symbols to represent the human contribution to life as a liberated artist rather than a driven thug.