Divine love is my marijuana

Sikhism began with the advent of Guru Nanak the first Sikh Guru in 1469. The line of Guruship carried on through ten human Gurus untill the demise of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708 when Guru Granth Sahib (holy scripture containing poetry composed by the Sikh Gurus and other Hindu and Muslim holymen) was installed as the eternal Guru.

With the creation of the Khalsa in 1699 those Sikhs who wished to join this brotherhood had to carry 5 articles of faith known as the 5 Ks and to refrain from 4 Kurehats or 4 cardinal sins. These being...

   1.      Committing adultery.

   2.      Cutting the hair.

   3.      Consumption of ‘Kutha’ meat.

   4.      Smoking tobacco.

The first two sins are fairly simple and there is little controversy surrounding them. However the last two are heavily debated, and for the purpose of this blog we are going to turn a blind eye to the issue of meat and latch on to our topic of drugs!


There are those that argue that Sikh history and scripture is steeped with examples which all clearly state that drugs are not allowed or promoted within the Sikh faith. In this post we are going to be rooting for the teetotallers!

A few examples from Guru Granth Sahib ...


“Even if wine is made from the water of the Ganges, O Saints, do not drink it” (GGS p.1293)

“Drinking wine, his intelligence departs, and madness enters his mind; he cannot distinguish between his own and others and he is struck down by his Lord and Master.” (GGS p.554)

They argue that Guru Nanak refused intoxicants when they were offered to him on multiple occasions by ascetics. When ‘bhang’ (a liquid form of cannabis) was offered to the Guru by the Mughal emperor Babur the Guru is said to have responded,

“The Fear of God is my marijuana; my consciousness is the pouch which holds it.” (GGS p.721 or read the full shabad [verse] by clicking here)

(YouTube videos of this shabad being sung can be found by clicking here and here)

Those on this side of the argument state that a Sikh shouldn’t indulge in worldly intoxications which are finite, rather a Sikh should be seeking out the intoxication of divine love which is infinite. The code of conduct followed by most orthodox Sikh clearly states that "intoxicants (hemp, opium, liquor, narcotics, cocaine, etc.)" are all prohibited to an Amritdhari (baptised) Sikh.

 Whereas worldly intoxicants are viewed to dull the mind the intoxicant of divine love is seen to be purifying and cleansing.

Listen to a verse composed (see YouTube video below) by Guru Nanak in response to a Yogic practitioner on the topic of intoxication and read the meanings by clicking here.

To be continued...