Gur-ka Langar!

[Waheguru ji]

Vaheguroo ji ka Khalsa, Vaheguroo ji kee Fateh.

An email i'm trying to get the sangat to think about, thought i could get your views on it too...

1: Future of Gur- ka langar.

Vaheguroo ji ka Khalsa, Vaheguroo ji kee Fateh!

I’m writing this email to share my concern to the sangat about the future of Gur-ka Langar in Gurdware Sahib…

Whilst at the Gurdwara Sahib a few days ago I heard my mum talking to an auntie about the lack of knowledge the next generation had when it came to cooking. (I know by this point you’re probably thinking I’ve lost the plot if you didn’t think so already, but please continue reading...)

At the time my mum said this, I actually felt quite angered and hankaari in thinking I could handle the seva and that if they weren’t here Gur-ka langar would not come to an end. Mum carried on her discussion with auntie ji predicting what would be the future outcome if our generation didn’t start learning and participating soon. The ideas they were coming up with surprised me and at the time and seemed quite improbable, as the suggestions consisted of plans such as, in the future, Gurdware would need to have “halvai” (chefs) from India to do the cooking. Who probably wouldn’t be amritdhari or following rehat. As Gurdware committees these days (no offence) wouldn’t see this as being wrong or beadbi.

Eventhough at Harmandir Sahib there is a notice that clearly states:

"SEVA OF THE PREPARATION OF LANGAR TO BE DONE BY THE AMRITDHARI SIKHS - MEN AND WOMEN. NON-AMRITDHARIS MAY DO THE SEVA OF CLEANING OF UTENSILS, KITCHEN, HALL, ETC."

Futhermore:

The Rehitnama Hazooree by Chaupa Singh says "Guru kaa Sikh...apany langar rasoee vich Sikh rakhey. Hukaie, Topeeaa, Bhaadnee, chor, yaar, jooaybaaz, kurehiteeyaa na rakhai" meaining "A Guru ka Sikh...should keep only a Sikh in his langar and kitchen. Smokers, hat-wearers, shaven people, theieves, gamblers, kurehitees should not be kept" (Padam, 85).

(An extract taken from one of Various Puraatan rehitnamas)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmericanSikhs/message/4663

After actually sitting down and thinking about what had been said it made me think that what had been said might not actually be far from reality! I mean on going to the Gurdwara Sahib it’s quite shocking to see how when some young people are given a seva of something simple like cutting or peeling sabhji for instance they can’t do it properly. And this is just basic beginners food preparation never mind the actual cooking of the sabhji or how it should be gone about.

And this is just one aspect of cooking, the sabhji. What about parsaad? parsaadeh? Dhal? Mitha? Dhey?

Even for those of us who believe that langar should be kept simple. Even to prepare simple langar some knowledge of how it should be done is required.

Yes langar needs to be prepared with piyaar and sharda but it also needs to be made properly, and the only way this can be done is if we have the prior knowledge and experience of how it should be done. The rest is Guru Jis kirpa.

qU krx kwrx smrQu hih krqy mY quJ ibnu Avru n koeI ]

thoo karan kaaran samarathh hehi karathae mai thujh bin avar n koee ||

You are the Creator, all-powerful, able to do anything. Without You, there is no other at all

In my opinion we need more youth to be getting involved and learning about the preparation of langar but also the hygiene in the kitchen, as it seems to me that at every Gurdwara Sahib the older generation are dominating the langar de seva; which is brilliant for them, Guru Ji’s kirpa but not so great for us as we’re not seeing the necessity for us to learn as aren’t consider what will happen in the future if we don’t start acting now. The older generation has a lot of knowledge we could use which could help us in sustaining Gur ka langar for the future, and for generations to come.

Now think about what we would do if something did happen to the older generation… Or if we we’re in control of the seva… Could you make the parsaadh? Or any part of the langar?

What would we do?!

It’s a sorry fact sangat ji but we are not as “tiyaar bar tiyaar” as we’d like to think we were, as this one situation has shown.

Another point to consider is that from what I have seen it is more our generation that is pushing the idea of bibeki langar. This could be achievable with Guru Ji’s kirpa if more youth were actually getting involved instead of just criticizing how langar is prepared. I’ve heard many times people including myself say that people should be reciting baani whilst preparing langar and nindhiya, chuglee is a big no no etc.

But then if we believe this is how langar should be prepared why aren’t we actively doing something about it instead of just complaining about how things are presently done?

Some people just boycott langar altogether if they don’t believe it has been made by rehatdhari people, or in the right environment, but surely if we are willing to go this far ourselves in believing its wrong for us to eat, then why are we letting it be bhogged by Guru Maharaaj? The king of Kings?! Surely this is a wrong doing on out part. And we should be trying as hard as possible to change this as soon as possible.

The future of Gur ka Langar lies in our hands; it’s up to us what we are going to do. Don’t forget the seva aspect of sikhi! Seva is an important part of Sikhi. as is the foundation for love and removes pride. We need two wings to get us across this World ocean, one of simran and the other of seva.

isrIrwgu mhlw 1 Gru 5 ]

sireeraag mehalaa 1 ghar 5 ||

Siree Raag, First Mehla, Fifth House:

ACl ClweI nh ClY nh Gwau ktwrw kir skY ]

ashhal shhalaaee neh shhalai neh ghaao kattaaraa kar sakai ||

The Undeceiveable is not deceived by deception. He cannot be wounded by any dagger.

ijau swihbu rwKY iqau rhY iesu loBI kw jIau tl plY ]1]

jio saahib raakhai thio rehai eis lobhee kaa jeeo ttal palai ||1||

As our Lord and Master keeps us, so do we exist. The soul of this greedy person is tossed this way and that. ||1||

ibnu qyl dIvw ikau jlY ]1] rhwau ]

bin thael dheevaa kio jalai ||1|| rehaao ||

Without the oil, how can the lamp be lit? ||1||Pause||

poQI purwx kmweIAY ] Bau vtI iequ qin pweIAY ]

pothhee puraan kamaaeeai || bho vattee eith than paaeeai ||

Let the reading of your prayer book be the oil, and let the Fear of God be the wick for the lamp of this body.

scu bUJxu Awix jlweIAY ]2]

sach boojhan aan jalaaeeai ||2||

Light this lamp with the understanding of Truth. ||2||

iehu qylu dIvw ieau jlY ]

eihu thael dheevaa eio jalai ||

Use this oil to light this lamp.

kir cwnxu swihb qau imlY ]1] rhwau ]

kar chaanan saahib tho milai ||1|| rehaao ||

Light it, and meet your Lord and Master. ||1||Pause||

iequ qin lwgY bwxIAw ]

eith than laagai baaneeaa ||

This body is softened with the Word of the Guru's Bani;

suKu hovY syv kmwxIAw ]

sukh hovai saev kamaaneeaa ||

you shall find peace, doing seva (selfless service).

sB dunIAw Awvx jwxIAw ]3]

sabh dhuneeaa aavan jaaneeaa ||3||

All the world continues coming and going in reincarnation. ||3||

ivic dunIAw syv kmweIAY ]

vich dhuneeaa saev kamaaeeai ||

In the midst of this world, do seva,

qw drgh bYsxu pweIAY ]

thaa dharageh baisan paaeeai ||

and you shall be given a place of honor in the Court of the Lord.

khu nwnk bwh lufweIAY ]4]33]

kahu naanak baah luddaaeeai ||4||33||

Says Nanak, swing your arms in joy! ||4||33||

Please forward this message to other people who can work on making a difference to the future of sikhi. Thank you.

Bhul chuk maaf.

Vaheguroo ji ka Khalsa, Vaheguroo ji kee Fateh

[ParwinderSingh]

you are right but recently i think alot of youth hav realli realised this and i have seen an increase in sikh youth participation and involvment at gurudwaras....................it is an important issue, with gurus kirpa ther will always be sikhs to do the seva required..........

[SikhSoul]

Well i dont actualy belive that you must be amarthari to do sewa. Just because you havent macde that decision doesnt mean that your sewa must be limited. I am 14 and i know how to cook and at guruwaras here in Canada they allow me even though i am not amarthari. Its just the matter of showing interst for these things. Just because you are not amarthari doesnt mean that you will in a way " contaminate" the food. It shouldent mater who is preparing the food as long as they accept sikhi and are clean. And as for knowing how to cook, well we all are probably going to have to learn to cook indian food at some point in our time because we all have our favorite sabjees and daals and we wont always have our parents to make them for us.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa

Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

[Khalsa Fauji]

Gurfateh!!

Just a quick point; its not that non amritdhari's arent allowed to do seva, its just that some maryadeh say amritdhari's can only eat from other amritdhari's which is why some Gurdwareh will only allow an amritdhari person to prepare langar, to accomodate for those amritdhari's who follow their maryada.

If thats makes any sense,

Bhul Chuk Maaf!

Gurfateh!!

[Lionchild]

Gurfateh!!

Just a quick point; its not that non amritdhari's arent allowed to do seva, its just that some maryadeh say amritdhari's can only eat from other amritdhari's which is why some Gurdwareh will only allow an amritdhari person to prepare langar, to accomodate for those amritdhari's who follow their maryada.

If thats makes any sense,

Bhul Chuk Maaf!

Gurfateh!!

well we should only follow one rehat maryada (the SGPC one) instead of making our own or following "modern" ones. This will create less confusion and more time to worry about other things.

[Tera]

well we should only follow one rehat maryada (the SGPC one) instead of making our own or following "modern" ones. This will create less confusion and more time to worry about other things.

You on about the same SGPC rehat maryada that they changed just recently on the quiet?

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060306/punjab1.htm#5

[KharkooSingh]

If everyone was obeying Guru Jis Hukam then everyone would be Amritdhari... Problem solved...

[Revolutionary]

If everyone was obeying Guru Jis Hukam then everyone would be Amritdhari... Problem solved...

lol :lol: exactly!!!

there wont be ANY problem like this then.

[Lionchild]

well we should only follow one rehat maryada (the SGPC one) instead of making our own or following "modern" ones. This will create less confusion and more time to worry about other things.

You on about the same SGPC rehat maryada that they changed just recently on the quiet?

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060306/punjab1.htm#5

well than what "maryada" should we use then???

[Khalsa Fauji]

Gurfateh!!

Just a quick point; its not that non amritdhari's arent allowed to do seva, its just that some maryadeh say amritdhari's can only eat from other amritdhari's which is why some Gurdwareh will only allow an amritdhari person to prepare langar, to accomodate for those amritdhari's who follow their maryada.

If thats makes any sense,

Bhul Chuk Maaf!

Gurfateh!!

well we should only follow one rehat maryada (the SGPC one) instead of making our own or following "modern" ones. This will create less confusion and more time to worry about other things.

Gurfateh!!

There are alot of puratan maryadeh that state an amritdhari can only eat from an amritdhari, it is in recent times that SGPC have devised a common maryada just to accomodate modern society, so how can you say to those people who are following puratan maryadeh that they are wrong and should change their ways.

It is we who have changed our ways that should accomodate for them, if possible. :lol:

Bhul Chuk Maaf!

Gurfateh!!