Gyani's Are Bad Sangat!

[supadupa]

who has made the gyanees the way they are???

we have.

we expect them to come at our beck and call

we expect them to treat maharaj like a job - bobbing from one akhandpath to the next just to make enough cash to feed themselves and their kids

we shout at them like they are dogs

we expect them to give up their own marayads and beliefs which some have studied in taksals and sampardas cos it doesnt confrom to our rights.

if the gyanee accidentally touches a woman hand when giving out parshaad we call him a pervert.

If a gyanee watches tv ists considered the end of the world

if the akhand paaths late blame the gyanee

if the parshaad isnt sweet enough who gets a rollocking - yes youve guessed it the gyaanee.

If you want these guys to behave like they are on the gadhee of Baba Budha Ji - which they are then sort out the system

we can all moan...

[sunny_love_kirtan]

who has made the gyanees the way they are???

we have.

we expect them to come at our beck and call

we expect them to treat maharaj like a job - bobbing from one akhandpath to the next just to make enough cash to feed themselves and their kids

we shout at them like they are dogs

we expect them to give up their own marayads and beliefs which some have studied in taksals and sampardas cos it doesnt confrom to our rights.

if the gyanee accidentally touches a woman hand when giving out parshaad we call him a pervert.

If a gyanee watches tv ists considered the end of the world

if the akhand paaths late blame the gyanee

if the parshaad isnt sweet enough who gets a rollocking - yes youve guessed it the gyaanee.

If you want these guys to behave like they are on the gadhee of Baba Budha Ji - which they are then sort out the system

we can all moan...

thats true too but we cant ignore what gyanees are doing. if they stop being afraid of people like those whom you think have spoiled them, and they only do what is correct fearlessly then something can happen.

[humkire]

supadupa has a good point from my experience .

in an ideal world ............

1) a gyani is interviewed for the post ,explained to that its a 2 way system of him living up to the ideals of sikhi and in return to be given fiull respect and support so there is mutual respect and responsibility

2)his responsibilities are spelt out in clear terms ;

to be in charge of normal preaching duties in the gurudwara

to conduct keertan,paath,tabla training for sangat

to perform a pastoral function looking after spiritual needs of individual members of

sangat ,consoling ,motivating ,caring for ,praying for ,visiting them in hospital or

house during times of bereavement,tragedies ,etc .

to work very closely with the committee in all aspects of the running of the gurudwara

and to be given a big say in directing the functioning of the gurudwara .

3)the code of conduct/morality/ethics expected of him is set out clearly so that he understands that this is a job that requires sober thinking,serious committment and a sense of moral infallibility as well as to be role model for sikhi besides being a man of sterling ,incorruptible ,and stable personality .

4)in return ,he is given ...

a decent house for him and his family to live in ,or at least a decent income ,to rent

or buy a property so he has his own space and privacy to bring up his family

a decent car for him to drive so he can visit sangat ,get to the gurudwara ,etc

annual leave

a few weeks every year where he is required to attend further training in gurmat

and gurbani as well as sangeet to ensure his skills are being upgraded .

other perks and privileges as befits his position

Such a man is not to be considered as a whipping boy of the president .instead he is the shining light ,leader ,and god's representative .he is to be looked up upon , utterly respected and his guidance sought in all matters .his attendance should be sought in all matters involving the members of the sangat such as marriages and also in all matters involving the leadership of the community .he is not to be seen as some detached religous person to be ommitted from sangat's daily or societal activities or irrelevant in discussions of the leadership of the comunity .instead he needs to be seen as an integral part of the lives and activities of the sangat ,constantly working to place the sangat on gurmat footing .he should be the busiest ,most important man around and his job the most important job you could come across .

There is an excellent book called 'preaching and preachers 'by d .martyn lloyd jones on this subject tho its a christian book .One can also read books on a subject called ''pastoral theology'' to gain insight into issues revolving around the functions of a gyani besides reading on related subjects like ''spiritual counselling /preaching //spiritual ministry'' .Also the lifestory of bhai sahib bhai vir singh ,his personality ,his standing in the community ,his activities ,his influence ,his charisma ,his wisdom ,and his spirituality all are exemplery of what a gyani could be ,apart from the life of baba buddha jee .

i also firmly believe that any gyani/paathi just like any ordinary sikh who reads Gurbani with understanding should undergo and experience a serious challenge to his normal way of thinking /talking and behaving so that in time it becomes gurmat based .this thread started from the experience of a young inspired sikh being in the presence of 3 paathis/gyanis who just let out a rant loosely rather than inspiring him to carry on his gurmat journey and extending their support for him/her to learn paath/keertan etc . Being in the presence of a gyani ought to be one of the most inspiring thing/educating thing a person could do because in sikhi ,a gyani is akin to a saint .

[supadupa]

hum kire hit the nail on the head