What is in Langar?

[Bundha]

The tradition of Langar was started by Guru Nanak Dev Ji when they fed the poor, the needy and the destitute and the Gurughars have been carrying on this tradition ever since, but have we lost the essence of what it was all about?

Gurus lanagar is pavittar and shoud be eaten with caution. This is not a time to fill our stomachs to the full, demanding all sorts of extras to go along with the langar. Many a time one can see sangat in the langar hall eat three, four rotis, with the sabzi swimming in copious amounts of butter, but this is not my point. Each has their own way, who am I to say who is right and who is wrong.

But a word of caution. Very rarely is langar made with nishkaam. Very rarely is it made without some sukhna being embedded into it. It should be made with a clear mind only attached to Gurus charan. When people get an ailment of some sort, be it painful knees (goday dhukday, yaar) or back pain or headaches etc many will go to the Gurdwara, which is a good thing, but they will pick up some sugar, or milk or ghee and think that by making the offering it will ease their pain.

That is all it takes!

The thought has now attached itself with the ‘parshad’ and as that tickee of butter winds its way into the sabzi so does the karma of the painful knee. Now multiply that with all the other karama/thoughts attached to all the other offerings taken to the Gurdwara and you then have a langar that has now taken on an altogether different flavour. Add to that the thoughts and longings of the people who make the langar and it goes even further.

Now people sit in line and eat three, four makee-the-roti with lashings of saag, with three knobs of butter and they will ask for two glasses of lassie, followed by jalabies and sweet chawl, then they wonder why they don’t feel so good. They then will take gallons of milk home and use that in their own cooking! It has to do with the lack of nutritional value and high cholesterol food for sure, but more importantly it has to do with all that is attached to the food that we cannot see, the suckhnas, the longings, the pleadings, the desires.

So the advice would be, by all means eat langar, but keep it in moderation and if possible try to do a little sewa as that will even things out a little.

[simran345]

Well said Bundha paji, instead of donating the heavy ingredients, one can also donate it as money, or other item for the gurdwara, chunia or rumals for the sangat, or things that will be used by the gurdwara in seva. As i have a health condition, I very rarely have langar, people say we should always have a bit of langar, but I have some parshaad, and cannot manage anymore. If i do I have very little, and then eat when I go home. It all down to common sense and self managing your health conditions, which includes our diets, and the food we eat, but I feel our community does not have enough awareness of that.

I know we should not criticise langar and be grateful of what we receive, but some is heavy and fried in oil, and fatty food, which is not good for our health. Im wondering why the gurdwaras dont get together or get advised by any organisations, or even the committees implement healthy eating cooking. This is something I feel should be taken into account.

[S4NGH]

This question may seem a little off topic and i apologise in advance if i offend anyone or say anything wrong.

Is it necessary to eat langar if we're not in need of it? I.e. If im not hungry, ive had parshaad and i would rather someone who is hungry and needs Guru ka langar has my share, is this wrong?

I have langar if im hungry after being at the Gurdwara for a long time and even then its 1 parshada and a little daal and jal. But generally after parshaad i dont feel the NEED to have more langar. Is this being disrespectful?

And then you see people going for seconds or takeaways...

Pul chuk maaf ji

[Raaj.Karega.Khalsa]

What if Gurbani is being read whilst preparing Langar? (rather than the usual chit-chat)

I s'pose the effect of the thoughts or sukhna and stuff should be cancelled by the gurbani being read, shouldn't it?

S4NGH, Bhaji I don't think the rule's THAT strict but the maryada says, "Pehle pangat, paachhe sangat".

Although I must say that I do feel a bit guilty and embarrassed if I sit to eat without having had Guru Saheb's darshan.