Are gurudwaras like Punjabi social clubs in Canada? What is the reason to attend one?

[Guest Gurmukh]

I was deeply touched by the words of Guru Nanak when I researched him online. I love the method that he teaches, although maybe I don't understand it entirely. But it's fine because there are lots of methods, and I have access to the One just by turning to Him, without the guidance of any teacher. I think we can all agree that once we are in the state where this is no distinction between ourselves and the rest of this universe, it doesn't really matter how we got there. I want to know more about his method, but I am content following another way, such as Gautama's way.

I wanted to learn more about Nanak's way, so I visited a gurudwara here in Canada. What I saw at that gurudwara was not focused on teaching his way. As I understood it, the Sikh gurus taught in multiple languages, but the gurudwara where I went (and I think all of them around here) only provide service in Punjabi. So it seems that in a country where everyone speaks English (including almost all of the Punjabi-Canadians), it would make sense to spread the way of achieving mukthi to the most people, at least part of the time. This was my first indication that the gurudwaras are a Punjabi club, after the fact that people heavily identity with how they look and what they wear on their heads.

I came to sit cross legged, meditate and listen to hymns, even though I can't understand the language. Most people were staring at me (none with smiles), maybe because I look different. In the whole temple, there was not a smile or look of elation on a person's face, even though when one bathes in the nectar of God it is clearly shown in their eyes. People didn't even look happy.

The process was useless to a non-Punjabi speaker (which is why there weren't any other non-Punjabi speakers ever in attendance at these places, in a country that is 99% non-Punjabi speakers) so I went to take a look at the langar hall after about an hour of meditation to hymns. There was some food being served that I couldn't eat due to gluten allergies, so I just waited around for a few moments before I went home. From what I understand about the langar hall, they were created in Northern India hundreds of years ago where people actually had problems getting enough food. And the food in the langar hall is often vegetarian in India, because there are so many Hindus there.

I didn't see Sikhs serving food to people desperately in need. I saw Punjabis sitting down together to have a Punjabi food meal, with other Punjabis. Canada is the country with the highest median income in the world, so Canadians aren't starving and there is little purpose for a langar hall like that if one wishes to engage in service to the community. Also, the year is 2017 and not 1700, so we have eliminated starvation issues. I saw was obese and diabetic Punjabis getting fed more food to make themselves more obese and diabetic. So the problem today is the opposite (too much food) and the best thing for these people would have been to fast, shut down the langar hall and donate the money to African aid.  I believe that the Sikhs who started langar halls would not start them in a country like modern Canada where the main problem is actually our obesity, not hunger. It would have been cool if there was at least a pretense of wanting to serve other people, such as having an English menu listed on paper on the wall, or a sign IN ENGLISH that directs hungry people toward their gurudwara, but I have never seen anything like this at this gurudwara nor another one I went to years ago.

The gurudwaras appear as unwelcome places for outsiders, and seem to be useless for those who seek spiritual enlightenment. It's not a problem for me--it is just a practical issue that Sikhs should probably be alert to. I asked my friend who immigrated from India about going to the gurudwara after the experience, and he said that people just go to these places to gossip, which might be true in his experience.  I love what Nanak has written but instead of studying Nanak's way alone, I can study Gautama's way. There are no English speaking Sikh sangats around me where the members focus on mukthi, but there is a Buddhist sangha near me where we focus on achieving enlightenment. I can get social help that way if I need but, but really the process is personal and inward and nobody else is needed.

Are there any others out there like me--those who loved the words of Guru Nanak but find becoming a Sikh or engaging with a "Sikh" community as rather useless? Is there a reason that someone already on the path to enlightenment should travel to these gurudwaras?

[Guest Jagsaw_Singh]

49 minutes ago, Guest Gurmukh said:

Canada is the country with the highest median income in the world,

No its not. Its not even in the top 6. Canada and Canadians' problem is that it always compares itself to America and jumps to conclusions about how good and brilliant it is without knowing anything about the rest of the western world.

[Cloud]

Not all gurdwaras are punjabi social clubs although most of them started that way.

Before I answer your question, how much of sikh history do you know?

[simran345]

To OP, you should visit a Gurdwara that has the Basics of Sikhi parchar. Or even Sikhi2Inspire or MySimran teams. They do the parchars in English. 

[Guest Jacfsing2]

@Guest, you really don't want to be engaged in sone of the conversations people have in Gurdwaras, even if you knew Punjabi, the situations they talk about is uninteresting, personal, or small-talk anyone can do with anyone that you would have no idea what they were talking about, (and that's if you knew perfect Punjabi).

[KhalistanYouth]

They're not Social clubs, most of them have Libraries, and TV's that shows Sikhi History, people do Seva and can eat in the langar regardless of who you are, there should be a English translation in most Gurdwaras nowadays, you should watch Basic of Sikhi if you're a English Native, The Langar is for everyone regardless of their wealth, and they all have Donations and Donation Boxes for African Aids and India and other things, there is many times where a Local Gurdwaras raises money for a cause, and you will notice a lot of events for charities during festivals, about the Gossip, some people do come there to Gossip and talk but mainly when they're eating in the Langar hall or to Reunite with old friends due to Circumstances, but you will find many listening to Paath and understand what is being said or you will say classes in session but it all depends on which Gurdwara you go to, and how old / new it is since that will play in a factor on how modernized and developed it is

[Guest Returning Guest]

On ‎2017‎-‎04‎-‎23 at 4:20 AM, simran345 said:

To OP, you should visit a Gurdwara that has the Basics of Sikhi parchar. Or even Sikhi2Inspire or MySimran teams. They do the parchars in English. 

Yes, I've found Basics of Sikhi on YouTube. They are definitely doing a better job at explaining Sikhism than gurudwaras here. But what I found most helpful on YouTube was the Nanak Naam channel.

Nonetheless, basically Nanak Naam is the only channel preaching the message of how to obtain mukthi in English that comes from a Sikh perspective. Since the dharma is eternal and there are better sources out there for English speakers, I have to go with the teachers that are going to be most effective for me (and that will probably mean the many enlightened Buddhist teachers, or even Hindu yogis that have put forth massive amounts of free information out there in English to help save the world).

I really appreciate Nanak's message, but I am not going to go to a gurudwara to learn it unfortunately because the people at the gurudwara's are incapable of teaching it.

[Guest Returning Guest]

 

 

On ‎2017‎-‎04‎-‎22 at 2:19 PM, Cloud said:

Not all gurdwaras are punjabi social clubs although most of them started that way.

Before I answer your question, how much of sikh history do you know?

I have no idea how I am supposed to answer that question, what a Sikh even is, or what qualifies as Sikh history. Is "Sikh history" those actions done over time by people who labeled themselves as "Sikhs"? Do you want me to answer in a % number? It's probably more useful for you to just state the specific words or concepts you have in mind, then ask me if I know what they mean.

[Cloud]

On 2017-05-19 at 4:12 AM, Guest Returning Guest said:

 

 

I have no idea how I am supposed to answer that question, what a Sikh even is, or what qualifies as Sikh history. Is "Sikh history" those actions done over time by people who labeled themselves as "Sikhs"? Do you want me to answer in a % number? It's probably more useful for you to just state the specific words or concepts you have in mind, then ask me if I know what they mean.

Fair enough.

To be more specific the "tragedy" from the "golden age" of "glory days" of when you went to a gurdwara to what you experianced going to that specific gurdwara you went to today in 2017.

The resource I will give you is this playlist. If you want because it has at least 20+ hours of material. But I would specifically want you to focus from 1801 - 1925 and 1925 - 1984 and forward. This is the series made by The Basics of Sikhi. 

Personally I have never heard Nanak Naam channel. I will check it out now.