Jooth

[LostSoul]

I never got this issue, where is it written about that Jooth issue. I mean it must make a person feel like a Sikh thinks hes better than them because they say "No you cant share my food with me" Isnt that a sign of inequality?

[Taksali Singh]

I never got this issue, where is it written about that Jooth issue. I mean it must make a person feel like a Sikh thinks hes better than them because they say "No you cant share my food with me" Isnt that a sign of inequality?

133442[/snapback]

WJKKWJKP!

LostSoul Jee...

Jooth is a very important part of Sikhi...people take "bibeki and jooth" very lightly and do not understand the full reasons behind it.

It is very important and critical for an Amritdhari Gursikh to remain pure and true spiritually AND physically. This means we clean our bodies on the inside through Naam, Seva and Simran and on the outside through bathing etc. It is imperative that we keep this cleanliness throughout our lives so that we can have a clean mind, body and soul.

This means watching what we eat... when Langar or Degh is made at the Gurdwara it is to be made whilst Bani being read, that way the Bani has penetrated the Langar/Degh and makes it Pavitar and Pure and thus we intake this PAVITAR/PURE GUROO KA LANGAR.

If food is made while nindiya or harsh words are being spoken then the same applies and we intake these false acts etc.

This is why we are not to eat from "anyone and anywhere".

It does not make Sikhs egotistical or inequal as many people think, but instead goes to show how much love and respect we have for Guroo Saahib and their Rehat.

If we are to eat from "Subway" or a non-Amritdhari etc then we are not aware of how the food is prepared, whether it was prepared with complete cleanliness (physical AND spiritual) or whether it has been rustled together by someone who couldnt care less about our Rehat...

Also, sharing food with non-Amritdhari is wrong as an Amritdhari has sworn their life to Guroo Saahib and has promised that they are to remain as Pure as possible... I was once told that if a dirty/unclean/used cup was to touch a clean/unused cup then it would make the clean cup just as dirty and for that reason Amritdhari's shouldnt eat food that has already been eaten by non-Amritdhari's.

However, it is completely fine for a non-Amritdhari to eat from an Amritdhari's plate or for 2 Amritdhari's to share...

I mean not to offend or sound egotistical, I simply try to answer the question above...

Hope this helps, apologies if it is not concise....

WJKKWJKP!

[LostSoul]

No it was somewhat helpful brother :lol: I understand that energy has alot to do with things, energy is a very powerful force. Of course food should be made with love, and I understand that a person who is for lack of a better word "evil" (I personally dont believe in good and evil :umm: ), their food could influence yuor energy subtly. What I dont understand is what if the person you were sharing your food with was say a Monk lol. Seriously though what if that person was a vegetarian, and genuine kind hearted guy, who just happened to be a non amrit dhari atheist? Personally I feel that eating with someone shows a special bond, and brotherhood. Also where exactly in bani does it state aganist jhooth?

[akjforever]

Dasam Granth

[LostSoul]

Could you please put up the exact quote?

[LostSoul]

Could someone please put up these quotes AKJ forever speaks of?

[Kharkoo4Life]

I never got this issue, where is it written about that Jooth issue. I mean it must make a person feel like a Sikh thinks hes better than them because they say "No you cant share my food with me" Isnt that a sign of inequality?

133442[/snapback]

You are exactly right. This practice is in fact nothing more than a hollow ritual to prove ones purity to oneself and to those around them. And you are right in asking how is this nothing more than a sign of inequality, because it is!

I know various jathas, taksals etc. advocate that for an amritdhari person they must eat and cook their food such and such a way. I am not here to demean any particular jatha for everyone has their own opinions to which they are entitled to wit due respect, however, any stance which pertains to the Khalsa Panth as a whole and is being preached for the entire panth, then it is a duty of any respectful Sikh to make sure such information being preached to the Panth as a whole is in full agreement with Gurmat. We must each make an effort to find out wut principle of Gurbani supports this practice, or if not what principles reject this practice.

With regards to ur comments Taksali Singh, i would respectuly seek your responses to the following questions i have. You stated that:

This means watching what we eat... when Langar or Degh is made at the Gurdwara it is to be made whilst Bani being read, that way the Bani has penetrated the Langar/Degh and makes it Pavitar and Pure and thus we intake this PAVITAR/PURE GUROO KA LANGAR.

How does bani make food pavitar pure? If a cup of water is contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, dirt or any other kind of filth how will reciting bani rid that cup of water of this filth? We have to use rational means here, of either boiling that water, using filtration devices etc to purify that water, otherwise no matter how many times we say waheguru that water will not magically become clean.

Or is ur defintion of purity different that physical doesnt matter in this case? By your comments you realize the importance of both phsyical and spiritual cleansiness because u said:

If we are to eat from "Subway" or a non-Amritdhari etc then we are not aware of how the food is prepared, whether it was prepared with complete cleanliness (physical AND spiritual) or whether it has been rustled together by someone who couldnt care less about our Rehat...

Well from the above example it is obvious that simple reading bani alone cant make any food "clean", we have to take active physical measures to ensure its cleansiness. So simply saying that food is made in langar is pure doesnt hold on either ground, cuz first as stated reading bani doesnt clean food, and secondly the only way to clean food is manually which we cant ensure even in gurdwara cuz im sure u dont stand there 24 hours watching every sevadaar clean every morsel of food from every type of contamination. Its all an assumption that it has been.

It does not make Sikhs egotistical or inequal as many people think, but instead goes to show how much love and respect we have for Guroo Saahib and their Rehat.

Also, sharing food with non-Amritdhari is wrong as an Amritdhari has sworn their life to Guroo Saahib and has promised that they are to remain as Pure as possible... I was once told that if a dirty/unclean/used cup was to touch a clean/unused cup then it would make the clean cup just as dirty and for that reason Amritdhari's shouldnt eat food that has already been eaten by non-Amritdhari's.

However, it is completely fine for a non-Amritdhari to eat from an Amritdhari's plate or for 2 Amritdhari's to share...

I am confused but how is the above not a blatant practice of inequality? Are you saying that a Sikh shows his love for a guru by choosing who he sits and eats with? How does this show our respect to our Guru? I am perplexed that someone wud tell u that a dirty cup touchgin a clean cup wud make it jus as dirty for maybe this person lacks some basic knowledge about germ transfer. How do two cups touching on outside alter the nature of the inner contents of those cups? Obviously if the water in those cups somehow spilled into the other than yes it cud get dirty but just touching another cup? That seems ludicrous.

I am sure you are familiar with Bhai Kanayia Ji and his selfless service in the battlefieds to friend and foe alike. When water was served then they did not have autmated water pumps or portable coolers to pour it with plastic cups to hand out to the fallend soldiers. They used thick boray or pitchers to give water, and the wounded souldiers wre given water either into their hands. Do you not think that these boray or pitchers touched the hands of the soldiers, soliders of both Sikh AND mughal forces (obviously who werent amrithdhari). Did it not get contaminated here and become unpure? Or if u want to argue that it never touched the hands of the soldier that they poured it from afar, how bout those soldiers who were to wounded to move their arms or hands, did Bhai Kanayia jus pass them to avoid risk of contaminating the water by givin the water directly to their lips? Would such a man who saw his Guru/waheguru in each fallen soldeirs face discriminate so visciously against those in need?

You seem so worried that your food, and hence your sikhi will become unpavitar if it comes into contact with a non amritdhari, well do u think the guru carried this same worry and fear when he made it mandatory for every person who wanted his darshan to first come and eat in the common langar? Mughals, hindus, sikhs all ate together there, do u think the guru wud preach to his sikhs oh sit and eat with them but be very careful not to let any of ur cups or plates touch the polluted mughals and hindus?

However, it is completely fine for a non-Amritdhari to eat from an Amritdhari's plate or for 2 Amritdhari's to share..

How does this reasoning apply? If a sikh should practice such lofty "purity" why shouldnt we excercise the same amount of respect and diligence for our fellow non sikh brothers and sisters and ensure they too remain "pure". Is their purity not as importance to us?

I would be more than glad to hear your comments and please show me where in gurbani such physical "purity" is encouraged. You make mention that we dont understand the concept of jooth very well and jus brush past it well please enlighten us WITH GURBANI on the meaning of jooth and how we can avoid it.

ANd as for your LostSoul, do not let yourself get lost in these doctrines of purity vs. purity. If you seek real answers to this topic then ask the Guru, for his is the only answer we should follow. I will post again with gurbani references later.

[International Akaali]

good post by kharkoo4life

[akjforever]

Listen to this:

http://gurmatveechar.com/audio/Giani_Thaku...%2FMukhti_Naama

[LostSoul]

haha Brother Kharkoo very well put, actually no Im not confused personally really, Im just trying to understand what people nowadays are thinking. I really always thought of the jooth thing taken to far. Now one thing I do agree with is when cooking is should be made with love, because again I believe in the power of energy, but thats somehthing else. I remember a long time ago lol when I remembered what a Gurudwara looked like I was doing labgar ka seva, and I was serving daal and my serving spoon accidentally touched a elder "babas" plate he harshly told me " go get another spoon, that one is jootha." I was very put off by that. Anyways it makes a person seem very isolated when one of the most natural things is segregated between "sikhs" and non sikh. It violates the basic tenets of sikhi which is EQUALITY. The Bhai Kanayia Ji reference was excellent. I love sharing my food with anyone who would call me friend or brother. I think the problems with most sikhs these days is that their worried about all the ritualistic acts rather than following the basic ideaology of Love and compassion, we are to wrapped up in this so called "rehat" that we forgot what Guru Nanak was teaching us from the start, God does not care for pettyritualistic motions, or meanings...