Sikhism

The Sikh ) Gurdwaras are not only places of worship but also the training center of service. Such service as sweeping the precincts, serving drinking water to the thirsty, fanning the congregation in hot weather and serving food to the hungry have always formed an integral part of the factions in a Sikh shrine. Of these, Langar is perhaps the most important. A Sikh Gurdwara without a free kitchen is inconceivable.

Everybody welcome in a Gurdwara. But Gurdwara has some principles. A person should not enter in a Gurdwara if they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, carrying alcohol, drugs, cigarettes and meat. Anyone entering the Gurdwara must remove their shoes and cover their heads.

The Guru Granth Sahib is installed in its own room under a canopy. As a mark of respect, anyone entering the room should kneel in front of the Guru Granth Sahib and touch their forehead to the floor. There is usually a box in front of the canopy where worshipers can place their offerings- of money or food for the Langar.

The Langar in Gurdwara's is a community kitchen. Every Sikh is expected to take part in the running of the community kitchen. Community pays for the expenses, bring provisions or personally contribute labour of love, by cleaning utensils, fetching water or fuel, or taking a hand in cooking and distributing food. Langar is one of the corner of the Sikh religion and a symbol of equality.

Langar is Persian word meaning:

§ An asylum for the poor and the destitute,

§ The house or monastery of the Sufi dervishes,

§ An alms-house,

§ A public kitchen kept by a great man for his followers and dependents, the Holy men and the needy.

Langar is Persian word, which means a public kitchen established by a noble person for their followers and dependents. In India, Langar was started by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and carried forward by successive Gurus. The Guru desired that every Sikh should share his food with others "Wand Chhakna" and their kitchen should be open to all. Subsequently the Langar took on an institution from and became a part of the Sikh Gurdwara. This Langar is meant to provide food to all devotees and pilgrims. Every Sikh is expected to contribute to it either by donating foodstuff or by participating in the cooking and distribution of the food.

Now Langar from a major institutional forms of India and become a part of the Sikh Gurdwara. Basically, Langar means to Provide food to all devotees and pilgrims. The Langar in Gurdwara's is a community kitchen. Every Sikh is expected to take part in the running of the kitchen. Community has pay for the expenses, bring provisions or personally contribute labor of love, by cleaning utensils, fetching water or fuel, or taking a hand in cooking and distributing food. Langar is one of the corner of the Sikh religion and a symbol of equality. Every Sikh is expected to contribute to it either by donating foodstuff or by participating in the cooking and distribution of the food.

Guru Nanak set up a Gurdwara of bread at Kartar Pur Where people brought corn and fuel, and worked together to prepare a common meal for the whole community. Nanak took practical steps to break the vicious hold of caste by starting free community kitchens -- Guru ka langar- in all centers and persuading his followers, irrespective of their castes, to eat together.

Guru Angad extended the Langar and personally served in it. Langar in the Guru Granth Sahib Ji "The Langar- the kitchen of the Guru's Shabad has been opened, and its supplies never run short. Whatever His Master gave, He spent; He distributed it all to be eaten. The Praises of the Master were sung, and the Divine Light descended from the heavens to the earth. Gazing upon you, O True King, the filth of countless past lives is washed away. The Guru gave the True Command; why should we hesitate to proclaim this? His sons did obey his word; they turned their backs on him as Guru. These evil hearted ones became rebellious; they carry loads of sin on their backs. Whatever the Guru said Lehna did, and so he was installed on the throne. Who has lost, and who has won? He who did the work, is accepted as Guru; so which is better -- the thistle or the rice? The Righteous Judge of Dharma considered the arguments and made the decision. Whatever the True Guru says, the True Lord does; it comes to pass instantaneously. Guru Angad was proclaimed, and the True creator confirmed it. Nanak merely changed his body; He still sits on the throne, with hundreds of branches reaching out. Standing at his door, his followers serve him; by this service, their rust is scraped off. He is the Dervish- the Saint, at the door of his lord and master; he loves the True name, and the Bani of the Guru's word. Balwand says that Khivi, the Guru's wife, is a noble woman, who gives soothing, leafy shade to all. She distributes the bounty of the Guru's Langar; the kheer -- the rice pudding and ghee, is like sweet ambrosia. The faces of the Guru's Sikhs are radiant and bright; the self-willed Manmunkhs are pale, like straw. The master gave his approval, when Angad exerted him self heroically. Such is the husband of mother Khivi; he sustains the world."

Guru Amar Das turned it into an institution and ordered that all who came to see him must first eat in Langar "Pahle Pangat, Piche Sangat" Food first, congregation next. The motto was pehle pangat piche sangat- "first sit in a row in the kitchen, then seek the company of the the Guru. The Guru included a common mode of worship and a common social institute by laying the foundation of Sangat and Pangat. Sangat means "association", it is getting together of noble and good people. Pangat literally means a same row. It stands for people sitting and eating together in the same row in Guru- ka-Langar. From the time of Guru Nanak, Sangat and Pangat have gone together, for the Sikhs, both in percept as well as in practice. Wherever there was a Sangat there also was a Langar, as these Sangats were' not merely places of worship but also wayside refectories, which gave food and shelter to indigent wayfarers. Even the Emperor Akbar and the Raja of Haripur had to sit on the floor with the common people and take a meal with them. Apart from promoting social equality, the Langar eliminated taboos about chauka- the preparation of food in a special enclosures etc.

Guru Ramdas who ordered that water widened the scope of Langar and meals are also served to travelers and squatters.

Guru Arjan Dev and his wife personally served water to the Sangat. They even massged the weary travelers and fanned them to sleep.

Guru Hargobind ji says: "Garib ka Mooh guru ki golak" (Poor man's month is the Guru's Coffer)

Guru Gobind Singh Ji says: " May the kitchen and the Sword prevail in the World". "Deg Teg Jag maih Dou Chleh!" Deg and Teg are Persian words, meaning the kettle and the sword respectively. Deg literally means a cooking -pot. It symbolically stands for the free kitchen or Langar; whereas Teg is the sword represents dignity and power. Deg to feed the poor and the stanger, regardless of caste and religion; and "Tag" the Sword, to destroy the oppressor of humanity and protect the oppressed. Hence Deg and Teg are symbols of service and power. Many of the Sikhs started their own Langars at Anandpur. One day, Guru Gobind Singh went out incognito on an inspection of Langars. He found out that Bhai Nand Lal maintained the Langar well, while others were indifferent to the needs of poor. He warned them and remarked, "The mouths of the poor are Guru's receptacles of gifts".

An Ardas(prayer) is performed asking the Guru Granth Sahib to accept the Karah Parsad food and bless the sevadars who prepared it and bless those that eat from the Langar. When recite the Ardas it is ask Guru to bless the Prasad and the Langar. Langar is not touched with a knife; but with a Kirpan ( A dagger, sword or sheath knife with one cutting edge). The root word of kirpan is Kripa, which means grace. Langar and prasad touched with the kripan, thereby passing Guru's Grace into it. Steel is a conductor of energy. Further, the energy of the steel also transfers to the Langar and parsad, giving it that extra strength, tempered by the sweetness of the Anand. The blade is sharpened steel to give us the sharp edge of discrimination so that we can act wisely. We cover the Langar and Prasad to protect it. All the colors, or vibrations, the head must be covered and shoes removed in this hall, the Langar should be served on the floor with the sangat sitting cross-legged.

Seva (selfless service) is a sacred duty, and can be done anywhere for anyone. An important from of seva is Langar. All who visit the Gurdwara sit down together in a row and partake of the simple food offered with loving care irrespective of the recipient's caste, color, creed, sex, nationality, social background or position in the community. The community freely gives all the food and services associated with the Langar, and the food is vegetarian. Amritdhari sevadar are serving the langar, it is not necessary. Serving sevadar has to wear a Parna (Bandana) around their heads for reasons of hygiene. It is a symbol of the Sikh belief in a non-sexist, non-racist society; equality, fraternity and brotherhood where all people of all caste, religion are equal and can share a common meal in the true print of unity. It is not unusually to see at a Langar of a millionaire seated next to his own servant in a Pangat. Some high caste has his meal along with harijan, or a landlord sitting along with his workers.

There are two types of Langar, which are attached to all major Sikh Gurdwaras

(a) Langar of Daily meals

(b) Shabad-ka-Langar

Langar of Daily meals "Free kitchen or open alms house" attached to most of the important Gurdwaras offers two square meals to every visitor, rich or poor, and more so to the destitute and the homeless, the travelers and pilgrims. It is a sin for a Sikh to question a man's faith and creed before offering him a seat in the Langar. It is open to all human beings of all nationalities, and all peoples of all countries. The rich and the poor, the black and white people, the Hindus, Muslims and Christians all sit in a row and eat to their fill the food that is prepared. Bhai Desa Singh in his Rehitnama says: " A Sikh who is well to do must look to the needs of a poor neighbours. Whenever he meets a traveler or a pilgrim from foreign country, he must serve him devotedly.

Shabad-ka-Langar: "The word as sacramental food" Equally important is the spiritual food which must be imported to all who come to the Gurdwara for participation in worship and prayer not only through any liturgical prayer but through the follow- its traditionally established practices: before elucidating these practices it may be emphatically stated that there are clear-cut references and comments to this Shabad-ka-Langar, and its various aspects throughout the Sikh scriptures. The most conspicuous is one mentioned by Rai Balwand and Satta, the bards of Guru Angad, who say in their Var "Langar Chalai Guru Shabad ka Har tot na Avi Khatiai" The Sacramental food of the Divine word is being ceaselessly distributed, it is open for distribution all day, and yet it is ever full.

According to the Rehit Maryada printed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Amritsar, in 1945, the code for Langar is as follows: (in Punjabi)

(A) Guru ka Langar- is de do bhag han,

Ik Sikha noo seva Sikhana

Duje uach- nich, chhut chat da bharam mitana.

(B) Guru ke Langar vich beath ke uach nich, kise jat ja varan da prani persad chhak sakda hai, Pangat vich bitthan lagiya -- Kise desh, Varan jati ja majahab da vitakra nahi karana, Ha! Ik thali vich kevel amritdhari Sikh hi chhak sakade han.

English version (It has been tried to keep the translation as literal as possible)

(A) The Langar of the Guru -- It has two meanings:

- to teach the Sikhs about the concept of volunteer service;

- to erase the doubt (notion) of superiority - inferiority, and unsociability.

(B) By sitting in the Langar of the Guru without any superiority -- or inferiority- complex, a person belonging to any caste or sect, can eat food. While seating in Pangat" (Row or Line) there should not be any discrimination about the origin of the country, caste, creed, or religion of a person. Yes, only Amritdhari Sikhs can eat from one plate .

The spirit of service "Seva Bhav" cannot be seen anywhere in country except Gurdwara. Gurdwara also offers an excellent offer of Social Equality in Langar Hall. Therefore, we can say that Langar in India serves a purpose of Social Equality, Food Security and good example of Spirit of Service.

Sikhs do not believe in rituals as such, salvation is obtained by merging with God, primarily through prayer/meditation and also avoiding the 5 evils:

Kaam = lust/addiction (specifically sexual relationships outside martial bonds; although Kaam refers to relationships, in terms of addiction, intoxication of any sort is strongly forbidden)

Krodh = rage, anger (so should live with humility, modesty etc)

Lobh = greed (earning an honest living and sharing with others)

Moh = attachment (deep attachment to worldly things e.g. money, power, etc things that won't accompany you on your journey after you die)

Ahankar = ego and excessive pride (about status, beauty, talents, intelligence, charity work etc)

Islam in its original language was called Salam which translates as peace and surrender. Those people that believe in Islam are commonly known as Muslims. Muslims believe that everything began with Allah, or God, although most outsiders would say the religion began with Muhammad. First and foremost the Koran is followed and then the sunnah (prophet Muhammad saying and practices).

Late in the 7th century we find Muhammad, a prophet, who was believed to be the final prophet and he was called The Seal of the Prophets. He was said to have had angels of God fill his heart with light. Later he meditated in a cave on the outskirts of Mecca where he was meditating on the Abrahamic way. He heard the first verses of Quran from Angel Gabriel (without knowing that it is Quran and without knowing that it is from an angel). He returned scared to home, told his wife, who called her cousin for advice. Her cousin was Jesus believer and told her that it is God revelation to him through the angel. Quran God revelation continued and Muhammad was ordered to convey God Islam message to people. Muhammad's wife became the first to believe in Islam religion. The most basic faiths of Islam are faith in God, in all God prophets, God angels, all God holy books, the Day of Judgment, and the destiny. They believe Allah (God in English) is the Ultimate. They believe that Allah "deliberately created" the world. They believe that humans are the foremost of God's creations. And finally they believe that "nowhere is the soul's freedom more conspicuous than on the Day of Judgment."

There are five pillars of Islam that constitute basic Muslims ritual worshiping. The first is Islam's creed of faith. "There is no god but one and only one God (Allah in Arabic) with no son and no associate, and Muhammad is His Prophet." Second is canonical prayer. The third is charity, in which one "should share with the unfortunate." The forth pillar is the "observance of Ramadan." Ramadan is a holy month in which those able should fast during. The fifth and final pillar is the pilgrimage to Mecca. Every Muslim, if physically able, is expected to travel to Mecca at some point during his life. Islam religion call for good morals that are close to that in Christianity. Muslims believe that Jesus is one of the five greatest prophets (Noah, abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad). They don't believe that Jesus is son of God.

Christianity is the most wide spread religion and has the most number of people that claim it has their religion. Christianities roots come from Jesus of Nazareth and has spread like wild fire since that time. But, it is technically an offshoot of Judaism since the Jews were waiting and looking for the messiah to come and after he did then the Christians were formed by the Disciples of Christ. Jesus is known as the savior of the world and so is worshiped as the savior of humanity.

They believe that the world was created by God in seven days; some believe that is a literal seven days while others believe that is a representation of perhaps 7000 years; more of an evolutionist creation. Then on the opposite side there is the end of the world. Christians all see this a little differently depending on their specific church. Some believe that there will be a grand second coming and that everyone will be raised up to meet God in the sky all together. Others believe in the rapture, where someone may be with you one minute, then be taken by the Lord the second and you won't see them again.

Although all Christians believe in God and believe that Jesus is the son of God and came to die for our sins, not all believe in the trinity. The Trinity is the God head three in one. This is where we believe they are three identities in one while some believe that they are completely different individuals.

One characteristic is that most Christians have a church organization. They meet on the weekend and worship God together. This has been an important aspect for Christians ever since the beginning when God called his disciples together to pray and support one another and worship God. There are many branches of Christianity but they are all based off of the same main concepts and beliefs: there is a God, He made us, and Loves us.

Refer to questions below for more information.

A simple definition for Sikh is: student and/ or a learner.

A Sikh is one that learns throughout his/her lifetime; continuously craving to reach a path of spirituality, modesty and honest living.