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Are Gurudwaras Doing Any Good To Panth?


laalsingh

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Just take few minutes and think! Are Gurudwaras helping Sikhi or destroying it? I came across a news item in National Post. It is humiliating.

Temples of strife: Power struggles fuelling recent Sikh violence

More interesting are comments by others on these incidents.

paulcerar 9:08 AM on April 24, 2010

It is time for mass deportations! Any Sikh who does not swear an oath to be a peaceful, loyal citizen of CANADA should be immediately deported. Also, have forensic accountants examine their finances.

Here is another.

Maggie83 9:44 AM on April 24, 2010

Immigration should be enforcing Canada's Law with these people when they come to Canada. These people should also be made to cut their hair and get rid of the cloth head wrap of brightly colored variety. Religion should be private and displays as such should only be at the temple or church. If they insist on these stupid fights, immediately deport them.

And yes Government Accountants should scrutinize their finances.

If you get excepted in Canada; you must be bilingual and live as a Loyal Canadian Citizen. Enough already; many of these people are dealing illegal drugs and following Canadians on the internet.

I have noticed a fellow, Ahirt Singh is attempting to follow me on my e-mail.

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I agree everyone should follow law of this country. There are no exceptions to the rule.

But some of these comments are sickening and outright racist on that link. Aborginal people go through this same racism as well. It's comment like this, i sometimes wish indian and chinese people should make these anglo-saxon people as minority in this country (its already predicted in 20 years this will happen). They will feel what aboriginal people felt when anglo saxon european destroy true Canadian culture, heritage and will get taste of their own medicine.

These people don't have a right to tell us to get out of their country, its not their country, their ancestors are immigrants just like our ancestors are, once aborginals people tell me to leave. I will gladly leave. They don't realise by making comments like these, they are invoking passion in minorities to replicate in triple, systemically put them in minorities.

I don't say this often but i ll say it Long live somalis here and sullehs here for having a large family in this country...!! Only if we can learn from them.

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  • 8 months later...

Western Gurdwaras are not budging on the language gap between punjabi and english= really really need sikhitothemax.com projectors in all of them and loads of free leaflets describing all of sikhi, also we need libraries in every gurdwara for gianis to read for there kathas and if possible libraries for sangat to use with many many books- the 5 takhts are influenced to much by the government so there is lack of financial investment into sikhi that would be needed compared to any other organised world religion. As well as giving free english gutka like harbans doabia ones.

Edited by sarbatdapala
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  • 2 months later...

Western Gurdwaras are not budging on the language gap between punjabi and english= really really need sikhitothemax.com projectors in all of them and loads of free leaflets describing all of sikhi, also we need libraries in every gurdwara for gianis to read for there kathas and if possible libraries for sangat to use with many many books- the 5 takhts are influenced to much by the government so there is lack of financial investment into sikhi that would be needed compared to any other organised world religion. As well as giving free english gutka like harbans doabia ones.

you make a start then, if it is good others may follow your lead

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Western Gurdwaras are not budging on the language gap between punjabi and english= really really need sikhitothemax.com projectors in all of them and loads of free leaflets describing all of sikhi,

we have leaflets at our gurdwara, but for the last 4 months the STTM and screen has not been used. I was the one who always did it, for the last 5 years, but when the committee banned me from speaking from the stage, about 4 months ago, i told them to do it themselves. Of course they haven't but I feel bad cos it needs to be used, but like i told the committee, that unless you help youths, the youths are not going to help you. They dont give a monkeys.

But our Gurdwara definitely is not helping individual Sikhs on their spiritual progression, or doing anything postive for the panth.

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But our Gurdwara definitely is not helping individual Sikhs on their spiritual progression....

I wonder how many do?

My experiences are that you don't usually get support and advice at the Gurdwara, our whole set up doesn't seem to encompass that 'pastoral' type support some other faiths do as standard. The ones that do seem to be the sant affiliated Gurdwaras through some nominated sant or his representative.

Youth are almost invariably seen as a threat by committees. Only our community has a situation where even 30 year olds are considered the 'youth'. What spiritual advice would we get from people who commonly practice seriously underhand tactics to retain their committee seats (you can usually throw casteism in there too).

I find the most healthy way to perceive Gurdwaray now are as residences of Maharaj where we can do a personal darshan. Truth is, as much as I wish they were centres for learning and spiritual education, they commonly aren't on any institutional level. It's like almost every Gurdwara has its issues with corruption. The type of jaloos we see with the Southall Singh Sabha committee 'wars', is just a microcosm of what goes on all over the place. Best to just remain aloof from it or one can easily get disillusioned.

I remember the issue about English in Gurdwaras was around all the way back in the 80s! It says a lot that 30 odd years on, we still haven't even got that one nailed. Some people back then were warning of sangat becoming estranged from their faith because of this (and this was a time when the vast majority of people of Sikh background would attend the Gurdwara, not like now). Fast forward to now and to me it looks like we've lost a big chunk of people who rarely visit (if at all) the Gurdwara now. I used to meet loads of apnay at work who were estranged from the Gurdwara.

What I find disappointing sometimes is how, on the way to the Gurdwara, you can pass these tiny little masjids and mosques and they are PACKED OUT, every day of the week. Kids ram them out too, going to classes. Then you go to a much bigger Gurdwara and they are like virtual ghost towns in terms of attendance on weekdays. Plus even when they are relatively busy on a Saturday, very little (if any) of the debate/discussion taking place between sangat seems to be about Sikhi. I reckon the vast majority of younger apnay don't know how to do paat, even the ones that regularly go Gurdwara. Contrast this with the sullay who seem to know theirs quite well.

That's how it looks to me anyway.

Edited by dalsingh101
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It's when you don't have a Gurudwara nearby that you realize their value. Most importantly, the chance to do Guru Ji's darshan and sewa, sewa of Sangat, listen to Kirtan/ Paath, learn Kirtan etc.

I think it's up to individuals to a large extent - if they're willing to take advantage or not.

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It's when you don't have a Gurudwara nearby that you realize their value. Most importantly, the chance to do Guru Ji's darshan and sewa, sewa of Sangat, listen to Kirtan/ Paath, learn Kirtan etc.

I think it's up to individuals to a large extent - if they're willing to take advantage or not.

It's true. All things said and done, with all their issues, I'm thankful to God for easy access to a Gurdwara.

I think Gurdwaras could do better in bringing late comers back into the faith though. All the classes seem to be for very young kids from what I've seen.

More adult focused things would be cool.

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It's when you don't have a Gurudwara nearby that you realize their value. Most importantly, the chance to do Guru Ji's darshan and sewa, sewa of Sangat, listen to Kirtan/ Paath, learn Kirtan etc.

I think it's up to individuals to a large extent - if they're willing to take advantage or not.

So true!

I live in a country where the only Gurdwara in the country has been closed for more than 3 years due to political problems with the 2 committees. All of you who live in countries with easy access to Gurdware should be grateful for that.

You don't know what you got, untill it's gone...

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most gurdwara committees don't seem to have the skills/knowledge/money to reach out to young adults in any meaningful way beyond Sttm projectors (which are usually youth operated), even when they actually have that drive. i think the future really does lie in youth stepping up to provide that next higher level of seva. and for youth to step up and bridge that language gap.

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Gurudwaras need to become more than just Gurudwaras. All that money should be used to build old people's centres (so they dont have to use tables and chairs in Langar halls), gyms, sports halls, a library on site and i.t./study facilities. This may lead to large complexes and involve the creation of a management who actually know how to manage regardless of how religous they can pretend to be.

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They need to be premiere education institutes as well. Especially when it comes to the Panjabi/Gurmukhi/Braj Basha languages and Sikh theology.

Nurseries for kids is a good idea too.

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So true!

I live in a country where the only Gurdwara in the country has been closed for more than 3 years due to political problems with the 2 committees. All of you who live in countries with easy access to Gurdware should be grateful for that.

You don't know what you got, untill it's gone...

Why didn't they do what everyone seems to do and open up two 'rival' Gurdwaras?

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Plus they should grow their own organic veg as much as possible in Gurdwara gardens!

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I have kind of stopped going to Gurdwareh, i know it sounds bad but to me they seem to be empty of anything spiritual. Religion itself is destroying itself with its rigid rules and its people passing judgement whenever they can. It seems to be all about having long hair these days with Sikhs

This portrays it nicely i think.

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If you think you are Sikh, first thing about being Sikh is listening to Guru without question. Now Guru instructed all His Sikhs to keep long hair.

If you are Sikh, you won`t even question. Sikhs did not even question when Guru asked for their heads (surely smart ones started leaving the gathering quietly, thinking Guru had gone coockoo).

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If you think you are Sikh, first thing about being Sikh is listening to Guru without question. Now Guru instructed all His Sikhs to keep long hair.

If you are Sikh, you won`t even question. Sikhs did not even question when Guru asked for their heads (surely smart ones started leaving the gathering quietly, thinking Guru had gone coockoo).

Do you really think in this day and age that telling young Sikhs who do not even know the names of the Gurus or basic Sikh philosophy that telling them to keep their hair will work? All i am saying is going back to basics and begin with teaching simple Sikh doctrines like Naam japo, vand shako, kirat karo and seva.

We are never going to get people to take Amrit, keep kesh and Kakkars, no matter how many guilt trips or how often you call them manmukhs.

I'm pretty sure the Gurus where pro dialogue and promoted the asking of questions, gave answers as well as reasons, rather than "Do it because i said so". After all in Sidh Ghost the Yogis question Guru Sahib on his philosophy and Guru Ji gives his answers.

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