Guduwara

[Sagefrakrobatik]

Tommorow im attending my first GUduwara wish me luck

[satay]

You mean 'Gurudwara', correct?

Good Luck.

[Eastern Mind]

Hmmm... never been to a gurdwara, although some are close by. Please let us know how it goes. Aum Namasivaya

[satay]

Hmmm... never been to a gurdwara, although some are close by. Please let us know how it goes. Aum Namasivaya

Why don't you visit one EM? It will be a great experience, I promise.
And the best part is the parsadam! Go next sunday...

[Sagefrakrobatik]

Why don't you visit one EM? It will be a great experience, I promise.
And the best part is the parsadam! Go next sunday...

Yea that was pretty good, I never had it before. The service begins with chanting of ragas from the Granith Sahib. As they chant verses there is a person who takes a "brush"-i dont really know how to describe it- and swings it back and fourth hovering above the holy book. Then Sikhs come up to a box where they donate money and pray at the altar. Afterwards there is a person who stands behind a podium and delivers a "sermon" in punjabi. Then we go downstairs to eat.
Service wise it is a mixture of Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. Its Hindu because of the singing, Islam in the sense that we are all sitting on the floor and Jewish in the sense that you have to wear a bandana before walking into the santuary and that there is food afterwards. It was nice i would go again but next time i would go an hour later so that way i wouldnt have to sit for two hours straight!


P.S. What is the Sikh greeting? There was a board member who was showing me around the place and he told me but i forgot

[Eastern Mind]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. Sounds a whole lot like a North Indian style temple service, which I've been to. I always am doubtful about the prasadam bit, as that seems to me an odd reason to visit a temple. Sometimes I've left before prasad is served, as I go to see God, not to eat. The fans are common in Hinduism as well. When we march our Ganesha on parade, the same fans are used in front of the deity, and I believe are just creating a nice cool refreshing breeze to clear the air, and vibration in front of the God, and in the Sikh case the holy book. I have never liked the sermons because I can't understand a word of it, either in Hindi, or Punjabi, as in your case. At our temple, there is no sermon. I suppose the food would be good. I really should go some day, just in the spirit of tolerance. Never been to a synagogue or a mosque either. Does anyone know the rules for non-believers?
Please tell me of the vibration you felt. Thats what I'm really interested in. Aum Namasivaya

[sarabhanga]

Namaste EM,

I always am doubtful about the prasadam bit, as that seems to me an odd reason to visit a temple.
Sometimes I've left before prasad is served.

prasAda is purity, clarity, illumination, tranquility, grace, and kindness, and you would leave before it is served?

The prasAda is the residuum of the sacrifice, the decoction of soma, and you would leave before it is served?

It seems that you have misunderstood the traditional purpose of the prasAdanA (worship or service).

[Eastern Mind]

Namaste EM,


prasAda is purity, clarity, illumination, tranquility, grace, and kindness, and you would leave before it is served?

The prasAda is the residuum of the sacrifice, the decoction of soma, and you would leave before it is served?

It seems that you have misunderstood the traditional purpose of the prasAdanA (worship or service).

Sorry, you misunderstood me. I do understand this about prasadam. I like the days besides Sundays, when the priest has prepared small offerings to the Gods, and the partaking of prasadam is relatively small. Even on the larger prasadam days, I don't mind taking prasadam. Its the fact that some people show up just for the prasadam, neglecting to worship at all. Also when people gorge on it, that irritates me. (Not that I should be irritated, just being intellectually honest here) At our temple, we have to 'guard' the prasadam so that people don't go for it even before the puja is over. Regarding the residuum of the sacrifice, the air, the essence, the holy vibration, darshan of the Gods, the teerthum, the vibhuthi, kumkum, flowers, is all prasadam to me. But then I'm used to the individualised style worship of South India, or Sri Lanka, not the congregational style of the north. Of course, when in Rome... Aum Namasivaya

[satay]

Sat sri akal sagefrakrobatik,

Yea that was pretty good, I never had it before. The service begins with chanting of ragas from the Granith Sahib.

The ragas are called 'Gurbani' literallly, Guru+bani or what the guru spoke of or what the guru said.

As they chant verses there is a person who takes a "brush"-i dont really know how to describe it- and swings it back and fourth hovering above the holy book. Then Sikhs come up to a box where they donate money and pray at the altar. Afterwards there is a person who stands behind a podium and delivers a "sermon" in punjabi. Then we go downstairs to eat.
Service wise it is a mixture of Hinduism, Islam and Judaism.

Guru Nanak the first guru of Sikhs had both hindu and muslims shisya. He took the best of both I suppose.

Its Hindu because of the singing, Islam in the sense that we are all sitting on the floor and Jewish in the sense that you have to wear a bandana before walking into the santuary and that there is food afterwards.

The 'bandana' is for those who do not wear the traditional turban. This includes visitors and those sikhs who choose to cut their hair. Though a traditional sikh is supposed to follow the 'five norms' given by the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh. One of these norms is to not cut hair, this includes facial hair and to wear a turban.

It was nice i would go again but next time i would go an hour later so that way i wouldnt have to sit for two hours straight!

I am surprised that the whole 'sermon' was in punjabi. Normally, it should be both in punjabi and english for obvious reasons. By the way, even in a hindu temple we sit on the floors.

[satay]

Namaste EM,

But then I'm used to the individualised style worship of South India, or Sri Lanka, not the congregational style of the north. Of course, when in Rome... Aum Namasivaya

Whether you are in the north or south, east or west, where there is a temple or gurudwara you should always take the parasadam! We don't go to the temple only to feel the vibration or to see God but to 'eat' his leftovers too! I feel empathy, that you go to the temple, serve God, yet somehow he is not allowing you to take his leftovers!! What the...

My comment about prasadam of gurudwara you will understand once you go visit one and actually stay till they serve the hot 'kra' in your hand and taste it.