Roundtable
Seva
The Roundtable Open Forum XXIX, May 19 - 25
EDITOR
The Rules of the forum are posted here on the right, and need to be followed strictly by all participants.
The following is this week's (May 19 - 25) topic for discussion, which should focus on the questions posed therein:
SEVA
1 This week's posting on sikhchic.com's 'Current Events" section - "Diet of Mud & Despair in India's Villages" - is a reminder to all of us of the suffering that exists in the world today.
2 Despite all the challenges we face in our lives, we Sikhs around the world are blessed with so much but, most importantly and significantly, by our Gurus' guidance that we should serve the weak, the voiceless and the needy.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
- How can we, as Sikhs living scattered around the globe, help our fellow Man? Not necessarily in mega-projects, but as individuals, carrying on with our daily routines, and yet taking some time, some money, some resources, to alleviate some pain ... somewhere?
- Practical ideas that can be easily implemented by each one of us anywhere would be most welcome and inspiring!
Conversation about this article
1: Jasbir Singh Sethi (Houston, Texas, U.S.A.), May 19, 2010, 5:32 PM.
No doubt, we have a superb base in our Guru Granth Sahib, excellent track record too, but we have lost our bearings and organizational, political and religious leadership has fallen to an absolute low and is in the hands of mediocre-capacity persons. Come to think of it, our langars in gurdwaras are sumptuous feasts, over-feeding the well-fed. I wonder if we can genuinely call it a Guru ka Langar - some of them are now mere competitive displays "I am better than you." If we can just come out of this silly frame of mind over night, Sikhs can present to the world a stunningly ideal example of Seva. If we just serve very simple meals, the money saved can be channeled in adopting a poor village somewhere to feed it. Each Sikh gurdwara in the U.S. alone can adopt 10 such hunger-ridden villages. It is not the total solution, but will be a bold step in the right direction. There are numerous such examples of frivolous wastage of resources.
2: Chintan Singh (San Jose, California, U.S.A.), May 20, 2010, 3:54 PM.
First of all, I am thankful to sikhchic.com for choosing this topic. Your timing couldn't have been better since a couple of recnt posts on sikhchic.com have left me a bit discouraged and concerned as to where are we heading as a community and where have we left the wonderful heritage our Gurus provided to us by living example. In my opinion, we all Sikhs on an individual basis need to get involved in seva in our daily routines. One of the posts by Dr. I.J. Singh a couple of months ago had suggested that each visitor to the gurdwara do 15 minutes of langar seva. If not every visitor, then at least one member per family should do help with langar or any other seva during the visit to the gurdwara. Secondly, we have to start getting involved in langar seva outside the gurdwara ... in soup kitchens/ shelters, disaster struck areas - United Sikhs has done yeoman service in this regard but I am sure they could use more volunteers. Perhaps United Sikhs could expand their great infrastructure to local chapters with each chapter offering langar in needed areas within their local region. We should also volunteer at other areas like hospitals, clinics, schools, senior citizen centers, sponsoring freeways and bus stop cleaning. Also, we could volunteer as street-crossing guards within our areas depending upon the time and availability. More of us should take CPR training and offer our services in places within our communities like work and schools. Lastly, we should individually donate blood 2-3 times a year if our health permits. None of these require massive infrastructures.
3: Inni Kaur (Fairfield, CT, U.S.A.), May 21, 2010, 8:58 PM.
Make time to hear that frail voice that struggles to be heard. Slow down and walk with those that are staggering. Lend a shoulder to the vulnerable. Add a sparkle to a life. Do this gently. Let them not feel that they are being aided.
4: Kamaldeep Singh (London, United Kingdom), May 23, 2010, 11:03 AM.
Seva is central to the Sikh Faith and on a personal level has helped me to develop as a person in all aspects of life. One begins to strive for the state of what I call ego-lessness, resulting in having a sense of strength that is firmly rooted from within. If something is not going right, one steps up to the plate, as it were, take full responsibility and resolve the issue rather then rue at one's fate. It is essentially a state of mind that is fostered through continual practice and whist I cannot explain it fully, it is also connected to the heart in someway as a form of joy arises within that is pure, honest and natural. It also happens easily and freely, that too with a small amount of effort, most possibly because we are hardwired to be helpful by default. It is because we are afraid on some level or feel inhibited that we are not as helpful as we should be. For me, seva started off officially in my local gurdwara with the langar, then providing extra for the sangat by walking amongst them and now I also help to wash the dishes. During this period, I also started helping ladies carry prams up the stairs, giving my seat to others, helping friends and family where ever I could and donating a form of dasvand to charities close to me. All of these are essentially manifestations of seva and are simply actions that are motivated by the single aim to help others for the sake of it. Ideally it is not for personal gain and whilst one may initially start off by doing so (we are all human) after a short period it becomes quite normal and natural to the person that they hardly see the transformation but others around you do.
5: Avtar Singh (India), May 25, 2010, 3:55 AM.
You may choose not ten but one remote village. But then you will need someone to distribute your collection. Problem is, that distributor becomes corrupt. Need is to guide someone from amongst the villagers to educate them about their rights, and let them take the lead.
6: Sanmeet Kaur (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), May 25, 2010, 8:47 AM.
We are not blessed with the answer to every question as soon as we ask it. Why are some of us blessed with a full stomach when others go hungry? I don't know; especially when there is enough wealth in the world to go around. But this much I do know - that if some good must come to a person, it will. If God provides us with the opportunity to be part of the goodness that is to come, it is our privilege. If we do not extend our hand to help, some other will avail of this opportunity. The most difficult charity is one which begins at home. Seva is the translation into action of a mindset that occurs when you 'make time to hear that frail voice that struggles to be heard.'