Shabad Langar

‘Langar‘ means ‘to stop, to stay’. There are two types of ‘Langar’ in in the House of Baabaa Nanak:

1. Langar for the mind – Shabad Langar (Langar of Upadesh, Giaan–Wisdom, Spiritual Teachings or Counsel, Virtues …).
2. Langar for the body – Food Langar for the body (free kitchen, ਭੋਜਨ ਸ਼ਾਲਾ …).

implication is, if I have not consumed the ‘Shabad Langar‘, then my Sikhi is limited ONLY to the ‘Food-Langar‘! In other words, if I have not internalized the ‘Shabad Langar‘, then I am a Sikh ONLY of ‘Food-Langar‘!

(1). Langar for the body – Food Langar

We are familiar with the dinning tradition of ‘Langar’ (ਲੰਗਰ) in Gurdawaras.

In English, ‘Langar is also seen referred as ‘common kitchen’, ‘open kitchen’, ‘free kitchen’, ‘Sikh community meal’, ‘free communal kitchen of the Gurdawara’, Guru Kaa Langar, and so on.

The Langar symbolizes Sikh belief in the community spirit, sharing with needy (i.e. hungry), inclusiveness, oneness, sameness, the duty to selflessly serving others (particularly those who are less fortunate such as poor, destitute, hungry, etc.), the equality of all people of diverse backgrounds sitting as equals in the Langer (regardless of family of birth, color of one’s skin, caste (Jaat Paat), creed, gender, religion, rich or poor, king or pauper, etc.). No one is turned away; for we all are the children of the same One Father (Rabb).

• ਘਾਲਿ ਖਾਇ ਕਿਛੁ ਹਥਹੁ ਦੇਇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਾਹੁ ਪਛਾਣਹਿ ਸੇਇ ॥੧॥: One who eats by working diligently (with honesty…) and helps the needy in the right way out of this noble work; O Nanak! Only such people have come to know the right Way of life. ||1|| (sggs 1245).

The Gurus started the tradition of Langar for the needy. However, look at who is eating in the Langer Halls of Gurdawaras today? Everywhere in the world, you will find rich and well-fed people discussing the menu of Langar. The needy all over the world are still sleeping with empty stomachs!

However, today ‘Langar‘ is being made into a feast. Apart from plain Daal-Roti, in the name of Langar, now the so-called Sikhs are seen serving various unhealthy sweet dishes, pizza, Coke, Pepsi etc!

(2) Langar for the mind/

Conscience – Shabad Langar

The Langar of daily meals takes care of needs of the gross body.

However, the MIND’s need is different. It needs Spiritual nourishment or Ruhani Food — Naam (spiritual Giyan–Wisdom / Godly Virtues!

It is the ‘Shabad Langar’ that provides Spiritual nourishment for the MIND.

• ਧਾਵਤੁ ਥੰਮ੍ਹ੍ਹਿਆ ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਦਸਵਾ ਦੁਆਰੁ ਪਾਇਆ ॥ ਤਿਥੈ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਭੋਜਨੁ ਸਹਜ ਧੁਨਿ ਉਪਜੈ ਜਿਤੁ ਸਬਦਿ ਜਗਤੁ ਥੰਮ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ਰਹਾਇਆ ॥ : Upon realizing the Satgur (True Giaan-Wisdom: ਸੱਚਾ ਗਿਆਨ) within, the wandering mind is held steady and it realizes Tenth Gate (Shabad-Surti, Sahaj Avasthaa, Highest Spiritual State, ਆਤਮਕ ਅਡੋਲਤਾ etc.). In that Highest Spiritual State, Sahaj Avasthaa (natural State of Being, State of Wisdom etc.) is experienced which is the Ambrosial Food for the mind; through the Guru’s Shabad the mind remains unaffected by the worldly temptations and their corrupting influences. (sggs 441).
• ਨਾਮੁ ਨਾਵਣੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਰਸ ਖਾਣੁ ਅਰੁ ਭੋਜਨੁ ਨਾਮ ਰਸੁ ਸਦਾ ਚਾਯ ਮੁਖਿ ਮਿਸ੍ਟ ਬਾਣੀ ॥ : (For Guru Amar Daas) Divine Naam is the ablution, Divine Naam is like partaking the dainty Food, the delight of Divine Naam is always his inspiration and he always utters sweet Bani from his mouth. (sggs 1393).

To take care of this need of the mind, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) recommends Shabad Langar (ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ ਦੇਣ ਵਾਲਾ Ruhani food) – Shabad Vichaar or inculcation of the Enlightening Spiritual Message of the Guru’s Shabad.

This Shabad Langar provides the needed Spiritual nourishment to the MIND – the Ruhani Food.

• ਲੰਗਰੁ ਚਲੈ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦਿ ਹਰਿ ਤੋਟਿ ਨ ਆਵੀ ਖਟੀਐ ॥: (In Baabaa Nanak’s House) the Spiritual Langar through the Gur-Shabad (Upadesh, Naam, Wisdom, Virtues etc.) is being served to all, and its supplies never run short and no loss is noticed in the Guru’s Spiritual Wealth or Earnings. (sggs 967).
• ਲੰਗਰੁ ਚਲੈ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦਿ ਪੂਰੇ ਪੂਰੀ ਬਣੀ ਬਣਤਾ ॥ : The Langar wherein the Gur-Shabad is served runs unabated there and this is the perfect creation (arrangement) of the perfect Guru. (Bhai Gurdas, Vaar 24, Pauree 20).
• ਜੈਸੇ ਸਤ ਮੰਦਰ ਕੰਚਨ ਕੇ ਉਸਾਰ ਦੀਨੇ ਤੈਸਾ ਪੁੰਨ ਸਿਖ ਕਉ ਇਕ ਸਬਦ ਸਿਖਾਏ ਕਾ । : Just as a hundred temples are built with gold and then donated, so is the teaching of a Shabad to a GurSikh. । (Kabit, Bhai Gurdas).

Having said that, if we seek the Guidance of the Guru Shabad, there is a clear reference to this Shabad Lanagar – Ruhani Food of Guru’s Giyan–Wisdom (ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ ਦੇਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਭੋਜਨ).

• ਖਾਣਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਚੰਗਿਆਈਆ ਜਿਤੁ ਖਾਧੈ ਸਦਾ ਤ੍ਰਿਪਤਿ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਪੈਨਣੁ ਸਿਫਤਿ ਸਨਾਇ ਹੈ ਸਦਾ ਸਦਾ ਓਹੁ ਊਜਲਾ ਮੈਲਾ ਕਦੇ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥: (O brothers!) Eat the Food of the Shabad (Naam, Upadesh, Wisdom…) and the divine Virtues, eating which (the mind) always remains satisfied. Make the divine Naam (Wisdom, Virtues… your) garment, that garment remains ever clean and never gets dirty. (sggs 1092).
• ਅਨਿਕ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਰ ਭੋਜਨ ਬਹੁ ਕੀਏ ਬਹੁ ਬਿੰਜਨ ਮਿਸਟਾਏ ॥ ਕਰੀ ਪਾਕਸਾਲ ਸੋਚ ਪਵਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਹੁਣਿ ਲਾਵਹੁ ਭੋਗੁ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਏ ॥੨॥ ਦੁਸਟ ਬਿਦਾਰੇ ਸਾਜਨ ਰਹਸੇ ਇਹਿ ਮੰਦਿਰ ਘਰ ਅਪਨਾਏ ॥ : Just as numerous kinds of foods are prepared in kitchen; (O Divine, within) I have prepared Good Thoughts in the kitchen of my Conscience (i.e. Divine Virtues to replace my vices/Bikaar), now accept my pure mind. ||2|| I got rid of all vices/Bikaar (‘Dusat’) from inside me. I have enshrined Divine Virtues (‘Saajan‘) inside me. Now my House (i.e. my mind…) has become a temple. (sggs 1266).

Hence the Gurbani of SGGS asserts Shabad to be the Sacramental Food (ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ ਦੇਣ ਵਾਲਾ) which is equally important if not more!

• ਭੁਗਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦਿ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥ ਅਸਥਿਰੁ ਕੰਧੁ ਜਪੈ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੀ ॥੩॥: Through the Gur-Shabad abide in the Naam – make this your Spiritual Food (i.e. make it the food of your mind). By realizing the Formless Creator, the senses will be in control and would not be strayed by Bikaar (i.e. lust, anger, greed, etc.). ||3|| (sggs 879).
• ਸਚਾ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮੁ ਭੋਜਨੁ ਆਇਆ ॥ ਗੁਰਮਤੀ ਖਾਧਾ ਰਜਿ ਤਿਨਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਇਆ ॥: The everlasting spiritual life-giving Amrit-Naam has become my food. Those who follow the Gurmat (Wisdom, upadesh or Way of the SGGS), who eat this sublime food are satisfied and obtain bliss. (sggs 150).

Shabad Lanagar nearly non-existent in Gurdwaras

In short, the SGGS teaches the Shabad Langar must ceaselessly be distributed freely and openly to all seekers of Truth without any discrimination of gender, race, nationality, status, rich, poor, education, ethnicity, casteism ( i.e. Jaat Paat), and so on.

• ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਸਬਦਿ ਨ ਭੇਦੀਐ ਕਿਉ ਸੋਹੈ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਿ ॥: As long as (one’s mind) has NOT Realized the Enlightenment of the Shabad, (until then one does NOT) look Beauteous (Inner Beauty: state of Bliss, abidance in one’s Jot Saroop) in the Pathway of the Guru (there will be NO Realization of the Creator in Conscience, Within). (sggs 19).
• ਏਕੁ ਸਬਦੁ ਦੂਜਾ ਹੋਰੁ ਨਾਸਤਿ ਕੰਦ ਮੂਲਿ ਮਨੁ ਲਾਵਸਿਤਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥: If you focus your mind on that one Shabad (i.e. Naam, Upadesh, Wisdom… without which) no one else (is able to show the Way of life). You (instead) go around concentrating on eating roots, tubers etc. ||1||Pause|| (sggs 155).

In reality, emphasis in Gurdwaras is on food for the body, NOT serving people with Spiritual or Ruhani food for the mind.

However, the way the current Gurdawars or Sikh institutions are run worldwide, it’s apparent that they are not fit for the purpose in terms of conveying the enlightening Message of Gurmat of Guru Nanak as is, let alone spreading it far and wide (‘ਸਾਝੀ ਸਗਲ ਜਹਾਨੈ’)! Instead, now Gurdwaras have become places for performing rituals, performing social customs such as marriage ceremony, death ceremony, naming ceremony after birth, making pilgrimages, offering some Daan when some trivial desire is fulfilled, and so on.

Distortion of the Gurbani becomes pretty apparent when siting in a Gurudwara listening to Kathaa or Kirtan, and watching the screen displaying the distorted translation of the Shabad being sung by Ragis or discoursed by Kathaakaars. Just as the majority of Sikhs going to Gurdwaras, I have no recollection of questioning any of this.

The result is hardly anyone getting any spiritual nourishment — hardly anyone is serving/consuming/digesting it.

Instead, the majority of people in Gurdwaras go through the rituals (Karamkaand), formalities, pretending, Pakhand, motion of preparing/serving/consuming this Spiritual (Ruhani) food.

Gurdwara committees in concert with the self-serving clergy (Pujaaree) undertake rituals (Karamkaand) that have been critiqued and debunked in the SGGS — recitations of Paths (e.g. ritualistic reading of Akhand Path, Sehej Path, Sukhmani Path); performing Kirtan in a concertlike manner; Mayaic Ardas; eating elaborate Food-Langar in feast like manner, and so on. The list of pre-1469 rituals rejected in the SGGS goes on and on, causing severe SPIRITUAL INDIGESTION!

That being said, we are being served rituals and feasts instead of the Spiritual Shabad Lanagar! In short, we have been consuming (‘ਖਾਵੈ-Khaavia) rituals and feasts and digesting (‘ਭੁੰਚੈ Bhunchai‘) them.

• ਥਾਲ ਵਿਚਿ ਤਿੰਨਿ ਵਸਤੂ ਪਈਓ ਸਤੁ ਸੰਤੋਖੁ ਵੀਚਾਰੋ ॥ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮੁ ਠਾਕੁਰ ਕਾ ਪਇਓ ਜਿਸ ਕਾ ਸਭਸੁ ਅਧਾਰੋ ॥ ਜੇ ਕੋ ਖਾਵੈ ਜੇ ਕੋ ਭੁੰਚੈ ਤਿਸ ਕਾ ਹੋਇ ਉਧਾਰੋ ॥ ਏਹ ਵਸਤੁ ਤਜੀ ਨਹ ਜਾਈ ਨਿਤ ਨਿਤ ਰਖੁ ਉਰਿ ਧਾਰੋ ॥ ਤਮ ਸੰਸਾਰੁ ਚਰਨ ਲਗਿ ਤਰੀਐ ਸਭੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਪਸਾਰੋ ॥੧॥ : (Plate or container of) the human Conscious or mind that has internalized three realizations; (1) the Creator, (2) contentment and (3) thoughtful reflection (into spiritual Life); is the one that realizes spiritual life through the realization of the Amrit Naam (Wisdom / Virtues…) that is the basis of All of spirituality. The mind which consumes or adopts and internalizes Naam is the one that attains its spiritual Goal. This Thing (i.e. spirituality of realization) requires that the divine Naam (Wisdom / Virtues…) be never discarded, therefore be kept permanently inculcated within. Nanak, life within a vices-filled world is traversed by submitting to the Creator who pervades the entire Cosmos. ॥1॥ (sggs 1429).

In a nutshell, the Gurbani is meant to be ‘DIGESTED’ — Understood, Believed, Accepted, Internalized (i.e. BECOMING the Gurbani), emulated or applied in daily life when transacting with the outside world of objects, emotions and thoughts.

One of the examples used in the Gurbani enshrined within the SGGS is that of ‘ladles‘ (ਕੜਛੀਆ). Although ladles (ਕੜਛੀਆ) cruise through all sorts of food, but they do not know the relish of any food – they just remain empty of the real taste!

The Gurbani’s this ‘ladle’ analogy fits the self-serving clergy (Pujaaree), reciters (Pathis), Ragis, and the rest of us.

• ਕੜਛੀਆ ਫਿਰੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ਸੁਆਉ ਨ ਜਾਣਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ਸੁਞੀਆ ॥ ਸੇਈ ਮੁਖ ਦਿਸੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਤੇ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਰਸਿ ॥੧॥: Ladles cruise through food, (but) they do not know the taste of the food. (Similarly, Nanak, only they enjoyed the (Ruhani or spiritual taste) who are tinged with the taste of the Divine Love (rest of us remain like ‘ladles’). ||1|| (sggs 521).

Some Related Posts:

• Realize Enlightening Message Embedded within Shabad
• Gurbani can only be Comprehended Through Gurbani Itself
• Become the Gurbani
• Gurbani Requires Mind to Focus on the Message
• Dying in Shabad
• Gurbani is Meant to be Understood and Applied
• Gurbani Defines Naam
• True Guru in Sikhi!
• Gurbani Defines Itself
• Gurmat and Shabad Vichaar
• Churning the Gurbani
• Gurmat Bhagti
• Gurmat and Social Change
• Core of Gurmat Spirituality – Kiv Sachiaaraa Hoeeai?
• Gurmat Spirituality is Practical and Universal
• Bad Behavior Inside Gurdwara is also Bad Outside!
• Gurbani Says Mind Must Become a Temple!
• Develop Partnership with Virtues
• Stubborn Mindedness – Cooking Own Separate Food