Sewa
Selfless service to the community. means 鈥榮elfless service鈥. It is acting selflessly, helping others in a variety of different ways, without any reward or personal gain. Sewa is a way of life for Sikhs and is part of their daily routine. Sikhs believe that sewa is an act of service towards Sikhs believe in one God called Waheguru which means 鈥榃onderful Lord鈥 or 鈥榃onderful Teacher鈥. and, therefore, that it will lead them to become God-centred, living by the Gurus' teachings..
Sikhs perform sewa in a variety of ways, such as helping the Congregation in a Sikh gurdwara. and the local community, helping at the Sikh place of worship. Literally, the 'doorway to the Guru'., and cleaning, washing dishes or serving in the The kitchen and place where food is eaten in a Sikh Gurdwara. Often volunteers provide and cook food that is served to all as an act of sewa (charity)..
Performing sewa is important for Sikhs because:
- it demonstrates the belief in equality and the importance of all people
- it serves others, showing humility (ie showing that people do not believe they are better than anyone else)
- it shows love for Waheguru 鈥 Sikhs believe that Waheguru is present in everyone, and so helping people means helping Waheguru
- it helps Sikhs to become more gurmukh 鈥 this is because it helps them to develop five key virtues, which are truth and truthful living, compassion and patience, contentment, humility and self-control, love, and wisdom and courage
- it stops Sikhs becoming Self-centred., because their focus is on the needs of others rather than themselves
- it helps Sikhs to move away from the Five emotions that can take over a person's life and lead them to actions they later regret: anger, pride, lust, greed and undue attachment., which are anger, pride, lust, greed and attachment to material possessions
Types of sewa
There are three types of sewa: Physical service, eg working in the langar., The mental aspect of Sewa, eg teaching the Guru Granth Sahib. and Giving to those in need, a key teaching in Sikhism and form of sewa (service to others). Pronounced 'daan'..
| Tan | Physical aspect of sewa | This involves physical work and tasks to show selfless service. For example, these could be cooking or serving in the langar or cleaning the gurdwara. |
| Man | Mental aspect of sewa | This involves Sikhs using their mental skills and talents. For example, they could teach people how to read or understand the Guru Granth Sahib, teach people how to play the musical instruments used during worship or teach people about the history of Sikhism. |
| Dan (sometimes also spelled 鈥榙han鈥) | Material aspect of sewa | This involves Sikhs selflessly helping others by sharing their material wealth. This could be donating one tenth of their income to the sangat, which is known as daswandh. It could also involve helping others in times of financial difficulty, giving to charity or giving money to the poor. |
| Tan |
| Physical aspect of sewa |
| This involves physical work and tasks to show selfless service. For example, these could be cooking or serving in the langar or cleaning the gurdwara. |
| Man |
| Mental aspect of sewa |
| This involves Sikhs using their mental skills and talents. For example, they could teach people how to read or understand the Guru Granth Sahib, teach people how to play the musical instruments used during worship or teach people about the history of Sikhism. |
| Dan (sometimes also spelled 鈥榙han鈥) |
| Material aspect of sewa |
| This involves Sikhs selflessly helping others by sharing their material wealth. This could be donating one tenth of their income to the sangat, which is known as daswandh. It could also involve helping others in times of financial difficulty, giving to charity or giving money to the poor. |
All three aspects of sewa are equally important. Sikhs try to complete all three on a regular basis. However, depending on their individual circumstances, a Sikh might be able to perform one type of sewa more than the others.
Daswandh
One aspect of sewa is offering The Sikh practice in the giving of money (a tenth of one's income) in the name of the Guru to help those who are poorer / less well off. to the needs of the community. The practice began when Sikhs gave money for the building of the Harmander Sahib, also called the City in North-Western part of Indian. Spiritual centre for Sikhs..
Daswandh is not the same as charity (dan), as the funds go towards looking after the gurdwara, the langar and other social welfare projects. Daswandh is a reminder that all people are equal and that everyone should support everyone else.
Nihangs
In the The Guru Granth Sahib is the most important Sikh holy book. It is a collection of songs, prayers and hymns from the Sikh Gurus and other holy men, as well as teachings from other faiths. It is treated as a living Guru., Guru Arjan was the fifth Sikh Guru. He was born in 1563 and was executed in 1606 on the orders of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, and was the first Guru to be martyred. describes someone who is without fear as a In Sikhism, a person who is bold and who lives without fear.: Being fearless, he becomes a 鈥楴ihang鈥 (bold and daring person) (Guru Granth Sahib 392).
The word 鈥榥颈丑补苍驳鈥 is usually applied to an order of fighting Sikhs, called the Nihang, who are famous for their military victories, often when outnumbered. The order was started by Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth and final Sikh Guru. He established the Khalsa and completed the Guru Granth Sahib, the most important Sikh holy book., the tenth Guru. Their actions are seen as part of sewa.
Nihangs are expected to be brave warriors but also committed Sikhs. They must serve and protect the sangat, display high moral character and be generous. They do not cling to worldly, material things.
Today, Nihangs often take part in displays of horsemanship and swordsmanship throughout India. An example is the Hola Mohalla fair at the festival of The most important of the Sikh festivals; also written as Baisakhi. in A city in the state of聽Punjab, India..
Question
What are the three main types of sewa?
Tan (physical acts of service), man (using mental skills to serve) and dan (using material resources to serve others).