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Preparing Yourself for Gurdwara


Preparing Yourself for Gurdwara

Prepare yourself for Gurdwara just as you would if you were going to meet Guru Ram Das, or Guru Gobind Singh in person. Prepare yourself mentally – center your mind in meditation, let go of your mental distractions, and prepare to receive Guru’s Blessing. In addition to mental preparations, there are details of physical preparation to attend to:

WASHING: Before entering Gurdwara, one should have bathed or showered within the past twenty-four hours; hands and feet should be freshly washed. Most Gurdwaras have sinks at the entrance for hand and feet washing. Many other Gurdwaras customarily set out wash basins at the door for washing hands and feet. (There should be separate ones for hands and feet.) Obviously, to wash one’s feet, socks and stockings must be removed. The injunction prohibiting shoes while in Gurdwara is taken by many Sikhs to include the removal of socks and stockings. This makes a great deal of sense for two reasons: for cleanliness, and for the nerve endings, as described in the next section.

SHOES: Shoes are always removed before entering Gurdwara. This serves two purposes: first, it keeps the Gurdwara floor clean, and second, it allows the 72,000 nerve endings in the feet to receive energy unimpeded. To further facilitate this, it is advisable for one to enter Gurdwara barefoot, without socks or stockings obscuring the feet.

CLOTHES: It is traditional to enter the Guru’s Court in one’s finest clothes. Guru Gobind Singh gave us bana, as a means of elevating our consciousness, and it is appropriate for us to wear full bana when entering Gurdwara, if this is possible. Kurta, churidas and cummerbund are traditional; white clothes are preferable to colors. If one is dressed for work, it is appropriate to come to Gurdwara in clean work clothes.

HEAD COVERING: It is mandatory for one’s head to be covered in Gurdwara. There are no exceptions to this. A full turban for men, and a turban draped with a chuni for women, are most appropriate. It is also permissable to wear house turbans or work turbans, and a chuni is not required. Visitors to Gurdwara who do not normally wear turbans may cover their heads with any full head covering. For adults, a Rishi knot cover is not considered an appropriate head covering. Babies’ heads should also be covered; if a baby is brought into Gurdwara with its head uncovered, it is appropriate to approach the parents gracefully and offer a head covering to them. In this way, the child develops a respect for the presence of the Guru early on in life.

THE DUST OF THE HOLY: Many Sikhs, upon entering Gurdwara, bend over and touch the dust left by the feet of other Sikhs as they have entered the Gurdwara. They apply this dust to their foreheads, to remind themselves of the selfless sacrifice and humility needed to live the Guru’s Teachings. This should not become an empty ritual.

DO NOT BRING INTO GURDWARA: Tobacco, alcohol or intoxicants of any kind must never be brought into Gurdwara. Anyone refusing to comply with this directive should be prevented from entering the Guru’s Presence. This also applies to any person who is visibly intoxicated.
It is best to avoid bringing toys to the Gurdwara for children to play with. Rather teach them how to sit, meditate and listen to Kirtan. This training will build their Dharmic foundation.

INSIDE THE GURDWARA: If you enter Gurdwara while the Hukam is being read, do not disturb the sangat by approaching the Guru until the hukam has been completed. You may bow where you are and sit until the Hukam is completed at which time you may come forward and bow before the Guru. If you come during the Ardas, stand and share the prayer, facing the Guru, and wait until it is completed before approaching.

BOWING TO THE GURU: One’s first act in Gurdwara is to bow to the Guru. Approach the Guru gracefully and consciously, and wait until anyone ahead of you has completed his or her salutation and offering. It is an effective centering technique to press one’s palms together, while keeping the breath long and deep. When we bow, we bring our foreheads to the ground at the Feet of the Guru. It is not enough to touch the turban, or the nose – the meridian at the third eye must touch the ground. The blessing of being able to bow to the Guru, the Word of God, is something which comes only by blessed destiny. When we touch our forehead to the ground at the Feet of the Guru, our destiny is activated.
Once Guru Gobind Singh was asked by a Sikh how it was that He could change a person’s destiny, if it had been pre-ordained by God from the very beginning of time. The Guru showed him a ring, which had a design imprinted upon it. It was used to seal certain documents. He showed the Sikh that the ring had the design backwards, so that when it was pressed onto the hot wax, the design was set correctly. The Guru explained that one’s destiny is written upon one’s forehead, but it is latent, waiting to be activated; this is what occurs when one bows and touches one’s forehead at Guru’s Feet. It is our great blessing to have this opportunity.
The Siri Singh Sahib once said, " . . . a man who doesn’t have an altar where he can bow his forehead , that human cannot have any other technology to change the destiny written on the forehead."

OFFERING: We bring an offering and place it at the Feet of the Guru. Just as we offer ourselves spiritually, we bring a material offering to complete the exchange of energy. This offering is for our own benefit. The Guru needs nothing; we need to offer something which we have gained from the material world, so that we may participate and support the activities of the Sadh Sangat. Such offerings may be monetary, or materials used in the maintainance and beautification of the Gurdwara, or other activities connected with it, such as preparation of Guru-parshad, the Guru-ka-Lungar, ramalas, rest houses, free kitchens, etc. As you give, so shall you receive. If you have little to offer, even just a flower, offer it with sincerity, and the Guru will accept it with equal sincerity. Offerings should be placed gracefully at the Guru’s Feet, and not thrown at the Guru.
After making an offering, some Sikhs customarily perform a Parkarmaa, a walk around the Guru. This should always be done in a clockwise direction, approaching the Guru from the left side of Gurdwara, in order to maintain the correct energy inflow. Whenever possible, you should approach the Guru from this side; for example, when you are to serve as Granthi sitting behind the Guru. When you arise to rejoin the Sangat, you should exit in a clockwise fashion as well.


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