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Summary of Question:	Why dont we serve meat in gudwara?
Category:	Gurdwara
Date Posted:	Monday, 10/11/1999 1:57 PM MDT

i was wondering why we dont serve meat in our langar? but we eat it at home or other places. why? thank you.

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REPLY
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Dear Curious,

We dont have meat in gurdwara for several reasons but I think the most obvious is this one; the Langar is meant to be an open Universal Kitchen. Meaning it is open to one and all. Not everyone eats meat and therefore the food is presented in order that everyone can eat it. Hence vegetarian meals. The other reasons fall under spirituality. The Guru's while not outright against it did not condone the killing of animals for food. Starting with Guru Nanak Devji it was considered wrong to kill an animal just to eat it. There are many stories relating to this fact. so through time we as a religion have tended towards vegetarianism. I mean so much of Punjabi food is vegetarian. The percentage is so much higher than anywhere else I have ever been. It is not by coincidence. To eat an animal just because it tastes good seems a bit self serving to me, how about you? I think this whole thing all the other reasons aside stem from a question of conciousness, there is no need to commit a violent act to eat ( although I conceed there are times and places, such as if you were abondoned and all you could eat was meat then you better do it) I hope that this has answered your question. Thank you

WAHE GURU JI KA KHALSA WAHE GURU JI KI FATEH