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Summary of Question:	Accepting Gifts For Doing Ardas
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Sunday, 1/20/2002 7:34 PM MST

When someone calls panj pyara from the gurdwara to come to the house to do ardas, the homeowners have langar and give gifts such as turbans and clothes to the Sikhs for doing the prayer (ardas) in their house. I was wondering why the five amritdarhi Sikhs accept these gifts, because doing Gods prayer should be done free because Gods name is a way of life. I remember one story about when Guru Nanak sent Mardana to a village and specifically told him not accpect anything from anybody. Can you tell me why the priests would accept gifts?

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REPLY
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Sat Siri Akaal. It is not Sikh to accept money for serving sangat in this way, and that's what Guru Nanak was telling Mardana. Unfortunately, a system has developed in gurdwaras around the world where the granthis and bhai sahibs and ragi jethas earn their living by being employees of a gurdwara. In such cases serving sangat ceases to be a seva and this is indeed not how Gurus wanted it to be. This is the only reason I can think of for paying the panj piaray with gifts as you describe. Lungar is a different story, since Sikhs are encouraged to be able to serve food/drink to anyone who comes to their homes.

One way to stop it when the panj make such housecalls is to request the ardaas but to advise ahead of time that only lungar will be served. In other words, appeal to their sense of duty as Sikhs to give vandh chakna in the form of seva.
Guru ang sang,
-DKK