Dasvandh Box Initiative for Gurdwaras

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

sTART Dasvandh Box TODAY Initiative Content: What is Dasvandh? “Dasvandh” means “one tenth of.” As demonstrated by the Gurus, Sikhs use this concept to donate 10% of their earnings, time, and resources toward community improvement. Langar is one example of dasvandh in action! What is a Dasvandh Box? A Dasvandh Box is a little box with a big meaning. It is meant to show the importance of giving back to others and that every little bit counts. By raising just a few pennies at a time, collectively, your Khalsa School can make a big difference! The Dasvandh Box Initiative is a program that consists of a lesson plan on Dasvandh, as well as an 7 week trial of giving Dasvandh. This program is designed to: educate our Sikh children on the meaning of Dasvandh be a rewarding experience in learning about the importance of seva encourage leadership be easy to participate in remind parents and children to inspire the act and spirit of Dasvandh Upcoming Launch: Our fall program begins on Sunday, September 28th and runs for 7 weeks. The program concludes on Sunday, November 16th! For the young adults at your Khalsa School, we have personal fundraising pages that are a fun and interactive way for them to be involved as well. Please ask us for details! How can you get involved? If you’re a young adult, parent, or Khalsa School teacher, you can volunteer to help us launch the program at your Gurdwara. Email us at: [email protected]. We’ll send you all the information and program materials to join other Khalsa Schools around the country for the Dasvandh Box Initiative launch on Sunday, September 28th! Past participating Khalsa Schools include: Sikh Center of USREF Gurdwara Khalsa the Gulf Coast Tampa, FL Care Foundation www.dvnetwork.org Houston, TX Los Angeles, CA.

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Know Your Heritage Introductory Essays on Primary Sources of Sikhism
KNOW YOUR HERIGAGE INTRODUCTORY ESSAYS ON PRIMARY SOURCES OF SIKHISM INSTITUTE OF S IKH S TUDIES , C HANDIGARH KNOW YOUR HERITAGE INTRODUCTORY ESSAYS ON PRIMARY SOURCES OF SIKHISM Dr Dharam Singh Prof Kulwant Singh INSTITUTE OF S IKH S TUDIES CHANDIGARH Know Your Heritage – Introductory Essays on Primary Sikh Sources by Prof Dharam Singh & Prof Kulwant Singh ISBN: 81-85815-39-9 All rights are reserved First Edition: 2017 Copies: 1100 Price: Rs. 400/- Published by Institute of Sikh Studies Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Kanthala, Indl Area Phase II Chandigarh -160 002 (India). Printed at Adarsh Publication, Sector 92, Mohali Contents Foreword – Dr Kirpal Singh 7 Introduction 9 Sri Guru Granth Sahib – Dr Dharam Singh 33 Vars and Kabit Swiyyas of Bhai Gurdas – Prof Kulwant Singh 72 Janamsakhis Literature – Prof Kulwant Singh 109 Sri Gur Sobha – Prof Kulwant Singh 138 Gurbilas Literature – Dr Dharam Singh 173 Bansavalinama Dasan Patshahian Ka – Dr Dharam Singh 209 Mehma Prakash – Dr Dharam Singh 233 Sri Gur Panth Parkash – Prof Kulwant Singh 257 Sri Gur Partap Suraj Granth – Prof Kulwant Singh 288 Rehatnamas – Dr Dharam Singh 305 Know your Heritage 6 Know your Heritage FOREWORD Despite the widespread sweep of globalization making the entire world a global village, its different constituent countries and nations continue to retain, follow and promote their respective religious, cultural and civilizational heritage. Each one of them endeavours to preserve their distinctive identity and take pains to imbibe and inculcate its religio- cultural attributes in their younger generations, so that they continue to remain firmly attached to their roots even while assimilating the modern technology’s influence and peripheral lifestyle mannerisms of the new age.
[Show full text]
Dasvandh Network
Dasvandh To selflessly give time, resources, and money to support Panthic projects www.dvnetwork.org /dvnetwork @dvnetwork Building a Nation The Role of Dasvandh in the Formation of a Sikh culture and space Above: A painting depicting Darbar Sahib under construction, overlooked by Guru Arjan Sahib. www.dvnetwork.org /dvnetwork @dvnetwork Guru Nanak Sahib Ji Guru Nanak Sahib’s first lesson was an act of Dasvandh: when he taught us the true bargain: Sacha Sauda www.dvnetwork.org /dvnetwork @dvnetwork 3 Golden Rules The basis for Dasvandh are Guru Nanak Sahib’s key principles, which he put into practice in his own life Above: Guru Nanak Sahib working in his fields Left: Guru Nanak Sahib doing Langar seva www.dvnetwork.org /dvnetwork @dvnetwork Mata Khivi & Guru Angad Sahib Guru Angad Sahib ji and his wife, the greatly respected Mata Khivi, formalized the langar institution. In order to support this growing Panthic initiative, support from the Sangat was required. www.dvnetwork.org /dvnetwork @dvnetwork Community Building Guru Amar Das Sahib started construction on the Baoli Sahib at Goindval Sahib.This massive construction project brought together the Sikhs from across South Asia and was the first of many institution- building projects in the community. www.dvnetwork.org /dvnetwork @dvnetwork Guru RamDas Sahib Ji Besides creating the sarovar at Amritsar, Guru RamDas Sahib Ji designed and built the entire city of Amritsar www.dvnetwork.org /dvnetwork @dvnetwork Guru Arjan Sahib & Dasvandh It was the monumental task of building of Harmandir Sahib that allowed for the creation of the Dasvandh system by Guru Arjan Sahib ji.
[Show full text]
The Sikh Ceremonies
Training Aides The Sikh Ceremonies There are five key ceremonies in life that most Sikhs undergo. These inform who they are as Sikhs, how they should be raised and how they should live their life. The ceremonies can also be viewed as the five stages of life a person will go through: Janam Sanskar - birth Vidya Sanskar - education Amrit Sanskar - initiation Anand Karaj - marriage Antam Sanskar - death Janam Sanskar - birth When a child is born the first rite is to utter in his or her ear the name of God, Vaheguru (lit: Wonderful Enlightener God) along with the first stanza from the Sikh Scriptures, the Mool Mantar. These are uttered immediately to imprint them upon the child, in the hope that it grows up reciting them. After birth, as soon as he or she and the mother are in good health, the child will be initiated as a Sikh. A practising Sikh prepares nectar, amrit, by reciting the first Sikh Prayer, Japji Sahib, whilst stirring a kirpaan in a small iron bowl that has had water and puffs of sugar added to it. After the prayer, the amrit is administered first to the child, by putting five drops from the tip of the kirpaan into the baby’s mouth and then the mother is to drink the rest. She is instructed to breast feed the baby and the parents told the child has become a Sikh and is to be raised as a practising Sikh. They should endeavour to get the child fully initiated when he or she come of age, can practice wearing the 5 K’s and can keep the discipline.
[Show full text]
APPLICATION PACKET Who Are We?
4429 Hycliffe Drive Troy, MI 48098 www.dvnetwork.org APPLICATION PACKET Who Are We? The Dasvandh Network is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with a vision to inspire a new level of giving to Panthic and related charitable projects across North America by providing awareness, transparency and accessibility to these efforts. We have two main goals: 1. To inspire a new level of giving within the community. In order to do this, we have developed an online Sikh social giving platform – the Dasvandh Network – which will raise awareness and increase accessibility to charitable projects. 2. To ignite Panthic and related initiatives by removing resource constraints. The Dasvandh Network hopes to provide a reliable stream of funding to projects, providing them the ability to focus on program development vs. fundraising. In addition, the DVN Mentor Network will provide strategic advisory to teams in need from established professionals. What does this mean for you? Your project or organization can apply to the Dasvandh Network to appear on our online platform and obtain exposure to Sikh donors. What we offer to organizations and project teams: • Creating new donors within the community. • Raising awareness of projects. • An efficient way to fundraise. • An ability to focus on program development. Our Approach In order to accomplish our goals, the Dasvandh Network has a long-term view of achieving our mission. We realize: • To have a sustained impact we must inspire the next generation of donors and grow alongside them. • We must build trust with the community through a track record of transparency, efficiency and impact.
[Show full text]
Adrian J. Fernandes Masters in Theology (Mth) Institute of Philosophy and Religion Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth Pune, Maharashtra [email protected]
Adrian J. Fernandes Masters in Theology (MTh) Institute of Philosophy and Religion Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth Pune, Maharashtra [email protected] An Appraisal on ‘Embracing the Other’ in Praxis: The Inherent Unifying Dynamics of Community Meal Services in Religion We know how special a meal is for a family and for any gathering. Eating together, being together and sharing from the same preparation builds bonds and deepens the commonality of a shared identity. This paper titled “An Appraisal on ‘Embracing the Other’ in Praxis: The Inherent Unifying Dynamics of Community Meal Services in Religion” attempts to present a practical approach of emulating the intrinsic values encapsulated within religious meal services. The presentation specifically focuses on Guru ka Langar in Sikhism and the Eucharist in Christianity. Guru ka Langar is a community kitchen run in the name of the Guru, usually attached to a Gurudwara. Guru Nanak, the first Guru of Sikhism, started this communal meal, the Langar, which has served two primary intended purposes; firstly in fostering the principle of equality between all peoples of the world regardless of religion, caste, colour, age, gender or social status and secondly to put into practice the spirit of humble, selfless social service, thus expressing the ethics of sharing, community living and inclusiveness. Jesus lived a life of selfless service and was endowed with supernatural capacities which were oriented for the welfare of the less fortunate ones in the society. Despite his enormous influence and power, he lived a simple and poor life and in humble service to humanity. In his last supper, although being their master, he washed the feet of his disciples and asked them to “do this in my memory” – that is, to embrace one another in love, service and humility.
[Show full text]
Saffron Cloud
WAY OF THE SAFFRON CLOUD MYSTERY OF THE NAM-JAP TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION THE SIKH WAY A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO CONCENTRATION Dr. KULWANT SINGH PUBLISHED AS A SPECIAL EDITION OF GURBANI ISS JAGG MEH CHANAN, TO HONOR 300TH BIRTHDAY OF THE KHALSA, IN 1999. WAY OF THE SAFFRON CLOUD Electronic Version, for Gurbani-CD, authored by Dr. Kulbir Singh Thind, 3724 Hascienda Street, San Mateo, California 94403, USA. The number of this Gurbani- CD, dedicated to the sevice of the Panth, is expected to reach 25,000 by the 300th birthday of the Khalsa, on Baisakhi day of 1999. saffron.doc, MS Window 95, MS Word 97. 18th July 1998, Saturday, First Birthday of Sartaj Singh Khokhar. Way of the Saffron Cloud. This book reveals in detail the mystery of the Name of God. It is a spiritual treatise for the uplift of the humanity and is the practical help-book (Guide) to achieve concentration on the Naam-Jaap (Recitation of His Name) with particular stress on the Sikh-Way of doing it. It will be easy to understand if labeled "Transcendental Meditation the Sikh -Way," though meditation is an entirely different procedure. Main purpose of this book is to train the aspirant from any faith, to acquire the ability to apply his -her own mind independently, to devise the personalized techniques to focus it on the Lord. Information about the Book - Rights of this Book. All rights are reserved by the author Dr. Kulwant Singh Khokhar, 12502 Nightingale Drive, Chester, Virginia 23836, USA. Phone – mostly (804)530-0160, and sometimes (804)530-5117.
[Show full text]
Sikhism and Form of Sewa (Service to Others)
Amrit - Nectar. Sanctified (holy) liquid made of sugar and water, used in initiation ceremonies. Amrit Sanskar ceremony - The rite of initiation into the Khalsa (Sikhs who commit themselves to a daily discipline). Amritdhari Sikh - A Sikh who has been initiated into the Khalsa. Anandpur - A city in the state of Punjab, India. Atma - Sanskrit word that means soul. Caste - The anglicised term for varna; originally a Hindu social order of higher and lower class. Also followed by some Sikhs. daswandh / dasvandh - 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. dhan (dan) - Giving to those in need, a key teaching in Sikhism and form of sewa (service to others). Pronounced 'daan'. divine spark - The soul, the part of Waheguru (the Sikh word for God) in each person. five vices - 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. Golden Temple in Amritsar - City in North-Western part of Indian. Spiritual centre for Sikhs. Gurdwara - Sikh place of worship. Literally, the 'doorway to the Guru'. Gurmukh - God-centred, living by the Gurus' teachings. Gurmukhi - The script in which the Guru Granth Sahib is written. It is the script used for Punjabi in India’s Punjab state. Guru Amar Das - The third of the ten Sikh Gurus. Guru Angad - The second of the ten Sikh Gurus. Guru Arjan - Guru Arjan was the fifth Sikh Guru and the first Sikh martyr.
[Show full text]
Annexure: Gurmat Curriculum of the Sikh Kanya Mahavidyalaya: 1916 and 1929
Annexure: Gurmat Curriculum of the Sikh Kanya Mahavidyalaya: 1916 and 1929 © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021 167 T. Bassi, A Study of the Sikh Kanya Mahavidyalaya, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3219-8 168 Annexure: Gurmat Curriculum of the Sikh Kanya Mahavidyalaya: 1916 … 1916 1929 First class Committing to memory—the main hymn (Mul Mantra) and Bani Kanth (committing to memory): Mul Mantra and two Shabads: Memorization of Bani (Bani Kanth) Shabads: (1) Ucchh aadhar beant swami and (2) Tera kita How to respect, and bow to, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, to keep jato nahi quiet and stand with clasped hands, when praying or Maryada (modesty)—To treat Sri Guru Granth Sahib with reciting Shabads, to sit by squatting in congregation, to take respect and bow down, read Shabads, avoid gossip during the Parshad (sacramental food) with both hands opened, to Ardasa, be seated in cross-legged posture during address all persons respectfully and to say Fateh with hands congregations, accept consecrated food with folded hands, to clasped address everybody with ‘ji’ and to utter Fateh with folded Shabads 2: (1) Uch apar beant Swami; (2) Tera kita jato hands nahin First class senior (Pakki) Committing to memory—First ﬁve Pauris (stanzas) of Japji Bani Kanth (committing to memory): Five stanzas of Japuji Sahib and names of Ten Gurus, ﬁve Pyaras (disciples) and Sahib and three Shabads—(1) Tu Thakur tum peh ardas; (2) the four Sahibzadas (princes) He Govind he Gopal he dayal lal; and (3) Thir ghar baiso har Shabads—Three (1) Santa de karaj; (2) Rate
[Show full text]
Contemporary Evidence on Sikh Rites and Rituals in the Eighteenth Century
179 Karamjit K. Malhotra: Sikh Rites and Rituals Contemporary Evidence on Sikh Rites and Rituals in the Eighteenth Century Karamjit K Malhotra Panjab University, Chandigarh ________________________________________________________________ This paper on Sikh rites and rituals analyses the whole range of contemporary evidence on the eighteenth century in three phases for observing continuity and change in the rites of initiation, birth, marriage and death. The Sikh sources are relevant for all the three phases, the Persian sources associated with the Mughal empire are relevant for the first, and the European accounts for the third. Two major findings emerge from this study: the continuity of normative statements on Sikh rites and rituals in which the Brahman priest and Brahmanical scriptures had no role, and there was a large degree of correspondence between the normative statements and empirical evidence on Sikh rites and rituals. _______________________________________________________________ Introduction No historian of the Sikhs has brought rites and rituals of the Sikhs during the eighteenth century directly into focus. Harjot Oberoi, for example, looks upon rituals as ‘a key element in the construction of religious identity’, and underlines the importance of the ‘rites of passage’ for Sikh identity. He maintains that prior to the Khalsa transformation, the Sikhs possessed only a fluid identity, and did not think of ‘a distinct set of life-cycle rituals’. The Khalsa introduced new rites related to birth, initiation and death which ‘endowed an individual with a new and bounded identity’ to demarcate the Khalsa from the rest of the ‘civil society’. Oberoi presents these rituals in a few paragraphs on the Chaupa Singh Rahitnama which he places between 1750 and 1765.
[Show full text]
Meaning and Importance of Langar
Meaning and Importance of Langar Meaning of Langar: Langar is a Persian word meaning: an alms house (A house built originally by a charitable person for poor people to live in). In Sikhi this word has acquired the meaning of kitchen and Guru-Ka-Langar conveys the message that the kitchen is being 'run in the name of the Guru'. According to Mahan Kosh; Langar is defined as ਰਸੋਈ ਦਾ ਘਰ – place where food is cooked. Langar originally meant such a place where food is prepared, but now a days, this word is also used as a way to describe the food itself that is prepared in the kitchen. Gurus direct Contribution The concept of Langar was inspired by the first Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s act of serving food to wandering holy men when given money by his father to strike a good bargain. Insisting that true profit is to be had in selfless service, Guru Nanak established the principal of langar . The practice of serving food to all was started at Kartarpur. Guru Angad Dev Ji, the second Guru, further extended the scope of the institution. Guru Ji helped with cooking and serving in the Langar at Khadoor Sahib. Guru Ji’s wife; Mata Khivi Ji, looked after the pilgrims and visitors with the utmost attention. Such was her dedication to work in the langar that it came to be known after her name as Mata Khivi ji ka Langar. Guru Amar Das Ji, the third Guru, formalized the institution of langar, the Guru’s free kitchen, uniting the Sikhs by establishing two key concepts: Pangat – One family - all of humanity, regardless of caste, colour, or creed, sitting together cross legged in lines, forming rows without discrimination or consideration of rank or position.
[Show full text]
Funeral Rites Across Different Cultures
Funeral Rites Across Different Cultures Responses to death and the rituals and beliefs surrounding it tend to vary widely across the world. In all societies, however, whether customs prescribe overt displays of grief or restrained behaviour, the issue of death brings into focus certain fundamental cultural values. The various rituals and ceremonies that are performed are primarily concerned with the explanation, validation and integration of a people’s view of the world. In this section the significance of various symbolic forms of behaviour and practices associated with death are examined before going on to describe the richness and variety of funeral rituals performed according to the tenets of some of the major religions of the world. A The symbols of death Social scientists have noted that of all the rites of passage, death is most strongly associated with symbols that express the core life values sacred to a society. Some of the uniformities underlying funeral practices and the symbolic representations of death and mourning in different cultures are examined below. A.i The significance of colour When viewed from a cross-cultural perspective, colour has been used almost universally to symbolise both the grief and trauma related to death as well as the notion of ‘eternal life’ and ‘vitality’. Black, with its traditional association with gloom and darkness, has been the customary colour of mourning for men and women in Britain since the fourteenth century. However, it is important to note that though there is a widespread use of black to represent death, it is not the universal colour of mourning; neither has it always provided the funeral hue even in Western societies.
[Show full text]
Welcome to the Gurdwara! the Sikh Congregational Place of Worship Is Called Gurdwara
Welcome to the Gurdwara! The Sikh congregational place of worship is called gurdwara. The literal translation of the term gurdwara is “the Guru’s door,” but it also means “by means of the Guru’s grace.” The prerequisites for entering a gurdwara are removing one’s shoes and covering one’s head with either a ramaal (handkerchief), scarf or some other cloth. We hope you enjoy your visit to the gurdwara! Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru and founder of the Sikh religion, established the first gurdwara in the early 1500s. The Sikh Gurus established gurdwaras as places where sangat (congregation) could come together to worship as a community by reciting and reflecting upon hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib. Gurdwaras are not only a religious institution for the Sikhs where they can learn about their religion and pray, but it is also a political institution where Sikhs can discuss important social, local and global issues. Sikhs at a Glance • 99 percent of people wearing turbans in the U.S. are Sikhs from India • Sikhs have been in the U.S. for over 100 years • There are roughly 700,000 Sikhs in the U.S. today • Sikhism is the world’s fifth largest religion with 25 million adherents worldwide • Sikhs believe in one God, equality, freedom of religion, and community service • Sikhs cover their uncut hair with a turban • The Sikh turban represents a commitment to equality and justice • Sikhism is a distinct religion, separate from Hinduism and Islam Sikh gurdwaras across the world run a free community kitchen called langar, where a communal meal is served and eaten together by everyone visiting a Gurdwara.
[Show full text]