Seva Service Lesson objectives To know that Seva

Seva (Service) Lesson objectives: • To know that Seva (service) is an essential part of the Sikh faith • To understand what Seva involves and why Sikhs perform Seva • To evaluate which form of service you think is the most important.

What is Seva? • Sikhs believe that they must carry out seva (sometimes written sewa) which means selfless service to God’s creation. • They should be prepared to give up their time, energy and resources to help others. • Sikhs believe it is important to remember that when they serve others, they are really serving God, as he is in everything he creates. • This can be achieved in 3 ways: – Tan (physical service e. g. Helping in the langar or gurdwara) – Man (mental service e. g. Studying or teaching others) – Dhan (material service e. g. giving money or giving your time to serve others)

Langar • One of the most important ways in which Sikhs serve others is through langar in the Gurdwara. • Free food (langar) is provided to anyone, regardless of reace, religion or social status. • It was designed to uphold the principle that everyone is equal. • For a Sikh it is a privilege and a duty to provide langar for the whole congregation after the weekly service of worship.

The Importance of Langar • In order for the Gurdwara to continue to provide free food to the community, it requires regular donations and volunteering. • Imagine that you are the treasurer of a local gurdwara. • You have been asked to write a speech to the congregation, encouraging them to keep supporting. • You should include the following information in your speech: – Why Seva is so important – Why the langar is a good way of putting Sikh beliefs into practice – The benefits of the langar for the community

Prep • 1) Complete speech if you still need to do so • 2) Answer the following question: do you think that serving others should just be something religious people do? Give reasons for your answer