Sikhs and Sevas: Helping others in times of crisis - Crawley Gurdwara panel to discuss selfless service as part of 2021 Chichester Festival

The meeting will take place at 7.15pm on Tuesday June 22.

Seva is a concept which is crucial to Sikhs and from which many in the UK and across the world have benefitted in these times of crisis.

The evening will be chaired by Eleanor Nesbitt, a Quaker who is a writer on the Sikh tradition and Professor Emeritus in Education Studies at the University of Warwick. The evening forms part of the 2021 Chichester Festival.

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Many will be aware that the Sikhs offer free food to all who visit their gurdwaras (places of worship). Sikhs supported people when the Calder Valley flooded and are supplying oxygen to desperate people in Delhi and elsewhere as India struggles with the Virus’s latest ravages.

This evening offers an opportunity to learn about the commitment and philosophy that underlies such work.

All Sikhs are encouraged to perform Seva or Selfless Service. This is not only good for community relations but also for the moral uplifting of the person. You will find Sikhs engaged in free service in Gurdwaras washing dishes, cleaning the floors, serving food, etc.

Sikhs are encouraged to carry out unpaid work in hospitals, homes for the elderly, community centres, etc. Volunteers engaged in Seva are referred to as Sevadars and for many people this activity forms an essential part of their life, providing spiritual fulfilment and practical benefits.

Sikhism is founded on principles of Sarbat da bhalla - working towards the "common good of all". For Sikhs, this means reaching out to serve all humanity as an expression or devotion to the Creator. Many other Sikh institutions, such as Guru-ka-Langar, Kirtan, Paath, etc., depend on the performance of Seva by members of the congregation.

So the principle of Seva underpins many Sikh activities - such is the importance given to Seva in Sikhism…” (based on a Sikhi Wiki Article)

The following link will take you to the information in the Chichester Festival programme:

https://festivalofchichester.co.uk/event/sikhs-and-seva-helping-others-in-times-of-crisis/Anyone wishing to join us on the evening would be welcome. If you are interested, then contact Bill McMellon by e-mail on [email protected] . A link will be sent out on Sunday June 20, 2021.