Maryada and Bibek??

I have a question about langar maryada which I have been thinking for quite a while. At the gurdwara I attend there is a set maryada for langar sewa as well as Guru Sahib di sewa. Only one who is amritdhari can do sewa. So this means path can only be done by someone who is amritdhari and is wearing bana. Also the sewa in the Langar Hall can only be done by an amritdhari who is wearing bana and has covered there mouth. Sangat is sat on the floor and the langar is distributed by sewadars. The langar is only cooked by amritdharis, as sucham is the upmost at this gurdwara. Mouth is covered whilst cooking and Simran is going on. Main thing is this gurdwara has nishkam sewadars and no raagi is called especially to do kirtan.

You probably think what my question is...well my question is how would a non amritdhari do sewa? Are we depriving people who are not yet amritdhari of sewa? Many people have complained or rather moaned that they can not do sewa and are seperated. I know they have a chance to do sewa but everyone isn't destined to take amrit in this life and we can't force anyone. Is uphelding maryada right or should sewa be given to non amritdharis?

Another question is about biebki rehit. Basically I was talking to a friend who is amritdhari about how bibeki rehit is good in the sense that a sikh should always put food in the mouth which has been prepared by an amrithdari keeping the upmost sucham. His view was that we can never know where the food has come from and who has touched it before it has come to the consumer, so we would never be able to keep upmost bibek. He was saying that food such as vegetables ( this was just an example) have been grown by a farmer and that farmer could have been drinking alcohol or been smoking so theres not much bibek left there. He was saying that there wouldn't be a difference in eating that vegetable or processed food because keeping upmost bibek is impossible.

In places like the UK it is hard to get wheat, milk and other food from scratch as there isn't places which we could do easily compared to India. So we have to rely on food from shops but obviously raw food not processed food. The singh was saying there is no difference with the raw food bought at shops and the processed food because we don't know what has touched the food.

What would I say to this singh in response to bibek being important and eating processed food isn't good for an amritdhari sikh?

Please forgive me if I have said anything to wrong.

regarding the first question... there is lots of valuable seva for non-amritdharis to do... i've heard gurmukhs say that the sevas we gain most from spiritually are things like doing dishes, collecting garbage, cleaning of shoes... none should be deprived of these sevas... it's only seva of preparing food and direct seva of guru sahib which are usually restricted to amritdharis, right? if someone is so desperate to do langar seva, no one is stopping them from going for amrit. maybe the desire to do the seva can inspire them to ask for guru sahib's blessing.

regarding the second... in japji sahib it says we can clean any physical thing by washing it, and clean spiritually through naam. so by buying raw ingredients, washing them, and cooking them with simran, they are made pure. but when you buy prepared foods, you can neither wash them nor cook them properly, so you can't clean them.

just my simple understanding.

also, your gurdwara sahib sounds wonderful.

1Kaur .. You have summed up everything really and I would just like to add that Cleaning Shoes and Washing the Dishes is the Highest Seva..

Just a Little Story I Heard from a Gursikh

Bh. Surat Singh Ji (Pooran Ji) Had a Skin Problem and he Asked Bh. Jeeven Singh Ji 'How Do I get rid of it?' Bhai Sahib said clean the sangats shoes an rub your hands on your face within a week his rash went away ... How powerful was this seva ..?? Answer: VERY POWERFUL

WahegruruJiKaKhasla,WaheguruJiKiFateh

Wasen't it bhai sahib rhandir Singh who told gyani amolak Singh to do this...you might have your gurmukhs mixed up

the things you can do:

1. Sweeping the floors.
2. Washing dishes & wiping them with cloth to dry.
3.Cleaning windows.
3.Cleaning the langgar hall after the sangat's langgar.(sweeping/wiping floors)
4.Vacuum the carpets in Darbar Sahib.
5. Cleaning & maintaning the garden.(if there is one)
6.Wash the place where sangat wash their hands and feet.
7. After the sewa of cooking langgar is done, washing/cleaning all the equipments/utensils which have been used in preparing langgar.
8.Jorian di sewa:
-rearranging the shoes
-some bring handkerchief to wipe of dust from the sangat's footwear.
-well informed gursikhs do the above 2 the and also collect dust the sangat. (optional for you)

Do see what sewa you cannot do, look at what sewa you CAN do. Wherever parchar of Naam happens, any form of sewa is worth doing!
If even a bucket of water is carried with loving devotion in the house of Guru Nanak Dev ji, even this does not go to waste here & in the next world.
(provided any form of sewa is done without ego/pride in us)

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most people cant do proper explanations on bibek even keeping as many do it out of dekha dekhi.
Regardless, here is a very informative Gurmat article of Sarbloh Bibek written by a very Sujaan Abhiyaasi Singhni:

Sarbloh Bibek

Chota veer