Langar…A Golden Experience of True Generosity!

It was the second weekend in February and I decided to travel north with friends to the state of Punjab, the northwest most state in India, bordered by the country of Pakistan to the West, and the Indian States of Himmachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir, to the Northeast.

I embarked on my journey, a short plane ride from Hyderabad to Delhi, and then transitioned to a long bus tour north through the state of Haryana, one of the most economically developed regions of South Asia that boasts a blossoming agricultural and robust manufacturing industry. My eyes were glued to the window as I was beholden to the beauty of green flowing rice fields and bright yellow meadows of mustard flowers, like a patchwork quilt being sewn as we floated by. The bus blared its way through traffic, with the driver’s hand connected to the horn, a literal extension of his limb, and eventually we found our way, swerving and bumping, to the Northeast corner of Punjab, to the city of Amritsar.

The city of Amritsar is home to over 1.5 Million people and the resting place of one of the most famous shrines in India, the Harmandir Sahib, or better known as “The Golden Temple”. It is the spiritual and cultural Mecca of the Sikh religion. On most given weeks, it attracts more than 100,000 visitors (more than the Taj Mahal) and is the number one destination for Non-Resident Indians (NRI’s) in all of India.

As we arrived, we unloaded from the bus exhausted, tired, cranky, hungry, and in need of food and shelter! We squeezed into an auto rickshaw on the side of the dusty road and made our way through the narrow city streets to the center of town. Among the bustling crowd, we began our trek by foot. As we walked among the pathways along the city walls, I recognized that we were walking in the luminous shadows of this spectacular monument, and felt the magnitude of this place.

You can imagine in a city of this size and attraction, what awaits among the multitudes of people…the burgeoning lines, the suffocating congestion of traffic, the intense chaos. But to my surprise, even within the liveliness of the masses, there was a calm, an order, and a quietness that was pervasive. Maybe it was the magnificence of this memorial, or maybe it was the tranquility that comes with being somewhere sacred. To see the swarm of people entering with such reverence, with heads covered and knees bowed, and with prayer in their hearts, was more beautiful than any monument or shrine.

However, the place where the power of peace was most evident was at Langar. Langar, the largest eatery in the world that serves thousands of people daily with free vegetarian meals, is managed and operated by all volunteers. It is a part of the Sikh tradition of Seva, translated literally to mean ones spiritual service, or one’s giving back in the name of selfless generosity.

So just before midnight, having found a place to sleep but no food in our bellies, we ventured out to take part in Langar. As we entered the feeding hall, I was struck by the continuous flow of people, even at the late hour. We each shuffled in line and sat down in orderly rows on the floor, knee to knee, elbow to elbow, facing out across a sea of unknown faces to communally partake in our meal. Large canisters of dal (lentils) were carried up and down the rows, heaping spoonfuls outpoured in every plate. Hands were outstretched to receive the fresh, warm chappati (bread) being tossed through the air precisely yet lightly falling into one’s open-cupped palms. It was an exchange done with care, humility, and love.

At midnight, the clock tolled twelve and it was officially Valentine’s Day, a day when many cultures are taught to celebrate love. But the love many of us have become accustomed to exchanging has become defined by gifts associated with monetary sacrifice. Yet this exchange felt more defined by a gracious servitude, a giving of brotherly love, from one man to another, one stranger to the next. This love felt powerful, felt more pure than the Hallmark card with a singing telegram.

This year, Sasha Dichter, Acumen Fund’s Director of Business Development, proposed a substitute for Valentine’s Day, called Generosity Day, http://sashadichter.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/generosity-day-first-reflections/, the premise being that we spend the day saying yes to everything and anyone that asks for help in anyway, and seek opportunities to be generous. What a beautiful calling for each of us -- What if we could make every day about saying Yes, every day a Generosity Day?

Love in this day and age has become defined by romance and materialism. Don’t get me wrong, I think the singing telegram cards are often funny and I love the taste of the Rochelle Forei chocolate candies. But I like warm chappati and dal made by a stranger’s generous hand even more…and learning and finding ways to be that generous hand, is much more important and rewarding, No? YES!

“We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love” – Mother Theresa