GURU    DIAN    KHUSHIAN !
It is over a year now. The President of the Gurdwara  sahib announced from the stage that they were planning to have 25 Akhand Paths, one every week, to  celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Gurdwara sahib at  its present location. He was exhorting members of the sangat to sponsor these Akhand paths.
The slogan was                “Akhand Path Karao, te Guru Deian Khushian lae ke  Jao.” 
Two months later on a Friday evening in the langar, a friend of mine asked me to join him for the bhog ceremony of the Akhand path, next Sunday morning, to be followed by Kirtan and langar. After the ceremony was over, and the first batch of devotees had finished partaking of the langar, I went to the langar. As I sat down, my friend came over to serve me.
 I asked him to join me if he had finished serving, which he did. 
As we sat down, I asked the reason for the Akhand  Path. 
He stated that it was to celebrate his son’s birthday and sponsor an Akhand path. My next  question and the answers are penned here under: 
Question:           Were you able to listen to the recitation of the gurbani, and for how long ?
Answer:      Uncle, to tell you frankly, I tried twice. First day I came early from the office to listen, but the Pathi ji was reading only in his mouth. We made parkarma around Guru Granth sahib twice to make him aware of our presence, but no result. We sat there for 15 minutes but you cannot sit in a vacuum for long. So we came to the langar to serve others. 
Second day, when we came, the pathi ji was reading loud enough; but was doing it so fast that we could not understand it. So, after half an hour we left for langar. 
Question:          If you could not listen to or understand anything, was there any purpose served. 
Answer:       No. Now that I think of it, it boils down to pure karam-kand. 
He then shot a question at me.             Uncle, since it is only a karam kand, why does the Akal Takhat sahib not put a ban on this practice?  
Answer:       The Akal takhat Sahib does not want to put a ban,  because four interests are interwoven and converge. 
1. Your interest. Your (Sangat) psyche has been so tuned (moulded) that you consider getting an Akhand Path done as a matter of great religious merit. Guru kian Khushian in abundance. What else could be easier? You do not have to make any changes to your life style or attitude to life. No effort is required to try and live a truthful and ethical life. Just spend few hundred dollars and you  have the Guru kian Khushian. 
2. The Pathi Singhs interest. They get paid for doing the path. Forget about Guru Nanak’s dictum “Trigh tina ka jivia Jo likh Likh Vichen naon” Here it is a case of Parchar , Vichar naon. Most of them (Pathis) are kirtanias or Katha wachaks from India. They come here to North America after spending huge sums of money. Hence, this payment is a great attraction to them. That is why you never hear any Kirtania or Katha Wachak asking the sangat to do path themselves, try and understand gurbani and contemplate on it. Only then can one have a glimpse of the Devine wisdom contained in Shri Guru Granth Sahib. 
For them it is “Rotian karan puran tal”. 
3. The Giani ji or Granthi ji is no better. He also does the Ardas “ Hai sache Patsha, is akali bani the akhand Path sahib ji da sacha te sucha bhav flana singh ji nu milae”. He has made divine wisdom transferable in return for money without any effort. He is only following the trend and management instructions. He adds the superlative of “Guru Ghar de Tahliae” 
4. The last is the Gurudwara managements including SGPC. Akhand Paths have become a cash cow for them. Hence at all levels they make every effort to promote this karam kand. You invited all your friends, relatives and acquaintances for the bhog  ceremony. Even those who normally do not attend the gurdwara on that particular day will come because of your invitation. It has become a social function. Now everyone who comes to the ceremony will put some money in the golak and to the ragi Singhs. You also paid for the langar for your invitees. 
So you see different interest complement each other. Even if a truth loving and courageous Jathedar of Akal Takhat sahib does issue an addict to ban this ungurmat practice (of paid Akhand Paths) he will run into so many self-interests that he is more likely to be moved out than anything happening on the ground. 
We have reached a stage where at Shri Harimander Sahib in Amritsar, readymade Akhand Paths are available for sale. Just go and do the Ardas. 
All this, in spite of Guru Arjan’s dictum in Rag Ramkali at Ang 962 “ Nan tu avain vas Ved parhavne.......” Is there any hope? 
Avtar Singh, Canada
                    (With Thanks From , The Sikh Bulletin . U. S. A. )