The short answer
Yes, a few. The Sikh Rehat Maryada forbids Sikhs from eating kutha meat (meat from an animal slaughtered in a ritual manner) and from using tobacco, alcohol and other intoxicants. Langar in the Gurdwara is always vegetarian. Beyond that, Sikhs genuinely differ: many Sikhs and several Sikh traditions hold that Sikhs should be vegetarian, while others hold that non-ritually slaughtered meat is permitted.
In detail
The clearest rules concern intoxicants. The Sikh Rehat Maryada states that a Sikh must not use tobacco, alcohol, hemp, opium or other intoxicants. Tobacco is especially serious: for an Amritdhari Sikh, its use is one of the four major breaches of the Rehat. Gurbani repeatedly warns against anything that clouds the mind and draws it away from the Divine.
The Sikh Rehat Maryada also prohibits kutha meat. Most Sikhs understand kutha as meat from an animal killed by a ritual method, commonly understood as halal; for Amritdhari Sikhs, eating it is also one of the four major breaches. Historians note that this rule also expressed the Sikhs' refusal to accept religious rituals imposed from outside.
Langar is always vegetarian. A widely shared explanation is that this means anyone — whatever their faith or diet — can eat together in the Guru's kitchen without hesitation. Many Gurdwaras also avoid eggs in Langar. It also keeps the Guru's kitchen simple and practical, so that food can be cooked in large quantities by volunteers and served to everyone who arrives, sitting side by side in the Pangat.
Beyond these points, Sikhs differ on meat. Many individual Sikhs and several respected Sikh groups hold that Sikhs should be vegetarian, and some Amritdhari Sikhs follow strict dietary disciplines. Others understand the Rehat as permitting meat from an animal killed with a single stroke (jhatka), and eat meat in moderation. Both sides cite Gurbani, including a well-known passage by Guru Nanak Dev Ji criticising arguments over meat. GurVichaar presents these views side by side; if you are unsure, speak respectfully with your Sangat and follow the discipline you have committed to.
What Gurbani says
ਹਕੁ ਪਰਾਇਆ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਉਸੁ ਸੂਅਰ ਉਸੁ ਗਾਇ ॥
Hak paraaiaa naanakaa us sooar us gaae.
To take what rightfully belongs to another is as forbidden as the most forbidden food is to a Muslim or a Hindu.
ਕਿਸੇ ਹੋਰ ਦਾ ਹੱਕ ਖੋਹਣਾ ਓਨਾ ਹੀ ਵਰਜਿਤ ਹੈ ਜਿੰਨਾ ਇੱਕ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ਜਾਂ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਲਈ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਵਰਜਿਤ ਭੋਜਨ।
Guru Nanak Dev Ji says what is truly forbidden is taking what rightfully belongs to another — moving the focus from food alone to honesty.
What it means
In this line Guru Nanak Dev Ji uses the language of forbidden food, familiar to both Muslims and Hindus of his time, to make a deeper point. Taking what belongs to someone else — cheating, exploiting or stealing — is as forbidden as the food a religious person would never touch. Whatever one's view on diet, Gurbani will not let us treat food rules as a substitute for honest, just living.
Living it today
- Avoid tobacco, alcohol and all recreational drugs, and support friends who are trying to stay free of them.
- If you eat meat, check that it is not kutha, and be aware that many Sikhs choose to be vegetarian.
- When hosting Sikh guests, offer a vegetarian option and avoid alcohol at the table if they prefer.
- Respect Sikhs whose view on meat differs from yours; avoid judging each other's commitment.
- Remember Gurbani's deeper test: are you taking anything that rightfully belongs to someone else?
A real-life example
The team dinner
When Sukhmeet started her first job, the team celebrated at a steakhouse. Her manager asked, 'Are Sikhs vegetarian?' Sukhmeet explained: 'We don't drink alcohol or use tobacco, and we don't eat ritually slaughtered meat. Langar in the Gurdwara is always vegetarian. Some Sikhs are fully vegetarian — I am — and others eat certain meat. We just respect each other's choices.' Her colleague Arvinder, also Sikh, ordered chicken and a lime soda. The manager said it was the clearest explanation he had heard, and booked a vegetarian-friendly restaurant for the next team event.
Common misunderstandings
All Sikhs are required to be vegetarian.
Many Sikhs and several Sikh traditions hold this view, but others understand the Rehat as permitting non-ritually slaughtered meat. Sikhs genuinely differ.
All Sikhs eat meat, so dietary rules don't matter.
The Sikh Rehat Maryada forbids kutha meat, tobacco and intoxicants, and many Sikhs are vegetarian.
Langar is vegetarian because meat is sinful.
A widely shared explanation is that vegetarian Langar allows everyone, whatever their diet or faith, to eat together as equals.
Sources
- Sikh Rehat Maryada, SGPC — personal life and prohibitions
- Sikh Rehat Maryada, SGPC — langar and pangat
- Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 141 (Majh ki Vaar)