Spiritual Ecstasy - Perspectives from Gurbani

Talk about stillness, calm, silence, peace, joy and different levels of samadhi states! Let's have a discussion about spiritual ecstacy! Why is love an ecstatic experience? Why does love lift you so high?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/23019-spiritual-ecstasy-perspectives-from-gurbani.html
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23019

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There are twin threads on Spiritual Ecstasy. One is in Interfaith Dialogs. The other twin is here in Sikh Sikhi Sikhism. Although some have commented in Interfaith Dialogs, no one has visited this thread. So in the next reply I will respond looking from the perspective of Gurbani.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23019

satnam ji

The path of consciousness during our mortal lifetime takes far away from pure consciousness. Guruji says,

pihlY phrY rYix kY vxjwirAw imqRw bwlk buiD Acyqu: Pahilai paharai rain kai vanajaariaa mitraa baalak budhi achetu: In the first watch of the night, O my merchant friend, your innocent mind has a childlike understanding (Ang 75).

As we grow and intereact with the world and its earthly pleasures and puzzles, we develop an intellect. But there is a spiritual cost. By developing our intellect, we become increasingly aware of a sense off personal separation, from our inner life, from others. This is the cost of growing an ego. We gain a sense of self, as one who is in but seperate from creation. And along with the development of ego, comes a corruption of Kaacham Kaaiaa – the goldern body. ਮਾਣਸ ਜਨਮੁ ਵਡ ਪੁੰਨੇ ਪਾਇਆ ਦੇਹ ਸੁ ਕੰਚਨ ਚੰਗੜੀਆ ॥ maanas janam vadd punnae paaeiaa dhaeh s kanchan changarreeaa || Human life is obtained only by the most virtuous actions; this body is radiant and golden.

It seems almost a contradiction. Guruji says that human life is obtained only by the most virtuous actions. But we are alive! What life is there to obtain? The life that Guruji is speaking of is the life that is complete and free of the suffering that comes with the development of ego, suffering that comes from separation, then fear. which is followed by greed, lust, pride, anger and attachment.

The journey back the the state of innocence, where we are connected in pure consciousness to Divinity, is described by Guru Arjan Dev.

ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
sireeraag mehalaa 5 ||
Siree Raag, Fifth Mehl:

ਘੜੀ ਮੁਹਤ ਕਾ ਪਾਹੁਣਾ ਕਾਜ ਸਵਾਰਣਹਾਰੁ ॥
gharree muhath kaa paahunaa kaaj savaaranehaar ||
For a brief moment, man is a guest of the Lord; he tries to resolve his affairs.

ਮਾਇਆ ਕਾਮਿ ਵਿਆਪਿਆ ਸਮਝੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਗਾਵਾਰੁ ॥
maaeiaa kaam viaapiaa samajhai naahee gaavaar ||
Engrossed in Maya and sexual desire, the fool does not understand.

ਉਠਿ ਚਲਿਆ ਪਛੁਤਾਇਆ ਪਰਿਆ ਵਸਿ ਜੰਦਾਰ ॥੧॥
outh chaliaa pashhuthaaeiaa pariaa vas jandhaar ||1||
He arises and departs with regret, and falls into the clutches of the Messenger of Death. ||1||

ਅੰਧੇ ਤੂੰ ਬੈਠਾ ਕੰਧੀ ਪਾਹਿ ॥
andhhae thoon baithaa kandhhee paahi ||
You are sitting on the collapsing riverbank-are you blind?


ਜੇ ਹੋਵੀ ਪੂਰਬਿ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਤਾ ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਬਚਨੁ ਕਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
jae hovee poorab likhiaa thaa gur kaa bachan kamaahi ||1|| rehaao ||
If you are so pre-destined, then act according to the Guru's Teachings. ||1||Pause||
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23019


ਹਰੀ ਨਾਹੀ ਨਹ ਡਡੁਰੀ ਪਕੀ ਵਢਣਹਾਰ ॥
haree naahee neh ddadduree pakee vadtanehaar ||
The Reaper does not look upon any as unripe, half-ripe or fully ripe.


ਲੈ ਲੈ ਦਾਤ ਪਹੁਤਿਆ ਲਾਵੇ ਕਰਿ ਤਈਆਰੁ ॥
lai lai dhaath pahuthiaa laavae kar theeaar ||
Picking up and wielding their sickles, the harvesters arrive.


ਜਾ ਹੋਆ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਕਿਰਸਾਣ ਦਾ ਤਾ ਲੁਣਿ ਮਿਣਿਆ ਖੇਤਾਰੁ ॥੨॥
jaa hoaa hukam kirasaan dhaa thaa lun miniaa khaethaar ||2||
When the landlord gives the order, they cut and measure the crop. ||2||


ਪਹਿਲਾ ਪਹਰੁ ਧੰਧੈ ਗਇਆ ਦੂਜੈ ਭਰਿ ਸੋਇਆ ॥
pehilaa pehar dhhandhhai gaeiaa dhoojai bhar soeiaa ||
The first watch of the night passes away in worthless affairs, and the second passes in deep sleep.

ਤੀਜੈ ਝਾਖ ਝਖਾਇਆ ਚਉਥੈ ਭੋਰੁ ਭਇਆ ॥
theejai jhaakh jhakhaaeiaa chouthhai bhor bhaeiaa ||
In the third, they babble nonsense, and when the fourth watch comes, the day of death has arrived.

ਕਦ ਹੀ ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਆਇਓ ਜਿਨਿ ਜੀਉ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਦੀਆ ॥੩॥
kadh hee chith n aaeiou jin jeeo pindd dheeaa ||3||
The thought of the One who bestows body and soul never enters the mind. ||3||

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਕਉ ਵਾਰਿਆ ਜੀਉ ਕੀਆ ਕੁਰਬਾਣੁ ॥
saadhhasangath ko vaariaa jeeo keeaa kurabaan ||
I am devoted to the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy; I sacrifice my soul to them.

ਜਿਸ ਤੇ ਸੋਝੀ ਮਨਿ ਪਈ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਸੁਜਾਣੁ ॥
jis thae sojhee man pee miliaa purakh sujaan ||
Through them, understanding has entered my mind, and I have met the All-knowing Lord God.

ਨਾਨਕ ਡਿਠਾ ਸਦਾ ਨਾਲਿ ਹਰਿ ਅੰਤਰਜਾਮੀ ਜਾਣੁ ॥੪॥੪॥੭੪॥
naanak ddithaa sadhaa naal har antharajaamee jaan ||4||4||74||
Nanak sees the Lord always with him-the Lord, the Inner-knower, the Searcher of hearts. ||4||4||74||

The shabad describes the journey of the soul toward purity of consciousness. We were born with this consciousness. And only after shedding haume or our false ego, do we return to the state of Kaanchan Kaaiaa – when the fortress of the golden body is revealed. And how revealed? The Gurmukh becomes golden, ਕੰਚਨ ਕਾਇਆ ਜੋਤਿ ਅਨੂਪੁ ॥ kanchan kaaeiaa joth anoop || His body becomes golden, by the Lord's Incomparable Light. ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣ ਦੇਵਾ ਸਗਲ ਸਰੂਪੁ ॥ thribhavan dhaevaa sagal saroop || He beholds the divine beauty in all the three worlds.

Through simran, remembrance of His name, and through the goodness and great fortune of perfect destiny, we are able to make the journey back home, back to the golden body, back to pure consciousness. In beholding Divinity consciousness achieves its innocent state. This is the journey away from those states of mind that torment us, and that disfigured the golden body through the 8 watches, the 24 hours of the day, the years of living in consciousness of everything else but the Name of the Creator Lord.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23019

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਢੂੰਢਿ ਢੂਢੇਦਿਆ ਹਰਿ ਸਜਣੁ ਲਧਾ ਰਾਮ ਰਾਜੇ ॥
guramukh dtoondt dtoodtaedhiaa har sajan ladhhaa raam raajae ||
As Gurmukh, I searched and searched, and found the Lord, my Friend, my Sovereign Lord King.

ਕੰਚਨ ਕਾਇਆ ਕੋਟ ਗੜ ਵਿਚਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਸਿਧਾ ॥
kanchan kaaeiaa kott garr vich har har sidhhaa ||
Within the walled fortress of my golden body, the Lord, Har, Har, is revealed.

ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹੀਰਾ ਰਤਨੁ ਹੈ ਮੇਰਾ ਮਨੁ ਤਨੁ ਵਿਧਾ ॥
har har heeraa rathan hai maeraa man than vidhhaa ||
The Lord, Har, Har, is a jewel, a diamond; my mind and body are pierced through.

ਧੁਰਿ ਭਾਗ ਵਡੇ ਹਰਿ ਪਾਇਆ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਸਿ ਗੁਧਾ ॥੧॥
dhhur bhaag vaddae har paaeiaa naanak ras gudhhaa ||1||
By the great good fortune of pre-ordained destiny, I have found the Lord. Nanak is permeated with His sublime essence. ||1|| (Raag Aasaa, Guru Ram Das)


The Divine casts His glance of grace, and the Gurmukh finds himself in unbroken communication with the Divine. And in pure consciousness, in surrender to the Lord, to my Friend, to my Sovereign Lord King, the Gurmukh experiences spiritual ecstasy. Consciousness becomes radiant, complete and intact “pooraa,” and is at peace beyond the limitations of Maya. One dwells in the Jyote Swaroopa., and is one with the Shabad Guru.

And, ਦ੍ਰਿਸਟਿ ਧਾਰਿ ਮਨਿ ਤਨਿ ਵਸੈ ਦਇਆਲ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਮਿਹਰਵਾਨੁ ॥ dhrisatt dhhaar man than vasai dhaeiaal purakh miharavaan || Blessing us with His Glance of Grace, the Kind and Compassionate, All-powerful Lord comes to dwell within the mind and body.

Then, in spiritual ecstasy, when He comes to dwell within the body, do we not become compassionate as well?

Please also go to this link http://www.gurbani.org/articles/webart302.htm for more about the "golden body."