What Is Darshan, And How Does One Get It?

[Ishna]

At Gurbani class the other day we were reading pannas 739 and 740 Sri Granth: Sri Guru Granth Sahib

The group was discussing darshan, and uncle ji recounted a story about how Moses begged to see God, and although God warned him Moses insisted, and when God revealed himself it was blinding light that knocked Moses out cold for days.

Uncle ji said we don't see God with our eyes, we see him within ourselves, with our inner senses.

What is the sangat's thoughts about this? And further, how does one go about obtaining the darshan that Gurbani sings about?

 

[Original]

Ishna Ji - welcome ! pleasure to be engaged in a meaningful dialect.

Your question above is like an elephant, easy to describe hard to define. Nonetheless, its a question worth discussing.

Literally speaking, the word "dar'shana" and indeed it's early Sanskrit parentage, coined it to mean visual apprehension by the sense "sight" - to see. Sikh doctrine however, developed it to mean inner awakening. The 10th master in Jaap Sahib intoduces the term "anubhav prakash", meaning, perception-light, respectively. This is consistent with the 1st master's bani [bold], thus:

ਰਾਗੁ ਧਨਾਸਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥ ਗਗਨ ਮੈ ਥਾਲੁ ਰਵਿ ਚੰਦੁ ਦੀਪਕ ਬਨੇ ਤਾਰਿਕਾ ਮੰਡਲ ਜਨਕ ਮੋਤੀ ॥ ਧੂਪੁ ਮਲਆਨਲੋ ਪਵਣੁ ਚਵਰੋ ਕਰੇ ਸਗਲ ਬਨਰਾਇ ਫੂਲੰਤ ਜੋਤੀ ॥੧॥ ਕੈਸੀ ਆਰਤੀ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਭਵ ਖੰਡਨਾ ਤੇਰੀ ਆਰਤੀ ॥ ਅਨਹਤਾ ਸਬਦ ਵਾਜੰਤ ਭੇਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਸਹਸ ਤਵ ਨੈਨ ਨਨ ਨੈਨ ਹਹਿ ਤੋਹਿ ਕਉ ਸਹਸ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਨਨਾ ਏਕ ਤੋੁਹੀ ॥ ਸਹਸ ਪਦ ਬਿਮਲ ਨਨ ਏਕ ਪਦ ਗੰਧ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਹਸ ਤਵ ਗੰਧ ਇਵ ਚਲਤ ਮੋਹੀ ॥੨॥ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਹੈ ਸੋਇ ॥ ਤਿਸ ਦੈ ਚਾਨਣਿ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਚਾਨਣੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਗੁਰ ਸਾਖੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਪਰਗਟੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਜੋ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੁ ਆਰਤੀ ਹੋਇ ॥੩॥ ਹਰਿ ਚਰਣ ਕਵਲ ਮਕਰੰਦ ਲੋਭਿਤ ਮਨੋ ਅਨਦਿਨੋੁ ਮੋਹਿ ਆਹੀ ਪਿਆਸਾ ॥ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਜਲੁ ਦੇਹਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਾਰਿੰਗ ਕਉ ਹੋਇ ਜਾ ਤੇ ਤੇਰੈ ਨਾਇ ਵਾਸਾ ॥੪॥੩॥ 13, SGGSJ.

Translation [bold]: light of god is in all, some get to see it [anubhav prakash] and hear it [ਅਨਹਤਾ ਸਬਦ]. Sight n Sound as per Gurmat Sidhant is "one" in the hereinafter world - the realm of the soul.

Although, the word darshan in its everyday usage means "to see, to meet, to hear", Sikh doctrine ascribes to it mystical choreography. The bottom line of which is an inner experience and not outer.

Good night