All that was meant to be done in initial shariat layer/stage of our dharam where one is more conscious of body (where one body actions affects minds/thoughts) to be more disciplined to help mind go more introvert but purpose of that was forgotten but in overtime that got turned into dogma. Most religions have stages for spiritual seeker like shariat, tariqat, marfat and hakikat to help transcendent to higher reality but unfortunately its not a stretch to say - 80% percent of religious people have lost a plot as they are stuck in beginner level shariat, confined themselves to shariat only, made that as their reality to the point they don't even see it as an stage or other higher reality as opposed to naturally progressing to higher reality.
Gurbani is not against various disciplines to keep one contain or levels which helps naturally remembrance progress one's spirituality but strictly against things turned dogma or dogmatic notions. In many places, gurbani provides sometimes subtle but many times very clear, pristine, cautionary discourse to raise the bar of seeker, raise the consciousness of seeker from shariat to higher realities.
Here is transcendence shabad from gurbani, originally addressed to muslims seekers who are stuck in their shariat, but this transcendence shabad applies universally to all:
Ang- 1083
saraa
sareeath lae ka(n)maavahu ||
Let your practice be to live the spiritual life
thareekath tharak khoj ttolaavahu ||
Let your spiritual cleansing be to renounce the world and seek God.
maarafath man maarahu abadhaalaa milahu
hakeekath jith fir n maraa ||3||
Let control of the mind be your spiritual wisdom, O holy man; meeting with God, you shall never die again. ||3
Here is full gurbani shabad beautiful transcendence message originally meant for our muslims brothers who are stuck in shariat since gurbani applies to all, this message also applies to sikhs as well who are in similar boat(frame of mind-state) to follow truth in their respective religion:
source:
http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbaniAction=Page&g=1&h=1&r=1&t=1&p=0&k=0&fb=0&Param=1083
ਮਾਰੂ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥ मारू महला ५ ॥ Mārū mėhlā 5. Maaroo, Fifth Mehl:
ਅਲਹ ਅਗਮ ਖੁਦਾਈ ਬੰਦੇ ॥ अलह अगम खुदाई बंदे ॥
Alah agam kẖuḏā▫ī banḏe. O slave of the inaccessible Lord God Allah,
ਛੋਡਿ ਖਿਆਲ ਦੁਨੀਆ ਕੇ ਧੰਧੇ ॥ छोडि खिआल दुनीआ के धंधे ॥ Cẖẖod kẖi▫āl ḏunī▫ā ke ḏẖanḏẖe. forsake thoughts of worldly entanglements.
ਹੋਇ ਪੈ ਖਾਕ ਫਕੀਰ ਮੁਸਾਫਰੁ ਇਹੁ ਦਰਵੇਸੁ ਕਬੂਲੁ ਦਰਾ ॥੧॥ होइ पै खाक फकीर मुसाफरु इहु दरवेसु कबूलु दरा ॥१॥ Ho▫e pai kẖāk fakīr musāfar ih ḏarves kabūl ḏarā. ||1||
Become the dust of the feet of the humble fakeers, and consider yourself a traveler on this journey. O saintly dervish, you shall be approved in the Court of the Lord. ||1||
ਸਚੁ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਯਕੀਨ ਮੁਸਲਾ ॥ सचु निवाज यकीन मुसला ॥ Sacẖ nivāj yakīn muslā.
Let Truth be your prayer, and faith your prayer-mat.
ਮਨਸਾ ਮਾਰਿ ਨਿਵਾਰਿਹੁ ਆਸਾ ॥ मनसा मारि निवारिहु आसा ॥ Mansā mār nivārihu āsā.
Subdue your desires, and overcome your hopes.
ਦੇਹ ਮਸੀਤਿ ਮਨੁ ਮਉਲਾਣਾ ਕਲਮ ਖੁਦਾਈ ਪਾਕੁ ਖਰਾ ॥੨॥ देह मसीति मनु मउलाणा कलम खुदाई पाकु खरा ॥२॥ Ḏeh masīṯ man ma▫ulāṇā kalam kẖuḏā▫ī pāk kẖarā. ||2||
Let your body be the mosque, and your mind the priest. Let true purity be God's Word for you. ||2||
ਸਰਾ ਸਰੀਅਤਿ ਲੇ ਕੰਮਾਵਹੁ ॥ सरा सरीअति ले कमावहु ॥ Sarā sarī▫aṯ le kammāvahu.
Let your practice be to live the spiritual life.
ਤਰੀਕਤਿ ਤਰਕ ਖੋਜਿ ਟੋਲਾਵਹੁ ॥ तरीकति तरक खोजि टोलावहु ॥ Ŧarīkaṯ ṯarak kẖoj tolāvahu.
Let your spiritual cleansing be to renounce the world and seek God.
ਮਾਰਫਤਿ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਰਹੁ ਅਬਦਾਲਾ ਮਿਲਹੁ ਹਕੀਕਤਿ ਜਿਤੁ ਫਿਰਿ ਨ ਮਰਾ ॥੩॥ मारफति मनु मारहु अबदाला मिलहु हकीकति जितु फिरि न मरा ॥३॥ Mārfaṯ man mārahu abḏālā milhu hakīkaṯ jiṯ fir na marā. ||3||
Let control of the mind be your spiritual wisdom, O holy man; meeting with God, you shall never die again. ||3||
ਕੁਰਾਣੁ ਕਤੇਬ ਦਿਲ ਮਾਹਿ ਕਮਾਹੀ ॥ कुराणु कतेब दिल माहि कमाही ॥ Kurāṇ kaṯeb ḏil māhi kamāhī.
Practice within your heart the teachings of the Koran and the Bible;
ਦਸ ਅਉਰਾਤ ਰਖਹੁ ਬਦ ਰਾਹੀ ॥ दस अउरात रखहु बद राही ॥ Ḏas a▫urāṯ rakẖahu baḏ rāhī.
restrain the ten sensory organs from straying into evil.
ਪੰਚ ਮਰਦ ਸਿਦਕਿ ਲੇ ਬਾਧਹੁ ਖੈਰਿ ਸਬੂਰੀ ਕਬੂਲ ਪਰਾ ॥੪॥ पंच मरद सिदकि ले बाधहु खैरि सबूरी कबूल परा ॥४॥ Pancẖ maraḏ siḏak le bāḏẖhu kẖair sabūrī kabūl parā. ||4||
Tie up the five demons of desire with faith, charity and contentment, and you shall be acceptable. ||4||
ਮਕਾ ਮਿਹਰ ਰੋਜਾ ਪੈ ਖਾਕਾ ॥ मका मिहर रोजा पै खाका ॥ Makā mihar rojā pai kẖākā.
Let compassion be your Mecca, and the dust of the feet of the holy your fast.
ਭਿਸਤੁ ਪੀਰ ਲਫਜ ਕਮਾਇ ਅੰਦਾਜਾ ॥ भिसतु पीर लफज कमाइ अंदाजा ॥ Bẖisaṯ pīr lafaj kamā▫e anḏājā.
Let Paradise be your practice of the Prophet's Word.
ਹੂਰ ਨੂਰ ਮੁਸਕੁ ਖੁਦਾਇਆ ਬੰਦਗੀ ਅਲਹ ਆਲਾ ਹੁਜਰਾ ॥੫॥ हूर नूर मुसकु खुदाइआ बंदगी अलह आला हुजरा ॥५॥ Hūr nūr musak kẖuḏā▫i▫ā banḏagī alah ālā hujrā. ||5||
God is the beauty, the light and the fragrance. Meditation on Allah is the secluded meditation chamber. ||5||
