Dear All,
Here are my two cents on the subject of Sensual Pleasures looked through the glasses of spirituality. Sikh thought is all about spiritual growth with final union with Akal Purkh through living the life of a house holder. This is sought by subjugating lower instincts and developing higher instincts to become a Guru willed (ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ) rather than being self willed (ਮਨਮੁਖਿ) and leading to self destruction. The sensual pleasures are an obstruction to spiritual progress. Thus the sensual pleasures are forbidden in Sikh Faith except for progeny, e.g. here are couple Sabds of Guru Arjan in Raag Asa and Kabir in Raag Gauri on the subject;
ਮਿਥਿਆ ਸੰਗਿ ਸੰਗਿ ਲਪਟਾਏ ਮੋਹ ਮਾਇਆ ਕਰਿ ਬਾਧੇ ॥ ਜਹ ਜਾਨੋ ਸੋ ਚੀਤਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਅਹੰਬੁਧਿ ਭਏ ਆਂਧੇ ॥੧॥ ਮਨ ਬੈਰਾਗੀ ਕਿਉ ਨ ਅਰਾਧੇ ॥ ਕਾਚ ਕੋਠਰੀ ਮਾਹਿ ਤੂੰ ਬਸਤਾ ਸੰਗਿ ਸਗਲ ਬਿਖੈ ਕੀ ਬਿਆਧੇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਮੇਰੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਕਰਤ ਦਿਨੁ ਰੈਨਿ ਬਿਹਾਵੈ ਪਲੁ ਖਿਨੁ ਛੀਜੈ ਅਰਜਾਧੇ ॥ ਜੈਸੇ ਮੀਠੈ ਸਾਦਿ ਲੋਭਾਏ ਝੂਠ ਧੰਧਿ ਦੁਰਗਾਧੇ ॥੨॥ ਕਾਮ ਕ੍ਰੋਧ ਅਰੁ ਲੋਭ ਮੋਹ ਇਹ ਇੰਦ੍ਰੀ ਰਸਿ ਲਪਟਾਧੇ ॥ ਦੀਈ ਭਵਾਰੀ ਪੁਰਖਿ ਬਿਧਾਤੈ ਬਹੁਰਿ ਬਹੁਰਿ ਜਨਮਾਧੇ ॥੩॥ ਜਉ ਭਇਓ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾਲੁ ਦੀਨ ਦੁਖ ਭੰਜਨੁ ਤਉ ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਸਭ ਸੁਖ ਲਾਧੇ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਦਿਨੁ ਰੈਨਿ ਧਿਆਵਉ ਮਾਰਿ ਕਾਢੀ ਸਗਲ ਉਪਾਧੇ ॥੪॥ ਇਉ ਜਪਿਓ ਭਾਈ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਬਿਧਾਤੇ ॥ ਭਇਓ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾਲੁ ਦੀਨ ਦੁਖ ਭੰਜਨੁ ਜਨਮ ਮਰਣ ਦੁਖ ਲਾਥੇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੪॥੪॥੧੨੬॥
Mithi▫ā sang sang laptā▫e moh mā▫i▫ā kar bāḏẖe. Jah jāno so cẖīṯ na āvai ahaʼn▫buḏẖ bẖa▫e āʼnḏẖe. ||1|| Man bairāgī ki▫o na arāḏẖe. Kācẖ koṯẖrī māhi ṯūʼn basṯā sang sagal bikẖai kī bi▫āḏẖe. ||1|| rahā▫o. Merī merī karaṯ ḏin rain bihāvai pal kẖin cẖẖījai arjāḏẖe. Jaise mīṯẖai sāḏ lobẖā▫e jẖūṯẖ ḏẖanḏẖ ḏurgāḏẖe. ||2|| Kām kroḏẖ ar lobẖ moh ih inḏrī ras laptāḏẖe. Ḏī▫ī bẖavārī purakẖ biḏẖāṯai bahur bahur janmāḏẖe. ||3|| Ja▫o bẖa▫i▫o kirpāl ḏīn ḏukẖ bẖanjan ṯa▫o gur mil sabẖ sukẖ lāḏẖe. Kaho Nānak ḏin rain ḏẖi▫āva▫o mār kādẖī sagal upāḏẖe. ||4|| I▫o japi▫o bẖā▫ī purakẖ biḏẖāṯe. Bẖa▫i▫o kirpāl ḏīn ḏukẖ bẖanjan janam maraṇ ḏukẖ lāthe. ||1|| rahā▫o ḏūjā. ||4||4||126||
They are attached to falsehood; clinging to the transitory, they are trapped in emotional attachment to Maya. Wherever they go, they do not think of Akal Purkh; they are blinded by intellectual egotism. ||1|| O, mind, renunciate, and adore God? You dwell in that flimsy chamber, with all the sins of corruption. ||1||Pause|| Crying out, "Mine, mine", your days and nights pass away; moment by moment, your life is running out. The sweet flavors tempt you, and you are occupied by your false and filthy business. ||2|| Your senses are beguiled by sensual pleasures of sex, by anger, greed and emotional attachment. The All-powerful Architect of Destiny has ordained that you shall be reincarnated over and over again. ||3|| When the Destroyer of the pains of the poor becomes merciful, then, as Gurmukh, you shall find absolute peace. Says Nanak, meditate on the Akal Purkh, day and night, and all your sickness shall be banished. ||4|| Meditate in this way, O Siblings of Destiny, on the Akal Purkh, the Architect of Destiny. The Destroyer of the pains of the poor has become merciful, and has removed the pains of birth and death. ||1||Second. Pause||4||4||126|| ------Guru Arjan, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 403-1
ਜੇਤੇ ਜਤਨ ਕਰਤ ਤੇ ਡੂਬੇ ਭਵ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਨਹੀ ਤਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥ ਕਰਮ ਧਰਮ ਕਰਤੇ ਬਹੁ ਸੰਜਮ ਅਹੰਬੁਧਿ ਮਨੁ ਜਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥੧॥ ਸਾਸ ਗ੍ਰਾਸ ਕੋ ਦਾਤੋ ਠਾਕੁਰੁ ਸੋ ਕਿਉ ਮਨਹੁ ਬਿਸਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥ ਹੀਰਾ ਲਾਲੁ ਅਮੋਲੁ ਜਨਮੁ ਹੈ ਕਉਡੀ ਬਦਲੈ ਹਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਤ੍ਰਿਖਾ ਭੂਖ ਭ੍ਰਮਿ ਲਾਗੀ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਨਾਹਿ ਬੀਚਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥ ਉਨਮਤ ਮਾਨ ਹਿਰਿਓ ਮਨ ਮਾਹੀ ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਨ ਧਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥੨॥ ਸੁਆਦ ਲੁਭਤ ਇੰਦ੍ਰੀ ਰਸ ਪ੍ਰੇਰਿਓ ਮਦ ਰਸ ਲੈਤ ਬਿਕਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥ ਕਰਮ ਭਾਗ ਸੰਤਨ ਸੰਗਾਨੇ ਕਾਸਟ ਲੋਹ ਉਧਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥੩॥ ਧਾਵਤ ਜੋਨਿ ਜਨਮ ਭ੍ਰਮਿ ਥਾਕੇ ਅਬ ਦੁਖ ਕਰਿ ਹਮ ਹਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥ ਕਹਿ ਕਬੀਰ ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲਤ ਮਹਾ ਰਸੁ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਭਗਤਿ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥੪॥੧॥੫॥੫੬॥
Jeṯe jaṯan karaṯ ṯe dūbe bẖav sāgar nahī ṯāri▫o re. Karam ḏẖaram karṯe baho sanjam ahaʼn▫buḏẖ man jāri▫o re. ||1|| Sās garās ko ḏāṯo ṯẖākur so ki▫o manhu bisāri▫o re. Hīrā lāl amol janam hai ka▫udī baḏlai hāri▫o re. ||1|| rahā▫o. Ŧarisnā ṯarikẖā bẖūkẖ bẖaram lāgī hirḏai nāhi bīcẖāri▫o re. Unmaṯ mān hiri▫o man māhī gur kā sabaḏ na ḏẖāri▫o re. ||2|| Su▫āḏ lubẖaṯ inḏrī ras pareri▫o maḏ ras laiṯ bikāri▫o re. Karam bẖāg sanṯan sangāne kāsat loh uḏẖāri▫o re. ||3|| Ḏẖāvaṯ jon janam bẖaram thāke ab ḏukẖ kar ham hāri▫o re. Kahi Kabīr gur milaṯ mahā ras parem bẖagaṯ nisṯāri▫o re. ||4||1||5||56||
Those who try to do things by their own efforts are drowned in the terrifying world-ocean; they cannot cross over. Those who practice religious rituals and strict self-discipline - their egotistical pride shall consume their minds. ||1|| Your God and Master has given you the breath of life and food to sustain you; Oh, why have you forgotten It? Human birth is a priceless jewel, which has been squandered in exchange for a worthless shell. ||1||Pause|| The thirst of desire and the hunger of doubt afflict you; you do not contemplate the God in your heart. Intoxicated with pride, you cheat yourself; you have not enshrined the Word of the Guru's Sabd within your mind. ||2|| Those who are deluded by sensual pleasures, who are tempted by sexual delights and enjoy wine, are corrupt. But those who, through destiny and good karma, join the Society of the Saints float over the ocean like iron attached to wood. ||3|| I have wandered in doubt and confusion, through birth and reincarnation; now, I am so tired. I am suffering in pain and wasting away. Says Kabir, meeting with the Guru, I have obtained supreme joy; my love and devotion have saved me. ||4||1||5||56|| -----Kabir, Raag Gauri, AGGS, Page, 335-15
Cordially,
Virinder S. Grewal
