Los Angeles Times: "In Los Angeles, people are increasingly rejecting yoga."

by Gursant Singh ⌂ @, Yuba City California USA, Friday, March 02, 2012, 19:58 (4667 days ago)
edited by Gursant Singh, Saturday, March 03, 2012, 13:57

This is an article from yesterday's March 1st Los Angeles Times where the author visits Yogi Bhajan follower Gurmukh Kaur's Golden Bridge yoga studio in Hollywood California. The teacher refers to the chanting of mantras in Sanskrit and Hindu gods, nothing about Sikhism! Why does SikhNet blatantly promote these anti Sikh practices of Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa at her hollywood yoga studio?
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-me-holland-20120302,0,7290340.column
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Don't miss the comments section: I Ben Had at 11:59 PM March 1, 2012
This easy, breezy look at LA's yoga scene starts with Golden Bridge Yoga's Kundalini classes. If the writer had looked at the history of Kundalini yoga in LA -- or anywhere else, for that matter -- the name Yogi Bhajan would have instantly appeared front and center.
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The late Yogi Bhajan was a noted philanderer and highly controversial Beverly Hills showman with a platoon of body guards and a harem to boot. How did the LA Times miss this connection to the profitable LA yoga industry? Bhajan's turbaned followers run Golden Bridge where Yogi Bhajan remains a god-like presence.

He introduced the Kundalini yoga racket in Southern California in 1969. His remnant army of Aquarian holdouts is engaged in an internecine legal battle. A cursory Google search would have revealed the destructive authoritian basis of Yogi Bhajan's organization.

http://yogibhajan.tripod.com/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-hassan/the-disturbing-mainstream_b_667026.html

SikhNet blatantly promotes anti Sikh practices of Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa
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In this latest article published by SikhNet, SikhNet blatantly supports and promotes Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa and her anti Sikh activities!http://www.sikhnet.com/news/gurmukh-kaur-coming-edmonton
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SikhNet needs to follow the Sikh Reht & stop promoting Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa who is used as a "Poster Yogi" by Parmarth Niketan Ashram. http://gurmukhyoga.com/forum/index.php?id=374

Just read this update on Gurmukh Kaur's facebook page. Please note the people who are commenting and her posts. There doesn't appear to be any Sikhs posting or anything about Sikhism but rather Gurmukh gives her chelas false hope in the Vedic "akashic records" and some "magical Aquarian Age" date of 11-11-11. I don't know why Gurmukh doesn't change her name to Shiva Dasi Devi; that would be more in keeping with her practices. http://www.facebook.com/GurmukhKaurKhalsa?sk=wall&filter=1Status

Update
By Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa
We are supposed to be in a period where all your thoughts can move all over the place into realms of what you are going towards in your destiny. After November 4, 2011, whatever you have wished for, envisioned for your destiny, what you want to achieve to fulfill your life, will be set in the akashic records for 29 years.
So take the time now to write down what it is you want to achieve, what is important for your happiness and your destiny, and project into the future for 29 years.
You can edit the list until next week on Friday.

Take the list home and put it into a holy book, or on their altar, under their prayer book, etc, to purify the wishes and visions. Rework them as you see fit.

You don't have to know all the details for your visions and wishes. Just the general concept.
Sat Nam

Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa is an embarrassment to the Khalsa panth. Gurmukh has been photographed doing Hinduhoma fire pujas and doesn't even wear a Sikh kara. Even in the pic above which SikhNet so blatently publishes shows Gurmukh Kaur doing homage to the sun in Rishikesh on the river Ganga where you can see a Hindu temple in the backgroud of the pic. How can Sikhnet support this anti Sikh woman?
http://gurmukhyoga.com/forum/index.php?id=307

I pray Gurmukh Kaur will visit the small Gurdwara on the banks of the Ganges at Haridwar, called Gian Gothdri, which marks Guru Nanak's visit there.

When Guru Nanak saw people doing puja to the sun, as is Gurmukh Kaur in this picture, he asked what they were doing. "We are giving water to our thirsty forefathers who live on the sun", they said. So, he also waded into the river and started doing likewise but facing in the opposite direction. Everybody laughed at him and said, "Don't you even know which way the sun is?" He replied, "I've been away from my farm in the Punjab for quite some time and my fields are probably parched, so I thought I should take this opportunity to water them (in the west)". They all laughed some more and said, "Silly fool, Punjab is hundreds of miles away and this water is just falling a foot away right in front of you." Guru Nanak replied, " Oh, but I thought the sun was much further away?" A few probably understood what Guru Nanak was getting at, and stopped doing that futile nonsense, but most, like Gurmukh Kaur, carried on still blissfully ignorant.

"Jab lag Khalsa rahe niara. tab lag tej dio mai sara.
jab eh gahe bipran ki reet. mai na karo in ki parteet".
"So long as Khalsa retains his distinct identity, I will give him my entire radiance and strength. But if he should take on a non-Sikh way of life, then I shall have no confidence in him and withdraw my support and protection". Guru Gobind Singh Ji

EVERY Sikh is representative of the Guru and the Khalsa Panth, especially one who is in the public eye. If they behave in a way that breaches SRM (Sikh Rehit Maryada) the whole Khalsa suffers.
Let us look at Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa's name, the one whom SikhNet & 3HO so blithely dismiss as "a popular Yogini". Her first name is Gurmukh. Forget the nonsensical Yogi Bhajan translation; Gurmukh is a very powerful word from Gurbani, meaning that person whose face is forever turned towards the Guru. And that means Guru Nanak and his successors, not some Hindu Swami the demigod Shiva or the Mother Ganga river. Sometimes in Gurbani, Gurmukh refers to Guru Sahib himself.
How can a Gurmukh be doing Hindu puja?
Second name is Kaur, meaning a princess of the khalsa. The last name is Khalsa. Anyone who calls themselves Khalsa MUST live as a reflection of Guru Gobind Singh ji and his rehit. Otherwise they should call themselves something else.
She can do as much Hindu puja as she likes but she should spare the Khalsa the embarrassment of having to see it plastered all over the internet. It is absolutely against SRM and is very insulting to the Khalsa and indeed to all Sikhs, especially those whose relatives were slaughtered and raped by Hindus in 1984.
I don't know why she doesn't change her name to Shiva Dasi Devi; that would be more in keeping with her practices.

This is a response to a 3HOers comment in the Sikhism discussion group on facebook. Sarib Khalsa says: "Hey, what do you care how someone else wants to live their life? Her life is her life, not yours, you horses ass. And since when are "Singh" and "Kaur" not part of "Hindu" tradition? Where do you think they came from?

Whether you like it or not there is a huge cultural overlap with many aspects of "Hindu" culture and traditions. We used to not be separated or threatened by this. Overlaps existed without negating Sikh ideals or philosophy. British political interests wanted a wide, dark line demarcating the two. They wanted a loyal, neutered, anglicized, even christianized Sikhism, separate from and not aligned with the interests of "Hindus." They mostly got that. There are political interests today that want to interfere in similar ways, they come down from the same intelligence service lineage, those are the guys paying you.

And in case you didn't know, there ARE writings of "Hindu" saints in Guru Granth Sahib. Go bang your head against another wall."

Gursant Singh's reply: What is most shocking to me is your total lack of understanding or even caring about the sensibilities of most Sikhs from Punjab. While it is true that, in India, Sikhs and Hindus live side by side, amicably and peaceably, most Sikhs that I know are all too well aware of how the Central (Hindu) government has treated the Sikhs, especially those in the Punjab, in a terrible fashion ever since Indian independence.

If you need to know more, read the article here.

Two of my favorite Sikh writers teamed up together to write this article:

http://www.sikhnn.com/views/august-15-india%E2%80%99s-shackles-old-and-new?page=2
August 15: India’s Shackles, Old and New

It is becoming more and more obvious that 3HO (whoever that actually is) has consciously or unconsciously decided to position itself as part Sikh and part Hindu. It seems to me that they just flat out don't understand just how this will wound taditional Sikh sentiments as the Punjabis find out that Yogi Bhajan's 3HO are doing this. Maybe they just don't care.

I would be curious to find out who is feeding you this stuff about it all being the fault of the British that the Sikhs and Hindus are separate. I feel sure that you don't have that knowledge by your own research; it's clearly being spoon fed to you.

I don't think I need to reiterate about SRM and the teachings of the Guru Sahiban, I have posted all that here so many times already.

I have to say that I feel saddened by your childish arrogance and by the path that the Bhajanistas have chosen. As some are always posting here, they certainly have a right to worship in whatever way they want. But this creeping Hinduism is an insult to all those who died and suffered to preserve the separate identity of Sikhi that was given by Guru Nanak and solidified by Guru Gobind Singh.

Bulletin from the cause: Call to Truth and Authentic Sikhism
Go to Cause:
http://www.causes.com/causes/518356-call-to-truth-and-authentic-sikhism
Posted By: Gursant Singh
To: Members in Call to Truth and Authentic Sikhism
Hindu Homa (fire puja) ceremony performed by 3HOer Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa in Rishikesh! Stop these enemies of Sikhism! Write Sikhnet and Gurumustak Singh(Mr. Sikhnet) and insist they write an article denouncing these fake Sikh idol worshipers.
http://www.facebook.com/sikhnet
http://www.facebook.com/mrsikhnet

For Yogi Bhajan and now his students to indulge in Hindu practices, such as having a Homa (fire puja) ceremony in front of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, to visit astrologers – as he did on a regular basis, to give people Sikh names through numerology rather than consult SGGS – I could go on and on – is totally hypocritical. His disciples are now following in his footsteps.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=169369606419559&aid=42382
The 3HO people may do whatever Hindu practices they like; there is no law against it but hey should not claim to be Khalsa or use Khalsa names, Singh and Kaur. For them to use the name Khalsa, when the overwhelming majority of them neither recites panj bani nor wear panj kaka, is hypocritical in the extreme. Of course this is really Yogi Bhajan’s fault for a really stupid decision to name all his students Singh/Kaur Khalsa, no matter what their level of commitment was to Sikhi. I believe this has deeply wounded the image of The Khalsa Panth in America.
Yogi Bhajan and now his 3HO sect are clearly against Sikhism. It is not as simple as saying “So what we do some yoga…” Guess what? These kundalini and tantric yoga practices are anti- Gurmat! Always were and always will be. It is not their fault that Yogi Bhajan led them astray. Dr. Trilochan Singh’s book which is critical of Yogi Bhajan in the light of Sikhism has even more relevance today than it did 35 years ago when it was written.
http://gurmukhyoga.com/forum/index.php?mode=page&id=1

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How can Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa be doing Hindu puja? Why do 3HO Sikhs and Sikhnet support her? http://sikhnet.dev.workhabit.com/video/gurmukhi-kaur-talking-about-kundalini-yoga

"Jab lag Khalsa rahe niara. tab lag tej dio mai sara.
jab eh gahe bipran ki reet. mai na karo in ki parteet".

"So long as Khalsa retains his distinct identity, I will give him my entire radiance and strength. But if he should take on a non-Sikh way of life, then I shall have no confidence in him and withdraw my support and protection". Guru Gobind Singh Ji

EVERY Sikh is representative of the Guru and the Khalsa Panth, especially one who is in the public eye. If they behave in a way that breaches SRM (Sikh Rehit Maryada) the whole Khalsa suffers.

Let us look at Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa's name, the one whom 3HO so blithely dismiss as "a popular Yogini". Her first name is Gurmukh. Forget the nonsensical YB translation; Gurmukh is a very powerful word from Gurbani, meaning that person whose face is forever turned towards the Guru. And that means Guru Nanak and his successors, not some Hindu Swami or the demigod Shiva. Sometimes in Gurbani, Gurmukh refers to Guru Sahib himself.

How can a Gurmukh be doing Hindu puja?

Second name is Kaur, meaning a princess of the khalsa. The last name is Khalsa. Anyone who calls themselves Khalsa MUST live as a reflection of Guru Gobind Singh ji and his rehit. Otherwise they should call themselves something else.

She can do as much Hindu puja as she likes but she should spare the Khalsa the embarrassment of having to see it plastered all over the internet. It is absolutely against SRM and is very insulting to the Khalsa and indeed to all Sikhs, especially those whose relatives were slaughtered and raped by Hindus in 1984.

I don't know why she doesn't change her name to Shiva Dasi Devi; that would be more in keeping with her practices.
[image]
http://media.causes.com/1048229?s=cause
Bulletin from the cause: Call to Truth and Authentic Sikhism
Go to Cause:
http://www.causes.com/causes/518356-call-to-truth-and-authentic-sikhism
Posted By: Gursant Singh
To: Members in Call to Truth and Authentic Sikhism
Hindu Homa (fire puja) ceremony performed by 3HOer Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa in Rishikesh!
Stop these enemies of Sikhism! Write Sikhnet and Gurumustak Singh(Mr. Sikhnet) and insist they write an article denouncing these fake Sikh idol worshipers.

http://www.facebook.com/sikhnet
http://www.facebook.com/mrsikhnet
[image]

For Yogi Bhajan and now his students to indulge in Hindu practices, such as having a Homa (fire puja) ceremony in front of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, to visit astrologers – as he did on a regular basis, to give people Sikh names through numerology rather than consult SGGS – I could go on and on – is totally hypocritical. His disciples are now following in his footsteps.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=169369606419559&aid=42382

The 3HO people may do whatever Hindu practices they like; there is no law against it but hey should not claim to be Khalsa or use Khalsa names, Singh and Kaur. For them to use the name Khalsa, when the overwhelming majority of them neither recites panj bani nor wear panj kaka, is hypocritical in the extreme. Of course this is really Yogi Bhajan’s fault for a really stupid decision to name all his students Singh/Kaur Khalsa, no matter what their level of commitment was to Sikhi. I believe this has deeply wounded the image of The Khalsa Panth in America.

Yogi Bhajan and now his 3HO sect are clearly against Sikhism. It is not as simple as saying “So what we do some yoga…” Guess what? These kundalini and tantric yoga practices are anti- Gurmat! Always were and always will be. It is not their fault that Yogi Bhajan led them astray. Dr. Trilochan Singh’s book which is critical of Yogi Bhajan in the light of Sikhism has even more relevance today than it did 35 years ago when it was written.
http://gurmukhyoga.com/forum/index.php?mode=page&id=1

Yogi Bhajan’s kundalini and tantric yoga set the stage for the anti-Gurmat activities of Gurmukh Kaur who clearly practices Hindu pujas and fire ceremonies in Rishikesh every year as shown in the attached pic. The Sikh Rahit Maryada strictly forbids the Hindu ritual of performing arti and havan. Chapter 4, Article V. Hindu rituals are against Gurmat. Participating in Hindu ceremonies is against Gurmat. Chanting Hindu mantras is against Gurmat. Putting pictures and murtian (statues) of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in Gurdwaras and on supposed Sikh websites is against Gurmat. Tantric practices are against Gurmat.

There are very powerful forces in India that want to see Sikhi subsumed back into Hinduism. They LOVE to see gora (3HO) Sikhs doing all this Hindu stuff. It helps make their case.

The Punjabis who find out about these things are HORRIFIED.

But Yogi Bhajan’s followers go blithely on doing their quasi Sikh/Hindu things without seeming to give a damn other than saying nonsense like: “You cannot blame 21st century Hindus for something that happened in the 18th century.” or “don’t be negative ji” or “we are all one”.

Well, we are all one on a spiritual level. But try saying that to the survivors of the Sikh massacres of 1984. The women who were raped. The wives who saw their husbands slaughtered. The children who were orphaned. See what they have to say in response. These massacres were done exclusively by Hindus and it was not the 18th century.

Here is the condemnation of Idol Worship by Guru Gobind Singh Ji (extracts from various passages):

ਕਾਹੂ ਲੈ ਪਾਹਨ ਪੂਜ ਧਰਯੋ ਸਿਰ ਕਾਹੂ ਲੈ ਲਿੰਗ ਗਰੇ ਲਟਕਾਇਓ ॥
Someone worships stone and places it on his head. Someone hangs the phallus (lingam) from his neck. .(pg.42)

ਕੋਉ ਬੁਤਾਨ ਕੋ ਪੂਜਤ ਹੈ ਪਸੁ ਕੋਉ ਮ੍ਰਿਤਾਨ ਕੋ ਪੂਜਨ ਧਾਇਓ ॥
Some fools worship idols and some go to worship the dead. (pg.42)

ਪਾਇ ਪਰੋ ਪਰਮੇਸਰ ਕੇ ਜੜ ਪਾਹਨ ਮੈਂ ਪਰਮੇਸਰ ਨਾਹੀ ॥੯੯॥
O fool! Fall at the feet of Lord-God, The Lord is not within the stone-idols.99.(pg.111)

ਤੇ ਭੀ ਬਸਿ ਮਮਤਾ ਹੁਇ ਗਏ ॥ਪਰਮੇਸਰ ਪਾਹਨ ਠਹਿਰਏ ॥੧੩॥
THEY were also overpowered by ‘mineness’ and exhibited the Lord in statues. 13. .(pg.134)

ਪਾਹਨ ਪੁਜੈ ਹੈ ਏਕ ਨ ਧਿਐ ਹੈ ਮਤ ਕੇ ਅਧਕ ਅਧੇਰਾ ॥ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਕਹੁ ਤਜਿ ਹੈ ਬਿਖ ਕਹੁ ਭਜਿ ਹੈ ਸਾਝਹਿ ਕਹਹਿ ਸਵੈਰਾ ॥
Worshiping stones, they will not meditate on the One Lord; there will be the prevalence of darkness of many sects; leaving the ambrosia they will desire for poison, and they will name the evening time as early-morning; .(pg.1142) (eg hindus and christians)

ਤਾਸ ਕਿਉ ਨ ਪਛਾਨਹੀ ਜੋ ਹੋਹਿ ਹੈ ਅਬ ਹੈ ॥ਨਿਹਫਲ ਕਾਹੇ ਭਜਤ ਪਾਹਨ ਤੋਹਿ ਕਛੁ ਫਲਿ ਦੈ ॥
Why do you not pray to him, who will be there in the future and who is here in the present? You are worshipping stones uselessly; what will you gain by this worship? (pg. 1289)
ਅੱਛਤ ਧੂਪ ਦੀਪ ਅਰਪਤ ਹੈ ਪਾਹਨ ਕਛੂ ਨ ਖੈ ਹੈ ॥

Rice, incense and lamps are offered, but the stones do not eat anything. (pg.1349)

See more photos and discussion on facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=108156&id=1214270541&l=5a22781e63

“Amid the legal infighting following Yogi Bhajan’s death, critics are offering another portrait of the Sikh leader.”
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3HO Sikhs are now fighting amongst themselves in a lawsuit over the millions of dollars in profits made from using the sacred Sikh religious symbols and scriptures for their own personal gain.3HO Sikhs, who follow Yogi Bhajan, funnel the money to support Yogi Bhajan's tantric cult church which 3HO Sikhs have deceptively camouflaged using names like "Sikh Dharma International", "3HO foundation", "Sikh Dharma Stewardship","SikhNet.com","Sikh Dharma Worldwide", "Unto Infinity Board","Khalsa Council" and "KRI(Kundalini Research Institute)". See "Sikhnet's" and "Sikh Dharma International's" slick new websites which were produced with the millions in ill-gained profits using the name of the Golden Temple, names and images of the Sikh Gurus, and sacred Sikh shabads for profit in commercial enterprises.


Read the full front page article about Yogi Bhajan's lust for power and greed of his 3HO Sikhs in Today's Eugene Register-Guard:

""Yogi's Legacy in Question"".[/link]

"New lawsuit hits Golden Temple with fraud!"


Read about the infighting in 3HO and Sikh Dharma--
Today's Eugene Register-Guard:

""Rift in 3HO Sikh community threatens business empire""


LETTERS IN THE EDITOR’S MAILBAG: Friday’s paper
Appeared in print: Friday, May 28, 2010

"Bhajan was a leader ‘by fluke’

Recently, a friend sent me articles from The Register-Guard on litigation involving Yogi Bhajan’s organizations in Oregon. The letters to the editor that followed, critical of the reporter, prompt me to throw some light on the subject. Bhajan was extremely good at what he did, but propagation of Sikhism he was not. Criticism of Bhajan’s cult cannot be construed as criticism of Sikhism.

Trilochan Singh, a distinguished Sikh scholar, in his 1977 book “Sikhism and Tantric Yoga,” describes Bhajan devastatingly: “Yogi Bhajan is a Sikh by birth, a Maha Tantric by choice but without training, and a ‘Sri Singh Sahib’ and self-styled leader of the Sikhs of the Western Hemisphere by fluke and mysterious strategy.” There was no mystery to his strategy. He ingratiated himself with the Sikh religious leadership in Punjab, which was more corrupt than the Vatican during the time of Martin Luther.

According to the Tantrics, the best form of worship is the fullest satisfaction of the sexual desires of man, therefore sexual intercourse is prescribed as a part of Tantric worship. In the annals of abuse of women, some had harems, others had concubines and Bhajan had secretaries. The Sikh gurus condemned the Tantrics and their practices. All the cases mentioned in The Register-Guard had merit.

Humility is the hallmark of a Sikh, and Bhajan had none of it. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, describes people such as Bhajan succinctly: “Those ... who have no virtues but are filled with egotistical pride.”

Hardev Singh Shergill President, Khalsa Tricentennial Foundation of North America Editor-in-chief, The Sikh Bulletin El Dorado Hills, Calif.

"Sikhism and Tantric Yoga"
by Dr. Trilochan Singh (Link to entire book)

"The book Sikhism And Tantric Yoga is available at: www.gurmukhyoga.com.This website which is operated by a genuine White Sikh is highly recommended. Gursant Singh was a member of the Yogi Bhajan Cult (3HO and the Sikhnet Gora Sikhs or White Sikhs) for over 30 years and has intimate knowledge about the inner workings of this cult which attempts to miscegnate Sikhism with Hindu idolatry. I downloaded the book from Gursant’s website and found it to be absolutely compelling. I read it in one compulsive and sustained draught. It is a study not only about cults in Sikhism but about the miscegenation of the Sikh Religion by Hinduism. It is a classic work rendered in beautiful English prose and it is patently the work of a profound intellectual scholar with a deep knowledge of Sikhism."
Quotation taken from: http://www.sikharchives.com/?p=5513&cpage=1#comment-2011

You may also view individual chapters to "Sikhism and Tantric Yoga" at these links:

Sikhism & Tantric Yoga A Critical Evaluation of Yogi Bhajan
http://www.gurmukhyoga.com/forum/index.php?id=192

Sikh Doctrines and Yogi Bhajan's Secret Science
http://www.gurmukhyoga.com/forum/index.php?id=193

Yogi Bhajan's Adi Shakti Shaktimans and Shaktis
http://www.gurmukhyoga.com/forum/index.php?id=194

Yogi Bhajan's Clap Trap Theories of Kundalini Yoga
http://www.gurmukhyoga.com/forum/index.php?id=195

Yogi Bhajan's Ego Maniac Utterances
http://www.gurmukhyoga.com/forum/index.php?id=205

Yogi Bhajan's Seven Years in America and His Tinkling Titles
http://www.gurmukhyoga.com/forum/index.php?id=206

Yogi Bhajan's Arrest and Release on Bail
http://www.gurmukhyoga.com/forum/index.php?id=207

Yogi Bhajan Becomes the Only Maha Tantric in the World
http://www.gurmukhyoga.com/forum/index.php?id=208

Sikh Leaders without Conscience
http://www.gurmukhyoga.com/forum/index.php?id=209

Call to Truth and Authentic Sikhism
http://www.gurmukhyoga.com/forum/index.php?id=210

Please read an Excerpt below taken from "Sikhism and Tantric Yoga"

The Name of Golden Temple and its Murals

"In England last year a firm advertised some blue jeans as Jesus Jeans. The whole religious world of England rose in one protest and stopped the manufacture of these jeans. The word Golden Temple has become an instrument of commercial affairs of Yogi Bhajan He has now even named shoe stores as Golden Temple. I was given a "Wha Guru Chew.""

"Yogi Bhajan is using the sacred Sikh mantras and the sacred name of Guru Ram Das as a mantle for his Tantric Sex Yoga which will inevitably lead to mental and physical debauchery of those who take his brand of Sikhism contaminated by crazy sex-energizing asanas seriously."

Read about the "war between 3HO Sikh's Unto Infinity Board and Yogi Bhajan's Sikh Dharma". Yogi Bhajan set up all these organizations and installed their leaders. Decide for yourself if the Tantric Sex Yoga which Yogi Bhajan taught inevitably leads to mental and physical debauchery.

Many of these 3HO profiteers have cut their hair and renounced Sikhi! See these pictures below of Kartar Khalsa CEO of Golden Temple Foods and chairman of Yogi Bhajan's "Unto Infinity Board" who has cut his hair and is no longer a Sikh.
[image][image]
(Is it any wonder that Kartar and Peraim, Controlling members of Yogi Bhajan's "Unto Infinity Board",are wearing circus masks in the above photo?)http://cirrus.mail-list.com/khalsa-council/Kartar-Peraim.2-10.jpg

See these articles in today's Eugene Register Guard which shows the greed surrounding this dispute:

"Money trail at heart of Sikhs’ legal battle."

Wha Guru being used sacriligiously for huge profits by 3HO Sikhs
[image] [image]"Five flavors and they're all nuts!"

[image][image][image]


"What did the magician say to the Wha Guru Chew? Open sesame."

[image]


Yogi Bhajan used the sacred name of the Golden Temple, names and images of the Sikh Gurus, and sacred Sikh shabads for commercial enterprises to make millions of dollars. Wha Guru is even used as the name of a candy bar by Golden Temple Foods!Links appearing on the internet advertise Golden Temple along with wine and alcohol such as in this Google search link: "Golden Temple Granola - Food & Wine - Compare Prices" Other internet links associate Golden Temple massage oil with sex and sensual massages as in this Google search: "Sensual Soothing... Golden Temple Soothing Touch Massage Oil."

See for yourself the pictures below of the Darbar Sahib(Golden Temple) in Amritsar and Guru Tegh Bahadar featured on yogi tea boxes:
[image][image][image]
[image] [image]

[image][image][image][image]


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3HO Sikhs are associating yogis, ashrams, tantric sex yoga rituals,drinking of wine and magicians of the occult with the Sikh Gurus and the Golden Temple See the Rare Photo (above) featuring the Harimandir sahib in 1908 when it was under the control of the Pundits or mahants. Sadhus and yogis felt free to sit wearing only a dhoti and no head coverings.The Gurdwara Reform Movement stopped such practices in India and gave the Gurdwaras back to Gursikhs.

[image][image]
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Tantric Asanas taught by Yogi Bhajan for transmuting sexual energy:Reprinted from Yogi Bhajan’s official magazine “Beads of Truth” 11, p. 39

[image]
Yogi Bhajan illustrated here controlling tantric shakti "energy". Notice the depiction of Shiva,above Yogi Bhajan's head, Shiva is the god of yoga for Hindus. The illustration also shows Kundalini Yoga Asanas taught by Yogi Bhajan for transmuting sexual energy

[image] [image]

Yogi Bhajan's students are intstructed to meditate on Yogi Bhajan's picture everyday which you can see displayed in the 3HO Espanola Gurdwara in the photo above.
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Idolatry is forbidden in sikhism....why does an 8-foot high statue of the Hindu god Ganesh, adorn the entranceway to the Siri Singh Sahib (yogi bhajan) lane in espanola. This is the hindu god of "prosperity", as in the 3HO publication "prosperity pathways".Adi Shakti Chandi 3HO Tantric Deity worshipped by 3HO in songs and prayers(shown above). Read about Yogi Bhajan's Shaktiman and Shakti women.

Read these shocking fire pujas and occult numerology,(below), practiced and advertised in the latest newsletter published by 3HO Sikhs. These "kriyas" or pujas are complete rubbish,only adding to the destruction and dissolution of the Sikh faith and should not be practiced by Sikhs of the Guru. The object of these practices is to combine the Sikh faith with Hinduism; to defang, neuter and completely destroy Sikhi. The strategy is to introduce idolatry and a stratified priesthood into the Sikh Religion. Yogi Bhajan and his 3HO shakti cult followers are introducing idolatry and Hindu practices of pujas and tantra mantra into the Sikh religion. The Bhajan movement is attempting to shift Sikh worship from the commonwealth of Gurdwaras to private estates controlled by 3HO priests of Yogi Bhajan's Tantric sex cult church.
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Idolatry is forbidden in Sikhism....why does a golden statue of a yogi adorn the entranceway to the 3HO Gurdwara in Espanola. This is a Hindu practise.
3-HO Sikhs demonstrate(in the photo above)their complete subservience to false worldly material power by exhibiting the Flag of God (The Nishaan Sahib) at an even level with the flag of the United States in front of the 3HO Gurdwara in New Mexico. The Nishaan Sahib, (The Respected Mark of God under the shadow of the Sikh Broadsword) should always fly higher than the flag of all the false materialists. The Flag of the Khalsa should occupy a place of exaltation above any government's flag that temporarily inhabits the material world.

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Tantric Yoga asanas (above) taught by Yogi Bhajan
and practised in 3HO Gurdwaras

"Tantric doctrines involving sex-poses or physical contact poses are extremely repulsive to Sikhism. The Sikh Gurus repeatedly ask the Sikhs to shun Tantric practices because they are based on a mentally perverted outlook of life. The Sikh Gurus ask the Sikhs to shun the very presence and association of Shakti-Cult Tantrics." Dr. Trilochan Singh "Sikhism and Tantric Yoga"

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Tantric Asana taught by Yogi Bhajan for transmuting sexual energy:Reprinted from Yogi Bhajan’s official magazine “Beads of Truth” 11, p. 39

See how Hindu gods and yogis are displayed in 3HO Gurdwaras, (see link in blue).

See this post which exposes the most shocking relationship Yogi Bhajan had with Jagjit Naamdhari who is considered by his disciples as the 11th Sikh Guru. The Naamdhari Sikhs keep the Siri Guru Granth in a closet while they bow to Jagjit and refer to him as "SatGuru Ji" as you can see in the photos at this link.

Read these comments by traditional Sikhs. "What better way to make money: add a religious tone to the product. All of a sudden, it seems legit."


If you want to stop these degrading and sacriligious practices by Golden Temple Foods and Yogi Bhajan's cult followers; Post a letter of support on this website or write your local food stores and demand they stop selling Golden Temple Food's products. Some of the major stores which carry these products are Trader Joes, Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats but there are many many other stores who sell millions of dollars in Golden Temple Granola, Peace Cereal, Yogi Teas, massage oil and Wha Guru Chews.

Yogi Bhajan's sacrilegious teachings in the name of Sikhism are illustrated quite distinctly by pictures of Yogi Bhajan's portrait, hindu idols being displayed in and around 3-HO Gurdwaras and the practice of kundalini and sex energizing tantric yoga asanas inside 3-HO Gudwaras by Yogi Bhajan's students.
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Idolatry is forbidden in Sikhism. Why does an eight foot high image (above) of Yogi Bhajan controlling the tantric shakti "energy" adorn the 3HO Gurdwara in Espanola? You can see the menacing image of Yogi Bhajan overshadowing the Sangat on the right side of the entire Espanola Gurdwara in the photo above.

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Idolatry is forbidden in sikhism....why does a golden statue of a yogi adorn the entranceway to the 3HO Gurdwara in espanola. This is a hindu practise.


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Yogi Bhajan's students are intstructed to meditate on Yogi Bhajan's picture everyday which you can see displayed in the 3HO Espanola Gurdwara in these photos.
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In a painting at the New Mexico 3HO Gurdwara(above)you can see the sacrilegious misrepresentation of our sacred Khalsa symbol "Khanda" with two swords around it. You may also observe in this painting how Yogi Bhajan is depicted on an equal level with Guru Ram Daas(the 4th Sikh Guru): Dr. Trilochan Singh recounts this observation in 1977 when he writes, "The other picture was the Khalsa symbol Khanda with two swords around it. The Khanda (double-edged sword) within this symbol was replaced by a picture of an American woman with Sari-like robes. The woman is called Adi Shakti. I saw this published in the Beads of Truth in London and have already commented on it in my book, The Turban and the Sword of the Sikhs. I told Shakti Parwha that this is the most sacrilegious misrepresentation of our sacred symbol. As usual she dismissed my opinion as unimportant."

The sikh code of conduct says food offerings to the GURU are forbidden, but there is a 'testimony' page over at sikhnet.com, a 3HO run site loaded with volumes of Yogi Bhajan nonsense talks. Yogi Bhajan instructs 3Hoer's to prepare meals as offerings at the gurdwara and calls this "a dish for a wish". This is nothing more than the Hindu practice of puja. The testimony states "a dish for a wish".
Please read an Excerpt below taken from

"Sikhism and Tantric Yoga"
by Dr. Trilochan Singh (Link to entire book)

"Yogi Bhajan is using the sacred Sikh mantras and the sacred name of Guru Ram Das as a mantle for his Tantric Sex Yoga which will inevitably lead to mental and physical debauchery of those who take his brand of Sikhism contaminated by crazy sex-energizing asanas seriously."


Yogi Bhajan studied and taught at the Sivananda Ashram in Delhi. This, in addition to his first Kundalini Yoga teacher Sant Hazara Singh. In the mid-1960s, Harbhajan Singh took up a position as instructor at the Vishwayatan Ashram in New Delhi, under Dhirendra Brahmachari. This yoga centre was frequented by the Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter, Indira Gandhi, and diplomats and employees from a host of foreign embassies.

Here's an article on Sivananda's approach to Kundalini Yoga:

www.dlshq.org/download/kundalini.htm

These are all Hindu practices.

You can also read about the Gurdwara Reform Movement which stopped such practices in India and gave the Gurdwaras back to Gursikhs.

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Gurdwara Reform Movement

A Rare Photo of Harimandir sahib in 1908 when it was under the control of the Pundits or mahants. Sadhus felt free to sit in meditation wearing only a dhoti.The Gurdwara Reform Movement (Gurdwara Sudhar Lehr) is the Legislation passed by the Punjab Legislative Council which marked the culmination of the struggle of the Sikh people from 1920-1925 to wrest control of their places of worship from the mahants or priests into whose hands they had passed during the eighteenth century when the Khalsa were driven from their homes to seek safety in remote hills and deserts.

When they later established their sway in Punjab, the Sikhs rebuilt their shrines endowing them with large jagirs and estates. The management, however, remained with the priests, belonging mainly to the Udasi sect, who, after the advent of the British in 1849, began to consider the shrines and lands attached to them as their personal properties and to appropriating the income accruing from them to their private use. Some of them alienated or sold Gurudwara properties at will. They had introduced ceremonies which were anathema to orthodox Sikhs. Besides, there were complaints of immorality and even criminal behavior lodged against the worst of them. All these factors gave rise to what is known as the Gurudwara Reform movement during which the Sikhs peaceful protests were met with violence and death and ended with them courting arrest on a large scale to gain the world's attention. Before it was all over many would fall as martyrs with some being literally blown apart while they were strapped to cannaon barrels.

‘During the Gurdwara Reform Movement, the Sikh leaders started a publication that was named Akali. From this paper and its policy the leaders began to be called Akalis, in view of which they formed the present Akali party. These Nihang Akalis should not be confused with the members of the Akali party.’ The Turban And The Sword’' , by Dr. Trilochan Singh. (Page 402)

I found this post at SikhSangat.com It exposes the most shocking relationship Yogi Bhajan had with Jagjit Naamdhari who is considered by his disciples as the 11th Sikh Guru. The Naamdhari Sikhs keep the Siri Guru Granth in a closet while they bow to Jagjit and refer to him as "SatGuru Ji" as you can see in the photos below.

The 'Namdhari' cult has been excommunicated from the Khalsa Panth. See for yourself the pictures of Yogi Bhajan depicting his close relationship with Jagjit Naamdhari.

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"However their are several instances which I find questionable about Yogi Bhajan. One includes the relationship they had with Jagjit Naamdhari (http://satguruji.blogspot.com/), and the other about an occurance that occured in the late 70's between Yogi and AKJ, where Yogi criticized Jatha for trying to "steal" members."

Yogi Bhajan wore huge gemstones for their so called “yogic energy and power". Yogi Bhajan adorned himself with these yogic rings and precious gems for different days of the week. Yogi Bhajan covered up the fact that these days are represented by different Hindu deities and the practice of wearing these yogic rings is really only the Hindu idea of pacifying the various gods and goddesses. Not only this, Yogi Bhajan used astrology and numerology in choosing these yogic rings. Yogi Bhajan believed the gemstones had "energy affects" and influenced our destiny, thinking and actions.
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Yogi Bhajan shown here on Sikhnet wearing a yogic ring for power

Around the year 2000, Yogi Bhajan tried to personally sell me a yogic ring for several thousand dollars. We were at Hari Jiwan Singh's house in Espanola where HJ keeps a vast collection of gems worth millions of dollars. Yogi Bhajan told me. "You're naked." And he stated I needed a ring with a particular stone to protect me.
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Yogi Bhajan’s wearing and promoting yogic rings is yet another Hindu practice camouflaged in the sheep’s clothing of "Aquarian or New Age spiritual thinking”. These things should not be practiced by Sikhs of the Guru. As Sikhs we should rely on the Guru alone for strength as Guru Arjan so beautifully states:

I have learnt the technique of true Yoga from the divine Guru. The True Guru has revealed this technique with the Light of the divine Word. Within my body He has revealed the Light that pervades all the regions of the earth. To this Light within me I bow and salute every moment. The initiation of the Guru are my Yogic rings and I fix my mind steadfastly on the One Absolute God.i,

A. G. Guru Arjan, Gaudi, p 208

The following is taken from "Sikhism and Tantric Yoga" by Dr. Trilochan Singh.

We quote Yogi Bhajan on Precious Stones and rings, which for him are his status symbol, and for possessing which he expends quite a lot of his energy and ingenuity. He says in Beads, Summer 1972, "Precious stones are not precious because the rich wear them and the poor do not. Rather, they are precious because when cut in the proper way they concentrate sun energy and can transmit to the individual through the skin. Hence most rings are worn on the ring finger. The quality of energy channeled by each stone differs and so does its effect on the individual. Stones also correspond to the planets and serve in mediating the scattered energy which comes from retrograding planets."
Yogi Bhajan has given the following comments on stones.
Ruby (Sun) concentrates the heart of the sun's rays.
Moonstone and Pearls (Moon) help balance out too much sun energy. They are commonly worn by Libra.
Diamond (Venus and practically everything) can concentrate miles of sun rays into one beam. Recently in Los Angeles someone was robbed of 100,000 worth of jewel within 72 hours.
Emerald (Mercury) has wonderful effect on the brain and is a cooling stone. Good luck for everyone.
Coral (Mars) is for balancing positive and negative forces.
Topaz (Jupiter) is a good luck stone.
Blue Sapphire (Saturn) can give so much energy to a person that he becomes negative. Those who are interested in details can read the Journal Beads, Summer 1972, p. 16. I do not know what is the opinion of the Jewelers on these statements but from the point of Sikhism these notions are worthless absurdities.
Yogi Bhajan does not wear the earrings of the Nath Panthi Yogis, but he wears precious gold rings (sometimes two and sometimes three) heavily studded with jewels, and cannot help displaying them ostentatiously, probably as a symbol of wealth acquired through the techniques of Tantric Yoga, which he sacrilegiously identifies with the techniques of Sikh mysticism. Bhai Gurdas, however, makes it clear to all Sikhs of all ages that Yoga asanas and yoga techniques are absolutely useless and unnecessary for Sikh meditations and the spiritual path of Sikhism:
jog jugat gursikh gurs am jhay a
The Guru has himself explained to the Sikhs the technique of true Yoga, and it is this: A Sikh must live in such a moral and spiritual poise that while hoping and waiting he ceases to aspire or crave for low ambitions and remains unconcerned and detached. He should eat little and drink little. He should speak little and never waste time in nonsensical discussion. He should sleep little at night and keep away from the snare of wealth. He should never crave avariciously after wealth and property.
Bhai Gurdas, Var 20 / 15

We still have very eminent scholars and saints who practice and live according to the Essentials of the Sikh Path with utter humility and devotion. They do not wear long robes. They do not wear gold and diamond rings. They do not contaminate Sikh doctrines and practices with practices of creeds and cults which are repulsive to Sikhism and strictly prohibited. There are piles and piles of correct interpretations of the Sacred Writings of the Sikhs written first by the great contemporaries of the Gurus like Bhai Gurdas, Bhai Mani Singh, Bhai Nand Lai, and our own contemporaries like Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh and Bhai Vir Singh. They not only interpreted it but lived it and suffered for it like living martyrs, never seeking anything but the Grace of God and the Gurus as a reward.
See an excerpt from a meditation taught by Yogi Bhajan listed on one of his student's websites promoting yogic gems at "YogaGems.com".

"Each finger represents a planet, whose energies we imbue with grace within ourselves and through our projection:

The little finger is Mercury, enhancing communication.

The ring finger represents the sun, empowering our physical bodies with healing and grace of motion.

The middle finger stands for Saturn. We strengthen virtues of patience and self-discipline.

The index finger is for Jupiter. We enshrine the light of wisdom within us.

The thumb represents the earth, ego, “dragons head and dragons tail.” We bring grace to the ego, so it supports our spirit.

I brought this realization of grace through the beautiful Light that had descended with me, wherein I experienced each finger’s cosmic connection—to the planet Mercury, the shining Sun, ringed Saturn, luminous Jupiter, and lastly, Earth—wherein dragons symbolize the spiraling DNA of creation, all these energies equally a part of my soul."

See these links by Yogi Bhajan's students promoting "Power necklaces".

Please read an Excerpt below taken from

"Sikhism and Tantric Yoga"
by Dr. Trilochan Singh (Link to entire book)

"Yogi Bhajan is using the sacred Sikh mantras and the sacred name of Guru Ram Das as a mantle for his Tantric Sex Yoga which will inevitably lead to mental and physical debauchery of those who take his brand of Sikhism contaminated by crazy sex-energizing asanas seriously."

The Register-Guard
http://www.registerguard.com/
Yogi’s legacy in question |
Former followers say he abused his position for power, money and sex
By Sherri Buri McDonald

The Register-Guard

Posted to Web: Sunday, May 9, 2010 12:14AM
Appeared in print: Sunday, May 9, 2010, page A8

A slow, painful awakening led Premka Kaur Khalsa, a top secretary in Yogi Bhajan’s Sikh organization for almost 20 years, to leave the religious group in 1984, she said.

Premka Khalsa, 66, said she could no longer participate because of the inconsistencies she said she had witnessed between the yogi’s behavior and his teachings — the deception and abuse of power.

In 1986, she sued Yogi Bhajan and his Sikh organizations, settling out of court. In court papers, she alleged that the married yogi had sexually and physically assaulted her, that he was sexually involved with other secretaries and that, as the head of his administration, she worked long hours for little or no pay.

The organization’s religious leaders vehemently deny those allegations. Its business leaders did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

Kamalla Rose Kaur, 55, another former member of Yogi Bhajan’s 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization) who wrote for a grass-roots newsletter in the community, said a light switched on for her when she was researching and writing about religious groups and thought, “Hey, we’re acting a lot like a cult.”

Former member Guru Bir Singh Khalsa, 60, who had been appointed a “lifetime minister” by Yogi Bhajan, said he received a wake-up call in the early 1990s, when Sue Stryker, then an investigator with the Monterey County District Attorney’s office, laid out evidence linking members of his spiritual community to criminal activity. Stryker, now retired, said a member of Yogi Bhajan’s Sikh community pleaded guilty and served time in prison for a telemarketing scam that bilked seniors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

These and other ex-members of Yogi Bhajan’s organization say they aren’t surprised by events unfolding now, six years after his death. Legal disputes threaten to splinter the community. Allegations of the yogi’s past wrongdoing are resurfacing. And the future of the Sikh organization’s businesses are in question.

The outcome will ripple far beyond the religious group, whose companies have become intertwined with the local economy and business community.

In Multnomah County Circuit Court, the group’s religious leaders are suing the group’s business leaders over control of the community’s multimillion dollar businesses, including Golden Temple natural foods in Eugene and Akal Security in New Mexico.

“Organizations/cults that have charismatic leaders and their followings, once their charismatic leader dies, this is generally the kind of thing that occurs,” Premka Khalsa said.

“It’s the meltdown of a cult,” said Kamalla Kaur, who spent nearly 20 years in 3HO, and now runs an Internet forum for ex-members. “They actually kept it together longer than we expected.”

Steven Hassan, a Massachusetts-based author, counselor and former leader of the Moon cult in the 1970s, said he has counseled about two dozen former 3HO members, including leaders, over the years.

“The group, from my point of view, was always about power and money,” he said. “(Yogi) Bhajan is the consummate … cult leader. By not specifying someone to take over, there often are these kinds of political battles and meltdowns — people basically being greedy like Yogi Bhajan was and wanting more of a slice for themselves.”

Attorney John McGrory, who represents the religious leaders in the Multnomah case, said his clients strongly disagree with the description of their organization as a cult. They “believe very strongly that it’s a religion,” he said. “They practice and follow it, and they are ministers.” The proof, he said, is in the thousands of adherents who still practice it.

McGrory said the real source of the discord in the community appears to be that the assets Yogi Bhajan built up over the years are being taken for private use, with the blessing of the managers the yogi appointed to safeguard them.

Gary Roberts, attorney for the business leaders, has said they’ve done nothing wrong and have acted in the interests of the Sikh community.

When a founder of an organization, or the head of a family, passes away, disputes among successors are common, said Krishna Singh Khalsa, a Eugene Sikh for 40 years.

“There’s nothing spiritual or charismatic or cultlike about that,” he said. “It’s simply where interests clash.”

Religious leaders voice concerns

A year before he died, Yogi Bhajan established the “Unto Infinity” board to oversee the network of businesses, property and educational and spiritual nonprofits. Members include Golden Temple CEO Kartar Singh Khalsa and three of the yogi’s former secretaries: Sopurkh Kaur Khalsa, Siri Karm Kaur Khalsa, and Peraim Kaur Khalsa. Kartar Khalsa and Peraim Khalsa are domestic partners.

In the years leading up to the Multnomah lawsuit, the group’s religious leaders expressed concern that the business leaders, the Unto Infinity members, had abandoned the group’s orthodox beliefs, which include not cutting one’s hair, eating a vegetarian diet and abstaining from alcohol.

In court documents, the religious leaders allege that the Unto Infinity members acknowledged in 2008 that they no longer practiced those core beliefs.

Unto Infinity members did not respond to Register-Guard interview requests. But in March 2009, when the Khalsa Council, an international group of Sikh ministers, asked them whether they had cut their hair, were no longer vegetarians, and drank alcohol, the business leaders responded by letter, according to the Khalsa Council.

The letter said, among other things: “The questions raised are irrelevant to our roles and responsibilities in the organization. We are not the religious leaders of the organization; we were given administrative and financial authority and responsibility.”

The Unto Infinity members wrote that they had made many sacrifices while the yogi was alive and that now they’re applying “more kindness into our personal lives.”

“We have learned the importance of factoring back into our lives more joy and balance as we continue to serve this mission for the rest of our way home,” they wrote.

The Unto Infinity members wrote that if the religious authorities decided to narrowly define what a Sikh Dharma minister is, “we may not continue to qualify.”

However, they noted, “many current ministers in Sikh Dharma have broken their Sikh or minister vows, marital vows, and the laws of our country and have remained ministers,” adding that that had been true even while Yogi Bhajan was alive.

Watching the business leaders back away from the group’s religious practices, some former members said, reminds them of what they experienced when they decided to leave the group.

“You go through stages of discovery of how you gave away your power and were deceived,” Premka Khalsa said.

“Once the person who is defining your reality — the charismatic leader — once he’s not there continuing to enforce the beliefs, then your eyes start to open,” she said. “You see things in a different way, and it can be disillusioning.”

Premka Khalsa said that’s especially true for the yogi’s secretaries, such as herself, who sacrificed much of their lives to serve him.

“I met him at 25,” she said. “I was 41 by the time I left, so my life of family, child bearing and (being) productive in the world, that whole piece was gone. Nothing was put into Social Security, and I walked out with the clothes on my back.”

The women in his inner circle “were denied having a personal relationship with any other men,” she added. “Some of us wanted to get married and have children, but we got sidetracked into agreeing to forego that with the intention of serving something bigger than us. Sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice.”

Flaws noted by former members

The group’s publications and Web sites praise Yogi Bhajan as an advocate for world peace and as a spiritual teacher who has helped improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.

A resolution passed by Congress in 2005 after his death recognized the yogi as “a wise teacher and mentor, an outstanding pioneer, a champion of peace and a compassionate human being.”

But Yogi Bhajan also had flaws, former members said.

“He was a phenomenal yoga teacher, a phenomenal spiritual man,” said Guru Bir Khalsa, the former “lifetime minister” who left the group after 18 years. But the yogi “sabotaged his own dream,” he said.

Imposing at 6 foot 3 inches and 250 pounds, Yogi Bhajan claimed humility, but had a weakness for expensive jewelry, luxury cars and custom-designed robes, former members said.

“He was a big dichotomy,” Premka Khalsa said. “He was tremendously charismatic. It just drew you in. You felt held and you felt loved and you felt embraced and felt part of something that was magnificent and bigger than you, and always yummy.”

“On the other side, he could be devastatingly harsh and make decisions that seemed so contrary to what he would preach and teach,” she said.

“He was all about power and he became a victim of that experience,” she said.

Lawsuits on assaults, inheritance

With his long white beard, white turban and white robes, Yogi Bhajan advocated for world peace, founding an annual Peace Prayer Day in 1985. But his saintly public image contrasted starkly with his private behavior, Premka Khalsa and other former secretaries said.

In her 1986 lawsuit, Premka Khalsa alleged that Yogi Bhajan repeatedly physically and sexually assaulted her from November 1968 to November 1984.

McGrory, the religious leaders’ attorney, said his clients deny all the allegations in Premka Khalsa’s lawsuit, which “were never verified or substantiated.”

In court papers, she alleged that the yogi was sexually involved with various female followers, and that he ordered her to coordinate his sexual liaisons, including orgies, with other secretaries, which she refused to do.

The head of Yogi Bhajan’s administration, and an editor and writer for his publications, Premka Khalsa said she worked on average 10 hours a

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