Yogi Bhajan

I have been watching videos on You Tube which has goreh Sikhs in America talking about Sikhism, naam, bani, japji sahib etc.

I have found these videos really good and insightful and have learned a lot. One guy in particular is Guruka Singh who seems to talk a lot of sense and is well versed in the GGS.

What opinion do you guys have of this guy and the movement there ??

I’m just interested to see what other people think as I have also read some disturbing things on the internet regarding the Yogi, who has the name Shiri which I believe is rarely given ( I may be wrong here)

Many thanks


S. Singh

Satbinder Ji..

The use of words like "seems"..( to talk a lot of sense..and is well versed..)...in your message show that you are capable of self judgement...
Dont go for the "easy" solution...ask others opinions..and then maybe.see how many "glorify"..hw many "condemn"...how many agree..how many disagree..etc etc and then make up your mind...thats NOT the right way..

GURBANI instructs us to.."AAkleen SAHIB SEVEEAH..meaning use our own God bestowed INTELLECT...to read Gurbani..understand Gurbani via vichaar..various sources..books articles etc etc..and then make a calculated judgement...
People "see" what they wnat to see..even in GURBANI...so one who beleives in myths and miracles..will "see" these in Gurbani..while another who doesnt WONT SEE these even if the TUK or shabad is the SAME in Both instances...the Nirmalas and Udasis who wrote a Teeka of SGGS called the faridkotee teeka had a Hindu Background...they see Gurbani ENDORSING all the Hindu myths and miracles and shivas and ramchanders...while Prof Sahib Singh in his SGGS Darpan read the very same Gurbani and cmae to different conclusion supported by evidence from Gurbani..
So the Bottom Line is..we make the choice as individuals...based on Guur Jis Kirpa on us individually..to be blessed with understanding...so the first thing to do is learn GURMUKHI..to connect with the GURU PERSON to PERSON...and then proceed form there..step by step...as I have been for the past 59 years..and still progressing...

so the first thing to do is learn GURMUKHI..to connect with the GURU PERSON to PERSON...and then proceed form there..step by step...

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Thank you for saying it so clearly and concisely!

Yogi Bhajan was given titles by the SGPC over the years for selfless service to the Dharma worldwide. These titles made his name the way it is, rather than his choice. In its entirety: Siri Singh Sahib, Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji. He is most remembered as simply Yogiji or SSS to Kundalini yogis and Sikhs around the world.

Adi Nanaki said:

Yogi Bhajan was given titles by the SGPC over the years for selfless service to the Dharma worldwide. These titles made his name the way it is, rather than his choice. In its entirety: Siri Singh Sahib, Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji. He is most remembered as simply Yogiji or SSS to Kundalini yogis and Sikhs around the world.

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Some thoughts. I am not his follower... and he often said he wanted no followers. When he died, or shortly before, he gave a lecture about a Tiger and Monkey. The Monkey would not leave his life long playmate the Tiger alone, pestering the sleepy tiger who was just trying to nap on a branch. Finally the monkey said: Why won't you play? Why do you growl when I torment you by pulling your tail. I thought we were friends. And the Tiger said, If you are my friend please let me sleep. It is time for me to sleep. Then Yogi Bhajan said to the sangat, It is time for me to go. I need now to sleep. Let me sleep. He was able to let go.

I don't get the impression that Yogi Bhajan ever thought of himself as more than a flawed human being. There are those among his followers who have acted in ego-mad and unscrupulous ways, almost from the start of his first ashram. He was definitely a controller. An overwhelming personality. I personally find much of what he said hard to believe.

No one is all bad. No one is all good. But in all of that, there are real gems of wisdom in his speeches including the admonition, Be your own Guru! That is something we can all think seriously about.

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> I would like to read about his life story – I do not know whether he wrote an autobiography. He was a man of conviction and strong character.
For what I have been able to gather about him – he started in India with the youth group before partition and found that the leaders of those days had double standards which he saw through.
He got together with a number of like minded people and made a group to follow Sikhi as intended and not with coloured by political hue.
He was a well to do person and decided that the leaders in Punjab had sold the Sikhs out saw the writing on the wall for Sikhs in Punjab. He believed that he should create teachers to spread Sikhi but out of India. I think he started in Canada and then when to the States. He was very successful and created about 20,000 Sikhs in New Mexico USA.

I briefly recall a story that he recited about his turn to make langer, and as he was ‘busy’ he sent all the groceries to the camp and hoped someone would make the food and people could eat.
When he showed up at the camp he was asked about the langer – and he said that he had sent the necessary. The team told him that he was already late and had not fulfilled his duty. He had to bring the stuff himself and cook it and serve it.
He thus had to then go and do all that again bring the groceries cook and serve. Only then did the rest eat and let him off.
One of complaints was that he could not get the people to get up at Amritwela and have a cold shower before Nitnem!
It was his strength that made him thwart attacks on his personality but I do not see if anyone attacked his principles that made him a Gursikh.
He has a lot of Videos on You Tube and some speeches on radio were also presented and worth listening to.
It is a personality like him with his dedication and commitment we need in Sikh leadership today.

I really like Guruka Singh's videos! I love his happy-go-lucky attitude. Could listen to him all day. I can understand what he says and relate to him. It took me a while before I learned he's the Yogi's successor!

I don't know much about Yogi Bhajan though. I recently read he would say about ladies and facial hair that it was more important to maintain "grace" than it was to maintain facial hair. Not that I want to start a discussion about that, just putting forward something I've heard about his teaching which might be relevant to this discussion about his teachings and application of Sikhism.

There is an extensive discussion here too
http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sects-groups-cults/19093-yogi-bhajan-and-3ho.html

As spnadmin ji says no-one is all good and no-one is all bad. Personally I find some of the teachings from the 3HO camp to be very good whereas others are questionnable according to Gurbani. Best to read Gurbani and make your own decision about what to accept and what to reject. 3HO have done a great job in raising the profile of Sikhi but they have also popularised some unrelated things (such as kundalini yoga). Take the good and leave behind the bad. Focus on SGGS

Ishna said:

I really like Guruka Singh's videos! I love his happy-go-lucky attitude. Could listen to him all day. I can understand what he says and relate to him. It took me a while before I learned he's the Yogi's successor!

I don't know much about Yogi Bhajan though. I recently read he would say about ladies and facial hair that it was more important to maintain "grace" than it was to maintain facial hair. Not that I want to start a discussion about that, just putting forward something I've heard about his teaching which might be relevant to this discussion about his teachings and application of Sikhism.

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Thanks all for the comments,
Ishna I agree with you about Guruka Singh he talks sense in a easy to understand way.
Also I saw a YouTube laidies talking about beards, keepsing hair, but had obviously plucked there eyebrows.

I will get back to all with replies to comments

findingmyway said:

There is an extensive discussion here too
http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sects-groups-cults/19093-yogi-bhajan-and-3ho.html

As spnadmin ji says no-one is all good and no-one is all bad. Personally I find some of the teachings from the 3HO camp to be very good whereas others are questionnable according to Gurbani. Best to read Gurbani and make your own decision about what to accept and what to reject. 3HO have done a great job in raising the profile of Sikhi but they have also popularised some unrelated things (such as kundalini yoga). Take the good and leave behind the bad. Focus on Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

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I would say that makes the most sense

Guruka Singh is a fine Sikh gentleman sevadar in the New Mexico community, but he is not Yogi Bhajan's successor. Yogii Bhajan encouraged everyone to be ten times greater than him. He portrayed greatness as being at the base of an upside down triangle, uncomplainingly supporting everyone. This is how we must all be in consciousness to bring in the new age, where everyone will have Christ consciousness.

My humble apologies, Adi ji. I thought I had read just the other week on the 3HO website that he was Yogi Bhajan's successor but I just double checked and no, it does not say that. Thank you for correcting my error, ji.

It is okay. We all love Guruka Singh dearly. He is very wise. Yet, he told me not to expect other people to be able to have my sublime experiences, which are universal. I will be sharing one such revelation, the Golden Temple meditation, at the upcoming International Summer Solstice celebration in New Mexico, where, at 7am on the first morning, we will meditatively bring the healing Golden Temple and Amrit Sarovar energies to bless the land and all who come.

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> I took the tour of the link supplied by Jasleen Ji and other information on site – a lot there!
A human cannot please all – even Guru Nanak could not make all see his point of view.
I choose not to ‘rake muck’ it is not going to help but will add my comments that I was going to write modified by other arguments.
Yoga was used by YB to direct people away from drugs etc. It is odd that Sikhi is very simple religion but people need instant results and something tangible so they prefer devas, jots and other Brahamincal followings – from that point of view I guess Yoga is not a bad practice.
Our Gurus did not say do not believe in Vedas, Puranas or Tantras (they just do not have any religious content) but there is a lot in them as information and knowledge. Yoga is one of them (not my thing) but working your way up to Puranas and Vedas – there is Science, Mathematics, Technology, and Medicine – I am not sure whether YB could have interested people in those subjects as easily as Yoga.
Some people have commented about lack of Sikhi content in YB lectures etc. I do not find that – he knew his stuff and put it over well.
I also believe that if his following was as large and a few people were displeased (I do not condone anti Sikh principles – one needs to make a project to prove it one way or the other) I would possibly consider that to be one sided view.

"Yogi Bhajan was given titles by the SGPC over the years for selfless service to the Dharma worldwide."

I think this should raise serious concern amongst the sangat as the actions of SGPC show that there is plenty of corruption, politics,business and activity that should be considered treacherous against sikhi and the sangat.

As far as Yogi Bajan i see the exact same thing that i see in the panjab politics of the sants,babas,akal taktht jathedars, gurus etc. Politics, religion,government support, money,business,scandals,rape alligations, immoral activity etc.

IN GURMATT its always said....ACCEPT whatever is as per GURMATT..and REJECT the rest.
Thus the ONUS is on the SANGAT...the Listeners...the readers.. THE audience !!
NO ONE..not Bhai Kahn Singh nabha..not Bhai Vir Singh..Not Bhai Kala Afghana..Not Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh ji of AKJ who incidentally IS the One and ONLY SIKH ever honoured by ALL FIVE TAKHATS !!....not Bhai Prof Darshan Singh Khalsa..etc etc etc..ONLY GURU Kartaar..Waheguru is ABHULL..everyone else makes and has made mistakes and can be wrong...on some things....
Its expected of us..indeed its our RESPONSIBILITY to the GURU/GURMATT to listen to all, weigh the arguments..and make a calculated "judgement" of what to accept and what to reject..as per OUR own understanding of Gurmatt/Gurbani... BHED CHAAL..BLIND FAITH...BLINDLY FOLLOWING and accepting as Total TRUTH of anyone else is NOT GURMATT.

I have mixed feelings about him. Most of the American Sikhs on the internet always bring up Kundilini yoga and the 3HO. As for me, I want to learn the REAL Sikhism, the more traditional. Based on what I have read, some see him as a great man, some see him as a cult leader. For instance, read here:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24293/yogi-bhajan-3ho

So, just not sure....

I'm not sure you can classify one kind of Sikhism as "real" as that implies all others are "false".

To classify one kind as traditional and another as whatever it is (ie. 3HO) I think is more reasonable.

Ishna said:

I'm not sure you can classify one kind of Sikhism as "real" as that implies all others are "false".

To classify one kind as traditional and another as whatever it is (ie. 3HO) I think is more reasonable.

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I guess I said the wrong thing... it isn't that there are "false" teachings, just that the 3HO isn't my bag.... and yes, that is a lot more reasonable! Thanks for the response!:grinningkudi:

Soon2bekaur bhenji, the only reason it stood out to me is that I've thought exactly the same thing and pulled myself up on it!! kudihug