The inventing (and re-inventing) of Kundalini Yoga

For anyone unaware (is there anyone?), Kundalini Yoga and 3HO Sikh Dharma are inextricably linked.

There is no historical, ideological, or anthropological connection–what-so-ever–between the religion of Sikhism and Kundalini, aka Tantra. Yet this link has nevertheless found its way into the common vernacular among many people in the west with little epistemological discourse.

I'm not here to UN-link the two.  That's been done, almost to the point of exhaustion already. I have the benefit of believing in neither. That means I'm free to look at it from a distance, although that distance for me is never too far, having been brought up to have a devout and uncritical belief and appreciation for the ideologie(s) AND the link.  

This brings me to my current topic, which is 3HO's many iterations, or, re-inventions of their ideologies, beliefs, and social positions, and the inherent conflict that this ongoing re-invention presents.

If, during my childhood in the 70's, 80's, 3HO purported an ideology or belief system, it was presented as the truth. It was presented as well that there can only be one truth. And that if this truth was the one truth, there really can be no other truth.  Truth, in the religious sense, is not subjective.

Devotees of Harbhajan Puri (Yogi Bhajan) accepted his teachings as this truth.  It wasn't subjective. It was not up for discussion or debate. (Although many of his lectures were hardly coherent, and often conflicted with other lectures. No matter, his truth was THE truth).

He lectured extensively about sexuality.  He lectured about women's sexuality. He lectured about men's sexuality. And he lectured about homosexuality.

Here are some of so-called truths about homosexuality that I can recall off the top of my head: "Homosexual men are homosexual because their mother didn't love them while they were in the womb"... "Homosexual men were stuck in their first chakra"... "Homosexual men like to wear black leather and studs and have anal sex because they are obsessed with their first chakra, and can't get out of their lower chakra"...  "Homosexual women were homosexual because they hated men"... "Sex between two women is different than being a homosexual".  ...and so on.

Enough.  It's so absurd, and to think it was presented as truth makes me sick.  Because in this case it meant that the devotees had permission from their leader to be homophobic.  And when it came to real life, they acted out their homophobia openly and aggressively.  Make no mistake. I was there. I saw it, and sometimes I was even the recipient of it. And I left because of it.

Even if 3HO is different today, if YB's teachings were the truth (and in this world, remember that the truth is not subjective) aren't they in conflict with his doctrine?  In end, are they openly saying, "Yogi Bhajan was wrong"?

No. Instead, they are revising his teachings, wiping the slate clean of all the crap he said, picking and choosing what, of his many bizarre philosophies to re-iterate, and painting a false picture of a progressive and learned person who really wasn't either.

Religions need to be flexible with the times. And it's way better that 3HO appears to now be on the side of good. Just keep in mind that it was not that long ago that Bibi Inderjit Kaur was asked that she give permission to gay couples to have wedding ceremonies in the Gurdwaras in New Mexico. She denied that request.  This was in the early 2000's.

3HO Sikh Dharma has a very short history, and amnesia only works for those who stand to benefit from it.

I'm no amnesiac.

Upcoming ICSA Events to take advantage of

If you're reading this blog, chances are you are curious about 3HO and Yogi Bhajan.  Also, chances are you were born and raised in this group. And if you were born and raised in this group, there's a 90% chance you were sent away to boarding school in India. And a 100% chance you have a lot of horror stories.

If so, the International Cultic Studies Association may be a valuable resource.

This July there is a workshop for former members of cults. It's in Colorado Springs, and goes from Friday July 26th–July 28th.  Go here for more information: http://events.icsa.name/overview-co

Then in November, right there in the belly of the beast, Santa Fe New Mexico, is a 'mini' ICSA Conference being held. Go here for more information: http://events.icsa.name/overview-santa-fe

Either way, you should read THIS PAPER just to get started on the process.

GOOD LUCK!

As If I Needed A Reason...

A child separated from his or her parents experiences profound emotional trauma and damage to his or her true sense of security.  This is the fundamental reason not to send children to boarding school.

But in addition to that, there are other reasons NOT to send a child to boarding school in India through the 3HO sponsored schooling system. Here are some.

• Health risks like Hepatitis, Malaria, and Giardia
• Physical abuse
• Corporal punishment
• Sexual abuse

and now,

• Death.

To date there have been two extremely unfortunate and tragic ends to young lives at Miri Piri Academy.*

It might not occur to someone reading the Miri Piri Academy brochures, where it's advertised as an enriching and valuable experience.

Take a look at Why Boarding School at the MPA website and you will understand what I mean.

It contains testimonials by proud, flag-waving alumni, as it (hastily and poorly) outlines some of the so-called benefits of overseas boarding school.  Education however, is not referred to, and therefore I assume is not a priority.

I'm not surprised considering the principal of MPA is a former Indiakid, has no formal higher education, and no education in learning and child development.  He was ordered to return to India immediately after completing his own schooling, and he has been there ever since.  Does that sound like someone who is qualified to look after your children?

In addition to the bizarre recruitment, I'm more sickened that there are 2nd generation 3HO adults actually choosing MPA for their children.

Have we not learned ANYTHING?

* In 2010, 27 year old Chilean national Oscar Gálvez Escudero aka Satya Amrit Singh was found unresponsive in his dorm bathroom. His body was repatriated to his parents in Chile with his internal organs removed. Horrific.

Full Story Here: https://youtu.be/HNQaJhY_QK4

And, I do not have the name of the second person who died at MPA, but I remember seeing the news a while back that a student had drowned while swimming in the Ganges at Rishikesh.

Giving Back

Chapter 1

As Sikh children, we were told to give back. In fact giving back to one's community, or Dasvandh, was one hallmark among my many memories as a Sikh child. My parents gave ten percent of their income in tithings. It's part of Sikh tradition to give a tithing, even if very small, at every temple.

I have been away from the 3HO Sikh Dharma community for nearly two decades, so it is from a healthy distance that I observe the ongoing legal battles between all of the for-profit companies (Akal Security, Golden Temple Foods, Yogi Tea, etc), non-profit companies (Sikh Dharma International, Sikh Dharma Worldwide, Siblings of Destiny, et al.), the familial heirs to Yogi Bhajan's personal fortune, and his personal assistants, who are staking a claim to the very large sums of money involved among all of these entities.

It's complicated, it's convoluted, and, for many it's infurating! (I think I can say this and be heard by believers and non-believers alike)

One of the reasons these legal battles are impossible to appreciate is that it's about millionaires fighting with other millionaires about who gets to keep the pot of gold. And a pot of gold it is. Akal Security has received about $30 billion in federal contracts in its existence.

And then there are the rest of us. There are those who remain in "the dharma" and continue to work for meager wages. There are those whose homes are the property of the 3HO Sikh Dharma non-profit religious entity. There are those who simply walked away from all of it, and re-built their lives one step at a time. And there are those who were born and raised there and:

1) worked for a 3HO Sikh Dharma business or organization for minimum wage
2) were discouraged from attending college, or
3) attended college eventually, but paid his/her own way, borrowing in order to do so.
4) did not attend college, and fend for his/her selves in what ways he/she can.

and finally,
5) that financially cover one's own therapy and counseling. (I'm hoping everyone is doing this regardless, by the way)

As for me, all of the above.

I am successful and fulfilled in what I do, which is good. But I can't say that going out on my own as a young adult totally alone was not immensely challenging. Or that I didn't encounter some major hurdles. And I cannot say that I would not have greatly appreciated my community giving back to me in some form of support in return for my contributions to them.

But as I left to forge my own path, all I heard was Sayonara. No, what I literally heard was, "you will be a drug-addict prostitue lying in the gutter".

But alas, this is the way of the world much of the time. Religions don't give plebians support, and Tithings aren't a choice. Tithings are an obligation. It's one's holy duty to give to the church. And to ask anything in return other than salvation or pure bliss is showing greed and discontent.

At the Sikh Dharma Worldwide website: http://sikhdharmaworldwide.org/ you will see information on ways to give, but not much on community engagement and outreach. You will see pages that have been set up to accept donations that will cover their incurred legal fees. There is a website and domain dedicated to Tithings alone called http://www.dasvandh.org/. They do, however, "give" in the form of political contributions. To both parties. In large sums. State and Federal.

Chapter 2

After the legal mess, most of us have an idea of the net worth of Sikh Dharma International and all of its "nesting dolls" of non-profits and for-profits. I ask, when are they going to give back? Have they set up a college scholarship fund? Have they set up a fund to help young adults go out into the world to succeed? Have they instituted any sort of support structure for its young members so that they may move forward, move upward, and thrive? Has Bibiji Inderjit Kaur Puri offered up any of her personal fortune to help others? Have Peraim Kaur and Kartar Singh, after receiving their settlements offered to help anyone recovering and surviving this cultic environment? Has the Kettle Foods empire ever offered to help out? Or, for that matter, any one of the multi-million dollar businesses, that benefitted from the hard work and dedication of ashram devotees, who often worked for very little pay, offered up support?

And yet, and yet... there are people right under their noses in Española who live in dilapidated mobile homes.

It's time to give back. It's time to offer to heal wounds and mend hearts.

There is a generation of adults who suffered as children, and there are more generations to come–who as children suffered needlessly due only to your callousness, your narcissism, and your dogma.

And to my 2nd and 3rd generation readers. We can heal our wounds by finding ways to give back to our communities too. I have hope that we can take that grain of advice and we can polish it into a beautiful, shining pearl.

We have come this far.