Kundalini Yoga is Nonsecular part 3

by Gurumeet Kaur Khalsa, Monday, January 11, 2010, 17:18 (5437 days ago)

Following is part 3 of 4 of an e-mail exchange between Guru Sant and Gurumeet. (www.createinnerpeace.com) Gurumeet states it is a misnomer to call Kundalini Yoga synthetic Sikhism. It is not Sikhism or any religion, Kundalini Yoga is nonsecular and welcomes people of all religions or no religion.

January 8, 2010 (continued)
You say
Thinking back to the first time I took a Tantric Yoga course with Yogi Bhajan; I would have related much more to talk about God and simple devotional living for the Guru rather than mumbo jumbo about sacred Z energy and stories about the Mahan Tantric, hidden yogic secrets and asanas for seeing auras etc. I am now of the opinion that it is better to sing Gurbani and teach about Sikhi as Trilochan Singh and many other Sikhs like Bhai Sahib Randir Singh teach than to teach any yoga asanas and other such Hindu practices. Those that do not want to listen to Gurbani, then that's OK and they should go elsewhere for yoga.
I am so happy for you that you have found that it is better to sing Gurbani and teach about Sikhi. Part of sharing Sikhi will be to teach people to honor and respect others’ traditions and the right of each individual to choose their own path. We have more than 10,000 teachers of Kundalini Yoga in 173 of 194 countries throughout the world. The vast majority of these teachers are not Sikhs, they may be Christians or Jews or Buddhists, or Atheists, etc. Still, they meditate on Wahe Guru, on Sat Nam, on the Mul Manta of JapJi and teach their students to do so. A few will want to learn more about the Shabd Guru and some will find their way to the Guru’s Gate to bow their heads. Not all, but a few will become Sikhs, and fewer still will become baptized Sikhs. For all of the people in the world who do not chose to become Sikhs, I honor their right to choose their own practices. For all of those of any religion or no religion, who practice Kundalini Yoga and experience its benefits, contrary to your request, they will not go elsewhere for yoga. As a Sikhs of the Guru, it is our privilege to honor their choices.

You say
We cannot be mixing yoga and Sikhism. I believe we are now seeing the results of Yogi Bhajan's synthetic Sikhism.
It is incorrect to call Kundalini Yoga synthetic Sikhism. Kundalini Yoga is nonsecular. Everyone is welcome to practice the technology. It is true that there are meditations taught which draw upon the Sikh tradition, and there are also meditations with mantras from the Christian, Buddhist, and Muslim traditions, and other traditions, as well. Kundalini Yoga is nonsecular.

I am Sikh and I am a yogi and I mix them well.

You say (quoting from Dr. Trilochan Singh)
“Yogi Bhajan is using the sacred Sikh mantras and sacred name of Guru Ram Das as a mantle for his Tantric 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. Every Sikh having even rudimentary knowledge of Sikhism and even every non-Sikh scholar of Sikhism, would agree with me that Sikhs and Sikhism in America will go down the drain if these things continue to be practiced secretly or openly in the name of Guru Ram Das, and with sacred Sikh mantras as instruments of this type of Tantric Yoga which is extremely repulsive to Sikhism.”
“The Tantric techniques he (Yogi Bhajan) is teaching and practicing lead a person to self-destruction as soon as he loses the balance between life of the Spirit and life of the Flesh and Sex.”

White Tantric Yoga utilizes the masculine and feminine principles to channel creative energy to higher consciousness and clear the subconscious mind. It is not about sex, that is red tantra. You know this. White Tantra as well as Kundalini Yoga provide the awareness to channel creative (sexual) energy consciously. We call it the yoga of householders. We do not teach celibacy. We do teach all men to view every woman as a mother, sister, or daughter, except his one beloved, which is a teaching adopted from Sikhi. This does not lead a person to self destruction or mental and physical debauchery. In fact, it leads to balanced happy living. As a Sikh, I do not find it repulsive in any way. The teachings of Kundalini Yoga are helping millions of people of many different religions to experience healthy, happy, holy lives. The teaching are not going down the drain. The teachings of Kundalini Yoga are growing and glowing. Yogi Bhajan predicted that by the year 2013 between 40 and 60 percent of the population will be practicing yoga of some form. Kundalini Yoga is one of those forms, and it will remain a prominent offering to people.

Guru Sant, I honor your right to choose not to practice Kundalini Yoga. I hope you will consider accepting the choice of those who do choose to practice it, without objection. And please keep teaching people about Sikhi.

With love and blessings,

Gurumeet Kaur Khalsa