Yogi's review"Sikhism and Tantric Yoga"
I am a yogi. I was actually certified as a Kundalini yoga instructor at Yogi Bahjan's house in Anandpursahb India. I chant mantras from the sikh gurus and had an amazing experience dipping in the nectar pond at the golden temple in Amristar, but I am not a sikh. I like to wear a kara, but I cut my hair, shave my face and do not wear a turban.
I respect sikhs and the sikh faith and have friends and teachers who are sikhs, but I am critical of all organized religions and their dogma. I never met Yogi Bahjan personally and I am critical of many people in 3ho who worship him. There definitely is a core faction in 3ho that is cult like in it's worship of the personality of Yogi Bahjan.
What I do know is that practicing the kundalini yoga and white tantric yoga that Yogi Bahjan taught makes me feel good--really good! It makes me feel so good that I do my sadhana everyday and I am healthier and happier for it. It makes me feel so good I have quit smoking marijuana and drinking coffee--unhealthy habits I had for decades.
One reason I am not a sikh is because of sikhs like the author of this interesting article who claim "real sikhs" don't do yoga. Why would I want to belong to a religion that condemns yoga when yoga makes me feel so good and does not harm anyone or anything?
My question to the author, who claims that yogic asana and pranyama are utterly "useless" is: Has he ever tried it? Has he ever he done a kundalini yoga class? Has he ever done an all day White Tantric Yoga meditation workshop? Has he ever come to Espanola, New Mexico for the annual summer solstice celebration and done 3 days of white tantric yoga with 2,000 people from all over the world chanting the names of God and the words of the sikh gurus in unison for hours and seen the seen the clear desert sky turn to a hale storm within a few minutes?
The fact is the main focus of Yogi Bahjan's teaching is meditation on the word, chanting the names of God and the words of the sikh gurus. The practice of asana and pranyama simply prepare one's body and mind to experience the bliss of the word. I challenge the author to come down from his ivory tower and directly experience kundalini yoga and white tantric yoga and then respond.
One thing I like about the sikh religion is that, unlike those annoying Jehova's witnesses and Mormons, it is not missionary. You will never have to deal with guys in turbans and beards knocking on your door and trying to convince you that if you don't convert and believe in their one true religious dogma you will burn in hell for all eternity.
In my training as a Kundalini Yoga instructor it was emphasized that Yogi Bahjan came to the west to teach kundalini yoga and train kundalini yoga instructors because he believed that this ancient, secret technology was desperately needed at this critical time in human history.
Yogi Bahjan never intended to convert anyone to become a sikh. Many of his early students, however, idolized their teacher and wanted to be like him. Many of them were hippies and already had long hair. They started growing their beards and wearing turbans and asking Yogi Bahjan to teach them to be sikhs.
Yogi Bahjan also repeatedly said that he came not to gain students but to train teachers. He succeeded in this, but many of the students he trained to be teachers did idolize their teacher and become sikhs.
I have mentioned earlier that I was critical of a core group in 3ho that is cult like in it's worship of the personality of Yogi Bahjan. I would just like to clarify that I have been around 3ho for years and I can tell you that it is definitely NOT a cult. Nobody has ever tried to convert me to be a sikh, and since the passing of Yogi Bahjan fewer and fewer kundalini yoga students and instructors are becoming sikhs. Every year I go to summer solstice there are more younger people and fewer beards and turbans.
See more photos and discussion on facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=108156&id=1214270541&l=5a22781e63
![[image]](images/uploaded/image100.jpg)
Yogi's review"Sikhism and Tantric Yoga"
by Mandeep Singh 
, Seattle, Saturday, April 10, 2010, 17:29 (5346 days ago) @ A Yogi
Baba Gurbaksh Singh & Jaap of Naam vs. Bani
Taken from Nirmal Jeevan by G. Ishar Singh Nara
Translated by Admin www.tapoban.org
Baba Gurbaksh Singh jee was a blessed soul who had the opportunity to do sangat with Sant Attar Singh Mastuana.
One day, after divaan, Baba Gurbaksh Singh jee approached Sant Attar Singh and asked, “Many people say that doing paath of the Gayatri Mantar is very powerful. Which Mantar is this?”
Sant jee replied, “For Gursikhs, Satguru jee’s Mukhvaak chhan is the Gayatri Mantar. It is even more powerful than the Gayatri Mantar. It is ‘ਗੁਬਿੰਦੇ ॥ ਮੁਕੰਦੇ ॥ ਉਦਾਰੇ ॥ ਅਪਾਰੇ ॥੯੪॥ ਹਰੀਅੰ ॥ ਕਰੀਅੰ ॥ ਨ੍ਰਿਨਾਮੇ ॥ ਅਕਾਮੇ ॥੯੫॥ ”
Baba Gurbaksh Singh jee began to do jaap of this mantar with great faith. After Sant Attar Singh departed from the area, he did a chaleehaa (40 day jaap) of this mantar as well in which he would do 31 malas (108 beads in one mala) of this jaap.
After a few months, Baba jee again did another chaleeha and in total did 5 of them at various times. Baba jee began to feel a certain ras from doing this paath in side him. It was very pleasurable to do the paath.
After some time, Baba Gurbaksh Singh for a total of 6 months repeated this paath. Then for the next 6 months repeated “Vahiguru gurmantar” . After doing this, Baba jee began to feel the same pleasure in doing jaap of both. Baba jee began to wonder sometimes that Gurmantar should give more ‘ras’ but both are giving the same.
Baba jee at this time kept doing jaap of both but the confusion grew. He was not sure why both mantars were giving the same pleasure to him.
It was winter time and the day of 22 Maghar ended and night fell at village Ghudiala in Jalandhar. After sleeping for the first quarter of the night, Baba jee awoke at 1am according to his nitnem. Everything was dark around him. Baba jee softly repeated, “ਨਮੋਅੰਧਕਾਰੇਨਮੋਤੇਜਤੇਜੇ ॥ …”
Upon repeating this tuk, Baba jee’s consciousness was pulled inwards. He saw a spherical realm within which there was complete light. Within it, in golden lettering, were written the words “Sant Mandal” or “realm of the Saints”. Baba jee entered the realm and saw there were many spiritually glowing souls within. In the centre of all the souls was a supreme glowing light. Baba jee realized that the extremely glowing jot was Guru Nanak. Just as he had seen in some pictures, there was a simrana surrounding Guru Sahib’s dastaar.
Baba jee lovingly bowed and then sat off to one side. Baba jee saw one glowing spirit say to another “Jap Gurmantar!” the second then said to a third “Jap maha-mantar!”. The third then said to a fourth, “Jap Vahiguru Mantar!”
Baba jee was hearing these voices in a state which was neither waking nor asleep. He was seeing and hearing everything with his soul’s eyes and ears. He did not know what avasthaa this was but he could perceive everything perfectly.
Baba jee’s eyes then opened and his consciousness returned. His body was feeling very light and inside he could taste an amazing ‘ras’.
Baba Gurbaksh Singh after some time went with other Sangat from his area to meet Sant Attar Singh who was staying in Sangrur in those days. Baba jee related his experiences with his jaap of the Gayatri Mantar and Gurmantar to Sant jee and also about the vision he had seen of Sant Mandali.
Sant Attar Singh said to Baba Gurbaksh Singh, “to remove your doubts, Guru Nirankaar gave you an answer that the jaap of a shabad or chhand is only for a certain time or purpose. Regular simran and abhyaas should only be done of Maha Mantar of Gurmantar ie. Vahiguru Mantar.
After hearing Sant Attar Singh confirm his belief, Baba Gurbaksh Singh until his end continued to do abhyaas of Vahiguru Gurmantar with complete faith and determination.