Kundalini Yoga is Nonsecular

by Gurumeet Kaur Khalsa, Monday, January 11, 2010, 17:15 (5218 days ago)
edited by Gursant Singh, Monday, June 13, 2011, 09:27

Following is part 1 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
Dear Guru Sant Singh Ji,
Sat Nam and blessings. I appreciate also the debate in civility and respect, and I honor your choice to practice and teach that which has meaning for you, and the opportunity for this engagement and sharing of ideas.

You say
I have only received hate mail which is full of fear and anger towards anyone who would criticize Yogi Bhajan and or his Kundalini and Tantric Yoga.
I ask you, Guru Sant, if you would give consideration to the Sikh tenant of honoring the choices of others to follow the practices and teachings of their choosing, as I honor yours? I also ask if you examine the words of Dr. Trilochan Singh, do you experience any fear and anger in his words? I absolutely do not condone the responses from those who answer you with their own fear and anger. You are one hundred percent correct to say that fear and anger are masking insecurity and a lack of self confidence. I am asking you because I when I read what Dr. Trolochan Singh has written, I sense anger and fear in his words. I was wondering if you experience this at all?

You say
I could never totally accept Yogi Bhajan's form of Sikhism which, lets face it, has many elements of the occult, and idol worship.
When we gather before the Siri Guru Granth Sahib we bow only to God and Guru. Sikhism is Sikhism, it is incorruptible, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib is our only guide. Sikh practices are clearly laid out in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, and there is no form of these sacred practices that exists, which belongs to any one person, they belong to humanity. Dr. Trilochan Singh has mislabeled the nonsecular practices of Kundalini Yoga that we teach as Yogi Bhajan’s form of Sikhism. That is a misnomer.

You say
. . . how can any Sikh teach his students to meditate on his photograph as Yogi Bhajan taught with his guru yoga?
The whole point of the Tratakum Meditation is to connect with one’s one inner, divine, awareness, the Guru within. Yogi Bhajan’s photo is not worshipped. It is used in the Tratakum Meditation as an example of neutral consciousness. Whenever this meditation is taught, the emphasis is always on connecting with the Guru within. The yoga of gazing or Tratakum is a technology that focuses pranic energy through the eyes and improves the ability to concentrate. It increases the flow and pranic glow from the eyes of the practitioner.

You say
How can any Sikh allow photos of himself and statues of yogis and Hindu gods to be placed in or near a Gurdwara?
Sikhs are known throughout the world for their beautiful art in many forms, and yet, sculpture is forbidden. . .? I do not understand this taboo. Some Sikhs even forbid painting, saying art in any form is idol worship. None of this makes sense to me. The Creator of all of the creation has given human beings the blessing of creative energy and talent to create beautiful art in so many different venues. Art that is spiritually inspired is wonderful. All the beauty of creation is wonderful. Ang Sang Wahe Guru. If you can’t see God in all, you can’t see God at all. I do not see the problem. If Hindus have practices that involve devotions before beautiful sculptures of their deities, what is the problem with that? One of the reasons I was attracted to becoming Sikh is that we honor all others’ ways of worship and the Atheists right to no worship. Once Kirn Kaur told me that she asked Yogi Bhajan what the purpose of a sculpture of a holy being is, and he said the purpose is to anchor prana. It seems to me that all art anchors prana to a certain extent. What is the problem? Once Mukhia Jethadar Amrit Singh told me he had a vision of a sculpture, and asked me to imagine a life size sculpture of Guru Gobind Singh with his children surrounding him on our front lawn. He then told me that he had shared his dream with Yogi Bhajan and that he loved the idea too. As it happened, my beautiful sister in Albuquerque, Manjit Kaur, had overhead the conversation and she began to most passionately and rather vehemently object. Yogi Bhajan then told Amrit Singh to wait a while. Later I went to Manjit Kaur and asked why she objected, and she tried to explain to me her point of view, and I could see that she was fearful and angry about the idea. I still do not get the problem. Why does beautiful sculpture make Sikhs angry and fearful? We are Sikhs of the True Guru. We worship Akal Purkh, the One Pervading God. Beautiful sculpture does not threaten me. I lovingly hope Amrit Singh does not continue to wait.

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.”