What is 3HO, the Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization

I have always been intrigued by 3HO... Frankly do not know much about their origin and except for that sikhnet.com is controlled by 3HO.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/hard-talk/813-what-3ho-healthy-happy-holy-organization.html

So, What is 3HO ? Why some Sikhs have left 3HO for good ?
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Subject:[learning-zone] Re: Harbhajan Singh 'Leader of the Western Sikhs'Date:10/8/04 8:36:19 PM Pacific Daylight TimeFrom:amarprakashs@yahoo.comReply To:learning-zone@yahoogroups.comTo:learning-zone@yahoogroups.comCC:BCC:Sent on:
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=813
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Wahe Guru ji ka Khalsa || Wahe Guru ji ki Fateh ||

Sadh Sangat ji

I have met many good Sikhs, some great Sikhs and maybe even a couple
of Saints in my life, but Harbhajan Singh Puri was not one of them.

I joined 3HO almost 30 years ago to become a Sikh. I was a chela of
his for almost 20 years. I left when I found out that most of his
teachings were contrary to Gurmat and the Rehit. It wasn't until I
left that I actually became a Sikh. My whole experience with Harbhajan
Singh can be summed up in a quote from Farid (Guru Granth Sahib, p. 1384):

"I considered him a saint having swan-like purity,
That is why I sought his association.
If I knew he was a hypocrite like crane,
I would have kept away from him all my life."

Chardi Kalaa

Amar Prakash Singh

---------------------------

moderator's note:

congratulations for moving on. there must come a time when we must let go our dependence on mortals as our spiritual guides and seek the TRUE GUIDE. otherwise we will continue to be "manmukh hoay bandhay dha bandhaa".
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=813

waheguru bless you.

guru raakhaa
autar singh.

One more email for sharing..

[learning-zone] On Harbhajan Singh 'Leader of the Western Sikhs'Date:10/10/04 609 PM Pacific Daylight TimeFrom:four.turbans@verizon.netReply To:learning-zone@yahoogroups.comTo:learning-zone@yahoogroups.comCC:BCC:Sent on:
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Wahe Guru ji ka Khalsa || Wahe Guru ji ki Fateh ||
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=813

Sadh Sangat ji

Like Amarprakash Singh I too joined 3HO many years ago. I was associated with the movement at first in 1972. At that time I was interested in Sikhism and had found out about 3HO from some Indian Sikhs living in the USA. Yogibhajan provided a medium for me to become a Sikh, something that would have been much more difficult or impossible without 3HO. For that I'm deeply grateful.

On several occasions I spoke to Yogibhajan about Sikhism, Kundalini yoga etc. He was quite candid, he knew I was interested in Sikh dharma and steered my seva in that direction. He admitted that Kundalini yoga had elements of Sikhism in it such as most of the mantras used and was problematic for some Sikhs, at least to me and in private.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=813

He also said that Americans would never have accepted Sikhism unless it was explained in a yogic scientific way. Was he right on this? There are many Sikhs, gurdwaras etc in the West established by good Sikhs from India and abroad, but not many non-Indians have become Sikhs. 3HO, Radhasoami and other groups have brought elements of Sikhism to the West but the only large group of Western Sikhs are related to Yogibhajan's activities.

He in the early days encouraged people to take Amrit.

When I was at the Golden Temple with him on security he was deeply affected and had great love for Harimandir Sahib, which he often said he did seva at while on government service nearby before coming to the West.

When some of his associates/students tried to get me involved in their shady business and I complained to him, he asked me if I thought that I was more ethical than him. I replied;'this is bad business and I couldn't see Guru Nanak conducting his business in this way''. He told those business people to leave me alone. But the practices continued.

He told me once that he had many obstacles to pure service to the Guru, but that he considered himself a ''pipe'' to the Guru's teachings.

We all know that he was not perfect.

But I consider the establishment of Sikh dharma, albeit his understanding of it quite a notable achievement.

3HO Sikhism is different from what many peoples understand as Sikhism. As a long time student of the various Sikh teachers I can say that 3HO Sikhism is unique in many ways but has differences that are also evident in many Deras. Many Sikh teachers have unique aspects of Sikhism such as vegetarianism, yoga like meditation etc.

Other aspects are a stretch of gurmat such as tantricism, which even in that Yogibhajan uses Sikh mantras.

Yogibhajan had a personality that even he admitted was problematic for many. Like many spiritual teachers he alienated many as well as endeared many. He had enemies and he had friends.

I never considered myself a ''chela'' of Yogibhajan so I had far less problems with him. The closest I got to him was on a month long yatra to India in 1980.I saw him every day and spent a good deal of time on buses with him. He enjoyed life and was not an ascetic. But on this trip we went from one Gurdwara program to another. Sikhism was an important part of his life. He could have been far more successful a yoga teacher if he had dropped the connection to Sikhism.

We met Sikh groups stayed in local Sikh homes. It opened up a world of Sikhism for me. A world I still enjoy exploring.Most of my friends today are Indian Sikhs.In a recent campaign against a large government agency that discriminates against Sikhs I had the honor to fight that discrimination alongside of many indian sikhs. In that camaign there were no Eastern/Western Sikhs.

In 3HO I became a Sikh, something I'm I still working on. Despite my different understandings and dislike of 3HO business practices and acknowledgement of Yogibhajan's flaws I hope that the Western Sikhs proceed to deepen their understanding of Sikhism, a direction Yogibhajan opened up for them. The 3HO Sikh school is outside Amritsar, a good sign for future Western Sikhs.

The concept of Gurukhalsa makes it incumbent upon all Sikhs to share their understandings of gurmat and keep the sangat on the straight and narrow as far as the gGru has revealed it to them.

There are several understandings of Sikhi orthodoxy in Sikhism. Sikhism is like the Anglican Church rather fluid, but there is a core of teachings and practices nevertheless. So we must agree in advance that in Sikhism there will be some diversity of opinion. Not being from a dogmatic Western understanding of religion Sikhs can accept that. But criticism must still be there as well as the sharing of realizations. Even the SGPC understanding of Sikhism is still a work in progress.

The depth of the Guru's teachings keeps us busy widening and deepening the implementation of those teachings both individually and in society.

When Sikhs any Sikhs engage in unscrupulous practices we must point out that those are practices not condoned by Sikh rehit.

As for Yogibhajan I'm thankful he created a society I could nurture my budding Sikhi in.

It is a historical fact that whenever the Guru takes something away he gives us back something better. Sikhism is now a fact in the West and the Western Sikhs and the Eastern Sikhs must cooperate learn from each other and learn what is best about each of them and move forward to keep/give the reality of the predications of Guru Gobind Singh's that dharma would be established in the West. At the local memorial for Yogibhajan almost a 1/3 of the participants were Indian born Sikhs, with a kirtan jatha and a contingent from the local Gurdwara. This for me was a good sign of future cooperation.

Gururakha

Sathari Singh

Yogi Bhajan, 75, 'Boss' of Worlds Spiritual and Capitalistic, Dies
N.Y. TIMES


By DOUGLAS MARTIN


Published: October 9, 2004


Yogi Bhajan, a former customs inspector at the Delhi airport who became both the spiritual leader to Americans following his version of the ancient Sikh religion and a highly successful entrepreneur, died Wednesday at his home in Española, N.M. He was 75.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=813

The cause was complications from heart failure, Sikh Dharma, his spiritual community, announced.

Yogi Bhajan, whose full name was Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, introduced an ancient and arduous form of Indian yoga, Kundalini yoga, to Americans. It is more active than the more common Hatha yoga and is practiced by thousands of people across America.

He also introduced Sikhism to this country, but with twists that startled Indian Sikhs. For one thing, yoga is a Hindu practice, not a Sikh one. For another, he insisted that his followers be vegetarians, though Sikhs are renowned as meat eaters.

But he more than retained the Sikh tradition of being superb warriors: he mobilized his followers into a security company that guards federal courthouses and Army bases and takes in more than $1 billion a year.

Others of the 17 businesses he helped create included yoga centers and real estate concerns, as well as his Golden Temple natural foods company, Yogi herbal teas operation, Soothing Touch health and beauty products and Peace natural cereals. One of his nicknames was "the boss," The Miami Herald reported in 1998.

"The whole point of all these ventures is not for an individual to get rich, but to perpetuate the mission of the community," Avtar Hari Singh Khalsa, chief executive of Yogi Bhajan's 3HO Foundation, said in an interview with The New York Times last month.

Mr. Khalsa had previously been a television executive in Hollywood, home to not a few of the guru's disciples. One of them, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, has drawn attention for teaching Kundalini yoga to pregnant celebrities like Madonna, Rosanna Arquette, Melissa Etheridge and Cindy Crawford.

Partly because of his great visibility, Yogi Bhajan inspired critics, including traditional Sikhs; the cult expert Rick A. Ross, who called him an "absolute authoritarian figure"; and people concerned with his sometimes explicit sexual instructions.

Sikhism originated in the Punjab in the 15th century and preaches the commonality of all religions, the virtue of hard work and a belief in one god. Sikh men in India carry side swords [What it is described a ‘side sword’ is not a ‘sword’. It is one of the tenets (5-Ks) of the Sikh faith, called ‘Kirpaan’. There is no English word for ‘Kirpaan’ in any dictionary of the English language and/or encyclopedia, writes Dr Awatar Singh Sekhon (Machaki) of CANADA. The usage of the word ‘sword’ or side sword for ‘Kirpaan’ is strongly objected by Dr Sekhon, as the ‘Kirpaan’ is ‘not’ a lethal weapon. It is one of the 5-Ks required for an initiated Sikh person, along with the ‘Sikh turban or ‘Dastaar’, in order to meet requirements of the ‘Sikh Identity’], and so do Yogi Bhajan's disciples, most of whom are Americans not of Indian descent.

Yogi Bhajan met with two popes, two archbishops of Canterbury and the Dalai Lama. In New Mexico, he was important not least as a substantial contributor to both the Democratic and Republican parties; Gov. Bill Richardson ordered flags flown at half-staff in his honor.

Harbhajan Singh Puri was born on Aug. 26, 1929, in the town of Gujrawala in what is now Pakistan. (He legally changed his name when he became a United States citizen in 1976.) The son of a medical doctor, he graduated from Punjab University with an economics degree in 1954, then worked for 15 years as a customs official.

He told The Miami Herald that he had learned Kundalini yoga by having a helicopter lower him into the mouth of a cave in the Himalayas, where he kneeled for three days until the yogi master inside consented to teach him. He later claimed to be the only living master of Tantrism [Note: Tantrism is anti-Sikh and un-Sikh practice, writes Dr Awatar Singh Sekhon (Machaki) of Canada],a sexual form of yoga that men and woman practice together.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=813

He left India for Canada in 1968 and taught yoga in Toronto. He soon moved to Los Angeles, where he was attracted to youths caught up in psychedelic drugs. He called them "searching souls" and persuaded many of them to substitute meditation for LSD. Later, he set up a more general program to treat drug abusers.

Yogi Bhajan founded Sikh Dharma, his center in New Mexico's Española Valley, in the late 1960's. Time magazine reported in 1977 that he required his disciples to work 12 hours a day on low salaries and skimpy diets. Similar reports appeared elsewhere over the years.

His followers say that his strictures transform their lives in a positive way and that any sacrifices are voluntary.

Yogi Bhajan is survived by his wife, Inderjit Kaur; his sons, Ranbir Singh and Kulbir Singh; his daughter, Kamaljit Kaur; and five grandchildren.

He also left other families behind. He believed he could match couples by sensing the energy surrounding them as well as foreseeing their future [This also is anti-Sikh faith and un-Sikh like practice, writes Dr Awatar Singh Sekhon (Machaki) of Canada]. New West magazine in 1980 reported that sometimes in the middle of a lecture, he interrupted himself and declared to a pair of audience members, "Oh, you two people are engaged."

RE: [learning-zone] I AM THE MASTER. BOW!Date:10/12/04 8:48:35 PM Pacific Daylight TimeFrom:hschugh@earthlink.netReply To:learning-zone@yahoogroups.comTo:learning-zone@yahoogroups.comCC:BCC:Sent on:
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=813
Sent from the Internet (Details) The story of Yogi Bhajan stating that he was the son of a raja whose
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=813
father used to weigh him every month at his birthday against gold that
was then distributed among poor, was repeated by him in Cape Town in
1999 where he was participating in the Parliament of World Religions
conference. I was also there to present a paper. The story was published
in the local news paper and I had a cutting of the same.

Yogi Bhajan was a multifaceted personality and many people saw different
facets of his personality. I had known him since the day he came to Los
Angeles and at one time we were quite close until I saw that our paths
were different.

Although he mingled the Sikh principles with Yoga in a way that suited
his purpose, he steered many American young men and women towards his
form of Sikhism. Many left him and the Sikhism that he taught them but
some studied Sikhism (while staying with him or after leaving him)and
some of them have become genuine Sikhs. For that I have great regard for
him.
Hakam Singh.

Personally, I find this very important. His catalyzing presence gave genuine results.

: [learning-zone] On Harbhajan Singh 'Leader of the Western Sikhs'Date:10/13/04 640 AM Pacific Daylight TimeFrom:gkhalsa@hotmail.comReply To:learning-zone@yahoogroups.comTo:sikh_news_discussion@yahoogroups.comCC:learning-zone@yahoogroups.comBCC:Sent on:
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=813
Sent from the Internet (Details
WGJKK
WGJKF

I personally thank all of those who wrote in their kind and compassionate
words regarding Yogi Bhajan Singh. I also thank those who used this time
when thousands of people are walking through his death and his cremation as
a time to bring negativity and hateful comments to the table. It shows who
is who.

It is in the hands of Wahe Guru. I thank Yogi Bhajan who I have walked with
for over 30 years. I do not feel a sense of loss as he is a part of my being
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=813
and the gentle way he lead me to the feet of the Siri Guru Grath Sahib will
always be with me. He taught me compassion and forgiveness and an honored
sense of self. I have always believed that it is Guru who gathers his Sikhs
East and West and it is Guru who walks at our side through bani, Bana, Seva
and Simran. It is Guru who in the end protects the honor of his saints. We
will share our experiences and live in this light.

Yogi Bhajan touched my soul and changed my life and the lives of millions.
We cellabrate his death and his soul journey back home with love and great
devotion to one who gave so much for humanity. I would never presume to say
who is Sikh and who is not. I only know that I am a Sikh and that Yogi
Bhajan showed me the way to my Guru. I know that Guru stands with me and
walks at my side through the anahad through the Shabad. For this I am filled
with joy, humility and appreciation.

Wahe Guru.

Chardi Kala,
Kudrat Kaur Khalsa/UK and Espanola NM

So many lives were touched by him, and looks like first para gives a glimpse of what was taught. This is what I was trying to look for in these talks, that inspite of whateve negative things around/about him, what were the positive things which brought such a change in western thinking, who stand tall as sikhs.

Regards.

Sikhs' Date:10/13/2004 9:04:25 AM Pacific Standard TimeFrom:amarprakashs@yahoo.comReply-to:learning-zone@yahoogroups.comTo:learning-zone@yahoogroups.comSent from the Internet (Details)




-Wahe Guru ji ka Khalsa || Wahe Guru ji ki Fateh ||

Bibi Kudrat Kaur

I realize that this is a very trying time for 3HO. It
will surely test your mettle.

Both you and I entered 3HO about the same time, 1975.
It was truly an amazing time. The sky was the limit.
We were off on a spiritual adventure. This was only
six years after Harbhajan Singh had begun teaching. It was
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=813
grand experiment but it was in the hands of people
that didn't have the slightest idea of what they were
doing.

Even by 1975 things were beginning to go astray.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=813
Spirituality began to be pushed out of the way by
egos. There were signs up in Ashrams with telephone
numbers of where to call to turn in someone for having
doubts. Ashram heads were "excommunicating" people and
kicking them out if they dared to question them. All
of this done by modeling Harbhajan Singh's behavior.
There were even some sexual scandals with Ashram heads
having sex with their students. This too patterned
after Harbhajan Singh's behavior. And over the years
things have continually gotten worse. I have friends
in 3HO who pine for the old spiritual days.

Today is a great opportunity for the people in 3HO. It
is a time for everyone to re-evaluate what their
commitments are to Sikhi. Are they going to remain
"Yogi Bhajan Sikhs" or are they going to be Guru
Gobind Singh Sikhs? Are they going to follow "Yogi
Bhajan's false rehit" or are they going to follow the
Rehit Maryada. The following quote is from Kabir
(Guru Granth Sahib, p. 326):

"Kabeer has seen such wonders!
Mistaking it for cream, the people are churning water.
||1||Pause||"

Gurmat and the Rehit are the cream. Harbhajan Singh's
teachings are the water. Please stop churning water
because no matter how hard you churn you will never
get butter.

If people chose to be Sikhs, there will be a difficult
transition for many but the rewards will be many.

Chardi Kalaa

Amar Prakash Singh