Sat Nam, Dear Family! Let’s talk about leadership a bit. Leadership is, and has been, misunderstood since the beginning of time. Some think it is being an example of what’s expected; others believe it’s representing those the lead; still others believe it’s always being positive; and others believe it’s to help others. I could go on. And, I agree with all these statements. But, if I could be so bold, I believe leadership can be summed up in a simple sentence. Leaders lead by representing the best interests of his/her constituency. That’s it. Of course, this conjures up the necessary subsequent questions: Does the leader know what’s best for his constituency? Does the leader have the guts to do what’s best irrespective of the consequences and/or recriminations? Does the leader have a personal agenda? Does the leader possess the sensitivity, security, and knowledge to act in the nuances of circumstances? Let’s discuss a little history albeit a cursory glance, but, nevertheless, very relevant. Remember what the famous historian and poet George Santayana said, “Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.”
Just look at the Catholic Church. It started out as a one man total process as the Pope was considered the Vicar of Christ and, as such, infallible. These days the curia, the bureaucracy surrounding him, has taken over and the Pope is not always the end of the line. The Presbyterians are ruled by a large democratic body as are the Lutherans with its Synod. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Stay tuned. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.
Yogi Bhajan, Banana Fana Fo Fana
Sat Nam, Dear Family! “Banana is the only complete food,” The Siri Singh Sahib, aka Yogi Bhajan, said one evening in 1995. “It has sufficient potassium to keep the magnesium and potassium in balance and this allows calcium to digest in the body perfectly and your bone and mental structure become right.” So, banana is all we need to eat? Well just look at gorillas, they’re pretty strong. His statement reminded me that bananas are like yoga – one’s all you need to eat, the other’s all you need to do. Nothing else is necessary. But, shouldn’t life be augmented by more than what’s just necessary? Shouldn’t life be enjoyed beyond necessities? Shouldn’t life contain additional elements, which add to the experience of mere necessities? For me, the answer to these questions is rhetorical. In Ayurveda, desert is to be eaten first. So, just as we begin our spiritual quest with yoga, the banana is to be devoured initially – no problem. But, as the little mermaid said, “I want more.” How about green salad to help growth; rice and dahl to add fulfillment; mix in chili to give spice; add yoghurt to smooth rough edges; a few almonds and pistachios for an extra burst of energy; and, sautéed vegetables to give us reserve power. I’m sure you’ve figured out my analogy by now. Yoga is the essence of life. It is all that is ultimately needed to become an elevated soul. Nevertheless, an elevated lifestyle, a true religion, or, as in our case, Sikh Dharma augments the yogic experience. Sikh Dharma is the whole package, the whole enchilada. It’s the banana, plus the rest of the meal: the enjoyment, the spice, the taste, the service, the smell, the sound, the added help, and the glory in life. I like my plate full; it’s a grand meal and a grand life. Oh, and by the way, as this meal is eaten, be sure to dress to the nines with appropriate jewelry to accessorize for the total experience. Stay tuned. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.
Yogi Bhajan, Misunderstanding Release in the Northeast
Sat Nam, Dear Family! In 1974 there was a publication distributed through our organization called Beads of Truth. It was a mimeographed monthly publication stapled together with a colored front page usually with some sort of psychedelic artwork on the front. This booklet was the way those of us in the boondocks kept abreast of what was going on in Los Angeles, the home of the Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan. Our Dharma was only a few years old at the time and students were much different than they are today. Straight out of the “hippy” movement, most were still weighted by this association. But, make no mistake about it, enthusiasm abounded and made up for a lack of experience in the Dharma. It was an exciting time. It was a time to change ourselves and change the world, save ourselves and save the world. Hope was real. I remember reading an article by an Ashram director from the northeast. I was amazed. The article was full of wisdom, insight, knowledge, and consciousness. I remember wondering how this teacher knew all this. After all, he was younger than I. It reminded me of when I began studying English literature. What was written had a deeper meaning. In order to truly understand great English literature, a knowledge of the Bible (both Old and New Testaments) was requisite. I intuited, and accurately, that yoga and Sikh Dharma had given this teacher the same allegorical ability. Just as English literature had motivated me to learn more about the referenced source, the Bible, this article inspired me to do more yoga and study more about Sikh Dharma. I wanted to know what this teacher knew. In fact, I wanted to know more – that’s my competitive nature. Therefore, this article has had an enormous influence on my life. Stay tuned. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.
Yogi Bhajan, Croak, No Yoke, at a Poke
Sat Nam, Dear Family! “When you profess yourself a teacher, the arrows start falling, It doesn’t even have to be a professed, just the audacity and confidence behind it requires constant vigilance in the form of matching up to the standard. And, here’s the other part of it, everyone’s standard of what a teacher should be like is different” the Siri Singh Sahib, aka Yogi Bhajan, said one warm early evening. I got it. Everyone judges, it just the degree, which varies. If we are to surrender to our teacher, we still find that it is often normal, even though unwise, that we still keep testing our teacher as proof that our surrender is right. So being tested in this way comes with the turf of being a true teacher. Students want to feel secure in the teacher’s authenticity in order to continue to follow. Stay tuned. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.
Tantric Course
Sat Nam, Dear Family! I stopped by the White Tantric course at lunchtime yesterday. I was shocked, but in a good way. The hall was packed with mostly new students that I’ve never seen before. They came from near and far to do this White Tantric Yoga. Stay tumed. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.
Yogi Bhajan, Thanksgiving Note
Sat Nam, Dear Family! Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It was always a cozy time to be with an expanded family. It was a secure time, a time to let all worries go for these few days, a time to totally relax. I pray that all of you fully relax and rejoice and experience this time of bliss. On this Thanksgiving, I pray that we just drop the worry and remember that God takes care of our affairs. Faith plus duty equals God and when we do this, He takes care of our affairs with no worry attached. I pray we expand this way of thinking beyond Thanksgiving and enjoy it year-round. After all, at Thanksgiving our only prayer should be: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Stay tuned. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.
Yogi Bhajan, Address Success with Blessings
Sat Nam, Dear Family! There are three ways to get what you want. A byproduct of this allows one the necessary discipline to produce the desired results. This practice takes a lot of work as well, but it initially is a mental discipline of not allowing the mind to think negatively and always focusing on the goal ahead. And, yes, this process is also limited. Stay tuned. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.
Yogi Bhajan, Some Gifts Create Monumental Shifts
Sat Nam, Dear Family! 1976 was a glorious year for me. After doing Kundalini yoga by myself for several years, I committed to this Dharma. I left my family; I left my friends; I left my comfort and I left my security behind. My father just let me go. I was amazed. He was such a huge part of my life. He always had an opinion, or should I say, a demand that I do things his way. It was sometimes comforting, sometimes my security blanket, sometimes limiting, and all the time frustrating. Naturally, I rebelled. Stay tuned. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.
Yogi Bhajan, Conflict: Convex or Concave
Sat Nam, Dear Family! “Sir, what creates conflict?” I asked on an unseasonably warm January night. We were seated in our usual spots in the living room at my house. I was on the "mama chair' and the Siri Singh Sahib, aka Yogi Bhajan, was in my chair, the "papa chair." CNN was on the TV, so he would watch it between the interruptions, which needed his attention. Earlier, in the late afternoon, we had taken our usual outing Santa Fe to listen to the music and eat at the beautiful lounge room in the El Dorado Hotel. Some of the Master’s staff and other invited guests had joined us. We usually consisted of around 20 people. Intermixed with our group was a local guest or more to interact with the Master. This day was no different except that there was quite a bit of conflict. A group of his guests were having some serious problems and wanted the Master’s advice. Naturally, his advice wasn’t an easy road to take, so there was conflict in accepting his wisdom. That earlier situation at the El Dorado, along with the conflict around the world depicted on CNN in the cozy living room, prompted my question. If there were any doubt as to what caliber of man our teacher was, you should have seen him in action during these occasions as he interacted with these guests. This particular day we weren’t hosting the “swami and yogi” type we had dealt with in the past. These were the “old hippy, psychic, astrologer, intellectual, you name it”, types. They were the professed local spiritual seekers, each claiming to know what’s right. And, again, their views of how reality shapes up were varied, chaotic and also entertaining. The Master never let on. He just patiently listened and gracefully suggested another view. A view, which challanged their view. Back home in our environment, CNN had run through its cycle several times, so I knew I wouldn’t be ill mannered in disturbing the Master by asking this question. In between the usual interruptions, the Master had heard all the current news. He focused on the question, “The reason there’s conflict is because everyone has a level, which they are not willing to break through. This is called the ‘security level.’ When this level of tolerance is breached, conflict occurs. How many times have you heard someone say, ‘I don’t want to discuss this issue, or I want to stop talking about this now, or I don’t want to hear this, or O.K., that’s enough.’ Do you know that I hear this in every counseling session I have. This is where my job begins and a student either moves forward or else their frustration leads to rationalization. This is the limit I’m talking about.” Shocked, I almost fell off the couch. In a free flowing moment, the Master had defined humanities history of conflicts in one short phrase. It rang true then and it rings truer today. There’s a level at, which everyone doesn’t want to hear the truth but instead must defend what they believe. It’s true among nations, it’s true among peoples, and it’s true between an individual and his consciousness. This is where the ego (which defends) must be put aside for greater understanding to take hold. This is the place where a blessing or curse takes place. Recognize it, and a chance for progress ensues; deny it, and we miss out on a chance to grow. The Master would be the first to say that his wisdom was not his own. Yes, he delivered it in his way, with his own flavor, but it was always the message of the Guru, which he served, not his own interpretation. He modeled for his students, pure devotion to the Guru. He gave his head to the Guru and was blessed with continual growth. His faith was so deep that doubt and conflict were strangers. His mission was to share this technology, which so blessed him. The Master’s purity of heart fuelled his boundless compassion. This day of counseling his guests was just another example of his vastness. Guests, not students, were asking his advice. If they asked, he gave. Everyone had a shot at his wisdom. Everyone had a chance to connect to the infinite truth of the Guru...that which takes you from darkness to light. Recognizing that a saint is offering words of truth could be the biggest gift in your life. To hear the truth and not react to it defines a courageous, reverent, noble seeker. If you take one step towards the Guru, He takes a million steps towards you. Stay tuned. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.
Yogi Bhajan, The Elegance of Excellence
Sat Nam, Dear Family! “Excellence must not only be expected, but must be delivered. Listen, it’s daunting for everyone at every level and of whatever caliber, but we’re not anyone. I don’t set the rules, I follow them. Our Guru says don’t settle for anything less.” “What exactly is “excellence” sir?” I asked. I didn’t want to misinterpret him. Many students ended up not following his direction because of misinterpretation alone. I wanted to stay ahead of the game. “And, how do we achieve excellence?” I continued. We had just left a meeting. I could tell, he was exhausted. It was drawing closer to the time of his passing and I could see his body showing effects of the constant pressure on his time. He traveled all over the world every week counseling, teaching, loving, disciplining, demanding, caring, covering, blessing, and otherwise bestowing a face and grace on his students. This is the heaviest of jobs and, naturally, it took its pound of flesh earlier than usual. Usually, his comments were drawn from recent experiences while dealing with students, people, things, you name it. The meeting we just left had prompted this comment. How he would deal with these challenges reflected not only his teachings, but his consciousness in action as well. I knew what excellence was as I saw modeled by his life every day. The Master demonstrated the highest caliber in dealing with everything and anything. Excellence is covering all situations; carrying everyone who requests help. “Excellence is truly achieved when God works for you and through you. Otherwise, covering and carrying is just a burden. This state is achieved through the sincere duty of practicing following a great teaching. Then God ultimately bestows His grace as a reward.” the Master answered. What else was there to ask and what else was there to say? Nevertheless, he continued, “Excellence IS for everyone and it’s available to all whether they chose to seek it or not. If you chose not to meet this challenge, well, then you just live your life and, ultimately, you’ll suffer the burden of what your karma brings. It’s up to each person to decide for themselves how much effort they can give. My job is to remind them that the pursuit of excellence is within their grasp and I can show them a great way to go after it.” Well, was the Master perfect? No, and he shouldn’t be. By his own acknowledgement he was an easy target. First of all, he needed to leave room for us to be ten times greater. Second, we don’t judge our teacher after commitment. Third, if judgment is a must, a person should be judged by what he does, which is special, not what is common. And, finally, everyone’s flaws are what make us human. We are not gods or demigods; we are not angels or cherubs. We are human beings whom all other beings long to be. We’re grateful for this human birth so that we can finally merge into bliss for eternity. No more stops along the way. It’s a journey with all its glory and agony. Practicing excellence becomes our grand desire. “Excellence is the sincere desire and action in the direction of getting better and better until this pursuit of excellence becomes habitual. In the mundane physical world, this is accomplished through “laws.” In the mental world, this is accomplished through ethics. And, on the spiritual level, this is accomplished through consciousness. It is identification with something great. For Christians, it’s the Christ; for Moslems, it’s Mohammed; for Sikhs, it’s the Guru. When belief becomes true identity, excellence is lived. When there is no difference between you and a true master, this experience of excellence becomes your reality. This is entry level spirituality. There is no difference between God and His saints.” “How can an ordinary person think of doing this,” I asked? “Isn’t this for saints to live, not ordinary people?” The Master counter mined, “Excellence is for everyone although not everyone will practice it and not everyone will even not know it’s necessary. For us, pursuing excellence is for those who want to experience Raj Yoga (Royal Yoga) and align themselves with those devotees of the royal court of Guru Ram Das. The practice of Kundalini Yoga gives us our pure self. The recitation of the Name of God (mantra) provides a Sikh with the grace and discipline to conquer excellence. These are the secret weapons, which allow us to do what we didn’t think was even possible – pursue excellence.” Stay tuned. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.
Yogi Bhajan, Mess up, Bone up, Keep up
Sat Nam, Dear Family! On a warm September evening in 1992, I messed up again. Listen, it comes with the turf when you are a student of the Siri Singh Sahib, aka Yogi Bhajan. After all, if students didn’t mess up, we’d be masters. Usually, I’d have to figure out what I did wrong and then be blessed to change so as to never repeat it. It’s part of the process. Sometimes these “mess ups” were so egregious that the Master felt it necessary to let me know immediately so the effects could be mitigated. This was the case on this evening. My relationship with the Master was unique. He never criticized me. Why he didn’t is another story. When situations like this one occurred, I learned of my indiscretions vicariously. In this case, I heard from my wife. She had heard from one of the Master’s secretaries that he was disconcerted about certain of my actions. It was painful. Usually, I didn’t know of my indiscretions, otherwise I would have acted differently. I immediately knew how I had negatively affected myself, the Master, and the Guru, and that was excruciating. I was living on the ranch in New Mexico at the time. My wife was living in L.A. with our kids. She called me on this September evening and gently told me of what she heard about my indiscretion. I made some lame excuse to save face. I knew that I must do all in my power to redeem myself. First, I changed my behavior to act more in accordance with the Master’s will. Then, I apologized to the Master. As usual, I met him for lunch at 1:00 the next afternoon, “Sir, I’m so sorry for the pain I’ve caused you.” Then I made a lame reason, “I didn’t know I was acting improperly. Otherwise…” What followed always amazed me. It was always the same. “Oh, don’t worry about it, son.” the Master would say, as if what I had done was nothing important. I knew differently. His body language and gestures went beyond reassuring me that everything was O.K. His reassurance was always a great relief even though deep down I knew that I had some immediate work to do. The Master’s compassion, which kept giving me opportunity after opportunity reflected his Godliness. Our Guru says, “God gives and gives until even the taker tires of taking.” God wins again! Really, all a spiritual teacher can give a student is an opportunity. And, another opportunity is all I asked. And, to have a teacher who never tires of giving another opportunity, well, I just love that guy. He acts just like God. I promised the Master that no matter how long it would take, I would never take for granted his giving and that I wouldn’t let the opportunities I had been blessed with go to waste. Gratefully, the process still continues for all of us. The game is up only when the student says so, the Master never says so. Just keep going no matter what. Stay tuned. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.
Yogi Bhajan, Boxed In or Convenient Spin
Sat Nam, Dear Family! Attempting to corner the Siri Singh Sahib, aka Yogi Bhajan, was always an experience to view. Some challenged him openly; some challenged his views; some challenged his personality; some challenged his view of himself; some challenged him verbally; some challenged him underhandedly; I could go on. Let me give you an example. On an early spring day in 1984, the Master was in a meeting with a long-time student who was a well-respected high ranking member of our organization and who was showing signs of Shakti Pad (ego overtaking Dharma). Remember, not only virtue and substance give one respect, but, unfortunately, popularity does as well. And, don’t underestimate popularity, it vastly outweighs virtue. This student’s views had already created conflict for other students in our community. In cases like this, the duty of the Master was to mitigate any collateral damage. It was painful to watch because, in the mind of this student, this meeting was no longer between a teacher and student, but was between two well-respected people. And his view may even have been shared by some fellow students. Situations like this were not particularly unusual. Over the course of years, many well-respected students and/or leaders left the Dharma. Our mantra was “Keep Up” but no one ever said it would be easy! “Did I say that?” the Master responded. “Well, you say that you are the same as the Guru? Doesn’t that make you God since, by your judgment, there is no difference between the Guru and God.” “What I say is that everything is a part of God. So, everyone and everything is God.” “That doesn’t answer the question,” the student challanged. I was shocked at the difference in manners this student presently displayed. Previously, he had shown great reverence toward the Master. That was a great lesson in and of itself. “Do you think you are God?” he again demanded. I started to join in, as I usually did, in an effort to protect the Master from this breach of protocol. He usually allowed my interference. When he didn’t, he would let me know. All he’d have to do is raise his pinky and I’d shut right up. That was our signal. His little finger went up and I fell silent. I was uncomfortable and excited at the same time; uncomfortable at this ill-mannered man; excited at how the Master would handle the situation. “You are not listening; you want to hear only what you want to hear,” the Master stated. “I understand that. You have an agenda you want to verify. That’s okay, I don’t mind. You’re entitled to your view and I wish you only the best. But, I request of you as a gentleman to exercise good manners in respecting the opinions of other students as well. Please do not try to persuade them of your views, just leave gracefully. They are my students, not yours even if I’ve given you the privilege of serving them.” "I don’t understand what you mean?” the student answered. Now, the student shifted unwittingly into the teacher-student mode again. “You shouldn’t,” the Master responded. “I’m just asking you as a gentleman to respect the environment and, as a teacher I’m letting you know that karmicly it would be wise.” The student caught himself and quickly shifted back into his role as an equal, “I just want to know if you think you are God or not?” The Master continued, “You’ve been a Sikh for many years. You still have a turban on your head. But your question is not from a Sikh point of reference, it’s from a Western point of view. You know the difference. So, please go your own way with grace. In the long run, that’s all that matters.” The student first looked sheepish, then smirked as he rose to leave. His mind had already been made up. Parenthetically, he did convince some others to leave this Dharma with him. That was also okay. It was not their destiny. The Master did his duty in acting to protect others from falling victim. When I queried him about this situation several months later, he said, “I did what I’m required to do, the rest is up to God. If a student doesn’t have the mark of God on his forehead, only God can change it. All I do is let God know that there’s a situation I’d like Him to review. I hoped for the best for this man, it just didn’t work out for him. I just keep moving on, there’s much more to do.” Stay tuned. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.
A Cloud Nine Valentine
Sat Nam, Dear Family! During the last few years of the Master’s life, a wonderful thing happened. The Golden Temple, in Amritsar, India came right into his bedroom where he had been confined due to his health. He was no longer able to make his yearly Yatra (spiritual journey) to his beloved Harimandir Sahib, the Golden Temple, anymore but God took care of it for him perfectly! Satellite TV had just brought this Kirtan (devotional singing in Praise of God) to the whole world. Every morning, after his own personal Sadhana, he would tune into an Indian TV channel and go right to this Sacred Temple. He would then bask in the blissful Gurbani (Sacred words of the Guru put to music) before hearing the Hukam (Command) read for the day. That very technological advance was a modern miracle, bringing such joy to millions of devotees. And, such perfect timing in our Master’s life! Today’s Hukam explains the Master’s concept of love...the greatest love. Here is the last section: "Beautiful is my home, and beauteous is the earth. God has entered the home of my heart; I touch the Guru's feet. Grasping the Guru's feet, I awake in peace and poise. All my desires are fulfilled. My hopes are fulfilled, through the dust of the feet of the Saints. After such a long separation, I have met my Husband Lord. Night and day, the sounds of ecstasy resound and resonate; I have forsaken my stubborn-minded intellect. Prays Nanak, I seek the Sanctuary of my Lord and Master; in the Society of the Saints, I am lovingly attuned to Him." 845-6 This is a fabulous Valentine’s Day message of true love. When we see our beloved as a representation of God, true love is experienced. In this message, as in all the Guru’s messages, He refers to God as the husband and all His devotees as His bride. To love another selflessly means to love another with no personal agenda attached, no bartering for benefits, no negotiation, and with only sincere compassion. This is the opportunity available to all of us. I invite you all to come to Hacienda de Guru Ram Das here in Espanola to immerse yourself in the path our beloved teacher set up.
Stay tuned. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.
Yogi Bhajan, The Bother of Two Fathers
Sat Nam, Dear Family! My birth father and my spiritual teacher, the Siri Singh Sahib, aka Yogi Bhajan, became good friends. I use the term “friends” because there is no word in the English language which describes this kind of relationship with a true spiritual teacher. To the true teacher, everyone is a person to serve, a person to help grow. Naturally, many don’t want help. Most (with the exception of sincere students) are settled in there ways, or challenged by the need to change. So, it’s hard to have a real relationship with the true teacher. This was especially true of parents of the Master’s students. Really, the closest relationship the Master could have with an “outsider” would be classified as a “friend”. Most who qualified were politicos, public servants with whom the Master had created a trust relationship. Throughout the years there were quite a few that he could count on. It was a blessing to see him work his magic in this venue. Nevertheless, parents of students who could be called “friends” were far and few between. I was fortunate to see my father as a resident on this short list. And, it’s all due to twelve words, twelve words which changed my life as well. In March of 1978 my birth parents drove in from their winter home in Palm Springs to attend my wedding. I’m sure it was a shock to them as they had always assumed that I’d marry a nice Jewish girl. Well, I did. She just happened to have also become a Sikh like I did. Before the wedding, my parents and I were ushered into the living quarters of the Master behind the Gurdwara (temple). This was the first time they had met him. My father shocked me again. He walked straight across the room to the Masters chair. Extending his hand, he said, “I want to shake the hand of the greatest salesman in the world. Anyone who can get my son to do this has to be the greatest salesman I’ve ever seen.” Everyone laughed including the Master. The double meaning was understood by all. It was a joke with a challenge attached, typical of my father. My parents and I settled into the couch opposite the Master’s chair. A few pleasantries were exchanged. Then, the Master looked straight into my father’s eyes and said, “I want to thank you for giving me such a good son.” These twelve words did what years of discussion couldn’t. Now, I know my father well and I can tell you this, he changed right on the spot. This was very unusual. The Master’s words went straight to his big heart. Their relationship was no longer competitive, but now a collective effort. My father knew my nature as well and he knew that I always wanting more out of life. More than he could deliver. Even though he was satisfied with what he gave me, he knew that I wasn’t. As the Little Mermaid says, “I want more.” That’s why I came to this Dharma. My father knew that the Master could deliver more; more of what I was searching for and more than he could deliver. He accepted the fact that I had “found more” in the right place. In fact, I could see in his face that his acceptance was now a relief. Collaboration was now born that was for my benefit and my father relaxed. Through the years, many times my parents welcomed the Master and his entourage into their home with grace, honor and relaxation. The mutual acknowledgement that I now had dual parenting was satisfying to everyone. I was lucky. I had both a birth father and a spiritual teacher who wanted the best for me, thank God. My life was never the same for two reasons. First, my commitment to this Dharma was no longer challenged by my parents (that’s a big one). And, second, my view of myself was verified. Even if the Master’s twelve words were for affect, I took his statement as verification that I was good and was doing good. He gave me the inspiration to continue practicing being a better and better student. He may have tricked me, but he did it for my own good. I was and am very lucky. We all are! Stay tuned. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.   Yogi Bhajan, Vancouver Maneuver
Sat Nam, Dear Family! Vancouver was experiencing a humongous garbage strike in the late summer of 1981. Heaps of plastic trash bags filled the sidewalks often spilling over into the street. It made a beautiful city look putrid. It should have been a sign of what lay ahead. Maybe it was and I just choose to ignore it in hopes that better things were in store, all the time keeping in the back of my mind where the signs pointed and being prepared for it if something didn’t change. At least I could be somewhat prepared and I could usually take it from there. In this instance, I was blindsided. I had never before seen how some Indian Gurdwaras treated the Siri Singh Sahib, aka Yogi Bhajan. To them, he was a different kind of Sikh. He was a yogi; he didn’t drink; he didn’t eat meat; he challenged them just by his presence, but he went further, he challenged them verbally as well. Naturally, in some circles, that didn’t go over so well. We, Americans, were committed to the Master and his teachings. That meant that obedience was way above challenge. The rest was up to the Master to be worthy of our reverence. He always was and still is. These Gurdwaras weren’t committed to him so they had the right to question. That’s not the question. The question is in what manner these challenges are presented. It’s a telling sign of caliber. Vancouver was one of the few cities in which the Master would visit Indian Gurdwaras. Our host at these affairs was a graceful Indian Sikh gentleman who “got him.” He understood who the Master was and arraigned time for the Master to address these Gurdwaras. The Master didn’t have much time allotted and only had this one shot, so he was very direct in his communication. Indian Sikhs can take it. They’re tough and tough skinned. But, that doesn’t mean that they like to be reminded of what their not doing any more than we Americans. There were threats against the Master Yes, he expected to be protected, nevertheless, he was prepared for whatever would come. It wasn’t his choice; his only choice was to continue to do his duty in service to his Guru and leave the rest up to God. So, off to the Gurdwaras we went. At our first stop, the temple was packed. When I say an Indian Gurdwara is packed I mean beyond your concept of packed. I mean packed to the point of new arrivals literally sitting on your leg, or shall I say legs. I’m not kidding. It takes some time getting used to this custom. It is not rude; it is not personal; and, it demands flexibility. So, I’m over it. My seat was right in the middle about four rows back staring straight up at the Master as he was about to speak. I felt the squirming around me as people positioned themselves to get comfortable so as to give their full attention to the Master. The Master was not known or understood by most of the Indian Sangat (community). His message was about being more adherent to the Guru’s teachings and that’s not what some want to hear. His message was to follow the Guru literally, not conveniently. Our host tried to open their minds. He at least got them to listen. While we Americans are willing to listen to him because he offered us much more than we had, many Indians function under the misunderstanding that he offers less. After all, they were born as Sikhs and nobody needed to tell them about Sikhism, a typical reaction fueled by simplicity and rationale. The message he delivered required sacrifice, and most Indians who immigrated to the U.S. and Canada did so for a life of less sacrifice. Much to my chagrin, the Master was treated in an ill-mannered fashion. He was actually booed. I had never heard this reaction in a Gurdwara before. Who was this guy to walk into their Gurdwaras and criticize them? Who was he? They were misled about him and he didn’t do much to dissuade their view. Actually, he enjoyed it. He wasn’t criticizing them, he was teaching them. Yes, he had his duty to give them a chance to understand about their lives, the rest is up to them. When it became apparent that the listeners weren’t going to understand, he became more direct with them. He could speak their language and understood their customs. He spoke straight to them using the Guru as his reference. What gave him this right? Who did he think he was? They perceived flaws in him, so he can’t be real. This is the progression which takes one away from reality – it’s called justification or denial. I’ll tell you what they didn’t understand. He was the mouthpiece of Guru Ram Das. Maybe his language wasn’t as sweet as the Guru, that’s a given, who’s is? But, he gave them the same lesson as the Guru. If you don’t believe me, just go to any of his lectures and, if you study them, you will notice that his message is the same as the Guru’s. It’s just watered down for those of us who couldn’t or wouldn’t or didn’t want to understand. He explained what the Guru said so that Americans could understand it, and, I might add, he did the same for Indian Sikhs as well. This is way he’s real. He didn’t invent anything; he served his Guru. It wasn’t a matter of whether others liked it or not, or, in fact, whether he liked it or not. That wasn’t his choice. His duty was to live and speak the Guru’s truth. This meant that he didn’t have to be perfect, no one is, but that he’s better and better each day. Funny how those who profess to be are so near to the Guru are, in fact, so far away. I watched closely as the Masters was demeaned during the outcome of this somewhat less than acceptance of his message. He was totally aware of what was going around him. There was negativity everywhere. You’d have to be a person with absolutely no sensitivity not to feel this energy. It was so powerful that it felt like it pervaded the whole city. Through it all, the Master was calm. I know this because when I would offer my opinion on his safety, he said, “If I’ve come this far to deliver Guru’s message, I know everything is taken care of, so my safety is in His hands. No precautions other that the Guru’s protection can stop an attack or assassination in this environments. So, it’s up to Guru Ram Das. He takes care of me and only he can take care of me. Only He offers me what I seek, so He is me and I am Him.” Over the last thirty year I have come to see that many many Indian Sikhs have begun to hear the Master’s message. As drugs, sex, violence, you name it have entered the Indian communities, many of the younger generation are searching for answers. They’ve found us and we’re all better off for it. Vancouver may have looked like a disappointment to many, but not to me. It taught me how an elevated perspective when lived becomes magical - just what I was looking for. Stay tuned. In the Humility of Service and Gratitude, See Definitions. See Sikh Definitions. See 3HOLegacyLinks.com. See Greetings, Names and Titles. See 3HO History by Sat Bachan Kaur.
Pages And Points To Ponder
Memories, Moments, and Missives See more at 3HOLegacyLinks.com. Memories to share? Register here. Pages And Points To Ponder
This Is What Racism Looks Like Awtar Singh's Early 3HO History Kirpal Singh's Early 3HO History The Songs of Livtar Singh Khalsa The Solstice Sadhana Experience A Gallery of 3HO Legacy Teachers An African American Critiques 3HO Rise Up Rise Up Sweet Family Dear Hari Jiwan Singh's Early 3HO History The Yogi Bhajan Library of Teachings Guru Fatha Singh's Early 3HO History Sat Santokh Singh's Early 3HO History The Ubuntu Age - All for One, Won for All Guru Singh's History of Summer Solstice The Sikh Who Changed Modern-Day India The 1974 Transition of Bhai Sahib Dyal Singh Remembering Sat Nam The Grace Within You More Video Stories of The Master Yogi Bhajan Ending The Age of Me - Beginning The Age of We              
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