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Summary of Question:	Yoga? Esponala Ashram? Yogi Bhajan?
Category:	Other
Date Posted:	Tuesday, 7/04/2000 10:40 PM MDT

Dear Respected Sir/Madam Waahe guru ji ka khalsa wahe guru ji ki fateh.

My question are somewhat complecated,but anyway i will do my best to explain it in easy way.

1) I am very confused between western and eastern sikhism practices. In india i never heard about 3HO, but in western world especialy in united states i heard lot about 3HO/Yoga.

2) What is the link between yoga and sikhism?

3) While surfing on internet i find some webpages maintained by some former American sikhs of Esponala. I find that they said that Yogi Bhajan is "Cult". They leave the ashram for many reasons.

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Reply
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If you look through the history of the Khalsa, you will find many who have betrayed the Guru's in many ways. In the west we have people who converted to Sikhism. When they discover they don't have the caliber to maintain it, they leave the path of the Guru's completely. They almost always slander everyone involved to cover their own shortcomings. It's nothing new. Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh (Yogi Bhajan)didn't invent Sikhism or Yoga, he just delivered it to the west. He's not Guru Nanak. If people had a problem with him, why do they cut their hair and quit all dharmic practice? They only use him as an excuse for their own lack of commitment.
Sikhi is based on Yogic practice. Everything we do as
Sikhs is a practice of some form of Yoga.
Devotion to the Guru is Bhakti Yoga. Chanting and singing Gurubani is
Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga, and or Naad Yoga, depending on how you sing or
chant it. The position you sit in to receive Amrit (sitting on one heel,
one knee up,hands in prayer pose) is called Vir Assan. It is a Yoga posture
to give you focus, clarity and courage.
In the time of Guru Gobind Singh his army used to practice quite a bit
of Yoga to stay in shape and be fearless.
If you build a Gurdwara on a sand foundation, it will fall over very
soon. Likewise, your physical body must have a strong nervous system to
handle the challenges of life and still remain as a Khalsa. The yoga gives
you the foundation to be a much better Khalsa. Yoga is practiced by people
of all religions for the same reason. It helps them resist the lure of Maya
and keep themselves in the highest consciousness.


lsk