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| 3HO--is it a Toxic Faith System? | | 3HO is an acronym for Healthy, Happy and Holy Organization. |
| October 1998
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| Submitted by former 3HO member--"Now Aware Kaur"
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| "Religion is nothing, folks. Nor are you anything as a human being. You are just a human bag, if you do not establish the generational cycle of dharma [spiritual lifestyle] of righteousness." Yogi Bhajan, January 31, 1977, pg. 130, Winter Lecture Series, 1977 | | ==Brief on 3HO== |
| | It was founded by Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogi Ji. Siri Singh Sahib ji came to America to teach yoga with a bold mission statement "I am here to create teachers, not students". He began teaching Kundalini Yoga when he arrived in the United States because he saw the state of condition of the people. Kundalini Yoga is the most powerful form of yoga and is often wrongfully thought of as dangerous. He thought it would be the tool needed to help these people. This was the first time kundalini yoga was taught openly, ever. Traditionally it is only taught to a select few and it's techniques were guarded secrets. 3HO is the organization Siri Singh Sahib created to organize, maintain, and spread 'The Teachings'. By this is meant the yogic traditions, technologies, and practical philosophies passed down since ancient times. Yoga pre-dates any religion. As the Siri Singh Sahib said, the teachings have been tried and tested by, "the sages of the ages". As you may have guessed the sole purpose of Kundalini yoga as taught by Harbhajan Singh Yogi is to help people grow to live happy, healthy, and holy lives. Today 3HO hosts yoga festivals and white tantric sessions around the world. 3HO launched the first program of it's kind called Teachers Training, which is an intensive designed to grant it's participants with a certificate to teach kundalini yoga upon completion. Currently there are thousands of kundalini yoga practitioners, and hundreds of teachers in North/South/Central America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. I think it is important to include that kundalini yoga is independant from sikhism. One can practice one and not the other, or both. There is no compulsion nor is there any contradiction in these two practices. |
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| The 3HO lifestyle lies seemingly within a dysfunctional system. Known by its followers as "Happy, Healthy and Holy," it may instead breed toxic faith amongst its adherents. A number of years ago, a young man named Jap Ji from the Berkeley, California area, tried to reach out to members of 3HO by writing about ashram family issues. He proposed that the group was acting like a large, collective, dysfunctional family. He wrote a newsletter and circulated it among 3HO members at a yearly function--Summer Solstice Camp. Jap Ji procured testimonials from many ashram members who were trying to reach out and communicate with other 3HO’ers--that the 3HO "family" was failing in its group dynamics, family units and community identify . Of course, he and his newsletters were quickly, officially "banned" by 3HO thereafter. It seems as if Jap Ji was "crushed" by the 3HO "party liners" for telling the truth.
| | ==Kundalini Yoga== |
| | Kundalini yoga is a powerful yoga practice. It is a combination of yogic poses, mantras (chants), breathing techniques, mudras (hand positions), mental focus points, and exercises. Because of all of it's aspects it is the quickest way to get the effects of a yogic practice. It is known as the yoga for house-holders. In other forms of yoga a serious practitioner would devote his whole life to his practice, and if serious there was little time to spend on anything else. A serious Kundalini yoga practitioner is encouraged to spend 1-2 hours a day, and thus it becomes practical for common working people. |
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| Does 3HO fall under the label of a "destructive cult"? Each individual who is taken in by its system seriously becomes a member of the group. And that person then has a role within the "Happy Healthy Holy" organization. But many former 3HO devotees feel that the organization seems to survive through a system of dependency, strictly proscribed behavior patterns and toxic faith relationships--rather than a system that encourages independence and an individual interpretation of spirituality.
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| Once an individual is recruited they can be trapped within this unhealthy system. This may cause behaviors and altered beliefs that probably would not have been exhibited under normal circumstances. If a 3HO member does not adhere to the proscribed behaviors or belief system, they cannot belong, nor long survive in 3HO.
| | ==Yoga and Sikhism== |
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| 3HO inductees, as well as long-term members are told that being "happy", "healthy" and "holy", as stated by Yogi Bhajan is their "birthright". A birthright, by actual definition is any right acquired by birth. The belief that an individual birthright is found within the 3HO lifestyle and Yogi Bhajan--is a sneaky way of replacing individuality and personal spirituality with dependency on a set of rules, behaviors and beliefs as dictated by Bhajan. The faithful of 3HO's "birthright" lifestyle are required to accept this narrow interpretation of terms and convince others. But an individual's rights of birth are given by providence or their creator/God--not a toxic belief system that demands its followers adhere to proscribed, programmed, spiritual rules, behaviors and relationships in order to make a "birthright" possible.
| | It is noted that Baba Siri Chand was a master yogi. He was known for visiting schools of yoga as a guest and subsequently teaching the teacher something. History tells of Baba Siri Chand bowing to Guru Ram Das on behalf of himself and all the schools of yoga. This event made Guru Ram Das the 'Raj Yog' or master of yoga. |
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| "The teacher must confuse and test you, but, if teacher gets confused, he becomes a cockroach"
| | It is also noted that most of the Guru Granth Sahib is written in Raag, and whole Guru is written in 'Naad'. Naad is power of spoken words that can have a spiritual effect. This effect is to balance a person and unite them with God. Guru Gobind Singh found a way to utilize the power of Naad when he installed the Khalsa with the practice of reading bani's daily. |
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| Yogi Bhajan, "You are Ugly, Be Beautiful" Lecture, 1977.
| | Chanting mantras is a strong practice both in yoga and in sikhism. The Siri Guru Granth Sahib constantly reminds us to chant the Name of God. There are also accounts of Guru Gobind Singh practicing yoga, and passages in the Sarb Loh Granth describing some of his own yogic practices. |
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| 3HO seems to be full of abusive games that are used to "confuse" students. Yogi Bhajan has said that it is OK to "poke, provoke and elevate" as a teaching tool. His devotees are often singled-out and reamed for behaviors that he, his inner circle, and/or ashram directors feel are inappropriate and/or disobedient to the 3HO code of conduct. Then not unlike the process of being pardoned of one's sins by a confessor--the student is instructed as to how to act in accordance with his or her "birthright". This is reminiscent of what some Christians have called "spiritual abuse" (see the "Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse"). The abuse of power to "poke, provoke and elevate"--can push the lowly, unconscious, negative people, away (e.g. those who ask too many questions, criticizes or devalue the Bhajan's doctrine).
| | There are passages of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib that are discouraging to the practice of yoga for the purpose of attaining miraculous powers. However, there is no indication that the practice is all together restricted. There is a passage which describes a yogic kriya. The Siri Guru Granth Sahib describes to do this kriya inhale your breath through the left nostril, hold the breath and chant 'Waheguru' 16 times and then exhale the breath through the right nostril. Siri Singh Sahib Ji has taught this as "So Darshan Chakra Kriya". |
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| Many people in 3HO feel they dare not come too close to Yogi Bhajan or someone within his inner circle-- because they might receive a rude tongue-lashing. Instead of faith in oneself or some higher power (e.g. God) to help with personal shortcomings--the system of "poke, provoke, and elevate" takes hold as an individual's seemingly only hope for redemption. 3HO rules, beliefs, and its student-teacher dynamic often replace everything else with a seeming series of abusive games to achieve a kind of programmed, patterned sort of behavior. There are no open-dialogues when it comes to 3HO lifestyle, rules of conduct.
| | ==Siri Guru Granth Sahib quotes== |
| | *"The breath is drawn in through the left nostril; it is held in the central channel of the Sushmanaa, and exhaled through the right nostril, repeating the Lord's Name sixteen times." (SGGS p.1106) |
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| "There can be no happiness in your relationships if you do not establish who commands and who obeys" Yogi Bhajan, "The Giver and the Taker" Lecture, April 1976 | | And other passages such as |
| | *"Heat up the sun energy of the right nostril, and cool down the moon energy of the left nostril; practicing this breath-control, bring them into perfect balance. In this way, the fickle fish of the mind will be held steady; the swan-soul shall not fly away, and the body-wall will not crumble. " (SGGS p.991) |
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| The "Obey to Command" game seems to be one of Yogi Bhajan's favorite teachings. The game requires a passive enabling-type of personality (the student) to exhibit what appears to be blind faith in Bhajan’s leadership. The game is played out over and over again. It is taught slowly, methodically, as it is a foundational aspect that maintains the authority for much of the manipulation of Bhajan's followers. Because of this blind faith in his authority members of 3HO will do his bidding without question. The "Obey to Command" game is for advanced devotees and it is dished out over a long period of time. This process encourages listening to Bhajan, following his edicts, submission and molding yourself with Bhajan as your model.
| | *"Perfect is the penance; perfect is the Raja Yoga, the Yoga of meditation and success. On the Lord's Path, sinners are purified. Perfect is their glory; perfect is their humanity. They dwell forever in the Presence of the Creator Lord. Says Nanak, my True Guru is Perfect.'' (SGGS 188) |
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| Eventually, the devotee's personal power is typically projected upon and taken by Bhajan. Yogi Bhajan and the group become omniscient, not God or some spiritual truth. This can in turn create a kind of toxic faith that may poison the potential for a meaningful journey towards spirituality. This game often requires its victims to do and say rather extreme and extraordinary things that they would not consider under normal circumstances. But people frequently feel trapped and caught up in the group mindset--unable to resist the commands of Yogi Bhajan.
| | *"By Guru's Grace, practice Raja Yoga, the Yoga of meditation and success. Those who taste the sublime essence of the Lord have their thirst quenched." (SGGS p.221) |
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| Each serious 3HO devotee becomes part of this "happy, healthy, holy" game/process that turn Bhajan's often-harsh teachings into a seemingly palatable, sweet and seductive form of supposed "gifts". Devotees are required to endure and convince others to do the same. It is a seductive recruitment/indoctrination program designed for naïve idealists, unsuspecting yoga students, "New Age" enthusiasts and Tantra Yoga participants. It can be observed at the 10 day solstice camp, the 3 weeks of Women’s’ Camp and other 3HO programs. At such staged events participants are expected to pay to play the game with Yogi Bhajan and 3HO. These classes and camps exist essentially as recruitment tools and sources of cash for the organization. Through such programs and subsequent devotion Yogi Bhajan has become a wealthy man.
| | This author would like to conclude by saying yoga is a tool and not the end to the means of finding God. One can easily be led astray by doing anything out of ego, including such things the Guru's practiced like charity, righteous action, sermons, and taking vows. The purpose of yoga is to prepare your body and mind for the powerful energy of Shabad Guru, which is a yoga of itself. |
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| | *"Chanting, intense meditation, spiritual wisdom and all meditations; the six schools of philosophy and ''sermons on the scriptures''; the ''practice of Yoga and righteous conduct''; the renunciation of everything and wandering around in the wilderness; the performance of all sorts of works; ''donations to charities'' and offerings of jewels to fire; cutting the body apart and making the pieces into ceremonial fire offerings; keeping fasts and ''making vows'' of all sorts - none of these are equal to the contemplation of the Name of the Lord, Nanak, if, as Gurmukh, one chants the Naam, even once." (SGGS p.265) |
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| Yogi Bhajan is known for his lectures about the failure of people to comprehend a truly pure, fulfilling identity. His definitions are always complicated, rambling, ever changing, and virtually impossible to understand. Of course there are Yogi Bhajan's over-simplified one-liners and his quaint sayings--which are often repeated as golden words and almost, chanted like mantras by 3HO devotees. Some might call these sayings "thought terminating cliches or "loaded language".
| | by, Gurujot Singh Khalsa |
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| Bhajan often berates, puts-down, and loads guilt upon his students. He condemns Americans for having insecure identities, ego trips and "interlocked neurosis". He admonishes individual personalities with sayings that can induce a sense of guilt, but he’s not responsible for how 3HO people turn out. There are always rationalizations for their failures such as they didn't really listen to him (see "From the Masters’ Mouth").
| | [[category:Social Institutions and Movements]] |
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| Bhajan attempts to redefine a devotee's thinking about his or her identity and spirituality. Often through this process of redefinition people become extremely self-critical, confused and/or depressed. But any negative results of Bhajan's teachings again must always be attributed to their personal failure and/or inability to understand or live up to their "birthright". And of course that "birthright" is proscribed and defined by Bhajan. Around and around the game goes--ever circling and confusing--finally the only solution is surrender and submission.
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| Bhajan may taunt his students if they don’t listen carefully to understand the "gifts" he offers. Once a student believes Bhajan has the answers to the questions of life--that person is essentially trapped. Then the 3HO follower will vow to do more, pay more and perform more--whatever Yogi Bhajan may require. 3HO devotees have been known to wrap themselves up in the organization--living in ashrams and anxiously waiting for more of his "gifts". But through these seeming endless mind games Bhajan plays--his followers often feel they can never be good enough. They must try harder and always be corrected through Bhajan's process of "poke, provoke and elevate". This encourages low self-esteem, dependency and submission. 3HO members often become dysfunctional, unbalanced and unhealthy as a direct result of this process.
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| "Those who tune into him are tuned into HIM in return and this union is the Yoga of Awareness called Kundalini Yoga. Those who practice this will stand liberated." "Beads of Truth", Lecture "The Aura or Magnetic Field", 1972
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| The statement above is a guarantee that 3HO Foundation will not last forever. It will fall because its members have turned from their own personal spirituality and awareness to depend upon a leader--Yogi Bhajan. They are dependent upon him, his yoga and the 3HO as their source and focus for the answers to life’s questions. 3HO will fall because it promotes unhealthy relationships between its followers and families--often destroying personal growth, individual expressions of faith and genuine spirituality.
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| Eventually, 3HO can even destroy an individual’s relationship with God--if they become too busy running around serving Bhajan. Such devotees are so obsessed with the organization, they don't reflect upon God or their own sense of personal identity. These people become trapped in a toxic belief system dependent upon a leader and obedient to his commands. And they don't realize that they actually help enable Bhajan to play his games--as pawns playing roles according to their "birthright". They are essential components in reinforcing his authority, which makes the toxic faith system possible.
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| It must be said that for many, in the early stages of 3HO, these relationships were not clear. Perhaps in the beginning such relationships seemed healthier than the drug culture or certain unloving situations. In the beginning there seemed to be a sense of purpose, of finding oneself and the role of spirituality in one’s life. However, it ultimately appears to have become a cruel joke. Everyone fell in love with the giver of the "gifts" instead of finding meaningful answers to life's questions or greater spirituality. People began to idolize "Yogi Bhajan"--someone who in truth we knew very little about. The focus shifted from spirituality to his Kundalini Yoga, his 3HO and Bhajan himself. There was no spiritual insight without his knowledge and/or permission. Bhajan’s "birthright" seemed to create a kind of addiction for all of his little "gifts"--they became the beginning and end of any analysis--answers to everything (e.g. personal identity and a spiritual way of life).
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| Yogi Bhajan has created a false reality. And a false reality is the purpose of ANY addiction. He used all of his (and other's) talents, to create and feed a false reality that drove the addiction of many former "druggies" and "hippies" from the 60’s and 70’s to become addicted to his supposed 3HO reality. He then used power, given to him by those addicted, to gain ever-increasing control over 3HO member's lives and their environments. He seems to have knowingly watched this process draw a crowd of supposedly willing victims--addicts to his "gifts" hungering to develop their spiritual lives. He appears to offer relief from feeling worthless, a sense of safety and surety in a troubled world, but Yogi Bhajan's followers often become addicted to new "highs" of trance induction through "meditation"--a kind of hypnosis that seemingly eases their pain. This is a false reality.
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| One of his best known false reality addictions is Tantric Yoga. Tantric Yoga is often very painful; sitting on a floor for hours on end, holding positions until the arms give out, being yelled at to hold your breath until told to let go. But, remember addicts can love pain and the rituals, which surround it. Bhajan's followers who are hooked--seem willing to pay hundreds of dollars for courses to achieve these hypnotic "highs".
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| The bottom line
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| I could go on about other areas of the 3HO lifestyle to further prove my premise--that 3HO is a toxic belief system seemingly destined to fail and fall. But if you are considering some involvement with or continued support of 3HO--you should ask yourself a few questions:
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| * Do you want to spend the rest of your life and your money--providing for Yogi Bhajan?
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| * Is the meaning of life, your life--protecting him, his lifestyle and loving him unconditionally through blind devotion?
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| Because, that is what it seems to boil down to and what you should understand.
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| Copyright © 1998 Rick Ross
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3HO is an acronym for Healthy, Happy and Holy Organization.
Brief on 3HO
It was founded by Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogi Ji. Siri Singh Sahib ji came to America to teach yoga with a bold mission statement "I am here to create teachers, not students". He began teaching Kundalini Yoga when he arrived in the United States because he saw the state of condition of the people. Kundalini Yoga is the most powerful form of yoga and is often wrongfully thought of as dangerous. He thought it would be the tool needed to help these people. This was the first time kundalini yoga was taught openly, ever. Traditionally it is only taught to a select few and it's techniques were guarded secrets. 3HO is the organization Siri Singh Sahib created to organize, maintain, and spread 'The Teachings'. By this is meant the yogic traditions, technologies, and practical philosophies passed down since ancient times. Yoga pre-dates any religion. As the Siri Singh Sahib said, the teachings have been tried and tested by, "the sages of the ages". As you may have guessed the sole purpose of Kundalini yoga as taught by Harbhajan Singh Yogi is to help people grow to live happy, healthy, and holy lives. Today 3HO hosts yoga festivals and white tantric sessions around the world. 3HO launched the first program of it's kind called Teachers Training, which is an intensive designed to grant it's participants with a certificate to teach kundalini yoga upon completion. Currently there are thousands of kundalini yoga practitioners, and hundreds of teachers in North/South/Central America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. I think it is important to include that kundalini yoga is independant from sikhism. One can practice one and not the other, or both. There is no compulsion nor is there any contradiction in these two practices.
Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini yoga is a powerful yoga practice. It is a combination of yogic poses, mantras (chants), breathing techniques, mudras (hand positions), mental focus points, and exercises. Because of all of it's aspects it is the quickest way to get the effects of a yogic practice. It is known as the yoga for house-holders. In other forms of yoga a serious practitioner would devote his whole life to his practice, and if serious there was little time to spend on anything else. A serious Kundalini yoga practitioner is encouraged to spend 1-2 hours a day, and thus it becomes practical for common working people.
Yoga and Sikhism
It is noted that Baba Siri Chand was a master yogi. He was known for visiting schools of yoga as a guest and subsequently teaching the teacher something. History tells of Baba Siri Chand bowing to Guru Ram Das on behalf of himself and all the schools of yoga. This event made Guru Ram Das the 'Raj Yog' or master of yoga.
It is also noted that most of the Guru Granth Sahib is written in Raag, and whole Guru is written in 'Naad'. Naad is power of spoken words that can have a spiritual effect. This effect is to balance a person and unite them with God. Guru Gobind Singh found a way to utilize the power of Naad when he installed the Khalsa with the practice of reading bani's daily.
Chanting mantras is a strong practice both in yoga and in sikhism. The Siri Guru Granth Sahib constantly reminds us to chant the Name of God. There are also accounts of Guru Gobind Singh practicing yoga, and passages in the Sarb Loh Granth describing some of his own yogic practices.
There are passages of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib that are discouraging to the practice of yoga for the purpose of attaining miraculous powers. However, there is no indication that the practice is all together restricted. There is a passage which describes a yogic kriya. The Siri Guru Granth Sahib describes to do this kriya inhale your breath through the left nostril, hold the breath and chant 'Waheguru' 16 times and then exhale the breath through the right nostril. Siri Singh Sahib Ji has taught this as "So Darshan Chakra Kriya".
Siri Guru Granth Sahib quotes
- "The breath is drawn in through the left nostril; it is held in the central channel of the Sushmanaa, and exhaled through the right nostril, repeating the Lord's Name sixteen times." (SGGS p.1106)
And other passages such as
- "Heat up the sun energy of the right nostril, and cool down the moon energy of the left nostril; practicing this breath-control, bring them into perfect balance. In this way, the fickle fish of the mind will be held steady; the swan-soul shall not fly away, and the body-wall will not crumble. " (SGGS p.991)
- "Perfect is the penance; perfect is the Raja Yoga, the Yoga of meditation and success. On the Lord's Path, sinners are purified. Perfect is their glory; perfect is their humanity. They dwell forever in the Presence of the Creator Lord. Says Nanak, my True Guru is Perfect. (SGGS 188)
- "By Guru's Grace, practice Raja Yoga, the Yoga of meditation and success. Those who taste the sublime essence of the Lord have their thirst quenched." (SGGS p.221)
This author would like to conclude by saying yoga is a tool and not the end to the means of finding God. One can easily be led astray by doing anything out of ego, including such things the Guru's practiced like charity, righteous action, sermons, and taking vows. The purpose of yoga is to prepare your body and mind for the powerful energy of Shabad Guru, which is a yoga of itself.
- "Chanting, intense meditation, spiritual wisdom and all meditations; the six schools of philosophy and sermons on the scriptures; the practice of Yoga and righteous conduct; the renunciation of everything and wandering around in the wilderness; the performance of all sorts of works; donations to charities and offerings of jewels to fire; cutting the body apart and making the pieces into ceremonial fire offerings; keeping fasts and making vows of all sorts - none of these are equal to the contemplation of the Name of the Lord, Nanak, if, as Gurmukh, one chants the Naam, even once." (SGGS p.265)
by, Gurujot Singh Khalsa
