Sikh Dharma

Sikh Dharma, also called "Sikh Dharma International," is a Sikh religious organization established by Harbhajan Singh Yogiji, popularly known as Yogi Bhajan in the United States in the early 1970s. Dharma is a term used especially in India for spiritual traditions originating in that culture. "Sikh Dharma" is also the original term for Sikhism in the Punjabi language, which is also known as "Sikhi."

Establishment in the West

The origins of Sikh Dharma international, originally known as "Sikh Dharma of the Western Hemisphere," may be traced back to a tour of the historic Sikh heartland conducted by Yogi Bhajan with eighty-four of his students in the winter of 1970-71. The Sikhs in Punjab had never seen Westerners in turbans before, and at first, they were suspicious. The Sikh administration in the holy city of Amritsar was in a turmoil. Once they understood that the devotion of the Westerners was genuine, they approved of the visit. Of the eight-four Americans, twenty-six took vows to join the Order of Khalsa as full-fledged Sikhs.

On March 3, 1971, outside the Akal Takhat (the traditional seat of Sikh temporal authority in Amritsar), Sant Fateh Singh and Sant Chanan Singh bestowed on Harbhajan Singh a ceremonial sword and a robe of honor and a unique designation. They had reasoned that Singh had indeed created "Singh Sahibs" (noble lions), and to continue in his work he would need a higher designation. For this reason, they gave Singh the unprecedented title of "great, noble lion": Siri Singh Sahib and a letter requesting that he organize Sikh Dharma in the Western countries.^[1] That letter, signed by Sant Chanan Singh, President of the chief religious organization of the Sikhs in Punjab, the S.G.P.C., also authorized him to perform marriages and final rites, and to administer baptism into the Order of Khalsa according to Sikh traditions. It is to be noted that at the time there was no overarching Sikh religious organization to govern the affairs of Sikhs outside of India and the S.G.P.C. had no effective influence in the West.^[2]

First Years

The designated "Siri Singh Sahib" started his mission with a number of unprecedented initiatives. In 1971, he commissioned a translation of the main Sikh prayers into American English called "Peace Lagoon" and a life story of Guru Nanak entitled "Guru for the Aquarian Age." In August of that year, the Siri Singh Sahib also commenced the importation and distribution of dozens of copies of an English translation of the entire Sikh scripture published by the S.G.P.C. In December the Siri Singh Sahib purchased a property at 1620 Preuss Road in Los Angeles which he named Guru Ram Das Ashram and designated as a base for his mission. In January 1972, the Siri Singh Sahib ordained the first Western-born Sikh religious ministers. By June, he was also ordaining women ministers, in keeping with the principal - both American and ostensibly Sikh - of equality before God, though in Punjab, Sikh women would not hold religious office for some years.

In the interfaith tradition of the Sikh Gurus, the Siri Singh Sahib also continued his earlier work of networking with representatives of other religions. He participated in religious panels at Harvard University, Cornell University, Boston University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. That same year, he visited Pope Paul VI and advised him to convene a gathering of friendship and understanding for representatives of all religions. He reminded Paul VI that catholic meant "universal" and suggested that, as head of the world's largest religious organization, he would be the most suitable leader to host such a meeting.^[3]

Sikh Yoga

All the while, as Yogi Bhajan, the Siri Singh Sahib continued his touring and teaching Westerners Kundalini Yoga and meditation, with frequent references to spiritual discipline and meditation as integral aspects of Sikh practice. Most of this outreach and teaching was done through the auspices of the Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization 3HO.^[4]

Ministry

Today, Sikh Dharma ministers serve in hundreds of communities in hospitals, healing centers, universities, shelters, Gurdwaras, the United Nations, and the World Parliament of Religions. Ministers are located in dozens of countries around the world, but historically they have been concentrated in the United States.^[5]

Governance

Sikh Dharma International is governed by the Khalsa Council appointed by the Siri Singh Sahib. As of December 2013 its current Board of Directors comprises Singh Sahib Avtar Hari Singh Khalsa (Santa Fe, NM, USA), Mukhia Sardarni Sahiba Guru Raj Kaur Khalsa (Vancouver, Canada), Sardarni Sahiba Dr. Guru Sangat Kaur Khalsa (Belo Horizonte, Brazil), Mukhia Singh Sahib Kirtan-Singh Khalsa (Los Angeles, CA, USA), Sardarni Sahiba Sat Kartar Kaur Khalsa-Rahmey (San Francisco, CA, USA), and Siri Sikdar Sahiba Sardarni Guru Amrit Kaur Khalsa (Espanola, NM, USA).^[6][7]

Relations with Diaspora Sikhs

As laid out in Doris Jacobsh's article, "3HO/Sikh Dharma of the Western Hemisphere: The 'Forgotten' New Religious Movement," some diaspora Sikhs were less than enthusiastic about the Siri Singh Sahib's energetic and sometimes innovative efforts in the West.^[8] Some objected strenuously that yoga was no part of their culture and tradition. Others may have been jealous of the unprecedented scope of his authority. Still others objected at the stringent moral standards of the new Sikhs. While cultural Sikhs might cut their hair, eat meat and consume alcohol, some found the eager new converts with their turbans (male and female alike), vegetarianism, and teetotaling ways hard to bear.^[9]

Other critics took issue with the administrative titles, structures and symbols created and used by the Siri Singh Sahib to further his mission. In 1979, the Professor of Sikhism designated by the Akal Takhat, Bhai Sahib Sardar Kapur Singh ICS,^[10] came from Amritsar and addressed the Khalsa Council, Sikh Dharma's governing body in Los Angeles, and assured its members that their practices were well within the parameters of Sikh tradition.^[11] Bhai Sahib Sardar Kapur Singh praised the efforts of the Siri Singh Sahib, saying: "The Guru has chosen one instrument of His, styled as Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji. That a section of Indian Sikhs in the Western Hemisphere does not accept and approve Harbhajan Singh as a perfect man is nothing new. No man worn of woman was ever let off as beyond reproach and accusation by his fellow humans, be he Gautam the Buddha or Guru Nanak, the world teacher."^[12]

In 1986, as the Khalistan movement (Sikh separatist movement within India) exerted an increasingly divisive role in the Sikh community by splitting Sikhs between those who demanded an independent homeland using violent means if necessary to achieve that goal and Sikhs who wished to work toward a peaceful resolution, the Siri Singh Sahib acknowledged Bhai Sahib Bhai Jiwan Singh of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha as Jathedar (Secretary) of Sikh Unity.^[13]

From the 1970s on, the Siri Singh Sahib encouraged his students to learn Punjabi and acclimatize themselves to Punjabi culture. For this reason, he encouraged them to send their children to boarding schools in India. In 1997, he established a boarding school for Sikh Dharma on the outskirts of Amritsar, named Miri Piri Academy. Students of Miri Piri come from six continents and include diaspora Sikhs from North America, Malaysia and Australia.^[14] One of the greatest honours bestowed on Sikh Dharma is that a musical group of Miri Piri graduates is invited to play devotional music on special occasions at the holiest Sikh temple, the Harimandir Sahib or "Golden Temple" in Amritsar.

According to scholar Verne A. Dusenbery, relations among all groupings of Sikhs have been eased with the general acceptance of pluralism in the Sikh community with increasing openness to Nirmala, Sevapanthi, Udasi, and Nihang emphases within the Panth. Another ground for increasing acceptance, intermingling, and cooperation has been the recognition among diaspora Sikhs and Sikhs of Punjab of distinctions between the religious and cultural aspects of their heritage. Thus, there is an increasing understanding that while non-Punjabis might not adhere to Punjabi cultural mores, they can still participate in the spiritual and religious aspects of the Sikh lifestyle.^[15]

Since the 1970s, there has always been growing cooperation between diaspora Sikhs and Sikhs inspired to Sikh Dharma through the activities of Yogi Bhajan and 3HO. In hard times especially, Sikhs have banded together to win human rights cases and in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center to assert the distinctive Sikh identity. Sikh Dharma-inspired Sikhs in New Mexico have also put together and continue to manage the largest Sikh on-line resource, sikhnet.com which serves Sikhs and curious non-Sikhs everywhere.^[16]

Summary

Practices among Diaspora Sikhs, Sikh Dharma Sikhs and Sikhs in Punjab are similar, if not identical. Their beliefs, derived from Guru Granth Sahib and tradition are also the same. According to Jacobsh, the sexual egalitarianism practiced by Sikhs from the West has generally been appreciated, at least by Sikh women in Punjab and the diaspora. The emphasis on music and the influence of Western Sikh musicians such as Snatam Kaur has also positively affected the culture of traditional Sikhs.

Jacobsh finishes her well-referenced piece by saying: "Moreover the 'Orientalist religious revival'^[17] as represented by the erstwhile Eastern seekers, has without doubt had positive effects on the Punjabi Sikh diasporic experience that clearly outweigh the concerns other Sikhs might have about them. In many ways, 3HO/Sikh Dharma has fought, and won, a number of significant legal, societal, religious and political battles that have been highly affirmative to Sikhs at large in North America." He received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award for bringing Sikh Dharma to the Western Hemisphere.^[18]

References

External links

• Sikh Dharma
• Sikh Dharma Ministry
• Sikhnet
• Hacienda de Guru Ram Das - Espanola, New Mexico
• Guru Ram Das Ashram - Los Angeles
• Guru Ram Das Ashram Gurdwara - Millis, Massachusetts
• Gurudwara Sahib Guru Nanak Dwara - Phoenix
• Raj Khalsa Gurdwara - Virginia