IndiaPost.com - Remembering a man called Siri Singh Sahib

Sunday, August 26th, marks the 78th birthday anniversary of the late Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, also known as Yogi Bhajan. Yogi Bhajan passed away on October 6, 2004, leaving a tremendous legacy behind. Born Harbhajan Singh Puri in 1929, in the part of India that is now Punjab district in Pakistan, Yogi Bhajan's life spanned a time of tremendous change in India, and in the world.

He came of age during the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1948 and settled with his family in Delhi. In the late 1960's, when the counter-culture movement was at its height in the West, he left his homeland to share the practices of Kundalini yoga and the teachings of Sikh Dharma with those, especially young people, searching for a meaningful and spiritual life. He was a man of firsts. He was the first master of Kundalini Yoga to take those practices, considered sacred and not to be shared science, out of India and teach it on every continent in the globe, freely sharing it and creating more than 10,000 certified teachers, at last count.

He was the first global Sikh minister - who took the words and teachings of the Sikh Gurus and shared them with people from all nationalities, all languages and backgrounds. Today, there are Chinese Sikhs, Russian Sikhs, Chilean Sikhs, Mexican Sikhs, American Sikhs, Canadian Sikhs, European Sikhs, South African Sikhs and others as a direct result of his mission. It was also under his effort that Sikh Dharma was officially acknowledged as a sovereign religion within the United States in 1971. Yogi Bhajan was a man of good will.

He engaged in inter-faith dialogue with such notable spiritual leaders as Pope John Paul II and His Holiness the Dali Lama and was very active in the Southern California interfaith councils and initiatives. He inspired the creation of socially conscious businesses to help the newly formed Western Sikh community create an economic base for themselves and their families and give back to the larger community. Some of these businesses include the highly successful organic herbal tea company Yogi Tea, and Peace Cereals which gives 10% of their profits to fund grassroots peace organizations, and the major security contracting firm of Akal Security.

He was a friend and mentor to public and spiritual leaders everywhere. His contribution to humanity was so impactful that after his death, a bipartisan Joint Resolution of the United States Congress was passed in honor of his life. The Resolution read, in part, "Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring).

That the Congress recognizes that the teachings of Yogi Bhajan about Sikhism and yoga, and the businesses formed under his inspiration, improved the personal, political, spiritual, and professional relations between citizens of the United States and the citizens of India; (and) recognizes the legendary compassion, wisdom, kindness, and courage of Yogi Bhajan, and his wealth of accomplishments on behalf of the Sikh community." (H. Con. Res. 34. Agreed to April 6, 2005.) Today, the teachings Yogi Bhajan shared on Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma continue to touch people all around the world. In honor of Yogi Bhajan's birth anniversary, the Hacienda de Guru Ram Das Ashram in Espanola, New Mexico will be honoring his life with a special party and gallery exhibit of artwork created by Yogi Bhajan himself or inspired by his life.

The event will take place on the evening of August 25th. Over 700 people from New Mexico and around the country are expected to attend. Local communities around the world who have benefited from his teachings will gather to celebrate the day as well. In addition, Sikh Dharma International has recently released a commemorative volume of Yogi Bhajan's poetry and artwork.

The volume is titled The Game of Love. For the first time in print, the many teaching poems (composed in English) and inspirational illustrations that Yogi Bhajan created for his students have been compiled into a single volume. This body of work gives a unique insight into the mind and spirit of 20th century spiritual leader and original thinker.. Below is one of the poems from The Game of Love.