To: K-list
Recieved: 2000/04/19 01:35
Subject: Re: [K-list] Kundalini Yoga and Sikhism
From: Mhortling
On 2000/04/19 01:35, Mhortling posted thus to the K-list:
Dear Collin,
You wrote:
<I have a question about the relationship between Kundalini Yoga and Sikhism.
<I know that Yogi Bhajan, who brought it (Kundalini Yoga) to the West in 1969
<and out of the shroud of secrecy (apparently the science was very closely
<guarded and was not given freely), is a Sikh, and in fact is head of the
<Sikh Dharma for the western hemisphere. I've also noticed that many other
<Kundalini Yogins are also Sikhs. I know this doesn't mean that one has to be
<a Sikh to practice Kundalini Yoga; I was just wondering why so many who
<practice it *are* Sikhs. Anyone know?>
Kundalin Yoga is not at all the monopoly of any specific group or tradition -
even if the 3HO organization like to market themselves as *the* Kundalini
Yoga.
In fact, I've read books by 3HO people that tend to indicate that the authors
didn't really know what they were writing about:)
No, there are numerous traditions and lineages of kundalini-yoga around the
world, most of them of course originating in India and some of them going
much further back in history than Sikhism. Kashmir Shaivism for instance, is
a good example of a tradition that can be traced to the pre-vedic, dravidian
culture and is possibly older than 5000 years !
Most of the tantric traditions in fact incorporate Kundalini-Yoga and are
based on the Shiva/Shakti polarity of life. Among the more contemporary
Kundalini-Yogis, some of the essential ones meriting investigation are of
course Gopi Krishna, Muktananda (who is an exponent of Kashmir Shaivism
basically), Swami Satyananda Saraswati to name but a few. Even Paramahansa
Ramakrishna was a Kundalini-Yogi although the orthodoxy of his time didn't
really want that aspect of their patron saint to be made too public.
Anarchist tantrics are dangerous!!
Anyway, I don't essentially want to bash Yogi Bhajan's group or teaching,
but to me, it doesn't really feel correct the way they seem to appropriate
one of the oldest and deepest traditions of human spirituality and making it
their trademark.
On the other hand, it's probably just another of Ma's little jokes :)
Regards,
Michael
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