HEALING AND INTEGRATING POLARITY by Jivan Mukta, Phd

HEALING AND INTEGRATING POLARITY by Jivan Mukta, Phd

In this video, we delve into the foundational concept of polarity—an essential dynamic present in every human being. Drawing from yogic philosophy, ancient wisdom traditions, and modern understanding, we explore how the interplay of masculine and feminine energies shapes our inner world and relationships.

Discover how embracing and harmonizing these internal forces can lead to balance, healing, and the awakening of Kundalini energy. Through self-awareness and compassion, we unlock a path to greater peace and alignment in life.

If you’re ready to take the next step in your healing journey, explore a personalized offering designed to support your relationships. Reconnect, heal, and transform your relationship with Jivan Mukta’s healing touch.

Anchored in Light: Discovering the Core Sun's Energy and Wisdom, by Jivan Mukta, PhD

By Jivan Mukta, PhD

The Sun and the Earth's core share remarkable similarities, despite their vastly different scales and contexts. Both are immense powerhouses of energy: the Sun's surface reaches temperatures of approximately 5,500°C, while the Earth's core exceeds 5,000°C. The Sun fuels life on Earth through its light and heat, while the Earth's core stabilizes our planet by generating its magnetic field. Both exhibit a dynamic interplay of matter and energy—the Sun through nuclear fusion, and the Earth's core through its molten outer layer and solid inner core. Together, they embody radiant energy and stabilizing force, mirroring the cosmic and terrestrial cycles that sustain life.

Beneath the surface of the Earth lies a phenomenon so powerful it can be likened to a sun. Known to science as the Earth’s core, this immense sphere of solid iron and nickel is surrounded by a turbulent sea of molten metal. Its temperature rivals that of the Sun’s surface, and the pressure compressing it is beyond human imagination.

This “inner sun” anchors the Earth’s structure and generates the geomagnetic field that protects life. Beyond its scientific properties, it represents a pulsating energetic presence that I have personally experienced through deep meditation. This radiance is not perceived as a physical object but as a vibratory force carrying light, energy, and encoded information essential to life on this planet. It is within this profound connection that I have encountered healing—an experience that grounds the body and spirit deeply into the Earth, particularly at the root chakra, the foundation of stability, vitality, and connection.

Seeing the Suns: Above and Below

Humans live in connection with two suns. The solar Sun is seen with open eyes, radiating light, heat, and life-giving energy. It fuels photosynthesis, drives weather systems, and sustains ecosystems. The Earth’s core sun, by contrast, is perceived inwardly, with eyes closed and the mind attuned.

These two suns form an infinite system of energy: the solar Sun radiates outward, while the Earth’s core sun stabilizes and grounds. This duality reflects the Hermetic principle, As above, so below, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all existence. For me, this interconnectedness became a lived reality through meditative practice, as I felt the Earth’s energies rise to meet me, creating a profound sense of healing and alignment.

Experiencing the Core Sun

In profound meditative states, the Earth’s core sun reveals itself as waves of unimaginable energy, light, and power. It is not merely a concept but a direct experience of radiant intensity. This connection to the Earth's core is not only stabilizing but deeply healing, particularly at the first chakra, or Muladhara. According to yogic tradition, this energy center is the root of life force, grounding us into the Earth and anchoring our existence.

Consciously anchoring to this energy fosters a deeper relationship with the planet’s vibratory patterns, unlocking profound clarity, stability, and purpose. In my own practice, I have found that this connection transforms the way I experience both myself and the world around me, providing the foundation for vitality and spiritual growth.

The Diamond Mind: Refining Perception

Just as the Earth’s pressures form diamonds, the challenges of life can crystallize consciousness into a state I call the “diamond mind”—sharp, resilient, and unbreakable. This transformation mirrors the energetic processes within the Earth, particularly the intense pressure and heat at the core. Through Kundalini Yoga, meditation, and energy alignment, we cultivate this resilience, harmonizing body, mind, and spirit with the Earth’s energy field.

Energy, Light, and Information

The energy of the Earth’s core sun is not limited to heat or magnetism; it also carries encoded information essential for life. This energy transcends the physical, acting as a bridge between material and energetic dimensions. In meditation, one can sense this energy as a direct and illuminating experience, revealing a deeper truth about the interconnected systems that sustain life.

Science Validates Experience

The Earth’s core sun—its immense heat, magnetic energy, and pressure—is not just a mystical abstraction. Science validates its role in generating the Earth’s magnetic field and stabilizing the planet. These scientific insights intersect with the experiential dimensions I have encountered in meditation, demonstrating a convergence of science and human experience in meditative states of consciousness.

Living in Alignment

To live in profound alignment with the Earth’s core sun and the solar Sun is to exist in harmony with the nature and the forces that sustain us. This alignment is not merely spiritual but deeply practical, grounding us in the energy systems that nurture our planetary human adventure. Through Kundalini Yoga and meditative healing practices, this magical connection can be cultivated, thus, ser ving the path to healing human experience on Earth.

Conclusion: Roots to Sky

The Earth’s core sun is both a scientific marvel and a profound energetic reality upon which we all depend. By connecting with this energy, particularly through the activation of the root chakra, we open ourselves to a transformative process of healing and alignment.

This journey is both empirical and spiritual, serving us to ground our existence in the vibratory patterns that sustain life.

It calls us to explore, connect, and root with the energies that nurture us as non-physical beings having a physical experience—from the Earth's energy and purpose, to the vast cosmic soul potential beyond our planet.

Jivan Mukta

Briefly on the Numerology of Number Nine: The Subtle Body. By Jivan Mukta, PhD

Briefly on the Numerology of Number Nine: The Subtle Body. (2 + 0 + 2 + 5 = 9)

The year ahead will traverse the subtle space—a dimension that lies just before the immaterial reality, or what some may call the spiritual realm. The defining quality of the Subtle Body is its ability to manifest situations in both the invisible and the tangible. In the following lines, I will share impressions to approach the year’s energy of the Subtle Body. The aim is to recognize the tendencies our journey through subtle realms, moments, and situations may bring into our lives—and to prepare for 2025’s highlights and challenges.

“If you only knew the magnificence of the 3, 6 and 9, then you would have the key to the universe”

- Nikolai Tesla

INTROSPECTION

There is a time for everything, and 2025 subtly draws us toward our inner magic. What is it that makes your life unique and magical? The number 9 symbolizes introspection, urging each individual on Earth to delve into personal depth. This inward journey offers the potential to realign with your inner truth, refine your expertise, and, ultimately, achieve mastery.

The "new age" effervescence surrounding the rise of Aquarian energies has been palpable. Society remains in a state of flux, with recent years marked by intensity and transformation. 2024 was a game-changer in many ways, characterized by movement, crisis, and expansion.

In 2025, inner growth will take center stage. It will provide a momentary space to explore:

• What we truly know about ourselves

• What we are spiritually

• What we intimately desire

• What we can manifest in life

Your subtle body is the place where spirit and matter synchronice. It serves as the delicate membrane that shields and contains the spiritual essence of each individual incarnated in a human body. The energy of number 9 is profoundly mystical, acting as a gatekeeper of deep truths and a wellspring of hidden power.

If any year could unveil hidden mysteries, 2025 is that year. Are you ready to shift your focus to the immaterial, unseen pulse of the unknown within you?

Sensitive individuals, in particular, may feel an opening in 2025—a possibility for deeper self-recognition. The inner structures of the psyche are closely connected to this subtle core, and the psyche and the social are deeply interdependent. It is fair to say that the subtle structures of our mind and soul, both individual and collective, will come into focus. This is an opportunity worth noting.

Expect the ignition of a collective reconfiguration. On a broader scale, this will manifest as concrete, down-to-earth expressions of the subtle psychic phenomena coming to life. Let me offer you three perspectives on the Subtle Body as it relates to relationships, family life, and spirituality.

Subtle Body in Relationships

The connection between partners in committed relationships will undergo an unseen test of reality. Questions like: Who are we? What are we doing together? Do we truly meet soul-to-soul? Do we connect enough? Why do I feel lonely in this relationship? may arise. Such thoughts and feelings can disturb the foundation of any relationship—and they likely will.

While some individuals will wisely turn inward through healing and therapy to address these challenges, others may seek answers externally, often through physical connection. Ultimately, the deepest answer is love, which serves as the key to all relationships.

The Subtle Body teaches us about the intrinsic unity of all beings. Even when we feel distant from each other, a subtle bond can exist and endure. This year offers valuable lessons about connection despite perceived barriers such as distance, differences, incompatibilities, and what might seem like irreconcilable mismatches.

At the same time, you may discover what truly matters to you on a soul level. This realization will influence the physical realities you manifest, often aligning them with your soul’s purpose. A gentle but transformative rearrangement in couple dynamics may occur, with the key to progress being calmness, patience, and authenticity.

If you’re not currently in a relationship, start by cultivating love for your own soul. This profound self-love can naturally attract a soul mate into your life—a beautiful manifestation of the pure magic of the Subtle Body in action…

“9 is hard to comprehend in this respect has been termed the number of mystery”
-Shiv Charan Singh“

Subtle Body in Family Life

What about the subtle legacy encoded in your DNA? From the vast well of ancestral information, new insights may emerge, reshaping your understanding of what it means to be part of a family and have a lineage.

The Subtle Body expands the concept of family beyond the material and even beyond bloodlines. It acknowledges both a biological family and a spiritual family. The soul carries contracts to meet people who feel like brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, teachers or students—spiritual bonds formed in another time, space, or life. These connections remain deeply embedded in the Subtle Body and will manifest in encounters with special people.

In 2025, you may find yourself expanding your sense of family and belonging to include the character and wisdom of your lineage, as well as the power of your ancestors and spiritual inheritance whichever this might be. By strengthening these unseen bonds, you can empower and complete your self and cultivate blessings for generations to come.

Subtle Body in Spirituality

Institutional and historical religions may find themselves at the center of debate in 2025. Their domain has always been the unseen, but when religions transform into genuine spiritual paths rather than mundane institutions, they reopen the door to intuitive, inner, and mystical forms of spiritual experience. This subtle shift offers us a chance to feel the invisible connection with the Creator.

In simple terms, activating your Subtle Body can free you from blind religiosity and instead guide you toward mastering the mysteries of life. This awakening is independent of the religion or ideology you follow. What matters is whether your Subtle Body is activated and how it functions.

When spiritual practice is grounded in authenticity, it becomes a path to profound self-experience of God’s presence, aligning the soul with its divine purpose.

“When your subtle body is activated, all of a sudden it’s as if you have X-ray vision … A well-developed subtle body lets you learn things fast”
-Guru Chander Singh Khalsa

Check your #9

Let’s get personal. The numbers contained in our date of birth encode relevant personal meanings that can help us embrace life with better understanding. There are 5 areas to consider in Numerology. These areas are symbolically defined by the numbers extracted from the date of birth. These 5 key aspects reflect your life plan, and they are: 1. Soul, 2. Karma, 3. Gift, 4. Destiny and 5. Path. Each of these key aspects will have a number that is extracted from the day you were born, the month and the year. And yes, you only need to know your date of birth! Let’s take a look at the combination that give #9

#9 in Soul

This is calculated by summing the digits of the day you were born—for example, the 9th, 18th, or 27th of any month (all reducing to 9). This number reflects your primary way of connecting to your spiritual essence. It represents your ability to feel your inner core, experience peace, and feel self-contained. This year will test your nerves and your subtle sensitivity to remaining calm within your own skin. It invites you to stay alert and grounded in your inner stillness. You may feel out of place or uneasy when disconnected from yourself or overly consumed by your mind or others. Remember, you thrive when you allow yourself solitude and the opportunity to connect deeply with your essence, through silence and presence.

#9 in Karma

For those born in September (the 9th month), karma often revolves around proportional reactions. At times, your reactions may be so subtle that they fail to effectively reach others—you might offer a word, a hint, or a gesture that is too understated. Conversely, you might overreact, speaking or engaging awkwardly in certain situations. Or it might be exactly the opposite: this is that you are not been able of reading the hints others give you! This year will challenge you in relationships. It is a test of realism, understanding, and deeper connection. A good way to navigate this is to listen carefully, ask more questions, and delve deeper into the core of situations rather than staying on the surface. Patience will help you resolve issues, heal and strengthen your relationships.

#9 in Gift

This is calculated by summing the last two digits of your birth year—for example, 2018, 2009, 1999, 1990, 1981, 1972, or 1963 (all reducing to 9). This year is ideal for showcasing your gift—your unique ability to read people, situations, and energies with remarkable clarity. You have a refined perspective and can share your mastery with the world. This is your year to bring your magic touch and presence into life and service. As Lao Tse said: “You outlive time and space by realising the subtle truth of the universe.”. Give others the opportunity to witness your calmness when everyone else is confused and running around like headless chickens.

#9 in Destiny

Calculated by summing the digits of your birth year—for example, 2025, 2016, 2007, 1998, 1989, 1980, or 1971 (all reducing to 9). You are at a crossroads of great significance, moving into a new chapter of your destiny. Will you trust your ability to see clearly and remain calm? Will you fully embrace your unique destiny? Remember, refinement is your superpower. Everything you dedicate yourself to with patience becomes something others might call “perfection.” You are a master of your craft. Embrace your destiny and let your mastery shine.

#9 in Path

This is calculated by summing the full date of your birth (day, month, and year). This aspect of life is available only to those who see their life as a meaningful journey guided by infinite potential. Your path as 9 is to serve the Truth by staying true to yourself… Hold your inner experience, and allow it to project its subtle beautiful presence. You were born to be a master. Master 2025!

SUBTLE BODY: INNER COMPASS

The Subtle Body teaches us that if you cannot see a situation with crystal-clear clarity through your heart and intuition, it might be better to pause and wait until this deep sense of understanding emerges.

Some of you may experience this awakening and burst from your inner sense with a triumphant "Eureka!"—realising how things truly are. Your Subtle Body will reveal that, deep within, you already know… Mysteries within you will become clear, and you will take another meaningful step on the ladder of self-realization.

In 2025, those who invest extra time in deeply contemplating their inner challenges, traumas, inner conflicts, or insecurity —especially those with the intensity to penetrate the subtle layers of these issues—will uncover profound insights. These revelations may not only transform their own lives but also positively impact the lives of others.

A YEAR TO CULTIVATE CALMNESS OF HEART and pacience

The Subtle Body offers the experience of deep calmness. Amid the turmoil and stress, a calm temperament will help you navigate the shifting mental structures of humanity and the at-times chaotic state of collective affairs. Learning to calm your spirit and surround yourself with others who embody calmness could make a significant difference in how you experience the year.

With all the uncertainty, crises, and the seemingly aimless direction of humanity, coping may feel challenging. Seek out and hold onto sources that promote calmness.

Let your mind marinate in peace and allow it to anchor you in the knowning of your own mystery.

Have a blessed year,
Jivan Mukta

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References:
- Tantric Numerology. Science of Soul Mastery. Guruchander Singh Khalsa – Yogi. Radiant Light Press. New Mexico 1993.
- Let The Number Guide You. The Spiritual Science of Numerology. Shiv Charan Singh. O Books. London. 2004.
- Numerologia Tántrica. Gurudass Singh Khalsa and María Lapuente. Ed. Alas. 5ta Edicion.Bareclona 2000.
- The Ten Dimension of the One

Our Views on Yogi Bhajan

(Originally posted in February 2020 after the first wake of allegations. Later reflections added at the end.)

Our Kundalini Yoga community is having a challenging situation to face and understand.

We are saddened to hear about the allegations against the one who has brought Kundalini Yoga to the Western world.

Recent testimonies about Yogi Bhajan’s sexual conduct have challenged us all. Hence, we have carefully read the book of “Premka”, written by Pamela Dyson, the chief secretary and student of Yogi Bhajan in the 70’s and 80’s.

We feel compassion for her and all those women who experienced abuse or any other traumatic events and we feel compelled to support and help to heal this in our community.

On a personal level, the current situation affecting the Kundalini Yoga community feels disappointing, painful and sad, but at the same time it is an opportunity to grow and become more authentic, truthful and compassionate. We, as so many other people, are learning from this situation that affected our understanding of authority and what was really going on behind the scenes. It is time to see through the illusions of masks, sensationalism, and misinformation.

And even though applying a critical mind is something we have been doing even before, as we have been improving our trainings and classes, avoiding the incorrect or the inconsistent in the materials of the institutions created by Yogi Bhajan, now it is time to do even a deeper review of what we teach.

Definitely, these are times to trust God within and do what it takes to experience that connection… your own sense of Infinity, guiding you from within. These are times to experience a connection to your spiritual network, creating healthy communities with healthy values, linked to your higher astrals, your angels, spiritual ancestors, spirit guides or “Golden Chain”.

We believe this shocking news about Yogi Bhajan comes with a responsibility for one’s own path and those who serve on this journey of being a teacher.

We welcome the purification, the change and the evolution that these painful revelations trigger in us and our work.

And we wish to keep the equilibrium and discernment to also preserve and transmit the pure energy and the pure content that we have received from all our teachers, experience and study.
 
Jivan Mukta, Sat Darshan & Team

Updated Reflections

Over the years, so much more has come to light about what went on within Yogi Bhajan's inner circle and among his closest and most intimate followers. Bit by bit, this information has surfaced, becoming part of his biographical legacy, as well as shedding light on the dynamics at the U.S. headquarters of 3HO and the boarding school in India. The recent HBO documentary The Breath of Fire compiles some of the most harrowing accounts and presents them in a series that is both brief and deeply shocking.

For us, this has reinforced the importance of relying on our own connection to Spirit, the timeless and universal teachings within Kundalini Yoga, and—most importantly—our personal experiences of what truly works. Since these revelations emerged, we have shifted our focus to supporting people in healing and connecting to their inner selves. Whether through teaching Kundalini Yoga, Shakti Dance, healing practices, astrology, or therapy, our mission has evolved to reflect these priorities.

We want to be clear: we do not minimize or deny the abuses that have been publicly documented. The same man who created a revolutionary yogic system, Kundalini Yoga, was also capable of profoundly misusing the power that this system grants its practitioners. We have long been critical of the “Bhajanism” that emerges in certain semi-conscious beliefs embedded at multiple levels. This goes beyond simply being “different” or “weird,” as some bystanders and scholars have described the ecosystem surrounding Yogi Bhajan, often noting its “cultish” undertones.

We refuse to look away or remain silent. This journey has led us into another level of shadow work, self-healing, and discernment. Through our classes, workshops, and trainings, we continue to aim to empower others while acknowledging a fundamental truth: power magnifies both the light and the shadows within the subconscious. And for those in positions of empowering others, this awareness is not optional—it is essential.

We have come to 4 lines of action that we are currently focused on:

1. Completing the reconfiguration of our mindset, emotional, and operational dynamics to teach and serve others. We have cleared the illusions that once clouded our understanding about Yogi Bhajan and some of his teachings.

2. Further integrating the light and shadow aspects of this spiritual lineage while reconciling the history of Kundalini Yoga with its most popular iteration through Yogi Bhajan in the 20th century.

3. Keep developing a thoughtful and critical reinterpretation of Yogi Bhajan’s message in the light of empirical, experiential, historical, astrological, multicultural, and universal laws and truths. We seek to hold the space of our work on more solid fact-based grounds in order to elevate and serve others pursuing the aim of all yogas and this system as well (liberation).

4. Translating these experiences and teachings into Western culture and language—positioning them within the broader context of the philosophical, technological, scientific, logical, psychological and astrological structure of the West and modern world. And we keep our mind open to best apply this unique yogic protocols in today’s diverse multicultural world.

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Watch Jivan Mukta’s reflection to the book of Premka. Feb 2020.

• Jivan Mukta’s (Aka JF. Lafontaine) doctoral thesis, 3HO in The Light of Experience (2016), provides a scholarly exploration of the experiences shaped by the power, effects, implications, and transformations sparked by the practice of Kundalini Yoga, its community, and the teachings that frame them —Download Here

• Briefly about: Yogi Bhajan

• Read Jivan Mukta’s essay on The flow of the teachings between Baba Virsa Singh and his student, Yogi Bhajan or about the greatest yoga master of this linage, the Master Baba Siri Chand The Sublime Steps of a True Yogi

Master Baba Siri Chand - The Sublime Steps of a True Yogi

(en Español)

Master Baba Siri Chand
The Sublime Steps of a True Yogi
by Jivan Mukta, PhD

I want to share with you some of the core aspects to properly identify who Baba Siri Chand was and to locate his contribution, his "personality type," and, why not, his teachings.

Siri Chand was the eldest son of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion. He was born into a highly spiritual family, on September 8, 1494, exactly 529 years ago.

As expected in such a family, he began displaying strong inclinations toward spirituality and introversion from a very early age. His name, Siri Chand or Siri Chandra, is derived from "Chand" or "Chandra," which means moon, and "Siri" means great. This name reflects his personal qualities, such as extraordinary sensitivity and powerful positive introversion.

From another perspective of analysis, his astrology, calculated from his birth at midnight, gives him the sign of Cancer as the Ascendant and his Sun in Virgo. This configuration suggests a very sensitive type of teacher. If this analysis is correct, as it seems to be, most of Baba Siri Chand's planets are below the Horizon, indicating a rich inner life, a preference for solitude over social exposure, and minimal interaction.

Baba Siri Chand and his father, Guru Nanak

At the age of 11, he went to Kashmir to study Sanskrit literature and began his study of yoga at the same time. He was mentored in the art of Yoga under the guidance of Avinashi Muni. By the time he turned 18, he was certain that he wanted to pursue the path of yoga. His natural inclination was towards an ascetic life, which he displayed from a very young age. This path eventually led him to become the leader of the Udasis, a yogic community of Sadhus and mendicants. "Udasis" literally means 'detached journey,' signifying a group of yogis who roamed through India, living a simple, meditative, and mendicant life.

Baba Siri Chand received his first spiritual instruction directly from his father. However, a misconception emerged with one of the first historians of the Sikh religion, Bhai Gurdas, who portrayed Baba Siri Chand as an "egotistical" person. This interpretation, along with being the first editor of the initial version of the Sikh Scripture (Adi Granth), shaped the narrative of Sikh history, overshadowing the reputation and role of this master yogi. The reality is that Siri Chand was rather introverted, a personality type that avoids the spotlight and shows no real interest in material possessions or wordly structures. This was his nature and inclination, but his historical and social contribution to Sikhi reflects someone driven by something significantly greater than his own ego.

The Leader of the Udasis

The Udasis trace their roots back to the Puranic epoch, but Siri Chand was the first to organize and lead this movement. It's important to note that Siri Chand wholeheartedly followed his father's teachings, especially concerning the use of sound as a form of meditative practice. His approach to service and his unwavering dedication to his father's will and the will of his father's successors were central to his life. Spiritual understanding and experience held fundamental importance for Baba Siri Chand. It is accurate to say that he exemplifies embodied spirituality, as yogis both practice and teach.

Both the Udasis and Siri Chand embraced the idea of one God as taught by Guru Nanak, while continuing to worship Hindu gods. This syncretic approach caused tension when the Sikh Orthodox form, the Khalsa, became the dominant force in Sikh history and development. The mainstream interpretation of Sikhism viewed ascetics, yogis, celibate Sadhus, especially if associated with Hindu gods, as leading a lesser type of life compared to the householder, family-oriented Sikh ideology. As the Udasis grew and expanded during the Sikh empire, the advent of the British changed the scenario for them. Gradually, they lost their place within the Sikh community as the Singh Sabhas reformed Sikh structures. Nevertheless, it's interesting to note that the Udasis shared a devotion to the Panchayatana, the five Gods in Hindu tradition: Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, Surya, and Durga. Notably, Siri Chand placed a particular emphasis on Durga in her version of Shakti.

Extraordinary Life and Teaching

Baba Siri Chand echoed the Hindu tradition of celibacy, a lifestyle he wholeheartedly devoted himself to, exemplifying one of the key aspects that defined his powerful life.

For a long time, yogis have recognized the connection between sexual energy, spiritual consciousness, and vitality. Various approaches exist to harness and integrate this form of energy, and Baba Siri Chand's choice granted him an exceptionally long life. He embraced the practice of celibacy, living as a Brahmachari. When we consider the factors influencing longevity, we must revisit how contemporary science aligns with the wisdom and ancient practices of yogis. Among these factors, one that is less known and often not deeply studied is the sexual variable. In numerous cases, longevity directly correlates with a profound understanding and conscious experience of sexual energy.

Siri Chand, with his introverted disposition, detachment from the world, and minimal interest in material possessions, embodied a powerful yogic life. He achieved, maintained, and lived his mastery much like other remarkable yogis: through authentic inner experiences, impervious to external realities and worldly illusions. An essential aspect of spirituality lies in the mindful relationship with sexual energy, something that yogis must grasp. To tap into this inner source, nourishes the mind, improves health, and heals. The mindful integration of human sexuality provides capabilities to extend and strengthen life, even if only slightly longer than average.

Baba Siri Chand practiced a form of yoga similar to the traditional Hatha Yoga system, which included advanced practices found in other yogic systems. The Udasis had a unique yogic dress code compared to the followers of his father and the later Sikh expression of the Khalsa. These yogis were mendicants, anointed their bodies with ashes, carried coconut bowls for sustenance, and practiced asanas, kriyas, pranayamas, and meditation on deer skins.

The choice of deer skins carries profound symbolism in the yogic journey of liberation. The deer, symbolizing the fourth chakra, is a graceful antelope with the ability to leap and gain altitude to observe reality and the realm of the psyche. The fourth chakra's realm is the first ground of consciousness, where neutrality and integration of human experience occur. The heart transcends the world of material concerns, and thus the deer signifies the human capacity to rise above material struggles, earthly attachments, and bonds to people and things. In essence, the deer, representing meditation on the heart, offers a perspective of altitude and the ability for self-consciousness, a psychic element that yogis need to master, or as Baba Siri Chand's father taught, "Man Jetai Jagjit", "Master the mind, and you will master the world".

However, the deer must also land. While it ascends and gains perspective, it possesses the skill to gracefully return to the ground. Ultimately, the fourth chakra integrates two fundamental realms: the physical realm of Earth and the realms of the psyche, extending to the spiritual. In the fourth chakra, one discovers the reality of truth, Sat Nam. Udasis led by Siri Chand diligently worked to achieve the proper understanding and integration of these realms through inner experiences.

Ek Ong Kar, the core religious experience that transformed, inspired and guides the teaching of Guru Nanak onwards. Listen to my version of this the mantra on Spotify or Youtube

Yogic methodology primarily involves the transmission of experience through personal instruction. This is why yogis seldom rely on texts, scriptural knowledge, ritualistic practices, or philosophical discussions as the source of wisdom. Despite being a sensitive and introverted individual, Baba Siri Chand was a proactive leader who subtly influenced the foundational era of Sikhism. His teachings primarily focused on the inner experience as a spiritual process of liberation. From a religious scholarship perspective, Siri Chand emphasized the experiential component of religion—the spiritual experience within the individual. While religion encompasses various dimensions, such as institutional, scriptural, moral, or normative aspects, Baba Ji exemplified the type of religious person dedicated to self-experimentation, yogic mysticism, inner exploration of the psyche, and ultimately, the realization of the True Self within. He cared little about one's societal status, wealth, or else; what mattered to him was the authentic self beneath the masks people wore. In this sense, he echoed his father's teaching, which emphasized authenticity and consciousness.

Being the son of the first Guru of Sikhism might appear as a privileged position in terms of exposure to his father's message. From his familial and biological origins, Siri Chand learned how to align one's life with the soul and the path of Yoga.

But Siri Chand faced a significant challenge when he experienced the death of his father and Guru Angad took the Guru's seat. A conflict arose between Siri Chand and Guru Angad, contributing to negative perceptions about Baba Ji. It's plausible that, being highly spiritual and sensitive from an early age, he may have expected to continue his father's legacy after his passing. However, Guru Nanak's message wasn't inherently a yogic one, he rather emphasized a collective spiritual project, family life and worldly participation. Guru Nanak's intention wasn't to establish a bloodline lineage either.

When Guru Angad succeeded Guru Nanak, challenging decisions were made, and a distinction emerged between Sikhs and others, including Udasis. The new Sikh community began evolving, scripturally, economically, and socially, and Sikhs developed a distinctive identity, distinct from a Hindu Sampradaya. Udasis continued to be a part of Sikh history, albeit in the background, not to be equated with secondary significance.

From the third Guru onwards, starting with Guru Amardas and continuing until Guru Hargobind, the Sikh Gurus recognized Baba Ji's importance in the evolution of Sikh religion. 

The Yogi at the Service of the Gurus

The encounters between Baba Ji and the fourth Guru serve as an inspiring example. When Guru Ramdas met Siri Chand, he humbly washed Baba Ji's feet with his own beard—a profound act of sincere respect and recognition. This act of humility, akin to Mary Magdalene washing the feet of Jesus with her hair, solidified Guru Ramdas and Baba Ji's connection as true descendants of Guru Nanak's light.

The meeting between Guru Ramdas and Baba Ji acted as a healing event, resolving past disharmonies and bridging the gap. Guru Ramdas's humble gesture brought Baba Ji's honor to the forefront and marked a significant moment in both Baba Ji's life and Sikhism's evolution. It demonstrated the true mastery of both individuals and their intrinsic connection as bearers of Guru Nanak's light.

Guru Ramdas, despite his humble origins and challenging upbringing, rose to an exceptional position. He too considered himself a son of the Guru, making the encounter between these two masters akin to that of brothers. At the time of their meeting, Baba Siri Chand was nearly 100 years old.

Baba Siri Chand and Guru Ramdas

Baba Ji had consistently followed a spiritual path, receiving teachings from his father and Guru. He had become a remarkable yogi and the leader of the Udasis community. He had mastered numerous aspects of life and yoga, including not only longevity but also the power of mind over the body and spirit over the mind. He exuded wisdom, radiance, and vitality. When Guru Ramdas encountered Baba Ji, he didn't just see an "older brother" but also a true master. This mutual respect and recognition acted like a mirror for those who could perceive it. Guru Ramdas, then almost 40 years old, learned profound aspects of yoga and a deeper understanding of the science of sound during this encounter. Sikh Gurus were human and, therefore, continued to evolve in their consciousness. At that moment, Guru Ramdas was nearly six decades younger than Baba Ji, and their meeting resulted in a transmission that elevated both the path of yoga and Sikhism.

The transmission of spiritual wisdom, known as "Shaktipad" in India, is a common occurrence among advanced yogis and masters. It is distinct from the "Shakti Pad" related to the spiritual path, which consists of five stages in the process towards mastery. Shaktipad involves the transmission of power and skill, a practice within certain yogic traditions and among highly skilled teachers. Energetic transmissions are commonplace in human interactions; however, most people are unaware of them. Highly developed yoga practitioners, gurus, sensitive individuals, empowered women, and some children can feel and even see these energies. Humans possess the ability to perceive energies and communicate beyond words. Ultimately, Guru Ramdas is perceived as a 'Raj Yogi' himself, something that cannot be properly understood without looking at his encounter with Siri Chand.

From this point onwards, Baba Siri Chand became a guiding North Star for future Sikh Gurus. The succession of Gurus from Guru Ramdas continued within the bloodline, blessed by Baba Siri Chand. His influence greatly accelerated the evolution of Sikhism.

While Siri Chand chose to remain behind the scenes, the subsequent Gurus, up to the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobinde, not only honored Guru Nanak's son but also sought his guidance and contribution.

In the Sukhmani Sahib, authored by the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan, Ashpadi 17th was written by Baba Siri Chand. It is worth noting that orthodox religious forces, present in Sikhism as well, have distorted the memory of Baba Siri Chand. Some mistakenly believed that Siri Chand had conflicts with his father, but this is untrue. Siri Chand once proclaimed in a writing that his father, Guru Nanak, was the "Supreme Lord of the universe." According to Baba Siri Chand, his father “envisioned the Sun and the Moon, all elements of nature, tens of millions of gods, and the entire creation singing the glory of Guru Nanak2 (in the Aarta Siri Guru Nanak Dev).

By the time of the sixth Guru, India and the Sikh community faced challenges from the Muslim invasion. In 1619, when Guru Hargobinde was captured by the Muslims, Baba Ji, then 125 years old, used his influence and powerful presence to persuade Jahangir to release Guru Hargobinde, successfully achieving his release.

When the sixth Guru embarked on the construction of a new temple, Kiratpur, Baba Siri Chand performed the groundbreaking ceremony—a significant historical event in Sikh history.

As the last chapter of Baba Siri Chand's life approached, he realized it was time to retire. The Sikh community had grown in strength and consolidation, and his role was concluding. He had supported and guided three to four generations of Sikhs and Gurus who emerged from his father's mission. Baba Siri Chand had witnessed and supported a lengthy process of succession, expansion, and consolidation.

In the later stages of Baba Siri Chand's life, he took on the role of instructing the elder son of Guru Hargobinde, imparting the knowledge and sciences he had mastered. He mentored Baba Gurditta, passing on not only the science of yoga but also the science of sound, which he had directly received from his father. Even at over 130 years old, he remained an active teacher with a wealth of experiences from various perspectives. He trained Baba Gurditta, who would later succeed Baba Siri Chand as the head of the Udasis. 

Baba Siri Chand in the 20th Century

During my visit to India and my time spent in the ashram of Yogi Bhajan's teacher, Baba Virsa Singh, I began to uncover these aspects of Kundalini Yoga's history that were previously unfamiliar to me. Yogi Bhajan had several teachers, with the most significant one being Baba Virsa Singh. While it is known that Yogi Bhajan had other teachers, like Sant Hazara Singh, Baba Virsa Singh was the one who, according to Yogi Bhajan himself, opened his third eye. This part of the narrative has been clouded by misrepresentations and worldly games, some of which were aimed at altering historical facts.

Baba Virsa Singh, student of Baba Siri Chand and teacher of Yogi Bhajan read more

Baba Virsa Singh, the teacher of Yogi Bhajan, received direct teachings from Baba Siri Chand. This instruction occurred through spiritual connections and inner experiences. Yogi Bhajan's teacher shared qualities and inclinations of introversion, profound inner experiences, and mysticism with Baba Siri Chand. Baba Virsa Singh also learned from a young age how to meditate and, through his natural abilities, spiritually connect with saints, teachers, and masters from the past. In contemporary terms, we might describe this spiritual cognition as "downloading" spiritual information. Such forms of instruction are not uncommon in the creation of myths, beliefs, and religious movements throughout human history.

Baba Virsa Singh's spiritual journey was marked by revelations and spiritual encounters, despite being illiterate. The origin of the mantra "Ek Ong Kar Sat Nam Siri Wahe Guru," which was passed on to Yogi Bhajan by Virsa Singh, traces back to Baba Siri Chand.

Baba Virsa Singh shared a vision in which the great yogi, his father Guru Nanak, and Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, appeared to him. Together, they held this mantra for the benefit of humanity. This mantra later became central to Baba Virsa Singh's teachings and gained popularity in the Western world through Yogi Bhajan.

While this mantra is not found in the Sikh Scriptures, it embodies the same Naad, spiritual vibration, and sound technology for Self-realization. Those who have used this mantra often attest to the powerful experiences it invokes. It's important to note that some aspects of this practice are subtle and esoteric, best transmitted by an experienced teacher, either physically or spiritually present.

During my visit to Yogi Bhajan's teacher's ashram, I personally connected with this story. Every morning, we participated in a group meditation that included the recitation of powerful words to remember and connect with Baba Siri Chand. The mantra used in this meditation is the Baba Mantra, "Dhan Dhan Baba Siri Chand Sahib," another gem of practice for yogis, Sikhs, and meditators alike. This group meditation was conducted every morning, lasting an hour and thirty minutes. We gathered around a strong fire, continuously fed with dry logs, and chanted together. It was a purifying and potent mantra meditation, deeply healing and connecting individuals to the energy of Shiva, bringing inner peace. Chanting the Baba Mantra empowered participants and harmonized masculine and feminine energies. It instilled a sense of grounded physical connection and helped balance masculine energy with the feminine aspect within. 

The Legacy of Baba Siri Chand

Baba Siri Chand left behind a beautiful and profoundly evolved spiritual legacy. He served humbly, dedicatedly, and with a low profile throughout his exceptionally long life, which is said to have spanned either 134 years (if he lived until 1629) or 149 years (if he lived until 1643). The circumstances of his passing remain unclear, shrouded in legend. It is said that Siri Chand gathered his disciples, announced his retirement, and then, in an awe-inspiring act, walked on water across a river before vanishing into the woods, never to be seen again in physical form. The details of his final moments are likely to remain a mystery.

His successor, Baba Gurditta, continued to carry forward Siri Chand's mission. He fathered the seventh Guru, Guru Har Rai, and became the grandfather of the eighth Guru, Guru Harkrishan. The influence of Siri Chand's successor was instrumental in shaping Sikh history, and the Udasis continued to flourish until the end of the Sikh Empire. By 1849, the Udasis had established 250 yoga centers or ashrams, known as Akharas. They also took responsibility for caring for Sikh shrines, including the Harimandir, the Golden Temple.

Listen to Dhan Dhan Baba Siri Chand Sahib (in Youtube)

Challenges arose with the British colonial presence and the political strategies employed to maintain control over India. The British adopted a "divide and conquer" approach, which prompted Sikhism to undergo reforms and counteract the efforts of Christian missionaries. Sikhs, unlike Christians, did not actively seek converts. During the British Empire, the Singh Sabhas movement was organized to create more institutionalized religion and religious control. This marked a departure from the more flexible and diverse expressions of Sikhism. The emphasis shifted toward a strict orthodox religious form—the Khalsas—and anything that resembled Hindu practices, such as those of the Udasis, was discouraged and eventually disregarded. The memory of Baba Siri Chand began to fade, and his contributions were gradually forgotten. He was mistakenly cast as the rebellious son of Guru Nanak, which was not accurate. The yogic practices of the Udasis were no longer authorized, and they were no longer considered Sikhs. Consequently, the Udasis moved back toward a more Hindu perspective that embraced yoga and yogis, and many of them eventually merged with various Hindu groups.

During my visit to India and my stay at Virsa Singh's Ashram, I became acquainted with the extraordinary Yogi. I was filled with questions and eager to learn all I could. It was during these conversations, particularly with Mary Fischer, the Ashram manager and former secretary of Baba Virsa Singh, that I was invited to ask one of my questions directly to Baba Siri Chand through meditation. This text, the Baba Mantra I previously mentioned and even recorded (Listen on Spotify) emerged from that profound experience. I've been gradually unfolding this connection, and it seems that Baba Siri Chand wishes to be more accessible and available to spiritual seekers and true yogis now. You can genuinely tap into the experiences of these Masters; this is what makes them Masters—their abilities transcend the constraints of time and space. We cannot underestimate the mastery of Siri Chand; during his life, he embodied this truth on a grand scale.

It is my intention that you establish a connection with him, feel his guidance, and experience his healing touch, deep wisdom, and hidden keys to self-mastery. Use the Baba Mantra to open up the window to "religious experiences." Baba Siri Chand is a compassionate soul, and when you connect through your subtle self, support will be granted. This is my personal experience with him and the Baba Mantra that brings his support to those who use it—Dhan Dhan Baba Siri Chand Sahib*.

Jivan Mukta

*Hail Hail Lord Master of the Immense Moon

References:

• Translation of Aarta Siri Guru Nanak Dev, by Partap Singh Jaspal, Eternal Glory of Guru Nanak (2019), pages 32–33.

• Barrier, N. Gerald; Singh, Nazer (1998). Singh, Harbans (ed.). Singh Sabha Movement in Encyclopedia of Sikhism. Patiala, Punjab, India.

• Max Arthur MacAuliffe. The Sikh Religion: its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors (Six volumes), Oxford University Press.

• Baba Virsa Singh. Arrows of Light. Sterling Paperbacks. New Delhi

• Mary Pat Fisher. Everyday Miracles in the House of God. Gobind Sadan Institute for Advanced Studies in Comparative Religions. New Delhi.

• Carl Gutsav Jung. The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga: Notes of the Seminare Given in 1932. Princepton Unversity Press. Princeton. 1996

• Dr. Davinderpal Singh. A Spiritual Biography of Baba Sri Chand. Sikh Book Company. Amritsar

Our Online Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training | According to the Students

THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING | by Sat Darshan & Jivan Mukta

THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING

Life is not a smooth ride. No matter how much one tries, there are always unpredicted situations that challenge our ability to stay in the path. And what people often ignore, is that all we give to life and others, sooner or later comes back.

So you must give from the right place for it to hit the target. What is that place? The one in which you can give unconditionally. Is that in the mind? Is that in the emotion? Neither - we only have a true experience of unconditionality when giving is rooted in the heart.

Giving from the heart, with no expectation of return, is one of the key principles that yogic wisdom immortalised in the sacred relationship of guru-chela or teacher-student. Why is Kundalini Yoga philosophy so often referring to fulfilment, prosperity and the activation of the human potential? Because it is possible, it a given of Nature, a blessings in our DNA and a human experience we can share with each other.

​Krishna, the Sikh masters or the tantric teaching of Kundalini Yoga in the Aquarian Age, all of them, ancient and modern, point at the transformative energy when you start giving with no expectations. And this is not an act of “holiness”, but a way to rewrite one’s destiny and correct life’s trajectory… Giving unconditionally is your hidden super power. It is a way to tap into the infinite creativity of the Universe.
​​​​​​​​
We have experienced that this form of giving is at the heart of the spiritual process and it can take place in so many ways and situations. Heaps can be said about what giving with no attachment to reward does and what Seva, ‘selfless services’, unlocks in life:

• It opens the lotus of the heart

• It humbles the ego and heals egotistical patterns

• It burns the karmas produced by previous selfish actions

• It cleans the heart to experience true freedom and deep joy

• It awakens our awareness of how much impact we can produce in our life, the life of others and the life of the community

No matter what you want to achieve in life or what is the concept of success you have in mind, the fact of experience is that you will have to give a lot of your energy, your time and your work to make relationships, finances, profession or spiritual life be at the place you want them to be.

“So what does it take to live one’s dreams?” (a student once asked). Our answer is rather simple: what we know is that the offering of our attention and dedication creates a flow of good fortune in life.
And that the best way for creating this experience in real life is to really give, with heart-centered motivation and as unconditionally as it can possibly be.

And that is how you will start to pulse your secret power and make things happen.

Peace,

Sat Darshan & Jivan Mukta

FEMININE SPIRITUALITY | An interview with Sat Darshan (Subt. Español)

En el episodio de “Meditando con Sat Darshan” con los amigos de KYR YOGA.

TEMAS

• ¿Cómo apareció el Kundalini yoga en tu vida? [1:34]

• ¿Como mujer, ¿en qué aspectos de tu vida sientes que el Kundalini Yoga te ha ayudado más? [9:34]

• ¿Qué significa la espiritualidad femenina? [11:57]

• ¿Qué piensas acerca del Tantra? [19:34]

• ¿Qué técnicas recomiendas para despertar esa parte femenina en nosotros? [25:45]

• ¿Qué meditación recomiendas para el primer y segundo chakra? [27:29]

• ¿Cómo está relacionado el Shakti Dance a todo lo que hemos estado conversando? [28:30]

• ¿Cómo sería una clase de Shakti Dance? [30:45]

• ¿A qué tipo de personas le recomendamos practicar Shakti Dance? [35:03]

• ¿Alguna historia de transformación relacionada con el Shakti Dance que quieras compartir con nosotros? [36:56]

• ¿Quién te ha influenciado más en tu camino espiritual? [42:35]

• Si pudieras pedir un deseo que te afectaría a ti y al resto de la humanidad ¿Cuál sería? [48:31]

• Meditación para traer la conciencia al cuerpo y activar la energía del agua y sanar las emociones (inicia en el minuto 52:08)

Read more about Sat Darshan and her Coaching and Healing or Shakti Flow classes.
Or try a Shakti Flow Class - Feminine Presence - for free.

GLOBAL GOODNESS: Interreligious Dialogue on Global Ethics (Turku University)

Despite the fragmentation of individualism, everyone wants to live in peace and survive. And our global world is in search of common roots that serves this purpose. Professor at Turku School of Economics Maija-Riitta Ollila, Mulki Al-Sharmani, the Archbishop Tapio Luoma, and Jivan Mukta discuss about grounds for a good life in the dynamic and evolving field of ethics.

Interview to Jivan Mukta & Sat Darshan (subtítulos en Español)

Ethics in Kundalini Yoga: past, present and future | by Jivan Mukta

“The Yoga practitioner whose mind is unbridled can never attain self realization. Only one who has mastered the self and how strives by right means is assured of success"
- Bhagavad Gita 6:36

There has been a lot of controversy in the last months concerning the behaviour and ethics that yogis and particularly Kundalini Yogis must have. 

Ethics is indeed a very difficult subject as it tends to regulate the action and interaction of people and it concerns what people value and believe.

Historically, the yogic ethics offers very solid principles in the master pieces known as the Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Sutras of Patañjali. My next words are not an analysis of these foundational texts intended for the practitioners of all yogas, but rather an explanation of how the Kundalini Yoga “as taught by Yogi Bhajan”, feeds from these yogic sources as well as from other inspiring sources that construct the ethical pillars in Kundalini Yoga: Sikh ideals and Aquarian Age wisdom.

THE ETHICAL AWARENESS IN YOGIC PROCESS

It is true that Kundalini Yoga is the “Yoga of Awareness”, as it stimulates the ability to see one’s self, others and the world. The reason why regular practitioners of Kundalini Yoga change their lives is because their brain starts to function differently as the subtle energies of Prana (‘life force’, the equivalent to Chi in Chinese medicine) and Kundalini energy itself (the ‘spiritual creative power’) improve psychological health and brain function. The meditations and mantras (known as Shabads) create the conditions for increasing self-awareness. 

Along with an increase of self-understanding and the capacity to see ourselves from a meditative vantage point (in other words contemplative, as a witness of one’s self), we also wake up to the dynamics of how our lives have become what they are… We start to understand that we create our circumstances by the thoughts, words or actions that we engage in. The force of our thoughts, words and actions always manifests consequences — some mild, some shocking. That is the principle that explains ‘Karma’.
As we keep practicing, we understand that ‘A’ leads to ‘B’ and that every action has a reaction. We also begin to understand what patterns or bias our mind has, and how it produces life experiences that we judge as “good” or “bad” in relation to a spiritual or philosophical aim or principle.

This is an awakening of another layer of ‘ethical awareness’ that happens when Kundalini Yoga is practiced. In general, the ‘ethical awareness’ is a fundamental characteristic that propels people throughout life. Without it we could not function in society, we would interact poorly, or we wouldn’t be able to create the conditions to achieve what we want.

WE REAP WHAT WE SOW

This is a fact. Nobody is above the consequences of their own actions. In one way or another we are responsible or accountable for everything — either in this life, in the next one or in the way history tells our life-story. Even the most talented and powerful yogis have to face the consequences of their deeds, wether that was a great service or disservice to humanity, or a mix of the two. Every sequence leads to a consequence. The 20th Century has many examples of Indian and some non-Indian yogis who became known by their holiness, corruption or the paradoxical mix of both. 

The people of the 21st Century are in search of ethical grounds and guidelines that can provide the awareness on how to behave and succeed. In the field of Kundalini Yogis we understand that in order to harness the Shakti (‘spiritual power’) that the practice generates, deep connection to the spiritual teachings and the moral sources is necessary to succeed in the spiritual quest.

Generally, the yogis of all traditions would embrace the moral teaching of Yoga as explained in the Bhagavad Gita and the principles in Patañjali’s Sutras. Although these principles were elaborated for all practitioners of all yogas (including Kundalini Yoga and other contemporary yogas) the principles have a universal flavour that could practically speak to anybody on a genuine spiritual path. This is one of the immediate reasons why yoga is so popular nowadays.

Along with these classical foundations for all yoga practitioners, the system of Kundalini Yoga includes to two other important sources to consider: the Sikh ethics and the Aquarian wisdom as understood in Astrology.

THE ETHICS OF A KUNDALINI YOGI: THREE-FOLDED BEDROCK

“As soon as the Yogi is grounded in abstinence from falsehood [‘Satya’, truthfulness], actions and consequences depend upon him”
― Patañjali, Sutra II. 36

With the Yogic sources:Yamas and Niyamas of Patañjali, the view of the Gita on Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Gian Yoga and Raja Yoga, and the Sikhs Gurus teachings, who also practiced yoga, the wisdom about yoga has expanded.

The Sikh vision about yoga was first shared by Guru Nanak, then mastered by his son Baba Siri Chand and a little later beautifully described by Guru Gobind Singh in the mantra known as the Re Man Shabad. It is very peculiar how this Shabad echoes some of the yogic core principles and virtues coming from the Gita and the Sutras. In this Shabad the 10th Guru prescribed how to practice yoga:

“Oh, my mind practice Yoga in this way:
Let Truth be your horn, sincerity your necklace, and meditation the ashes you apply on your body.
Catch your burning soul (self) and stop the flames. Let the soul (self) be the alms bowl in which you collect the sweet Naam and this will be the only support you will ever need.
The Universe plays its divine music. The sound of reality is shrill, but this is where God is.
When you listen to the reality from this place of awareness the sweet essence of Raag arises.
Waves of melodies, emotions, and passions arise and flow through you. Bind yourself with the song of God.
The Universe spins like a potter’s wheel and from it fly demons and angels. The sage listens to this and instead of getting caught in either one, the sage drinks in the nectar of the heavens and is carried to the heavens in a divine chariot.
Instruct and clothe yourself with self control. Meditate unto infinity until you are meditating without meditating.
In this way, your body shall remain forever golden, and death shall never approach you”

- By Guru Gobind Singh, in Dasam Grant (translation Snatam Kaur)

Sikh masters taught how to fix the mind in God. How to keep a ground understanding of the spiritual journey of the soul and how to estabilice the mind in contemplation. Sikh masters were meditators of the highest kind!

These enlightened teachers crystallise the idea that meditation rooted in deep listening (Sunié), supports spiritual vibrations to be embodied (Naad-Nadi) and that there is a consequential relationship between repeated meditation (Jap/Japa) and the clear vision and absorption in the truth (Samadhi). The personal dedication to utter the vibrational energy of truth leads to liberation (Moksha) — the moral, spiritual and psychological goal of Yoga.

THE “NEW” ETHICS OF SELF-INITIATION

The third of the sources, the astrological one, is perhaps the least known and therefore considered among old and new practitioners of Kundalini Yoga. According to the narrative of Yogi Bhajan, the central historical objective of Kundalini Yoga was to help people face the changes of sensitivity, energy and paradigm that occur as a consequence of shifting astrological epochs.

Astrology or the concept of the Age of Aquarius adds to the bedrock of the Indian tradition of yoga and Sikh principles the key aspect of self-initiation.

The sign of Aquarius is known to be the one that breaks with the old and useless forms and initiates new ways to understand and live life. Aquarius is a reformist. The sign of Aquarius has a revolutionary impulse that aims at establishing a more fair and humanitarian society in which every individual is empowered and free. In the Kundalini Yoga culture this is what we normally call self-initiation and it leads the way to self-discipline, self-control, self-awareness and ultimately self-realisation and spiritual freedom. This balances the strong social pressure and collective goals with the natural individual’s soul aspiration.

The experience amongst some of the practitioners of Kundalini Yoga in the past decades has been perceive as controlling and commanding. Excessive peer pressure and top-down logics of power have led to various painful, even traumatic consequences. But history again and again gives us opportunities to improve the understanding and the applications of the ethical rules and codes for new times.

In the case of all types of yogas, this demands a serious reflection on how to explain the “rules” that are “old” and “Indian”, yet most are also timeless and universally applicable today. In the case of Kundalini Yogis ‘self-initiation’ does not mean that you can invent your own rules! The rules have already been invented by very loving, wise and illuminated yogis from the past. 

THE THIRD PILLAR: THE AQUARIAN AGE WISDOM

“The Age of Aquarius is the Age of Experience”
- Yogi Bhajan

Why “experience”? Because in a multilingual and multicultural global world, experience becomes a universal language. The vast majority of people can feel, perceive and experience how things feel and what “energy” they transmit. And those who do not understand this sensitivity will have to accept that the Aquarian sensitivity and nervous system is becoming more sophisticated than what is known so far. The evolution never stops and the increase of sharpness and sophistication in our physiology and energy bodies is what feeds the soul and consciousness at the center of human experience.

For a Kundalini Yogi living in 21st Century it is a must to understand the depth of the three pillars that come from the Yogic/Tantric, Sikh and Aquarian sources. Superficiality and narrow interpretations of these different yet connected ethical ingredients can otherwise become detrimental and lead to similar problems from the past. Simplistic and binary views that do not evolve with the natural evolution of time can no longer speak to people of this century.

An outward moral model that is commanding and contracting has rarely been seen as “yogic” by most of the students that I have taught and some of the peers and teachers I have met along the path. The self-initiatory element is a real drive embedded in the ethical architecture, in the DNA, of this system, as well as in the contemporary civilisation.

All true yogis have at hand the task of creating a new structure from within the self.

Authenticity of experience rules over forms and social conventions. Thus yogis are to sparks awareness and create supportive communities that teach people to rule themselves and be free together. This, I believe, is a way to reconnect to the pure spirit of unity, Yoga and community in Kundalini Yoga.

“Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan” is a syncretic, original and modern tradition of yoga created in the 20th Century that revolutionised an entire generation. Our further reconsideration and promotion of the historically rooted principles of Kundalini Yoga, will guide the way for those to come.

Kundalini Yoga is an incredible system practiced all over the world and it transcends any person, institution, religion, nation or culture. Kundalini Yoga feeds from a truly universal and ancient yogic ethics and lifestyle, coloured by the Sikh illuminated teachers, in order to serve an Aquarian new world.

Jivan Mukta

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Read more about Yogi Bhajan and Baba Virsa Singh, the Evolution of Kundalini Yoga or watch the class of Jivan Mukta about Yogi Bhajan’s controversy , “3HO in the Light of Experience & the foundations of the teachings” or the video about the Inner Shadow. Or click in the following links if you wish to explore the courses on the Bhagavad Gita and the Yamas and Niyamas.

THE AURA OR 8th CHAKRA | by Jivan Mukta

The Greeks understood the Aura or “Αὔρα”, a deity whose name means “breeze”, like the energy emanating from the human body. Science has not yet found out what this really is. But people feel it and some see it. In this class Jivan Mukta talks about the importance of demystifying the subject and understanding that the energy that we generate is the one that we emanate to the world around. And that phenomenon is what shapes our life.

More about chakras click here

EMOTIONS AND SELF ESTEEM with Sat Darshan

EMOTIONS AND SELF ESTEEM with Sat Darshan

The video is a part of the day 2 of a free webinar on Emotions & Self-Esteem.
The theme of emotions and how to deal with them with compassion is very important.

Read more about Sat Darshan and her Coaching and Healing, click here

SHADOW WORK | by Jivan Mukta

Youtube lecture with Jivan Mukta about the inner shadow and the approach of yoga to work on it.

“The shadow self is discovered through shadow work. And it can be done in many ways.In this time when so much darkness and light are opposing, this personal exploration is very necessary… We have blamed the institutions, the history, the ancestors or the ages enough already. As long as each of us takes responsibility of our own shadow, we are moving forward and the future is bright”

- Jivan Mukta

Interview with Jivan Mukta for 3HO Europe (May, 2020)

This "Live Series" talk took place on Thursday the 7th of May. Avtar Kaur and 3HO Europe had a conversation with Jivan Mukta where he addressed some of the historical and philosophical dilemmas in Kundalini Yoga and community.

• Check Jivan Mukta’s video about, “3HO in the Light of Experience” & the Foundation of the Teachings, the Aura, the Shadow Work or the Collective Shakti Pad

• Read about other blogs from Jivan Mukta, about The Evolution of Kundalini Yoga, Ethics in Kundalini Yoga, The Saint and the Yogi (about Baba Virsa Singh and Yogi Bhajan).
  

Exploring The Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita | By Jivan Mukta

This online program aims at:

• Exploring the true essence of this wisdom and learn practical meditations that support the mind and body to experience it.

• Provide clear signposts to make one's life full of purpose and inspiration

• Teach the ways of a courageous true spiritual warrior that is not driven by ego or selfishness

• Guide on how to live and how to face life’s ultimate test: death.

This awareness is not a religious domain of Hindus, it is a universal spiritual legacy of humankind.

THE SAINT AND THE YOGI

THE SAINT AND THE YOGI
The flow of the teachings between Baba Virsa Singh and his student, Yogi Bhajan
By Jivan Mukta

 “Maharaj Virsa Singh is the one who has sent me on this mission to the west”

– Yogi Bhajan

Introduction 

This is a revision of the flow of the teachings between Baba Virsa Singh and his student, Yogi Bhajan. This approach is to present and explain how spiritual ideas evolve over the course of time. According to Anthony Grafton, “central premise is that ideas do not develop in isolation … one must study ideas not only as abstract propositions but also in terms of the culture, lives, and historical contexts”[1].

The potential for making a comparative analysis of these two teachers is still to be known. The magnitude of an analysis of their teachings is too large to address here. My intention here is to focus on two notions that according to my consideration require clarification. My view is that, we can see a development from the teacher to the student, while retaining the same essential meaning in two areas:

- Spiritual source of religion

- Spiritual ancestors and linage

These topics have largely been ignored, misinterpreted and disconnected from context and the real historical evolution of ideas in Kundalini Yoga. Therefore, there are some great gaps in the body of the teachings of Yogi Bhajan. Even if for practitioners of Kundalini Yoga, the experience of this techniques functions at many levels, which for me it does, the philosophical and historical grounds of the teachings must be known too. This affects the emotional capacity to personally engage in practices and views that transcend people. This also helps to see how ideas develop into schools of thought that inspire people independent of who teach them.

While the two teachers were connected on a personal level, some of the notions passing from Baba Virsa Singh to Yogi Bhajan suggest a connection that persisted at the level of their message, even after their personal relationship ended in 1971. The little we know about the connection between the Saint and the Yogi in the Kundalini Yoga world, is precisely the reason why we should speak about this. Even if this type of inquiry is resisted or unwelcome. We should always search the truth about people and the teachings they shared.

The following pages are my humble effort to show that there is a real link between core concepts of the two teachers and that it would be appropriate to reconsider unquestioned notions about their relationship and what passed from one to the other.

The Recent Times

Until 1971 Baba Virsa Singh was revered as part of the life and teachings of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. Vikram Singh, a former student of Yogi Bhajan and a famous musician, witnessed the place and type of relationship between the two. He explained in an interview: 

“We actually celebrated Virsa Singh’s birthday as a kind of gurpurb in March of 1970 (…) Virsa Singh was a big thing in the beginning (…). He [Yogi Bhajan] appeared to idolize him and kept his sandals on his meditation altar (…) He said very clearly that Virsa Singh was his teacher and how much he owed to him.  (…) As he used to tell it, Virsa Singh really put him through it making him do 40 day sadhana after 40 day sadhana of Ek Ongkar Sat Nam Siri Whahe Guru for 2 1/2 hours every day. Finally, one day, when he was cleaning the bathrooms at Gobind Sadan, Virsa Singh came, touched his third eye and he was enlightened. I heard him say this myself”[2]

In 2020, Pamela Dyson one of the former head secretary assistants of Yogi Bhajan published a book about her experience with him. As his chief secretary, they were very close to each other and she recalled Yogi Bhajan saying that,

“Maharaj Virsa Singh is the one who has sent me on this mission to the west. Maharaj is not an educated man, but rather he is regarded as a sant (saint). His knowledge comes direct from God. He has many prominent people who just come to him for guidance. I have been serving in his ashram for many years, along with my wife.”[3]

These first-hand accounts differ from the information available through the platforms known as The Library of Teachings (of Yogi Bhajan, 2020). A search in these online archive of provides the following outcome:

"No results”.

Several controversies around Yogi Bhajan have ignited a series of reconsiderations regarding his teachings, origin of the practices and historical views. Until recently, the name of Baba Virsa Singh was little known to the mainstream practitioners of Kundalini Yoga. Once I asked the CEO of the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI), Amrit Singh Khalsa, about this historical mismatch of information, he quoted the head of Public Affairs office (Shanti Kaur) and mentioned that,

“Yogi Bhajan had specifically told her to not get into the Virsa Singh issue until after they both were dead.  But her research shows that he only studied with Virsa Singh from 1966 – 1969.  Yes, YB did refer to Virsa as “his teacher” when he first came to the US, but that stopped after their falling out in 1971.  Given that he only studied with Virsa for 3 years, I don’t think we would say that Virsa was one of his most important teachers”[4] 

WHAT HAPPENED?

Why the relationship between Baba Virsa Singh and Yogi Bhajan was hidden from the records in the first place? Why would some speak about extricating Virsa Singh from the records?

To answer this question I can only think on an earlier conversation I had with Guru Fatha Singh Khalsa while I was writing my doctoral thesis, 3HO in the Light of Experience (2016). Guru Fatha Singh is the author of the most complete biography of Yogi Bhajan and in that email conversations mentioned that:

“Yogiji's stated intention for extricating his students from Baba Virsa Singh, that intention being to align his students with the orthodox Sikh lineage rather than the cult of Baba Virsa Singh”[5] 

Field Work

In February 2019, I visited Gobind Sadan, the ashram of Baba Virsa Singh in the south of New Delhi. This was an adventure driven by an open-minded exploration mode. Literally searching for something I did not fully comprehend at that moment. It was mostly a spontaneous trip to India based on a vague intuition following a controversial trail. These paragraphs are the fruit of my contact with the place where Baba Virsa Singh lived and the wisdom that he imparted [6]. I have sincerely and frankly explored the matter within myself and my personal conception and preconceptions. Here I see myself as a participant observer, that has an “empathetic understanding” as scholars of Comparative Religion call this approach[7]. Here I wish to share some thoughts about this journey.

It is important to note that this essay cannot fully cover Baba Virsa Singh's life or comprehensively summarise the extensive scope of his teachings and the impact of his work within his Ashrams and beyond India. Neither am I going to directly discuss Yogi Bhajan’s views – which is something that I have analysed in my doctoral dissertation.
The aim of this exploration is to offer an equitable focus on this Indian teacher and some of his ideas, who unfortunately have not received the attention they deserve and have been subject to misunderstanding.[8].

The spiritual source of religion

“I will work even greater deeds through you. All will join you in this mission. Do not despair. I am always with you to bring joy. Let there be no sadness. The pin of separation is for those attached to the body. My spirit always has been and always will be with all of you. Recite the Nam’”[9]

– Baba Virsa Singh

Baba Virsa Singh was an illiterate man. At a young age he left school and dedicated his life to meditation on three wooden platforms he made for that purpose. According to Baba Virsa Singh’s own words, his teachings are essentially based on his visions: “Everything came in visions (…) Nothing has come from my thought; everything is from visions”[10]. His early inclinations led him to dedicate his youth to contemplation. This gradually grew towards greater empathy and sympathy for people’s material and spiritual needs as well as a dedicated respect for nature and the cultivation of land.

He connected with all sort of people. And he was capable of delivering his message in many contexts and to very different audiences. While addressing the theme of religion he distinguished the aspects that he deemed essential in all religions. According to the Sant:  

“Every religion has two aspects. One involves vision; the other involves history and rules. The history and rules of religions are matters of tradition of rituals and limitations on behavior. This comes after the visionary basis of the religion.”[11]

This gives us a hint about what was his religious method. The source of religion is for Baba Virsa Singh accessed by seers. And what do seers see? A vision. Some you go through a psychic experience that has the power to transform the way life is seen. It is an inner experience that contains a revelatory power. A transformational power that a person experiences within. Such was the projection of Virsa Singh in the students who met and followed him. He was himself a seer. While embodying the archetype of the mystic that possesses him directly, making the seer a receptacle for religiously charged realisations. And this makes Virsa Singh different, within a country that is so packed with religious symbolism and ritual. The Sant was not keen on conventional ritualistic or religious formalities. Like mystics often are he was a rebel. He explains,

“I never went to any place of pilgrimage. I never visited any temple or Gurdwara or any spiritual person. I was simply sitting in meditation. Great attraction towards Him developed as I sat. As that attraction grew, I used to sing hymns to Him, day and night”[12]

A Man of God is Never Alone

“When a man of God comes to work in the world, all the prophets come to help and guide him as he serves the world (…) The prophet, the Messiah, or Messenger is merely a speaker for the sound of God, and nothing is more powerful than God’s order. If a person poses as a Prophet but is speaking out of personal ego, it a great crime against the public, and the impostor is banished forever from the eyes of God.”[13]

From the point of view of what a man of God feels and sees and lives his life as a massive religious experience. It is massive in the sense that goes beyond personal, and affect public life. And it has a transpersonal dimension as it convokes other realms of the spirit and spiritual aid. This religious experiences convince, bringing people together, sparking change and collective action.

The condition that takes one to progress, is having a “religious experience” (or many) as the ones Baba Virsa Singh speaks about. And according to him, this goes in direct benefit of humanity. Prophets and men of God are not so much seen through ideological lens, but rather, through the experiential lens. This network of visionaries and seer is essential part of Virsa Singh’s religious experience. Making him feel linked to other alike, soul at a soul level. And they come to “help and guide”.

Through this passage he addressed the importance of authenticity. For him spiritual instruction is the number one purpose of life. Everybody is here to evolve towards the inner truth. And he somewhat gave this experience to others. Having spiritual vision has the power to inform and transform our behaviour and life around. Many scientific studies show the power of conversion based on religious experience (for example in leaving addiction like alcohol).

In addressing the phenomenon of “false prophets” or fakers, Baba Virsa Singh remind us that the impact of a man of God and a con man of God can be equally deep for different reasons. Personal ego aggrandised by spiritual ego is often very harmful to others and in a profound sense. This is certainly the issue in all spiritual journey. The path implies learning about all inner parts: shadow and light. It is a path of a student, it is the path of teaching: “All of us should make it our mission to go deep and open our inner eyes. If we look clearer with our inner eyes, we will see that God is one, religion is one and the message is one.”[14].

Less Religious more Inter-Religious

His experiences and teachings, however, exceeded the frames of reference of Indian or Sikh culture. Baba Virsa Singh, being a man born in a Sikh family in Rajan Jung, near Lahore, nowadays Pakistan, was brought up in the images, notions and symbols of his native culture. Nonetheless he often spoke about other prophets or masters. About Jesus, he once spoke in very personal ways:

“… I saw Lord Jesus standing with his hands raised on the hill in Gobind Sadan, giving boons to this place and saying “blessed” in a loud voice. He said, “Those people who are now opposing you will offer flowers.” I was sitting half awake, half asleep; I could clearly see and hear him (…) One day Jesus said to me, “I will work through you.”[15]

Baba Virsa Singh had unique personal and transpersonal experiences with many of the prophets of older epochs.  Those who have listened and read his lectures have seen the profuse references related to many spiritual masters he often called ‘prophets’.

But he also addressed spiritual practices. He mentioned how the core practice of meditation should be embraced by everybody. According his view:

 “the difficulty is that the people who preach do not meditate themselves. They do not serve; they do not love. Their words therefore do not affect people’s minds. Dharam (…) is established, but this people who preach are not firm.”[16]

HIS REVELATORY EXPERIENCE

This is possibly Baba Virsa Singh’s most important revelatory experience. Possibly the one that changed his life and stablished or confirmed the linage that he experienced and carried:

“… One day I had a vision of Baba Siri Chand confidentially instructing me in the Nam. After that, I sat in meditation continuously. Then Baba Siri Chand said, “I want to introduce you to my father” (…) Guru Nanak approached wearing a very long robe, brown like the color of a mouse. He wore wooden sandals with a raised peg between the big toe and the toes. He had a red cap, his beard was gray, and he was very tall, above six feet. Guru Nanak said, “Ik Onkar Sat Nam Siri Wahe Guru”. Baba Siri Chand has given me the same Nam. Repeat it again and again and give it to others also. Guru Gobind Singh also gave the same Nam in the same way, removing all doubt.”[17]

As we look into his teachings, we need to consider that the causes and circumstances around this vision are unknown, but history has left us memories, accounts and images of him spending hours of consistent meditation and in remembrance of the Sikh hymns and other mantras.

These visions of spiritual masters and Baba Virsa Singh cannot be recreated with words. This is the mystical visions of this saint and healer. His visions, nevertheless, reveal the conception of cooperation between spiritual beings of different times, yet creating a linage that is passing a coherent message to the future generations and humanity. The spiritual encounters above quoted, not only transcends the time, the physical contact and even the culture. According to Baba Virsa Singh, as we will see next, there is a motivation to spiritually connect souls together in the path to God. A linage constituted in this visionary and experiential way transcends the unilinear anthropological concept of linage. A linage, we see here, is more than linear and limited by a religion. According to the Sant,

“The Masters are blessed by God. Take blessings from them, take healing from them. Prepare a lot of food, string lots of lights and flowers for their birthdays. Create happiness on their birthdays. Why? Because all of them are one”[18]

The spiritual Ancestors and linage

As the direct consequence of his inner experiences, Baba Virsa Singh used to pay homage to several spiritual master of different traditions, he respected them all as messengers of God. This is not a rare occurrence in India. Sikh religion itself has produced a sacred scripture, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, that was written by 33 authors who belonged to 3 different religions (Muslim, Hindu and Sikh) - all gathered together as a coherent body of consciousness and spiritual wisdom.

Authentic spiritual teachings are applicable across all times or cultural grounds. The true teachers, masters or prophets that Baba Virsa Singh quoted are linked to each other by God. For a person of faith the presence of spiritual masters in their life is as real as the presence of material things around us. Baba Virsa Singh’s idea of ancestors is grounded on the metaphysical idea of oneness, oneness in light and God’s essence. In his own words:

“We should transcend the barriers of sects and think of all Prophets as our fathers; they all came to love us. We can love Ram as the one who is Everywhere. We honor Mohammad as Nabi (Messenger) because the vision of Allah, the all-pervading Power, came to him. We worship Guru Nanak and Krishan because they were one with God. When we think of the dervishes, we feel great satisfaction, peace and love, for they were annihilated in the Being of God, the Light of God.”[19]  

For Baba Virsa Singh all prophets are “one with God” and when he was once questioned about the appropriateness of paying homage to beings of different lineages, he stated: “It is a manner of respect for our ancestors”[20]. This ancestors he speaks of have an inner and intimate connection with him and people alike him. In several occasion during his lectures he expresses his encounters, because they simple appeared to him, like he said that, “Sometimes Guru Nanak or Lord Krishna came in vision”[21].

Thus, his mission is preset by the spiritual masters, that he claimed to follow, honour and serve. His idea of humility is graspable in this reference he makes to the ego: “When there is I-ness, there is not You. When God comes, there is not ego”[22]. The relevance of purity is evidently important to Baba Virsa Singh and this is not an uncommon approach for those familiar to the Sikh notion of the Khalsa. 

The ‘Khalsa’ and the ‘Isht’

“He who repeats night and day the name of Him Whose enduring light is unquenchable, who bestows not any thought on any but the one God; Who hath full love and confidence in God Who put the no faith even by mistake in fasting, or worshipping cemeteries, places of cremations, or yogis’ places of sepulture; Who only recognises the one God and not pilgrimages, alms, the non-destruction of life, Hindu penance or austerities; And in whose heart the light of the Perfect One shines, he is recognised as a pure member of the Khalsa”.
- Guru Gobind Singh in Dasam Granth.

In the vision of Guru Gobind Singh, the Khalsa is as sublime as the personal experience within the heart of a persons. The Khalsa has elements that often revolves around the idea of purity, in which an intimate communion of awareness happens. For the Sant, the meaning of being Khalsa is interpreted in a very similar way,

“Khalsa is one who loves the Name of God, is joined with God, and also links others with God”[23]

It is interesting to notice that he took upon himself the mission to serve without portraying himself as the representative of a religion or the creator of a new movement. He rather felt himself linked to a bigger purpose or mission of many more spiritual and historical figures. While he conceived the message of prophets somewhat perennial, universal and one, he took upon himself to serve the transmission of that message. As Baba Virsa Singh emphasised,

“It is not my mission to make you join me by breaking your connection with them (the prophets of humanity) I have not uttered a word that has not been said before. I am only referring to those things which have already been said by the Prophet Muhammad, Lord Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Lord Buddha, Lord Mahavir – by all the prophets. I just repeat them again and again.”[24]

In the view of Baba Virsa Singh, there is only an apparent separation between the spiritual masters and prophets of different religions. In modern terms, this would look like a spiritual, global network, which revolves around the Name of God or God himself. Ultimately the prophets and teachers he often quotes and refers to are to remind people about the simple and eternal truths humanity tends to forget... In order to train this remembrance, Virsa Singh taught his students to choose their preferred divine reference. In this sense, he was not a preacher of religious model, but a religious experience; he believed that there is only One God to be accessed internally through the representation that each individual chooses to follow, focus on or worship. He explained this in terms of Isht, the formal spiritual reference to which one should direct the thoughts and emotions. As part of his experiential view of religion, he taught people how to connect and link to Isht. He explained:

“First of all, it is very important to focus your scattered mind. You must do so by concentrating on your isht (the form of God whom you worship). Bring your isht into your thoughts again and again and again … Then as you keep on growing in meditation, your beloved isht becomes your own form … then both forms disappear – your form as well as your isht. In this new state, you see only God everywhere … Now you need not sit in meditation with your eyes closed in order to be aware of God. That stage was initially necessary, but to progress in meditation you must pass beyond it … this not a theory you have read in a book; it is a reality. It is Gian, the divine inner wisdom…”.[25]

When Baba Virsa Singh referred to his encounters with Guru Nanak, Baba Siri Chand and Guru Gobind Singh he did this while delivering their messages. That is why his work in bridging the esoteric message of his teachers to regular people was important. This took place not only throughout his lectures and live’s example, of course, but also through the creation of a specific department in his ashram in New Delhi to promote the truth of all religions. An example of this according to Mary Pat Fisher is that,

“The Gobind Sadan Institute for Advanced Studies in Comparative Religions has sponsored a seminar of scholarly research re-establishing the honor once given to Baba Siri Chand, who at one time had millions of followers. It is Baba Siri Chand who appeared to young Virsa Singh in vision and told him to recite and teach an especially transformational Nam – “Ik Onkar Sat Nam Siri Wahe Guru”[26].

Perhaps q full book should be dedicated to Baba Siri Chand. His importance and spiritual actions seemed to have been downplayed by the dominant  historical interpretation in Sikhi scholarship[27]. This Yogi and Baba Virsa Singh are evidently linked together through the aforementioned transmission of wisdom and a specific mantra or Nam for humanity, as Baba Virsa Singh explained. This mantra is not only a central prescribed practices for followers of Baba Virsa Singh, but also for the practitioners of Kundalini Yoga.

The Epistemology of the “Golden Chain”

“That’s why we call it the “Golden Chain of Royal Linkage”. It is a Raaj Yog – empowering your royalty and your reality at the same time, in the most graceful way”
- Yogi Bhajan 

An idea of the “chain” presented by the teacher of Yogi Bhajan can be traced and observed without extensive research into the matter. What we cannot see is that the term “Golden Chain” originates from Baba Virsa Singh, though the idea is explicit in his lectures.

“Golden Chain” is the term used in Kundalini Yoga for referring to a concept that has already been present in Indian spiritual traditions for centuries. It is part of the teacher-student relationship and it expresses in different religions in India. For example, according to Swami Dayanada, one of the greatest teachers of Vedanta in the 20th century:

”We do not see the beginning of the teaching. It is just taken back to the rishis, the inspired sages to whom the Veda was revealed. Do not bother about the mula, the root of these sages (…) If one must go beyond the rishis, then it can just be said the guru is the Lord (…) Traditional study generally begins with a tribute to the teaching and to the teachers -to those who focus the light that dispels the ignorance concealing the nature of oneself”.[28]

A tribute to the linage of teachers and the message transmitted by the ancestor is a building block in all Indian spiritual system. For the believers and teachers like Swami Dayanada, Baba Virsa Singh, Yogi Bhajan and those who practice or teach Kundalini Yoga there is a common faith in the Grace and the message that flows through people in the process of linking to God.

The actual comprehension of this chain, goes beyond history and culture and it is made possible by faith and inner experience alone. Only through the correct mode and approach can one understand this chain that seems unbreakable and ever available. In the mind of the one who believes, there is no way such a lineage, chain and linkage can be created or destroyed by people. According to the Baba Virsa Singh,

“The messengers that come from God will never be separated. Why are you wasting your time? The family of prophets will never follow your views. Their program has already been set. Their message has already been given. That family will remain together (…) It is a difference in language, but they are saying the same thing”[29]

“the truth of these institutions is experience directly”

Baba Virsa Singh was opposed by contemporaries who criticised him when he claimed to speak and receive instruction from different divine beings of various traditions and times. A trained historian of religion can study these phenomena experienced by the believers. But he does not have the methodology to judge the verity of such experiences.  Rudolf Otto, one of the classic scholars of History of Religions considered that,

 “Whoever, on the other hand, penetrates to the unique center of religious experience … so that it starts to awaken in his own consciousness, finds that the truth of these institutions is experience directly, as soon as he penetrates into their depths”[30]  

And such is also the reality of the “Golden Chain”. It is not a modern invention, it is a deeper, visionary aspect of most religions. It is part of Indian spiritual heritage, that was given a name in the 20th century. The biggest mistake people make is to think that he - Yogi Bhajan - made up the concept of the “Golden Chain”. The inception of the idea evidently comes through the contact with Baba Virsa Singh, and through the vast variety of spiritual experiences and ideas that Yogi Bhajan gathered in India before his trip to North America.

According to these lines, the idea of chain as well as the idea of experience seem fairly coherent between the teachings of these two teachers, although the notions presented by the Saint seem to have gained further attributes in the Yogi’s teaching. As ideas evolve, so does language, so what was deemed as “vision” by Baba Virsa Singh, Yogi Bhajan conveyed it as “experience” of some sort. And thus the idea of “chain” of the former developed into the idea of “Golden Chain” in the latter.

In recent times some historians have missed to see the essential experiential quality of this chain. This is the case of Philip Deslippe who has tackled the notion of “Golden Chain” without properly acknowledging the spiritual experience that inspires its formation.  According to him “… when the Golden Chain of Kundalini Yoga is investigated rather than invoked, it unravels”[31]. And without making a distinction between anthropological linage (in anthropology linage is unilinear descent group, that can demonstrate their common descent from a known ancestor) from the idea of spiritual linage, an idea denoting a spiritual communion of souls sharing a spiritual mission that transcends a culture, time or space.

Trying to “unravel” the “Golden Chain” in the scholar way is an epistemological mistake. In History of Religions (1975), Ugo Bianchi considers that for the scholar, a religious experience can be addressed through a wider historical knowledge of the forms, variety and depth of its references. This is the way such a scholar can widen the understanding of people’s experience. That kind of knowledge helps the historical inquiry to access precious information regarding human experience that the historian would otherwise have missed and that would be harmful to ignore[32]. Thus, the view of Deslippe is not precise and wide enough in his analysis, as he completely ignored the “forms, variety and depth of the references” in Baba Virsa Singh about the spiritual chain linking God, various spiritual masters and regular people who engages visionary meditations, mantras and practices.

Nevertheless, this is an epistemological mistake that not only historians can make, but that students of Yogi Bhajan also seem to repeat. How so? As much as Yogi Bhajan spoke of the “Golden Chain” in terms of personal spiritual connection and inner experience, much like his teacher did, he also differed from Baba Virsa Singh saying that the “Golden Chain” was an idea based on scriptures. According to Yogi Bhajan “Scripturally, they call it the Golden Chain of Teachers, passing it on from one to another, to another, to another”[33]. This is a mistake, as no source before Yogi Bhajan refers to a “Golden Chain” as such. Deslippe and other historians have picked up this mistake to declare the whole notion of “Golden Chain” of Yogi Bhajan as invalid. On the other hand, some students of Yogi Bhajan also take the idea of “Golden Chain” as a unilinear link of teacher and students.

Thus, there are two ways how these teachings about the chain or “Golden Chain” are interpreted narrowly; either because it is epistemologically disconnected from the visionary spiritual experience, and therefore does not account to its spiritual substance. Or, because it is disconnected from the process of how ideas and language evolves through time. Interpreting the “Golden Chain” without studying the ideas about the spiritual chain present in Baba Virsa Singh can only be misleading. It would be as if we try to understand the ideas of Martin Luther about the personal connection to the Lord without looking into the reference in the Gospel that inspired him. As far as the “Golden Chain” is concerned, to admit that the Golden Chain it is neither a historical line in the anthropological sense, nor it is based on a scripture because that does not exist. This chain is mostly a matter of religious experience that originates in people’s practices and their subsequent interpretation.

Snatam Kaur published and interview where she defines the Golden Chain. She is not a historian, but she is known as one of the most charismatic female spiritual leaders in the international community of Kundalini Yoga. She is an acknowledged musician and a famous singer in the Kundalini Yoga circles, as well as a teacher and a nominee for the Grammys in 2019.  She once defined the Golden Chain for the online journal Kundalini Times. In her words:

“The Golden Chain is not linear or literal. It is a vibratory frequency that each teacher, past present and future, can tune in to, and that has brought forth and will continue to bring forth beautiful experiences for people on this planet”

In the words of Snatam Kaur is an example in which one can see the pattern that shows a similar explanatory content coming from Baba Virsa Singh. The concept of “Golden Chain” is not defined within narrow historical or cultural terms alone, because according to her, present and future teachers “on this planet”, “can tune into” it and have “beautiful experience” too... She refers to it as a “vibratory frequency” to connect to, to experience. The idea she conveyed is not framed in the traditional notion of Nam or God as often were the explanatory terms used by Baba Virsa Singh, yet it is the same Nam sang by her (that she calls the “vibratory frequency”, the mantras). The chain she speaks about implies a mission, as she attributes to this chain, the spread of “beautiful experiences for people on this planet”.

Last Words 

“There should be so much aspiration in you that you form an unbreakable link with God”[34]
- Baba Virsa Singh

On the morning of February 13th, 2019, as I departed Gobind Sadan with photographs, narratives, and books of Baba Virsa Singh, a remarkable transformation began to unfold. Intricate fragments of a complex puzzle found their positions within my mind. For me, this pilgrimage to the Ashram served as a means to encounter a reality that transcended mere philosophy or history, revealing a depth and vitality that was truly unique. And this came to my mind, as Baba Virsa Singh once said:

“Differences in languages between people of different religions are trifles that should not confuse you, for do you know what language God speaks? God understands the language of love.”[35]

What I truly sense is that the rupture between the Saint and the Yogi in 1971 did not break the flow of ideas and spirit, and these lines are an example of the connection they had. The historian in me knows that there is much more to see and learn about this complex past. But for sure to cancel the existence and voice of Baba Virsa Singh no longer makes sense.

This is a clear paradox: while some strive to discredit the idea of ”Golden Chain” as a myth created by Yogi Bhajan, they probably ignore, intentionally or unintentionally, that the notion was not his, but his teachers... In the teachings of the Sant, such a chain was conceived through visions and revelations of prophets, gurus and messiahs who have established the purpose and direction of a universal spiritual mission. Others, who have systematically separated and kept the figure of Baba Virsa Singh cancelled, intentionally or unintentionally, are missing key aspect of a visionary source of experience and visions that precedes the idea of “Golden Chain” taught by Yogi Bhajan.

It is true that neither the chain of spiritual masters was invented by Yogi Bhajan nor was it represented in the Yogi’s terms by Baba Virsa Singh, yet the idea clearly passed from the Saint to the Yogi. This type of transmissions from yogis to saints and from saints to yogis is not uncommon. Baba Virsa Singh declares that he was taught by the Master Yogi Baba Siri Chand.

and he inspired and taught people of all walks of life, yogis and non-yogis as well. In my opinion Baba Virsa Singh has to be acknowledged and reintegrated in the life, history and consciousness of the yogis who study and practice Kundalini Yoga.

Baba Siri Chand is an outstanding yogi who achieved mastery over the Ten Bodies, the Seven Chakras, the Five Elements, and the Three qualities of energy and life force (Prana/Chi). His proficiency includes the art of healing and longevity, two fundamental aspect of Kundalini Yoga. Baba Siri Chand excels in the profound teachings of the Eight Limbs of Yoga and holds a deep understanding of the profound science of sound (Naad) and mantra, imparted to him by his father, Guru Nanak. He lived for more than 140 years and is the master who transmitted the mantra Ek Ong Kar Sat Nam Siri Wahe Guru to Baba Virsa Singh.

History is not a fixed narrative and historian are not to judge people from the past, let alone the experiences of others. That is not the history that I studied and that is not what a good historian does either. That is why these paragraphs are neither intended complicate the history nor to validate superficial narratives. I must admit that these pages are of a personal significance, because they represent the addition of one more piece in the puzzle of my path. I am yogi, specially inspired by the stream of wisdom of Baba Virsa Singh’s teacher, the greatest yoga master of the linage of Kundalin Yoga, Baba Siri Chand. This is my way for unravelling and distinguishing what truly constitutes the experience of a spiritual chain, from an academic or public discussion about the meaning and shape of a lineage.

Baba Virsa Singh was himself illiterate. Yet he managed to articulate key universal truths with a narrative that is congruent with the perennial philosophy of all spiritual paths. His teachings have, nevertheless, spread broad and far, via his own actions or via those of his students. In the case of his student, Yogi Bhajan, some of his ideas have mutated their outer forms, others have grown further or become more complex over time.

The careful examination of shared concepts between Baba Virsa Singh and Yogi Bhajan reveals an exceptionally coherent logic and pattern deserving of thorough exploration. The Saint's presence goes beyond being an enigmatic figure in Yogi Bhajan's life story; indeed, he represents an enduring, sturdy link within the very spiritual chain they both taught about. While the intricacies of relationships among individuals in the spiritual realm might be open to misinterpretation and even falter, it's of paramount importance to acknowledge that such bonds are inherently unbreakable, transcending generations. This is why these themes consistently resurface in the lives of those who walk the path today or in the days to come. It's evident that we are on the right track when viewing this subject from a spiritual perspective.

Jivan Mukta

 PS: If you like to know more, you can view my full webinar Exploring the Teaching of Baba Virsa Singh. Watch these 3 classes for free clicking here

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Notes

[1] Grafton, Anthony The history of ideas: Precept and practice, 1950-2000 and beyond. Journal of the History of Ideas 67#1 (2006): 1-32.
[2] Antion Vikram Singh (former Vic Briggs of “The Animals”, interviewed by Kamalla Rose Kaur)
[3] Dyson, Pamela Premka: White Bird in a Golden Cage: My Life with Yogi Bhajan. 2020, p. 52
[4] By e-mail conversation.
[5] By e-mail conversation.
[6] Me and my wife have sincere gratitude for the people at Gobind Sadan, the ashram of Baba Virsa Singh. Thanks to Nirmal and Ravi for the warm welcome and thanks to Mary Pat Fisher, for the hospitality, and openness. Without Mary’s views and generosity these reflections would not have been possible. All the pictures of Baba Virsa Singh here presented are from the Museum of Gobind Sadan.
[7] Chryssides, George. The Study of Religion. An Introduction of Key Ideas and Methods. 2nd ed. 2013.
[8] In the webinar  “Exploring the Teaching of Baba Virsa Singh” I have discussed other aspects of his life and views and some of our experiences when visiting his Ashram in New Delhi. This article is my attempt to clarify and deepen some of the points addressed on that course.
[10] Fisher, Mary Pat. EVERYDAY MIRACLES in the HOUSE OF GOD. Stories from Gobind Sadan, India. 1993, p.174
[11] Fisher, p. 121
[12] Singh, Ralph (Ed). Arrows of Light. Healing the Human Mind. Selected Talks of His Holiness Baba Virsa Singh.  2009. p 207
[13] Fisher p. 121
[14] Fisher, p. 181
[15] Singh, Ralph p. 142
[16] Singh, Ralph p. 139
[17] Fisher, p. 174-175.
[18] Fisher, p. 41
[19] Fisher p. 170-171
[20] Singh, Ralph, p. 67
[21] Singh, Ralph p. 67
[22] Fisher, p. 106
[23] Fisher, p. 174
[24] Fisher p. 128
[25] Singh, Ralph, p. 58
[26] Fisher, p. 75
[27] As we know Baba Siri Chand was alive and present during the evolution of Sikh history, in the life of the first six Gurus. The son of the sixth Guru, was blessed to be appointed by Baba Siri Chand as his successors. Baba Gurditta as he became known became the leader of the Udasi Sampradaya. Baba Gurditta was the father of the seventh Guru, the grandfather of the eighth Guru, the older brother of the ninth Guru and the uncle of Guru Gobind Singh. It must be remembered that when Guru Gobind Singh left Anandpur, he put an Udasi in charge.
[28] Swami Dayananda, Introduction to Vedanta. 2011,  p. 88-89
[29] Singh, Ralph, p. 144
[30] Otto, “The Idea of the Holy”. 1917, p. 57
[31] Deslippe, Phillipe From Maharaj to Mahan Tantric (2012), In Sikh Formations. Vol. 8. No 3, p, 369-387.
[32] Bianchi, p. 211-212
[33] Bhajan, 2000, p 193.
[34] Fisher p. 185-186.
[35] Fisher p. 122

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• Jivan Mukta’s (Aka JF. Lafontaine) doctoral thesis, 3HO in The Light of Experience (2016), provides a scholarly exploration of the experiences shaped by the power, effects, implications, and transformations sparked by the practice of Kundalini Yoga, its community, and the teachings that frame them —Download Here

• Briefly about: Yogi Bhajan

• Read Jivan Mukta’s essay on Master Baba Siri Chand The Sublime Steps of a True Yogi, the greatest yoga master of this linage.

Healing Meditation "Ra Ma Da Sa" by Sat Darshan

Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Se So Hung

Healing mantra: Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Se So Hung/Hang
11 minutes meditation for challenging times and deep wounds.
Composition by Sat Darshan Lafontaine.
Copyright Yoga Lafontaine.

Learn more about Sat Darshan, or follow her in Instagram

Read more about mantras

"A Collective Shakti Pad" | by Jivan Mukta

In response to the Allegations in the book “Premka: White Bird in a Golden Cage”

In 2020 the Kundalini Yoga Community suddenly had to face very difficult and controversial issues around Yogi Bhajan’s private life. This has created a deep impact in the world of Kundalini Yoga and it has triggered a crisis with many implication and ramification in the students, practitioners, teachers and community.

In this video Jivan Mukta shares his views and personal impression on the matter, drawing from context, astrology, history and his own experiences.

This was recorded in a Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training in Joogakoulu Shanti, in Finland in February 2020.

• Jivan Mukta’s (Aka JF. Lafontaine) doctoral thesis, 3HO in The Light of Experience (2016), provides a scholarly exploration of the experiences shaped by the power, effects, implications, and transformations sparked by the practice of Kundalini Yoga, its community, and the teachings that frame them —Download Here

• Read Jivan Mukta’s essay on The flow of the teachings between Baba Virsa Singh and his student, Yogi Bhajan or about he greatest yoga master of this linage, the Master Baba Siri Chand The Sublime Steps of a True Yogi

Doctoral Thesis: 3HO in the Light Of Experience

Department of World Cultures University of Helsinki Finland, Study of Religions.

“3HO IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE”

A Study of Experiences in the Healthy, Happy and Holy Organization (3HO).

By Jivan Mukta (AKA JF. Lafontaine)