Kriti Mehrotra
As a documentary series delving deep into the rise and controversies surrounding Kundalini Yoga as well as its gurus, HBO’s ‘Breath of Fire’ is truly unlike any other. That’s because it incorporates not just archival footage but also exclusive interviews to really shine a light upon not just Guru Jagat but also Yogi Bhajan and his organizations. Amongst the latter was, of course, the Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization, aka 3HO or Sikh Dharma International, which Yogi Bhajan established as a community for his followers.
3HO Has Often Been Described as a New Religious Movement
It was on July 13, 1969, that Harbhajan Singh Khalsa, better known as Yogi Bhajan, established 3HO as a movement that follows the Sikh Dharma Brotherhood as well as its practices. The truth is he had built this upon relocating to the West from India for good, only to find a community that followed his yoga practices and lifestyle beliefs in ever sense of the term. Therefore, 3HO is essentially a nonprofit that has always actively shared as well as promoted Kundalini Yoga, Meditation, and Humanology to help people get to a higher spiritual plane.
The practices of 3HO are actually said to be derived from Sikh values, yet the organization in itself has often been condemned by that community, with some even referring to it as a cult. After all, while it follows certain traditions like meditation, sobriety, as well as vegetarianism in its true sense, the other aspects like Kundalini yoga and complete fobiddence of romantic relationships aren’t true. In fact, as per reports, it is said that 3HO even took the practice of “seva” to the extreme under Yogi Bhajan, taking it from an act of willing selfless service by the doer to essentially extortion of free labor.
As if that’s not enough, even the business ventures opened under 3HO’s umbrella have faced their fair share of controversies in the past owing to a myriad of reasons. While the restaurants, as well as endeavors undertaken by the organization, often managed to forgo paying any taxes as their parent company was registered as a religious movement, it is believed that Yogi also took advantage of his followers. In the name of seva, per the show, he allegedly either had them working illegal jobs and detailed scams or had them hand over their own established companies to the organization/him.
3HO’s Sexual Abuse Allegations Have Only Recently Surfaced
According to records, 3HO’s structure had Yogi Bhajan at the top, with him being surrounded by numerous secretaries who reportedly handled his various business ventures as well as personal needs. These secretaries were all female, yet it wasn’t until long after the guru had died (2004) that it came to light that he allegedly had them perform not just for the organization but also for himself. He actually gave all of them rather significant positions in the companies under his control, and it is said he only did so in order to protect himself as it would make them more susceptible to his advances. – he seemingly held all the power.
Take Mahankirn Khalsa, for example; as per her accounts, she was taken advantage of by Yogi Bhajan starting at the age of 18, only to later be the Head of Finance at a 3HO company as well as a secretary. “I had caught Yogi Bhajan’s eye and thereafter was groomed to join the master’s sexual harem,” she once said. “My future included being continually raped by him and, at his command, sexually violated by other cult members. I became his ‘queen,’ draped with jewels and riches for my loyalty, traveled the globe like a rock star, met world leaders, shared stages in front of thousands of his followers, and basked in his reflected glory.”
3HO is Still an Active Non-Profit Organization
It was in 2020 that the first sexual abuse claim against Yogi Bhajan came to light, following which several other alleged victims stepped forward and even filed a civil lawsuit against 3HO. In their filing, they vehemently assert that they were not only taken advantage of by the guru but that several other members were also aware of the abuse yet did nothing to stop it. A consultancy specializing in addressing such heinous misconduct in spiritual communities hence began conducting its own investigation into the same, only for their report to state that the likelihood of all these allegations being true was incredibly high.
As a result, 3HO launched a relief fund to composite those who had faced abuse at Yogi Bhajan’s hands, essentially accepting it to be true, all the while continuing to operate without issues. In fact, today, this organization focuses on promoting its original message, yet with the addition of bringing more community voices from across the world together. Therefore, currently under its banner, it has organizations such as Kundalini Research Institute (KRI), the International Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association (IKYTA), A Meditation for Peace, Kundalini Beyond Borders, and many similar operations.
We should mention the KRI has 32,000 teachers from 122 countries as of writing, which has enabled them to hold teacher training sessions in over 72 countries while also engaging in educating the whole world on Kundalini Yoga. As for A Meditation for Peace, 3Ho actually launched this movement in 2022 with its sister organizations with the goal to raise $10,000 to support Ukrainian refugees. As if that’s not enough, it’s also imperative to note the Kundalini Beyond Borders program offers trauma-informed yoga/support sessions to communities across the world in need – whether it be violence, abuse, or war, it covers everything.
Read More: Pamela “Premka” Dyson: Where is Yogi Bhajan’s Former Employee Now?
