[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 148 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 148

  Honoring the life and contribution of Yogi Bhajan, a leader of the 
Sikhs, and expressing condolences to the Sikh community on his passing.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 18, 2004

 Mr. Bingaman submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Honoring the life and contribution of Yogi Bhajan, a leader of the 
Sikhs, and expressing condolences to the Sikh community on his passing.

Whereas the Sikh faith was founded in the northern section of the Republic of 
        India in the 15th century by Guru Nanak, who preached tolerance and 
        equality for all humans;
Whereas the Sikh faith began with a simple message of truthful living and the 
        fundamental unity of humanity, all created by one creator who manifests 
        existence through every religion;
Whereas the Sikh faith reaches out to people of all faiths and cultural 
        backgrounds, encourages individuals to see beyond their differences, and 
        to work together for world peace and harmony;
Whereas Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, known as Yogi 
        Bhajan to hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, was born Harbhajan 
        Singh Puri on August 26, 1929, in India;
Whereas at age 8, Yogi Bhajan began yogic training, and 8 years later was 
        proclaimed by his teacher to be a master of Kundalini Yoga, which 
        stimulates individual growth through breath, yoga postures, sound, 
        chanting, and meditation;
Whereas during the turmoil over the partition between Pakistan and India in 
        1947, at the age of 18, Yogi Bhajan led his village of 7,000 people 325 
        miles on foot to safety in New Delhi, India, from what is now Lahore, 
        Pakistan;
Whereas Yogi Bhajan, before emigrating to North America in 1968, served the 
        Government of India faithfully through both civil and military service;
Whereas when Yogi Bhajan visited the United States in 1968, he recognized 
        immediately that the experience of higher consciousness that many young 
        people were attempting to find through drugs could be alternatively 
        achieved through Kundalini Yoga, and in response, he began teaching 
        Kundalini Yoga publicly, thereby breaking the centuries-old tradition of 
        secrecy surrounding it;
Whereas in 1969, Yogi Bhajan founded ``Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization 
        (3HO)'', a nonprofit private educational and scientific foundation 
        dedicated to serving humanity, improving physical well-being, deepening 
        spiritual awareness, and offering guidance on nutrition and health, 
        interpersonal relations, child rearing, and human behavior;
Whereas under the direction and guidance of Yogi Bhajan, 3HO expanded to 300 
        centers in 35 countries;
Whereas in 1971, the president of the governing body of Sikh Temples in India 
        gave Yogi Bhajan the title of Siri Singh Sahib, which made him the chief 
        religious and administrative authority for Sikhism in the Western 
        Hemisphere, and subsequently the Sikh seat of religious authority gave 
        him responsibility to create a Sikh ministry in the West;
Whereas in 1971, Sikh Dharma was legally incorporated in the State of California 
        and recognized as a tax-exempt religious organization by the United 
        States, and in 1972, Yogi Bhajan founded the ashram Sikh Dharma in 
        Espanola, New Mexico;
Whereas in 1973, Yogi Bhajan founded ``3HO SuperHealth'', a successful drug 
        rehabilitation program that blends ancient yogic wisdom of the East with 
        modern technology of the West;
Whereas in June 1985, Yogi Bhajan established the first ``International Peace 
        Prayer Day Celebrations'' in New Mexico, which still draws thousands of 
        participants annually;
Whereas Yogi Bhajan traveled the world calling for world peace and religious 
        unity at meetings with leaders such as Pope Paul VI; Pope John Paul II; 
        His Holiness the Dalai Lama; the President of the former Union of Soviet 
        Socialist Republics, Mikhail Gorbachev; and two Archbishops of 
        Canterbury;
Whereas Yogi Bhajan wrote 30 books and inspired the publication of 200 other 
        books through his teachings, founded a drug rehabilitation program, and 
        inspired the founding of several businesses;
Whereas Sikhs and students across the world testify that Yogi Bhajan exhibited 
        dignity, divinity, grace, commitment, courage, kindness, compassion, 
        tolerance, wisdom, and understanding;
Whereas Yogi Bhajan taught that in times of joy and sorrow members of the 
        community should come together and be at one with each other; and
Whereas before his passing on October 6, 2004, Yogi Bhajan requested that his 
        passing be a time of celebration of his going home: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes that the teachings of Yogi Bhajan about 
        Sikhism and yoga, and the businesses formed under his 
        inspiration, improved the personal, political, spiritual, and 
        professional relations between citizens of the United States 
        and the citizens of India;
            (2) recognizes the legendary compassion, wisdom, kindness, 
        and courage of Yogi Bhajan, and his wealth of accomplishments 
        on behalf of the Sikh community; and
            (3) extends its condolences to Inderjit Kaur, the wife of 
        Yogi Bhajan, his 3 children and 5 grandchildren, and to Sikh 
        and ``Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization (3HO)'' communities 
        around the Nation and the world upon the death on October 6, 
        2004, of Yogi Bhajan, an individual who was a wise teacher and 
        mentor, an outstanding pioneer, a champion of peace, and a 
        compassionate human being.
                                 <all>