109TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 34
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Honoring the life and contributions of Yogi Bhajan,
a leader of Sikhs, and expressing condolences to
the Sikh community on his passing.
109TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 34
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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 hu-
mans;
Whereas the Sikh faith began with a simple message of
truthful living and the fundamental unity of humanity,
•HCON 34 EH
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 be-
yond 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 eight, Yogi Bhajan began yogic training, and
eight 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 on the partition between Paki-
stan 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 at-
tempting 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 edu-
•HCON 34 EH
cational and scientific foundation dedicated to serving hu-
manity, improving physical well-being, deepening spiritual
awareness, and offering guidance on nutrition and health,
interpersonal relations, child rearing, and human behav-
ior;
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 adminis-
trative 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
Espan˜ola, New Mexico;
Whereas in 1973, Yogi Bhajan founded ‘‘3HO SuperHealth’’,
a successful drug rehabilitation program that blends an-
cient 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 annu-
ally;
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
•HCON 34 EH
Socialist Republics, Mikhail Gorbachev; and two Arch-
bishops of Canterbury;
Whereas Yogi Bhajan wrote 30 books and inspired the publi-
cation 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, commit-
ment, 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 House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the 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, wis-
dom, kindness, and courage of Yogi Bhajan, and his
wealth of accomplishments on behalf of the Sikh
community; and
•HCON 34 EH
(3) extends its condolences to Inderjit Kaur, the
wife of Yogi Bhajan, his three children and five
grandchildren, and to Sikh and 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 pio-
neer, a champion of peace, and a compassionate
human being.
Passed the House of Representatives April 5, 2005.
Attest:
Clerk.