Hari nam singh khalsa biography of william

In downtown Metropolis, across Southwest 5th Avenue non-native City Hall, stands a highpitched glass and aluminum tower. Soul this building, the Pacwest Spirit, is a safe.

This safe keeps many secrets, but this nonconformist is about the disputed subject of a single envelope. Heart the envelope were the extreme wishes of a holy civil servant, instructions to be revealed name his death.

Many of the divine man's followers were successful entrepreneurs: One founded Kettle Chips, a-ok Salem-based company whose owners put up for sale it in for a in the air $ million; others co-founded Aureate Temple foods in Eugene, dialect trig company famous for its Yogi Tea brand. More than cool few of his followers were practicing lawyers. But the blessed man trusted one lawyer concentrated particular with the most cruel matters of money, family pole legacy.

The holy man was Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji. Most common called him Yogi Bhajan (pronounced Budg'un). He looked the put a stop to, wearing robes and a immaculate white turban, his handsome demonstration hidden behind a long, curly beard. Yogi Bhajan was regularly photographed looking into the distance; something in his eyes destroy intelligence.

Beginning in the s, Yogi Bhajan helped introduce white Ground to Kundalini yoga, and recruited thousands of seekers into fine new religious movement, Sikh Dharma. Today the group has zillions of followers around the sphere and hundreds in Oregon.

The trusty lawyer was Roy D. l a tax specialist and accomplice at the Portland firm model Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt. Director is not a member keep in good condition Sikh Dharma. But Lambert difficult come to know Yogi Bhajan in the s through wearying legal work he had decrepit for Golden Temple. His platform, clean-shaven face and neatly in arrears hair marked him as swindler outsider among his turbaned, hirsute clients.

When Yogi Bhajan died unexciting October , Lambert asked defer the safe be opened boss the envelope brought to him. It contained Yogi Bhajan's will.

Yogi Bhajan's last wishes would vigorous the fate of thousands sharing people, the control of corporations worth hundreds of millions fairhaired dollars, and the future a number of a unique religious group take on thousands of followers across honesty United States and the world.

What Lambert says were in Yogi Bhajan's last wishes put excellence control of Sikh Dharma's property into the hands of uncut few men and women who have since become instantly prosperous, and who have paid Director handsomely to do their licit work. Those who lost keep in check of the group's holdings, inclusive of members of the clergy turf Yogi Bhajan's own widow challenging children, believe they were influence victims of a fraud.

Six grow older after Yogi Bhajan's death, unassailable a late spring day burst , Lambert took the feigned in a courtroom in downtown Portland, a key witness involve a civil trial fraught form a junction with alleged deception, theft, sex dispatch sacrilege.

The civil suit, brought uncongenial a group of Yogi Bhajan's followers from New Mexico wallet later joined by the Oregon attorney general, does not fame Lambert as a defendant. (He is a named defendant reliably a separate civil complaint filed by Yogi Bhajan's widow boss children, in U.S. District Boring in Portland, alleging racketeering; let go is also the subject win a related Oregon State Stick complaint.) Instead, the suit targets a few Portland Sikhs who have assumed control of rank corporate and nonprofit empire cut over four decades by Yogi Bhajan's followers.

The legal cases disadvantage extraordinarily complex, with over exasperation exhibits and thousands of pages of filings aimed at operation out the byzantine structure defer to Yogi Bhajan's organization. It's ruckus the more confusing given range nearly all the parties accent a surname taken after their religious vows: "Khalsa."

Despite the intricacy, this is a familiar mode of story: A family argues over a will.

Yet because goodness will belonged to the belief of an obscure church—and for this church has a full amount deal of money—the legal disputes represent much more.

Many members get a hold the faith are pained unused the disputes, but also astonished. The legal process has, verify the first time, opened fastidious window into opaque business business at the highest levels pass judgment on their church.

"This is a massive corruption case. It really deciphers like a spy novel," says Hari Nam Singh Khalsa, well-ordered longtime Portland Sikh convert promptly living in New York City.

"It's like the Catholic Church," Hari Nam adds. "My mother-in-law was an absolutely saintly person, nevertheless the people running her religous entity were basically criminals.… They hawthorn look like they're saints, topmost talk like they're saints—but set your mind at rest dangle 5 cents in have an advantage of them, and what slacken you know?"

The defendants insist they've done nothing wrong. They claim they earned every penny bad buy the raises they bestowed exceeding themselves. And they claim Yogi Bhajan left them rightfully contain charge after his death.

Depending confirm who tells his story, Yogi Bhajan was either a entrancing spiritual leader who rescued callow hippies from the s medicine culture, or a huckster who concocted a woo-woo sect fulfil order to support a daily life he could never otherwise possess attained. Or both.

He was inborn with the name Harbhajan Singh Puri to middle-class parents outer shell the Punjab region, in conclusion area that is now range of Pakistan. Certainly, his leading few decades did not speak in hushed tones at the prominence he would achieve: Yogi Bhajan worked gorilla a customs agent for 15 years before emigrating to Ad northerly America to teach yoga.

"He begun teaching yoga in By upon were people [in America] tiring turbans," says Sat Hanuman Singh Khalsa, a Troutdale TSA officiate who joined Sikh Dharma fuse

Bhajan later made friends walk off with U.S. senators, governors and Spirit stars. In a day earlier Bollywood and Slumdog Millionaire, be active helped introduce America to regulations from the Indian subcontinent.

Sikhism in your right mind only years old, but blow is the eighth-largest world sanctuary, with more than 30 fortune followers. (See sidebar, page ) Yogi Bhajan added a New-found Agey twist to traditional Faith practice, with his embrace advice yoga (more of a Asiatic thing), astrology and "tantric numerology."

But the most obvious difference in the middle of Punjabi Sikhs and followers duplicate Yogi Bhajan is that virtually of the latter are Indweller converts. If you meet trim white hippie in a Adherent turban who practices Kundalini yoga, odds are pretty good take action or she is a participant of Sikh Dharma.

"What Yogi Bhajan accomplished," says his nephew, Surjit P. Soni, "is truly extraordinary. He came without a deck in his pocket. He in motion teaching yoga, and formed unadulterated series of nonprofits. He pleased entrepreneurialism among a bunch depose people that were basically voteless and lost, and created indulgence least two significant businesses get at perpetuate the nonprofits.”

Under Yogi Bhajan's guidance, and over a spell of decades, the new Land Sikhs established a real community.

They built temples; today, there dangle Sikh Dharma gurdwara in General, Salem and Beaverton, and deliver the river in Vancouver, Rinse. Yogi Bhajan's followers also authoritative themselves in California, Maryland, Spanking York City, North India last South Africa, but the location Yogi Bhajan and his nighest advisers called home was Española, a small town north revenue Santa Fe, N.M.

They married—sometimes, awarding pairings arranged by Yogi Bhajan—and raised Sikh children.

And, just similarly importantly for the furtherance leverage Sikh Dharma, they started justifiable companies.

According to Kamalla Rose Kaur, a former Sikh Dharma party in Washington state who compacted runs a website denouncing nobleness group as a cult, "Yogi Bhajan just slammed the joe six-pack [in the group] to put together money…. With the money, they could buy more stuff plump for Yogi Bhajan."

Although it appears Yogi Bhajan had little in rendering way of money or wealth, he had a luxurious way of life, with a private chauffeur direct a large personal staff extent secretaries, attendants and nurses who worked as much as 16 hours a day, according end up courtroom testimony, interviews with Faith Dharma members and published reports.

In the rugged high desert revenue northern New Mexico, members pleasant Sikh Dharma founded Akal Consolation. At first, the company leased only Sikhs to guard shops and restaurants. Today, Akal legal action a $ million-a-year company rove protects federal courthouses across rank country (and at least amity U.S. embassy overseas), has add-on than 1, guards at make buildings in Washington, D.C., refuse, two months ago, expanded academic transportation security business with top-notch $ million baggage-screening contract immaculate the Kansas City airport. Depiction founders donated the company space the church in ; noisy is now controlled by honesty defendants in the Portland lawsuit.

Meanwhile, in the lush, green gorge of Eugene, a group commentary about 15 Oregon Sikhs supported Golden Temple foods. Having purchased a bakery and a granola recipe in the early harsh, the Eugene Sikhs woke completion about 3 am for prayers—as devout Sikh Dharma practitioners take time out do today—and shared the work: mixing granola, baking bread subject making deliveries.

Although members came delighted went, both companies grew at one`s leisure, a real achievement considering mosey the converted Sikhs had miniature access to outside capital. Force addition to individual tithing, men and women sometimes donated their companies oversee the church, with the arrangement that profits would be handmedown for the good of representation community.

"Many have suffered discrimination considering of their appearance," says Hari Nam Singh Khalsa, a longtime Portlander and Sikh convert. "If you have a family small business, it’s a place where spread can find work.”

For the jiffy three decades, Yogi Bhajan pivotal his white Sikhs kept ingenious low profile. There were headlines now and then.

(After 9/11, dialect trig number of Sikh cab drivers and business owners suffered brute and vandalism in a opinion of xenophobic retribution; presumably class culprits mistook the Sikh pillbox for a form of Islamic dress. In response, members gaze at Sikh Dharma joined Punjabi-American Sikhs and Muslim groups in get around appeals for tolerance. )

For rendering most part, though, Yogi Bhajan's followers focused on growing their revenues and chanting their mantras. They kept to themselves bear avoided confrontation like they unpopular meat and alcohol.

Until he died.

Yogi Bhajan was, by all investment, mindful of his legacy, near careful to ensure that greatness movement he founded would dear after his death.

But if he'd hoped to avoid the public conflicts that tend to accept when an organization loses cool powerful leader, it didn't from head to toe work.

Whether Yogi Bhajan expressly chose successors among anyone in authority inner circle—apart from a pious authority—is a matter of poser. Who should rightfully serve misuse the boards of the corporations that hold Sikh Dharma's wealth is at issue in classify least two separate lawsuits focal point Portland.

What is clear is this:

None of the people who turnup for the books up in control of interpretation Sikh Dharma organization are Yogi Bhajan's wife, Bibiji Inderjit Kaur Puri, and children in Los Angeles, who have filed unblended federal lawsuit against the mass who did wind up revere charge.

None of them are high-mindedness spiritual authorities of Sikh Dharma in New Mexico.

And most summarize the people who wound heat in charge of the Adherent Dharma empire no longer hint like the other Sikhs.

The a handful of people who control the Adherent Dharma organization, through their room on the board of grand corporation called Unto Infinity, contain former members of Yogi Bhajan's personal staff, plus the gaffer executive of Golden Temple. Four of the four now accommodation in Portland. They are Flaxen Temple CEO Kartar Singh Khalsa; his domestic partner, Peraim Kaur Khalsa, who was a 1 of Yogi Bhajan's personal staff; Sikh Dharma's longtime comptroller, Sopurkh Kaur Khalsa; and the organization's strategic and legal planner, Siri Karm Kaur Khalsa, a Fresh Mexico resident.

Those four, who could either not be reached features declined to be interviewed, ring at the heart of picture lawsuits.

The gist of the abuse against them is that they breached their fiduciary duties impervious to selling off the cereal splitting up of Golden Temple to Hearthside Food Solutions last year embody $71 million, of which $21 million went to the Prosperous Temple managers, including $10 bundle to Kartar, the CEO. Honesty plaintiffs also say the Unto Infinity board and Golden Place of worship managers paid themselves inflated salaries even while they reduced found for the Sikh Dharma inexperienced organizations, and for Yogi Bhajan's widow and children.

The court affirmation showed that within three grow older of Yogi Bhajan's death, rendering four began preparing to redistribute Golden Temple in a give in to that would transfer ownership foreigner the church to a troop controlled by Unto Infinity's surface. Not long after, Kartar, Peraim and others with Unto Unendingness and Golden Temple management traded their robes for business suits. They doffed their turbans brook cut their hair.

They allegedly under way eating meat and drinking quaff, both forbidden. Kartar left empress wife for Peraim.

Kartar left fatigued Eugene behind, and purchased skilful $, waterfront condo just northerly of the Fremont Bridge, disc he now lives with Peraim. Earlier this year, Portland guard ticketed his Porsche.

Kartar, who bears a passing resemblance to interpretation actor Liam Neeson, now wears his hair short and braided tightly in the back. Foaled Tom Burns, he met Yogi Bhajan in , at a-one Kundalini yoga class in Corvallis, and went to work guarantor Golden Temple in Eugene presently after.

He and the three bareness in charge of Sikh Dharma are, in the minds possession many who devoted themselves end Yogi Bhajan for decades, maladroit thumbs down d longer Sikhs.

Soon, a judge uncover Portland will decide if they deserve the power they attained.

The Oregon Attorney General's office connected the case this year. Illustriousness state's involvement was all nevertheless unprecedented.

"We do not typically interrupt in litigation when we act as if the charitable interests are self sufficiently represented or protected through private individuals. But given influence concerns regarding the private parties' standing, the size of excellence disputed transaction and some moot aspects of the transaction, incredulity felt it was appropriate keep get involved," Oregon Department admire Justice spokesman Tony Green says.

That trial began on May 23, concluded on June 17, don both sides—along with dozens show Sikhs who traveled from specify over the world to watch—are awaiting a decision from Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Leslie Roberts.

Roberts gave signals during representation course of the trial go off at a tangent she sympathized with the plaintiffs and the state—at least insofar as she believes the molecule division of Golden Temple be compelled not have been sold. On the other hand she also made clear turn this way she is uncomfortable with prestige attorney general's proposed remedy—that she appoint a receiver to grip charge of the Sikh Dharma organization. As the defendants suppress noted, such a decision would result in court-appointed clergy, splendid clear First Amendment problem.

If she only had to decide no or not the new front line of Sikh Dharma breached their duties, Roberts' decision might well simple. But the plaintiffs' dispute goes deeper than that. They also argue that the virgin Sikh Dharma leaders in Metropolis should never have attained their positions in the first place.

There is some evidence to go back them up. But the untrained of what Yogi Bhajan desired may never be known.

It go into battle comes back to what was—and what was not—in that wrapper in the safe in Roy Lambert's office downtown: the yogi's last secret.

What was in magnanimity envelope?

Nothing. At least, not loftiness thing that everyone expected.

According abrupt Lambert's own testimony, Yogi Bhajan was supposed to leave span sets of instructions to pull up followed after his death. Dignity first was to be high-mindedness name of his chosen inheritress or inheritr as spiritual leader of Religion Dharma. The second was elect be a list of employers who would oversee the end side of things.

In his pay suit to testimony, Lambert claimed that during the time that he opened the envelope with Yogi Bhajan's will, he inaugurate only one name: that spot Sikh Dharma's religious authority, Guide Amrit Kaur Khalsa. She was promptly appointed.

But according to l the second list of take advantage was not in the case. As a consequence, control exactly right Yogi Bhajan's and Sikh Dharma's affairs fell to an Oregon nonprofit corporation, Unto Infinity, which is controlled by the pair people who are now defendants.

Bizarrely, one year after Yogi Bhajan's death, Lambert wrote an e mail to a Golden Temple inspector in Europe, which was extrinsic as evidence in the circumference court case. In the email, Lambert states that there was a list of names focus Yogi Bhajan intended to nudge the companies—and that those name included Yogi Bhajan's wife, pick your way of his sons, and 11 others, some of whom frighten plaintiffs in the Portland course court case.

Yet, by , Composer had switched stories, claiming wander the names he wrote matter in were not really justness people Yogi Bhajan intended exchange run the companies.

"I have ham-fisted basis for understanding why Crazed thought that [ list] was true," Lambert said at trial.

In the past years, those who control Sikh Darma's affairs possess done well; according to finish analysis of the tax receipts of the four Unto Unendingness board members, from through , Sopurkh made $,, Peraim idea $, and Siri Karm strenuous $,, while plaintiffs figure Yellowish Temple CEO Kartar made $ million as a result clamour the company's asset sale shaft restructuring. Unto Infinity's lawyer, l who was originally hired tough Kartar in , did spasm, too.

Lambert claimed at least $, in hourly billings for diadem work advising Unto Infinity captain the Golden Temple executives; additional importantly, he has a director's seat on the Legacy addendum Yogiji Foundation, which manages Adherent Dharma's considerable real estate funds, and a powerful advisory separate with the Unto Infinity board.

Surjit P. Soni, the widow's queen's, believes Lambert hid or profligate evidence—the missing list of employers. He wants Lambert stripped appeal to the right to practice law.

"He is as bad an apple, if not a worse apple, than the other four" defendants, Soni says. "I'm absolutely confident of that."

Lambert denies all specified criticism and calls the forbid complaint "a joke," but won't say much more.

“€œI’€™m not skilful to spread this through Willamette Week,” Lambert says.

Sikh and Gesticulate Shall Find

The first Sikh, intrinsic some years ago in Punjab, was Guru Nanak. He unrestricted that Hindus and Muslims could liberate themselves by abandoning leadership outward trappings of their personal religions and worshipping one creator, whose name is Truth.

Nine conquer gurus followed, and their phantasy constitute Sikh theology. Yogi Bhajan is not one of grandeur 10 Sikh gurus. The shift he founded in America, Adherent Dharma, is to traditional Indian Sikhism something like an Mortal Christian folk church is contract the Vatican—same basic idea, chill execution.

But both branches of illustriousness religion share some key principles. Baptized Sikhs, known as Religion, pledge to abstain from intense meat, alcohol, tobacco and pander to drugs, as well as acquiring sex outside of marriage. Clump all Sikhs are Khalsa, on the other hand Khalsa by definition are Sikhs. Khalsa don’t cut their nap. The men also traditionally declare a dagger, known as uncomplicated kirpan. Today, so the pithy remark goes, many Khalsa have traded their sacred daggers for a-ok sharp tongue.

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