Review: Premka: White Bird in a Golden Cage. My Life with Yogi Bhajan, by Pamela Saharah Dyson; The Inner Circle—Book One: My Seventeen Years in the Cult of the American Sikhs, by Peter Macdonald Blachly

Controversy surrounded Yogi Bhajan (b. Harbhajan Singh Puri, 1929–2004) throughout his prosperous and successful career. The white-robed turban-wearing Sikh was a teacher of yoga and the founder/leader of 3HO (Happy, Healthy, Holy) and the later, overlapping Sikh Dharma International, both outwardly orthodox communities of western Sikh converts. After his death, however, his legacy grew increasingly problematic as details of his long-rumored personal ethical failings, inflated claims, self-bestowed religious titles, power seeking, and abuse of his disciples came to light. The criminal prosecution of enterprises created by some of his disciples, with Yogi’s apparent blessing, raised additional concerns. But Bhajan had also created a religious community that functioned as an extended family, where he was revered as the all-knowing, all-powerful, and highly controlling father. When he began his mission in 1969, many young spiritual seekers in Canada and the United States were apparently looking for an alternative family. Bhajan offered them...