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How Guru Ram Das Became Yogi Bhajan’s Guru

One of the most important experiences in Yogi Bhajan’s life was the recognition of his personal Guru, Guru Ram Das. This was the turning point which was to mark out his future and his destiny.

As a government officer, he had been posted to various districts throughout India, and in 1960 he was assigned to the district surrounding the city of Amritsar. As a Sikh, he recognized the special significance of the Harimander Sahib, the Golden Temple and the holy city of Amritsar. Throughout the duration of this assignment, he was determined to take the opportunity to wash the marble floors of the Golden Temple. But above and beyond that, his personal spiritual pursuit had convinced him that only through humility and the performance of humble selfless service could he find the fulfillment which he was seeking.

He had spent many years as a student of spiritual and religious teachers. He had also spent many years functioning in his capacity as a teacher, and he had attained the siddhis (powers) of a perfected yogi. Yet he knew that there was a need in his life for a teacher, for a guide and Guru to whom he could belong beyond the personal, individual ties with any earthly being. He longed for the final touch of infinite love and understanding which would make all of the pieces of the puzzle of life fit together. So, every day for four and a half years, the government officer, Harbhajan Singh, washed the floors of the Golden Temple.

By cleaning the floors of his beloved Guru’s House, he came to realize that he was indeed a blessed son of the House of Guru Ram Das. He has always said that he is who he is because he washed the floors of the Golden Temple, not because of any of his titles or degrees.

[From The Aquarian Teacher, KRI Teacher Training manual, p. 61]

Yogi Bhajan Receives the Guru Ram Das Mantra

Yogi Bhajan was able to connect with Guru Ram Das on the subtle plains and transmit his energy, wisdom and protection for the benefit of humanity. Guru Ram Das is the guardian of the Aquarian Age and Yogi Bhajan carried his message. This is the story of how Yogiji was given the Guru Ram Das mantra:

“One day someone who was supposed to be a very saintly man challenged me, saying that if Guru Ram Das was really my Guru, then he must have given me a Guru Mantra. I told him that every Sikh has a Guru Mantra and that is Wahe Guru. But he challenged me that if Guru Ram Das was my personal Guru, then he should be in a position to give me his mantra.

“So I said. ‘Okay. I will meditate and I’II see. If Guru Ram Das loves me, he may appear. If not, I can’t say.’ So the next day I chanted Wahe Guru, Wahe Guru, Wahe Guru in the way, the tone, the method, the technology in which the Guru Mantra is to be chanted. After a little while I was surprised to find that there was a pure light in the room, and then a human being was sitting there in the very visible form of Guru Ram Das.

“And thus spoke the great Guru: ‘At this time you need the protection of a mantra. Chant this: Guru Guru Wahe Guru, Guru Ram Das Guru. You do not want to claim anything as your own achievement, and you don’t want to take the blame either. Let the claim be mine and let me also take the blame. Now say this mantra.’ And I started saying it slowly, hesitantly, and I liked it.”

—Yogi Bhajan, from The Man Called the Sin Singh Sahib