I suggest that Sikhnet.com and related sites be avoided because these sites are run by Yogi Bhajan Singh's followers who are mostly white Sikhs. The objectionable aspect being that Yogi Bhajan Singh, in order to promote and establish himself mixed the gurmat teachings with Yogic practices like kundalini jagran etc. He made stuff up on his own, like his own mantras which are made by mixing and matching gurbani words. I am not sure whether it was he who did this or his followers are doing it and naming him as the source. You can find many videos on youtube.
What is happening is this- the white followers are not aware of true Gursikhi teachings, they are not even interested in true Sikhi, what they are interested is making dollars. And they are doing this by creating businesses out of the Sikhi practices. For example many of the italian whites are SELLING their programs and shows, in which they recite their made gurbani compositions and mantras, they mix it with musical instruments or NAAD and call it NAAD YOGA. They sell shows, CDS and what not.
To my surprise I even found some ladies who have Gursikh names with Khalsa in it and yet they are nowhere near Sikhi. I have argued with them on facebook and they do not respond back. They are very clever. They restrict themselves to their own audience, drawn from European circles. They do not attach with mainstream Sikhi.
Gurmustak Singh Khalsa is a good businessman who started Sikhnet.com website long time back when there were hardly any Sikh websites around. He acted with a true white colonial mindset. And few years back he started asking for donations on the website to make money out of it. Its like Whatsapp, first give out service for free and create a user base, then slowly and slowly start charging money.
This is what White Colonial mindset does:
1. Discover some eastern resource (yoga, raag, ayurveda, religion, folk art anything)
2. Learn it by becoming a dedicated student, take on a guru/teacher, pamper his, respect him, celebrate him (actually when white people approach Indians and show some interest in our things, we are so flattered that we become ready to give everything to them at slightest drop of a hat.)
3. Come back to west and start spinning out a business out of the stuff you have learnt. Start writing online and establish a client circle. Start marketing and selling stuff
4. Use you teacher's name liberally. Use his photo, use the artifacts and decorations bought from east so as to impress the potential client as if you have found out a true 'vidya'
In order to understand what I am saying just take a look at how yoga (i mean just the asana aspect) spread in North America. There were two people B.K.S. Iyengar and his guru-bhai Pattabhi Jois. They both wanted westerne followers and of course they found them. Their followers elevated them to demi-gods level. They raised themto high pedestals. The followers established themselves as guardians of their knowledge. The followers came back and set up shops. Soon the shops spread out like wildfire. Soon Yoga Teacher Certifications became a norm; 200hours course, 500 hours course. Soon there came many flavours of yoga in the market, pregnancy yoga, vinayasa yoga, hot yoga and what not.
So the result is today Yoga studios is a billion dollars industry. Toronto and GTA alone has at least 300 yoga studios spread all over.
My assertion is that white Sikhs of Yogi Harbhajan's cult are following the same route. All they ultimately want is to market Sikhi and earn money. Its plain, simple and classic way. West has done this since past 150 years. They did this with Zen, they did this Tibet buddhism (have you not noticed how tibetan buddhist icons are used in films and advertisements?), they did the same with Yoga, Ayurveda and they are doing this with Sikhi. Be aware.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥