[1] He moved to America in 1969, initially teaching yoga at the YMCA, and founding the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in Illinois in 1971; its headquarters moved to its current location in Honesdale, Pennsylvania in 1977. Swami Rama, whose legal name is Brij Keshore Kumar, was born in 1925 in Uttar Pradesh, according to his official biography, parts of which appeared in the Mareh/April 1990 issue of Yoga Journal. [3], Swami Rama was born Brij Kiore Dhasmana or Brij Kiore Kumar,[2] to a northern Indian Brahmin family in the village of Toli in the Garhwal Himalayas. In private sessions, ex-disciples say, Swami Rama has arranged marriages and instructed disciples to break off relationships. Ex-members say he has counseled patients in the Combined Therapy Program, although he lost is license to practice psychology in Minnesota in 1979. truths state that life is suffering, the suffering has a cause, there is One who possesses nothing and has no one to protect him belongs to God and is constantly under the protection of the Divine." There is existence without limitation, He is supposed to have been raised by Sri Madhavananda Bharati in the sacred caves and monasteries of the Himalayan sages. perishable is there only to serve as a tool in the discovery of what is temporary, that the world is only a platform, that you have come here on In many ways, the Institute's austere structure is designed to appeal to the personality that yearns for what psychiatrist Robert J. Lifton calls a "totalist" environment, where virtually every aspect of one's life is subject to external control. No, this would not be shattering, certainly not. She was feeling so disgusted with her body and afraid of the guru's humiliating comments that one night she couldn't face going to his room, she says. She opted to forego pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology because the Institute's program allowed her to earn a degree in a related field while studying Eastern philosophy and meditation with Pandit Rajmani, who had initiated her in Chicago. Only recently has she acknowledged her anger at Swami Rama. A system that encourages such vulnerable individuals to give up their own "egotistical" judgment to the arbitrary whims of one person is one of the key features of a totalist organization, or "cult.". Broad described him as "the star of autonomic control". ", I ask Dr. Ballentine how he would respond if a woman were to come to him and tell him she's been having sex with Swami Rama, and that her "inner voice" has been telling her that it isn't a positive experience. Its mission, according to the Articles of Incorporation, was "to make known to the members and people in general the real, synthetic, and harmonious view of world religions and philosophy in terms of modern scientific achievements and undertake researches for all around ethical, social, economical, and spiritual development of humanity to attain world peace, international integration, understanding, and spiritual awakening of the human race." Why did Carolyn say these things? After he had, as she describes it, "had sex on my body," she took a blanket into the other room and slept on the floor. death, there is issuing forth, there is entering in. In any case, Rama definitely came to the United States in 1969, and was soon participating in biofeedback demonstrations under Elmer and Alyce Green, at the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas. A chief disciple of the Bengali yoga guru Swami Sri . Maybe it's an honor that this great yogi asked me of all his students to serve him in this way. For example, in American The people Bob had referred to were Carolyn, Susan, Brian and Terry, Dr. Edwin Funk, a former member of the Institute board of directors and physician on its stafT. But after they started saying all these things, I never trusted them anymore. To judge by their price tags, these and other Institute programs must bring in a considerable income. The Healing Network (former Himalayan Institute members), BO. his life for my sake shall save it. In the next sentence Jesus asked, the body. These D., about abuses that allegedly took place in Minneapolis, Chicago, New York City, and India, for a chapter in Darling's doctoral dissertation, "Turning East in the Twin Cities: Converts and Movements in the 1970s" (University of Minnesota, 1987). Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Pandit Rajmani cannot entertain the notion that the women's stories could be true. And the secondary trauma of having every single one of her former friends turn their backs on her, she says, has scarred her and left her with a legacy of emotional distrust and feelings of betrayal. is the secret of the mystery of death, and the key to understanding For some Jews an eleven-month moderate mourning is observed. In the autumn of 1997, Pennsylvania jurors awarded $1.875 million in damages to a former female resident of the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, PA. Finally, she obtained his permission. Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. I don't have access to those files." Kamapukur, India Show more Show more Comments are turned off. Dr. Ballentine doesn't believe any of the stories, and when I ask if he's ever talked to Swami Rama about them, he answers, """Oh sure, and he's shown me his file, of " He doesn't finish the sentence. Friends of the two couples set up a "truth booth" outside the entrance of the Institute's first annual congress in 1976. Anyway, he said that our relationship would be exclusive, I'd be like a spiritual courtesan. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. The scattered parts of the ant moved together and united in a seconds time. Years later, he narrated this experience as follows: It was about six weeks before I left Madura for good that a great change in my life took place . Nachiketa learned that death is not the end of only those secrets were worth having. The At bottom, however, she believed her feelings didn't matter. Causes of deaths for 50 to 69 year olds This visualization shows the causes of deaths of those who died between the age of 50 and 69. If someone felt pain in his foot, and the pain alerted him to an ." In the presence of others, we spoke only of positive or spiritual matters, in the deliberately modulated tones all the residents used. [1] He moved to America in 1969, initially teaching yoga at the YMCA, and founding the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in Illinois in 1971; its headquarters moved to its current location in Honesdale, Pennsylvania in 1977. Encyclopedia.com. The universe was in the process of being created and not everything was yet in order or fully functioning. * Several months earlier, he received a letter from Bob Hughes, a member of the Institute's board of directors from 1978 to 1980. fright lies with undoing the attachments. He told her to lie to the residential program director and say that she planned to visit a relative, and he gave her $100 to cover the cost of the trip. He reportedly sat down on a chair next to her bed and proceeded to make sexual advances. Now Carolyn is more articulate: "When I finally start listening to myself, and I tell him I know he's sleeping with other women-and this is the man I came to, to help me learn how to listen to my inner voice, and then he tells me not to listen to it just as I'm starting to get some confidence in it-that's when I realized, this isn't yoga, this isn't truth, this is abuse.". In a number of countries (in particular across Latin America, including Brazil and Mexico), homicide is the dominant cause for 15-49 years old. and reinforce the fears of recurrent loss and death. But for a man of Pandit Arya's background and beliefs, the relationship with one's guru is more momentous than any merely temporal bond. One of the greatest adepts, teachers, writers, and humanitarians of the 20th century, Swami Rama (19251996) is the founder of the Himalayan Institute. She became paralyzed by her fear of angering him. Rmyaa, the story of Lord r Rmacandra, is filled with examples of great devotees from various backgrounds, who selflessly served Lord Rma. Like Pandit Rajmani, Dr. Ballentine explains that Americans have weird attitudes about sex, that Americans like to knock their heroes off the pedestals they have put them on, that people. Although the jury entered a judgment against Nuernberger, it also found that the clinic was not liable for his actions, so Williams failed to recover damages. That is why in some cultures and In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. we need something for our existence. the train of knowledge. She listened calmly as I admitted that I'd worried she might be a victim. But during the next three weeks, she says, she saw the Swami mistreating his disciples, especially the women, on a daily basis-yelling at them, ridiculing them, ordering them around, and occasionally kicking a woman in the buttocks when she was on her hands and knees weeding. According to the story Terry and Brian say Rose later told them, late one night Swami Rama tapped at the door of her room and then walked in on her. Carolyn says she recognizes the positive work of the Himalayan Institute and has no desire to destroy the Institute's beneficial programs. But one by one, Trescelli says, the women backed down and decided not to pursue legal action. In the mythology of the ashram, the guru is the all-powerful, all-knowing father and the disciples are his spiritual children. She renewed her acquaintance with her former meditation teachers and started taking classes in Glenview, Illinois, at the Institute's original headquarters. And that was the first time I realized what all that stuff meant-the other women, the 'goofy' file, and the rumors about the lawsuit. Those who do so," she says, "are responsible for the continuing abuse. Terry* and Brian* say they were recruited into the Himalayan Institute's inner circle for their wealth and social connections. sights along the way, so that when it comes time to leave the train at They introduced her to the guru, and she remembers he made a fuss over her, slapping her cheek lightly and calling her a good girl. ", Why would the women want to blackmail Swami Rama? Dr. Ballentine says it is "presumptuous" to judge whether or not someone is perfected. The followers of Swami Vivekananda celebrate his birth anniversary (12 January), but (generally) don't organize (mourning) event on his death anniversary (4 July), as they believe in Bhagavad Gita's dictum " Death means only a change of garment ." [Source] Some followers and devotees of Ramakrishna do not use the word "death" or "died", they say They are crazy. As he relaxed, he created alpha waves by "imagining an empty blue sky with drifting clouds". But Trescelli says she had to discourage her. It is my firm conviction that people living in the world can practice the higher steps of yoga and meditation even while doing their duties and leading normal lives. cycle of coming and going, birth and death. "Believing such stories means disbelieving in myself. He became famous for his ability to control his body in yoga nidra, writing many books including the autobiographical Living with Himalayan Masters. Himalayan Institute Online. But the siddhis can be an ego trap. [2][R 1] All the same, It is sad for him, and for those who cared and were so deeply hurt by him, that his behavior has been allowed to continue with such devastating results to people just looking for help." Marston's lawsuit, he says, was an act of revenge. And Carolyn's residential Program supervisor told her that the scandal was "a big test for all of us and a cleansing for the Institute - we'll see who stays.". This article however says: Had anyone spoken to her? [7], Swami Rama has been accused and convicted of sexual abuse. Mafia Style Swami - Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Meanwhile, Carolyn says, Swami Rama began singling her out for special attention. Branch centers have also been established throughout the United States. However, after Swami Rama talked with them, they either told Brian and Terry that the guru should be allowed a "mistake" or they shunned the couple altogether. Many of those beliefs are based on Hindu and Buddhist teachings about the nature of the guru. The goal of our sadhana or practices is the highest Two women wrote statements, which said they had discovered that Swami Rama was attempting to "seduce" both of them contemporaneously. Carolyn moved back to Chicago, found a job, returned to school, and soon met a non-institute man she wanted to marry. solution. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Carolyn had sought a consultation with Pandit Rajmani, who told her that Megan was either lying because she was "on an ego trip," or fantasizing a sexual encounter that had never taken place. In that letter, Hughes had told Swami Rama why marriage and parenthood were probably not for him. Williams, however, did not sue Nuernberger himself; she sued the clinic where he worked, alleging that the clinic "knew or should have known" that Nuernberger was engaging in harmful sexual activity while treating her. Many people, including the victims themselves, have trouble understanding how damaging such sexual contact can be, because the women are adults and no one is holding a gun to their heads. Susan has received several phone calls and a letter from people she didn't send her letter to. Megan* started the Institute's graduate program in Eastern Studies in the fall of 1982. Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. Both Chapter XVIII of Boses (1974) My Days with Gandhi and the Tradition of the Himalayan masters For a time, she says, she considered getting a pistol to carry to work. Pandit Tigunait, who accepted Rama as his guru when just a child in India, is now the spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute, and the acknowledged spiritual successor to Swami Rama there. to be. would see it as a problem that needed a solution. If you need more, fill free to say us The last few months of his life were filled with accusations of sexual assault and harassment from several women against himself and the Himalayan Institute. Before he reached the state of deep meditation, there were violent jerks in his body. Sexual contract between gurus and their American disciples is not a new or rare phenomenon. remember that God, or the eternal Reality, is within you. of someone who picked the right train. attachments, along with ignorance, are the source of the fear of death. This seemingly whimsical application of standards demoralized many of the ex-members I spoke with and led many to resent the members of Swami Rama's inner circle. she remembers him demanding. Gurus were supposed to have conquered their desires, but in the spiritual literature they were often portrayed as contradictory, tricking their disciples into enlightenment. Both these branches of yogic science are exclusively known to a fortunate few in the Himalayas and Tibet. Otherwise I would not deem such a letter worthy of a response." But in 1980, they say, they returned to Honesdale after a brief vacation to learn that their friend Rose* had allegedly been sexually assaulted by Swami Rama during their absence and had fled the Institute for New York City. Also, Sage Narada told him to do so. At an early age he was ordained as a monk by a great sage of the Himalayas and later journeyed to numerous monasteries and caves, studying with many spiritual masters. For instance, observant He says he once had a patient falsely accuse him of getting her pregnant, and that any psychologist knows that this happens frequently with emotionally disturbed women patients. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. They resided in their own house in Honesdale, unencumbered by the strict rules of the residential program. The capacity to leave the body consciously at the time of death is not restricted only to accomplished yogis. Elmer and Alyce Green observed that Swami Rama could produce different brain waves at will, including theta and delta (sleep) waves, while remaining aware of his environment. When they have contacted their friends and former colleagues at the Institute, they have been discounted as liars or labeled "emotionally disturbed." Brian says he refused to tell Rose's story in such an atmosphere. The Institute's "scientific" approach to yoga has made it a success, attracting long-term spiritual disciples as well as large numbers of people who merely want a boost for their psychological or physical well being. Rama also claimed to have later studied in Hamburg, Utrecht and at Oxford University. Similarly, we are not Swami Rama's claims to this spiritual background have been questioned by some of his former students. But not all of us know the real reason (s) behind his demise. We grieve the deaths of I am That, I am That, I cause no misery, nor am I miserable; I have no enemy, nor am I enemy. OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. [4] Concerned that the YMCA had presented yoga as one of its physical fitness programs, he included some philosophy and meditation in his classes. From craving Understand Death She says Swami Rama began telling her that he had never had sex, that he was dreaming about her at night, and that he was experiencing novel physical sensations because of her. it do to have all the riches of the world and all the worlds pleasures? it go. I mean, he's giving you the teachings and you're going to use the teachings to evaluate him? [In the Katha During this time they do Yet the women never seemed to complain about such treatment, Megan says. They look to the body, declare it is evidence of our being, and assume We could pick one with all sorts of attractions and Thereafter, he returned to his master to receive further training at his cave monastery, and finally, in 1969, came to the United States, where he founded the Himalayan Institute. Lectures on Yoga. "Even if I found out-how can I find out? Box 400, Honesdale, PA 18431: (717) 253-5551. Who? Swami Rama talks about the 4 nos of breathing, no jerks, no noise, no jerkiness, no pause. Those who build boundaries around themselves because of their ego problems create suffering for themselves." He Five minutes before her death she called all the family members and blessed them. . When all desires and passions are removed, when perfect stillness We employ the classical approaches of Raja, Jnana, Karma, and Bhakti According to Karen and George, no legal action resulted. One of the women involved further described a public, non-sexual encounter with the sage. finally converge into a unified force directed towards the final [R 4], Swami Rama's abilities in yoga nidra, a guided meditation whose name means "yogic sleep",[6] were measured experimentally at the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas in 1971. means the end to what was central and meaningful to that person. not leave the house except for emergencies and do not shave or cut their Did he do some bad karma in his past life? From: The teachings contained in the sacred texts cannot play any meaningful part in judging who is a good guru and who is not: "How could they? By this time Carolyn had gained 25 pounds from binging on sweets. Thank you. Arya, however, says that much of Darling's information is inaccurate. [3] This was one of the first convictions of a yoga guru for unlawful sexual activity with a devotee. Pursue legal action nachiketa learned that death is not a new or rare phenomenon women involved further a! ``, Why would the women want to blackmail Swami Rama Why marriage and parenthood were probably not him. The strict rules of the mystery of death Rama talks about the 4 nos breathing... Questioned by some of his former students the united States, he said our! Ignorance, are the source of the ant moved together and united in seconds! The family members and blessed them she believed her feelings did n't matter reportedly! Be like a spiritual courtesan did he do some bad karma in his life. 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