The letter is curt in tone. [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. He was further seen to create a temperature differential of 5 degrees Celsius between two areas on the palm of his right hand. Carolyn and others say Megan caused a scandal in the Honesdale ashram by breaking the silence surrounding Swami Rama's sexual behavior. There, he showed the ability to consciously control various aspects of his autonomic (involuntary) nervous system. [2] The official biography states that when he was 28 he became the Shankaracharya or spiritual leader at Karvirpitham, part of Sringeri Sharada Peetham in Karnataka, South India, demonstrating extensive knowledge of ancient texts to qualify, and holding the position from 1949 to 1952. Rose, they explain, was not a disciple of Swami Rama, but had been invited by family members in the Institute's administration to come to Honesdale for medical treatment. Karen, the woman whose claims were ridiculed at the meeting where Swami Rama and the other directors responded to Brian's charges, was one of the first ex-members to confront top Institute administrators. Why did Carolyn say these things? He is also head of the Institute's Holistic Studies (formerly Eastern Studies) program and has written a number of scholarly books on yoga philosophy. Carolyn's and Susan's letters also challenged the Institute's professional staff on ethical grounds. Dont be attached to these images. Atman is everlasting, unchangeable, and therefore not Several former students of Swami Rama granted interviews to Patricia Ann Darling, Ph. Carolyn has received no reply from the Institute. This is not to diminish OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. He published books and audiotapes for the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, first located in a Chicago suburb, which he founded in 1971. Both Chapter XVIII of Boses (1974) My Days with Gandhi and she remembers him demanding. The goal of our sadhana or practices is the highest In that letter, Hughes had told Swami Rama why marriage and parenthood were probably not for him. At the age of twenty-four, the story goes that he was given the position of Shankaracharya of Karvirpithamone of four popes in the Hindu religious hierarchy. But as she spent more time around Swami Rama and his inner circle, Megan says, the guru subjected her to a barrage of sexual harassment. Numerous former students say they left the Institute because they were sexually exploited by Swami Rama or knew someone who was. At the meeting, Brian says, Dr. Ballentine presented letters from another woman, Karen,* who also claimed to have been sexually exploited by Swami Rama. There is nothing in the universe which is absolutely good or absolutely evil, that is to say, good or evil for all time. Someone informed me of this and I could not believe it. After her death, the walls of that room in which she lived vibrated with the sound of her mantra. the desires and attachments that are the cause of suffering. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Early the next morning, she says, he announced to her that she was going to leave; he never set up the promised program. Two months after Swami Rama left for India, Carolyn went to Chicago to visit her family for Christmas. 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. Grief for Megan went through a brief but painful and confusing time during which she doubted her own feelings and perceptions. When all desires and passions are removed, when perfect stillness This period of separation is painful to the ignorant. [In the Katha Shortly after they started studying with Pandit Usharbudh Arya at the Meditation Center in Minneapolis, he introduced them to his guru, Swami Rama. The fear of death is one of our most prominent fears. 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. These secretive whispers about Srila Prabhupada's death and slyness have raised great suspicions as to the whisperers' conspiracy to poison Srila Prabhupada. Read the full newspaper online, on your smartphone and tablet They feel as if Carolyn says she experienced their sexual encounters as brief and rough, and that she performed her sexual duties mechanically: "I numbed myself in order to survive.". Tibetan Buddhism On Monday, July 14, 2015, Swami Veda Bharati left his body at 3:00 am (India time). and Tantra Yoga. our bodies. houses, second cars, second homes in resort areas, and retiring early. Swami Rama Tirtha was a mystic saint of India who travelled to the US, preceded by Swami Vivekananda, during the last century. our bodies, and when our bodies are sick or they age, or we watch the A pearl necklace that Brian had bought from Swami Rama as an "investment" was appraised at roughly one-third of the $100,000 he had paid for it. wonderful marriages, living in white houses with picket fences and . After six months she fell sick and became bedridden. Because that's my whole life My relationship with [Swami Rama] is purely divine and spiritual-there cannot be impurity in it, and there is no room for such thoughts. you not to attach yourself to this world. The couple had been meditating together for several years. [2] She wrote that their statements, two of which were on file with the Cult Awareness Network in New York, fitted a pattern of what she called "sex in the forbidden zone", with a guru, "coupled with institutional mechanisms of defense and denial". lose his own soul?. Now Megan says that in a different atmosphere, she would have immethately recognized Swami Rama's behavior as sexual harassment or "sadistic manipulation." Rajmani explains the basic goals of the Institute's tradition of yoga: "The most important part of the practice is nonattachment." He would call her to his office for a private authence, and as she hung anxiously on his words he would paint a flattering picture of her future with the Institute. She renewed her acquaintance with her former meditation teachers and started taking classes in Glenview, Illinois, at the Institute's original headquarters. We combine extraordinary spaces, systematic yoga practice, and a conscious community to create experiences that leave you inspired and empowered to live your best life. One of my friends, Vinaya Maharaj, sent a messenger to my camp informing me that he was going to drop his body and I should come to witness it. In some states, a patient has the right to sue her doctor or psychotherapist for malpractice even if she originally consented to sex, because people under psychological or medical treatment are considered too vulnerable and dependent to give free and full consent. If somehow Pandit Rajmani were forced to acknowledge that the women were telling the truth, would this shatter his faith in the guru? remain in body consciousness and that is why we identify ourselves with But the followers of such "enlightened" men are usually reluctant to find fault with them, since to do so could invalidate the students' own years of study and devotion. flowers, and having devoted children. His actions are rarely questioned by his followers, because his every deed is thought to flow from his union with godhead. They make life [5], In 1966, he founded the original Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in Kanpur, India; this was followed by an institute in Glenview, Illinois in 1971; it is now headquartered in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, purchased in 1977. 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. He would have no other train than That handling included the Mahatmas denying of a professional education to his older sons, in the attempt to mold them in his image. She was my initiate. When he told her to visit him at night again, Carolyn says she did not have enough self-confidence to say no, but she hoped that this time he would treat her differently, with more sensitivity and respect. only those secrets were worth having. Join us for studies in the true meaning of yogaincluding asana, meditation, mantra, tantra, sacred scripture, and the art of joyful living. She began to believe that this man who might have been spiritual at one time was now suffering from feelings he couldn't control. Carolyn says he called her out to Glenview for a special appointment, at which he invited her to come live and work at his new ashram in Honesdale-and told her he would waive the usual residential program fees. Perhaps during his visit to Asia Minor he learned these techniques from the yogis. Har Har Mahadev! I have personally witnessed yogis casting off the body consciously on many occasions. She believes Swami Rama was trying to buy her collusion, as he had bought the collusion of the Institute's staff and many residents. When we see At the same time In the following year, he served as a consultant to the Voluntary Controls Project of the Research Department of the Menninger Foundation at Topeka, Kansas. not anger or any other emotion. He was also accused of kicking other women in the buttocks when they were weeding, already down on their hands and knees In my interviews with current and former members of the Institute, I heard an almost unvarying litany of beliefs about Swami Rama's abilities. Or maybe he needs to have sex just to release energy so he can meditate better. He reportedly sat down on a chair next to her bed and proceeded to make sexual advances. Full Name: Pandita Ramabai Saraswati Birth Name: Rama Dongre Famous As: Social Reformer, Feminist, Educationist Birth Date: 23 April 1858 Birth Place: Canara district, Madras Presidency, British India Died On: 5 April 1922 Nationality: Indian Parents: Anant Shastri Dongare (father) and Lakshmibai (mother) Spouse: Bipin Behari Medhvi Pandita Ramabai Up to that point I had felt like he was a guru, that he cared about me at least, but no, he was just using me.". And there is a statement, 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.'" Rose spent the next six months moving from place to place, terrified that the Institute network would track her down. Community, Courses, and Content. Two women wrote statements, which said they had discovered that Swami Rama was attempting to "seduce" both of them contemporaneously. It is also possible for a highly advanced yogi to assume the dead body of another if he chooses to do so and if a suitable body is available. Each of the women I interviewed described how he would discern her particular needs and self-doubts and manipulate her spiritual beliefs or naivet in order to exploit her sexually-he has an uncanny ability to suit his approach to each victim, they say. When one learns to separate the mortal self from the immortal In mid-autumn, the day came for Swami Rama's annual trip to India. He discusses the philosophy, practice and benefits of yoga and meditation. After one dies, he or. Just like us, he sometimes fails to distinguish the fake gurus from genuine masters, mistaking magic for spiritual . . Swami Rama had been a frequent figure on national television shows in theUnited States, having appeared on such widely viewed programs as "Good Morning America" and the "Phil Donahue Show." He was the first yogi to subject himself to modern scientific methods of testing his states of consciousness while at the highest level of meditation. Women need to be informed that this could happen to them-be it with Swami Rama or any man in a position of power-so they will be able to see it coming and avoid it. Born: February 18, 1833 Joy that comes from the Realization in direct experience of the "A lot of people have confused the siddhis-the powers to control body, emotions, and mind-with spirituality. All of them had something to offer, but no spiritual path inspired her to make an exclusive commitment. - Swami Rama, "Living With the Himalayan Masters". and this earthly body and identifies with the permanence or And he abruptly dismissed her. He and Pandit Rajmani say that a guru is "that which dispels darkness." Box 400, Honesdale, PA 18431: (717) 253-5551. This article however says: From craving The emperor offered Sambhji a choice: "Convert to Islam and you'll be set free, or else get ready for torture and death." The brave son of the brave father chose the latter. There he lived among "His Holiness Swami Rama's" most devoted disciples, witnessing their extreme beliefs and cultish behavior. Rose said that she struggled, but the guru physically overpowered her, throwing himself on top of her on the bed and forcing her to perform oral sex. [9] The result was a sharp increase of interest in his teachings. states: Through the abandonment of desire the Deathless is realized.. Shortly after they returned to the U.S., Karen and George say that they and all their correspondents received a bizarre, defamatory letter containing an implicit death threat. The person would use When he was finished, Rose told them, Swami Rama left her room, saying he's be back the next day. The man, she says, informed her of Swami Rama's long history of alleged sexual misconduct. Lord Rama considered that was his fault, and therefore, it was his duty to restore the child's life. "There are 35 to 40 girls here who have compromised themselves at the Dera. At the same time, she says, he offered her money and told her he wanted to put her in his will. 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. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. Katharine Webster, who recently completed her master of journalism Senior at the University of California, Berkeley, is an occasional student of yoga who has had many teachers, but no guru. "I will not tolerate anyone propagating malicious stories about the Institute or its founder on the Institute's own property," Dr. Ballcntine's letter says. 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. The next day, she says, Swami Rama called her to his office and asked her if anyone had said anything to her. Under the guidance of his master, he traveled from monastery to monastery and studied with a variety of Himalayan saints and sages, including his grandmaster, who was living in a remote region of Tibet. owners, these changing, decaying, and dying objects remind people of the By Swami Rama We say, I At that, she says, he raged at her until she was sobbing, unable to speak a word in her own defense: No! As the other disciples looked on with envy, Swami Rama called her aside for a final, intimate word: She should work on herself, he reportedly told her-lose some weight and learn to admire herself. Swami Rama of the Himalayas: His Life and Mission. He claimed that he was raised somewhere in the monasteries and holy caves of the Himalayas by his personal guru or master Sri Madhavananda Bharati. 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.". The Self is unchangeable. ISBN 8188157007 (Buy) At the same time as he dismissed her, Swami Rama also gave her a Sanskrit name. They announced the date of their death and I was one of the witnesses. But ultimately he chose to believe Swami Rama. its work is done. He warns against relying too heavily on the inner voice: "When we look for the guru within, we only end up finding our own samskaras-vagaries of the unconscious mind are mistaken for directions from the superconscious. In March 1978, she says, Swami Rama came to Glenview and initiated her. Megan recalls that in one of her first encounters with Swami Rama, she watched as he humiliated a quiet, withdrawn woman resident. [7] He then produced the longer theta waves of dreaming sleep, and finally the slow delta waves of deep sleep, staying aware throughout and able to describe accurately what had happened in the laboratory although he had been lying in the laboratory "snoring". Pandit Rajmani Tigunait is the resident spiritual director of the Honesdale ashram, as well as a member of the Institute's teaching staff. identify ourselves with our bodies and the world around us. attachments, along with ignorance, are the source of the fear of death. In daily lectures by the Institute's teachers and in conversation with Swami Rama's disciples, she frequently heard that Swami Rama had a "greater purpose that we couldn't understand," and that he was "beyond morality and judgment. During the next few months, Carolyn says, Swami Rama bade her visit him in his private quarters once every couple of weeks, either after lunch or after evening prayers; he also made it her job to buy condoms. Therefore, grief beyond According to ex-members, Swami Rama often acts in ways his disciples find humiliating, but they tell each other he is humbling their stubborn egos to help them reach enlightenment faster. She was afraid to stay in her room, which had no lock on the door, or to use the hall telephone, because all calls had to be routed through the main switchboard. Also, Sage Narada told him to do so. Are you feeling a little confused and emotionally upset, and maybe some of the things that happened you might have misinterpreted, or you might have even fantasized them, you know, have trouble separating fantasy from reality?" attached to or to identify with something? She says he instructed her in how to give him pleasure and admonished her to always tell him that she had received pleasure, even thought she never did. Carolyn,* an old friend, called me collect. Initially, Brian says, most of the other directors responded with concern. He was soon reportedly adopted there by one of the greatest masters of the Himalayas, Bengali Baba. During a series of biofeedback experiments in 1970 and 1971, Drs. Tigunait, Pandir Rajmani. No one had thoroughly investigated, until journalist Katharine Webster decided to spend two years researching their allegations. Rama also claimed to have later studied in Hamburg, Utrecht and at Oxford University. 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. Branch centers have also been established throughout the United States. Megan remembers asking him why he was trying all this on her. He is held accountable only to the higher spiritual laws, which he is uniquely able to comprehend. For your bibliography and Mission is a statement, 'Hell hath no fury a. Wanted to put her in his teachings brief but painful and confusing time during which lived... 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