He and Pandit Rajmani say that a guru is "that which dispels darkness." He voluntarily sopped his heart from pumping blood for 17 seconds, and he reportedly demonstrated his telekinetic powers, moving a knitting needle with mental force. 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. "Nirvana is one," Carolyn says she told him. And I feared that Carolyn-young beautiful, idealistic, and worshipful of Swami Rama, the Institute's founder and spiritual leader-could be vulnerable to such exploitation. After teaching, studying, and traveling throughout India and Europe, he came to the University of Minnesota in the 1960s, where he taught Sanskrit and Indian religions. Had Nirvana said anything? They are instructed to have "no emotional relationship inside or outside the Institute," and residential program directors are charged with monitoring disciple's behavior and attitudes to make sure they conform to Institute expectations. When he was finished, Rose told them, Swami Rama left her room, saying he's be back the next day. But after they started saying all these things, I never trusted them anymore. He backed off, Megan says, while telling her that sex wasn't necessary-she could be his special student. Carolyn says she knew that Swami Rama often promised his disciples he would take them to India or appoint them to important positions within the Institute-promises that rarely materialized. How could she be the only one who realized what was going on? toshiba tv screen goes black after a few minutes. Irwin Schneider, the lawyer for the Himalayan Institute, conceded that it was morally wrong for the Swami Rama to have sex with the woman from North Carolina, a 19-year-old student at the time she said the assaults occurred. A world leader in the field of yoga, meditation, spirituality, and holistic health, the Himalayan Institute is a non-profit international organization dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. He explains that Nuernberger was just a graduate student, inexperienced and lacking in professional judgment, when the incident with Marston occurred: "At a time when he was learning to be a therapist and thought that someone is asking for you to reach out, you reach out and you touch them and you let them see your feelings, and I think that was very bad." First, Robert Tuttle of The Reason Files 2 is reporting the same thing I am hearing from multiple sources. Some stay longer, for a few weeks or months in the Self-Transformation retreat program. There she learned Swami Rama's style of "super-conscious" meditation, which she describes as a basic, impersonal training in mental concentration. After a couple of months of this special attention, Carolyn says, Swami Rama came to visit her one-day at the book distribution office in Honesdale center. Pandit Rajmani cannot entertain the notion that the women's stories could be true. A world leader in yoga, meditation, and holistic health, the Himalayan Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. He must see something special in me.'" Here is her report. Carolyn is not alone. 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. Our community is held together by dedicated students of the Himalayan Tradition, who value the principles of universal respect and collective responsibility. The Himalayan Institute has been and continues to be home to a service-driven community of yogis, volunteers, and faculty-in-residence. We are happy to bring you a combination of Zoom, In-person, and Hybrid options. "If someone is a saint, celibacy would be his normal condition," Dr. Green comments. What a foolish woman! In the presence of others, we spoke only of positive or spiritual matters, in the deliberately modulated tones all the residents used. A world leader in yoga, meditation, and holistic health, we are dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. On one occasion, she says, Swami Rama ordered all the women disciples to weed out some roots around his new cabin, telling them they were rooting out their samskaras. Arya, however, says that much of Darling's information is inaccurate. Shortly after they started studying with Pandit Usharbudh Arya at the Meditation Center in Minneapolis, he introduced them to his guru, Swami Rama. That one gesture unleashed a storm of long-suppressed emotions. During a series of biofeedback experiments in 1970 and 1971, Drs. His American followers hear the spiritual teachings from his mouth, with his interpretation, and they rarely have the exposure to a variety of gurus, which would teach them to be skeptical of their own guru. Since its inception in 1971, the Himalayan Institute has been at the leading edge of personal and social transformation. Since 1972, Himalayan Institute Excursions have offered purpose-driven journeys to discover the fulfillment your soul is seeking. That was why he wanted her to be his secretary. Dr. Ballentine, who says he studied psychology at the Sorbonne and completed his training in psychiatry at Louisiana State University, defends Nuernberger. Swami Rama frequently invited them to parties in his private quarters, where they say he entertained them with funny stories and racy gossip. After she had lived in Honesdale for a year, Swami Rama started promising to make her his appointments secretary. Only recently has she acknowledged her anger at Swami Rama. Who We Are; What We Do; Where We Work. He told her he was writing a book of poetry for her, and he offered to find her a husband. A few weeks later she moved to Honesdale. A guru has the wisdom of experience and the ancient teachings, so he can provide guidance, Dr. Ballantine says, but students should "judge every [practice] on the basis of your own experience." Because I do not want to find out. She loved him like "a second father," she says, "and the real tragedy is that this is how our relationship ended. Ultimately, the woman had revealed the liaison to her husband. Ayurveda Dr. Ballentine says he has good reason to think that Marston "was very anxious for [Nuernberger] to go further, and he didn't. Healthy lifestyle products to support your yoga and spiritual practice. Ag Innovation Center Business Plan. A world leader in the field of yoga, meditation, spirituality, and holistic health, the Himalayan Institute is a non-profit international organization dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. The Institute also offers instruction to counselors and psychotherapists in the application of yoga and meditation techniques to therapy. 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.". All of them had something to offer, but no spiritual path inspired her to make an exclusive commitment. 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." Maybe it's an honor that this great yogi asked me of all his students to serve him in this way. He says that Nuernberger's one mistake has "ruined his life, in essence, which is really too bad.". Instead they deny the experience of the "unenlightened" women who are the guru's victims. It was years more before she felt she had the right to be angry at her spiritual family, the staff and residents of the Institute who, she says, denied the signs of abuse all around them. Who? Join us for studies in the true meaning of yogaincluding asana, meditation, mantra, tantra, sacred scripture, and the art of joyful living. Such trickery is common in the legends about crazy saints, who aimed to teach their disciples that ultimately they had to surrender the illusion of external control. He reportedly smokes cigarettes, watches television for hours every day, and gossips, but his disciples rationalize this non-abstinent behavior: "Oh, Swamiji just smokes to bring himself down to the earth plane," or, "The TV is on incessantly just to give the student one more distraction to challenge his ability to maintain yogic balance," or, "all the stories Swamiji tells about other people are just to give the disciple the opportunity to develop objectivity and not get caught up in the meaningless gossip.". In her lawsuit, the plaintiff said the swami sexually assaulted her 30 times while she was attending the institute in the spring and summer of 1993. 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. Megan recalls that in one of her first encounters with Swami Rama, she watched as he humiliated a quiet, withdrawn woman resident. I told her what I'd heard, and that I wasn't sure the rumor was true-as a beginning student of yoga and meditation at the Institute's East West Books in New York City, I was reluctant to believe it myself. Carolyn felt important, entitled to be there because she was one of his secretaries. Residents staff the Institute's administration, bookstores, and other small businesses, including Himalayan Publishers and Distributors and an elementary school. According to Marston's attorney, Philip W. Getts, his client never recovered the $50,000 in punitive damages Nuernberger owed her, because Pennsylvania is one of the few states that does not allow the court to garnish wages. * "Nirvana was up at his cabin, walking his dog at 5:30 in the morning, and Megan was with him day and night." Meanwhile Janet,* a Honesdale woman who worked as the couple's babysitter and housekeeper at the time, says she received threatening phone calls at Brian and Terry's house, asking if she was alone with the children. -- Swami Rama, "Living With the Himalayan Masters". Tall and imposing, he had the sleek look of a successful man in his late 50s, at the peak of his power. Allegations of such abuse have been made against modern yoga gurus such as Bikram . Cameroon Himalayan Institute Cameroon Cameroon is in the midst of conflict. He says it is a relationship that goes beyond religions, the purest relationship possible, "the relationship of water flowing from a hill and filling a hollow at the bottom-the hollow has nothing to give in return, but only to accept that grace in gratitude. "I felt two-dimensional, like a piece of paper, a cunt-he didn't care about me. Both came from prominent Midwestern families; each had an alcoholic parent, and they now believe they were seeking not only spiritual growth, but also a strong parental figure. Swamis, he explains, are renunciates who take vows of abstinence which include giving up sex, wine, and red meat, as well as other stimulants to the physical senses. Continue reading Be the first to find this review helpful Helpful Share Report 5.0 Former Employee, more than 3 years Came for a job left with life-long friends Gurus were supposed to have conquered their desires, but in the spiritual literature they were often portrayed as contradictory, tricking their disciples into enlightenment. Megan* started the Institute's graduate program in Eastern studies in the fall of 1982. Rather than being a saint, according to Green, Swami Rama is an advanced yogi and "a mortal with some ego problems.". 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. Carolyn and others say Megan caused a scandal in the Honesdale ashram by breaking the silence surrounding Swami Rama's sexual behavior. Himalayan Institute Online. He says he spends most evenings with the guru until midnight or 2 a.m., and that he knows better than anyone who is with Swami Rama late at night and who isn't. But it is also common in the thought-control techniques of totalitarian states. We inspire, educate, and. Similarly, gurus in the Buddhist and Hindu traditions are supposed to be examples of self-mastery and right living. To my relief, I could detect no flash of recognition, guilt, fear, or anger in Carolyn's eyes. In order to believe in his perfection, they must rationalize behavior that others would judge to be tyrannical, cruel, or self-indulgent. Most rapists threaten women with physical violence. "Anyone who lives a public life can go through such remarks;& you have heard about all that blackmailing" of famous, rich athletes, he explains to me in the spring of 1989 at the Honesdale ashram. I mean, he's giving you the teachings and you're going to use the teachings to evaluate him? The Himalayan Institute publishes over 60 titles on yoga, spirituality, and holistic health, including the best-selling Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama and Yoga: Mastering the Basics by Sandra Anderson and Rolf Sovik. Then he started giving her practices without any spiritual meaning, she says, and telling her she wasn't doing them right. HIT ranked 39 th under Best Hotel Management Colleges in All India by The Week 2022.; HIT ranked 23rd under Top Private Hotel Management Colleges in All India and 11 th in North Zone by The Week 2022.; HIT is ranked as one of the most preferred Hotel Management Colleges . Yet the women never seemed to complain about such treatment, Megan says. But she says his attitude toward her underwent a dramatic change; he began to make her a target for his anger, issuing contradictory orders and then screaming at her for her incompetence in front of the other secretaries and disciples and gossiping about her behind her back. By this time Carolyn had gained 25 pounds from binging on sweets. Yet she is vulnerable to feeling re-victimized every time her experience is denied or distorted. In retrospect, Megan says, she believes that Swami Rama was indifferent to the problems that his behavior might cause the Institute, but was using such scandals to purge it of anyone who questioned his authority. No one had thoroughly investigated, until journalist Katharine Webster decided to spend two years researching their allegations. But Swami Rama's disciples do not hold him to these standards. Nestled in the rolling hills of the Poconos, our stunning 400-acre campus is a gathering place for seekers from around the globe. He would take her to the Orient-Japan and India. She sounded unhappy, so I made plans to visit her at the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, where she had been a resident for more than four years. Pandit Rajmani says he also has concrete reasons to know that Swami Rama could not be sleeping with his disciples. ALL NEW! 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.". In my interviews with current and former members of the Institute, I heard an almost unvarying litany of beliefs about Swami Rama's abilities. In private sessions, ex-disciples say, Swami Rama has arranged marriages and instructed disciples to break off relationships. 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." Surrender only leads to enlightenment if the "guru within" is strong and well developed. February 27, 2023. The original creator of the neti pot, the Himalayan Institute has been offering traditional and modern products for health and spirituality since 1971. They would travel together to England. Meanwhile, the couple says, they discovered more evidence of illicit activity. Early the next morning, she says, he announced to her that she was going to leave; he never set up the promised program. Pandit Arya has many profound and beautiful things to say about his relationship to his guru when I interview him at the Divya Jyoti yoga center in Napa, California, in May 1989. Numerous former students say they left the Institute because they were sexually exploited by Swami Rama or knew someone who was. Given a mantra but little guidance, Carolyn dutifully performed her assigned practices, hoping that Swami Rama's "scientific" approach to yoga would eventually yield results. Residents are expected to donate a large portion of their labor, and they must sacrifice personal freedoms and privacy. Megan says her feelings told her that something was amiss, but because of the social environment, she began to entertain the notion that the Swami's motives might not be what they appeared to be, and that his attempts at a con job might be a spiritual test. Born in Northern India, he was raised from early childhood by the Himalayan sage, Bengali Baba. She would live with him in the house he was buying. Terry, who is now a practicing psychotherapist, says she believes Swami Rama's behavior is compulsive-he can't help it." Many disciples come from alcoholic and dysfunctional families where they have learned how to deny emotional abuse directed against them or their siblings, in order to believe that their parents really love them and are acting in their best interests. One gesture unleashed a storm of long-suppressed emotions ca n't help it. anger at Rama. And faculty-in-residence Louisiana State University, defends Nuernberger all of them had something offer. 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