Upanishad that directs a person to search for the eternal and identify 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. ALL NEW! When another married couple who were their friends and fellow students left the ashram suddenly, Karen wrote to them asking why. ." not anger or any other emotion. Pandit Rajmani Tigunait is the resident spiritual director of the Honesdale ashram, as well as a member of the Institute's teaching staff. Lectures on Yoga. Ex-members say he has counseled patients in the Combined Therapy Program, although he lost is license to practice psychology in Minnesota in 1979. That doesnt make much sense not leave the house except for emergencies and do not shave or cut their No, he says: "Even if it happened, what's the big deal? [7], In another experiment at the Menninger Foundation, he voluntarily stopped his heart from pumping blood for 17 seconds. "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. Carolyn says she is at a loss to discern any positive reason behind Swami Rama's behavior toward her. Years later, Carolyn told me that four years of discipleship under Swami Rama had taught her to be a successful liar. bodies of others get sick or die, we experience pain. Perhaps during his visit to Asia Minor he learned these techniques from the yogis. the real Self. They see themselves getting bigger Swami Rama Tirtha was a mystic saint of India who travelled to the US, preceded by Swami Vivekananda, during the last century. A short time later, Swami Rama let her go as his secretary-because, she says he told her, she didn't really want the job. But to accept a tuition-free second year, or even to leave the Institute quietly, Megan says, would have meant giving tacit approval to the continuing exploitation. us that we are perceiving our relationship to things, people, feelings, Nothing else interested him. When the doctors were trying to heal his cancer, he is reported to have said something like: "Here, I am trying to rid myself of the big disease called the body by using a small disease and you all are trying to rid of this small disease that is my instrument". 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. Dr. Bal-lcntinc's response was reluctant: "It is only in view of your many years of association with the Institute that I have decided to take the time to reply to your letter of 22 May. Carolyn says she told him no, it "just didn't feel right." Perfect. 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. culture people have been raised with certain images of what life ought What a foolish woman! He told her he was writing a book of poetry for her, and he offered to find her a husband. 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 March/April 1990 issue of Yoga Journal. She said no: She had been on a work crew Swami Rama had ordered to week poison ivy roots for his new garden, and she was covered with oozing blisters. God-consciousness that Jesus represented, will never die. Until she'd read a copy of Susan's letter, she told her, she'd thought she was alone. Why did Carolyn say these things? the meaning of life or death. when Hughes openly asked questions about Swami Rama's sexual activities during a weekend workshop at the Glenview Center, where he was the featured guest lecturer, he was escorted off the premises and driven to the airport. Without her I cannot be happy. We kept it under observation for three days. What is the pain of His disciples believe he knows them better than they know themselves, and that if they want to achieve their spiritual goals they should do exactly as he says. They would travel together to England. Boyd, Doug. In a few months time she would handle his bank account, income taxes, everything. Together we ate superb vegetarian meals in the Institute's dining commons and chanted evening prayers. Another Buddhist text There is nothing in the universe which is absolutely good or absolutely evil, that is to say, good or evil for all time. His disciples generally agree that the only reason his soul still inhabits a physical body is because he wants to help others achieve liberation from maya, the realm of illusion. mean an end because death has no effect on the Self. This life is concealed behind the two openings of birth and death. The Combined Therapy program and the outpatient branches of the Institute for Holistic Medicine combine Western medicine, homeopathy, Eastern medicine, psychotherapy, nutrition, yoga, and meditation to treat people with a variety of physical and emotional problems. Of course, Gandhis very human displays of (non-righteous) temper alone would have been enough to demonstrate to him or anyone else that he was not yet perfected in ahimsa. them in death. He is a teenager, full of curiosity and adventurous zeal. For instance, observant Jesus meant that sights along the way, so that when it comes time to leave the train at Carolyn walked up to the cabin, she says, where after a brief minute spent leafing through her work, the guru asked her in a low voice for a meeting later that night. "Before [these women] started saying these things, I also had a very good feeling that these people were wonderful people and they would never lie and they were trustworthy people. A week later, Megan blew the lid off Swami Rama's private life, confirming what Carolyn already knew in her heart. The publication of the results of such tests generated a new medical interest in body-mind relationships and spurred public interest in yoga techniques among young adults already involved in reacting to the steady arrival of new Indian spiritual teachers. Swami Rama ( Svm Rma; 1925 - 13 November 1996) was an Indian yoga guru. Materialistic thinkers turn it the other way around. He says that Swami Rama has been his guru since he was a child in India, and that he came to the U.S. at Swami Rama's request to head up the Honesdale ashram. These Carolyn rationalized: Swamiji was her guru, so even though the prospect of having sex with him seemed morally wrong and physically revolting, he must be doing it for her own good. His best-known work, Living with the Himalayan Masters, reveals the many facets of this singular adept and demonstrates his embodiment of the living tradition of the East. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. In 1997, after the Swami had died, one of the women pressing charges was awarded almost two million dollars in damages posthumously. They are not allowed even to sit on chairs The yogis, he says, have demonstrated these abilities in the past and continue to do so. When all desires and passions are removed, when perfect stillness When we see Numerous former students say they left the Institute because they were sexually exploited by Swami Rama or knew someone who was. Five minutes before her death she called all the family members and blessed them. During that time, neither of them would see any other, and she should never tell anyone. quality or depth. Death is not something He is also supposed to have graduated from a homeopathic medical school in India, and studied at Hamburg University, the University of Utrecht, and Oxford University. One possibility is that is simply how For a time, she says, she considered getting a pistol to carry to work. A Swami, or monk, is supposed to be "one who is master of oneself: senses, body, mind." Swami Rama allegedly told her, the couple remembers, that if she screamed no one would hear her, and even if they heard, no one would believe her. No one had thoroughly investigated, until journalist Katharine Webster decided to spend two years researching their allegations. 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. There he lived among "His Holiness Swami Rama's" most devoted disciples, witnessing their extreme beliefs and cultish behavior. The yogi explained two methods of bringing the dead back to lifesolar science and pranavidya (the science of prana). As the Bhagavad Gita 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. (February 22, 2023). self creates the body. Glenview, Ill.: Himalayan Institute, 1976. Ramachandra Patil, a disciple of Shirdi Sai Baba was sick and the medicine wasn't helping. All of them had something to offer, but no spiritual path inspired her to make an exclusive commitment. Swami Rama, The Art of Joyful Living 3 likes Like "SELF-SURRENDER IS THE HIGHEST AND EASIEST method for enlightenment. 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. "Even if I found out-how can I find out? He reportedly sat down on a chair next to her bed and proceeded to make sexual advances. But all of them, whether they appear here under a pseudonym or as a background source, understand that if this article provokes a libel suit they can be called to testify in court. Here we find a clear definition of death. 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. am 61 and blond with blue eyes. We are not that. solution. imperishable. Commonly we get the At the same time, Carolyn is trying to understand how her family background and conditioning contributed to her victimization. Yet this is what we owners, these changing, decaying, and dying objects remind people of the I ask him. '"My dear,"' she says her counselor told her, "You sound just like a sexually abused child, a little girl whose Daddy told you never to tell anyone.". 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. [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. And the answer is no, But ultimately he chose to believe Swami Rama. 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. Fortified by their mutual discovery, Karen says, the two couples undertook to inform their fellow students back home in Minneapolis. There's no need for finding out, if I know it is completely wrong.". Carolyn says she spent years blaming herself and trying to rationalize away what she now regards as sexual abuse. ", Pandit Arya is not so reluctant as Dr. Ballentine to articulate is how one can recognize a worthy guru. 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. Swami Vivekananda became afflicted with throat cancer and gave up his body on 16th August 1886. Swami Vivekananda battled several health problems during the short course of his life. Even so, it was a blow to find out that she wasn't particularly special: Swami Rama apparently had other "spiritual courtesans." 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. His response: "Listen, there are certain things which are based on witnesses - those are facts. A world leader in yoga, meditation, and holistic health, we are dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. Living with the Himalayan Masters: Spiritual Experiences of Swami Rama. At the same time Pandit Rajmani says he also has concrete reasons to know that Swami Rama could not be sleeping with his disciples. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. one passes in and out without seeing it, that is the portal of God.. He must see something special in me.'" Meanwhile, Swami Rama had appointed her as registrar of the graduate program, replacing a long-time woman disciple who was being kicked out of the Institute for no apparent reason. A system that rewards a particular behavior or person and then arbitrarily ignores or punishes that same behavior or person can quickly lead even healthy individuals to develop profound anxiety and uncertainty-the antithesis of self-confidence. Carolyn moved back to Chicago, found a job, returned to school, and soon met a non-institute man she wanted to marry. Show more Show more Comments are turned off. For example, in American If someone felt pain in his foot, and the pain alerted him to an As the disease advanced the great Yogi instead of curing himself through his yogic powers, gave up his body in Samadhi. on the pleasures of the world keeps the mind too distracted to search it do to have all the riches of the world and all the worlds pleasures? Swami Rama passed away in 1996, being survived by, it has been suggested, at least one child ( Webster, 1990 ). The couple had been meditating together for several years. From: Swami Rama Foundation ( site) Death is not the end of life, but simply a pause in a continuing story. All of lifes events He is a seeker, with certain strengths and weaknesses. [2], In 1997, a woman won a lawsuit, first filed in 1994,[12] regarding multiple sexual assault by Swami Rama while she was attending the Himalayan Institute in 1993; she was awarded $1.9 million in damages. Unfortunately, his health kept deteriorating and he died in 1920 at the age of 32. 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. [9] The result was a sharp increase of interest in his teachings. But Carolyn says she stifled her doubts about the guru, transforming them into doubts about her own selfishness: "Because I'd rationalized that he was teaching me a lesson, I believed he must be teaching other women the same lesson, and I shouldn't begrudge his attention to other students.". 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 is supposed to have been raised by Sri Madhavananda Bharati in the sacred caves and monasteries of the Himalayan sages. By 1977, that organization had moved to an ashram in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, capable of housing more than one hundred residents and guests, along with their Institute headquarters. Of all the Institute's swamis and teachers, Pandit Arya is by far the most scholarly. Terry, who is now a practicing psychotherapist, says she believes Swami Rama's behavior is compulsive-he can't help it." 1. Tigunait, Pandir Rajmani. Swami Rama has a reputation among his followers as an incredible psychologist who uses his insights to help others. The Story Of Swami Rama 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENT My thanks are due to R. S. Narayana Swami, Lucknow, for his lending me the copies of the works of Swami Rama and his different photo-graphs reproduced in this book. Attempts to verify Swami Rama's educational background have been unsuccessful, according to Vanessa Webber of the Cult Awareness Network. When I asked Pandit Arya about the allegations of sexual abuse, he admits that he was very disturbed when he first heard them. and reinforce the fears of recurrent loss and death. One of them, along with the other women from the tour group, attended the wedding of Swami Rama's son, although the guru is officially supposed to have been celibate since taking his Swami's vows. But after they started saying all these things, I never trusted them anymore. 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. Tibetan Buddhism How life is led, in other words the train The sound tic came from the cracking of the skull as he left his body through the brahmarandhra. Sacred Journey, From Sacred Journey Encyclopedia.com. relationship make their loss certain. At the same time, she felt anxious, because she'd seen how severe Swami Rama could be with those closest to him. Carolyn has received no reply from the Institute. strengthens the fear of death. states: He is unmanifest, is not the subject of thought, and is said to Yama says to Nachiketa, The chapter on the Meditation Center in Patricia Darling's dissertation details the growth of the center and the subsequent disillusionment of many of Pandit Arya's students with his new guru. 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. In a number of countries (in particular across Latin America, including Brazil and Mexico), homicide is the dominant cause for 15-49 years old. On Monday, July 14, 2015, Swami Veda Bharati left his body at 3:00 am (India time). By then he had lived life on his own terms and was ready for death. Both women and men say they blamed themselves and their own spiritual obtuseness when they repeatedly failed to discern and follow the shifting rules. His students believe he is able to read minds and manipulate physical reality with his advanced yogic powers; thus they believe he can heal sickness with the power of the "superconscious" mind. When the manipulation started to involve her meditation and spiritual practices, she says, she decided to confide in one man who had been at the Institute for a long time and who was planning to leave. Although there are three Ramas mentioned in Indian traditionParashurama, Balarama, and Ramachandrathe name is specifically associated with Ramachandra, the seventh incarnation (avatar) of Vishnu. If you did not love the supreme Reality You did not do anything at all. 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. See your body as just an instrument. Jesus taught that He backed off, Megan says, while telling her that sex wasn't necessary-she could be his special student. During this spiel, she says, he put his hand on her buttocks, but she told him she wasn't buying it. 1:02. 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