At a young age, Swami Rama is supposed to have been appointed Shankaracharya of Karvirpitham, an exalted spiritual post. No, he says: "Even if it happened, what's the big deal?& People say that Mahatma Gandhi& slept with women. Pandit Tigunait holds two doctorates: one in Sanskrit from the University of Allahabad, India, and one in Oriental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. We are happy to bring you a combination of Zoom, In-person, and Hybrid options. At the same time, she says, he offered her money and told her he wanted to put her in his will. She loved him like "a second father," she says, "and the real tragedy is that this is how our relationship ended. 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. 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. 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. 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. The Himalayan Institute and its varied activities and programs exemplify the spiritual heritage of mankind that unites East and West, spirituality and science, ancient wisdom and modern technology. 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. Dr. Ballentine says he has good reason to think that Marston "was very anxious for [Nuernberger] to go further, and he didn't. The lawsuit I heard rumors about in New York City never materialized. 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. In private sessions, ex-disciples say, Swami Rama has arranged marriages and instructed disciples to break off relationships. Soon Carolyn noticed she wasn't the only woman being favored by the guru; he was also paying attention to Megan and Nirvana. 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. Trained to meditate and educated in the scriptures from early childhood, he was able to translate and interpret any of the 20,000 verses from the Vedas by the age of 13, according to a biographical pamphlet put out by the Meditation Center. He also has the integrity to admit that if they were true, it would be very terrible, and a violation of the teaching that says one should treat all women as daughters. At the same time, she felt anxious, because she'd seen how severe Swami Rama could be with those closest to him. Community, Courses, and Content. "Believing such stories means disbelieving in myself. Nestled in the rolling hills of the Poconos, our stunning 400-acre campus is a gathering place for seekers from around the globe. She could not control her emotions, he could not talk to her! Together we ate superb vegetarian meals in the Institute's dining commons and chanted evening prayers. Minneapolis was the site of another Institute-related scandal in 1981. 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.". Allegations of sexual abuse by Swami Rama have followed on the heels of the Institute's success like a shadow. As the couple started making arrangements to move to England, they received another blow. Now Megan says that in a different atmosphere, she would have immediately recognized Swami Rama's behavior as sexual harassment or "sadistic manipulation." When Swami Rama returned from India two months later, Carolyn resumed working as his appointments secretary during the day, and, she says, as his sexual servant on some nights. Swami Rama made Carolyn his appointments secretary in August also. I informed him that I had interviewed women who sought him out because they respected him and trusted him to be interested in the truth. Carolyn,* an old friend, called me collect. I like to believe that somewhere inside of him, he is the good person I believed him to be. The original creator of the neti pot, the Himalayan Institute has been offering traditional and modern products for health and spirituality since 1971. University of California System Bans Fully Online Degrees. Attempts to verify Swami Rama's educational background have been unsuccessful, according to Vanessa Webber of the Cult Awareness Network. They would travel together to England. In today's Academic Minute, the University of Houston's Christopher Burnett determines how bad the damage can be. According to Karen and George, no legal action resulted. Nestled in the rolling hills of the Poconos, our stunning 400-acre campus is a gathering place for seekers from around the globe. Read More She asked him to give her a homeopathic remedy for the itching, she says, but he refused and turned away, dismissing her. Relationships are the first test of spirituality. In mid-autumn, the day came for Swami Rama's annual trip to India. "The person wanted something, and the other person did not agree to fulfill their desires," he says. 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. The man, she says, informed her of Swami Rama's long history of alleged sexual misconduct. I mean, he's giving you the teachings and you're going to use the teachings to evaluate him? Himalayan Meditation Institute is dedicated to providing authentic and transformative training in the art and science of meditation. Mission Membership is an invitation to put your spiritual values into action by supporting our shared commitment to service while deepening your study and practice in the living Himalayan Tradition. Brian says he refused to tell Rose's story in such an atmosphere. The guru spoiled them, they say, calling them his spiritual son and daughter, and soon invited them to come live in Pennsylvania. Well organized, fine atmosphere, and a strong community. Megan went through a brief but painful and confusing time during which she doubted her own feelings and perceptions. Rose spent the next six months moving from place to place, terrified that the Institute network would track her down. 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. A former disciple of their acquaintance wrote and signed a statement alleging that he had procured illegal drugs-including mescaline, psylocibin, and LSD-for Swami Rama in 1971. That is, an on-going pattern of power abuse within the guru/student relationship. Following on the wave of favorable publicity, Swami Rama founded the Himalayan Institute in Illinois in 1971. A few weeks later she moved to Honesdale. Two months after Swami Rama left for India, Carolyn went to Chicago to visit her family for Christmas. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. There she learned Swami Rama's style of "super-conscious" meditation, which she describes as a basic, impersonal training in mental concentration. Anyone can read what you share. But Trescelli says she had to discourage her. She was dreamy! From its beginnings 20 years ago, the Institute has expanded steadily to include some 25 branches and affiliated yoga and holistic health centers in the Midwest, the Northeast, Texas, California, and abroad. Who? After a sleepless night, she said she snuck out at 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. and drove to Brian and Terry's empty house in Honesdale. "This sudden animosity indicates that there is something fishy in the statement of this person. Swami Rama was the founder of the Himalayan Institute. Then, later on, when the right man came along, she would marry and be very happy. But the Institute does not teach the mastery of such powers in its programs, instead focusing on yoga practices with more immediate practical application. As an enlightened being, he is thought to be beyond the judgment of ordinary mortals, their laws and morality. 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. 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 . He would call her to his office for a private audience, and as she hung anxiously on his words he would paint a flattering picture of her future with the Institute. His actions are rarely questioned by his followers, because his every deed is thought to flow from his union with godhead. ALL NEW! She says he arranged for her to meet him at the Gramercy Park Hotel and instructed her not to call him Swami in public. Dr. Ballentine, who says he studied psychology at the Sorbonne and completed his training in psychiatry at Louisiana State University, defends Nuernberger. Live online programs, on-demand courses, and hundreds of yoga and meditation classes. Healthy lifestyle products to support your yoga and spiritual practice. 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. That was why he wanted her to be his secretary. "If someone is a saint, celibacy would be his normal condition," Dr. Green comments. But sexual contact between a guru and his disciples is not regulated by any professional association of religious hierarchy. But it is also common in the thought-control techniques of totalitarian states. India Himalayan Institute India Our program model in India has been designed to focus on three initiatives: providing educational programs for children to help them rise above poverty level, preserving ancient culture and wisdom, and providing support for villagers dealing with natural disasters. 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. The Himalayan Institute community reaches across the entire globe. Burnett is a postdoctoral fellow in Houston's department of education leadership and . 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. At the same time as he dismissed her, Swami Rama also gave her a Sanskrit name. But after they started saying all these things, I never trusted them anymore. 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. Most of the Institute's programs are open to the general public. Choose from 8 signature wellness retreats to help you restore balance and achieve optimum health and healing. 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. Brian sued Swami Rama, and eventually the guru settled out of court for the full amount. Pandit Arya reportedly alternated between disbelieving and believing the growing number of his female students who told him that Swami Rama had sexually harassed or abused them. 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. The Institute also offers instruction to counselors and psychotherapists in the application of yoga and meditation techniques to therapy. 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. She says he told her to finish her college degree at the University of Scranton while remaining at the Institute. Once there, Carolyn devoted herself to her yoga practices and threw herself into her assigned jobs. Still, she felt she had no right to question the guru's actions. Ex-members say he also bends the rules and bestows privileges on his favorites, who may in turn enforce rules, which they do not follow. By that time, Brian recollects, the other directors had adopted the line that famous and powerful men were always subject to such vicious rumors, and that the women's stories were ludicrous and unbelievable. Spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute, Pandit Tigunait is the successor of Swami Rama of the Himalayas. She recalls that he would repeat a series of affirmations and commands in a hypnotic monotone: She had done very well organizing the book distribution operation, Carolyn says he would tell her. Publications Health Products Explore high-quality, unique, practice-enhancing products made for yogis everywhere. Through her sympathy for what appeared to be his plight, and disarmed by his jokes, she says she allowed him to cajole her until she let her defenses down. But something, which is truth, cannot be falsified by having one hundred witnesses. One day Swami Rama called for her and told her he wouldn't be taking her to India that autumn. 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. He said, "We must build a center of life which will be an important bridge between East . 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. 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. Himalayan glaciers are melting twice as fast since 2000 as they were in the 25 years before due to human-caused climate change, a 2019 paper published in the journal Science Advances found. Our various programms address all aspects of a meditator's life because all of life has an effect on meditation. The FBI has confirmed the existence of a file documenting the agency's investigation, but at the time of publication the file had not yet been released under the Freedom of Information Act. Our Honesdale campus continues to be home to a service-driven community of yogis, volunteers, and faculty-in-residence. Long-term residents must get administration approval for any overnight absences; permission may be denied if their destination is judged inappropriate. Carolyn is not alone. He cannot disbelieve his guru. I might doubt my own perception, I might doubt my own eyes, but I cannot doubt that strength which has given me everything.". One of the greatest adepts, teachers, writers, and humanitarians of the 20th century, Swami Rama (19251996) is the founder of the Himalayan Institute. We partner with rural communities to provide health services, public libraries, and sustainable employment opportunities. Years later, Carolyn told me that four years of discipleship under Swami Rama had taught her to be a successful liar. In his enlightened state, they believe, he could never commit any selfish acts, which would create new karmic burdens. Our community is held together by dedicated students of the Himalayan Tradition, who value the principles of universal respect and collective responsibility. 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. 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. Over the past 15 or 20 years, numerous spiritual teachers have admitted to, or been charged with, having sexually exploitative relationships with their female students. After dismissing the other workers, she says he repeated the familiar litany, but this time he slipped in a new message. Join us for studies in the true meaning of yogaincluding asana, meditation, mantra, tantra, sacred scripture, and the art of joyful living. He reportedly sat down on a chair next to her bed and proceeded to make sexual advances. 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. 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. Terry, who is now a practicing psychotherapist, says she believes Swami Rama's behavior is compulsive-he can't help it." Study Retreat Wellness Travel Shop About HI ONLINE Program Calendar ALL NEW! Health Clinics Health Education Public Libraries School of Carpentry Some stay longer, for a few weeks or months in the Self-Transformation retreat program. 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. He rapidly attracted a following that included many graduate and professional students. she wondered. Pandit Rajmani says he did not feel any responsibility, as spiritual counselor to the women who had approached him for help, to investigate their complaints or question his guru. Or maybe he needs to have sex just to release energy so he can meditate better. A report has been made to law enforcement, and I'm guessing . When she asked him what she should do with the love letters, she says, Swami Rama would laugh and say, "Oh, these goofy women! Rose told Brian and Terry that she was afraid to seek help from the family members who'd invited her to the Institute-they were unquestioningly loyal to Swami Rama-and she knew no one else there. The Swami Rama died in 1996 at the age of 69. How could she be the only one who realized what was going on? Carolyn says she told him no, it "just didn't feel right." The Catholic Church may discipline a priest who has sex with a parishioner, not only because it violates his vow of celibacy, but because his parishioners must be able to confide in him without worrying that he will exploit their trust for his own gratification. Quick Links. Megan*, a former graduate student in the Eastern Studies program, wrote a letter to the Jesuit administration of the University of Scranton saying that Swami Rama was subjecting women students to sexual exploitation. 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? Only recently has she acknowledged her anger at Swami Rama. Join us in serving a tradition that has served the world selflessly for untold ages. That one gesture unleashed a storm of long-suppressed emotions. "I felt two-dimensional, like a piece of paper, a cunt-he didn't care about me. Many of Swami Rama's followers are still young and nave, unskilled in comprehending and interpreting their own "inner experience"-and they entrust their spiritual yearnings to his care. 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.". Everyone said you had to surrender to the guru, so she would simply have to follow through with whatever he ordered her to do. 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." In 1971 Swami Rama founded the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in order to create the means to scientifically verify, document, publish, and teach the experiences of his ancient heritage. By 1977, the Institute was able to purchase the Honesdale ashram, a former Catholic seminary in the rural Pocono Mountains, which now houses more than 100 residents and guests. Choose from 8 signature wellness retreats to help you restore balance and achieve optimum health and healing. Who We Are; What We Do; Where We Work. Gurus were supposed to have conquered their desires, but in the spiritual literature they were often portrayed as contradictory, tricking their disciples into enlightenment. A saint is a person who does what he says." A world leader in yoga, meditation, and holistic health, we are dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. And then he departed, accompanied not by Carolyn, as he had promised, but by another "gorgeous" devotee. Here is her report. Is it not better to follow someone who has charted the path?". During her first eight months at the Institute, Megan was able to pursue her studies, but her situation altered dramatically when Swami Rama returned to take up summer residence. That day Rose returned to New York City, and within 48 hours she had quit her job and gone to stay with a friend in Texas. Put that letter in the 'goofy file.'" But Swami Rama's disciples do not hold him to these standards. 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. Himalayan Institute of Technology Ranking and Awards. Yet the Institute's success comes at a high cost for many of those involved. In May, Swami Rama visited the area again. 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.". Carolyn says she spent years blaming herself and trying to rationalize away what she now regards as sexual abuse. I ask him. From her childhood Carolyn had been steeped in Catholic faith and educated in scientific skepticism; now it seemed the Institute could help her harmonize these two seemingly contradictory ways of perceiving the world. 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. Himalayan Institute Online. She remembers that Swami Rama received love letters from several women; one of two of them even mentioned "your child." Similarly, gurus in the Buddhist and Hindu traditions are supposed to be examples of self-mastery and right living. Although she told an institute official about the assaults and the institute was aware of similar complaints by other women, the complaint said, the center did nothing to stop them. Whether youre retracing the footsteps of sages through pilgrimage in the Himalayas, or immersing yourself in the most incredible spaces the US has to offer, you will experience the life-changing power of yoga in action. Patricia Trescelli, and attorney with Parker, Chapin, Flattau, and Klimpel, agreed to consult with the women concerning possible legal action on a pro bono basis. Similarly, a woman who had been repeatedly abused by Sri Swami Rama of The Himalayan Institute when she was 19 years old was awarded $1.9 million. Join us for studies in the true meaning of yogaincluding asana, meditation, mantra, tantra, sacred scripture, and the art of joyful living. After she had lived in Honesdale for a year, Swami Rama started promising to make her his appointments secretary. Brian says he did not realize at the time that a conviction for fraud could have lost the Institute its federal tax-exempt status as an educational institution. 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. In the mythology of the ashram, the guru is the all-powerful, all-knowing father and the disciples are his spiritual children. Maybe it's an honor that this great yogi asked me of all his students to serve him in this way. "The real guru is within," Dr. Ballentine says, "that still small voice within you." 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. 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. The Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy is an international non-profit organization, which promotes yoga and holistic health through yoga retreats, residential programs, health products and services, media publications including Yoga International magazine, and humanitarian projects.The institute's main campus is located on (1.6 km 2) in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern . In the United States, far from the strong cultural morality of the guru's country of origin, it is not regulated at all. Many of them say they feared his wrath when they were disciples, and several still believe he has the power to inflict harm or illness on them from a distance. Pandit Rajmani cannot entertain the notion that the women's stories could be true. 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. When he was finished, Rose told them, Swami Rama left her room, saying he's be back the next day. Explore high-quality, unique, practice-enhancing products made for yogis everywhere. Himalayan Institute locations 3.6 Honesdale, PA Show all locations What's being discussed at Himalayan Institute? At some point, we ran into Swami Rama in a hallway. The core of HIs service mission relies on a community of volunteers and karma yogis, and the generosity of its members and donors to fulfill its mission. Ag Innovation Center Business Plan. Carolyn remembers being amazed: Could Swami Rama possibly be talking about sex? 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. Mission Membership is an invitation to put your spiritual values into action by supporting our shared commitment to service while deepening your study and practice in the living Himalayan Tradition. 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. 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. Several months later, the two couples met up again. She listened calmly as I admitted that I'd worried she might be a victim. Since the early 1970s, women have been claiming sexual abuse at the hands of this prominent spiritual teacher. 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. Residents staff the Institute's administration, bookstores, and other small businesses, including Himalayan Publishers and Distributors and an elementary school. Later, many of the women broke out in head-to-toe swelling and rashes from what had in fact been poison ivy roots. She renewed her acquaintance with her former meditation teachers and started taking classes in Glenview, Illinois, at the Institute's original headquarters. 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. 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