If somehow Pandit Rajmani were forced to acknowledge that the women were telling the truth, would this shatter his faith in the guru? As an enlightened being, he is thought to be beyond the judgment of ordinary mortals, their laws and morality. 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. In the United States, far from the strong cultural morality of the guru's country of origin, it is not regulated at all. Well-to-do New Yorkers flock to Honesdale on weekends for seminars in stress reduction, meditation, and diet and nutrition. 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. 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. He promised her he'd set up a complete, personalized yoga program for her there-a prescribed diet, special yoga postures and meditation practices-as well as a game plan for her higher education and future career. Expert wellness consultations direct to your home. 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. Instead, he told the other board members that he believed Rose, and that they should investigate the incident for themselves. In a few months time she would handle his bank account, income taxes, everything. "The real guru is within," Dr. Ballentine says, "that still small voice within you." Carolyn went away to college at the end of that year, as her parents expected. HIT ranked under Top Commerce Colleges in All India by The Week 2022. I mean, he's giving you the teachings and you're going to use the teachings to evaluate him? And there is a statement, 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.'" 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. A saint is a person who does what he says." Fortified by their mutual discovery, Karen says, the two couples undertook to inform their fellow students back home in Minneapolis. 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. Dr. Elmer Green says that he and his wife have heard from a number of women who said they were sexually exploited by Swami Rama. But sexual contact between a guru and his disciples is not regulated by any professional association of religious hierarchy. There she learned Swami Rama's style of "super-conscious" meditation, which she describes as a basic, impersonal training in mental concentration. February 27, 2023. Live online programs, on-demand courses, and hundreds of yoga and meditation classes. She thanked me, but assured me I had no reason for concern. The original creator of the neti pot, the Himalayan Institute has been offering traditional and modern products for health and spirituality since 1971. I just don't know that it makes sense to go run around trying to evaluate other people, when you haven't evaluated yourself.". 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. Ag Innovation Center Business Plan. He must see something special in me.'" Ayurveda Those statements are on file with the cult Awareness network (formerly the citizen's Freedom Foundation) in New York. 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. 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. The program seemed to provide the ideal family she'd never had, where everyone shared her values and spiritual goals. Pandit Rajmani cannot entertain the notion that the women's stories could be true. 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. In his enlightened state, they believe, he could never commit any selfish acts, which would create new karmic burdens. 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. "Even if I found out-how can I find out? Years later, Carolyn told me that four years of discipleship under Swami Rama had taught her to be a successful liar. But still, she was afraid to leave the community she'd been part of for so long and reenter a world that had practically forgotten her existence. 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. 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. Carolyn is not alone. Had Nirvana said anything? They enjoy spending their free time adventuring, camping, exploring, and creating memories together. "If someone is a saint, celibacy would be his normal condition," Dr. Green comments. In order to believe in his perfection, they must rationalize behavior that others would judge to be tyrannical, cruel, or self-indulgent. "This sudden animosity indicates that there is something fishy in the statement of this person. Outside of work, Sawana has been married to her wonderful husband since 2008 and together they have 3 beautiful sons. "A lot of people have confused the siddhis-the powers to control body, emotions, and mind-with spirituality. When she shared her news with the other residents at East West Books, they told her she should feel honored: She had been chosen, while long-time devotees had been denied the privilege. 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. Himalayan Institute Online Our new online platform for community, courses, and content. 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. The Greens' experiments caused a furor in the scientific community because they gave powerful support to autogenic biofeedback research, which 10 years earlier had begun demonstrating that body functions which had formerly been considered involuntary could be controlled. His actions are rarely questioned by his followers, because his every deed is thought to flow from his union with godhead. He told her he was writing a book of poetry for her, and he offered to find her a husband. In March 1978, she says, Swami Rama came to Glenview and initiated her. Following on the heels of Karen's and her friend's revelations, several other women and men left the Meditation Center in Minneapolis. Himalayan Institute | Honesdale PA 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.". 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. "I only needed one person to corroborate my experience," Megan says now. 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. 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. The Institute used to offer an accredited masters program in Eastern Studies and Comparative Psychology through an affiliation with the University of Scranton. 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. But the University of Scranton didn't offer a degree program in Carolyn's area of study, so she saw a way to rationalize leaving the Institute while still saving face; she could still be considered a good disciple if she cold get the guru's blessing to go away to college. For a time, she says, she considered getting a pistol to carry to work. Then he started giving her practices without any spiritual meaning, she says, and telling her she wasn't doing them right. In August, Carolyn says, Swami Rama told her to meet him in New York City for the next step in her spiritual training. Today HI continues to innovate and offer the world high-impact, revolutionary programs and humanitarian initiatives around the globe. One day Swami Rama called for her and told her he wouldn't be taking her to India that autumn. 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. She could not control her emotions, he could not talk to her! A few weeks later she moved to Honesdale. Most of the women who say they were abused by Swami Rama express feelings of fear, frustration, and betrayal. Our Honesdale campus continues to be home to a service-driven community of yogis, volunteers, and faculty-in-residence. 7,616 were here. 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. She was thrilled; it was commonly believed at the Institute that the fastest way to reach enlightenment was to spend as much time as possible in the presence of the guru. Become more involved with the projects of the ashram-seminars, residents, the patient program-in time she would be in charge of the whole thing. Healthy lifestyle products to support your yoga and spiritual practice. 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. I might doubt my own perception, I might doubt my own eyes, but I cannot doubt that strength which has given me everything.". Pandit Tigunait holds two doctorates: one in Sanskrit from the University of Allahabad, India, and one in Oriental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Swami Rama has a reputation among his followers as an incredible psychologist who uses his insights to help others. Yet the Institute's success comes at a high cost for many of those involved. I ask him. 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. She walked around New York City for hours, until it was time for her bus to return to Honesdale. In May, Swami Rama visited the area again. Join us in serving a tradition that has served the world selflessly for untold ages. 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. A world leader in yoga, meditation, and holistic health, we are dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. Yet she is vulnerable to feeling re-victimized every time her experience is denied or distorted. What a foolish woman! But a deeper anxiety also motivated my visit: I'd heard a rumor that several women, ex-members of the Institute, were taking Carolyn's guru to court on charges of sexual misconduct. Quick Links. Surrender only leads to enlightenment if the "guru within" is strong and well developed. Terry* and Brian* say they were recruited into the Himalayan Institute's inner circle for their wealth and social connections. And then he departed, accompanied not by Carolyn, as he had promised, but by another "gorgeous" devotee. During a series of biofeedback experiments in 1970 and 1971, Drs. She began to believe that this man who might have been spiritual at one time was now suffering from feelings he couldn't control. 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. "I thought: 'Maybe it's the only way he can break through some stubborn barrier in my ego. She took a meditation class at the alternative high school program she attended, and one evening her teachers invited her to a lecture by their guru, Swami Rama, who was visiting the Chicago area. She listened calmly as I admitted that I'd worried she might be a victim. 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. Since 1972, Himalayan Institute Excursions have offered purpose-driven journeys to discover the fulfillment your soul is seeking. 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 says she feigned shock and tried to mask her distress as Martha told about a woman at the Glenview center who was confused and distraught about her alleged sexual relationship with Swami Rama. He must also vow that he will not harm any living being. Ex-members say that Swami Rama also uses his psychological insights to manipulate people. In private sessions, ex-disciples say, Swami Rama has arranged marriages and instructed disciples to break off relationships. 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. Initially, Brian says, most of the other directors responded with concern. He says that Nuernberger's one mistake has "ruined his life, in essence, which is really too bad.". I ask Dr. Ballentine in a January 1990 interview why Nuernberger is still on the Institute's staff. A spiritual center should pay close to $1.9 million to a woman who says she was sexually assaulted 30 times by the center's leader, a jury decided on Thursday. 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. 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. kono oto tomare main character; best supported football clubs in europe; rolling ridge conference center Who We Are; What We Do; Where We Work. 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. At the same time as he dismissed her, Swami Rama also gave her a Sanskrit name. Some stay longer, for a few weeks or months in the Self-Transformation retreat program. In the spring of 1983, Swami Rama began to court her again, she says: He told her that she would help him prepare a book of sacred poetry he was writing, and he assured her repeatedly that he would take her to India the following autumn. Marston's lawsuit, he says, was an act of revenge. 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. 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. Yoga seminars, retreats, and professional certifications taught by our world-class faculty, designed to bring you the best of an authentic yoga tradition. That is, an on-going pattern of power abuse within the guru/student relationship. Finally, she obtained his permission. Sexual abuse by yoga gurus is the exploitation of the position of trust occupied by a master of any branch of yoga for personal sexual pleasure. 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 women's fears have aborted projects intended to expose possible exploitation to a wider audience. 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. 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. No one can expand his consciousness if he remains egotistical. 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. Or, in the words of Rudolph Ballentine, M.D., president of the Himalayan Institute and Swami Rama's designated successor, "to take the wisdom of the ancients and couch it in terms that are intelligible to modern man.". 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. On the contrary, they sought opportunities to serve the guru's every whim, or even to be abused by him: Megan remembers one woman saying she wished the guru would kick her. They would travel together to England. His response: "Listen, there are certain things which are based on witnesses-those are facts. Donate Help Our Cause US$20.00 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. She was dreamy! Years later, Rose contacted Patricia Trescelli, hoping to support a lawsuit by other women working with Trescelli and hoping to press charges against Swami Rama in her own sexual assault. The 10-campus system closes a loophole that could have let undergraduates piece together a degree. 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.". 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. where I lived for almost 8 years studying and teaching yoga and holistic health. The same spirit of community and service that fuels our headquarters in Honesdale, PA, can be found in these dedicated affiliate centers of practice. When I asked Pandit Arya about the allegations of sexual abuse, he admits that he was very disturbed when he first heard them. At that, she says, he raged at her until she was sobbing, unable to speak a word in her own defense: No! Lecturing and teaching worldwide for more than a quarter of a century, he is the author of fourteen books, including his autobiography Touched by Fire: The Ongoing Journey of a Spiritual Seeker, the best-selling At the Eleventh Hour: The Biography of Swami Rama of the Himalayas and a regular contributor to Yoga International. When they have contacted their friends and former colleagues at the Institute, they have been discounted as liars or labeled "emotionally disturbed." Megan went through a brief but painful and confusing time during which she doubted her own feelings and perceptions. 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. 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. 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. They are crazy. First, Robert Tuttle of The Reason Files 2 is reporting the same thing I am hearing from multiple sources. She renewed her acquaintance with her former meditation teachers and started taking classes in Glenview, Illinois, at the Institute's original headquarters. Study Retreat Wellness Travel Shop About HI ONLINE Program Calendar ALL NEW! He would take her to the Orient-Japan and India. ALL NEW! The original creator of the neti pot, the Himalayan Institute has been offering traditional and modern products for health and spirituality since 1971. She would start with handling the appointments and then she would make his plane reservations, scheduling lecture tours. Discover our new online platform for community, courses, and content. 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. Swami Rama, she says, would extol his own sexual abilities but tell her she was bad at making love. 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. The scandal convinced Carolyn not to reveal her own secret, she says; she was learning that the Institute administration dealt with such accusations by smearing the women's reputations. 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. Meditation. 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. But ultimately he chose to believe Swami Rama. [2] [ Meanwhile, the couple says, they discovered more evidence of illicit activity. On January 24 of that year, a jury awarded $15,000 in actual damages and $50,000 in punitive damages to Barbara Marston, who had sued psychologist Philip Nuernberger for engaging in "sexually intimate behavior" with her during therapy sessions. Such a relationship, instead of giving the woman the healing or validation she seeks, reinforces her feeling that the only thing of value she has to offer a man with worldly power is her body. The annual congress, held each June, offers a smorgasbord of lectures and "new age" workshops. Put that letter in the 'goofy file.'" As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Choose from 8 signature wellness retreats to help you restore balance and achieve optimum health and healing. 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. They resided in their own house in Honesdale, unencumbered by the strict rules of the residential program. 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. 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. But it is also common in the thought-control techniques of totalitarian states. 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). 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. The Meditation Center became affiliated with the Himalayan Institute, and eventually Pandit Arya achieved his dream of having his own ashram in India, when Swami Rama made him president of his Rishikesh ashram. 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. She specializes in Myotherapy, Deep Tissue, Prenatal, Swedish Relaxation, Sports Therapy, and Hot Stone Massage. And she was afraid to leave in her old car because a freezing rainstorm had covered all the roads with ice. And `` new age '' workshops spiritual meaning, she says, they discovered more of... 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