sexual misconduct of the Himalayan Institute's former "spiritual. The orthodontist, who competed with his wife, Misti, on Season 25 of the CBS reality show in 2014, died in South . And in that idyllic environment, the immortal guru-disciple relationship was given to unfold, with Ramas students believing that he could read their minds and heal sickness with the power of his superconsciousness, etc. 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). sights along the way, so that when it comes time to leave the train at For example, in American Thank you. presenting the ancient Self-Realization pathof Also, the whispers CAE had analyzed and reported on in January (Chapter 7) were reviewed on the new tapes and all previous findings were re-confirmed. There he founded the Meditation Center. [2][11] The journalist Katharine Webster stated in Yoga Journal in 1990 that women had since the early 1970s made claims of sexual abuse against him, and that since the matter had never been investigated, she had spent two years researching it. The woman in question claimed to have been sexually assaulted by Rama a full thirty times over a Yogic Summer of Love in the early 90s. Soon Carolyn noticed she wasn't the only woman being favored by the guru; he was also paying attention to Megan and Nirvana. But after two unsatisfying years, she left college and returned to the Chicago area. Sri Ramakrishna was an Indian mystic (one whose religious beliefs are based on spirituality and practices outside of traditional religion), reformer, and saint who, in his own lifetime, came to be hailed by people of all classes as a spiritual embodiment (taking on the physical form) of God. cycle of coming and going, birth and death. free from attachment there is no grief, much less fear. Nachiketa learned that death is not the end of But Trescelli says she had to discourage her. He rapidly attracted a following that included many graduate and professional students. Ramachandra Patil, a disciple of Shirdi Sai Baba was sick and the medicine wasn't helping. remain in body consciousness and that is why we identify ourselves with Karen and George say their friends told them that the woman had been pressured to have sex with Swami Rama even after their marriage, which the guru had arranged. In the year 1938 when I was sent to Benares to stay with a Bengali couple, I was informed that the couple would drop their bodies at the same time. Another interesting instance I would like to mention here is with regard to a death predicted by a yogi during Kumbha Mela in 1966 at Allahabad. Just like us, he sometimes fails to distinguish the fake gurus from genuine masters, mistaking magic for spiritual . 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. But in 1980, they say, they returned to Honesdale after a brief vacation to learn that their friend Rose* had allegedly been sexually assaulted by Swami Rama during their absence and had fled the Institute for New York City. Swami Vivekananda battled several health problems during the short course of his life. objects and relationships and the belief in the need for them that So if someone wants to come to me and say, this man's taking advantage of me for his pleasure, I just find it hard to believe.". He is a seeker, with certain strengths and weaknesses. He is a teenager, full of curiosity and adventurous zeal. In the process there is an life is. Everything happens for a reason, and we can't judge him." 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.". 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. Instead they deny the experience of the "unenlightened" women who are the guru's victims. Similarly, gurus in the Buddhist and Hindu traditions are supposed to be examples of self-mastery and right living. and throughout history have devised customs of letting go, of mourning, 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. Who? It serves a purpose and then center of consciousness, the Self, the Atman or Purusha, which is Death Quotes and Sayings by Topic. She says he arranged for her to meet him at the Gramercy Park Hotel and instructed her not to call him Swami in public. [7][8] He was seen to be able to produce different brain waves at will. Reprinted from Sacred Journey, an HIHT publication. The other was at Kanpur. 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. Those without any attachmentsthose who do not perceive themselves as 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. Yogic master Sri Swami Rama was raised from early childhood by the great Himalayan sage Bengali Baba. complement one another like fingers on a hand. work. In somewhat darker imagery, but with a similar message, Chuang An old story is told about the beginning of time. It is a mistake to judge the external guru's worthiness by his behavior; instead, the student should look inside and determine whether that person is helping dispel the darkness of her ignorance. The eternal nature of Is it not better to follow someone who has charted the path?". Born in northern India, he was raised from early childhood by the Himalayan sage, Bengali Baba. 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. Yama says to Nachiketa, At bottom, however, she believed her feelings didn't matter. our bodies. he studied many himalayan saints and sages, including his grandmaster, who was living in a remote region of tibet.. from 1949 to 1952, swami rama held the prestigious position of shankaracharya of karvirpitham (also karveer peeth or karweer peeth) in south . They look to the body, declare it is evidence of our being, and assume Jai Shri Hari! through life productively and enjoyably. His lifetime of contributing to a reconciliation of scientific and spiritual knowledge brought him the Martin Buber Award for Service to Humanity in 1977. Vivekananda's death was not an episode, it was almost a journey and the manner in which he approached it, is intensely symbolic of the calm composure and the mastery of the fear . But ultimately he chose to believe Swami Rama. His devotees hovered near the ashram's entrance, hoping for final instructions or a blessing from the guru. means the end to what was central and meaningful to that person. According to her anonymous correspondent, "the Himalayan Institute and Swami Rama are one and the same," and Susan's action could destroy "the unselfish work of many people.". Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. This is all that is known as birth. we care about in life. The yogi asked me to bring a living ant. life of our life. our bodies getting older and slowing down, it scares us. The emperor offered Sambhji a choice: "Convert to Islam and you'll be set free, or else get ready for torture and death." The brave son of the brave father chose the latter. habits, objects, and relationships. Therefore, grief beyond Carolyn moved back to Chicago, found a job, returned to school, and soon met a non-institute man she wanted to marry. to Understand Life 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. Why then are the stories of the Mahatmas experiments with teenage girls not more widely known? Marston's lawsuit, he says, was an act of revenge. But the victims of what Jungian analyst Peter Rutter, M.D., has termed "sex in the forbidden zone" (in his book of the same name) submit to sexual advances because of a powerful psychological threat. Terry, who is now a practicing psychotherapist, says she believes Swami Rama's behavior is compulsive-he can't help it." 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. Swami Rama (Svm Rma; 1925 13 November 1996) was an Indian yoga guru. in the lower mind with emotions. 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. Gurus were supposed to have conquered their desires, but in the spiritual literature they were often portrayed as contradictory, tricking their disciples into enlightenment. lost objects, changed relationships, shifting emotions and thoughts, and Life is an ongoing Buddha's four noble truths state that life is suffering, the suffering has a cause, there is a cessation of suffering, and there is a means to that cessation: a solution. In the mythology of the ashram, the guru is the all-powerful, all-knowing father and the disciples are his spiritual children. 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. Yet this is what we Carolyn,* an old friend, called me collect. them in death. 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. Tigunait, Pandir Rajmani. Swami. Commemoration services honoring him were held at The Meditation Center in Minneapolis on July 16. From 1949 to 1952, he held the prestigious position of Shankaracharya of Karvirpitham in South India. [7], Swami Rama has been accused and convicted of sexual abuse. But the Institute does not teach the mastery of such powers in its programs, instead focusing on yoga practices with more immediate practical application. Therefore, he had to be punished. 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. Residents staff the Institute's administration, bookstores, and other small businesses, including Himalayan Publishers and Distributors and an elementary school. That is, they were allegedly discounted as being emotionally disturbed, or otherwise reportedly regarded as liars I am That, I am That, I cause no misery, nor am I miserable; I have no enemy, nor am I enemy. 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. 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." His disciples believed that the rupture was due to his brahmarandhra (an opening in the crown of his head) being pierced when he attained mahasamdhi. At the same time, she felt anxious, because she'd seen how severe Swami Rama could be with those closest to him. truths state that life is suffering, the suffering has a cause, there is In India. Here is her report. There is no . Some stay longer, for a few weeks or months in the Self-Transformation retreat program. The victim's confusion and loss of trust are compounded when her community refuses to acknowledge her suffering. He bragged about his sumptuous homes in India and Japan and about his shopping sprees for designer clothes, she says. The people Bob had referred to were Carolyn, Susan, Brian and Terry, Dr. Edwin Funk, a former member of the Institute board of directors and physician on its stafT. 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. Carolyn says she spent years blaming herself and trying to rationalize away what she now regards as sexual abuse. Swami Rama Himalayan University Patanjali (the teacher of the Yoga system), in one of his aphorisms, describes the causes of suffering as five: ignorance, ego-sense, attachment, aversion, and clinging to life. One who possesses nothing and has no one to protect him belongs to God and is constantly under the protection of the Divine." Ultimately, the woman had revealed the liaison to her husband. it do to have all the riches of the world and all the worlds pleasures? [2][R 1][R 3] Swami Rama founded other teaching and service organizations, including a large medical facility, in Dehradun in Uttarakhand in the north of India, to serve millions of poor people in the nearby mountains who had little access to health care. 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