Dr. Ballentine says it is "presumptuous" to judge whether or not someone is perfected. Relax, restore, and nourish yourself with a wellness retreat. My father certainly had sex, and that's why I was born, so will I lose faith in my father? Swami Rama made Carolyn his appointments secretary in August also. Brian sued Swami Rama, and eventually the guru settled out of court for the full amount. Obedience to the guru's commands is implicitly expected of all long-term residents; former students describe him walking through the main dining room and ordering one person to move to the New York branch, another to change jobs. The institute has branches in the United States, Europe, and India. She listened calmly as I admitted that I'd worried she might be a victim. Pandit Arya radiates calm as he speaks. The original creator of the neti pot, the Himalayan Institute has been offering traditional and modern products for health and spirituality since 1971. 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.". If somehow Pandit Rajmani were forced to acknowledge that the women were telling the truth, would this shatter his faith in the guru? Himalayan Institute locations 3.6 Honesdale, PA Show all locations What's being discussed at Himalayan Institute? Who We Are; What We Do; Where We Work. Check our website! RFP & Business Plan for Dairy Processing Investor/Operator. Every time he saw her, she says, he told her she was "perfect," as if she had passed some important test. "I thought: 'Maybe it's the only way he can break through some stubborn barrier in my ego. Select a topic to see what people are saying about different issues Mission and values Explore company values, community, the relevance of the mission and moving on. Swami Rama's claims to this spiritual background have been questioned by some of his former students. Healthy lifestyle products to support your yoga and spiritual practice. 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. What a foolish woman! 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. Community, Courses, and Content. She believes Swami Rama was trying to buy her collusion, as he had bought the collusion of the Institute's staff and many residents. He told her he was writing a book of poetry for her, and he offered to find her a husband. Relationships are the first test of spirituality. He and Pandit Rajmani say that a guru is "that which dispels darkness." There she learned Swami Rama's style of "super-conscious" meditation, which she describes as a basic, impersonal training in mental concentration. That was why he wanted her to be his secretary. As the couple started making arrangements to move to England, they received another blow. A rash of articles featuring Swami Rama appeared in national magazines, including Time, People, and Playboy. God knows whether it was true or not, and even if it was true, this is a normal phenomenon. 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. 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. 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. They rarely had to do the menial chores performed by other residents; Brian was encouraged to study the sacred texts and write a book, while Terry got training as a Montessori teacher and started a school for the Institute's children. Rather than being a saint, according to Green, Swami Rama is an advanced yogi and "a mortal with some ego problems.". "Believing such stories means disbelieving in myself. Read More 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. Put that letter in the 'goofy file.'" 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. Explore high-quality, unique, practice-enhancing products made for yogis everywhere. Health Clinics Health Education Public Libraries School of Carpentry Two other women left the Institute shortly afterwards. A world leader in yoga, meditation, and holistic health, we are dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. My initial experience with yoga in the 1990's at the Himalayan Institute of Buffalo led me to making a radical shift in lifestyle and moving to the Institute's educational headquarters in Honesdale, P.A. 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. 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. February 27, 2023. I just don't know that it makes sense to go run around trying to evaluate other people, when you haven't evaluated yourself.". The original creator of the neti pot, the Himalayan Institute has been offering traditional and modern products for health and spirituality since 1971. Authentic Ashram Living Some stay longer, for a few weeks or months in the Self-Transformation retreat program. 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. They know, usually without being told, that if they break the taboo of silence they will be blamed for destroying their spiritual families and the "higher" good those families purportedly do in the world. Himalayan Institute Online Our new online platform for community, courses, and content. $1.9 Million Awarded In Swami Sexual Case, https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/06/us/1.9-million-awarded-in-swami-sexual-case.html. 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. Bikram Choudhury, one of several yoga gurus accused of sexual abuse, [1] assisting a yoga pupil in his own style. In such a situation, she says, the whole system becomes sick and no one can see the light: "There's no truth allowed; it's a no-talk rule.". she wondered. 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.". 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. Soon Carolyn noticed she wasn't the only woman being favored by the guru; he was also paying attention to Megan and Nirvana. A Swami, or monk, is supposed to be "one who is master of oneself: senses, body, mind." Hadn't he taken vows of celibacy? Donate Help Our Cause US$20.00 I ask him. Yoga seminars, retreats, and professional certifications taught by our world-class faculty, designed to bring you the best of an authentic yoga tradition. Despite this, our rural empowerment programs continue to thrive and grow as we work towards our goal of fighting poverty, illiteracy, and inequality through education, health care, and job creation. One spring evening a couple of weeks later, she says, Swami Rama called her aside to ask why she'd been avoiding him, and she tried to tell him she'd discovered his lies. The Swami Rama died in 1996 at the age of 69. 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. 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. 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. Our members consist of a vibrant residential community of practitioners, karma yogis (service-driven seekers), and faculty-in-residence as well as a global community of seekers, committed to living their spiritual values. Despite the questions about his background, there is no denying that Swami Rama made a terrific impact on western thinking when he served as a research subject at the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas. 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. Swami Rama has a reputation among his followers as an incredible psychologist who uses his insights to help others. 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. Both women and men say they blamed themselves and their own spiritual obtuseness when they repeatedly failed to discern and follow the shifting rules. Himalayan Institute Online. Sexual contract between gurus and their American disciples is not a new or rare phenomenon. 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." But it is also common in the thought-control techniques of totalitarian states. Perfect. 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 ultimately he chose to believe Swami Rama. Pandit Rajmani cannot entertain the notion that the women's stories could be true. 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. Maybe it's an honor that this great yogi asked me of all his students to serve him in this way. She couldn't make sense out of his behavior, because she found it impossible to believe that it was really about sex-and she repeatedly told him so. 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. Pandit Rajmani Tigunait is the resident spiritual director of the Honesdale ashram, as well as a member of the Institute's teaching staff. 7,616 were here. And she would help him write books. Attempts to verify Swami Rama's educational background have been unsuccessful, according to Vanessa Webber of the Cult Awareness Network. When another married couple who were their friends and fellow students left the ashram suddenly, Karen wrote to them asking why. But the siddhis can be an ego trap. Under New York State law, according to Trescelli, a woman who does not get a medical exam or report the incident to police within a limited period of time has little chance of obtaining a conviction. Most rapists threaten women with physical violence. 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. No, he says: "Even if it happened, what's the big deal?& People say that Mahatma Gandhi& slept with women. 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? Companies Himalayan Institute Tell us how to improve this page The Institute also offers a dizzying array of education programs, including a diploma program for hatha yoga teachers. To my relief, I could detect no flash of recognition, guilt, fear, or anger in Carolyn's eyes. Karen, the woman whose claims were ridiculed at the meeting where Swami Rama and the other directors responded to Brian's charges, was one of the first ex-members to confront top Institute administrators. Megan went through a brief but painful and confusing time during which she doubted her own feelings and perceptions. At about the same time, Carolyn was accepted into the residential program at East West Books Chicago, the Institute's downtown branch. And he abruptly dismissed her. But the purified ego is a means in discriminating real Self from not-self-real Self from mere self. But for a man of Pandit Arya's background and beliefs, the relationship with one's guru is more momentous than any merely temporal bond. Rose spent the next six months moving from place to place, terrified that the Institute network would track her down. Brian also received a threat, he says: a note telling him he "might get hurt," which was accidentally shoved under the door of a lawyer who rented the office next door to his in a Honesdale office building. Quick Links. 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. Join us in serving a tradition that has served the world selflessly for untold ages. And that was the first time I realized what all that stuff meant-the other women, the 'goofy' file, and the rumors about the lawsuit. Like incest victims, women who say they have been sexually abused by their gurus are sworn to silence by their abusers. Numerous former students say they left the Institute because they were sexually exploited by Swami Rama or knew someone who was. No one had thoroughly investigated, until journalist Katharine Webster decided to spend two years researching their allegations. According to the story Terry and Brian say Rose later told them, late one night Swami Rama tapped at the door of her room and then walked in on her. Meditation. Himalayan Institute Online. 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. 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 . Who? Brian, who was a member of the Institute board of directors and a major financial contributor, says he confronted Swami Rama shortly after Rose contacted him and told him what had happened-but the guru said Rose had seduced him. Megan says she squelched an urge to speak out, instead deciding, like most of the Institute's residents, to suspend judgment so she could "understand and learn" from this "great master." Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD, is the spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute and the successor of Swami Rama of the Himalayas. 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. "If the guru's instruction leads to a deeper peace, freedom from conflict, a deepening of meditation, harmony in relationships - all of these. She says he told her to finish her college degree at the University of Scranton while remaining at the Institute. To judge by their price tags, these and other Institute programs must bring in a considerable income. The man, she says, informed her of Swami Rama's long history of alleged sexual misconduct. We are happy to bring you a combination of Zoom, In-person, and Hybrid options. Meanwhile, Carolyn says, Swami Rama began singling her out for special attention. This was not true! A few weeks later she moved to Honesdale. The accumulated testimony of their personal experiences through the years exhibits a pattern typical of "sex in the forbidden zone," coupled with institutional mechanisms of defense and denial. 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. Explore our integrative health services & therapeutic treatments to help restore your natural state of well-being. 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. All of them had something to offer, but no spiritual path inspired her to make an exclusive commitment. Himalayan Institute | Honesdale PA When the couple confided their resulting marital troubles to Karen and George, Karen confirmed her friend's experience by revealing that she, too, had had a supposedly exclusive and spiritual sexual relationship with Swami Rama before her marriage. Well-to-do New Yorkers flock to Honesdale on weekends for seminars in stress reduction, meditation, and diet and nutrition. ", Pandit Arya is not so reluctant as Dr. Ballentine to articulate is how one can recognize a worthy guru. Since its inception in 1971, the Himalayan Institute has been at the leading edge of personal and social transformation. Residents staff the Institute's administration, bookstores, and other small businesses, including Himalayan Publishers and Distributors and an elementary school. 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. His secretary why he wanted her to make an exclusive commitment Rama has a reputation among his as... Residential program at East West Books Chicago, the Himalayan Institute has been at Institute. Services & therapeutic treatments to help others weekends for seminars in stress reduction, meditation, and Playboy Webber. Business Plan for Dairy Processing Investor/Operator be true I 'd worried she might be a victim is normal... Community, courses, and Playboy treatments to help others ; Business Plan Dairy! 'Goofy file. ' investigated, until journalist Katharine Webster decided to spend Two years researching their allegations ]. 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