I like to believe that somewhere inside of him, he is the good person I believed him to be. HIT ranked under Top Commerce Colleges in All India by The Week 2022. 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. We inspire, educate, and. Live online programs, on-demand courses, and hundreds of yoga and meditation classes. But after two unsatisfying years, she left college and returned to the Chicago area. Yet she is vulnerable to feeling re-victimized every time her experience is denied or distorted. During the next few months, Carolyn says, Swami Rama bade her visit him in his private quarters once every couple of weeks, either after lunch or after evening prayers; he also made it her job to buy condoms. Himalayan Institute of Technology Ranking and Awards. "By their fruits you shall know them," he says, paraphrasing the Bible. Our Honesdale campus continues to be home to a service-driven community of yogis, volunteers, and faculty-in-residence. "I felt two-dimensional, like a piece of paper, a cunt-he didn't care about me. Meditation. The 10-campus system closes a loophole that could have let undergraduates piece together a degree. ", Why would the women want to blackmail Swami Rama? Join us in serving a tradition that has served the world selflessly for untold ages. 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. 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. The original creator of the neti pot, the Himalayan Institute has been offering traditional and modern products for health and spirituality since 1971. We partner with rural communities to provide health services, public libraries, and sustainable employment opportunities. "This sudden animosity indicates that there is something fishy in the statement of this person. In the United States, far from the strong cultural morality of the guru's country of origin, it is not regulated at all. The Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, nestled in the beautiful Pocono Mountains in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, was founded in 1971. What Ballentine does not mention is that a second jury judged Nuernberger guilty of unprofessional conduct in his treatment of Nancy E. Williams, another former client, on February 17, 1981. She recalls that she blushed as she forced out the words: "I think you have been sleeping with other women." toshiba tv screen goes black after a few minutes. Brian says he felt betrayed, but the knowledge that Swami Rama had financially exploited him made it easier for the couple to cut their ties to the Institute. Ayurveda Ayurvedic treatments, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and integrative health services at PureRejuv Wellness Center. She loved him like "a second father," she says, "and the real tragedy is that this is how our relationship ended. Donate Help Our Cause US$20.00 So far, none of their attempts to communicate their experiences has been met by official Institute willingness to investigate their charges. 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. Together we ate superb vegetarian meals in the Institute's dining commons and chanted evening prayers. Pandit Arya radiates calm as he speaks. 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. "We were Brahmins in the Institute's caste system," Terry recalls. Minneapolis was the site of another Institute-related scandal in 1981. Because I do not want to find out. 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. 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. Carolyn stayed at the Institute for three more years, working at a variety of jobs. Things are moving quickly now in the sex scandal involving the three oldest sons of Steven Anderson of Tempe, Arizona's favorite SPLC hate group Faithful Word Baptist Church. They enjoy spending their free time adventuring, camping, exploring, and creating memories together. He rapidly attracted a following that included many graduate and professional students. The Institute also offers a dizzying array of education programs, including a diploma program for hatha yoga teachers. 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. Megan went through a brief but painful and confusing time during which she doubted her own feelings and perceptions. By this time Carolyn had gained 25 pounds from binging on sweets. At the same time as he dismissed her, Swami Rama also gave her a Sanskrit name. But something, which is truth, cannot be falsified by having one hundred witnesses. There's no need for finding out, if I know it is completely wrong.". And that did not undermine Mahatma Gandhi's work!& No, this would not be shattering, certainly not. Hadn't he taken vows of celibacy? Ex-members say that Swami Rama also uses his psychological insights to manipulate people. Only recently has she acknowledged her anger at Swami Rama. 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. Here is her report. 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. Himalayan Institute Buffalo Yoga | Meditation | Wellness Yoga classes and seminars for March - April are now open for registration. Perfect. 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. Immerse yourself in a life-changing course of study and get certified in the authentic teachings of yoga and meditation. Whilst there's no hint of it on the Himalayan Institute's website, Swami Rama faced lawsuits in the 1990s over sexual abuse with his students stemming back to the 1970s. He must see something special in me.'" Spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute, Pandit Tigunait is the successor of Swami Rama of the Himalayas. Two other women left the Institute shortly afterwards. 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. The jury called the abuse "spiritual incest . Swami Rama is held by his disciples to be a kind of god: He makes up the rules of the game, he can change them at will, and he cannot be judged by them. But sexual contact between a guru and his disciples is not regulated by any professional association of religious hierarchy. Swami Rama, she says, would extol his own sexual abilities but tell her she was bad at making love. But one by one, Trescelli says, the women backed down and decided not to pursue legal action. The daughter of an alcoholic, she longed for guidance from a spiritual authority figure. One of the greatest adepts, teachers, writers, and humanitarians of the 20th century, Swami Rama (19251996) is the founder of the Himalayan Institute. 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. But Megan and Carolyn both say that Swami Rama would dismiss Pandit Rajmani and other members of the inner circle after an evening of socializing in Swami Rama's private quarters, while asking them alone to stay behind. Sexual contract between gurus and their American disciples is not a new or rare phenomenon. 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. I just don't know that it makes sense to go run around trying to evaluate other people, when you haven't evaluated yourself.". 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. Ayurvedic treatments, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and integrative health services at PureRejuv Wellness Center. Our humanitarian projects serve impoverished communities through rural empowerment and environmental regeneration. Put that letter in the 'goofy file.'" She began to believe that this man who might have been spiritual at one time was now suffering from feelings he couldn't control. Early the next morning, she says, he announced to her that she was going to leave; he never set up the promised program. Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD, is the spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute and the successor of Swami Rama of the Himalayas. 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. 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. Later, many of the women broke out in head-to-toe swelling and rashes from what had in fact been poison ivy roots. Swami Rama frequently invited them to parties in his private quarters, where they say he entertained them with funny stories and racy gossip. He backed off, Megan says, while telling her that sex wasn't necessary-she could be his special student. She believes Swami Rama was trying to buy her collusion, as he had bought the collusion of the Institute's staff and many residents. And he abruptly dismissed her. Had anyone spoken to her? Our commitment to service both at home and abroad incorporates our global humanitarian impact through projects in Africa and India as well as a commitment to sustainable partnerships with the local community at our world headquarters in Honesdale. Well-to-do New Yorkers flock to Honesdale on weekends for seminars in stress reduction, meditation, and diet and nutrition. 7,616 were here. In private sessions, ex-disciples say, Swami Rama has arranged marriages and instructed disciples to break off relationships. Join us for studies in the true meaning of yogaincluding asana, meditation, mantra, tantra, sacred scripture, and the art of joyful living. Everyone said you had to surrender to the guru, so she would simply have to follow through with whatever he ordered her to do. There he founded the Meditation Center. She walked around New York City for hours, until it was time for her bus to return to Honesdale. 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. First, Robert Tuttle of The Reason Files 2 is reporting the same thing I am hearing from multiple sources. But Mr. Schneider told the jury that evidence indicated the relationship was consensual. 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. I ask him. He warns against relying too heavily on the inner voice: "When we look for the guru within, we only end up finding our own samskaras-vagaries of the unconscious mind are mistaken for directions from the superconscious. 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.". Quick Links. Most of the women who say they were abused by Swami Rama express feelings of fear, frustration, and betrayal. "If the guru's instruction leads to a deeper peace, freedom from conflict, a deepening of meditation, harmony in relationships - all of these. Those statements are on file with the cult Awareness network (formerly the citizen's Freedom Foundation) in New York. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Back; Cameroon; India; Mexico; Tibetan Settlements; Get Involved. Carolyn remembers being amazed: Could Swami Rama possibly be talking about sex? 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. That was why he wanted her to be his secretary. Health Clinics Health Education Public Libraries School of Carpentry 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. Today HI continues to innovate and offer the world high-impact, revolutionary programs and humanitarian initiatives around the globe. Our Honesdale campus continues to be home to a service-driven community of yogis, volunteers, and faculty-in-residence. Halfway through their meal, Carolyn remembers, Martha hesitantly said, "I know this will sound like a weird question, but has Swamiji ever asked you to have sex with him?" The Himalayan Institute publishes over 60 titles on yoga, spirituality, and holistic health, including the best-selling Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama and Yoga: Mastering the Basics by Sandra Anderson and Rolf Sovik. she remembers him demanding. Friends of the two couples set up a "truth booth" outside the entrance of the Institute's first annual congress in 1976. He said, "We must build a center of life which will be an important bridge between East . 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. 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. He told her he was writing a book of poetry for her, and he offered to find her a husband. Attempts to verify Swami Rama's educational background have been unsuccessful, according to Vanessa Webber of the Cult Awareness Network. 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. 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. Well organized, fine atmosphere, and a strong community. In his enlightened state, they believe, he could never commit any selfish acts, which would create new karmic burdens. At a young age, Swami Rama is supposed to have been appointed Shankaracharya of Karvirpitham, an exalted spiritual post. Both came from prominent Midwestern families; each had an alcoholic parent, and they now believe they were seeking not only spiritual growth, but also a strong parental figure. Expert wellness consultations direct to your home. 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. 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 . Himalayan Institute Online. 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. His devotees hovered near the ashram's entrance, hoping for final instructions or a blessing from the guru. Carolyn says the "goofy" letters never got answered. 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. Both women and men say they blamed themselves and their own spiritual obtuseness when they repeatedly failed to discern and follow the shifting rules. 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. 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. During that time, neither of them would see any other, and she should never tell anyone. Pandit Rajmani Tigunait is the resident spiritual director of the Honesdale ashram, as well as a member of the Institute's teaching staff. Megan remembers asking him why he was trying all this on her. Before leaving, Megan says, she tried to confront Swami Rama publicly-but he went into seclusion, claiming illness. Dr. Ballentine says he has good reason to think that Marston "was very anxious for [Nuernberger] to go further, and he didn't. 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. "Nirvana is one," Carolyn says she told him. 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. 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