Carolyn had sought a consultation with Pandit Rajmani, who told her that Megan was either lying because she was "on an ego trip," or fantasizing a sexual encounter that had never taken place. Enrich your practice through the wisdom of the Himalayan Tradition, found in our online community and digital library, with new content added every week. The jury awarded $275,000 in compensatory damages and $1.6 million in punitive damages to the woman. Pandit Rajmani says he also has concrete reasons to know that Swami Rama could not be sleeping with his disciples. 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. * "Nirvana was up at his cabin, walking his dog at 5:30 in the morning, and Megan was with him day and night." A saint is a person who does what he says." According to Karen and George, no legal action resulted. Of all the Institute's swamis and teachers, Pandit Arya is by far the most scholarly. 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. 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. During this spiel, she says, he put his hand on her buttocks, but she told him she wasn't buying it. Everyone said you had to surrender to the guru, so she would simply have to follow through with whatever he ordered her to do. 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. She recalls that she blushed as she forced out the words: "I think you have been sleeping with other women." 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. himalayan institute of modern arts & learning (HIMAL) Giving back through life-changing experiences. Rather than being a saint, according to Green, Swami Rama is an advanced yogi and "a mortal with some ego problems.". "I only needed one person to corroborate my experience," Megan says now. February 27, 2023. 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. If somehow Pandit Rajmani were forced to acknowledge that the women were telling the truth, would this shatter his faith in the guru? The yogis, he says, have demonstrated these abilities in the past and continue to do so. State licensing boards may take away a professional's license to practice if he (or she) is found guilty of "inappropriate sexual contact," which may include everything from verbal sexual innuendos to a long-term sexual liaison with a client or patient. When he told her to visit him at night again, Carolyn says she did not have enough self-confidence to say no, but she hoped that this time he would treat her differently, with more sensitivity and respect. ", Shortly after Pandit Rajmani introduced her to Swami Rama, Megan says, the guru called her into his private quarters and told her that they'd been together in a past life, that he'd waited to meet her again in this lifetime, and that now they were reunited. The man, she says, informed her of Swami Rama's long history of alleged sexual misconduct. 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.". RFP & Business Plan for Dairy Processing Investor/Operator. 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. There's no need for finding out, if I know it is completely wrong.". HIT ranked under Top Commerce Colleges in All India by The Week 2022. 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. 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. But within the Institute, she says, everyone else seemed to accept the guru's sexually suggestive behavior and humiliation of women. 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. Explore high-quality, unique, practice-enhancing products made for yogis everywhere. Join us for studies in the true meaning of yogaincluding asana, meditation, mantra, tantra, sacred scripture, and the art of joyful living. One of the greatest adepts, teachers, writers, and humanitarians of the 20th century, Swami Rama (19251996) is the founder of the Himalayan Institute. 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. 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. Himalayan Institute Online. He reportedly sat down on a chair next to her bed and proceeded to make sexual advances. Expert wellness consultations direct to your home. 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 became paralyzed by her fear of angering him. At about the same time, Carolyn was accepted into the residential program at East West Books Chicago, the Institute's downtown branch. "Before [these women] started saying these things, I also had a very good feeling that these people were wonderful people and they would never lie and they were trustworthy people. The annual congress, held each June, offers a smorgasbord of lectures and "new age" workshops. A world leader in yoga, meditation, and holistic health, we are dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. In the mid-1970s, she and her husband George,* both students of Swami Rama, traveled to India and stayed at the guru's ashram in Rishikesh. This was not true! Born in Northern India, he was raised from early childhood by the Himalayan sage, Bengali Baba. She could not control her emotions, he could not talk to her! Or maybe he needs to have sex just to release energy so he can meditate better. 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. That one gesture unleashed a storm of long-suppressed emotions. In my interviews with current and former members of the Institute, I heard an almost unvarying litany of beliefs about Swami Rama's abilities. 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. Early the next morning, she says, he announced to her that she was going to leave; he never set up the promised program. 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. And then he departed, accompanied not by Carolyn, as he had promised, but by another "gorgeous" devotee. Years later, Carolyn told me that four years of discipleship under Swami Rama had taught her to be a successful liar. 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. Carolyn says she spent years blaming herself and trying to rationalize away what she now regards as sexual abuse. Sexual contract between gurus and their American disciples is not a new or rare phenomenon. That was why he wanted her to be his secretary. Sex with a guru is a form of spiritual incest. Himalayan Institute Online Our new online platform for community, courses, and content. Unfortunately, there is some mystery surrounding its founder, Swami Rama, and possible connection with drug abuse and sexual indecency. 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. Yet the Institute's success comes at a high cost for many of those involved. Two women wrote statements, which said they had discovered that Swami Rama was attempting to "seduce" both of them contemporaneously. They would travel together to England. "Even if I found out-how can I find out? There she learned Swami Rama's style of "super-conscious" meditation, which she describes as a basic, impersonal training in mental concentration. 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. 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. Since she had taken over, everything had been put in order. Humanitarian, Swami Rama, Teacher. In the United States, far from the strong cultural morality of the guru's country of origin, it is not regulated at all. 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. But as she spent more time around Swami Rama and his inner circle, Megan says, the guru subjected her to a barrage of sexual harassment. Hadn't he taken vows of celibacy? And he abruptly dismissed her. When she questioned him, Megan says, he became angry and dismissed the women's suffering, saying that a little poison ivy could be good for them. Healthy lifestyle products to support your yoga and spiritual practice. He says it is a relationship that goes beyond religions, the purest relationship possible, "the relationship of water flowing from a hill and filling a hollow at the bottom-the hollow has nothing to give in return, but only to accept that grace in gratitude. ", Why would the women want to blackmail Swami Rama? His disciples generally agree that the only reason his soul still inhabits a physical body is because he wants to help others achieve liberation from maya, the realm of illusion. She was afraid to stay in her room, which had no lock on the door, or to use the hall telephone, because all calls had to be routed through the main switchboard. Up to that point I had felt like he was a guru, that he cared about me at least, but no, he was just using me.". In the mythology of the ashram, the guru is the all-powerful, all-knowing father and the disciples are his spiritual children. But Mr. Schneider told the jury that evidence indicated the relationship was consensual. We inspire, educate, and. Back; Cameroon; India; Mexico; Tibetan Settlements; Get Involved. But it is also common in the thought-control techniques of totalitarian states. The program seemed to provide the ideal family she'd never had, where everyone shared her values and spiritual goals. He told her he was writing a book of poetry for her, and he offered to find her a husband. Most of the Institute's programs are open to the general public. Rose spent the next six months moving from place to place, terrified that the Institute network would track her down. Check our website! 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. Teaching since 1971, the Himalayan Institute offers a wide variety of wellness supplies. 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. 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. When Carolyn had to work, I attended classes in Hatha yoga or read. "By their fruits you shall know them," he says, paraphrasing the Bible. They wrote letters to Pandit Usharbudh Arya, their teacher and head of the Meditation Center there, as well as a dozen other people, warning that Swami Rama was a fraud. 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. 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. In the presence of others, we spoke only of positive or spiritual matters, in the deliberately modulated tones all the residents used. Residents staff the Institute's administration, bookstores, and other small businesses, including Himalayan Publishers and Distributors and an elementary school. The Himalayan Institute has been and continues to be home to a service-driven community of yogis, volunteers, and faculty-in-residence. No one can expand his consciousness if he remains egotistical. 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? 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. 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. Swami Rama has a reputation among his followers as an incredible psychologist who uses his insights to help others. Expert wellness consultations direct to your home. At the meeting, Brian says, Dr. Ballentine presented letters from another woman, Karen,* who also claimed to have been sexually exploited by Swami Rama. The Swami Rama died in 1996 at the age of 69. toshiba tv screen goes black after a few minutes. 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. Spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute, Pandit Tigunait is the successor of Swami Rama of the Himalayas. She was dreamy! If a hundred people come and say that the day is night and I know that it's not, the voting system doesn't do it here, you know? 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. Carolyn went away to college at the end of that year, as her parents expected. 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. 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. Maybe it's an honor that this great yogi asked me of all his students to serve him in this way. 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). She walked around New York City for hours, until it was time for her bus to return to Honesdale. We are happy to bring you a combination of Zoom, In-person, and Hybrid options. Like incest victims, women who say they have been sexually abused by their gurus are sworn to silence by their abusers. 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." [2] [ 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. Dr. Ballentine says it is "presumptuous" to judge whether or not someone is perfected. 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.". I ask him. Then he started giving her practices without any spiritual meaning, she says, and telling her she wasn't doing them right. Live online programs, on-demand courses, and hundreds of yoga and meditation classes. They enjoy spending their free time adventuring, camping, exploring, and creating memories together. "If the guru's instruction leads to a deeper peace, freedom from conflict, a deepening of meditation, harmony in relationships - all of these. In many ways, the Institute's austere structure is designed to appeal to the personality that yearns for what psychiatrist Robert J. Lifton calls a "totalist" environment, where virtually every aspect of one's life is subject to external control. Megan remembers asking him why he was trying all this on her. 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." https://himalayaninstitute.start.page || Yoga. 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. In a few months time she would handle his bank account, income taxes, everything. 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 after they started saying all these things, I never trusted them anymore. When another married couple who were their friends and fellow students left the ashram suddenly, Karen wrote to them asking why. In May, Swami Rama visited the area again. The Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, nestled in the beautiful Pocono Mountains in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, was founded in 1971. He also sent out a letter resigning from the board. 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. She began talking about Swami Rama's exploitative behavior with anyone who would listen, especially women who she thought were being victimized. Who? 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. Dr. Ballentine says he has good reason to think that Marston "was very anxious for [Nuernberger] to go further, and he didn't. Live online programs, on-demand courses, and hundreds of yoga and meditation classes. Marston, however, testified that Nuernberger had "hugged and kissed her and fondled her breasts," according to an article in the Minneapolis Tribune (Jan. 24, 1981). She listened calmly as I admitted that I'd worried she might be a victim. Carolyn,* an old friend, called me collect. Terry, who is now a practicing psychotherapist, says she believes Swami Rama's behavior is compulsive-he can't help it." His response: "Listen, there are certain things which are based on witnesses-those are facts. One evening she went out to dinner with Martha*, an old friend from East West Books Chicago. Publications Health Products Explore high-quality, unique, practice-enhancing products made for yogis everywhere. Carolyn says she told him no, it "just didn't feel right." Community, Courses, and Content. The Institute also offers instruction to counselors and psychotherapists in the application of yoga and meditation techniques to therapy. One evening in early June, Carolyn remembers, Swami Rama's housekeeper phoned the women's dorm and asked her to bring the manuscript she was preparing over to Swami Rama's new cabin. Otherwise& there would be no need for this person to propagate this whole story.". For a time, she says, she considered getting a pistol to carry to work. ALL NEW! But after two unsatisfying years, she left college and returned to the Chicago area. In 1969, Pandit Arya met Swami Rama, who gave him "one of the highest meditation initiations," in which he experienced himself "as a being of light." In private sessions, ex-disciples say, Swami Rama has arranged marriages and instructed disciples to break off relationships. Most rapists threaten women with physical violence. 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. 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