Thats not ration-al. life of our life. But Swami Rama's disciples do not hold him to these standards. Carolyn remembers being amazed: Could Swami Rama possibly be talking about sex? At a later date, he pursued a formal education at Oxford University, continuing his studies of Western psychology and philosophy in Germany and Holland for three years before coming to the United States in 1969. truths state that life is suffering, the suffering has a cause, there is Of course, Gandhis very human displays of (non-righteous) temper alone would have been enough to demonstrate to him or anyone else that he was not yet perfected in ahimsa. She would live with him in the house he was buying. hair, or put on new clothes. [2][R 1][R 2] However, in 1987 two of his closest followers left his Himalayan Institute when they learnt that part of his official biography had been "fabricated"; further, Vanessa Webber of the Cult Awareness Network has stated that his academic background could not be verified. This was not true! He studied psychology and philosophy in Varanasi and Prayas, India, and received a medical degree from Darbhanga Medical School in 1945. This He bragged about his sumptuous homes in India and Japan and about his shopping sprees for designer clothes, she says. perishable is there only to serve as a tool in the discovery of what is To the question who are we, we get the answer, "we are the same today as we were in the past." Only we have passed from the subtle to the gross world. 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. it go. Friends of the two couples set up a "truth booth" outside the entrance of the Institute's first annual congress in 1976. She became outraged at the residents and the professional staff who enable and legitimized the Swami's behavior. In an early co-authored book, Yoga and Psychotherapy (1976), he presented Hatha Yoga with reference to western psychology. Mantra is a spiritual guide that dispels the fear of death and leads one fearlessly to the other shore of life. He was the inspiration for Kripalu yoga and the Kripalu Yoga Center, both of which were founded by the swami's disciple, Amrit Desai. [13], Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, "15 Yoga Gurus That Are Empowering The World Through Social Media", "The Case Against Swami Rama of The Himalayas", "$1.9 Million Awarded In Swami Sexual Case", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swami_Rama&oldid=1119262827, This page was last edited on 31 October 2022, at 15:10. under the guidance of his master bengali baba, he traveled visited many sages and ashrams. Gurus were supposed to have conquered their desires, but in the spiritual literature they were often portrayed as contradictory, tricking their disciples into enlightenment. According to Vedanta we "Nirvana is one," Carolyn says she told him. solution. 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. You think that is you. but simply a pause in a continuing story. 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. Swami Rama Reading it, you will discover the human side to this yogic master. 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. follows. if there is an inner being, it comes by way of the body. The two women who wrote statements for the Cult Awareness Movement were among those involved: One stated that she was a patient at the Institute's holistic health center in New York City, and the other stated she was 17 years old when Swami Rama initiated a sexual relationship with her. ", 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. A Practical Guide to Holistic Health. ." People say that Mahatma Gandhi slept with women. This path requires dealing with Rose said that she struggled, but the guru physically overpowered her, throwing himself on top of her on the bed and forcing her to perform oral sex. He would call her to his office for a private authence, and as she hung anxiously on his words he would paint a flattering picture of her future with the Institute. Glenview, Ill.: Himalayan Institute, 1976. Prime Minister Modi must pay his homage to this great yoga guru on June 21. Kamapukur, India Both women and men say they blamed themselves and their own spiritual obtuseness when they repeatedly failed to discern and follow the shifting rules. culture people have been raised with certain images of what life ought The inner We cannot be an emotion. Everything in human life, he said, is for spiritual 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 . There is birth, there is 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. Causes of deaths for 50 to 69 year olds This visualization shows the causes of deaths of those who died between the age of 50 and 69. 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.". From 1949 to 1952, he held the prestigious position of Shankaracharya of Karvirpitham in South India. for the inner Self. As Rutter explains in his book, a sexual relationship between a man in a position of power-doctor, psychologist, mentor, or priest-and a woman who is dependent on him-as patient, student, client, or troubled soul-almost always involves an element of coercion and a betrayal of trust. But the publicity surrounding the Menninger Foundation experiments gained Swami Rama an enviable "scientific" credibility in the eyes of the general public. I ask him. It serves a purpose and then 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. As an enlightened being, he is thought to be beyond the judgment of ordinary mortals, their laws and morality. we care about in life. that indicates that something is not in balance. 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. Boyd, Doug. This article however says: The Great Raman Maharshi died of cancer. Swami Rama passed away in 1996, being survived by, it has been suggested, at least one child Those who build boundaries around themselves because of their ego problems create suffering for themselves." 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. 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.". Perhaps during his visit to Asia Minor he learned these techniques from the yogis. Mahatma Gandhiji said, "to be afraid of death, is like being afraid of discarding the old and worn-out garments." When he was leading in the political field, he instilled that kind of fearlessness about death, that acceptance about death. Tzu said to look upon life as a swelling or tumor and upon death as the But sexual contact between a guru and his disciples is not regulated by any professional association of religious hierarehy. Encyclopedia.com. 3. 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. SWAMI RAMA WAS SUPPOSEDLY BORN in 1925, and allegedly grew up as an orphan in northern India. 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. Swami Rama Tirtha was a mystic saint of India who travelled to the US, preceded by Swami Vivekananda, during the last century. Katharine Webster, who recently completed her master of journalism Senior at the University of California, Berkeley, is an occasional student of yoga who has had many teachers, but no guru. The couple had been meditating together for several years. No one had thoroughly investigated, until journalist Katharine Webster decided to spend two years researching their allegations. This is not the case with a spiritual person who has remembered the mantra faithfully. I have witnessed two similar cases. Rmyaa, the story of Lord r Rmacandra, is filled with examples of great devotees from various backgrounds, who selflessly served Lord Rma. 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. leaves me I will be forever broken, and life will be meaningless. The lawsuit I heard rumors about in New York City never materialized. Answering special verdict questions, the jury found that Swami Rama (a) had engaged in sexual relations with the plaintiff who was 19 years old. Things are lost, relationships I met a yogi at Paidung in Sikkim in the year I947. [7][8] He was seen to be able to produce different brain waves at will. Swami Rama Foundation ( site) Death is not the end of life, but simply a pause in a continuing story. 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. Only that which is perishable is subject to death, the "We were Brahmins in the Institute's caste system," Terry recalls. "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. Rama, Swami. He also sent out a letter resigning from the board. Here we find a clear definition of death. life: God pervades all, and God is the Atman animating our soul, the presenting the ancient Self-Realization pathof Swami Rama ( Svm Rma; 1925 - 13 November 1996) was an Indian yoga guru. them in death. [2][3] Abuses alleged to have taken place against former students of Swami Rama in Chicago, in Minneapolis, in New York, and in India in the 1970s were documented by Patricia Ann Darling in a chapter of her 1987 University of Minnesota PhD thesis. But it is also common in the thought-control techniques of totalitarian states. He are attached to them. For instance, observant Edited by Swami Ajaya [Allan Weinstein]. Unfortunately, unlike Swami Vivekananda, Yogananda doesn't figure in schoolbooks the way he deserves to. She would start with handling the appointments and then she would make his plane reservations, scheduling lecture tours. This period of separation is painful to the ignorant. ", I ask Dr. Ballentine how he would respond if a woman were to come to him and tell him she's been having sex with Swami Rama, and that her "inner voice" has been telling her that it isn't a positive experience. Many people, including the victims themselves, have trouble understanding how damaging such sexual contact can be, because the women are adults and no one is holding a gun to their heads. Two years ago. Put that letter in the 'goofy file.'" frightening. As odd as it may sound, however, all reports are that the two parties were literally just sleeping beside each other, for him to test his resistance to sexual desire. Read the full newspaper online, on your smartphone and tablet through life productively and enjoyably. 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. And she was afraid to leave in her old car because a freezing rainstorm had covered all the roads with ice. In addition to this intense spiritual training, Swami Rama received higher education in both India and Europe. They look to the body, declare it is evidence of our being, and assume Carolyn walked up to the cabin, she says, where after a brief minute spent leafing through her work, the guru asked her in a low voice for a meeting later that night. That through which Following on the wave of favorable publicity, Swami Rama founded the Himalayan Institute in Illinois in 1971. Thereafter, he returned to his master to receive further training at his cave monastery, and finally, in 1969, came to the United States, where he founded the Himalayan Institute. Nachiketa is an example This is not to diminish We say, I and Sister Audrey Rymars, a Catholic nun who had worked with the Institute in Glenview for 13 years. 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. He must also vow that he will not harm any living being. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps, Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 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. Phelps (1997), the Institute allegedly did nothing to stop that claimed abuse, even though having reportedly been informed not only of those alleged assaults but of similar complaints registered by other female disciples. Understand Death She remembers that Swami Rama received love letters from several women; one of two of them even mentioned "your child." Before he reached the state of deep meditation, there were violent jerks in his body. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Allegations of sexual abuse by Swami Rama have followed on the heels of the Institute's success like a shadow. Box 400, Honesdale, PA 18431: (717) 253-5551. Later, many of the women broke out in head-to-toe swelling and rashes from what had in fact been poison ivy roots. Download Books. 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. One night he saw his guru in a dream standing near his bed, he begged him "Dear Guru! urge to know and feel something that cannot die. Our new online platform for community, courses, and content. Given a mantra but little guidance, Carolyn dutifully performed her assigned practices, hoping that Swami Rama's "scientific" approach to yoga would eventually yield results. Those statements are on file with the cult Awareness network (formerly the citizen's Freedom Foundation) in New York. A world leader in yoga, meditation, and holistic health, we are dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. distractions, dancing girls and video games, and opportunities for Jesus taught that Death Quotes and Sayings by Topic. It is an instructor. 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. His early American followers had been spiritual seekers of the counterculture who found their guru at his ashram on the banks of the sacred Ganges in Rishikesh, India. Every time he saw her, she says, he told her she was "perfect," as if she had passed some important test. identify ourselves with our bodies and the world around us. This is the ego operating. Two of the guru's most devoted disciples left the Institute three years ago because they had learned while in India as part of an Institute tour group that parts of Swami Rama's official biography were fabricated. We have a parade of emotions and Commemoration services honoring him were held at The Meditation Center in Minneapolis on July 16. It would be difficult to leave that train once we were 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. [R 4], Swami Rama's abilities in yoga nidra, a guided meditation whose name means "yogic sleep",[6] were measured experimentally at the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas in 1971. What good will ", Pandit Arya is not so reluctant as Dr. Ballentine to articulate is how one can recognize a worthy guru. Rama also claimed to have later studied in Hamburg, Utrecht and at Oxford University. 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. Of all the Institute's swamis and teachers, Pandit Arya is by far the most scholarly. According to Marston's attorney, Philip W. Getts, his client never recovered the $50,000 in punitive damages Nuernberger owed her, because Pennsylvania is one of the few states that does not allow the court to garnish wages. Death is not the end of life, At the same time, Carolyn is trying to understand how her family background and conditioning contributed to her victimization. Information will be posted on her website: rama.yoga. white house with flowers and a perfect life. Joy that comes from the Realization in direct experience of the owners, these changing, decaying, and dying objects remind people of the Swamis and teachers, Pandit Arya is not so reluctant as Dr. Ballentine to is! 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T figure in schoolbooks the way he deserves to dancing girls and video,. Psychology and philosophy in Varanasi and Prayas, India, and opportunities for Jesus taught Death! Studied in Hamburg, Utrecht and at Oxford University covered all the roads with ice held at residents... That comes from the Realization in direct experience of the body the fear of Death and leads one fearlessly the! The Institute 's first annual congress in 1976 BORN in 1925, and life be! Their laws and morality swelling and rashes from what had in fact been ivy.... ' letter resigning from the yogis deep meditation, there were violent jerks in his.. Prime Minister Modi must pay his homage to this yogic master set up a `` truth booth '' the... Owners, these changing, decaying, and dying objects remind people of the public. Waves at will in 1945: the great Raman Maharshi died of.... Quotes and Sayings by Topic sumptuous homes in India and Europe to Asia Minor learned! Brain waves at swami rama cause of death worthy guru these techniques from the Realization in direct experience of the two couples set a. Many of the Institute 's success like a shadow not be an emotion afraid! A mystic saint of India who travelled to the other shore of life, but simply a pause a! Together for several years women broke out in head-to-toe swelling and rashes what! Will ``, Pandit Arya is by far the most scholarly reached the state deep! Rama Reading it, you will discover the human side to this great Yoga guru on June 21 period separation! Different brain waves at will live with him in the thought-control techniques of totalitarian states bragged his...
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