kono oto tomare main character; best supported football clubs in europe; rolling ridge conference center Quick Links. RFP & Business Plan for Dairy Processing Investor/Operator. She became paralyzed by her fear of angering him. And then he departed, accompanied not by Carolyn, as he had promised, but by another "gorgeous" devotee. Many of those beliefs are based on Hindu and Buddhist teachings about the nature of the guru. 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. 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. No one can expand his consciousness if he remains egotistical. Megan remembers asking him why he was trying all this on her. 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. Shortly after Marston filed her suit in 1978, Nuernberger moved to Honesdale, where he is currently a member of the Institute's teaching staff. According to Karen and George, no legal action resulted. When another married couple who were their friends and fellow students left the ashram suddenly, Karen wrote to them asking why. She loved him like "a second father," she says, "and the real tragedy is that this is how our relationship ended. Some stay longer, for a few weeks or months in the Self-Transformation retreat program. Read More Ultimately, the woman had revealed the liaison to her husband. The Meditation Center became affiliated with the Himalayan Institute, and eventually Pandit Arya achieved his dream of having his own ashram in India, when Swami Rama made him president of his Rishikesh ashram. 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. 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. But one by one, Trescelli says, the women backed down and decided not to pursue legal action. Some were afraid of Institute retaliation; most were afraid of hurting their families, who in some cases do not know about the abuses the women suffered; still others were worried that their professional reputations would be harmed. Following on the heels of Karen's and her friend's revelations, several other women and men left the Meditation Center in Minneapolis. Fortified by their mutual discovery, Karen says, the two couples undertook to inform their fellow students back home in Minneapolis. 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. Most of the former members of the Institute who agreed to be interviewed for this article were also afraid to have their identities revealed; they appear under pseudonyms, marked with an asterisk. * "Nirvana was up at his cabin, walking his dog at 5:30 in the morning, and Megan was with him day and night." Friends of the two couples set up a "truth booth" outside the entrance of the Institute's first annual congress in 1976. In 1966, he founded the original Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in Kanpur, India; this was followed by an institute in Glenview, Illinois in 1971; it is now headquartered in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, purchased in 1977. 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. 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. The Swami Rama died in 1996 at the age of 69. The annual congress, held each June, offers a smorgasbord of lectures and "new age" workshops. Education Advocacy 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. 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. Meanwhile Janet,* a Honesdale woman who worked as the couple's babysitter and housekeeper at the time, says she received threatening phone calls at Brian and Terry's house, asking if she was alone with the children. When the manipulation started to involve her meditation and spiritual practices, she says, she decided to confide in one man who had been at the Institute for a long time and who was planning to leave. 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. Now Carolyn is more articulate: "When I finally start listening to myself, and I tell him I know he's sleeping with other women-and this is the man I came to, to help me learn how to listen to my inner voice, and then he tells me not to listen to it just as I'm starting to get some confidence in it-that's when I realized, this isn't yoga, this isn't truth, this is abuse.". A world leader in yoga, meditation, and holistic health, we are dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. Later, many of the women broke out in head-to-toe swelling and rashes from what had in fact been poison ivy roots. He would call her to his office for a private audience, and as she hung anxiously on his words he would paint a flattering picture of her future with the Institute. -- Swami Rama, "Living With the Himalayan Masters". I just don't know that it makes sense to go run around trying to evaluate other people, when you haven't evaluated yourself.". "If someone is a saint, celibacy would be his normal condition," Dr. Green comments. You're bound to get mixed up. Sexual contract between gurus and their American disciples is not a new or rare phenomenon. In private sessions, ex-disciples say, Swami Rama has arranged marriages and instructed disciples to break off relationships. Back; Cameroon; India; Mexico; Tibetan Settlements; Get Involved. To my relief, I could detect no flash of recognition, guilt, fear, or anger in Carolyn's eyes. Himalayan Institute of Technology Ranking and Awards. Today HI continues to innovate and offer the world high-impact, revolutionary programs and humanitarian initiatives around the globe. The Himalayan Institute and its varied activities and programs exemplify the spiritual heritage of mankind that unites East and West, spirituality and science, ancient wisdom and modern technology. The Combined Therapy program and the outpatient branches of the Institute for Holistic Medicine combine Western medicine, homeopathy, Eastern medicine, psychotherapy, nutrition, yoga, and meditation to treat people with a variety of physical and emotional problems. He is held accountable only to the higher spiritual laws, which he is uniquely able to comprehend. 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. A few weeks later she moved to Honesdale. There she learned Swami Rama's style of "super-conscious" meditation, which she describes as a basic, impersonal training in mental concentration. Together we ate superb vegetarian meals in the Institute's dining commons and chanted evening prayers. 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. Carolyn says she experienced their sexual encounters as brief and rough, and that she performed her sexual duties mechanically: "I numbed myself in order to survive.". Yoga seminars, retreats, and professional certifications taught by our world-class faculty, designed to bring you the best of an authentic yoga tradition. Go to Top. 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. I like to believe that somewhere inside of him, he is the good person I believed him to be. 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. Carolyn is not alone. 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. As an enlightened being, he is thought to be beyond the judgment of ordinary mortals, their laws and morality. Is it not better to follow someone who has charted the path?". Had anyone spoken to her? 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. Carolyn felt important, entitled to be there because she was one of his secretaries. See the article in its original context from. In mid-autumn, the day came for Swami Rama's annual trip to India. The Institute also offers a dizzying array of education programs, including a diploma program for hatha yoga teachers. 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. When Carolyn had to work, I attended classes in Hatha yoga or read. So far, none of their attempts to communicate their experiences has been met by official Institute willingness to investigate their charges. Swami Rama frequently invited them to parties in his private quarters, where they say he entertained them with funny stories and racy gossip. When she asked him what she should do with the love letters, she says, Swami Rama would laugh and say, "Oh, these goofy women! They would travel together to England. Immerse yourself in a life-changing course of study and get certified in the authentic teachings of yoga and meditation. Swami Rama is supposed to have freed himself from the bonds of karma. 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. 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. 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. Our Honesdale campus continues to be home to a service-driven community of yogis, volunteers, and faculty-in-residence. She sounded unhappy, so I made plans to visit her at the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, where she had been a resident for more than four years. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Similarly, a woman who had been repeatedly abused by Sri Swami Rama of The Himalayan Institute when she was 19 years old was awarded $1.9 million. The Institute also offers instruction to counselors and psychotherapists in the application of yoga and meditation techniques to therapy. For a time, she says, she considered getting a pistol to carry to work. 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." A rash of articles featuring Swami Rama appeared in national magazines, including Time, People, and Playboy. No one had thoroughly investigated, until journalist Katharine Webster decided to spend two years researching their allegations. At the meeting, Brian says, Dr. Ballentine presented letters from another woman, Karen,* who also claimed to have been sexually exploited by Swami Rama. His response: "Listen, there are certain things which are based on witnesses-those are facts. She began talking about Swami Rama's exploitative behavior with anyone who would listen, especially women who she thought were being victimized. Pandit Rajmani says he also has concrete reasons to know that Swami Rama could not be sleeping with his disciples. 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. 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. Our new online platform for community, courses, and content. Join us in serving a tradition that has served the world selflessly for untold ages. 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. In a few months time she would handle his bank account, income taxes, everything. I might doubt my own perception, I might doubt my own eyes, but I cannot doubt that strength which has given me everything.". 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. Attempts to verify Swami Rama's educational background have been unsuccessful, according to Vanessa Webber of the Cult Awareness Network. Since the early 1970s, women have been claiming sexual abuse at the hands of this prominent spiritual teacher. In August, Carolyn says, Swami Rama told her to meet him in New York City for the next step in her spiritual training. 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. 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. Dr. Ballentine, the Institute's president and director of the Combined Therapy Program, explains that human beings have the potential to do "all kinds of things, like move our bodies at will from one place to another, or be aware of what people are thinking on the other side of the earth, or inner states of consciousness that take us to the future and the past." But the siddhis can be an ego trap. Tall and imposing, he had the sleek look of a successful man in his late 50s, at the peak of his power. 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. 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. 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. Brian didn't believe his teacher, and he spoke with several other Institute administrators and board members about Rose's claim of abuse. Here is her report. Residents staff the Institute's administration, bookstores, and other small businesses, including Himalayan Publishers and Distributors and an elementary school. 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. Williams, however, did not sue Nuernberger himself; she sued the clinic where he worked, alleging that the clinic "knew or should have known" that Nuernberger was engaging in harmful sexual activity while treating her. During that time, neither of them would see any other, and she should never tell anyone. Brian and Terry say her family members at the Institute harassed her by mail and by telephone, with accusations that she had "a habit of inducing this sort of behavior from men.". "The person wanted something, and the other person did not agree to fulfill their desires," he says. Most of the Institute's programs are open to the general public. Pandit Tigunait holds two doctorates: one in Sanskrit from the University of Allahabad, India, and one in Oriental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. In order to believe in his perfection, they must rationalize behavior that others would judge to be tyrannical, cruel, or self-indulgent. "If the guru's instruction leads to a deeper peace, freedom from conflict, a deepening of meditation, harmony in relationships - all of these. "I only needed one person to corroborate my experience," Megan says now. "This sudden animosity indicates that there is something fishy in the statement of this person. This was not true! Carolyn,* an old friend, called me collect. A week later, Megan blew the lid off Swami Rama's private life, confirming what Carolyn already knew in her heart. Put that letter in the 'goofy file.'" A leader in the field of yoga, meditation, spirituality, and holistic health, the Himalayan Institute is dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian . Relax, restore, and nourish yourself with a wellness retreat. 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. Finally, she obtained his permission. In March 1978, she says, Swami Rama came to Glenview and initiated her. But sexual contact between a guru and his disciples is not regulated by any professional association of religious hierarchy. Carolyn says she told him no, it "just didn't feel right." On January 24 of that year, a jury awarded $15,000 in actual damages and $50,000 in punitive damages to Barbara Marston, who had sued psychologist Philip Nuernberger for engaging in "sexually intimate behavior" with her during therapy sessions. My father certainly had sex, and that's why I was born, so will I lose faith in my father? She could not control her emotions, he could not talk to her! Only recently has she acknowledged her anger at Swami Rama. toshiba tv screen goes black after a few minutes. A saint is a person who does what he says." 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. 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. 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. He is supposed to have been raised by Sri Madhavananda Bharati in the sacred caves and monasteries of the Himalayan sages. [2] [ But to accept a tuition-free second year, or even to leave the Institute quietly, Megan says, would have meant giving tacit approval to the continuing exploitation. Talk to her blew the lid off Swami Rama 's private life, confirming what Carolyn already knew her... Believe his teacher, and other small businesses, including time, neither of them see! Her husband course of study and Get certified in the authentic teachings of yoga and techniques. 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