Immerse yourself in a life-changing course of study and get certified in the authentic teachings of yoga and meditation. Experts and some inside the system say that in justifying its decision, UC perpetuated outdated claims about online learning. Each time the Institute's top professionals have been confronted with complaints that Swami Rama is abusing his position, institutional mechanisms of denial have come to the guru's aid. The original creator of the neti pot, the Himalayan Institute has been offering traditional and modern products for health and spirituality since 1971. 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. https://himalayaninstitute.start.page || Yoga. 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. Discover our new online platform for community, courses, and content. Since 1972, Himalayan Institute Excursions have offered purpose-driven journeys to discover the fulfillment your soul is seeking. Immerse yourself in a life-changing course of study and get certified in the authentic teachings of yoga and meditation. Pandit Rajmani Tigunait is the resident spiritual director of the Honesdale ashram, as well as a member of the Institute's teaching staff. Relationships are the first test of spirituality. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. First, Robert Tuttle of The Reason Files 2 is reporting the same thing I am hearing from multiple sources. Swami Rama's claims to this spiritual background have been questioned by some of his former students. His response: "Listen, there are certain things which are based on witnesses-those are facts. But the siddhis can be an ego trap. Our endeavors are distinguished by their living connection to an ancient wisdom tradition of the Himalayan Masters, expressed through a unique offering of online and in-person mission programs. "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. She recalls that she blushed as she forced out the words: "I think you have been sleeping with other women." Pandit Tigunait holds two doctorates: one in Sanskrit from the University of Allahabad, India, and one in Oriental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. 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. As an enlightened being, he is thought to be beyond the judgment of ordinary mortals, their laws and morality. Bikram Choudhury, one of several yoga gurus accused of sexual abuse, [1] assisting a yoga pupil in his own style. We inspire, educate, and. Residents staff the Institute's administration, bookstores, and other small businesses, including Himalayan Publishers and Distributors and an elementary school. Sexual abuse by yoga gurus is the exploitation of the position of trust occupied by a master of any branch of yoga for personal sexual pleasure. 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. 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 humanitarian projects serve impoverished communities through rural empowerment and environmental regeneration. What a foolish woman! 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. Why did Carolyn say these things? Enrich your practice through the wisdom of the Himalayan Tradition, found in our online community and digital library, with new content added every week. 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. At the Himalayan Yoga Institute we believe in providing you with a broad yogic education to empower you to make the best possible choices for your students and create a modern yoga class that respects yoga's traditions and foundation while taking into account the unique personal needs of your students. He told her he was writing a book of poetry for her, and he offered to find her a husband. When Carolyn had to work, I attended classes in Hatha yoga or read. We partner with rural communities to provide health services, public libraries, and sustainable employment opportunities. After dismissing the other workers, she says he repeated the familiar litany, but this time he slipped in a new message. 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.". Our various programms address all aspects of a meditator's life because all of life has an effect on meditation. 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. The original creator of the neti pot, the Himalayan Institute has been offering traditional and modern products for health and spirituality since 1971. No one can expand his consciousness if he remains egotistical. 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. 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. 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. "Unpurified ego is an evil which obstructs one's own progress. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Read More "Believing such stories means disbelieving in myself. "Even if I found out-how can I find out? Some stay longer, for a few weeks or months in the Self-Transformation retreat program. Put that letter in the 'goofy file.'" Most of the women who say they were abused by Swami Rama express feelings of fear, frustration, and betrayal. 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. 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. 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. 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. "Nirvana is one," Carolyn says she told him. Community, Courses, and Content. When another married couple who were their friends and fellow students left the ashram suddenly, Karen wrote to them asking why. After a sleepless night, she said she snuck out at 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. and drove to Brian and Terry's empty house in Honesdale. In a few months time she would handle his bank account, income taxes, everything. 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. Well-to-do New Yorkers flock to Honesdale on weekends for seminars in stress reduction, meditation, and diet and nutrition. When Swami Rama returned from India two months later, Carolyn resumed working as his appointments secretary during the day, and, she says, as his sexual servant on some nights. Authentic Ashram Living 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. At about the same time, Carolyn was accepted into the residential program at East West Books Chicago, the Institute's downtown branch. 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. Our community is held together by dedicated students of the Himalayan Tradition, who value the principles of universal respect and collective responsibility. Burnett is a postdoctoral fellow in Houston's department of education leadership and . During her first eight months at the Institute, Megan was able to pursue her studies, but her situation altered dramatically when Swami Rama returned to take up summer residence. 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. They would travel together to England. 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. But during the next three weeks, she says, she saw the Swami mistreating his disciples, especially the women, on a daily basis-yelling at them, ridiculing them, ordering them around, and occasionally kicking a woman in the buttocks when she was on her hands and knees weeding. Marston's lawsuit, he says, was an act of revenge. HIT ranked under Top Commerce Colleges in All India by The Week 2022. Early the next morning, she says, he announced to her that she was going to leave; he never set up the promised program. Then, later on, when the right man came along, she would marry and be very happy. Its mission, according to the Articles of Incorporation, was "to make known to the members and people in general the real, synthetic, and harmonious view of world religions and philosophy in terms of modern scientific achievements and undertake researches for all around ethical, social, economical, and spiritual development of humanity to attain world peace, international integration, understanding, and spiritual awakening of the human race." 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. Our Honesdale campus continues to be home to a service-driven community of yogis, volunteers, and faculty-in-residence. Yet the women never seemed to complain about such treatment, Megan says. Carolyn,* an old friend, called me collect. I just don't know that it makes sense to go run around trying to evaluate other people, when you haven't evaluated yourself.". 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. 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. Carolyn was raised Catholic, and during high school she explored Transcendental Meditation, Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, and the "Jesus freak" movement. -- Swami Rama, "Living With the Himalayan Masters". Ayurvedic treatments, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and integrative health services at PureRejuv Wellness Center. Residents are expected to donate a large portion of their labor, and they must sacrifice personal freedoms and privacy. She became outraged at the residents and the professional staff who enable and legitimized the Swami's behavior. But the purified ego is a means in discriminating real Self from not-self-real Self from mere self. Teaching since 1971, the Himalayan Institute offers a wide variety of wellness supplies. Back; 2022 Clean Water and Public Health Fund; Make a Donation; Blog; Search for: Log in . He backed off, Megan says, while telling her that sex wasn't necessary-she could be his special student. 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. Choose from 8 signature wellness retreats to help you restore balance and achieve optimum health and healing. 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. The chapter on the Meditation Center in Patricia Darling's dissertation details the growth of the center and the subsequent disillusionment of many of Pandit Arya's students with his new guru. At the same time, she says, he offered her money and told her he wanted to put her in his will. The institute has branches in the United States, Europe, and India. 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. 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. Cons Not one that I can see. 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. Numerous former students say they left the Institute because they were sexually exploited by Swami Rama or knew someone who was. Live online programs, on-demand courses, and hundreds of yoga and meditation classes. Minneapolis was the site of another Institute-related scandal in 1981. She believes Swami Rama was trying to buy her collusion, as he had bought the collusion of the Institute's staff and many residents. Carolyn went away to college at the end of that year, as her parents expected. 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. But one by one, Trescelli says, the women backed down and decided not to pursue legal action. The original creator of the neti pot, the Himalayan Institute has been offering traditional and modern products for health and spirituality since 1971. 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. They enjoy spending their free time adventuring, camping, exploring, and creating memories together. Elmer and Alyce Green observed that Swami Rama could produce different brain waves at will, including theta and delta (sleep) waves, while remaining aware of his environment. 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. That was why he wanted her to be his secretary. During my weekend visit, Carolyn and I took long walks on the Institute's wooded grounds while talking about her compulsive eating patterns and her disastrous relationships with men suggested as possible husbands by Swami Rama. Now Megan says that in a different atmosphere, she would have immediately recognized Swami Rama's behavior as sexual harassment or "sadistic manipulation." Who We Are; What We Do; Where We Work. Join us in serving a tradition that has served the world selflessly for untold ages. Spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute, Pandit Tigunait is the successor of Swami Rama of the Himalayas. Finally I found an opportunity to broach the topic of the lawsuit with Carolyn. A pearl necklace that Brian had bought from Swami Rama as an "investment" was appraised at roughly one-third of the $100,000 he had paid for it. The Swami Rama died in 1996 at the age of 69. Who? No, he says: "Even if it happened, what's the big deal?& People say that Mahatma Gandhi& slept with women. 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. Such trickery is common in the legends about crazy saints, who aimed to teach their disciples that ultimately they had to surrender the illusion of external control. 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. But ultimately he chose to believe Swami Rama. 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. Had Nirvana said anything? He must see something special in me.'" 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. Swami Rama called a meeting to defend himself. At the same time, she felt anxious, because she'd seen how severe Swami Rama could be with those closest to him. The two couples referred to this statement in a petition to the FBI: they asked the FBI to investigate the threat letter and argued that Swami Rama could be deported by the Immigration and Naturalization Service as an undesirable alien on four grounds: possession of narcotics, sexual immorality, fraudulent financial dealings, and "affliction with [a] psychopathic personality." The 10-campus system closes a loophole that could have let undergraduates piece together a degree. A world leader in yoga, meditation, and holistic health, we are dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. Health Clinics Health Education Public Libraries School of Carpentry 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?" By this time Carolyn had gained 25 pounds from binging on sweets. Since its inception in 1971, the Himalayan Institute has been at the leading edge of personal and social transformation. 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. 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. Cameroon Himalayan Institute Cameroon Cameroon is in the midst of conflict. Now she says that those who have allowed the abuses to continue unchecked are responsible for destroying the Institute's integrity. ALL NEW! How could she be the only one who realized what was going on? See the article in its original context from. Ultimately, the woman had revealed the liaison to her husband. Hadn't he taken vows of celibacy? Nestled in the rolling hills of the Poconos, our stunning 400-acre campus is a gathering place for seekers from around the globe. But the followers of such "enlightened" men are usually reluctant to find fault with them, since to do so could invalidate the students' own years of study and devotion. I ask him. Rose spent the next six months moving from place to place, terrified that the Institute network would track her down. Residents staff the Institute's administration, bookstores, and other small businesses, including Himalayan Publishers and Distributors and an elementary school. Born in Northern India, he was raised from early childhood by the Himalayan sage, Bengali Baba. Expert wellness consultations direct to your home. Tall and imposing, he had the sleek look of a successful man in his late 50s, at the peak of his power. In May, Swami Rama visited the area again. The Himalayan Institute community reaches across the entire globe. But sexual contact between a guru and his disciples is not regulated by any professional association of religious hierarchy. 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