February 27, 2023. 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. Cameroon Himalayan Institute Cameroon Cameroon is in the midst of conflict. By this time Carolyn had gained 25 pounds from binging on sweets. 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. The lawsuit I heard rumors about in New York City never materialized. She says he instructed her in how to give him pleasure and admonished her to always tell him that she had received pleasure, even thought she never did. 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." She was dreamy! The Institute's program is no longer accredited by the University of Scranton. 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. 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. 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. He must see something special in me.'" Patricia Trescelli, and attorney with Parker, Chapin, Flattau, and Klimpel, agreed to consult with the women concerning possible legal action on a pro bono basis. Meditation. 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. Ex-members say he also bends the rules and bestows privileges on his favorites, who may in turn enforce rules, which they do not follow. 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. 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. 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. One of the greatest adepts, teachers, writers, and humanitarians of the 20th century, Swami Rama (19251996) is the founder of the Himalayan Institute. He says that Nuernberger's one mistake has "ruined his life, in essence, which is really too bad.". He bragged about his sumptuous homes in India and Japan and about his shopping sprees for designer clothes, she says. There she learned Swami Rama's style of "super-conscious" meditation, which she describes as a basic, impersonal training in mental concentration. Carolyn says she spent years blaming herself and trying to rationalize away what she now regards as sexual abuse. 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. Back; 2022 Clean Water and Public Health Fund; Make a Donation; Blog; Search for: Log in . https://himalayaninstitute.start.page || Yoga. Swami Rama called a meeting to defend himself. Publications Health Products Explore high-quality, unique, practice-enhancing products made for yogis everywhere. Companies Himalayan Institute Tell us how to improve this page Relax, restore, and nourish yourself with a wellness retreat. 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. Check our website! 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. 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. At the same time as he dismissed her, Swami Rama also gave her a Sanskrit name. Pandit Rajmani says he also has concrete reasons to know that Swami Rama could not be sleeping with his disciples. 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. 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. 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.". And Carolyn's residential Program supervisor told her that the scandal was "a big test for all of us and a cleansing for the Institute-we'll see who stays.". But within the Institute, she says, everyone else seemed to accept the guru's sexually suggestive behavior and humiliation of women. 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. 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. In 1971 Swami Rama founded the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in order to create the means to scientifically verify, document, publish, and teach the experiences of his ancient heritage. At bottom, however, she believed her feelings didn't matter. He laughed, Megan says, and told her that the women didn't know what they were weeding. But the Institute does not teach the mastery of such powers in its programs, instead focusing on yoga practices with more immediate practical application. HIT ranked under Top Commerce Colleges in All India by The Week 2022. Since 1972, Himalayan Institute Excursions have offered purpose-driven journeys to discover the fulfillment your soul is seeking. I mean, he's giving you the teachings and you're going to use the teachings to evaluate him? At a young age, Swami Rama is supposed to have been appointed Shankaracharya of Karvirpitham, an exalted spiritual post. 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. 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. Pandit Arya radiates calm as he speaks. In March 1978, she says, Swami Rama came to Glenview and initiated her. 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. The daughter of an alcoholic, she longed for guidance from a spiritual authority figure. The jury called the abuse "spiritual incest . 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. Swami Rama made Carolyn his appointments secretary in August also. A week later, Megan blew the lid off Swami Rama's private life, confirming what Carolyn already knew in her heart. Who? Yet the women never seemed to complain about such treatment, Megan says. What a foolish woman! Go to Top. But something, which is truth, cannot be falsified by having one hundred witnesses. Swami Rama, whose legal name is Brij Keshore Kumar, was born in 1925 in Uttar Pradesh, according to his official biography, parts of which appeared in the March/April 1990 issue of Yoga Journal. Swami Rama is supposed to have freed himself from the bonds of karma. Within a sect the guru's authority is often absolute: he rules from the pinnacle of the institutional hierarchy. Despite this, our rural empowerment programs continue to thrive and grow as we work towards our goal of fighting poverty, illiteracy, and inequality through education, health care, and job creation. Himalayan Institute Online Our new online platform for community, courses, and content. The victim's confusion and loss of trust are compounded when her community refuses to acknowledge her suffering. Had anyone spoken to her? Carolyn felt important, entitled to be there because she was one of his secretaries. The original creator of the neti pot, the Himalayan Institute has been offering traditional and modern products for health and spirituality since 1971. Although she told an institute official about the assaults and the institute was aware of similar complaints by other women, the complaint said, the center did nothing to stop them. Brian didn't believe his teacher, and he spoke with several other Institute administrators and board members about Rose's claim of abuse. ", Why would the women want to blackmail Swami Rama? Pandit Rajmani Tigunait is the resident spiritual director of the Honesdale ashram, as well as a member of the Institute's teaching staff. She remembers that Swami Rama received love letters from several women; one of two of them even mentioned "your child." 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. Early the next morning, she says, he announced to her that she was going to leave; he never set up the promised program. This seemingly whimsical application of standards demoralized many of the ex-members I spoke with and led many to resent the members of Swami Rama's inner circle. 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. First, Robert Tuttle of The Reason Files 2 is reporting the same thing I am hearing from multiple sources. Rather than being a saint, according to Green, Swami Rama is an advanced yogi and "a mortal with some ego problems.". Nestled in the rolling hills of the Poconos, our stunning 400-acre campus is a gathering place for seekers from around the globe. According to Karen and George, no legal action resulted. Born in Northern India, he was raised from early childhood by the Himalayan sage, Bengali Baba. Meanwhile, Carolyn says, Swami Rama began singling her out for special attention. When they have contacted their friends and former colleagues at the Institute, they have been discounted as liars or labeled "emotionally disturbed." "If the guru's instruction leads to a deeper peace, freedom from conflict, a deepening of meditation, harmony in relationships - all of these. She could not control her emotions, he could not talk to her! At about the same time, Carolyn was accepted into the residential program at East West Books Chicago, the Institute's downtown branch. A system that rewards a particular behavior or person and then arbitrarily ignores or punishes that same behavior or person can quickly lead even healthy individuals to develop profound anxiety and uncertainty-the antithesis of self-confidence. And there is a statement, 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.'" 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. 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. "We were Brahmins in the Institute's caste system," Terry recalls. In daily lectures by the Institute's teachers and in conversation with Swami Rama's disciples, she frequently heard that Swami Rama had a "greater purpose that we couldn't understand," and that he was "beyond morality and judgment. Our new online platform for community, courses, and content. Swami Rama's claims to this spiritual background have been questioned by some of his former students. 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. 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. Nor does Dr. Ballentine mention that in 1977 Nuernberger was formally reprimanded by the Minnesota Board of Psychology for unethical practices stemming from his relationship with a third woman patient. 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. Perfect. He rapidly attracted a following that included many graduate and professional students. That was why he wanted her to be his secretary. Years later, Carolyn told me that four years of discipleship under Swami Rama had taught her to be a successful liar. He also has the integrity to admit that if they were true, it would be very terrible, and a violation of the teaching that says one should treat all women as daughters. The original creator of the neti pot, the Himalayan Institute has been offering traditional and modern products for health and spirituality since 1971. Pandit Arya reportedly alternated between disbelieving and believing the growing number of his female students who told him that Swami Rama had sexually harassed or abused them. Host to HI Mission Programs, seminars as well as private events, we offer five fully equipped practice spaces and comfortable, modern guest amenities. Brian says he refused to tell Rose's story in such an atmosphere. toshiba tv screen goes black after a few minutes. 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? Yoga seminars, retreats, and professional certifications taught by our world-class faculty, designed to bring you the best of an authentic yoga tradition. 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. He and Pandit Rajmani say that a guru is "that which dispels darkness." 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. They are crazy. Ayurveda 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. In the spring of 1983, Swami Rama began to court her again, she says: He told her that she would help him prepare a book of sacred poetry he was writing, and he assured her repeatedly that he would take her to India the following autumn. Every time he saw her, she says, he told her she was "perfect," as if she had passed some important test. 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. I might doubt my own perception, I might doubt my own eyes, but I cannot doubt that strength which has given me everything.". 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." That is, an on-going pattern of power abuse within the guru/student relationship. At the same time, she says, he offered her money and told her he wanted to put her in his will. Carolyn is not alone. 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. Many of those beliefs are based on Hindu and Buddhist teachings about the nature of the guru. A few weeks later she moved to Honesdale. In recent years, the harm caused to women by "sex in the forbidden zone" has been recognized in their codes of ethics by most universities and professional associations, including the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association. The institute has branches in the United States, Europe, and India. Expert wellness consultations direct to your home. No one had thoroughly investigated, until journalist Katharine Webster decided to spend two years researching their allegations. I ask him. Like incest victims, women who say they have been sexually abused by their gurus are sworn to silence by their abusers. Carolyn says the "goofy" letters never got answered. To judge by their price tags, these and other Institute programs must bring in a considerable income. Since she had taken over, everything had been put in order. Spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute, Pandit Tigunait is the successor of Swami Rama of the Himalayas. Instead they deny the experience of the "unenlightened" women who are the guru's victims. Only recently has she acknowledged her anger at Swami Rama. Ayurvedic treatments, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and integrative health services at PureRejuv Wellness Center. 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. 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). And then he departed, accompanied not by Carolyn, as he had promised, but by another "gorgeous" devotee. 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. 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. 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. Teaching since 1971, the Himalayan Institute offers a wide variety of wellness supplies. 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. She began talking about Swami Rama's exploitative behavior with anyone who would listen, especially women who she thought were being victimized. We partner with rural communities to provide health services, public libraries, and sustainable employment opportunities. Dr. Ballentine says he has good reason to think that Marston "was very anxious for [Nuernberger] to go further, and he didn't. Maybe it's an honor that this great yogi asked me of all his students to serve him in this way. Himalayan Institute Buffalo Yoga | Meditation | Wellness Yoga classes and seminars for March - April are now open for registration. 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.". Swami Rama frequently invited them to parties in his private quarters, where they say he entertained them with funny stories and racy gossip. We are happy to bring you a combination of Zoom, In-person, and Hybrid options. -- Swami Rama, "Living With the Himalayan Masters". A saint is a person who does what he says." 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, the Himalayan Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. Most of the Institute's programs are open to the general public. From its beginnings 20 years ago, the Institute has expanded steadily to include some 25 branches and affiliated yoga and holistic health centers in the Midwest, the Northeast, Texas, California, and abroad. 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. Dr. Ballentine says it is "presumptuous" to judge whether or not someone is perfected. The Himalayan Institute community reaches across the entire globe. For a time, she says, she considered getting a pistol to carry to work. "This sudden animosity indicates that there is something fishy in the statement of this person. One of them, along with the other women from the tour group, attended the wedding of Swami Rama's son, although the guru is officially supposed to have been celibate since taking his Swami's vows. At some point, we ran into Swami Rama in a hallway. 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. Pandit Rajmani cannot entertain the notion that the women's stories could be true. 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. The annual congress, held each June, offers a smorgasbord of lectures and "new age" workshops. Become more involved with the projects of the ashram-seminars, residents, the patient program-in time she would be in charge of the whole thing. 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. Meanwhile, the couple says, they discovered more evidence of illicit activity. When I asked Pandit Arya about the allegations of sexual abuse, he admits that he was very disturbed when he first heard them. Shortly after Marston filed her suit in 1978, Nuernberger moved to Honesdale, where he is currently a member of the Institute's teaching staff. Join us for studies in the true meaning of yogaincluding asana, meditation, mantra, tantra, sacred scripture, and the art of joyful living. But one by one, Trescelli says, the women backed down and decided not to pursue legal action. Most rapists threaten women with physical violence. Brian says he did not realize at the time that a conviction for fraud could have lost the Institute its federal tax-exempt status as an educational institution. After a bit, she was inclined to dismiss his behavior as a joke or a "test.". 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. She renewed her acquaintance with her former meditation teachers and started taking classes in Glenview, Illinois, at the Institute's original headquarters. 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. 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. If somehow Pandit Rajmani were forced to acknowledge that the women were telling the truth, would this shatter his faith in the guru? 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. Carolyn remembers being amazed: Could Swami Rama possibly be talking about sex? Under the guidance of his master, he traveled from monastery to monastery and studied with a variety of Himalayan saints and sages, including his grandmaster who was living in a remote region of Tibet. "Unpurified ego is an evil which obstructs one's own progress. Live online programs, on-demand courses, and hundreds of yoga and meditation classes. 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. Carolyn says she told him no, it "just didn't feel right." In private sessions, ex-disciples say, Swami Rama has arranged marriages and instructed disciples to break off relationships. Himalayan Institute locations 3.6 Honesdale, PA Show all locations What's being discussed at Himalayan Institute? Yet she is vulnerable to feeling re-victimized every time her experience is denied or distorted. ", Pandit Arya is not so reluctant as Dr. Ballentine to articulate is how one can recognize a worthy guru. 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. RFP & Business Plan for Dairy Processing Investor/Operator. 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. Himalayan Institute | Honesdale PA Terry, who is now a practicing psychotherapist, says she believes Swami Rama's behavior is compulsive-he can't help it." Nestled in the rolling hills of the Poconos, our stunning 400-acre campus is a gathering place for seekers from around the globe. 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