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? One evening she went out to dinner with Martha*, an old friend from East West Books Chicago. Allegations of such abuse have been made against modern yoga gurus such as Bikram . See the article in its original context from. 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. 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. Who We Are; What We Do; Where We Work. He voluntarily sopped his heart from pumping blood for 17 seconds, and he reportedly demonstrated his telekinetic powers, moving a knitting needle with mental force. Teaching since 1971, the Himalayan Institute offers a wide variety of wellness supplies. Later, many of the women broke out in head-to-toe swelling and rashes from what had in fact been poison ivy roots. 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. No one had thoroughly investigated, until journalist Katharine Webster decided to spend two years researching their allegations. Only recently has she acknowledged her anger at Swami Rama. 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. Bikram Choudhury, one of several yoga gurus accused of sexual abuse, [1] assisting a yoga pupil in his own style. There she learned Swami Rama's style of "super-conscious" meditation, which she describes as a basic, impersonal training in mental concentration. Swami Rama was the founder of the Himalayan Institute. Sanctions on an institution can cause students to look elsewhere for higher education. If somehow Pandit Rajmani were forced to acknowledge that the women were telling the truth, would this shatter his faith in the guru? 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. Rose spent the next six months moving from place to place, terrified that the Institute network would track her down. Yet she is vulnerable to feeling re-victimized every time her experience is denied or distorted. The guru spoiled them, they say, calling them his spiritual son and daughter, and soon invited them to come live in Pennsylvania. When she asked him what she should do with the love letters, she says, Swami Rama would laugh and say, "Oh, these goofy women! 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.". Terry* and Brian* say they were recruited into the Himalayan Institute's inner circle for their wealth and social connections. Yet the Institute's success comes at a high cost for many of those involved. Initially, Brian says, most of the other directors responded with concern. Pandit Tigunait holds two doctorates: one in Sanskrit from the University of Allahabad, India, and one in Oriental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. She remembers that Swami Rama received love letters from several women; one of two of them even mentioned "your child." 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. She specializes in Myotherapy, Deep Tissue, Prenatal, Swedish Relaxation, Sports Therapy, and Hot Stone Massage. 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 . ", Why would the women want to blackmail Swami Rama? 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. In the presence of others, we spoke only of positive or spiritual matters, in the deliberately modulated tones all the residents used. In the mythology of the ashram, the guru is the all-powerful, all-knowing father and the disciples are his spiritual children. 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.". But after they started saying all these things, I never trusted them anymore. Community, Courses, and Content. 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. She became paralyzed by her fear of angering him. Swami Rama is held by his disciples to be a kind of god: He makes up the rules of the game, he can change them at will, and he cannot be judged by them. Experts and some inside the system say that in justifying its decision, UC perpetuated outdated claims about online learning. 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. As an enlightened being, he is thought to be beyond the judgment of ordinary mortals, their laws and morality. "A lot of people have confused the siddhis-the powers to control body, emotions, and mind-with spirituality. The women's fears have aborted projects intended to expose possible exploitation to a wider audience. No, he says: "Even if it happened, what's the big deal?& People say that Mahatma Gandhi& slept with women. But something, which is truth, cannot be falsified by having one hundred witnesses. Surrender only leads to enlightenment if the "guru within" is strong and well developed. 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. Born in Northern India, he was raised from early childhood by the Himalayan sage, Bengali Baba. The scandal convinced Carolyn not to reveal her own secret, she says; she was learning that the Institute administration dealt with such accusations by smearing the women's reputations. The same spirit of community and service that fuels our headquarters in Honesdale, PA, can be found in these dedicated affiliate centers of practice. Like incest victims, women who say they have been sexually abused by their gurus are sworn to silence by their abusers. 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. RFP & Business Plan for Dairy Processing Investor/Operator. she remembers him demanding. Megan says she squelched an urge to speak out, instead deciding, like most of the Institute's residents, to suspend judgment so she could "understand and learn" from this "great master." 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. 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. It is a mistake to judge the external guru's worthiness by his behavior; instead, the student should look inside and determine whether that person is helping dispel the darkness of her ignorance. "This sudden animosity indicates that there is something fishy in the statement of this person. Terry, who is now a practicing psychotherapist, says she believes Swami Rama's behavior is compulsive-he can't help it." Megan* started the Institute's graduate program in Eastern studies in the fall of 1982. He said, "We must build a center of life which will be an important bridge between East . Read More ALL NEW! 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.". Nestled in the rolling hills of the Poconos, our stunning 400-acre campus is a gathering place for seekers from around the globe. Himalayan Meditation Institute is dedicated to providing authentic and transformative training in the art and science of meditation. 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. 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. 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). It was years more before she felt she had the right to be angry at her spiritual family, the staff and residents of the Institute who, she says, denied the signs of abuse all around them. 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. Companies Himalayan Institute Tell us how to improve this page He reportedly sat down on a chair next to her bed and proceeded to make sexual advances. 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