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. A rash of articles featuring Swami Rama appeared in national magazines, including Time, People, and Playboy. All of them had something to offer, but no spiritual path inspired her to make an exclusive commitment. In mid-autumn, the day came for Swami Rama's annual trip to India. . 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. Everyone said you had to surrender to the guru, so she would simply have to follow through with whatever he ordered her to do. He goes on to tell me another story about a woman who claimed that Swami Rama "had come in his subtle body through the air conditioner to her bedroom, and that that's how this intimacy had transpired." She says he told her to finish her college degree at the University of Scranton while remaining at the Institute. Encyclopedia.com. Swami Rama made Carolyn his appointments secretary in August also. A short time later, Swami Rama let her go as his secretary-because, she says he told her, she didn't really want the job. Many of Swami Rama's followers are still young and nave, unskilled in comprehending and interpreting their own "inner experience"-and they entrust their spiritual yearnings to his care. The cancer specialist said it was cancer of this organ or that. 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. Dr. Ballentine doesn't believe any of the stories, and when I ask if he's ever talked to Swami Rama about them, he answers, """Oh sure, and he's shown me his file, of " He doesn't finish the sentence. When I asked Pandit Arya about the allegations of sexual abuse, he admits that he was very disturbed when he first heard them. "I will not tolerate anyone propagating malicious stories about the Institute or its founder on the Institute's own property," Dr. Ballcntine's letter says. 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. There she learned Swami Rama's style of "super-conscious" meditation, which she describes as a basic, impersonal training in mental concentration. (Sarada Devi was later deified and is still considered a saint by devotees who treat her as the Divine Mother. She began talking about Swami Rama's exploitative behavior with anyone who would listen, especially women who she thought were being victimized. . The Institute's "scientific" approach to yoga has made it a success, attracting long-term spiritual disciples as well as large numbers of people who merely want a boost for their psychological or physical well being. Swami Rama taught yoga, meditation, spirituality, and holistic health as vehicles to eliminate the gap between human hearts and different religious and ethnic groups. 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. Interview with Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD. A Practical Guide to Holistic Health. It is sad to lose what we care about in life. Carolyn,* an old friend, called me collect. She renewed her acquaintance with her former meditation teachers and started taking classes in Glenview, Illinois, at the Institute's original headquarters. Swami Vivekananda became afflicted with throat cancer and gave up his body on 16th August 1886. Minneapolis was the site of another Institute-related scandal in 1981. 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). 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. 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. Swami Rama Society, Inc, 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. I might doubt my own perception, I might doubt my own eyes, but I cannot doubt that strength which has given me everything.". So far 2 volumes of memoirs by different disciples have been published by Swami Rama Centre at the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust in Dehradun. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. I informed him that I had interviewed women who sought him out because they respected him and trusted him to be interested in the truth. Honesdale, Pa.: Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, 1978. [3] This was one of the first convictions of a yoga guru for unlawful sexual activity with a devotee. 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. That day Rose returned to New York City, and within 48 hours she had quit her job and gone to stay with a friend in Texas. 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. Since she had taken over, everything had been put in order. But my Gurudeva has left his body. But it is also common in the thought-control techniques of totalitarian states. Mantra is a spiritual guide that dispels the fear of death and leads one fearlessly to the other shore of life. What a foolish woman! Kamapukur, India When people typically hear this they wonder, . When she asked him what she should do with the love letters, she says, Swami Rama would laugh and say, "Oh, these goofy 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. [34] [35] [36] Slavery She would start with handling the appointments and then she would make his plane reservations, scheduling lecture tours. Mr. Mitchell found background "whispers" with statements such as: " the poison is going down," " push real hard it is going down him," " poisoning for a long time," " he's gonna die," " yes, a heart attack time," " the poison is in you Srila Prabhupada," followed by, " he's going under," and so on and so forth. Now Megan says that in a different atmosphere, she would have immethately recognized Swami Rama's behavior as sexual harassment or "sadistic manipulation." One woman Institute member, who was desperate to talk with someone but afraid to give her name, called twice. Surrender only leads to enlightenment if the "guru within" is strong and well developed. [7][8] He was seen to be able to produce different brain waves at will. He told her he was writing a book of poetry for her, and he offered to find her a husband. Ramakrishna, originally called Gadadhar Chatterji or Gadadhar Chattopadhyaya, (born February 18, 1836, Hooghly [now Hugli], Bengal state, Indiadied August 16, 1886, Calcutta [now Kolkata]), Hindu religious leader, founder of the school of religious thought that became the Ramakrishna Order. 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. Relationships are the first test of spirituality. Because I do not want to find out. Then she dropped her body in complete consciousness. 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. He replied: I am very well, sonny. Only recently has she acknowledged her anger at Swami Rama. Residents are expected to donate a large portion of their labor, and they must sacrifice personal freedoms and privacy. Finally I found an opportunity to broach the topic of the lawsuit with Carolyn. Each of the women I interviewed described how he would discern her particular needs and self-doubts and manipulate her spiritual beliefs or naivet in order to exploit her sexually-he has an uncanny ability to suit his approach to each victim, they say. I have personally witnessed yogis casting off the body consciously on many occasions. 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? [2], In 1969 he went to the United States, where he gave lectures in temples and churches, and taught Hatha yoga in YMCAs and in private homes. 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. With his last name he left his body around 1958. * "Nirvana was up at his cabin, walking his dog at 5:30 in the morning, and Megan was with him day and night." Well-to-do New Yorkers flock to Honesdale on weekends for seminars in stress reduction, meditation, and health and nutrition. Maybe it's an honor that this great yogi asked me of all his students to serve him in this way. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). 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. I just don't know that it makes sense to go run around trying to evaluate other people, when you haven't evaluated yourself.". 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.". Notable teachers he encountered included Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Sri Aurobindo, and Sri Ramana Maharshi. Or, in the words of Rudolph Ballentine, M.D., president of the Himalayan Institute and Swami Rama's designated successor, "to take the wisdom of the ancients and couch it in terms that are intelligible to modern man.". At the same time, she felt anxious, because she'd seen how severe Swami Rama could be with those closest to him. He says he was only directly confronted once-the rest has been hearsay. That one gesture unleashed a storm of long-suppressed emotions. He claimed that he was raised somewhere in the monasteries and holy caves of the Himalayas by his personal guru or master Sri Madhavananda Bharati. 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." In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. During those days I was very anxious to know this mystery, termed parakaya pravesha. Meanwhile, the couple says, they discovered more evidence of illicit activity. The Swami, she says, bragged to a crowd of disciples that the woman would do whatever he told her, then put his dog's collar and leash around her neck and walked her back and forth, while the others laughed. Tibetan Buddhism 3 She recalls that she blushed as she forced out the words: "I think you have been sleeping with other women." But after they started saying all these things, I never trusted them anymore. 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. 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. In March 1978, she says, Swami Rama came to Glenview and initiated her. [2] He further claimed to have gained degree-level qualifications from an Indian school of homeopathic medicine, the University of Hamburg, Utrecht University, and finally the University of Oxford. I was counting years. Since the early 1970s, women have been claiming sexual abuse at the hands of this prominent spiritual teacher. She was dreamy! Otherwise there would be no need for this person to propagate this whole story.". Through her sympathy for what appeared to be his plight, and disarmed by his jokes, she says she allowed him to cajole her until she let her defenses down. We were to fly out on 17th December 1980. This is how Rama avatar died He then walked into the Sarayu River and took the form of Ananta Sesha. At age 23 Ramakrishna married Sarada Devi, a five-year-old girl, but, because of his advocacy of celibacy, the marriage was never consummated, even though they remained together until his death. Meanwhile, Swami Rama had appointed her as registrar of the graduate program, replacing a long-time woman disciple who was being kicked out of the Institute for no apparent reason. 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. Answer (1 of 12): Swami Vivekananda was a perfect Yogi, He had all the powers to cure Himself as well as others. various ghats (steps to the water). Himalayan Institute, RR 1. The daughter of an alcoholic, she longed for guidance from a spiritual authority figure. Dr. Ballentine, who says he stuthed psychology at the Sorbonne and completed his training in psychiatry at Louisiana State University, defends Nuernberger. Here is her report. He bragged about his sumptuous homes in India and Japan and about his shopping sprees for designer clothes, she says. Turning East in the Twin Cities: Converts and Movements in the 1970s. After he had, as she describes it, "had sex on my body," she took a blanket into the other room and slept on the floor. But the publicity surrounding the Menninger Foundation experiments gained Swami Rama an enviable "scientific" credibility in the eyes of the general public. In one context as found in Atharva Veda, as stated by Monier Monier-Williams, means "dark, dark-colored, black" and is related . 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). You're bound to get mixed up. Who? He laughed, Megan says, and told her that the women didn't know what they were weeding. Five minutes before her death she called all the family members and blessed them. Shri Swami Rama did not teach any particular religious doctrine but his teachings aimed at transforming individuals by inspiring them to take charge of their own lives through discipline and strong willpower. At some point, we ran into Swami Rama in a hallway. //]]>. At the age of twenty-four, the story goes that he was given the position of Shankaracharya of Karvirpitham . But the University of Scranton didn't offer a degree program in Carolyn's area of study, so she saw a way to rationalize leaving the Institute while still saving face; she could still be considered a good disciple if she cold get the guru's blessing to go away to college. [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. Pandit Rajmani says he also has concrete reasons to know that Swami Rama could not be sleeping with his disciples. If somehow Pandit Rajmani were forced to acknowledge that the women were telling the truth, would this shatter his faith in the guru? A producer for "60 Minutes" was reportedly unable to complete her documentary on Swami Rama when the women involved backed out and refused to appear on camera. Please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Following on the heels of Karen's and her friend's revelations, several other women and men left the Meditation Center in Minneapolis. He was Kala deva himself disguised in a sadhu's form. The Healing Network (former Himalayan Institute members), BO. We heard nothing from him after he left the USA. "By their fruits you shall know them," he says, paraphrasing the Bible. I brought one, personally cut it with a sharp blade into three parts, and scattered them at a distance of ten feet. But the purified ego is a means in discriminating real Self from not-self-real Self from mere self. 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. ", Pandit Arya is not so reluctant as Dr. Ballentine to articulate is how one can recognize a worthy guru. After a bit, she was inclined to dismiss his behavior as a joke or a "test.". by Swami Veda Bharati, Glory to All Saints (interview) -- Swami Veda Bharati, Parents, Children, and Spirituality by Swami Rama, 50 Kids in a Memorable 4-day Program by David Rodrigo, Yes! 20/20 20 Deciding his fate It is also said that Rama knew. Those who do so," she says, "are responsible for the continuing abuse. I must go. We watched his body steadily in pain and looking emaciated, but still tall and erect with no sign of any sadness on him; always inspiring, guiding the final phases of the hospital construction. 'In one mirror there was one face. To view the video Swami Rama: Hansda Ashram, Nepal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHwDV9UeyfE, Why Did He Not Heal Himself? These volumes give out numerous examples of the ways in which Gurudeva Swami Rama guided the sincere disciples. Box 400, Honesdale, PA 18431: (717) 253-5551. From an early age he was raised in the Himalayas by his master Bengali Baba and, under the guidance of his master, traveled from temple to temple and studied with a variety of Himalayan . [2][11] The journalist Katharine Webster stated in Yoga Journal in 1990 that women had since the early 1970s made claims of sexual abuse against him, and that since the matter had never been investigated, she had spent two years researching it. She recalls that he said they would become very close, their bodies would come together, and then they would part. 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. Peter Rutter's Sex in the Forbidden Zone is available through YJs Book & Tape Source on page 78. One of these was in Minneapolis. They then informed Sarkar who arrived late next morning. His poems reveal his creative genius and lofty ideals. 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." [CDATA[ She loved him like "a second father," she says, "and the real tragedy is that this is how our relationship ended. '"My dear,"' she says her counselor told her, "You sound just like a sexually abused child, a little girl whose Daddy told you never to tell anyone.". Tall and imposing, he had the sleek look of a successful man in his late 50s, at the peak of his power. Ramakrishna, now alone, prayed for a vision of Kali-Ma (Kali the Mother), whom he worshipped as the supreme manifestation of God. Together we ate superb vegetarian meals in the Institute's dining commons and chanted evening prayers. The Great Raman Maharshi died of cancer. At the same time, Carolyn is trying to understand how her family background and conditioning contributed to her victimization. The Institute's program is no longer accredited by the University of Scranton. Retrieved April 12, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/rama-swami-1925-1996. 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. The Ramakrishna Order also played an important role in the spread of Hindu ideas and practices in the West, particularly in the United States. mother Sita, that she split up the ground and was absorbed into the earth, but when the question was asked when Lord Rama died, Swami Satyendra Dasji says that the description of Lord Rama's going to heaven can be found in Valmiki Ramayana. https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/rama-swami-1925-1996, "Rama, Swami (1925-1996) Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Visions of Kali or other deities brought ecstasy and peace; he once described Kali as a limitless, infinite, effulgent ocean of spirit.. Carolyn's and Susan's letters also challenged the Institute's professional staff on ethical grounds. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. And she was afraid to leave in her old car because a freezing rainstorm had covered all the roads with ice. But ultimately he chose to believe Swami Rama. 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. But he did not cure himself of the diabetes he took on from someone. His best known work is Living With Himalayan Masters; the cultural historian Alistair Shearer calls it "an influential autobiography". The guru spoiled them, they say, calling them his spiritual son and daughter, and soon invited them to come live in Pennsylvania. In August, Carolyn says, Swami Rama told her to meet him in New York City for the next step in her spiritual training. Put that letter in the 'goofy file.'" Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. He performs ritual prayers, dresses in his armor, and when he's dressed, he looks very heroic. We all wondered if we would ever see him again. Several months later, the two couples met up again. [2][7], Widely reported in the mainstream media, he acquired a reputation for achieving remarkable psychosomatic states; the New York Times journalist and author William J. 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. The Hindus draw out the liquid and call it jal. On the occasion of his death anniversary, read a few things related to Swami Vivekananda . 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. Some stay longer, for a few weeks or months in the Self-Transformation retreat program. Because that's my whole life Even if I found out - how can I find out? And she would help him write books. Hughes wrote Dr. Ballentine a letter on May 22, 1989, quoting Gandhi-Truth itself helps me when I commit mistakes. Lectures on Yoga. Swami died on 14 November 1977 at the age of 81, in Vrindavan, India. 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. In a few months time she would handle his bank account, income taxes, everything. ." Yet the women never seemed to complain about such treatment, Megan says. When she did not, the young priest sank into despair. Megan recalls that in one of her first encounters with Swami Rama, she watched as he humiliated a quiet, withdrawn woman resident. She thanked me, but assured me I had no reason for concern. 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. Swami Vivekananda died of diabetes. During a series of biofeedback experiments in 1970 and 1971, Drs. Swami Rama's claims to this spiritual background have been questioned by some of his former students. "The real guru is within," Dr. Ballentine says, "that still small voice within you." He replied, At a certain time I have to leave my body. 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 nareotics, sexual immorality, fraudulent financial dealings, and "affliction with [a] psychopathic personality." Rama, Swami. The headquarters of the mission is in Belur Math, a monastery near Kolkata. 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. As an enlightened being, he is thought to be beyond the judgment of ordinary mortals, their laws and morality. Wisdom must show itself in action and lovingness." Gurus were supposed to have conquered their desires, but in the spiritual literature they were often portrayed as contradictory, tricking their disciples into enlightenment. Growing up in Calcutta in Bengal, https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/rama-swami-1925-1996, Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the U.S.A. She believes Swami Rama was trying to buy her collusion, as he had bought the collusion of the Institute's staff and many residents. 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. Ramakrishna died around 9-9.30pm on the night of August 15, 1886. Every time he saw her, she says, he told her she was "perfect," as if she had passed some important test. He told her to lie to the residential program director and say that she planned to visit a relative, and he gave her $100 to cover the cost of the trip. 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. Rose spent the next six months moving from place to place, terrified that the Institute network would track her down. His devotees hovered near the ashram's entrance, hoping for final instructions or a blessing from the guru. No one had thoroughly investigated, until journalist Katharine Webster decided to spend two years researching their allegations. Know them, '' she says, `` that still small voice within you ''..., several other women and men left the USA ) 253-5551 the Forbidden Zone is available through YJs &... Leave my body his power ritual prayers, dresses in his late 50s, at a distance ten... 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