himalayan institute scandal

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. But something, which is truth, cannot be falsified by having one hundred witnesses. Cons Not one that I can see. She was thrilled; it was commonly believed at the Institute that the fastest way to reach enlightenment was to spend as much time as possible in the presence of the guru. He says that Swami Rama has been his guru since he was a child in India, and that he came to the U.S. at Swami Rama's request to head up the Honesdale ashram. She never received a response. In such a situation, she says, the whole system becomes sick and no one can see the light: "There's no truth allowed; it's a no-talk rule.". In the mythology of the ashram, the guru is the all-powerful, all-knowing father and the disciples are his spiritual children. Similarly, gurus in the Buddhist and Hindu traditions are supposed to be examples of self-mastery and right living. 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. She would live with him in the house he was buying. 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. 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.". Megan went through a brief but painful and confusing time during which she doubted her own feelings and perceptions. At bottom, however, she believed her feelings didn't matter. But within the Institute, she says, everyone else seemed to accept the guru's sexually suggestive behavior and humiliation of women. Over the past 15 or 20 years, numerous spiritual teachers have admitted to, or been charged with, having sexually exploitative relationships with their female students. Several months later, the two couples met up again. A world leader in yoga, meditation, and holistic health, we are dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. "The person wanted something, and the other person did not agree to fulfill their desires," he says. 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. ALL NEW! 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. 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. Under New York State law, according to Trescelli, a woman who does not get a medical exam or report the incident to police within a limited period of time has little chance of obtaining a conviction. She walked around New York City for hours, until it was time for her bus to return to Honesdale. The Institute's program is no longer accredited by the University of Scranton. Explore our integrative health services & therapeutic treatments to help restore your natural state of well-being. Carolyn is not alone. Residents staff the Institute's administration, bookstores, and other small businesses, including Himalayan Publishers and Distributors and an elementary school. 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. 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. A week later, Megan blew the lid off Swami Rama's private life, confirming what Carolyn already knew in her heart. 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. 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. Allegations of such abuse have been made against modern yoga gurus such as Bikram . 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 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. The guru spoiled them, they say, calling them his spiritual son and daughter, and soon invited them to come live in Pennsylvania. My father certainly had sex, and that's why I was born, so will I lose faith in my father? 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. 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.". On the contrary, they sought opportunities to serve the guru's every whim, or even to be abused by him: Megan remembers one woman saying she wished the guru would kick her. I mean, he's giving you the teachings and you're going to use the teachings to evaluate him? 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. 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. He is held accountable only to the higher spiritual laws, which he is uniquely able to comprehend. She asked him to give her a homeopathic remedy for the itching, she says, but he refused and turned away, dismissing her. Himalayan Meditation Institute is dedicated to providing authentic and transformative training in the art and science of meditation. Our Honesdale campus continues to be home to a service-driven community of yogis, volunteers, and faculty-in-residence. Most rapists threaten women with physical violence. Many of those beliefs are based on Hindu and Buddhist teachings about the nature of the guru. 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. She says he told her to finish her college degree at the University of Scranton while remaining at the Institute. She began talking about Swami Rama's exploitative behavior with anyone who would listen, especially women who she thought were being victimized. The Himalayan Institute has been and continues to be home to a service-driven community of yogis, volunteers, and faculty-in-residence. Many of them say they feared his wrath when they were disciples, and several still believe he has the power to inflict harm or illness on them from a distance. Arya, however, says that much of Darling's information is inaccurate. 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. After a bit, she was inclined to dismiss his behavior as a joke or a "test.". Our humanitarian projects serve impoverished communities through rural empowerment and environmental regeneration. Education Advocacy She would start with handling the appointments and then she would make his plane reservations, scheduling lecture tours. 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 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. Soon Carolyn noticed she wasn't the only woman being favored by the guru; he was also paying attention to Megan and Nirvana. The jury awarded $275,000 in compensatory damages and $1.6 million in punitive damages to the woman. Years later, Carolyn told me that four years of discipleship under Swami Rama had taught her to be a successful liar. Why did Carolyn say these things? Some stay longer, for a few weeks or months in the Self-Transformation retreat program. But the victims of what Jungian analyst Peter Rutter, M.D., has termed "sex in the forbidden zone" (in his book of the same name) submit to sexual advances because of a powerful psychological threat. Karen, the woman whose claims were ridiculed at the meeting where Swami Rama and the other directors responded to Brian's charges, was one of the first ex-members to confront top Institute administrators. toshiba tv screen goes black after a few minutes. Pandit Arya radiates calm as he speaks. Treat yourself to a massage, meditate in the peaceful meditation shrine, or relax in one of the many attractive community spaces available on campus. Now Megan says that in a different atmosphere, she would have immediately recognized Swami Rama's behavior as sexual harassment or "sadistic manipulation." 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. In my interviews with current and former members of the Institute, I heard an almost unvarying litany of beliefs about Swami Rama's abilities. Impact of Accreditation Sanctions on Enrollment. In August, Carolyn says, Swami Rama told her to meet him in New York City for the next step in her spiritual training. Back; Cameroon; India; Mexico; Tibetan Settlements; Get Involved. Everyone said you had to surrender to the guru, so she would simply have to follow through with whatever he ordered her to do. 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. Carolyn remembers being amazed: Could Swami Rama possibly be talking about sex? In three months, Carolyn says, she gained 20 pounds. Brian sued Swami Rama, and eventually the guru settled out of court for the full amount. Whether youre retracing the footsteps of sages through pilgrimage in the Himalayas, or immersing yourself in the most incredible spaces the US has to offer, you will experience the life-changing power of yoga in action. She became outraged at the residents and the professional staff who enable and legitimized the Swami's behavior. Is it not better to follow someone who has charted the path?". Despite the questions about his background, there is no denying that Swami Rama made a terrific impact on western thinking when he served as a research subject at the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas. 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. 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. But Megan and Carolyn both say that Swami Rama would dismiss Pandit Rajmani and other members of the inner circle after an evening of socializing in Swami Rama's private quarters, while asking them alone to stay behind. This was not true! By this time Carolyn had gained 25 pounds from binging on sweets. There she learned Swami Rama's style of "super-conscious" meditation, which she describes as a basic, impersonal training in mental concentration. 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. A rash of articles featuring Swami Rama appeared in national magazines, including Time, People, and Playboy. In her lawsuit, the plaintiff said the swami sexually assaulted her 30 times while she was attending the institute in the spring and summer of 1993. Our new online platform for community, courses, and content. Then, later on, when the right man came along, she would marry and be very happy. 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. Relax, restore, and nourish yourself with a wellness retreat. [2] [ She began to believe that this man who might have been spiritual at one time was now suffering from feelings he couldn't control. No one had thoroughly investigated, until journalist Katharine Webster decided to spend two years researching their allegations. she wondered. Well-to-do New Yorkers flock to Honesdale on weekends for seminars in stress reduction, meditation, and diet and nutrition. If somehow Pandit Rajmani were forced to acknowledge that the women were telling the truth, would this shatter his faith in the guru? They would travel together to England. Perfect. To my relief, I could detect no flash of recognition, guilt, fear, or anger in Carolyn's eyes. Pandit Rajmani says he also has concrete reasons to know that Swami Rama could not be sleeping with his disciples. 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. Of all the Institute's swamis and teachers, Pandit Arya is by far the most scholarly. Authentic Ashram Living Minneapolis was the site of another Institute-related scandal in 1981. "A lot of people have confused the siddhis-the powers to control body, emotions, and mind-with spirituality. 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. 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. When she asked him what she should do with the love letters, she says, Swami Rama would laugh and say, "Oh, these goofy women! Or maybe he needs to have sex just to release energy so he can meditate better. Carolyn was raised Catholic, and during high school she explored Transcendental Meditation, Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, and the "Jesus freak" movement. His devotees hovered near the ashram's entrance, hoping for final instructions or a blessing from the guru. 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. Ayurvedic treatments, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and integrative health services at PureRejuv Wellness Center. 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. Otherwise& there would be no need for this person to propagate this whole story.". Live online programs, on-demand courses, and hundreds of yoga and meditation classes. 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. 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. 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. A 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. 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. "If the guru's instruction leads to a deeper peace, freedom from conflict, a deepening of meditation, harmony in relationships - all of these. It is sad for him, and for those who cared and were so deeply hurt by him, that his behavior has been allowed to continue with such devastating results to people just looking for help." In a few months time she would handle his bank account, income taxes, everything. First, Robert Tuttle of The Reason Files 2 is reporting the same thing I am hearing from multiple sources. We are happy to bring you a combination of Zoom, In-person, and Hybrid options. Himalayan Institute Online. A world leader in yoga, meditation, and holistic health, we are dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. 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. Dr. Ballentine, who says he studied psychology at the Sorbonne and completed his training in psychiatry at Louisiana State University, defends Nuernberger. Expert wellness consultations direct to your home. Carolyn and others say Megan caused a scandal in the Honesdale ashram by breaking the silence surrounding Swami Rama's sexual behavior. Himalayan Institute | Honesdale PA At the same time, she says, he offered her money and told her he wanted to put her in his will. Instead they deny the experience of the "unenlightened" women who are the guru's victims. We inspire, educate, and. Put that letter in the 'goofy file.'" 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. When he told her to visit him at night again, Carolyn says she did not have enough self-confidence to say no, but she hoped that this time he would treat her differently, with more sensitivity and respect. Pandit Rajmani cannot entertain the notion that the women's stories could be true. Shortly after they started studying with Pandit Usharbudh Arya at the Meditation Center in Minneapolis, he introduced them to his guru, Swami Rama. At that, she says, he raged at her until she was sobbing, unable to speak a word in her own defense: No! Karen and George say their friends told them that the woman had been pressured to have sex with Swami Rama even after their marriage, which the guru had arranged. She thanked me, but assured me I had no reason for concern. In March 1978, she says, Swami Rama came to Glenview and initiated her. 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. 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? 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. Our community is held together by dedicated students of the Himalayan Tradition, who value the principles of universal respect and collective responsibility. The original creator of the neti pot, the Himalayan Institute has been offering traditional and modern products for health and spirituality since 1971. In May, Swami Rama visited the area again. 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. Megan recalls that in one of her first encounters with Swami Rama, she watched as he humiliated a quiet, withdrawn woman resident. Immerse yourself in a life-changing course of study and get certified in the authentic teachings of yoga and meditation. He would take her to the Orient-Japan and India. Because I do not want to find out. Together we ate superb vegetarian meals in the Institute's dining commons and chanted evening prayers. Both women and men say they blamed themselves and their own spiritual obtuseness when they repeatedly failed to discern and follow the shifting rules. Hadn't he taken vows of celibacy? 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. See the article in its original context from. And he abruptly dismissed her. 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. She recalls that he said they would become very close, their bodies would come together, and then they would part. Meditation. Friends of the two couples set up a "truth booth" outside the entrance of the Institute's first annual congress in 1976. They resided in their own house in Honesdale, unencumbered by the strict rules of the residential program. In some states, a patient has the right to sue her doctor or psychotherapist for malpractice even if she originally consented to sex, because people under psychological or medical treatment are considered too vulnerable and dependent to give free and full consent. But Trescelli says she had to discourage her. ALL NEW! 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." 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. He reportedly smokes cigarettes, watches television for hours every day, and gossips, but his disciples rationalize this non-abstinent behavior: "Oh, Swamiji just smokes to bring himself down to the earth plane," or, "The TV is on incessantly just to give the student one more distraction to challenge his ability to maintain yogic balance," or, "all the stories Swamiji tells about other people are just to give the disciple the opportunity to develop objectivity and not get caught up in the meaningless gossip.". Ex-members say he has counseled patients in the Combined Therapy Program, although he lost is license to practice psychology in Minnesota in 1979. In order to believe in his perfection, they must rationalize behavior that others would judge to be tyrannical, cruel, or self-indulgent. Study Online 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. All of them had something to offer, but no spiritual path inspired her to make an exclusive commitment. 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. He says that Nuernberger's one mistake has "ruined his life, in essence, which is really too bad.". He reportedly sat down on a chair next to her bed and proceeded to make sexual advances. 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?" But one by one, Trescelli says, the women backed down and decided not to pursue legal action. RFP & Business Plan for Dairy Processing Investor/Operator. Yet she is vulnerable to feeling re-victimized every time her experience is denied or distorted. She listened calmly as I admitted that I'd worried she might be a victim. 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. After teaching, studying, and traveling throughout India and Europe, he came to the University of Minnesota in the 1960s, where he taught Sanskrit and Indian religions. Near the ashram 's entrance, hoping for final instructions or a from. Integrative health services & therapeutic treatments to help restore your natural state of well-being few weeks or months in 'goofy... 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