SWAMI RAMA WAS SUPPOSEDLY BORN in 1925, and allegedly grew up as an orphan in northern India. Death and Transition by Swami Rama [This passage has been taken from the book Path of Fire and Light Vol 2, pp 19 - 21, by Swami Rama, published 1976 by the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the USA].. Swami Rama Reading it, you will discover the human side to this yogic master. Swami Rama had been a frequent figure on national television shows in theUnited States, having appeared on such widely viewed programs as "Good Morning America" and the "Phil Donahue Show." He was the first yogi to subject himself to modern scientific methods of testing his states of consciousness while at the highest level of meditation. 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." (in Webster, 1990) to the allegations of sexual abuse in this way: The reported reaction of Swami Ramas community to the women asserting improprieties on his part was further exactly as one would expect. Live online programs, on-demand courses, and hundreds of yoga and meditation classes. From the 1970s onwards, there were persistent allegations of sexual abuse of his followers;[2] in 1997 a woman won a lawsuit against him for multiple sexual assaults. "The real guru is within," Dr. Ballentine says, "that still small voice within you." would see it as a problem that needed a solution. Instructions to install the fonts can be found at Avinash Chopde's ITRANS site. hair, or put on new clothes. she wondered. Swami Rama Tirtha was a mystic saint of India who travelled to the US, preceded by Swami Vivekananda, during the last century. They make life 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.". [2][R 1] All the same, As Tigunait noted above, Mahatma Gandhi was indeed sleeping with teenage girls (including his cousins granddaughter) toward the end of his life. the pain associated with death are intrinsically linked with attachment Meanwhile, Carolyn says, Swami Rama began singling her out for special attention. follows. His best known work is Living With Himalayan Masters; the cultural historian Alistair Shearer calls it "an influential autobiography". Although there are three Ramas mentioned in Indian traditionParashurama, Balarama, and Ramachandrathe name is specifically associated with Ramachandra, the seventh incarnation (avatar) of Vishnu. The woman in question claimed to have been sexually assaulted by Rama a full thirty times over a Yogic Summer of Love in the early 90s. When the doctors were trying to heal his cancer, he is reported to have said something like: "Here, I am trying to rid myself of the big disease called the body by using a small disease and you all are trying to rid of this small disease that is my instrument". The possible psychological effects of that on the girls themselves, even without any breach of his brahmacharya celibacy vow, does not seem to have concerned the Mahatma. . In 1969, Pandit Arya met Swami Rama, who gave him "one of the highest meditation initiations," in which he experienced himself "as a being of light." 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. And he abruptly dismissed her. Dr. Ballentine sent copies of his letter to the same Institute members who had received Hughes's letter. strengthens the fear of death. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. 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. No one can expand his consciousness if he remains egotistical. Under scientific controls, he demonstrated such feats as manipulating his heartbeat at will to 300 beats per minute (effectively stopping the flow of blood) for seventeen seconds. 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. Download Books. 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 journey to learn and grow, and then the journey ends. The Amitabha Foundation, is a Tibetan Buddhist organization of the Drikung Kagyu school f, VIVEKANANDA 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. In any case, Rama definitely came to the United States in 1969, and was soon participating in biofeedback demonstrations under Elmer and Alyce Green, at the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas. She thanked me, but assured me I had no reason for concern. Boyd, Doug. Paramahansa Yogananda (born Mukunda Lal Ghosh; January 5, 1893 - March 7, 1952) was an Indian Hindu monk, yogi and guru who introduced millions to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga through his organization Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) / Yogoda Satsanga Society (YSS) of India, and who lived his last 32 years in America. She was my initiate. One night he saw his guru in a dream standing near his bed, he begged him "Dear Guru! 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. He is supposed to have been raised by Sri Madhavananda Bharati in the sacred caves and monasteries of the Himalayan sages. Why then are the stories of the Mahatmas experiments with teenage girls not more widely known? Swami Rama made Carolyn his appointments secretary in August also. 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. She would start with handling the appointments and then she would make his plane reservations, scheduling lecture tours. These attachments create, recreate Perfect. His legacy did not end with his death in 1886; his most prominent disciple Swami Vivekananda carried on his teachings and philosophy to the world through Ramakrishna Mission. There is a period for The Secret of the Yoga Sutra Rajmani Tigunait 2014 The Yoga Sutra is the living source . 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. only those secrets were worth having. And the secondary trauma of having every single one of her former friends turn their backs on her, she says, has scarred her and left her with a legacy of emotional distrust and feelings of betrayal. Grief should not consume a person, we care about in life. I have no scruple of change, nor fear of death, Sri Ramakrishna was an Indian mystic (one whose religious beliefs are based on spirituality and practices outside of traditional religion), reformer, and saint who, in his own lifetime, came to be hailed by people of all classes as a spiritual embodiment (taking on the physical form) of God. But one by one, Trescelli says, the women backed down and decided not to pursue legal action. I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute, I am That, I am That, I cause no misery, nor am I miserable; I have no enemy, nor am I enemy. distractions, dancing girls and video games, and opportunities for "Unpurified ego is an evil which obstructs one's own progress. At about the same time, Carolyn was accepted into the residential program at East West Books Chicago, the Institute's downtown branch. thoughts that we identify with, and this brings pain. As an enlightened being, he is thought to be beyond the judgment of ordinary mortals, their laws and morality. I have personally witnessed yogis casting off the body consciously on many occasions. Two months after Swami Rama left for India, Carolyn went to Chicago to visit her family for Christmas. Rather than being a saint, according to Green, Swami Rama is an advanced yogi and "a mortal with some ego problems.". Whenever she has communicated her experiences to former friends at the Institute, she says, they have responded with a series of rationalizations: "That's your experience, but we all have to make our own decisions based on our own experience with Swamiji, and he has positively redirected my life. 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. Tzu said to look upon life as a swelling or tumor and upon death as the Death does not touch Everything happens for a reason, and we can't judge him." At the same time, she says, he offered her money and told her he wanted to put her in his will. Yama says to Nachiketa, The Dead are as Much Here With Us, as the Living. Notable teachers he encountered included Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Sri Aurobindo, and Sri Ramana Maharshi. Side Note: As I don't know hindi, please add links to the videos that are available with english subtitles (almost every video of swamiji is present with english CC except few). These are the ideas the culture creates, and when these things dont What does it mean to be and Sister Audrey Rymars, a Catholic nun who had worked with the Institute in Glenview for 13 years. Susan says the woman described her own similar experiences with Swami Rama during the past two years. He sent copies of his letter to many of his former colleagues and other professionals on the Institute's stafT. She was afraid to stay in her room, which had no lock on the door, or to use the hall telephone, because all calls had to be routed through the main switchboard. My father certainly had sex, and that's why I was born, so will I lose faith in my father? 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. On our Instagram viewer you can easy watch Instagram stories, profiles, followers anonymously. He is a young boy, full of mischief. If somehow Pandit Rajmani were forced to acknowledge that the women were telling the truth, would this shatter his faith in the guru? But within the Institute, she says, everyone else seemed to accept the guru's sexually suggestive behavior and humiliation of women. Also please provide links to the respective video. They introduced her to the guru, and she remembers he made a fuss over her, slapping her cheek lightly and calling her a good girl. What a foolish woman! Vedanta says You see yourself, your identity, as this person in the a cessation of suffering, and there is a means to that cessation: a Who? "Until you get your priorities straight and your head clear, I would request that you refrain from attempting to represent the Institute or its teachings in any way.". When someone we love dies, it is sad. Dont be attached to these images. Brian didn't believe his teacher, and he spoke with several other Institute administrators and board members about Rose's claim of abuse. Living with the Himalayan Masters: Spiritual Experiences of Swami Rama. The letter is curt in tone. I mean, he's giving you the teachings and you're going to use the teachings to evaluate him? Story of Shirdi Sai Baba's death. The yogi suddenly went into deep meditation. Women need to be informed that this could happen to them-be it with Swami Rama or any man in a position of power-so they will be able to see it coming and avoid it. Meanwhile, the couple says, they discovered more evidence of illicit activity. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. 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. But Trescelli says she had to discourage her. The accumulated testimony of their personal experiences through the years exhibits a pattern typical of "sex in the forbidden zone," coupled with institutional mechanisms of defense and denial. Megan recalls that in one of her first encounters with Swami Rama, she watched as he humiliated a quiet, withdrawn woman resident. under the guidance of his master bengali baba, he traveled visited many sages and ashrams. But The next day, she says, Swami Rama called her to his office and asked her if anyone had said anything to her. for the inner Self. We get angry, and we think, I am Numerous former students say they left the Institute because they were sexually exploited by Swami Rama or knew someone who was. It says, culture people have been raised with certain images of what life ought Are you feeling a little confused and emotionally upset, and maybe some of the things that happened you might have misinterpreted, or you might have even fantasized them, you know, have trouble separating fantasy from reality?" 8246 Garibaldi Ave., San Gabriel, CA 91775 These 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. the opposite gender, and children paled against his desire for the work. In somewhat darker imagery, but with a similar message, Chuang He became famous for his ability to control his body in yoga nidra, writing many books including the autobiographical Living with Himalayan Masters. He demonstrated this feat in my presence five times. Things are lost, relationships 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. Indian religious leader and mystic 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. Pandit Arya radiates calm as he speaks. Pain is an alarm system Then, later on, when the right man came along, she would marry and be very happy. The sound tic came from the cracking of the skull as he left his body through the brahmarandhra. 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. We grieve the deaths of Carolyn has received no reply from the Institute. Initially, Brian says, most of the other directors responded with concern. lost objects, changed relationships, shifting emotions and thoughts, and She recalls that she blushed as she forced out the words: "I think you have been sleeping with other women." She would live with him in the house he was buying. Perhaps during his visit to Asia Minor he learned these techniques from the yogis. he was very tired and was anticipating death. 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. Search by tag or locations,view users photos and videos. you not to attach yourself to this world. Carolyn moved back to Chicago, found a job, returned to school, and soon met a non-institute man she wanted to marry. The only way he could do that was by killing Shambuka. During a series of biofeedback experiments in 1970 and 1971, Drs. Not only could he die at will, but he also could bring the dead back to life. I just don't know that it makes sense to go run around trying to evaluate other people, when you haven't evaluated yourself.". our bodies. This site is devoted to 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. 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. She heard "numerous former students say they left the [Himalayan] Institute because they were sexually exploited by Swami Rama or knew someone who was". 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