Truth alone is the real teacher and master" - and asking for an explanation of the women's stories and challenging a possible Institute "cover-up" on professional ethical grounds. But the siddhis can be an ego trap. . I like to believe that somewhere inside of him, he is the good person I believed him to be. Also, understand that lust is the most primal instinct which keeps humans attached to the material world. But whoever lets go of attachments to this worldly life Those eruptions were indeed reported by his one-time secretary, N. K. Bose, a distinguished anthropologist who resigned the former secretarial position in part because of his objections to the Mahatmas above experiments. Gandhis own admitted detestation of sensual connection, too, is a type of psychological violence upon himself. 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. Carolyn rationalized: Swamiji was her guru, so even though the prospect of having sex with him seemed morally wrong and physically revolting, he must be doing it for her own good. sights along the way, so that when it comes time to leave the train at go of what is passing, whether that means letting go of objects or He is a seeker, with certain strengths and weaknesses. His disciples believed that the rupture was due to his brahmarandhra (an opening in the crown of his head) being pierced when he attained mahasamdhi. Born: February 18, 1833 Ex-members say he has counseled patients in the Combined Therapy Program, although he lost is license to practice psychology in Minnesota in 1979. He reportedly sat down on a chair next to her bed and proceeded to make sexual advances. Swami Vivekananda attained Maha-Samadhi on July 4, 1902, at the age of 39. The Institute's program is no longer accredited by the University of Scranton. Join us for studies in the true meaning of yogaincluding asana, meditation, mantra, tantra, sacred scripture, and the art of joyful living. You're bound to get mixed up. One of the women involved further described a public, non-sexual encounter with the sage. If, however, a person learns to let His contributions to literature include profound commentaries on such spiritual works as the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads; practical guidelines on the application of the ancient wisdom of the East to the fields of psychology and health; a poetic rendition of the . In 1971, the swami founded the Himalayan International InstituteHI, publisher of Yoga International magazinein Illinois, with the goal of translating ancient spiritual wisdom into contemporary terms. Swami Rama's claims to this spiritual background have been questioned by some of his former students. In the year 1938 when I was sent to Benares to stay with a Bengali couple, I was informed that the couple would drop their bodies at the same time. 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. people seek objects and relationships in the world in a way to deny 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. As an enlightened being, he is thought to be beyond the judgment of ordinary mortals, their laws and morality. those things, people, feelings, and bodies. 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? Carolyn and others say Megan caused a scandal in the Honesdale ashram by breaking the silence surrounding Swami Rama's sexual behavior. When I asked Pandit Arya about the allegations of sexual abuse, he admits that he was very disturbed when he first heard them. 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. It is just a turning, a change of clothing. on with their lives and prepare for their own deaths. It serves a purpose and then Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. See your body as just an instrument. The same tendency works One night he saw his guru in a dream standing near his bed, he begged him "Dear Guru! Himalayan Institute, RR 1. 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. "I thought: 'Maybe it's the only way he can break through some stubborn barrier in my ego. In 1997, after the Swami had died, one of the women pressing charges was awarded almost two million dollars in damages posthumously. Five minutes before her death she called all the family members and blessed them. His devotees hovered near the ashram's entrance, hoping for final instructions or a blessing from the guru. Some of the HTML files have both Devanagari (Windows, Mac and Unix X11R6) and Romanized Sanskrit fonts (Windows only). A pearl necklace that Brian had bought from Swami Rama as an "investment" was appraised at roughly one-third of the $100,000 he had paid for it. Consciousness makes our body appear to exist. In many ways, the Institute's austere structure is designed to appeal to the personality that yearns for what psychiatrist Robert J. Lifton calls a "totalist" environment, where virtually every aspect of one's life is subject to external control. Grieve for it, and then move What a foolish woman! 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. 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. Most of us I don't have access to those files." and death is not a random, unfortunate reality. 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. Put to death what is leader," Brijkishor Kumar, popularly known as the "Swami Rama.". 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. change, and pain is the consequence. But a deeper anxiety also motivated my visit: I'd heard a rumor that several women, ex-members of the Institute, were taking Carolyn's guru to court on charges of sexual misconduct. According to Karen and George, no legal action resulted. The Self is unchangeable. Years later, Carolyn told me that four years of discipleship under Swami Rama had taught her to be a successful liar. 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. 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. Several of his works have been translated into different languages throughout the world. Reprinted from Sacred Journey, an HIHT publication. our bodies getting older and slowing down, it scares us. We could pick one with all sorts of attractions and [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. This car is mine, this She was dreamy! The real cause of war lies rooted in the individual's unwillingness to listen to the voice of the heart, the inner conscience.Drawing on the philosophy of yoga . we choose on the way to Grand Central, determines what state of mind we Buddha's four noble truths state that life is suffering, the suffering has a cause, there is a cessation of suffering, and there is a means to that cessation: a solution. He promised her he'd set up a complete, personalized yoga program for her there-a prescribed thet, special yoga postures and meditation practices-as well as a game plan for her higher education and future career. Not only could he die at will, but he also could bring the dead back to life. We kept it under observation for three days. When they go or change, we feel pain. Branch centers have also been established throughout the United States. The True Meaning of Living is Outliving. that loss is appropriate but that grief should not be prolonged. Pandit Rajmani Tigunait is the resident spiritual director of the Honesdale ashram, as well as a member of the Institute's teaching staff. 60614. will be in when we arrive and how prepared we will be for the next In August, Carolyn says, Swami Rama told her to meet him in New York City for the next step in her spiritual training. Its mission, according to the Articles of Incorporation, was "to make known to the members and people in general the real, synthetic, and harmonious view of world religions and philosophy in terms of modern scientific achievements and undertake researches for all around ethical, social, economical, and spiritual development of humanity to attain world peace, international integration, understanding, and spiritual awakening of the human race." and this earthly body and identifies with the permanence or These attachments create, recreate At the same time 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. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. He [4] Concerned that the YMCA had presented yoga as one of its physical fitness programs, he included some philosophy and meditation in his classes. 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