The scattered parts of the ant moved together and united in a second's time. During those days I was very anxious to know this mystery, termed parakaya pravesha. But my Gurudeva has left his body. 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. On the occasion of his death anniversary, read a few things related to Swami Vivekananda . But something, which is truth, cannot be falsified by having one hundred witnesses. 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. Someone informed me of this and I could not believe it. One of them, along with the other women from the tour group, attended the wedding of Swami Rama's son, although the guru is officially supposed to have been celibate since taking his Swami's vows. [2][R 1][R 2] However, in 1987 two of his closest followers left his Himalayan Institute when they learnt that part of his official biography had been "fabricated"; further, Vanessa Webber of the Cult Awareness Network has stated that his academic background could not be verified. [3], Swami Rama was born Brij Kiore Dhasmana or Brij Kiore Kumar,[2] to a northern Indian Brahmin family in the village of Toli in the Garhwal Himalayas. When she did not, the young priest sank into despair. Nor does Dr. Ballentine mention that in 1977 Nuernberger was formally reprimanded by the Minnesota Board of Psychology for unethical practices stemming from his relationship with a third woman patient. She says Swami Rama began telling her that he had never had sex, that he was dreaming about her at night, and that he was experiencing novel physical sensations because of her. Mother Sita that she got absorbed in the earth after its explosion, but when asked the question of when Lord Rama died, Swami Satyendra Das ji says that Lord Rama The description of the reason and method of his going to heaven is found in Valmiki Ramayana, but no one knows the date when he went. The sadhu now revealed himself in his original form. Carolyn and others say Megan caused a scandal in the Honesdale ashram by breaking the silence surrounding Swami Rama's sexual behavior. 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. 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." 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. Kamapukur, India Pandit Rajmani cannot entertain the notion that the women's stories could be true. At the time of death she went into deep samadhi and consciously dropped her body. Looking through the evidence, they concluded Ramanujan had hepatic amoebiasis, an infection of the gastrointestinal tract that is . Carolyn says she told him no, it "just didn't feel right." 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. Both women and men say they blamed themselves and their own spiritual obtuseness when they repeatedly failed to discern and follow the shifting rules. He was just 50 years old. They announced the date of their death and I was one of the witnesses. 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. So far, none of their attempts to communicate their experiences has been met by official Institute willingness to investigate their charges. Died: August 16, 1886 Dale Colton, director of public relations at the Himalayan Institute, never returned my repeated phone calls requesting an interview with Swami Rama. 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. Just, as we see from the excerpt of Skandamahpuram, that Lakshman's body vanished as he fell dead, so we may infer logically for Rama too. Because I do not want to find out. She thanked me, but assured me I had no reason for concern. Gurus were supposed to have conquered their desires, but in the spiritual literature they were often portrayed as contradictory, tricking their disciples into enlightenment. He says it is a relationship that goes beyond religions, the purest relationship possible, "the relationship of water flowing from a hill and filling a hollow at the bottom-the hollow has nothing to give in return, but only to accept that grace in gratitude. He told her he was writing a book of poetry for her, and he offered to find her a husband. [3] This was one of the first convictions of a yoga guru for unlawful sexual activity with a devotee. "By their fruits you shall know them," he says, paraphrasing the Bible. He spoke Bengali and knew neither English nor Sanskrit. Arlington Heights, Ill.: Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, 1978. At the insistence of concerned disciples many other specialists were called. She recalls that he would repeat a series of affirmations and commands in a hypnotic monotone: She had done very well organizing the book distribution operation, Carolyn says he would tell her. . Swami Vivekananda Death Anniversary: 4th July is the 116th death anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Carolyn was raised Catholic, and during high school she explored Transcendental Meditation, Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, and the "Jesus freak" movement. As the scientific interest in yoga declined through the 1980s, Swami Rama lead the Himalayan Institute until his death in 1996. The institute later moved to Honesdale, Pennsylvania, and has a 422-acre campus in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. The movement is considered one of the revitalisation movements of India. The message that all religions lead to the same end was certainly a politically and religiously powerful one, particularly because it answered in classical Indian terms the challenges of British missionaries and colonial authorities who had for almost a century criticized Hinduism on social, religious, and ethical grounds. Honesdale, Pa.: Himalayan Institute, 1978. . Some stay longer, for a few weeks or months in the Self-Transformation retreat program. Pandit Rajmani Tigunait is the resident spiritual director of the Honesdale ashram, as well as a member of the Institute's teaching staff. Dr. Ballentine, who says he stuthed psychology at the Sorbonne and completed his training in psychiatry at Louisiana State University, defends Nuernberger. Tibetan Buddhism Corrections? The Great Raman Maharshi died of cancer. 'In one mirror there was one face. The headquarters of the mission is in Belur Math, a monastery near Kolkata. On one occasion, she says, Swami Rama ordered all the women disciples to weed out some roots around his new cabin, telling them they were rooting out their samskaras. [34] [35] [36] Slavery After six months she fell sick and became bedridden. Rama, Swami. I said, But, then, Swamiji, you have healed so many in life. When she asked him what she should do with the love letters, she says, Swami Rama would laugh and say, "Oh, these goofy women! 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. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. STEINER, RUDOLF (18611925), who wrote more than 350 volumes on philosophy, science, and the arts, was the originator of an esoteric, Although the word "spirituality" was originally a Christian one, derived from the Pauline definition of whatever was under the influence of the spiri, YOGANANDA The Bigg Boss 10 fame Swami Om passed away due to a paralytic attack. We all wondered if we would ever see him again. For a time, she says, she considered getting a pistol to carry to work. [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. A Practical Guide to Holistic Health. I met a yogi at Paidung in Sikkim in the year I947. I asked him why these specialists cannot agree on a diagnosis. The daughter of an alcoholic, she longed for guidance from a spiritual authority figure. Otherwise I would not deem such a letter worthy of a response." Brian didn't believe his teacher, and he spoke with several other Institute administrators and board members about Rose's claim of abuse. At the meeting, Brian says, Dr. Ballentine presented letters from another woman, Karen,* who also claimed to have been sexually exploited by Swami Rama. According to the stipulation he signed with the Board's Ethics Review Panel, Nuernberger admitted that he terminated a counseling relationship with "Victoria S." during the third session in order to enter into a "personal relationship - such relationship to include sexual contact.". VIVEKANANDA was the religious name of Narendranath Datta, or Dutt (18631902), a leading spokesman for modern Hinduism and neo-Vednta in, Sri Ramakrishna On January 24 of that year, a jury awarded $15,000 in actual damages and $50,000 in punitive damages to Barbara Marston, who had sued psychologist Philip Nuernberger for engaging in "sexually intimate behavior" with her during therapy sessions. The Institute used to offer an accredited masters program in Eastern Studies and Comparative Psychology through an affiliation with the University of Scranton. Before he reached the state of deep meditation, there were violent jerks in his body. Sexual contract between gurus and their American disciples is not a new or rare phenomenon. Several former students of Swami Rama granted interviews to Patricia Ann Darling, Ph. God knows whether it was true or not, and even if it was true, this is a normal phenomenon. The Swami. The victim's confusion and loss of trust are compounded when her community refuses to acknowledge her suffering. Please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. 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. 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. 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. 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. That was why he wanted her to be his secretary. He laughed gently and said but then, it is my power you are using for me. 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. 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