Swami Rama
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
H. H. Sri Swami Rama | |
Place of birth | Northern India |
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Birth name | Brij Kishore Dhasmana |
Guru/Teacher | Bengali Baba |
Titles/Honors | Shankaracharya of Karvirpitham |
Swami Rama (1925 – 1996) was born Brij Kishore Dhasmana, to a Northern Indian Brahmin family in a small village called Toli in the Garhwal Himalayas. He became the lineage holder of the Sankya Yoga tradition of the Himalayan Masters. From an early age he was raised in the Himalayas by his master Madhavanada Saraswati, and, under the guidance of his Master, traveled from monastery to monastery and studied with a variety of Himalayan saints and sages, including his grandmaster who was living in a remote region of Tibet. From 1949 to 1952 held the prestigious position of Shankaracharya of Karvirpitham in South India. After returning to his master in 1952 and many years of further practice in the Himalayan caves, Swami Rama was encouraged by his teacher to go to the West where he spent a considerable portion of his life teaching, specifically in the United States. [1]
He is especially notable as one of the first yogis to allow himself to be studied by Western scientists. In the 1960s he allowed himself to be examined by scientists at the Menninger Clinic who studied his ability to voluntary control bodily processes (such as heartbeat, blood pressure, body temperature, etc.) that are normally considered to be non-voluntary (autonomic).
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[edit] Swami Rama's Legacy
He was the founder of the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy which has its headquarters in Honesdale, PA and branches in the USA, Europe and India. Swami Rama also founded other teaching and service organizations, some of which are linked below.
Swami Rama authored several popular books during his life, in which he describes the path he took toward becoming a yogi and lays out the philosophy and benefits behind practises such as meditation. One of the common themes expressed in such books as Enlightenment Without God and Living with the Himalayan Masters is the ability of any person to achieve peace without the need for a structured religion. He was critical of the tendency for a yogi to use supernatural feats to demonstrate their enlightenment, arguing that these only demonstrated the ability to perform a feat.
Swami Rama is survived by a son Mohit Dhasmana, daughter Devyani Mungali. [2]
[edit] The Secret Son of Swami Rama
Swami Rama is also survived by son Robert Walter who has recently come forward to expose the true story of Swami Rama. His story proves beyond doubt that truth is stranger, and more spellbinding, than fiction. This book will change the way you look at things and your approach to things in the future. He examines his heritage in his memoir, “Son of a Swami – a life of lies”, which tells his family’s story through the relationships each had with his father, his fathers disciples, and his web of spiritual organizations. This uncensored and objective book reveals all of the secrets and lies he was forced to life with.[3]
[edit] Court Judgment Against Swami Rama and the Himalayan Institute
Swami Rama has been the object of a controversy concerning cases of sexual misconduct [4], and was convicted after his death:
On September 4, 1997 in the United District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania a jury returned an award against the defendant Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the U.S.A. (“Himalayan Institute”) in the amount of $275,000 in compensatory damages and $1.6 million in punitive damages for the sexual misconduct of the Himilayan Institute’s former “spiritual leader,” Brijkishor Kumar, popularly known as the “Swami Rama.” Answering special verdict questions, the jury found that Swami Rama (a) had engaged in sexual relations with the plaintiff who was 19 years old at the time of the sexual abuse; (b) had abused his position as the plaintiff's guru to secure her consent to the sexual relations; ( c) had breached the standard of care and fiduciary duties inherent in the relationship between him and the plaintiff; (d) had intentionally inflicted emotional distress on the plaintiff; (e) had acted maliciously and with conscious disregard for the welfare of the plaintiff; (f) and was acting within the scope of his agency relationship with the Himalayan Institute when engaging in sexual relations with Patel. In addition to holding the Himalayan Institute liable for compensatory and punitive damages on a respondent superior theory, the jury also imposed direct liability on the Institute, finding that (a) it had been negligent in allowing Swami Rama to be a sexual predator for a number of years; (b) the actions and inactions of Himalayan Institute constituted the intentional infliction of emotional distress; and (c) the Himalayan Institute had acted maliciously and with conscious disregard for the welfare of the plaintiff.[5][6]
[edit] Selected bibliography
Published by Himalayan Inst Press:
- Enlightenment Without God (Mandukya Upanishad) (ISBN 0893890847)
- Living with the Himalayan Masters (ISBN 0893891568)
- The Science of Breath: A Practical Guide (ISBN 089389057X)
- Meditation and its Practice (ISBN 0893891533)
Biography
- At the Eleventh Hour: The biography of Swami Rama, by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait (ISBN 0893892122)
[edit] References
- ^ Tigunait, Rajmani (2004). At the Eleventh Hour: The biography of Swami Rama. Himalayan Institute Press; Honesdale PA.
- ^ http://www.yogachicago.com/sep01/interviewpandit.shtml His son has been engaged in various lawsuits since 1996 to protect his fathers legacy from self declared spiritual heirs who have tarnished his name and work.
- ^ www.sonofaswami.com
- ^ The Case against Swami Rama of the Himalayas
- ^ Woman wins $1.8M for lecherous swami
- ^ United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (plaintiff name withheld by Wikipedia editors) v Himalayan International (see http://www.pamd.uscourts.gov/opinions/vanaskie/94v1118.pdf)
[edit] External links
- Himalayan International Institute
- Himalayan Institute Hospital founded in India by Swami Rama
- Swami Rama Center at the Himalayan Institute Hospital in India