Swami Rama (1925 – 1996) was born Brij Kishore Dhasmana, to a Northern Indian
BrahminBrahmins have historically been the class of educators, scholars and preachers in Hinduism. They are considered as belonging to the "forward castes" of the four varnas of Hinduism....
family in a small village called Toli in the Garhwal Himalayas. He became the lineage holder of the Sankya
YogaYoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs...
tradition of the
HimalayanThe Himalaya Range or Himalayas for short , meaning "abode of snow", is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
Masters. From an early age he was raised in the Himalayas by his master
Bengali Baba, 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.
Swami Rama (1925 – 1996) was born Brij Kishore Dhasmana, to a Northern Indian
BrahminBrahmins have historically been the class of educators, scholars and preachers in Hinduism. They are considered as belonging to the "forward castes" of the four varnas of Hinduism....
family in a small village called Toli in the Garhwal Himalayas. He became the lineage holder of the Sankya
YogaYoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs...
tradition of the
HimalayanThe Himalaya Range or Himalayas for short , meaning "abode of snow", is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
Masters. From an early age he was raised in the Himalayas by his master
Bengali Baba, 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 and
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
.
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 (
autonomicAutonomic can refer to several things, including:*Autonomic nervous system*Autonomic Computing*Autonomic system *Autonomic Networking...
).
First Ashram
After leaving the post of Shankaracharya and going back to the master, he afterwards travelled to
NepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia and the world's youngest republic. It is bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
in the
HimalayasThe Himalaya Range or Himalayas for short , meaning "abode of snow", is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
barefoot with nothing but a kamandalu and tiger mat. It was here he first created his first ashram. It is at the outskirt of
KathmanduKathmandu is the capital and the largest metropolitan city of Nepal. The city is situated in Kathmandu Valley, which also contains two other cities - Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. Nepali is the common language of the city, though many speak Newari as it is the center of the Newar people and culture....
on the way to Dulikhel on the mountain of Janagal that his ashram is situated. He later granted it to Swami Vishuddha Dev.The ashram is known as Hansada Yoga Ashram.Now it is the head quarter of Characterlogy movement. However other programs are also conducted here. Sri Akshunnanath Mahaprabhu better known as
Lord Sri AkshunnaSri Akshunnanath Mahaprabhu is better known as Lord Sri Akshunna and simply called upon as Lord/Prabhu. He is a master of many different esoteric traditions of which he holds the main seat of some: for instance he is the present holder of Trika Saasanam Rajgaddi of Trika Saasanam Rajdarbar where He...
and simply called upon as Lord/Prabhu was here for 9 days in 2007 to give the secret tantrik teaching of Kundalini for 7 whole and 2 half days.
His Organization and Achievements
He was the founder of the
Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and PhilosophyThe Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy was founded by Swami Rama of the Himalayas.The Himalayan Institute describes its mission as "to discover and embrace the sacred link—the spirit of human heritage that unites East and West, spirituality and science, and ancient wisdom and modern...
which has its headquarters in Honesdale,
PAThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
and branches in the USA,
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
and
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. Swami Rama also founded other teaching and service organizations, some of which are linked below. One of his significant achievements is the establishment of a large medical facility in the north-eastern part of India (Dehradun) to serve millions of poor people in the nearby mountains. Until about 15 years ago the rural poor in this region did not have access to health, water, sanitation and education. Dedicated disciples of Swami Rama have contributed to make his dream of a region free of poverty come true. Stories of his leadership style and the way he got these goals achieved are documented in several books about Swami Rama. He demonstrated development impact that attracted attention from all over the world .
Swami Rama concept of 'wellness' and not 'medical repair' of the human being is gaining ground in many countries in North America and Europe. He demonstrated the impact of holistic health aprpoaches on the Dehradun campus. On the campus in Dehradun, Swami Rama also established a Medical University with his most senior disciple Swami Veda Bharati (holding a PhD from The Netherlands) being the Chancellor, Vijay Dhasmana as the Vice-Chancellor, and one of his most development orientated disciples - Ms. B. Maithili (Director of the Rural Development Institute) - as the Registrar.
Swami Rama authored several 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 as a Father
Swami Rama is reportedly survived by a daughter and a son. Various lawsuits engaged since 1996 are an effort by Dhasmana to protect his alleged father's legacy from self declared spiritual heirs who have, in his opinion, tarnished Swami Rama's name and work.
Robert Walter, an American securities broker-dealer, also claims to be the son of Swami Rama, and is planning to publish his recounting of Swami Rama's life in a book. According to Walter, this memoir depicts his version of relationships Swami Rama had with members of his family and his disciples, as well as various spiritual organizations. He also claims that claim that his mother was the primary architect of the Himalayan Institute in the US. The Himalayan Institute has disavowed this claim. .
However, there has been no quantifiable evidence that Walter is a biological progeny of Swami Rama, nor is there any demonstrable connection between this individual and Swami Rama's spiritual legacy.
Sexual Misconduct Controversy
Swami Rama has been the object of a controversy concerning cases of sexual misconduct , 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 Himalayan 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.
Swami Rama, in relation to accusations made against him while alive, said "Do not defend me" as part of the discipline of Asian monks to live up to the ideal of non-violence.
Selected bibliography
Books by Swami Rama
- 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)
- Freedom from the Bondage of Karma (ISBN 0893890316)
- Living with the Himalayan Masters (ISBN 0893891568)
- Spiritual Journey (ISBN)
Biography
- At the Eleventh Hour: The biography of Swami Rama, by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait (ISBN 0893892122)
- Walking With a Himalayan Master: An American's Odyssey, by Justin O'Brien (ISBN 0936663197)
Other Works
- Science Year: The World Book Science Annual - 1974": describing scientific research done on Swami Rama
- Nature Science Annual, pages 103-110, Article of Gerald Jones describing scientific research done on Swami Rama
External links