Swami Rama's alleged son comes forth with his side of the story on
Swami Rama:
http://www.sonofaswami.com/
Robert Walter was 12 when he discovered that his real father was his
mother's guru, the renowned Indian yogi Swami Rama - not his
alcoholic dad, Arne Walter. Swami Rama had contributed enormously to
yoga's surging popularity in the United States when he became the
first Indian yogi to demonstrate in scientific experiments that he
could control his brain waves, skin temperature, and heartbeat. His
feats were celebrated in magazines and newspapers across the country,
winning him many devoted followers, including Robert's mother,
Shirley Walter.
Robert hoped he'd finally found the strong, wise, and loving father
he'd always yearned for. But he quickly realized that he was the
guru's dirty little secret: Swamis are Indian monks who take vows of
celibacy, and Robert was living proof that "His Holiness Swami Rama"
was not the otherworldly saint his followers worshipped. Swami Rama
warned Robert not to disclose their relationship, saying that if he
did, the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and
Philosophy - the guru's rapidly growing and lucrative organization -
would be destroyed, and someone would assassinate him. But he also
promised that if Robert kept his paternity secret, he would inherit
the institute one day.
In Son of a Swami: A Life of Lies, Robert explores his painful quest
for a bond with his father, and Shirley recounts her attempts to
reconcile her guru's inspirational teachings with his exploitative
behavior. As Robert becomes caught in a web of lies and false
promises, he struggles to understand his father - and himself.
Seeking to overcome his own addictions, he confronts the questions
that have plagued him since he was 12: Is he the son of a sex addict,
a yogi with extraordinary powers, or both? Shirley explores how she
became one of Swami Rama's earliest supporters and one of his sexual
victims. She also details the price she paid for extricating herself
from the Himalayan Institute, and examines the ways she failed to
understand her son's need for a truthful reckoning - until now.
Along the way, mother and son expose Swami Rama's double life as a
revered guru with millions of admirers, and an accomplished con
artist who had sex with dozens of his disciples and lived lavishly at
his students' expense. The Walters describe the cult-like workings of
the Himalayan Institute and its leaders' ongoing attempts to demonize
Swami Rama's victims as deluded, vengeful liars. They also expose the
people and organizations that continue to defend and profit by their
connection to Swami Rama, even after his death.
This unique double memoir will shed new light on the lure of
religious cults, the ways in which they enforce conformity, and the
myriad temptations awaiting Eastern spiritual leaders who come to the
West. Son of a Swami will be of great interest to Indians, as well as
the millions of Westerners who have studied yoga or followed an
Eastern guru. It also will fascinate anyone interested in cults,
sexual abuse by religious authorities, or vividly written memoir.