What institution is the real heir of the tradition?
Swami Rama explains it best when he points out that the tradition is of the Himalayan caves and is not related to the institutions of the plains. This is not said in opposition to institutions, but to discern between organizations and the ancient practice of more experienced people guiding the less experienced in very personal, intimate, non-institutional ways. My own journey has been like that. While I’ve been around some institutions, the real teachings have been given internally “in” meditation, along with private times with Swami Rama. My favorite, and most useful times with him were walks along the Ganges in Rishikesh, Himalayas. Those internal teachings and walks had nothing to do with institutions. In a similar way, there is no institution that is the heir to the tradition. It is only lack of understanding that might lead one to believe that this is so.
