and rebirth. Vishnu and his wife, Lakshmi, preside
over this paradise, where souls may live in efful-
gent bliss eternally, in proximity to the divinity
himself.
Further readings: J. A. Dowson, A Classical Dictionary
of Hindu Mythology (Portland, Oreg.: Trubner, 2003).
Hemachandra (c. 1200 C.E.) Jain yogi and
philosopher
Hemachandra was one of the foremost Jain SHVET-
AMBARA sages and teachers. He is known for his
many writings, including the vast Jain PURANA in
Sanskrit, which catalogued the lives and adven-
tures of the 63 venerated personages in the tra-
dition of JAINISM. Included among the 63 are all
the TIRTHANKARAS, enlightened teachers, of the
current half-era, plus the story of BAHUBALI, one of
the sons of the first Tirthankara, and even a Jain
version of the story of KRISHNA. This work was
highly influential in popularizing and spreading
the Jain faith.
Hemachandra’s Yogashastra is one of the best
sources for some of the lost practices of Jain YOGA.
In the area of philosophy Hemachandra wrote Pra-
manamimamsa and Anyayogagavyavacchedika,
which are widely studied as Jain contributions to
the Indian logical school of the NYAYA. The second
of the two is famous for its commentary by Mall-
ishena, entitled Syadvadamanjari, which laid out a
sophisticated Jain relativistic philosophy.
Further reading: Helen M. Johnson, trans., The Lives
of the Sixty-Three Illustrious Persons, 6 vols. (Baroda:
Oriental Institute, 1962); E. Windsch, trans., “Hemach-
andra’s Yogasastra,” Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgen-
landishcen Gesellshaft no. 28 (Leipzig, 1874).
Himalayan International Institute of
Yoga Science and Philosophy (est. 1971)
The Himalayan International Institute of Yoga
Science and Philosophy was founded in 1971 by
Swami Rama (1925–96); first based in Illinois,
headquarters were moved to Honesdale, Penn-
sylvania, in 1977. The institute promotes its
founder’s teachings on mind-body consciousness.
Courses in holistic health, HATHA YOGA, RAJA YOGA,
MEDITATION, and psychology are offered there.
Raja yoga, considered the royal road of yoga, is
promoted as a prime way to balance mind, body,
and spirit. Swami Rama always aimed to awaken
the nascent consciousness, bolster its energy, and
raise spiritual intensity so that the individual
blends with the Universal Self. He advocated what
he termed super conscious MEDITATION, a system
that included relaxation, prana (breathing), ASA-
NAS (postures), and chants, or MANTRAS.
After being orphaned at an early age, Swami
Rama was raised by an accomplished yogi from
Bengal. He spent time as a child and young man in
the cave monasteries of the HIMALAYAS. He was an
adept pupil eager to learn, and in 1949 he attained
the level of Shankaracharya, a title that was con-
sidered a great honor. He gave up his title in 1952
and committed himself to an arduous discipline in
order to prepare himself for attaining and teaching
the highest spirituality.
In 1969 Swami Rama ventured to the United
States; he became a research consultant for the
Menninger Foundation Research Project, which
viewed his project on voluntary control of exter-
nal states as worthy of research. Little was known
about how to induce the body to override the
involuntary, autonomous nervous system. Swami
Rama began to work with the husband-and-wife
team of Elmer and Alyce Green, the on-site psy-
chologists. He demonstrated an uncanny ability
to control physical feats and body functions. His
extraordinary skills offered significant material for
laboratory analysis of mind-body connections.
The Himalayan Institute has published over
80 books on meditation and philosophy. It also
publishes the bimonthly Yoga International. There
are 37 branches, serving an international market,
with affiliated centers in the United States, Can-
ada, India, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Trinidad,Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy 183 J