Frederick Lenz

Frederick Philip Lenz III, also known as Rama (Sanskrit: राम), Zen Master Rama and Atmananda (Sanskrit: आतमाननद; February 9, 1950 – April 12, 1998) was an American spiritual leader, writer, software designer, and record producer. He founded what he termed "American Buddhism", which incorporated the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, Zen, Vedanta, mysticism, and New Age ideas.

After studying with Sri Chinmoy, who gave him the name 'Atmananda', Lenz lectured and taught classes in meditation, before forming his own school and assuming the name 'Rama'. His teachings centered around enlightenment in the modern world through the integration of Eastern religious principles into everyday life. He wrote several books on meditation and Buddhist philosophy, including two novels depicting a young American snowboarder's encounter with a Tibetan Buddhist Master in the Himalayas, which were, according to Lenz, loosely based on his own experiences in Nepal.

Though a Buddhist, Lenz eschewed asceticism, lived a lavish lifestyle, and encouraged students to focus on financial independence and success. Some former students accused him of cult-like activity, including financial and sexual exploitation. Lenz denied the accusations; no civil or criminal proceedings were ever brought against him.

Lenz died in an apparent suicide in 1998. After his death, his $23 million estate became the subject of dispute, ultimately leading to the creation of the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism, which has made significant grants to various American Buddhist organizations since 2003.

Biography Childhood and adolescence Frederick Lenz was born in San Diego, California, to Frederick Lenz Jr., a marketing executive, and Dorothy Gumaer Lenz, a housewife and student of astrology. Lenz stated that he had his first experience of samadhi, a state of spiritual absorption, in his mother's garden when he was still a toddler. Lenz's family moved to Stamford, Connecticut, when he was three years old. Lenz grew up and attended school in Stamford. His father served as the town's mayor from 1973 to 1975. After high school, Lenz was incarcerated in a minimum security camp near San Diego for possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor offense which was later removed from the court records by way of a dismissal. According to his own account, he then traveled to Kathmandu and encountered a Tibetan Buddhist monk who informed him that in the future, he would help millions of people and carry on the teachings of a lineage that had almost disappeared.

Education Lenz graduated from Rippowam High School in 1967. He later attended the University of Connecticut, where he majored in English and minored in Philosophy. He was inducted as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society in 1973 and graduated magna cum laude.

After college, Lenz won a competitive State of New York Graduate Council Fellowship enabling him to continue his studies. He earned a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy from State University of New York at Stony Brook, finishing his studies in 1979. While completing his graduate degrees, Lenz worked as a lecturer in English at the New School for Social Research.

Spiritual teachings

When he was 18 years old, Lenz began studying yoga under Sri Chinmoy. Lenz ended his association with Chinmoy in 1981 after founding his own teaching center in Los Angeles, initially named Lakshmi, after the Hindu Goddess of prosperity and beauty. and four lives as teachers in India, Japan, and Tibet during the 16th through early 20th centuries.

Lenz conducted spiritual classes, seminars and public meditations for 27 years. Although students completed college-style applications, he accepted students based on "his intuition and his sense of what each student needs".

The core of study was always meditation. Lenz described the experience of ecstasy in meditation thus:You concentrate so intensely, you bring your will to such a singular point that you break through all the limited mind states. You bring in so much kundalini because your focus is so intense that you snap out of the limited mental states into higher mental states, and then, of course, you experience the pure, shining void in whatever form you're capable of experiencing it as, from your sentient mind state, and that in itself is ecstasy.

Putting the practice in a wider perspective, he said:Meditate and realize that when you meditate, no matter how high you go, no matter how deeply you perceive, that you're only touching the bare surface of infinity. Just hold in mind the fact that beyond your perception is ecstasy. Not far beyond. Just with the stoppage of thought there's ecstasy—power, understanding, in limitless amounts. And no matter how far you go, you can never experience all of it. And if you dissolve the self completely, it doesn't end." The novels focus on a student-master relationship that develops between an American snowboarder and a Buddhist monk – "Master Fwap".

Lenz spent approximately $1.5 million to promote Surfing the Himalayas, taking out full-page ads in The New York Times and Rolling Stone, and placing ads on billboards.

Surfing the Himalayas was a success, selling over 100,000 hardcover copies in its first two months.

Software designer Lenz encouraged his students to pursue computer science because of the mental challenge, diverse career opportunities and high rates of pay. Many students became skilled programmers and went on to form their own software companies, with Lenz acting as co-designer and advisor. These companies included AutoSys (sold to Platinum Technology in 1995), CS10000, Vantage Point (VP-Med and SmartCare), Vayu Web, and Eagle Ray Project Management Software (sold to Primavera).

Devotees described Lenz as an enlightened master whose seminars helped them to become wealthy, but some of those who dropped out claimed that he advised his students to inflate their credentials and to use friends under pseudonyms as references to get jobs. Lenz said that he never told his students to lie and that the allegation was false. The group also released several music videos. Lenz was also co-composer of the album Ecologie (credited under "Rama") and the soundtrack for 704 Hauser.

Controversies Some former followers and parents of followers made accusations in the media of psychological abuse, financial exploitation, and sexual exploitation of female members of the group. A group was formed, calling itself Lenz-Watch, that actively sought to publicize these claims wherever Lenz or his students operated. In interviews, Lenz always strenuously denied allegations of sexual or financial exploitation. No legal action, in either a civil or criminal court, was ever taken against him relating to any form of sexual or financial abuse.

Lenz was the subject of several sexual abuse allegations. According to two former female members, Lenz claimed that having sex with him would increase their chances of enlightenment and a more auspicious reincarnation, as well as transfer his "energy" into them. and that Lenz repeatedly warned students about the dangers of taking drugs. Some former students and parents of students became involved with sect watchdog groups, including the CAN (Cult Awareness Network). Lenz was accused of controlling his followers activities, including pressuring them to move The group focused on placing negative media about Frederick Lenz wherever he lived or taught, or wherever his students taught. According to one of the abductees, Jennifer Jacobs, the kidnapping involved being held captive in a roadhouse, where she was repeatedly subjected to physical, verbal and emotional abuse. In a legal declaration, Jacobs stated that the abuse only stopped after 11 days, when she pretended to be 'cured', though she was nevertheless forcibly detained for several more weeks. According to Jacobs, the kidnappers told her that her parents had instigated the kidnapping on the advice of the Cult Awareness Network. Lenz had reportedly taken 150 valium tablets before drowning. His will was a matter of dispute between the National Audubon Society and his estate, which was settled by a donation to the National Audubon Society, As part of the settlement with Audubon, a gorge was named for Lenz at the Sharon Audubon Center in northwest Connecticut.

Publications