How American Buddhist Rebel Was Written
In early 1998, Rama - Dr. Frederick Lenz, American Buddhist enlightened teacher, humorist, siddha master[1], walked up to me at a French restaurant in Westchester County, New York. He pointed towards my chest and said, "You will be my biographer." To which I responded, "Sure, but it's not time for that yet." Three months later he was gone.
About two years after his passing, I began to think I would interview people for a bio. I knew he had not left behind notes or journals. I knew that no one person knew the whole story about Rama because different people had been close to him during different time periods. I did not expect to get neat, coordinating viewpoints as Rama worked with everyone differently and he refined and changed the teachings as he observed their effect on his students.
By year twelve after Rama’s exit, I had conducted over 100 interviews and amassed boxes full of papers. I had done this while working at demanding technology project management jobs. Finally, in the summer of 2011, I had a strong intuition -- write this bio NOW. Do not wait for more materials. Do not wait for more people to speak with -- you have the right people. The feeling was so compelling that I quit my day job and decided to start writing full time. I gave myself three months to finish the book. hahaha
It took me two years to write. The first draft of the bio was over 1,000 pages. I re-read and edited these pages repeatedly, down to a 700 page manuscript – way too long. I had to establish constraints.
I came to realize that the bio was not about the students’ points of view, it was about Rama. BIG DIFFERENCE. My task as a biographer was to discern his heart, his motivations, his inspirations and discouragements.
I realized that a biography is not a book of teachings although it will reference them. A detailed book about what Rama taught is a separate task.
I realized that while others might write the bio differently, Rama asked me to be his biographer and he was precise in his perceptions. I had to trust my judgment, and over time, my self-trust grew.
In other words, I changed. As I learned about Rama's transformations, I transformed. I matured, became less selfish, gained more understanding and compassion. I wrote and rewrote so that you would find the content fresh and fascinating, a page-turner. That experience reflects what it was like to study with Rama.
People today are leery of studying with teachers, but if you find a real teacher -- something that happens infrequently -- then you should go for it and learn and change. Don't care what others think. Care what you think. You know. Your intuition knows. If things change, leave and move on. Very simple.
When you read American Buddhist Rebel, you are studying for about 380 pages with a real teacher. After you read the bio, you can read more if you'd like. There are about 125 recorded talks at ramameditationsociety.org. There is also beautiful music for meditation that will empower you. If you only read the bio that's fine. You have been touched by enlightenment. You'll see.
[1] A siddha master effortlessly displays yogic powers such as levitation, disappearance and healing in a humble and innocent manner.