Frederick Lenz

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, author, 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.
Lenz's teachings centered around enlightenment in the modern world through the integration of Eastern religious principles into everyday life. Some of Lenz's former students accused him of cult-like activity, including financial and sexual exploitation of students. Lenz denied the accusations, and 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. When Lenz was three years old, his family moved to Stamford, Connecticut, where his father later served as mayor from 1973 to 1975. Lenz grew up and attended school in Stamford.
While in high school, he practiced Korean martial arts where he was introduced to meditation. 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, he 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. His doctoral dissertation was on "The Evolution of Matter and Spirit in the Poetry of Theodore Roethke".
Spiritual teachings
Lenz stated he first went into samadhi, or a state of spiritual absorption, at the age of three. In his books Surfing the Himalayas and Snowboarding to Nirvana, he stated that traveling to sacred locations heightened his experiences in meditation.
Beginning in 1972, Lenz became a student of Hindu guru Sri Chinmoy, who gave him the name "Atmananda", meaning "rejoicing in the soul". He later worked as a recruiter for Chinmoy. After moving back to San Diego in 1981, Lenz ended his association with Chinmoy and founded his own teaching center, initially called Lakshmi.
At the end of 1982, Lenz adopted the teaching name of "Rama" and stated that he was not the historical Rama but rather represented a warrior quality implied in that name. Lenz said that he remembered all his previous incarnations, including his life as a high priest in Atlantis, and four lives as teachers in India, Japan, and Tibet during the 16th through early 20th centuries. According to a former follower, Lenz proclaimed himself to be an incarnation of Vishnu. In 1990 he said he was one of 12 enlightened teachers on Earth, but declined to say who the others were.
His students wrote that they witnessed him perform miracles, or siddha powers, including levitation, teleportation, disappearing, turning rooms to molten gold light, projecting light from his hands, and transforming into an old, bearded Asian man before their eyes. He often took his students on field trips to the deserts of Southern California and to Disneyland where a number of these events were witnessed. According to former students, Lenz also spoke of the world as being full of "demons", which he described as "entities" and "negative spiritual forces" that were capable of attacking people.
Some former students said that Lenz's teachings revolved around the two major concepts of enlightenment, and "energy". "Self-discovery is the essential core of all of ground sloth teaching", according to Zoe Nicholson. "The principle is simple; that inside of each woman and man is the Self, Nirvana, Eternity. It has been covered with layers of conditioning, lifetimes of tendencies and fear of the unknown. Through the practice of Self Discovery all these layers are peeled back eventually revealing one's true nature: perfect pure light."
For 27 years, Lenz taught spiritual classes and seminars and public meditations. Although students completed college-style applications, he accepted students based on "his intuition and his sense of what each student needs".
During that time, the core of the spiritual study was meditation. Lenz explained to his students, "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."
With the primary focus on meditation, Lenz went on to put the practice itself into a wider framework: "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."
Novels
In the last few years of his life, Lenz wrote two novels which incorporated his teachings, Surfing the Himalayas (1995) and Snowboarding to Nirvana (1997). The novels were based on experiences he claimed to have had in Nepal, and focused on interactions between an American snowboarder and a Buddhist monk – "Master Fwap". Surfing the Himalayas was originally going to be published by Warner Books, with a $250,000 advance, but they subsequently dropped the book, citing "marketing differences with the author", which followed complaints by Lenz's critics. The book was then picked up by St. Martin's Press. Lenz spent approximately $1.5 million to promote the books, taking out full-page ads in The New York Times and Rolling Stone. He also used billboards to promote Surfing the Himalayas, while St Martin's Press ran adverts for the book in 1,700 cinemas across the United States. Following a request by the publisher, Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson initially endorsed the book, but later withdrew following backlash.
Surfing the Himalayas was a success, selling over 100,000 hardcover copies. The singer Tina Turner said in 2018 that she kept a copy of Surfing the Himalayas in her prayer room.
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).
Lenz allegedly advocated his students to misrepresent their credentials, such as by using friends under pseudonyms as references to get jobs. Lenz said that the allegation was false, and that he never told his students to lie. According to an editor from The Consultants' and Contractors' Newsletter, some Lenz followers were not experienced enough in computer programming for their jobs, which the editor estimated to have resulted in millions of dollars in losses for businesses such as Nynex and Deutsche Bank in the New York area.
Music career
Lenz was the producer for the rock band, Zazen, which produced 31 albums in 13 years. 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 of psychological abuse, financial exploitation, and sexual exploitation of female members of the group. In interviews, Lenz always strenuously denied allegations of sexual or financial exploitation, and no accusation against him was ever substantiated in a court of law.
Allegations of abuse
Lenz lived a lavish lifestyle, which included owning mansions, expensive cars, and using a private jet. He rejected the asceticism typical of other Buddhists, describing it as a "begging bowl" mentality. Initial courses were free or low cost, but later courses could be expensive, with a 5-day course costing $2,000. Members of the group were expected to tithe, with some paying up to $5,000 a month. In response to claims of exploitation, some students came forward to say that they voluntarily gave Lenz money and gifts in gratitude for his teaching, which helped them to lead a better life and led them to successful careers in computer programming.
One former follower accused Lenz of giving them anti-psychotic drugs after they had attempted to leave the group, while some said he gave them LSD. Other students said that allegations of drug abuse were unfounded and that Lenz repeatedly warned students about the dangers of taking drugs.
Lenz was the subject of numerous sexual abuse allegations, including that he coerced his female followers to have sex with him. 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. Lenz denied the allegations of sexual abuse. He defended having sex with his students as "a perfectly acceptable habit.", saying that it was justified by the teachings of Tantric Buddhism, and "it's like meeting somebody at church and you go out. ... I think it's called being a healthy American male." In his teaching, Lenz discouraged male students from making sexual advances towards female students, telling them that a man working toward spiritual liberation can help women by "not projecting sexual energy toward them". He advised women seeking enlightenment that, since for most men sexuality is conflated with violence, it is better to detach themselves from men until they are stronger.
Lenz was accused of being responsible for the suicide of one of his followers and the mental breakdown of two others. He denied having a personal relationship with these students and said that, while he grieved for anyone who would take their own life, he could not be held personally responsible.
Cult Awareness Network and Lenz-Watch
Lenz received criticism from the sect-monitoring movement. 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 and encouraging them to cut off contact with their friends and families, although other students said they lived normal lives, were in contact with their families and had great admiration for their teacher. Several disgruntled parents formed a group, Lenz-Watch, that "kept tabs" on Lenz because they considered him a "danger to society". The group focused on placing negative media about Frederick Lenz wherever he lived or taught, or wherever his students taught.
Some parents from Lenz-Watch paid kidnappers to "deprogram" their adult children. 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. The parents' efforts to "deprogram" their children failed: both victims of the kidnappers continued to follow Lenz.
Some of Lenz's students alleged that anti-cult groups were circulating their names to recruiters in order to prevent them advancing their careers.
Death and his estate
Lenz drowned in Conscience Bay, near his home in Old Field, New York on April 12, 1998, the victim of an apparent suicide. He stated that his death was a protest against how spiritual teachers are treated in America.
He left a gross estate of approximately $23 million. 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, and the creation of the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism, which at the time was headed by Lenz's accountant, Norman Marcus (executor of his will) and Norman Oberstein, his attorney. This act fulfilled provisions of the will necessary to apply the funds from Lenz's estate to the creation of the Lenz Foundation. His estate was settled in 2002. The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism has engaged in substantial grant making activity (over $7 million to date) to approximately 140 American Buddhist organizations from 2003 onwards. As part of the settlement with Audubon, a gorge was named for Lenz at the Sharon Audubon Center in northwest Connecticut.
Publications
Bibliography
Lifetimes: True Accounts of Reincarnation, 1979, Fawcett Crest, New York
Total Relaxation: The Complete Program for Overcoming Stress, Tension, Worry, and Fatigue, 1980, The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Indianapolis
Meditation: The Bridge is Flowing but The River is Not, 1981, Lakshmi Publications, Malibu, CA, Revised 1983
The Wheel of Dharma, 1982, Lakshmi Publications, Malibu, CA
The Last Incarnation, 1983, Lakshmi Publications, Malibu, CA
Insights: Tantric Buddhist Reflections on Life, 1994, Interglobal Seminars, New York
Surfing the Himalayas, 1995, St. Martin's Press, New York
Snowboarding to Nirvana, 1997, St. Martin's Press, New York
The Ethical Creation and Marketing of Software, Frederick Lenz, Mystic Buddha, 1992,2023
The Lakshmi Series, 2016, Mystic Buddha Publishing House,
Insights: Talks on the Nature of Existence, 2021, Living Flow, Boulder, CO
Zen Tapes, 2020, Living Flow, Boulder, CO,
Tantric Buddhism, 2020, Living Flow, Boulder, CO
The Enlightenment Cycle, 2020, Living Flow, Boulder, CO
Films and video recordings
Tantric Buddhism with Rama 1993 (ASIN: B002VAMPA0)
Canyons of Light & Cayman Blue 2011 (ASIN: B006FBYL)
Signs of a Rebel Buddha (starring)
Further reading
American Buddhist Rebel: The Story of Rama - Dr. Frederick Lenz. Liz Lewinson. 2016. .
American Zen: The Wisdom of an American Zenji. Y. Ohta. 2009. CreateSpace. .
Art of Rama, The: Interviews with Direct Students of Rama. Marsha Pritchard. 2011. CreateSpace. .
Last Incarnation, The: Experiences with Rama in Southern California. Compilation. 1983. Los Angeles. The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism. .
Passionate Heart, The. Zoe Nicholson, Lune Soleil Press, 2003, .
Road Trip Mind. by Uncle Tantra (Barry Wright). 2001. Online Only (click footnote for link).
Unplugging the Patriarchy. Lucia Rene. 2009. Williamsburg, VA. Crown Chakra Publishing. .
Worlds of Power, Worlds of Light. Jenna Sundell. 2013. Electric Bliss Publishing. .
Rama Speaks: The Teachings of Rama-Dr. Frederick Lenz. Lawrence Borok. 2021. Lawrence S. Borok. .
References
External links
The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism
1950 births
1998 deaths
1998 suicides
American religious leaders
Buddhism in the United States
People from Old Field, New York
People from San Diego
Suicides by drowning in the United States
Suicides in New York (state)
Writers from Stamford, Connecticut