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1950 February 9th 4:29 pm
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Born in San Diego, California
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Early
1950's
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Rama's
family moves to Connecticut
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1967
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Earns
Black Belt in Judo while in High School
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Graduates
from High School
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Travels
throughout the United States immersing himself in various
adventures akin to his youthful age (rumors place visits
to the Himalayas sometime in these general years)
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Rama
shows a growing interest in Spiritual Study - observes various
spiritual communities and teachers
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1969
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Studies
with Indian Yogi in New York City - given the name Atmananda
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Enters
his collegiate studies at the age of 20 - University of
Connecticut
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Rama
subsidizes his collegiate years with the art of handmaking
Dulcimers. Rama also plays the dulcimer to live audiences
in the local coffeehouses.
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1970
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Rama
begins teaching meditation and yoga
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1973
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Rama
graduates Phi Beta Kappa and is awarded a State of New York
Graduate Council Fellowship/continues his education at the
State University of New York at Stony Brook
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1974
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Rama
is awarded his M.A. Degree
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1978
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Rama
teaches courses in English at Long Island University, the
State University of N.Y. and at City College of N.Y.
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Rama
teaches credit courses in meditation at the New School for
Social Research in NYC, as well as meditation classes at
Stony Brook and other Long Island Colleges
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Rama
develops student supporters and begins to draw sizable attendance
at events
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Gives
lectures on meditation and related topics in NYC, as well
as many eastern colleges and universities
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Does
Radio Talk shows and travels to Europe to teach in Switzerland
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1979
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Moves
to San Diego to teach and develops a large group of students
- many students from Balboa Park, U.C. San Diego and San
Diego State
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Rama gives free talks at the Casa del Prado in Balboa Park,
San Diego. People sit in folding chairs. Advertises in "Holistic
Living News"
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1980
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Starts
Spiritual Center named "Anahata" - main center
at La Jolla, California
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Starts
Spiritual Center in Los Angeles - meetings held at the Neptunian
Women's Club
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Starts
publishing newspaper "Woof" on spiritual
topics and writes new age satire
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Rama
cycles through all his lifetimes and becomes completely
self-realized; holds the famous Self-Realization Party
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1981
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Rama
publishes pocket size book "Meditation"
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Moves
main center to the Del Mar Castle, Del Mar, California
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Starts
Meditation Center in San Francisco - meditations held at
the Unity Church
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Names
meditation organization after the Indian Goddess "Lakshmi"
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Dinner
parties and Meditations held at the "Castle"
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Excursions
to the desert become regular center events - hiking, meditation
and dissolution
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Rama
moves main center of organization to Malibu, California
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Center
meetings held at the Unity Church in Santa Monica
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1982
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Beverly
Theater in Los Angeles becomes meeting place for center
meditations
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San
Diego center closes.
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Women
given leading staff positions to compensate for centuries
of neglect
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Atmananda
takes the name "Rama" after the ancient Indian
warrior Rama of the "Ramayana"
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1983
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Rama produces
advertising campaign in which he lists his "Past
Life Resume." The advertising campaign is both
successful and controversial. Contents include listing
of Rama's Past Lives:
High Priest - Temple of Light, Atlantis
Occult Teacher - Mystery School, Egypt
1531-1575 Zen Master, Kyoto
1602 -1671 Head of Zen Order, Kyoto, Japan
1725 -1804 Master of Monastery, Tibet
1834 -1905 Jnana Yoga Master, Madras India
1912 -1945 Tibetan Lama, head of Monastic Order,
Tibet
1950 - (1998) Enlightened Teacher, Psychic,
Occult Dancer USA, Europe & The Far East
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1985
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Holds
classes in LA and Boston
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Officially
closes Lakshmi Center(s) in Los Angeles and Boston
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Starts
Vishnu Systems, Inc., a computer software company in Boston
and Rama Seminars, Inc.
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Rama
starts public bimonthly Rama Seminars which were held at
the L.A. Convention Center in November. First two meetings
were "intensives" on "Psychic Development"
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Considers
teaching in Colorado - many students move there
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1986
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Zazen
records live album "Samsara" at the Wilshire Ebell
Theater on July 13, 1986 - a retrospective of all their
previous pieces
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Zazen
records live album "Samurai"
at the Wilshire Ebell Theater on September 14, 1986 - first
"truly official" album
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Accepting
an invitation from many masters of Zen orders, Rama travels
to Japan and meets with Seiko Hirata, the Zen master of
the Tenryu-ji Temple, Soen Ozeki, the Abbott of the Daisen-in
Temple, and Mr. Genko Naoyama, the Secretary General of
the Nanzen-ji Temple.
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Rama
renews interests in sports; hiking, kayaking and studies
dance
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1987
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Zen
Seminars continue until May - then public seminars are discontinued.
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Does
a speaking tour in several American cities. His advertising
included a 2 page ad in the Sunday New York Times and huge
kiosk-size posters of Rama's face which were professionally
put up all over New York City.
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Gives free talk in the fall at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln
Center in New York attended by hundreds more people than
the capacity of the hall. People had to sit in shifts.
Rama discussed nuclear disarmament that night, saying "isn't
it funny 50 years ago these weapons didn't even exist and
now people think they are inevitable". He created a
space for people to shift from thinking that these weapons
were inevitable to considering how to get rid of them. That
December, a first phase nuclear disarmament treaty was suddenly
signed between USA and Russia that previously no one had
thought would ever be possible.
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1988-1989
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Rama
students go to Seattle to start Meditation/Yoga/Aerobics
School
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1989-1990
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Begins
Lifestyles of the Rich and Enlightened (documents copyrighted)
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Rama
initiates a program to help students become wealthy
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Provides
professional technical training program for students to
learn how to master relational databases, AI, become consultants,
start consulting firms and develop software companies
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Offers
partnership and mentoring with students to develop software
products. Backs program with national and international
vacation trips to power places
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1992-1993
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Initiations
into Rae-Chorze-Fwaz
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Students
are initiated to become Monks/Teachers/Mentors
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Rama
publishes "Pathway to Enlightenment ", a three
ring binder containing letters from successful students
and their parents.
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After
finishing exam questions and writings, students begin teaching
programs throughout the United States and Europe. Rama gives
introductory dinners and teaching events to encourage new
students into the program.
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Releases
"Pathway to Enlightenment" video.
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Starts
an independent study program - students receive tapes through
the mail
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1994
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1995
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Students
move to different cities throughout the United States starting
software companies and technology recruiting companies
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to promote "Surfing the Himalayas" and in addition to do doing
book signings in several cities, gave public talks on this
tour in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York
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1996
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Runs
full color two-page ads in Rolling Stone, Black Belt Magazine,
and a Snowboarding Magazine.
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Participates
in a series of Radio interviews along both coasts.
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Vayu
leaves the physical body toward the end of the book tour.
Rama expresses the sincere loss of his friend.
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1997
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Gives
a series of lectures on various Shakespeare plays, including
Hamlet, Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, using them as a tool
to discuss Buddhist psychology.
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Rama
shows the "Cayman Blue" video for the first time. Some students
are given signed, numbered copies by Rama.
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Some
students receive copies of signed, numbered posters by Rama.
He teasingly predicts they will become collector's items.
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Rama
gives a formal teaching empowerment from the lineage of
enlightenment to those of his students who wished this and
who had completed the various tasks for it.
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December
KalaChakra Initiation
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1998
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Rama
gives classes in the Literature of Enlightenment.
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Students
do an in-house Golf Fashion show.
Students who wish dress in golf attire and others sit in
the audience and help vote on the winners. Rama gives his
personal copies of books to six winners. The six books are
"Mystical Verses of a Mad Dalai Lama", edited by Glenn Mullin;
"The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti: A Mahayana Scripture"
edited by Robert A. F. Thurman; "The Buddhist Handbook"
by John Snelling; "Hidden Teachings of Tibet: An Explanation
of the Terma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism" edited by Harold
Talbott; "Buddhist Texts Through the Ages" translated by
Edward Conze and others; "Golf in the Kingdom" by Michael
Murphy
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Sometime
between April 10-12th, 1998- Rama leaves the physical body.
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