Frederick Lenz

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. Lenz stated: “I like miracles. They inspire me. Miracles cause you to believe, to have faith in the unseen, to look further into things, deeper into things. Miracles are the fun of enlightenment. When a teacher does a miracle – an enlightened teacher – and someone sees it, they’re astonished. Suddenly they have faith in what the teacher has to say about self-discovery and spirituality and enlightenment.”

Lenz drowned in the bay next to his home on April 12, 1998 , the victim of an apparent suicide. He left an $18 million estate. 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 is headed by Dr. 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. According to The New York Times, the will was contested by Diana Jean Reynolds, who claimed to be Lenz's widow, and Deborah Lenz, whose claim to be Lenz's widow is based on her view that they had a common law marriage. Both claims were withdrawn and dismissed. His estate was settled in 2002. The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism has engaged in substantial grant making activity (close to $7 million to date) to approximately 100 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.

At the end of 1982, he adopted the teaching name of "Rama", stating that he was not the historical Rama but rather represented a warrior quality implied in that name. He said he remembered all of his previous reincarnations, including his life as a high priest in Atlantis, and as a teacher in ancient Egypt, India, Japan, and Tibet.

From 1982 to 1992, Lenz created over 120 audio recordings. The topics of the talks covered a wide range of titles, including "Meditation", "Tantric Buddhism", "Career Success", "Women and Enlightenment", and "Psychic Development".

Frederick Lenz published eight books between 1979 and 1997.

Lenz's father, Frederick Lenz Jr., worked as a marketing executive and later went on to become the mayor of Stamford from 1973 to 1975. His mother, Dorothy Lenz, was a housewife and a student of astrology.

Beginning in 1972, he became a student of Hindu guru Sri Chinmoy, who gave him the name "Atmananda" meaning "one who Bliss is in the Self". In 1981, after moving back to San Diego, he broke with Chinmoy and founded his own teaching center called Lakshmi.

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 and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Frederick Philip Lenz, III, also known as Rama (Sanskrit: रामा) and Atmananda (Sanskrit: आत्मानदा; February 9, 1950 in San Diego, California – April 12, 1998), was a spiritual teacher who taught what he termed American Buddhism, including the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, Zen, Vedanta, and Mysticism. Lenz was also an author, software designer, businessman, and record producer.

Lenz was born February 9, 1950, at Mercy Hospital in San Diego, California. At the age of three, he and his family moved to Stamford, Connecticut. He spent the rest of his childhood and teenage years there, attending schools in the Stamford area.