Who is Gangaji...is he somehow connected to Amma?
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Rick Archer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Dear Gangaji Foundation Community, > It is possible that you have already heard about a heartbreaking > disclosure within our community. As the Executive Director and a Board > Member of the Gangaji and Leela Foundations it is essential that I share > with you, in brief, what has happened and the response that is emerging. > On Sunday, October 1, 2006, Eli Jaxon-Bear, founder of the Leela > Foundation and Leela School as well as Gangaji¹s husband and partner, > revealed to the entire Board of Directors that he breached the sanctity of > the teacher/student relationship by initiating an intimate relationship > with one of his students, who is also a teacher in the Leela School. This > relationship lasted for three years. > Eli told Gangaji about the relationship in October 2005. At the > student¹s request, neither Gangaji nor Eli disclosed the relationship. > Recently, Eli encouraged the student to disclose the true nature of the > relationship to people in our community. > What was initially seen as a matter between adults is now recognized to > be a betrayal of the teacher/student relationship and an abuse of power. A > trust with the larger community also has been broken. This is an important > revelation as real harm is being experienced by the student and is being > fully acknowledged. The repercussions of this betrayal are reverberating in > ways that were never imagined, but are very painful. > Eli takes full responsibility for his actions and the harm he has > caused. In response, he is willingly stepping down from teaching > immediately. > The student is receiving qualified professional support. We are > heartbroken by the transgression she has suffered and her healing is of > utmost importance to all. > Since hearing this news, the Board of Directors has met intensively > coming together in earnest, offering full support. The desire and intention > of the Board is to serve the healing of this community to the best of their > ability, and to see what must be seen. > In this spirit, the Board accepted Eli¹s resignation from all formal > roles in the organization. > The Board also determined that the Foundation will offer professionally > facilitated meetings, with Gangaji and Eli present, to support healing in > the larger community. These meetings will create a space in which questions > can be asked and answered. There will be an opportunity for anyone to speak > and express their feelings and experience. We will announce by email and on > the website when and where these meetings will take place. > Gangaji and Eli will write a letter directly to the community > addressing their roles in this situation. These letters will be sent out to > our email list as well as posted on the website. > The Board intends to create a Foundation code of ethics, or similar > document, to address the teacher and student relationship, as well as other > pertinent issues. > The deepest truths do not excuse or justify our failures and betrayals > as human beings. Gratefully though, without minimizing or spiritualizing > the damage done, love remains and sustains all. It is only in love that we > can truly meet the pain that comes with being human. Ever more so, we can > commit ourselves to the compassion that love provides and to tell the truth > more clearly and honestly to others and ourselves. > My prayer is that all the hearts affected by this including the > student, the staff, the community, and Eli and Gangaji can heal the pain > that is present and over time rebuild the broken trust. As students, we can > all come together as beginners, to expose the betrayals and to see the > heartbreaking consequences of our actions. We have the opportunity to share > our true feelings, experiences and realizations, to meet our own and > others¹ pain and humanity, and to offer and receive our apologies, > condolences, and gratitude. In the realization of our true silent nature, > we can gather with compassion for all the harm we received and all the harm > we have caused, and then see what comes from that meeting. > May we all be blessed with courage and honesty. As always, I look > forward to meeting with you in satsang. > In deepest gratitude and love, > Barbara Denempont Executive Director > The Board of Directors approved this letter. To write to the Board > please email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your correspondence is welcomed. > > > > The Gangaji Foundation > 2245 Ashland St. > Ashland, OR 97520 > > News from The Gangaji Foundation > The shadow strikes the Gangaji world. > > To no longer receive our emails, click to unsubscribe. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Dear Gangaji Foundation Community, > > > > It is possible that you have already heard about a heartbreaking disclosure within our community. As the Executive Director and a Board Member of the Gangaji and Leela Foundations it is essential that I share with you, in brief, what has happened and the response that is emerging. > > > > On Sunday, October 1, 2006, Eli Jaxon-Bear, founder of the Leela Foundation and Leela School as well as Gangaji's husband and partner, revealed to the entire Board of Directors that he breached the sanctity of the teacher/student relationship by initiating an intimate relationship with one of his students, who is also a teacher in the Leela School. This relationship lasted for three years. > > > > Eli told Gangaji about the relationship in October 2005. At the student's request, neither Gangaji nor Eli disclosed the relationship. Recently, Eli encouraged the student to disclose the true nature of the relationship to people in our community. > > > > What was initially seen as a matter between adults is now recognized to be a betrayal of the teacher/student relationship and an abuse of power. A trust with the larger community also has been broken. This is an important revelation as real harm is being experienced by the student and is being fully acknowledged. The repercussions of this betrayal are reverberating in ways that were never imagined, but are very painful. > > > > Eli takes full responsibility for his actions and the harm he has caused. In response, he is willingly stepping down from teaching immediately. > > > > The student is receiving qualified professional support. We are heartbroken by the transgression she has suffered and her healing is of utmost importance to all. > > > > Since hearing this news, the Board of Directors has met intensively coming together in earnest, offering full support. The desire and intention of the Board is to serve the healing of this community to the best of their ability, and to see what must be seen. > > > > In this spirit, the Board accepted Eli's resignation from all formal roles in the organization. > > > > The Board also determined that the Foundation will offer professionally facilitated meetings, with Gangaji and Eli present, to support healing in the larger community. These meetings will create a space in which questions can be asked and answered. There will be an opportunity for anyone to speak and express their feelings and experience. We will announce by email and on the website when and where these meetings will take place. > > > > Gangaji and Eli will write a letter directly to the community addressing their roles in this situation. These letters will be sent out to our email list as well as posted on the website. > > > > The Board intends to create a Foundation code of ethics, or similar document, to address the teacher and student relationship, as well as other pertinent issues. > > > > The deepest truths do not excuse or justify our failures and betrayals as human beings. Gratefully though, without minimizing or spiritualizing the damage done, love remains and sustains all. It is only in love that we can truly meet the pain that comes with being human. Ever more so, we can commit ourselves to the compassion that love provides and to tell the truth more clearly and honestly to others and ourselves. > > > > My prayer is that all the hearts affected by this including the student, the staff, the community, and Eli and Gangaji can heal the pain that is present and over time rebuild the broken trust. As students, we can all come together as beginners, to expose the betrayals and to see the heartbreaking consequences of our actions. We have the opportunity to share our true feelings, experiences and realizations, to meet our own and others' pain and humanity, and to offer and receive our apologies, condolences, and gratitude. In the realization of our true silent nature, we can gather with compassion for all the harm we received and all the harm we have caused, and then see what comes from that meeting. > > > > May we all be blessed with courage and honesty. As always, I look forward to meeting with you in satsang. > > > > In deepest gratitude and love, > > > > Barbara Denempont Executive Director > > > > The Board of Directors approved this letter. To write to the Board please email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your correspondence is welcomed. > > > Forward Email > [EMAIL PROTECTED] / www.gangaji.org > > > The Gangaji Foundation > 2245 Ashland St. > Ashland, OR 97520 > > > > > > > Subscribe > > Unsubscribe > > > > > > > > > Forward email > > > > This email was sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED], by [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribeT | Privacy Policy. > > > > The Gangaji Foundation | 2245 Ashland St. | Ashland | OR | 97520 > To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/join (Yahoo! 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