action, magic, & enlightenment—The award-winning biography

AMERICAN BUDDHIST REBEL: the story of rama – dr. frederick lenz

by Liz Lewinson

Revolutionary, Rebel, American Buddhist—Dr. frederick lenz

Discover how Rama, Dr. Frederick Lenz created a body of wisdom he called “American Buddhism,” a synthesis of ancient knowledge and profound Western thought. He spoke truth and lived it in the form of higher states of awareness and delightful miracles regularly witnessed by thousands who attended his lectures.

Rama was a tulku—a lineage holder and a being who has taken the Bodhisattva vow of compassion. His passion in life was seeing students change, transform, and grow, throwing off their limited perceptions of themselves and others. He used fun and radical means to uplift lives including revolutionary meditation, Buddhist miracles, computer science careers, travel, scuba diving, movie-going, great music, dance, and Disneyland sojourns. His teachings are widely available today via books, talks, music, film, and mentoring by many of his direct students.

what people are saying

“It’s a wonderful read…”

“What a fascinating story...”

In-depth reviews

“This is definitely a book that changes your perspective on life for the better…The author is present interacting with Rama throughout the book. We as the reader are made to feel that we are part of the journey and that we are in the room with Rama and Liz.”

—Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Benjamin Franklin Award Review

American Buddhist Rebel by Liz Lewinson is a passionate, moving, and experiential glimpse into a remarkable teacher who helped his students discover a better life and enlightened awareness while they lived in the everyday world. A page-turning book to be read again and again.

—Leslie Harris, Executive Coach

I was fascinated, moved, and inspired by this clear and compelling biography of Rama. I found myself very drawn to this true Crazy Wisdom guru who offered so much to his students and who, like all great gurus, also suffered at the hands of those who could not recognize the value of his bodhisattva offerings.

—Margaret Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science

This book is full of heart and wisdom. It is a clearly written, fascinating story of an extraordinary individual, the lives he affected, and the potential he showed the world for waking up. It was a wonderful read.

—Yael Shy, Director of The Mindfulness Project at New York University

This fascinating biography captures the wisdom of a genuine, compelling teacher who combined absolute miracles with humor, fun and adventure. When you read this fast-paced book, you feel you are there, learning and transforming. This is an original and exciting read.

—Lynn V. Andrews, author of The Medicine Woman Series

Book quotes

““Watch this,” Rama said. I looked in his direction and saw two beams of blue light emanating from his raised hands and shooting up into the night sky. Then, as I looked at the sky, that solid panoply of twinkling light began to whirl in dancing patterns—artfully, joyfully twirling in artistic shapes.”

“It’s necessary to bring about a tremendous refinement in your being. That refinement begins from the ground up , and it is the focus of the daylight hours of your study.”

“Rama stated that the main focus of his teaching in this life was the enlightenment of women. He said he had tried teaching this topic in past lives and always had his ass kicked to the ground. He said he had paid heavily for trying to help women. Now he saw a window—it might be a short one—where women could take the lead and experience full enlightenment.”

The Rama biography blogosphere

Other Resources Happy Blog!

Dive into books, films, music, talks, social, and websites by and about Frederick Lenz. Use this blog to learn about more super source materials regarding Rama, Dr. Frederick Lenz.

The Zen of Zen Master Rama

Zen Master Rama was the name Rama, Dr. Frederick Lenz used for several years when teaching. He said that Zen was closest to what he taught. He called it Original Zen -- no hierarchy, no memorized koans, no uniforms, but rather the transmission of the highest states of enlightenment through every act of living. Rama was the original Zen master.

Rama Meets a Buddhist Master in Nepal: The Origins of Our Lineage in This Lifetime

The writing of American Buddhist Rebel was a 15-year voyage of discovery. I learned constantly from the 100+ people I spoke with. One of my research questions involved Rama’s introduction to Surfing the Himalayas. He said the fiction book was based on a real set of events. I found out about fact versus fiction from a number of sources.

FAKE NEWS about Frederick P. Lenz

Rama, Dr. Frederick Lenz was the target of fake news. What is fake news? Fake news has become a standard tool in media. Per dictionary.com, it is a noun — false news stories, often of a sensational nature, created to be widely shared or distributed for the purpose of generating revenue, or promoting or discrediting a public figure, political movement, company, etc...

American Buddhist Rebel Audio Book!

The adventure, the travel, the fun, the miracles, the original Zen Master Rama — everything is in the book! The audio book will take the listener on an entirely new journey.

Ramakrishna and Rama, Dr. Frederick Lenz

Learn about the 19th century avatar Ramakrishna and the correlation to Rama Dr. Frederick Lenz.