Atmananda occasionally paced
the carpets of the new Centre, improvising a song from Fiddler On The
Roof in which pious dairyman Tevya aspires for a little wealth from God.
"If I were a realized soul!" Atmananda began. "Ahhh yaahtuh
daahtuh daahtuh yaahtuh daahtuh daahtuh daahtuh duhm.
All day long I'd bittih bittih buhm. If I were a realized soul!
Ahhh wouldn't have to work hard..."
Once at the new Centre, Atmananda recited for me the money mantra.
"Ya devi sarva bhutesu ratna rupena sangsthita nastasvai namastvai
namastvai namo nama," he chanted soulfully.
If I could have followed his words down the corridors of time,
I would have seen him--
Ya devi...
Dramatically increasing the cost of public meditation lectures
and seminars.
...sarva bhutesu...
Charging one thousand dollars a person for weekend desert trips
(1987).
...ratna rupena...
Increasing his advertising budget from hundreds (1977) to hundreds
of thousands (1987).
...sangsthita...
Requesting that manditory tuition--which took the place of the voluntary
Money Club--be paid in hundred dollar denominations to avoid "low vibe"
tens and twenties. Suggesting that followers hold off on tax payments
until "later." Raising monthly tuition from one hundred dollars
(1982) to approximately thirty-five hundred dollars (1993).
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