His justification for the policy
was that it kept them from unwittingly transferring their partners'
lower male energy. Male energy, he frequently complained,
very much affected his finely tuned, delicate sensibilities.
Perhaps Rama sought protection from "baby energy" as well;
he managed to persuade one disciple in her late twenties to leave
her husband and newborn child.
Despite his ability to invoke adoration and fidelity, Rama seemed
concerned that his power to control female followers was
not absolute. He therefore kept certain men from the inner circle,
despite my recommendations.
"Jeff," I once advised, "is really smart. He's good with people,
and he's a lot of fun to be around."
Rama hesitated. "I don't know, Mark; I'm worried about Dana."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't want her falling in love with him."
Rama was in a bind. On the one hand, he knew that Jeff would be an asset
to the operation. On the other, he sensed that Jeff was too bright
(he had been an honors graduate student in chemistry at UCSD),
too athletic (he played ultimate frisbee), and too good looking
to be running around loose within the carefully controlled nest.
But Rama had a plan. He encouraged Jeff to form a relationship
with Karen, who had previously followed Rama's advice and turned
down an offer from Stanford medical school.
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