Eli Jaxon-Bear was born Elliot Jay Zeldow in Brooklyn, New York in 1947. His eighteen-year spiritual journey began in 1971 when he was on the run from the FBI during the Vietnam War era. In 1978, Kalu Rinpoche entrusted him with the leadership of his Dharma Center in Marin County, California. In 1982, he was presented with a Zen teaching fan at the Chosho-ji Zen Temple in Japan. His path and search ended when he traveled to India and met his last teacher, Sri H.W.L. Poonja. Eli lives with his wife, Gangaji, in Ashland, Oregon. Eli currently meets with people around the world and teaches through the Leela Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting world peace and freedom through universal self-realization.

www.leela.org