Draft:Eli Jaxon-Bear

Eli Jaxon-Bear (born Elliot Jay Zeldow in 1947, Brooklyn, New York)[1] is an American spiritual teacher and author of eight books, including The Enneagram of Liberation: From Fixation to Freedom and The Fire of Love, and editor of Wake Up and Roar: Satsang with H.W.L. Poonja.[2][3]

EARLY LIFE AND ACTIVISM

Jaxon-Bear participated in civil rights marches in Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.[4] After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 1968, he worked as a community organizer with VISTA in Detroit.[5] He was arrested during demonstrations at the Chicago Democratic National Convention on August 29, 1968.[6]

Following his activism work, Jaxon-Bear began what he describes as an 18-year spiritual search.

TEACHING CAREER

Prior to meeting Poonja, Jaxon-Bear worked as a staff research associate in psychology at UCLA.[12] He served as president of a Tibetan Buddhist Dharma center founded by Kalu Rinpoche.[12][13] He had established clinical programs including a clinical hypnosis certification program at the Esalen Institute.[12] He developed what he calls "Leela Therapy," which he describes as addressing psychological wounding.[29] He has conducted international retreats since the 1980s, both independently and with his wife, the spiritual teacher Gangaji.[14]

SPIRITUAL JOURNEY AND TEACHINGS

Jaxon-Bear's spiritual search ended in January 1990 when he met Sri H.W.L. Poonja in India.[3] Following this meeting, he began teaching methods he describes as direct realization approaches. His teachings draw extensively from the work of Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950), the influential spiritual teacher from India, particularly the philosophy of self-inquiry, which focuses on the fundamental question: "Who am I?"[8] Jaxon-Bear continues to teach and lead retreats based on the transmissions of his teacher, H.W.L. Poonja.[1]

Enneagram Work

Jaxon-Bear developed an approach to the Enneagram that he calls the "Enneagram of Liberation." He was a keynote speaker at the first International Enneagram Conference at Stanford University in August 1994.[9][10] His approach focuses on what he terms character fixation rather than personality typing.[10]

According to Sounds True, while there are many works on the Enneagram that explain how to take advantage of each type's strengths, address weaknesses, assess the types of others, and get along with them by seeing through their eyes, Jaxon-Bear's approach illuminates "the original purpose of this once-secret spiritual system: to move beyond fixation to freedom, and realize peace and self-liberation in this lifetime."[11] This distinguishes his work from mainstream Enneagram applications by emphasizing spiritual liberation rather than personality management.[11]

PERSONAL LIFE

Jaxon-Bear has been married to the spiritual teacher Gangaji since 1989. They have been partners since 1976 and reside in Ashland, Oregon.[15]

ORGANIZATIONS

In 1996, Jaxon-Bear founded the Leela Foundation, a spiritual organization dedicated to world peace and freedom, which integrates insights of the Enneagram with the truth of nondual wisdom.[16] After a period of merger with the Gangaji Foundation, the foundations separated again in 2006.[17] The foundation operates educational programs and spiritual retreats through the Leela School of Awakening, a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit organization. The school is approved by the Oregon Health Authority for psilocybin facilitator training under Oregon's Measure 109 program, also known as the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act.[18]

PUBLISHED WORKS

Books

• Das Enneagramm – die neun Zahlen des Lebens (The Enneagram - The Nine Numbers of Life), German edition of Healing the Heart of Suffering: Using the Enneagram for Spiritual Growth, Droemer Knaur (1989)[19] • Wake Up and Roar: Satsang with H.W.L. Poonja (editor) (1992)[20] • Flamme der Freiheit (Flame of Freedom), Lüchow Verlag (1998)[21] • Lied der Freiheit (Song of Freedom), Lüchow Verlag (1999)[22] • Wake Up and Roar Collector's Edition, Sounds True (2007)[23] • Sudden Awakening Into Direct Realization, Hampton Roads (2004)[24] • The Enneagram of Liberation: From Fixation to Freedom (2006)[25] • From Fixation to Freedom: The Enneagram of Liberation, Sounds True (CD and Audio Learning Course)[26] • An Outlaw Makes It Home: The Awakening of a Spiritual Revolutionary (2018)[27][28] • The Awakened Guide: A Manual for Leaders, Teachers, Coaches, Healers, and Helpers[29] • The Fire of Love: a memoir, New Morning Associates (2024)[30]

His book Wake Up and Roar has been translated into multiple languages including German, Italian, French, Korean, Hebrew, Hungarian, and Russian. The Enneagram of Liberation has been translated into German, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, and French.[31]

MEDIA APPEARANCES AND PUBLICATIONS

Jaxon-Bear has appeared on public radio programs including Humankind, where he discussed his view that people "brainwash (them)selves into living with fear and aggressiveness when a deeply fulfilling life is available."[32]ecto-Veseau Magazine (March 1999), "Interview with Jaxon-Bear" • Connections Magazine (1997), "Interview with Jaxon-Bear" • Gnosis Magazine (1996), "Preserving the Transmission and Spiritual Context of the Enneagram" (letter to the editor) • Enneagram Monthly (1995), "Journey to the Land Down Under" • Enneagram Monthly (1995), "The Enneagram and the Silent Tradition" • Enneagram Monthly (1995), "Eights: The Outlaw Mentality" • Enneagram Monthly (1995), "The Soul of the Six" • Enneagram Monthly (1994), "The Enneagram of Character Fixation."

REFERENCES

[1] "Eli Jaxon-Bear Author Biography". Sounds True. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.soundstrue.com/blogs/authors/eli-jaxon-bear

[2] "Eli Jaxon-Bear Author Biography". Sounds True. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.soundstrue.com/blogs/authors/eli-jaxon-bear "Eli Jaxon-Bear is also the editor of Wake Up and Roar"

[3] "From Fixation to Freedom: The Enneagram of Liberation". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/author/eli-jaxon-bear/

[4] Reed, Roy. "Police Rout 600 in Montgomery." New York Times. March 17, 1965. Retrieved September 23, 2025. Documents University of Pittsburgh students' participation in Montgomery civil rights marches.

[5] Federal Bureau of Investigation. "ELLIOT JAY ZELDOW - ANTI-RIOT LAW." FBI Files 176-410 (Chicago) and 176-29 (Detroit). 1968-1970. Released under Freedom of Information Act. Document shows VISTA employment with Commission on Children and Youth, Detroit, Michigan, beginning September 17, 1968.

[6] "Elliot J. Zeldow Fined for Disorderly Conduct." New York Times. January 7, 1968. Retrieved September 23, 2025. "Elliot J. Zeldow was fined $100 today after being found guilty of a disorderly conduct charge stemming from a march during the Democratic National Convention in August...accused of walking through National Guard lines when guardsmen and police stopped an attempted march August 29 by anti-war demonstrations."

[7] "Eli Jaxon-Bear". Humankind Public Radio. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.humanmedia.org/product/eli-jaxon-bear/

[8] Schmidt-Reinecke, Wolfgang. "An Interview with Gangaji and Eli Jaxon Bear". Spirituality+Health. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.spiritualityhealth.com/articles/2012/06/25/private-lives-enlightened-teachers "Gangaji and Eli Jaxon-Bear are American spiritual teachers in the tradition of Sri Ramana."

[9] "History and Founders". International Enneagram Association. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.internationalenneagram.org/about/the-iea/history-and-founders/

[10] Jaxon-Bear, Eli. "The Enneagram of Character Fixation." Stanford University keynote speech transcript, August 1994. Leela School of Awakening. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.leelaschool.org/the-enneagram-of-character-fixation-en/

[11] "From Fixation to Freedom: The Enneagram of Liberation". Sounds True. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.soundstrue.com/products/from-fixation-to-freedom

[12] "The Esalen Catalog 25th Anniversary September 1987-February 1988: Residential Program." Esalen Institute, Big Sur, California. P. 58: "Eli Jaxon-Bear... former Staff Research Associate in psychology at UCLA... past president of Tibetan Buddhist meditation center"; P. 49: "November 8 Certification in Clinical Hypnosis... Eli Jaxon-Bear will present the fundamentals and advanced techniques of clinical hypnosis."

[13] "Gangaji". Wikipedia. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangaji "For a time, the two operated a Tibetan Buddhism Dharma center overseen by Kalu Rinpoche."

[14] Schmidt-Reinecke, Wolfgang. "An Interview with Gangaji and Eli Jaxon Bear". Spirituality+Health. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.spiritualityhealth.com/articles/2012/06/25/private-lives-enlightened-teachers "He has conducted international retreats since the 1980s, both independently and with his wife, the spiritual teacher Gangaji."

[15] "The Private Lives of 'Enlightened' Teachers". Spirituality+Health. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.spiritualityhealth.com/articles/2012/06/25/private-lives-enlightened-teachers "The couple has been married for more than 30 years and have been sitting in satsang for 18 years." Writer's Digest. "Eli Jaxon-Bear Archives." Retrieved September 23, 2025. "He has been living with his partner and wife, Gangaji, since 1976. They currently reside in Ashland, Oregon"

[16] "Eli Jaxon-Bear Author Biography". Sounds True. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.soundstrue.com/blogs/authors/eli-jaxon-bear "In 1996, he founded The Leela Foundation, a spiritual organization dedicated to world peace and freedom"

[17] "About - The Leela School". Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.leelaschool.org/about-us/ Documentation of foundation merger and separation period.

[18] "Psilocybin Facilitators". The Leela School. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.leelaschool.org/psilocybin-facilitators/ "The Leela School is licensed by the Oregon Health Authority and the State of Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC)"

[19] Foreign language editions documented in publisher catalogs: German: Das Enneagramm – die neun Zahlen des Lebens (Droemer Knaur, 1989); Lied der Freiheit (Lüchow Verlag, ISBN 3-363-03072-4); Das spirituelle Enneagramm (Goldmann Verlag/Penguin Random House, 2003); Hungarian: Enneagram az önismeret szolgálatában (Veszprém, 1997)

[20] Poonja, H.W.L. Wake Up and Roar: Satsang with H.W.L. Poonja. Edited by Eli Jaxon-Bear. New Morning Books, 1992.

[21] Jaxon-Bear, Eli. Flamme der Freiheit (Flame of Freedom). Lüchow Verlag, 1998.

[22] Foreign language editions: Lied der Freiheit (Lüchow Verlag, 1999)

[23] Poonja, H.W.L. Wake Up and Roar Collector's Edition. Edited by Eli Jaxon-Bear. Sounds True, 2007.

[24] Hampton Roads Publishing, catalog listings for "Sudden Awakening Into Direct Realization" (2004)

[25] "From Fixation to Freedom: The Enneagram of Liberation". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/author/eli-jaxon-bear/

[26] Jaxon-Bear, Eli. From Fixation to Freedom: The Enneagram of Liberation. Sounds True, CD and Audio Learning Course.

[27] Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb. "Q&A with Eli Jaxon-Bear." Retrieved September 23, 2025. Discussion of "An Outlaw Makes It Home: The Awakening of a Spiritual Revolutionary"

[28] New Morning Books, publisher listing for "An Outlaw Makes It Home: The Awakening of a Spiritual Revolutionary" (2018)

[29] "An Interview with Eli Jaxon-Bear". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved September 23, 2025. "The Awakened Guide: A Manual for Leaders, Teachers, Coaches, Healers, and Helpers"

[30] New Morning Associates, publisher listing for "The Fire of Love: a memoir" (2024)

[31] Foreign language editions documented: Hungarian: Ébredj fel, és ordíts! (Wake Up and Roar), A megszabadulás enneagramja (The Enneagram of Liberation); German: multiple editions; Russian: Проснись и рычи (Либрис, Moscow, 1997); Spanish: Ediciones El Grano de Mostaza; Dutch: Uitgeverij Panta Rhei; Japanese: ナチュラルスピリット/Natural Spirit; Korean: 하남출판사; French: L'Originel

[32] "Eli Jaxon-Bear". Humankind Public Radio. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.humanmedia.org/product/eli-jaxon-bear/

[33] "Interviews". Leela School of Awakening. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://www.leelaschool.org/category/interviews-en/ Documents multiple magazine interviews including Connections Magazine (2010), KGS Magazine Hamburg (2008), and Recto-Veseau Magazine (1999).

[34] "Eli Jaxon-Bär". German Wikipedia. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://deutsch.wikibrief.org/wiki/Eli_Jaxon-Bear Documents magazine interviews in Sein Magazine (2005, 2003), Pathways Magazine (2004), Visionen Magazine (2002), and Enneagram Monthly (1995).

[35] "Enneagram Articles". The Leela Foundation. Retrieved September 23, 2025. https://leela.org/category/content-en/enneagram-articles-en/ Archives of Enneagram Monthly articles (1994-1995) and Gnosis Magazine letter (1996).

EXTERNAL LINKS

• The Leela Foundation official website • Buddha at the Gas Pump interviews • International Enneagram Association

CATEGORIES

American spiritual teachers • American authors • Civil rights activists • Anti-war activists • Enneagram teachers • 1947 births • Living people • People from Brooklyn • University of Pittsburgh alumni