My life is given to supporting those who seek happiness, freedom and love
ABOUT JARED
Jared Franks is a psychotherapist, public speaker and spiritual teacher. He is based in Sydney, Australia and travels the world to meet those who are ready to end their personal suffering.
Jared offers private sessions to individuals, leads group events and teaches and mentors students at the Leela School of Awakening. Passing on the teaching of a silent mind from Ramana Maharshi, Papaji, and his own teacher Eli Jaxon-Bear, Jared invites you to discover freedom and happiness by recognising your true nature.
ABOUT JARED
Upon leaving school at age 17, Jared noticed something inside him change. He had a good upbringing in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia, an active social life and success at school. But now depression, self-hatred and existential fear had taken over his life. It was the beginning of a search for answers to the question ‘What is the point of life?‘.
Years of therapy and seeking happiness in pleasure, friendships, success and money brought little relief, and no answers. He felt he needed to turn his back on all of this and explore something totally new. Curiosity and an open mind led to the discovery of spiritual teachers, including Eckhart Tolle, Ramana Maharsi and Papaji. He attended multiple events, read many books and watched countless Youtube videos. Something major opened up and Jared had his first awakening experience as he realised ‘I am not my thoughts’.
But despite this deep seeing, he kept slipping back into patterns of suffering and attachment to negative thinking; his depression seemed to get worse. Until he met his final teacher, Eli-Jaxon Bear, in 2009.
‘When I heard Eli speak about who we are at the deepest level, deeper than the story we tell about ourselves, it felt like my legs were taken from underneath me. It was both shocking and overwhelmingly blissful. I knew in an instant this was the teaching I had been looking for all my life. I was finally home.’
Jared’s devotion turned to a deepening maturity and stability in silent Being. He sat at his teacher’s feet for an intensive five-year period. While his only interest was in Awakening, he also learned the skills of being a True Friend and therapist as taught by his teacher and experienced Clinical Hypnotherapist, Eli Jaxon-Bear. Eli’s unique approach combines the therapeutic skills of Ericksonian Hypnosis with the ancient wisdom of the Enneagram of Character Fixation, fused with the ground of silent Being passed on from his own teacher Sri H. W. Poonja, also known as Papaji.
Jared helped set up the Leela School Australia, was appointed a Director there, and started teaching and mentoring students at the Leela School in North-America, Europe and Australia.
Since 2013 Jared has been travelling all over the world to speak to people, support them in one-on-one sessions and teach other therapists and coaches how to use the powerful skills of the Leela therapeutic model.
LINEAGE
Jared passes on the wisdom of these beautiful teachers:
Eli-Jaxon Bear
Eli Jaxon-Bear was born in 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. Through the 1980’s Eli led the Clinical Hypnosis Certification Program at Esalen Institute and at the Institute Dr. Schmida in Vienna, Austria. It was a synthesis of the Enneagram of Character of Fixation with Neurolinguistics and Ericksonian Hypnosis. At the time, Eli was certified as a Master Trainer in Neurolingustics and was on the Board of Examiners of the American Council of Hypnostist Examiners. A life long search for freedom finally led him to India in 1990, where he met his final teacher, Sri H.W.L Poonja, lovingly known as Papaji. Confirming Eli’s realization, his teacher sent him back into the world to share his unique psychological insights into the nature of egoic suffering in support of self-realization. Eli founded The Leela Foundation as well as The Leela School. He is the author of several books, including The Enneagram of Liberation, From Fixation to Freedom and Sudden Awakening.
Gangaji
Born in Texas in 1942, Gangaji travels the world speaking to seekers from all walks of life. A teacher and author, she shares her direct experience of the essential message she received from er teacher Papaji and offers it to all who want to discover a true and lasting fulfillment. Through her life and words, she powerfully articulates how it is really possible to discover the truth of who you are and be true to that discovery.
Papaji
Sri H.W.L. Poonja, lovingly referred to as Papaji, was born on October 13, 1910, in a part of the Punjab that is now in Pakistan. He had his first direct experience of the Self at the age of nine. He met his Master, Sri Ramana Maharshi, in 1944. Shortly afterwards he realized the Self in the presence of his Master. Being a householder, he continued to work and support the many members of his extended family until his retirement in 1966. After extensive travel Papaji settled down in Lucknow, India, where he received visitors from around the world. He left the body on September 6, 1997.
Ramana Maharshi
Ramana Maharshi was born in 1879, in what is now Tiruchuli, Tamil Nadu, India. He passed away in 1950. At the age of 16, he had a “death-experience” where he became aware of a “current” or “force” which he recognised as his true “I” or “self”. Six weeks later he left his home and journeyed to the holy mountain Arunachala, in Tiruvannamalai, where he remained for the rest of his life. He attracted devotees and in later years an ashram grew up around him, where visitors sat silently in his company asking questions. Since the 1930s his teachings have been popularized in the West.