mments in the margin.

Stories about Rama--a figure from Hindu mythology--can be found in the
classic Indian text, The Ramayana. Stories about "Rama" (Atmananda
[Fred])--a guy from Connecticut--can be found in The Last Incarnation.

The words, "THE LAST INCARNATION" flash from the cover in letters of
gold, above a backlit photo of "Rama," the book's editor, publisher,
and focus. The stories portray Rama as a warm, intelligent servant of
Truth--with enough mystical power to light up a city. A few of my
stories, which also depict him as a down-to-earth demigod, appear in
the 403-page collection. But there were other stories I could have
written.

I could have written, for instance, the story of "Rama and the Puppets
of Bliss and Profit." In 1980, Rama got a cuddly, white hand puppet
which had purple feet and a purple, toucan-shaped beak. Rama called it
"Bliss," and often played with it as though it were alive. He appeared
to make it talk, yawn, sleep, and soar. "Bliss is soaring through the
other worlds," he explained. In 1982, I asked Rama what he wanted for
his birthday.

"Another Bliss," he replied with a boyish grin. So I set out on a
quest with Paul to buy a Bliss for our benefactor. Together we combed
the toy stores of southern California, but the search was to no avail.
Weeks later, I spoke with a puppet designer in northern California.

"Sounds to me like you have a 'Take Me To Your Leader,'" she said.
"Does it have antennas?"

"No."

"Then you must have an 'Uncle Lucius.'"

"Actually," I said, "we call it 'Bliss.'"

Over the next few years, Rama ordered thousands of yellow, red, green,
pink, and blue Blisses.

"Oh, how adorable," said the flight attendants when they saw the grown
man in first class playing with the colorful puppets.

"We donate them to children's hospitals," Rama claimed. He failed to
mention that he brought the Blisses to Centre meetings, where he
infused their beaks with a "special force" and where he sold them at a
handsome profit.

I could have written the story of "Rama and the Token Underdog." "A
large part of what motivates me," Rama once confided, "is my concern
for the underdog." He displayed his concern one desert trip by
accompanying a handicapped student who was unable to keep pace with the
group. I recalled one of Rama's lessons: "You can tell a person's
level of spiritual evolution by how they treat those around them." I
felt proud of my teacher. But