Gangaji ( /ˈɡɑːŋɡədʒi/ GAHNG-gə-jee; born Merle Antoinette Roberson in Texas, 1942) is an American Neo-Advaita spiritual teacher and writer. [1]
Gangaji was born Merle Antoinette Roberson in Texas in 1942, and grew up in Mississippi. [2] After graduating from the University of Mississippi, she married her first husband and had a child, then became a teacher in Memphis, Tennessee. [2] [1] The couple moved to California and later divorced. [2] Gangaji became interested in spirituality, then met and married her second husband, Eli Jaxon-Bear. [2] [1] For a time, the two operated a Tibetan Buddhism Dharma center overseen by Kalu Rinpoche. [1] Gangaji and Jaxon-Bear went to India where she met H. W. L. Poonja, better known as Papaji. [1] Afterwards, Gangaji devoted herself to teaching satsangs. [1]
Gangaji holds satsangs which are strongly influenced by Ramana Maharshi and Papaji. [1] She started the Gangaji Foundation, which sponsors live events and publishes her books and other media. [1]
A video of Gangaji teaching about peace was used in the video game The Witness. [3] [4]
In October 2005, Gangaji and husband Eli Jaxon-Bear separated after he admitted to a three-year affair with an adult female student. [5] The two reunited three months later, and also merged their foundations. [5]