We are not interested in focusing on the recent gossip that is circulating, and we feel it is our moral responsibility to clear up any misunderstandings in our community.

The Website.  Since 1997, the Oneness Movement in North America has been operated through a nonprofit corporation called the Foundation for World Awakening, California Inc.  The onenessmovement.org website was established, developed and maintained exclusively with Foundation resources, and the website is the sole property of the Foundation.  The Board of Directors of the Foundation controls its policies (assuring that they are aligned with Sri Amma-Bhagavan’s guidance at all times), elects officers to carry out those policies and then oversees the performance of those officers.  Whenever the officers are considered to be acting other than in accord with the policies established by the Board, it is incumbent on the Board members to act to bring the officers’ actions into alignment with the policies.  If Board members were to perceive that a fellow Board member had effectively usurped control of the Foundation and was operating it in her own interests, those Board members would be compelled to act to bring the Foundation back into alignment with Sri Amma-Bhagavan’s guidance.  For some time, Foundation Board members had, in fact, been concerned about how Rani was operating the Foundation and in September of this year they took action to protect and preserve the property of the Foundation and ultimately wrest control from Rani, beginning with taking over the website.

On her September 24th conference call and in other communications, Rani has told members of the Oneness community that the onenessmovement.org website was “hacked.”  Referring to what happened with respect to the website in this way gives the false impression not only that someone took unauthorized control of the website, but also that it was done in a manner that would expose the website host to accusations that it had failed to properly protect the website from unauthorized intruders.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Here is what really happened.  For some time, Anandagiriji and other members of the Board of Directors of the Foundation had been deeply concerned about Rani’s ignoring Oneness University’s wishes and instructions.  In September of this year, two of the members of the Board contacted the host company of the onenessmovement.org website and asked the company to transfer control to them.  The Board members’ intent was to bring the website back under the control of members of the Board who were clearly and completely devoted to, and acting under the direct guidance of Sri Amma-Bhagavan.  The website host complied at first, but later denied access to anyone when Rani, through one of her agents, claimed to the website host that she personally owned the website. Someone representing himself as Rani’s agent even threatened the website host with a lawsuit, claiming Rani was the owner of the website and demanding that the host return the site to her! This request was echoed shortly thereafter in a letter from Rani’s lawyer that stated “the website belongs to Ms. Kumra, and to no one else.” Several days later, after the Board provided the host of the website with written requests from four Board members, and based on the host company’s own knowledge that the Foundation, not Rani, had paid for the development and maintenance of the website, it turned the website over to the Board members.

The URL and the mailing list.  But Rani did not stop there. After the website was transferred back to Sri Amma-Bhagavan’s control, and after the Foundation Board formally suspended Rani from any Board or officer positions that she might have previously held with the Foundation, Rani, without any member of the Board’s permission or knowledge, had the onenessmovement.org URL transferred to herself and directed all onenessmovement.org traffic to her personal website! Despite demands from the Board to release the onenessmovement.org URL, she continues to use this URL (which is clearly the property of the Foundation) to direct web users to her personal website

In addition, Rani is using the Oneness Movement mailing list to promote her personal programs using Sri Amma-Bhagavan’s content!  She has even used that mailing list to attack Anandagiriji, of all people! Why? Simply because he has had to be the one to explain to the Oneness community why Rani had to be removed as National Coordinator of the Oneness Movement in North America. Anandagiriji did his best to use discretion. He avoided sharing any of the details now contained in this email in the hope that Rani would come to her senses and things could be worked out without harm to Rani or the Oneness Movement. 

Behavioral Issues and Self-Promotion.  For some time, we have received complaints about Rani’s behavior during the courses she offered.  Several individuals reported that she had openly offended Oneness Blessing Givers who were working for her by belittling them in public.  Rani has also used the Foundation's website to promote her own teaching career.  On the website she described herself as the founder of the Oneness Movement in North America.  When she was asked by the Oneness University to change the website to reflect the vision and the work of Sri Amma-Bhagavan more than just herself, she outright refused.  Unfortunately, Rani has denied and rebuffed all attempts to counsel her with respect to these types of behavior.  Behavior like this in a leader of the Oneness community obviously cannot be tolerated.

Rani has not limited her disrespectful behavior to staff members.  She has also been disrespectful of Acharya Anandagiriji, her teacher, mentor and friend for 11 years.  Anandagiriji is the Chairman of the Board of the Foundation, appointed directly by Bhagavan in accordance with the Bylaws of the Foundation.  Rani, however took it upon herself about a year ago to amend the Bylaws of the Foundation (an action that can be taken legally only by a majority of the Board of Directors, so her attempts were ineffectual).  She did so by having an amended version of the Bylaws prepared that removed all provisions under which Anandagiriji qualifies as Chairman of the Board.

Financial Issues.  The Board’s interest in conducting financial investigations came about because members of the Board had been contacted by past employees of the Foundation whom Rani had fired after they asked her questions about what they perceived to be questionable financial practices.  These former employees were concerned that Rani appeared to be using the Foundation for personal financial gain.  In April of this year, Oneness University accounting representatives discovered that Rani, without the knowledge of the other Board members, had failed to remit to Oneness University funds due for Level 1 and 2 processes totaling more than $350,000. Rani did not volunteer this information. Oneness University accounting representatives discovered it during an audit they conducted of the Foundation records. She admitted withholding these funds, cried and apologized, but to the Board’s knowledge these funds have still not been remitted.  Also, recently Rani's lawyer, in response to claims made to her regarding potential financial improprieties, notified our lawyer and the Board that Rani claimed that one million dollars was missing from the Foundation! She claimed this money "disappeared" during a personal leave of absence some time ago. The problem is that she never told any Board member about this until now, and to this day she refuses to tell the Board when this actually occurred and what, if anything, was done to try to resolve the matter.

The Master Sha Episode.  The recent events surrounding Rani’s alignment of the Oneness Movement with Master Sha without once addressing the issue with the Board or AmmaBhagavan is shocking.  It appears that beginning around June of 2008 Rani began pursuit of a new "master."  She was videotaped speaking about her connection to a man named Master Sha and as a cofounder of an organization that promotes him. Rani told none of the Foundation Board members of her connection with Master Sha or that she had cofounded a new organization with him. In these videos (which can be seen at http://blip.tv/file/1078249 and http://blip.tv/file/1063661) Rani can be seen and heard to speak of her "old master" (referring to Sri Bhagavan) and how Master Sha is higher than anyone. She says, "I've been looking forward to something like this", "We are working to bring Oneness – Master Sha has done something further", "We have many Avatars, Bhagavan is one in India, but we don't know where to put Master Sha, he is above the saints and sages, he's the commander in chief", and "My old master used to say human nature cannot be divine, and Master Sha has done it.  I'm glad I came, I received so much, so much more."

When Rani was called by Oneness University, India and asked about these statements, she at first denied everything. When questioned about the public videos, she cried and apologized, saying that Master Sha was an evil man who had hypnotized her and must have brainwashed her, and she asked that she be forgiven. (Again, we are sorry to get into this level of detail here, but Rani’s last email requires this degree of exposure of the truth.)  The Board of the Foundation does not know anything about Master Sha, but we do not believe he is "evil" or that he hypnotized Rani. In trying to explain the episode with Master Sha more recently, Rani has stated that she was not speaking of Sri Amma-Bhagavan as her "past master" but of Anandagiriji. Yet she claimed on one of the videos that Master Sha is above everyone in his spiritual development.

While it is perfectly fine for anyone in the Oneness Movement to follow any tradition or master at a personal level, before Rani or anyone else acting as a leader for the Oneness Movement presents anything new to the Oneness community, it is their responsibility to first be sure that Sri Amma-Bhagavan and the Oneness University agree that it is in alignment with the principles of Oneness.  One of the essential principles of Oneness is integrity and truth and if Rani does not feel completely aligned with the Movement, she must openly declare her disassociation rather than continuing to present to the Oneness community an image of dedication and commitment to Sri Amma-Bhagavan and the principles of the Oneness Movement.

To add insult to this injury, Rani used a Oneness Movement teleconference to promote Master Sha, knowing that the Oneness University wanted her to delay the teleconference until it could learn more about Master Sha and perhaps have the opportunity to meet him to see if his teachings were aligned with the values and principles of the Oneness Movement. Rani refused this request and moved forward with the teleconference, telling people on the call that Sri Amma-Bhagavan had blessed this session! When, after trying to reason with Rani, Uttamaji finally decided to share some of the details of which he was aware and which were quite the opposite of what Rani had communicated, and when Uttamaji, as a Board member of the Foundation voted to suspend Rani from the Board, Uttamaji was immediately evicted from Rani’s home, where he has lived for years. So her comments to the Oneness community a few weeks later that she went into bliss knowing that Uttamaji was appointed the new coordinator seem to contradict her actual intentions and actions.  This type of behavior is not what anyone in the Oneness Movement wants to stand for, nor can we let it continue.

Requests for Information.  To attempt to regain control of the Foundation and to investigate the financial allegations described above, Foundation Board Members have submitted several written requests for an immediate accounting and access to all records.  In response, Rani has repeatedly stated that she “has nothing to hide” and that she would provide the accounting.  However, it has now been over six weeks since the first requests for information were made, and the Board has yet to receive a single record or document.  Instead, she has stated through her lawyer that if the website is returned to her, she will then, after two weeks have passed, allow Uttamaji (Matthew), one of the Foundation Board members, to review the records, provided he does so alone, does not copy any of the records he reviews and does not disclose anything he learns to anyone! First, Rani has no legal right to limit a Board member’s access to Foundation records in this way. Second, Uttamaji is not an accountant and so is not trained to be able to determine without professional assistance whether the records disclose any financial improprieties.  And third, the Board of Directors of the Foundation has a fiduciary duty to investigate these matters and Rani is obstructing them in their efforts to do so.

The members of the Board, Uttamaji and many others involved in this situation have attempted to reason with Rani, but she continues to withhold this information, while continuing to state publicly that she has "nothing to hide". We all hope this is true, but if it is, why has she still not delivered the accounting, nor any of the official board documents, lists of accounts, etc. after over six weeks of repeated demands?  Why does she continue to thwart the Board’s attempts to operate the Foundation by refusing to turn over all of the important documents and details critical to the effective running of the Foundation and refusing to allow the Board access to the staff, office space and equipment?

Legal Action.  The Board would not be acting rashly or precipitously in taking legal action to obtain the Foundation records.  It has attempted to work this out in many ways.  Even Bhagavan himself reached out and invited Rani to come to India to meet and clear up the situation.  When legal action was imminent some weeks ago (although we had not communicated that to Rani), Rani agreed to come to India to meet with Bhagavan and we put the legal approach on hold.  She not only agreed to meet with Bhagavan, but also told members of the Oneness community (including those on her conference call) that she would be leaving to meet with Bhagavan and this would be worked out.  She has yet to inform Oneness University as to when she intends to do this, and it appears, instead, that she has simply used this as a ploy to gain time and to gauge our resolve.

New Oneness Trainers.  Rani has consistently tried to frame this situation with herself as the victim of some mistake or some "conspiracy" to harm her.  When Rani learned that she was no longer going to be running the Oneness Movement in North America alone and would begin to share responsibility with others, she became extremely angry and spiteful toward Anandagiriji.  Rani even told Anandagiriji it was a waste of time for him to come to the recent Oneness Blessing Givers Conference in Santa Clara, claiming only a dozen or so people were planning on attending.  Anandagiriji, true to his commitment and word, came anyway and found more than 400 people in attendance!  Rani knew that Anandagiriji planned to announce at the conference that the Oneness University would be educate Oneness Trainers to give seminars in the USA and Canada that would replace those Rani had been giving on her own.  Rani communicated to Uttamaji, shortly after this, that she no longer had feelings for Sri Amma-Bhagavan, even though in her paid telephone blessings and seminars she claimed otherwise.

Hopefully this clarifies for you why the Board has taken the actions that it has and will allow you to perceive the Board’s actions in a different light, not as direct or harsh. There is unfortunately so much more that could be chronicled here but the outrage of those who know the details need not be augmented beyond what has already been shared.  We did not want to share even this level of detail. It is said, however, that if people are told a lie loud enough and long enough, sooner or later they begin to believe it's true. The lies need to stop now.  Until Rani has clearly transformed herself, it would be highly inappropriate for her to represent the Oneness Movement, present any Oneness activities or even claim that she is devoted to Sri Amma-Bhagavan's mission, especially when in reality she is unable to even honor the decisions of Sri Amma-Bhagavan.

Moving forward, we will be taking the legal actions necessary to regain our web address, mailing lists, accounting records, bank accounts, etc.  In addition, we need to inform you that, under the above circumstances, Rani has not only been removed as the National Coordinator of the Oneness Movement in North America, but she no longer has the right to represent the Oneness Movement nor to teach the Oneness Principles or the content of Sri Amma-Bhagavan's relationship healing and transformation processes.

We again regret having to share these details with you, but we hope understanding some of the facts reminds you that one must be kind, but also must do what is necessary to stop someone who is attempting to harm the Oneness Movement and its members and leaders.  Our request to you is to inform yourself and then to let go of the focus on one individual and move instead into our joint passionate commitment to share the Oneness Blessing and its impact with all those around us.  Let us now move forward without the need for gossip and with the intent to take things to a new level of impact.

We still encourage Rani to accept the invitation that Sri Amma and Sri Bhagavan have extended to her to come to the Oneness University to spend a few months at Golden City to help her heal, grow and transform herself so that she may be able to serve in true intention.

For now, the good news is that Uttamaji (who, by the way, loves Rani and is praying for her growth and well being) is now the National Coordinator for the Oneness Movement in North America and will be heading the new chapter in our history.  His dedication to Sri Amma-Bhagavan and the life-changing impact of the Oneness Blessing and the Oneness Movement is extraordinary.

In addition our first group of new Oneness Trainers, who will be leading weekend courses throughout North America, have recently returned from their training in India and will be taking our Movement to the next level of touching lives! Also, the Dasas are now directly conducting teleconferences and Oneness Blessings for North America.  Go to our website at www.onenessnorthamerica.org or www.onenessusa.org to find the schedule for these events.

Thank you, again, for your commitment and understanding as we turn the corner and move forward in the direction of our joint mission.

Thank you,

Ever at the service of Sri Amma Bhagavan,

Krishnaraj

(Oneness University, India)