Shipwrecked

On September 6th, 1622, a heavily laden treasure galleon from the Tierra Firme fleet belonging to Spain’s King Philip IV struck a coral reef during a raging storm and sunk near the Florida Keys. More than two hundred and sixty souls perished in that wreck, and tons of gold, silver, and other precious cargo were lost to the sea. She was called, “Nuestra Señora de Atocha,” or Our Lady Of Atocha.

The wreck was famously discovered in 1985 by treasure hunter Mel Fisher and crew. The Guinness Book of World Records it as the most valuable shipwreck recovery in history with over forty tons of gold and silver plus seventy-one pounds of emeralds. A total value of four hundred million dollars.

My mentor, Russell Brooks Fleig, was a very accomplished diver. He filmed the first movie underwater on 35mm film called “Scuba,” starring Lloyd Brooks. He and his wife made hundreds of dives worldwide, including the famous “Blue Hole” in Belize on their forty-fifth wedding anniversary! Before he died, PADI awarded him a lifetime achievement award.

In 1986, just a year after the Atocha treasure discovery, Brooks did two very significant things. First, he purchased an eight Reales coin from the Atocha shipwreck directly from Mel Fisher. Second, he met a young man named John Clark in a Radio Shack store in Sulphur, Louisiana, and decided to invest in his life for the next twenty-five years.

The entire time Brooks mentored me, that coin hung around his neck. As he ministered, prayed, fed the hungry, healed the sick, worshipped, traveled the world diving, and had all manner of adventures, the medallion never left him. As a police chaplain, he delivered more than seven hundred death notifications in our parish (https://bit.ly/BrooksNotify) while a treasure rode with him right above his spiritual heart.

There’s a famous mentor/mentoree story in the Bible found in 2nd Kings. As the great prophet Elijah (who would later incarnate as John The Baptist) was about to leave the Earth, his disciple Elisha asks him, “Please, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.” At the end of the story, Elijah gives Elisha his mantle (cloak), symbolizing the transfer of spirit. In Hinduism, this transmission is called “shaktipat.”

When it came time for Brooks to pass, he asked me what I wanted from him. He offered me several objects of considerable value. But there was only one thing I desired – a double portion of his spirit! So I asked for the coin and his blessing. He replied, “That’s going to cause some shit in the family…but nobody else named their kids after me, so it’s yours!”

For several months he made the joke that to obtain it, I had to remove it from his neck while he was in the coffin, after the funeral, to which I replied, “Absolutely not!” He ended up giving it to me a few months before he passed.

There’s a tiny twenty-four square mile island called Bastimentos off the Caribbean coast of Panama. On October 2nd, 2011, I was there for my second visit with some friends. I had gotten up especially early to witness the sunrise.

As the sun broke the horizon across the bay, it was just spectacular. I felt my heart open, and I thanked God for all the beautiful things She’s allowed me to experience throughout my life. The yellow ball got a little higher, and I remembered the coin around my neck. Tears ran down my face while I imagined that Brooks would soon be gone, and at that moment, I felt strongly his presence and the responsibility to carry forward all the wisdom he ingrained in me.

It was just after 5:30 am. My cell phone rang. It was only in my pocket because someone else was watching my kids one country over in Costa Rica. Unknown caller. I picked it up and said, “Good morning.” Brooks’ daughter replied, “Daddy just passed, and we wanted you to know.” I left Panama a few hours later to return to Louisiana to lead his memorial service.

In response to Elisha’s request for a double portion of spirit, Elijah replied, “if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.” As sure as the sunrise, Brooks gave me something when he left his body. However, his presence remains with me (and the coin) to this day, more vital than ever.

Leadership expert Dr. John Maxwell said, “There is no success without a successor.” Brooks instilled in my heart the process of mentoring. He only mentored one other person and me. However, I’ve invested in hundreds of lives due to his effort – it’s the thing I love more than any other. I write these essays to ease your suffering and to bless you. That’s only because of the blessing Brooks bestowed upon me.

In Dr. Maxwell’s most renowned book, “The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership,” law number twenty-one is called the “Law Of Legacy.” Of this, the author writes, “A leader’s lasting value is measured by succession.” I’m determined to keep Brooks’ legacy alive and well in me, spurred on by a single piece of three-hundred and ninety-nine-year-old Spanish treasure.

Now at fifty-one years of age, I’m thinking a lot about my legacy and what I’ll leave behind. Not to be remembered – I’m happy to be forgotten to time if folks will remember the name Baba Neem Karoli or Om Swami.

Gandhi would often say, “Think of the poorest person you have ever seen and ask if your next act will be of any use to him.” Today, I’m considering what actions I can take that will be most productive for others in the years after I’ve left this body?

Will my investment in the Kingdom of Heaven still be paying dividends long after I’ve departed? My guru Maharaj-ji has given me some plans and ideas – we’ll see if I have the courage to let Him work through me!

And then there’s the question of who I pass the coin to? There’s already been some discussion in case I unexpectedly leave the planet. My thirteen-year-old son thought it would automatically go to him since he was named after Brooks. Nope.

The medallion goes to whoever is best at doing what Maharaj-ji taught me to do through Brooks. Love everybody – don’t condemn. Feed everybody – selflessly make decisions and take actions that are best for the people in your circle. And always remember God – literally do everything in the context of the Divine.

Whichever of my spiritual sons or daughters is best at integrating these principles into their soul and teaching them to others will be passed the legacy and the coin, both of which are heavy. I’ve surpassed my mentor, and I expect my students to surpass me. Am I really that good of a teacher if they can’t or don’t?

Are you making any plans for after you’ve left the stage called Earth? Do you have any symbols of love set aside to pass ahead to future generations? Are you intentionally investing in the awakened ones around you to carry forward your best wisdom? Can you consider the well-being of souls that haven’t even been born yet?

This is a plane of suffering. We’re likely both reincarnate here many more times together.

Let’s leave a legacy of love for ourselves and everybody else.

Blessings,

Ram Ram,

JC