Wayne Austin "Wayneji" ...

Is my Teacher.  Not that he's asked me to call him that, yet for the last 12 years of my life he has served and continues to serve that role and many, many more.  I have come to know him as my best friend, the one that will be there when everything else in life has failed and the one that is there through the good and the bad and everything in between.  It is the both the greatest and toughest relationship of my life...there is no hiding...there is no pandering...yet it is the Greatest of Gifts. 

His story is one with many twists and turns, born in 1936, raised in a farming community in Minnesota, he tells of  many adventures being a young man, with no money, and young siblings, troubled home life and having to do what it takes to make the ends meet in cold winters without heat and electricity.  He joined the Marines at 17 and learned committment, presservence, brotherhood of men, he learned of war and of love and had a few good men and women show up in his life that molded him in the ways of the world.  During this time, the writings of Ramana Maharishi appeared for him and the question "who am I?" was awakened, although, it wasn't until much later that this question came to the forefront of his attention.

He made a career in the Military, serving time in the both the United States Marine Corps and the Air force.  During his time in the military he had many roles, he was a Drill Instructor, an air-traffic controller and is a a pilot. He also traveled the world and married and had three beautiful children.  He continued his education attending and graduating from Pepperdine University.  He spent years moving up the corporate ladder and found himself as a top executive at fortune 500 company and also continued on to do corporate consulting and training seminars. This was a very successful, in the ways of the world, time for him although, during these years there was an unrest and a desire to deepen in the things that could not be explained away in this world.  He spent much time with the teachings of J. Krishnamurti and developing his mind to new and endless possibilities.  

A pull began to move him away from the the "normal" conditioning of the world...he found himself drawn towards something he couldn't explain to those closest to him.  There was a draw away from the activities of the world and he found himself leaving his family and moving to in a little home in the woods of Northern California.  It was not an easy move, and it took a long time for things to fall into place.  This led to a completely new life, he had fallen in love again and was followed by his current wife to Northern California and although he choose to live alone in the woods, she waited not too far away as he re-discovered his Teacher and was reintroduced to the question "Who am I?"

This began a dialogue that continued over the internet, through a group brought together by a book he had read called "A Course In Miracles."  During this time, he found, that instead of living what book offered,  there were endless discussions of what the book meant and fights about it.  So he started his own group for those interested in going deeper than just interpretations, to have a direct experience and he created...  "End of the Search (EOTS)."  This group was together for over 12 years and deep bonds were formed and lives were touched.  His openness to share his life and his generosity in inviting people he had not met before into his home, along with his lovely wife, fed them and gave them deep rest from the world.  

He began a morning meditation over the internet using a messenger program where the group would come online everyday at 5am (Pacific Time) and sit quietly together for a half hour, then during the second half hour everyone would put on their webcams (from all over the world) and Listen as he would share the Teachings that Silence the mind/thoughts.  He shared of his life, intimately which included the activities of his day to day experiences, insights and would help those that were having trouble in their personal lives...to anyone willing to show up and Listen.  

In 2008, he dismantled EOTS, as it had become an identity/concept that was not serving those that were both members and non-members...it was a Gift received...which came to reveal overtime... that it was not the name "EOTS" that had brought people together...it was...is ... being at the end of the search ...the holding of each others hand ...the Love for ones Teacher and each other... that is the glue.  Many left and now only  a precious few remain around Wayneji.  

Everything shared here above about Wayneji, first is second hand and second...is just a story about a man...the Greatest man I have ever met...yet what you have read is not who he is and that is the Greatest Gift he has given me.   He is always pointing one to the Silence/Stillness that is the core of who we Are.  He brings to me and to you the question that was offered to him...the only question that ever need be asked of oneself..."Who am I?"  First person singular.  Many have left this investigation before the True Gift was revealed.  The "I" thought...which is all it is ... will seem to be very powerful at times.  However...it is a smokescreen that covers the Truth of who you Are.  This is what Wayneji is to me...he is the unerring pointer to that Truth.  And he is the True Teacher for me as "I" am undone.

  ~Joysters