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A Beautiful Life: A Tribute to Clearheart
by Harriet Watson

“She lived a life of service. She shared her huge heart so freely, without hesitation or expecting anything in return.”

We lost a very dear friend at the end of last year: Jeanne Powell, lovingly known to many as Clearheart. We want to take a moment to honor her here by sharing some recollections and testimonies.

This photo was taken just a few weeks before her death by Dhruva Baumbach.

In 2019 I was lucky enough to talk to Clearheart about some of her experiences over the years. She shared some great stories with me, like her first meeting with Gangaji, and the day she met John Sherman, one of the earliest participants in the GF prison program. 

Clearheart first came across Gangaji in 1991. Says John Arnoldo, “We met her in Seattle when she came to our house in the summer of ‘91 for a Gangaji audiotape satsang. She was appalled that people were laughing during the session. Ram told her that this teaching and teacher might not be for her.” Clearheart was offended and left the meeting. It didn't seem right. Religion and spirituality were supposed to be very sober and serious. She recalls, “My dad's side of the family were Southern Baptist ministers. They were horrible - You're not supposed to be happy! What are you doing laughing in church.” Happily, she came back, discovering a lightness and laughter alongside deep commitment to truth that never left her. It was February of 1992 that Clearheart flew to Maui to meet Gangaji.  

Not long afterwards she traveled to India with Gangaji and met Papaji, with whom she formed a very deep devotional bond. Shanti Einolander recollects:

“I first met Clearheart in Bodhgaya, India, in January 1994, while traveling with Gangaji. She enlisted me in my very first volunteer job, peeling tiny cloves of garlic for the group’s meals. Her gracious and joyful inclusivity only confirmed what I already knew: I was absolutely in the right place. In the thirty years of having the privilege to know her, what stood out the most was her unwavering heart of devotion to the lineage. Thank you for your love dear Clearheart. As I think of you I can feel your light burning bright! 🙏”—Shanti Einolander

Meeting John Sherman

Clearheart was an early volunteer in the newly founded Prison Program. At that time GF volunteers were going into prisons. In a twist of fate, she met John Sherman face-to-face in a Colorado federal prison. John was serving a 30-year sentence for some very serious crimes that included a series of bank robberies, property bombings, gunfights with the police, two escapes from federal prisons and two years on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List. John and Clearheart shared the same profound desire for truth and freedom in that first meeting, and they would later discover that their paths had actually crossed many years before in a very different way. Clearheart recounted that first visit in our conversation:

“When I went to visit him they had him in solitary. They made me wait for hours before I could get in. And when I did, he was manacled - his wrists tied together with handcuffs and a chain down to his ankles, which were also tied. He had a guard with him, an older woman. The three of us sat there and had satsang together. The guard loved it just as much as we did. I found out the reason he was in solitary was because one of the employees there was trying to solve a problem on a computer, and turned to John for help. John fixed the problem, and in the process, found out all the codes to open all the doors. Oh, my!”

After the visit Clearheart began a regular correspondence with John (pictured here with his wife, Carla). One day she had run out of envelopes, so she used an old envelope that was left over from her son's wedding. The envelope had the return address of her former family home in Seattle. By return mail John wrote back saying “I blew up the power station in your old neighborhood on New Year's Eve.” 

“Well! I remember that! I'll tell you that New Year's Eve, when the explosion happened, and flames went way up, maybe a mile away, my husband and the children all went up to the park to watch. But I went home and got as quiet as I have ever been, because we had no way of knowing whether another explosion was going to go off. My son happened to have a friend over for New Year's Eve, and later on his mother told me he reported it was the best New Year’s Eve of his life! So life has not been boring.”

After John was released from prison in 1998, he moved to Boulder and began working with the Gangaji Foundation. He and Clearheart became friends. John went on to write books and teach until his death in September of 2021. 

While she travelled the world, Clearheart especially loved her community in Boulder. Surrounded by friends and loved ones, (and her dog Forest pictured here), she lived radiantly, and passed away on November 9th 2024.

Michele Sondheimer was with her at her death:

“She went so peacefully, and actually had a slight smile on her face. The hospice nurse that came after she passed said she had never seen that.  Her life was devoted to truth, to Ramana, Papaji, Gangaji and a few other teachers she loved during her life-long spiritual journey. Besides her kids and dogs, I don’t think anything was more important to her. Jeanne was truly deserving of the name Clearheart. She lived a life of service. She shared her huge heart so freely, without hesitation or expecting anything in return. She constantly voluntarily helped people: those experiencing illness, needing a place to stay, treating to meals, giving rides etc. During Gangaji events she could always be counted on to volunteer. Humor, taking life lightly with positivity was Jeanne’s hallmark. She could laugh at herself, make others laugh and see the bright side of life - even the darker situations or moments. She had a wonderful way of lifting my spirits and I will remember her for that always.”—Michele

“Jeanne was one of the most generous and thoughtful friends I have ever known. She was our touchstone and North Star. She always went above and beyond. And if you ever wanted to know what was happening in real time to any Gangaji devotee she knew. If we ever needed her help with anything at the Foundation or on the road she was always available. She always said that she was a child of the 19th century and found the 20th century a big challenge. Let alone the 21st. Her beloved companion Forrest kept her grounded in this moment. We will all miss this sweet soul who was timeless in her generosity and compassion.”—John Arnoldo

“The wonderful thing about Clearheart is that although she’s no longer around, you just think of her and you light up.  She was always so perky. You remember her and you’re happy.  How can you miss her.”—Dhruva Baumbach

“Light was always shining from Clearheart’s eyes. Light of compassion, love, and filled with joy and laughter.”—Ashli

If you knew Clearheart we invite you to add your tribute below.

Clearheart out to lunch with her beloved Boulder crew.

“This is your resting place, your watering hole. Find what supports you, what includes you, and drink it in. Be nourished. Be enlivened. And when you feel thirsty again, drink some more.” —Gangaji

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