Spiritual guides or charlatans?

The figure 300,000 may be an exaggeration, but having lived in this district for more than a decade, I surmise the stragglers must add up to several thousands, more than the 1,700 Living Buddhas (as of 2007) officially sanctioned in the nation.

Then again, the Tibetan term Rinpoche covers more than the reincarnated. It could refer to the respected, the notable and the learned.

As for the learned, a recent article says that most Rinpoches in the Chinese capital have not browsed a single Buddhist volume and when asked about Buddha's teachings they invariably say that it is beyond the questioner's comprehension.

Whether someone demands respect is, of course, subjective.

A typical Rinpoche reminds me of Moliere's theatrical creation Tartuffe, whose religious devotion earned him the "respect" of Orgon and his family. Orgon not only gave him shelter but also signed over his property and offered him his daughter's hand in marriage.

I realize it is vulgar of me to say this. But for someone intent on saving his soul, a house and a daughter could mean less than the religious guidance of an authority figure.

Just as Tartuffe sparked protest from the French religious establishment of the time, talk (or ridicule) of all those fake Rinpoches carries a whiff of disrespect.

The code of political correctness stipulates that we respect others' choices of religion, and, by extension, the religious chaperons in their lives.