| Summary: | The suicide of Frederick Lenz III, better known to the public as New Age guru Zen Master Rama, at age 48 has ended a life characterized by stunning achievements and huge controversy. During his life, Lenz won over hundreds of adherents to the form of Buddhism he created and earned a fortune in the process. He wrote two books, Surfing the Himalayas and Snowboarding to Nirvana, which describe his experiences with a Himalayan monk named Master Fwap. He also anticipated the computer age, becoming involved in programming before computers became all-pervasive. His followers saw him as a superb teacher who took them to new heights of spiritual awareness and as a businessman who enabled them to pursue profitable careers. His critics, by contrast, regarded him as a charlatan who lied without remorse, defrauded his pupils, and sexually exploited women.
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