Confused Ideals Make for Spiritual Horror Story

Kunzang Odsal Palyul Changchub Choling is the largest Tibetan Buddhist Center in the United States, located in Poolesville, Md. Founded in 1986 by Alyce Zeoli, the community under her leadership attempted to blend classical Tibetan ideas with an almost "anything goes" attitude toward life and spirituality. Zeoli left Poolesville in 1997 to start another community in Sedona, Ariz., and it is the story of her tenure at Maryland's center that is the subject of Martha Sherrill's "The Buddha From Brooklyn." Sherrill's book is less a tribute to the community than a powerful warning against unconditionally following individual or collective authority.

An acute observer and journalist, Sherrill is a staff writer for the Washington Post. Her view of the lives of Americans, such as stockbrokers, filmmakers and other professionals, who are on a genuine spiritual quest is quite fascinating. But none compares with the story of Zeoli, an Italian-Jewish woman originally from Brooklyn who went from leading a New Age prayer group in her basement to becoming Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, the highest-ranking woman in Tibetan Buddhism. Jetsunma was recognized by Penor Rinpoche, second only to the Dalai Lama as Tibetan Buddhism's supreme authority, as a reincarnation of a 17th century saint, and he identified her as an emanation of Mandarava, the "peerless princess," consort of Padmasambhava, the legendary founder of Buddhism in Tibet.

Yet she is also a rather complicated, if not thoroughly secular, person, given to certain personal and temperamental indulgences (megalomania, lying, verbal abuse, to name a few). She is also physically violent; in one instance, she hits a disciple in the face. She also accepts a $100,000 yearly salary while her students go into debt to pay her. And, obviously significant to Sherrill because she mentions it so often, Jetsunma has rather "garish" tastes that include ever-present fake red fingernails. Sherrill seems in turn fascinated and disturbed by Jetsunma and the bizarre situation created by a medieval tradition--Tibetan Buddhism--being interpreted in America by a woman whose ideals are so clearly confused.

The first time Rinpoche arrives at Poolesville, he is horrified to learn that bug zappers have been placed all over the rural property. For Buddhists, one of the five main ethical precepts is not to kill, and this includes all sentient life. Jetsunma tells Rinpoche that she has placed Tibetan prayer flags over the zappers; however, he is outraged, and during the night someone cuts the electric cords. Furthermore, Jetsunma also has the community show films of animals being slaughtered to foster compassionate attitudes toward life, yet is quoted as saying, "Red meat. . . . I just can't get enough."