[mkross]

> The relationship soured after they came to doubt his reincarnation credentials and found that his claims of cancer were false.

As someone who knows very little of Buddhism, what sorts of "reincarnation credentials" is an executive-level reincarnate supposed to have? Is this like claiming to have an MBA but leaving out the University of Phoenix part?

[michael_dorfman]

Short version: most branches of Buddhism don't have this kind of notion at all-- it is pretty unique to Tibetan Buddhism, where there are a relatively small number of tulku lineages, where a person can be recognized as an incarnation of the prior holder of the lineage. (The Dalai Lama is the most famous example-- the current Dalai Lama is the 14th in the series.) Incarnations are officially recognized by other tulkus, according to tradition; for example, the Dalai Lama is usually recognized by the Panchen Lama.

Without knowing the details in this case, I am assuming that the person in question falsely claimed to have been recognized as a tulku. I can't imagine that this was part of the job requirements.

So, an analog would be falsely claiming on your CV to have won a prestigious award (say, the Turing Award).

It's a pretty outrageous lie; but then again, so is claiming to have cancer.

[gcb]

i was almost taking this article serious until i got to that point.

It's a bunch a new-age gurus fighting among themselves. Nothing to see here.

now i'm picturing Mr. Natural in a jail in Maryland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Natural_(comics)