Cremating A Guru

It was delightful and painful to see your coverage of the Tibetan Guru Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, whose body was cremated in Vermont ((AMERICAN SCENE, June 22)). The story was delightful because, laced as it was with cynicism, it was the kind of article Rinpoche would have enjoyed and appreciated. On the other hand, the coverage was painful because so many of us who are his followers apparently came off as self-absorbed and condescending. We know that we are not free of such attitudes, but they certainly are not our aim.

Mark and Rebecca Hazell

Oakland

We Americans appear to be turning into gullible fools when we give religious allegiance to so-called spiritual leaders who are promiscuous and abuse alcohol. It does not take a theological student to realize that these $ flagrantly wealthy, sex-ridden, fast-living "holy men" are not the real thing.

Perry de la Torre

Modesto, Calif.