Though a Buddhist, Lenz eschewed asceticism, lived a lavish lifestyle, and encouraged students to focus on financial independence and success.

[4] After high school, Lenz was incarcerated in a minimum security camp near San Diego for possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor offense which was later removed from the court records by way of a dismissal.

[5][6] According to his own account, he then traveled to Kathmandu and encountered a Tibetan Buddhist monk who informed him that in the future, he would help millions of people and carry on the teachings of a lineage that had almost disappeared.

[10] After college, Lenz won a competitive State of New York Graduate Council Fellowship enabling him to continue his studies.

He earned a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy from State University of New York at Stony Brook, finishing his studies in 1979.

[12][13] Lenz ended his association with Chinmoy in 1981 after founding his own teaching center in Los Angeles, initially named Lakshmi, after the Hindu Goddess of prosperity and beauty.

[14][12] Lenz said that he remembered all his previous incarnations, including his life as a high priest in Atlantis,[15] and four lives as teachers in India, Japan, and Tibet during the 16th through early 20th centuries.

He reincorporated his organization under the name of 'Rama Seminars', characterizing his spiritual teaching as 'Tantric Zen', which incorporated aspects of Chan, Vajrayana Buddhism, Taoism, and Jnana yoga.

[17] Lenz spoke of the world as being full of demons, which he described as "entities" and "negative spiritual forces" that were capable of attacking people.

Through the practice of Self Discovery all these layers are peeled back eventually revealing one's true nature: perfect pure light.

Lenz described the experience of ecstasy in meditation thus:You concentrate so intensely, you bring your will to such a singular point that you break through all the limited mind states.

"[22]Lenz wrote two novels expounding many of the Buddhist principles that formed the basis of his teaching – Surfing the Himalayas (1995) and Snowboarding to Nirvana (1997).

In an introductory note to Surfing the Himalayas Lenz writes that the novels are "based on a series of experiences that occurred to me some time ago in Nepal.

[15] It was originally going to be published by Warner Books, but they reneged following a negative campaign by Lenz's critics, citing "marketing differences with the author".

[26] Following a request by the publisher, Chicago Bulls coach and student of Zen Phil Jackson endorsed the book, calling it "benign and appropriate" and describing it as bringing "levity and humour to a subject often relegated to a mundane, boring prospect".

[28] Lenz encouraged his students to pursue computer science because of the mental challenge, diverse career opportunities and high rates of pay.

[32][33][34] Devotees described Lenz as an enlightened master whose seminars helped them to become wealthy, but some of those who dropped out claimed that he advised his students to inflate their credentials and to use friends under pseudonyms as references to get jobs.

Other students said that they voluntarily gave Lenz money and gifts in gratitude for his teaching, which helped them to lead a better life and led them to successful careers in computer programming.

[48][49] Lenz was accused of controlling his followers activities, including pressuring them to move[13] and encouraging them to cut off contact with their friends and families.

[50][48][51] According to one of the abductees, Jennifer Jacobs, the kidnapping involved being held captive in a roadhouse, where she was repeatedly subjected to physical, verbal and emotional abuse.

[50][48] Deprogrammers were also hired by the parents of Karen Lever, a 33-year-old President of a computer consulting company, who had attended some of Lenz's seminars.

As she was loading luggage into her car at SeaTac airport near Seattle, Lever was seized and shoved into a van by three men: "one man sat on me and clamped his hand over my mouth to prevent me from screaming...

[48] In both cases the parents' efforts to "deprogram" their children failed: both Lever and Jacobs remained supportive of Lenz and his teaching.

Some of Lenz's students alleged that anti-cult groups were circulating their names to recruiters in order to prevent them advancing their careers.

[7] He had reportedly been depressed following eye surgery,[15] but it was thought by many that it was grief over the death of his beloved dog, Vayu, that ultimately pushed him over the edge.