That seems to be a relevant question for this forum, one I've raised in other topics, but I think it deserves it's own topic. For me, there is no question that he was and is. In my case, his intervention turned my life around as I was pretty damaged when I first read Hey Beatnick. But more than just becoming more functional, there was an inner awakening that began with the first reading. My attention was rivetted, and there was an awakening beginning to flower in my heart. I'd just leak and leak as we used to say. It was as if all of my defenses were crumbling. I went thru the usual resistance to having people up in my thing and being faced with how I actually was, and naturally didn't openly cop to things, but internally, things were happening. I remember a few key experiences that made it clear. One was sitting at the gate late at night and feeling wave after wave of love rising up from everywhere, from the ground, from the boards in the gatehouse, from the entire creation. What can you do in the face of such a thing? If the nature of reality isn't clear at that point, then what would it take? And yet, old habits die hard. The conditionings of thought don't just crumble, even under overwhelming evidence. And so there were many years of deconstuction of the old patterns, it still goes on. Many of Stephen's 'visions' weren't to be taken litterally, like his cocoon and hooded figure one, it's an analogy for how things are. He probably just made it up on the spot. I've been seeing this Indian Hindu guru Ammachi the last couple of years and it's the same thing, her take on it all isn't really much different than Stephen's was 35 years ago. She has this infinite compassion thing going on too and is out to save the world, she tours six months of the year. Gaskin talked, she hugs. Darshan is darshan. She has all kinds of charities, schools, self-help, battered women shelters, food give aways, the same kind of thing the Farm has always embodied. Not a living Buddha? Haha, and what would one look like? If HHDL is one, Gaskin is surely one. How's that for an emotion-filled, glowing testimony? :-)