&gt; Whatever the reason he became famous for, he&#x27;s probably done probably the single most influential figure to influence the West&#x27;s familiarity and understanding of Buddhism.<p>That doesn&#x27;t make him the head of Buddhism, unless you also believe Pizza Hut is the head of Italian cuisine, or ManchuWok is the leader of Chinese food.<p>Buddhism is not a hierarchical religion like Catholicism.  If a monk seeks power&#x2F;fame or participate in political struggle, he&#x27;s not practicing true Buddhism.