 In February 1997, Lama Penor Rinpoche from Palyul monastery announced that Seagal was a tulku, and specifically the reincarnation of Chungdrag Dorje, a 17th-century terton (treasure revealer) of the Nyingma, the oldest sect of Tibetan Buddhism.Seagal's recognition aroused controversy in the American Buddhist community, with Helen Tworkov commenting in "" impugning the extent of Seagal's "spiritual wisdom" and suggesting that Seagal bought his Buddhahood by donations to Penor's Kunzang Palyul Choling center.Penor Rinpoche responded to the controversy by saying that Seagal, although acting in violent movies, had not actually killed people, and that Seagal was merely "recognized", whereas "enthronement" as a tulku would require first a "lengthy process of study and practice".