▁Mer cy ▁Hospital ▁in ▁San ▁Diego , ▁California . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁three , ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁St am ford , ▁Connecticut . ▁He ▁spent ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁child hood ▁and ▁te en age ▁years ▁there , ▁att ending ▁schools ▁in ▁the ▁St am ford ▁area . ▁ ▁Dr . ▁L enz ' s ▁father , ▁Frederick ▁L enz ▁Jr ., ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁market ing ▁executive ▁and ▁later ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁mayor ▁of ▁St am ford ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 5 . ▁His ▁mother , ▁Dor othy ▁L enz , ▁was ▁a ▁house w ife ▁and ▁a ▁student ▁of ▁ast ro log y . ▁ ▁After ▁high ▁school , ▁he ▁spent ▁a ▁short ▁period ▁of ▁in car cer ation ▁in ▁a ▁work ▁camp ▁near ▁San ▁Diego ▁for ▁possession ▁of ▁mar iju ana , ▁a ▁mis de mean or ▁off ense ▁which ▁was ▁later ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁court ▁records ▁by ▁way ▁of ▁a ▁dismiss al . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁work ▁camp , ▁he ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Kath m and u , ▁Nep al ▁and ▁encountered ▁a ▁Tib et an ▁Buddh ist ▁mon k ▁who ▁informed ▁him ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁future , ▁he ▁would ▁help ▁millions ▁of ▁people ▁and ▁carry ▁on ▁the ▁teach ings ▁of ▁a ▁line age ▁that ▁had ▁almost ▁disappeared . ▁ ▁Education ▁L enz ▁graduated ▁from ▁R ipp ow am ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁He ▁later ▁attended ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Connecticut