. ▁Acc us ations ▁of ▁being ▁a ▁Cult ▁group ▁have ▁been ▁made ▁repeatedly ▁over ▁the ▁years , ▁especially ▁in ▁newspaper ▁articles ▁and ▁by ▁cult ▁watch ers . ▁Ch ing ▁H ai ’ s ▁response ▁to ▁this ▁accus ation ▁is ▁that ▁participants ▁were ▁free ▁to ▁leave ▁at ▁any ▁time . ▁▁ ▁In ▁E ich man ' s ▁own ▁view , ▁as ▁inf uri ating ▁as ▁H ai ' s ▁persona , ▁her ▁material ism ▁and ▁un system atic ▁religious ▁synth es izing ▁is ▁to ▁the ▁Taiwan ese ▁Buddh ist ▁community ▁and ▁to ▁others ▁who ▁have ▁called ▁her ▁a ▁cult ▁leader , ▁when ▁we ▁set ▁aside ▁her ▁Buddh ist ▁roots ▁and ▁compare ▁her ▁work ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁an ▁ever - ch anging ▁array ▁of ▁self - made ▁g urus , ▁spiritual ▁gu ides ▁and ▁newly ▁formed ▁relig ions ▁that ▁make ▁up ▁the ▁New ▁Age ▁market place , ▁it ▁becomes ▁evident ▁that ▁Ch ing ▁H ai ’ s ▁work ▁is ▁neither ▁the ▁most ▁radical ▁nor ▁innov ative . ▁She ▁states ▁that ▁the ▁controvers ies ▁sw ir ling ▁around ▁H ai ▁should ▁not ▁stop ▁us ▁from ▁not ing ▁just ▁how ▁g uts y ▁it ▁was ▁for ▁her ▁to ▁strike ▁out ▁on ▁her ▁own , ▁and ▁with ▁her ▁unusual ▁prom in ence ▁as ▁a ▁female ▁spiritual ▁leader , ▁Ch ing ▁H ai ▁in ▁effect ▁demonstr ates ▁her ▁ability ▁to ▁comp ete ▁in ▁a ▁spiritual ▁ar ena ▁domin ated ▁largely ▁by ▁men . ▁And ▁we ▁should ▁be ▁open ▁to ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁not ▁all ▁female ▁leaders ▁will ▁remain ▁within