In this riveting true story, Thomas K. Shor, an adventurous American writer with an ear for unusual stories, wanders into a Sikkimese mountain village and into the life of an enigmatic spiritual master known as Gurudev. He has no idea of what he is getting into. As Gurudev, a Tibetan Buddhist lama, lavishes the author with presents and invites him into his inner circle, it seems destiny is at work. But what happens when it turns out the master has close ties with the local dictator and his henchmen and Shor finds himself being hosted at some of their houses? How is he to reconcile the religion of love with the violence of politics? Gurudev's 'engaged Buddhism' not only stretches common notions of morality but also spins Shor's moral compass. The Master Director, richly illustrated with over 75 photos, probes the limits of charisma and scepticism, devotion and doubt.