what are the modern day equivalents of yogis who .... etc

In my mind, there is a very clear modern equivalent to yogis in Tibet in the 1950s who went from place to place, on foot or horseback, selling little pujas and other ceremonies for material gain. One equivalent is Namkha Drimed, the Sakyong's father-in-law. Please read an article on the Radio Free Shambhala website:

http://radiofreeshambhala.org/2008/07/namkha-drimed/

His Eminence Namkha Drimed, whose principal home is in Orissa, India, and who has three monasteries (in Orissa, Nepal, and Tibet) makes fell use of the internet to offer wealth pujas and mohs (divinations) ... always for a price. This article explains his methods in detail. People can participate in a wealth puja or moh without even meeting the guru. In the case of wealth pujas, online participation is offered. Thus, the possibilities of making money from such traditional Tibetan practices is available worldwide. A far cry from going around from village to village in Tibet. The spiritual materialism of Tibet in the mid-twentieth century is alive and well today.

Barbara Blouin