March 3, 2008

For Paris Hilton, the path to enlightenment is fraught with speed bumps, from shiny stripper poles to random saliva swaps. Still, the tireless self-promoter made a big production out of embarking on a New Age journey Saturday in Los Angeles with her very own spiritual guide.

Paris Hilton with a guru in Los Angeles on March 1

Sure, Paris probably thinks Buddha is a new Los Angeles hot spot and the Four Noble Truths come with a choice of beef, chicken or shrimp, but that didn't stop her from slipping into her most virginal, Renaissance Fair-y white dress and accompanying a long-haired, long-bearded swami type to the Bodhi Tree bookstore.

With shutterbugs clicking away, Hilton and her hirsute sage conspicuously perused such tomes as "The Path of the Painted Shaman" and "The Wisdom of Buddha."

The camera contingent then followed them to the nearby Urth Caffé, where they enjoyed a refreshing beverage while digging into their deep-thought books at a photo op-friendly outside table.

Just before they got up to leave, they set off a flashbulb explosion as the guru offered Hilton a blessing by touching her head (of course, he may have just been admiring how lifelike her hair is).

On the way out, the suddenly transcendental starlet stopped in front of a young woman seated a couple tables over and presented her with the sparkly, heart-shaped pendant that had been hanging from her neck moments before.

"He told me to give this to you as a gift," the wannabe philanthropist told the perplexed customer, adding for good measure, "God bless you."

Hilton and her seemingly anti-materialistic maharishi then hopped into her luxury SUV, pausing long enough to offer some platitudes to the paps, who wanted to know why she gave her (maybe) diamond bauble away.

"Because the greatest gift is to give," baby-talked young Grasshopper Paris.

Counseled the flowing-robed yogi, "The best gift you give is of yourself and time, time and yourself."

And he should know. He apparently squeezed this outing in between acting gigs. TMZ.com reports his name is Maxie Santillan, whose credits range from "My Name Is Earl" to "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl."

"My looks use[d] to get me in trouble," the ersatz guru writes on his MySpace page, "and now my looks are making me money."

That's a Gandhi quote, right?

As for Hilton, she probably won't miss the necklace she was ostensibly urged to give away. She quickly replaced the donated item with one bearing a big shiny "B," a nod to her warp-speed romance with Good Charlotte guitarist Benji Madden, whom she stepped out with on Friday night.

Earlier that day, she reportedly exited a Beverly Hills, Calif., jewelry store with a glittering ring on her all-important finger (and kitted out in togs from the clothing line Benji founded with his twin brother, Joel Madden), fueling rumors that she may try to beat pal Nicole Richie to the inexplicably coveted title of Mrs. Madden.

By the by, Sophie Monk, who was Benji's fiancée up until just a few weeks ago, is attempting to set the timeline straight on their bust-up.

"Let me make this as plain as possible -- Benji did not leave me for Paris Hilton," declares the Australian starlet (via the Herald Sun). "Benji and I did not break up badly or anything like that. We both decided, as adults, our relationship had run its course and decided to move on. I feel no animosity towards Benji and Paris at all and am very happy with life at the moment.''

Next: Romance Report: Jessica's Lap Dance for Tony