What if rain or shine, no matter what, you and your partner, well, never parted? That is the case with Michael Roach, 55, and two decades younger Christie McNally, two Buddhist teachers who are literally attached at the spiritual hip, so to speak, and took vows to never be more than 15 feet away from each other. Oh and P.S.: They’re celibate, too.
In fact, believe it or not, according to an article that profiles them in the New York Times, it’s that whole celibacy song and dance that actually makes them a controversial couple within the traditional Buddhist religion. Roach is one of a handful of Westerners who trained in the same Tibetan Buddhist tradition as the Dalai Lama, and became a monk in 1983. The problem: Monks must take strict vows of celibacy, and living with a woman, no matter whether they claim to be celibate or not, is a scandal. However, the couple claims that in order to attract more followers, their traditions must appeal to Westerners who might otherwise be turned off by any hint of gender divide within the religion. Hmm… Sounds suspicious to me, but anyway…
So how do they cope with that sticky old 15 feet rule? Half of the year, it’s fairly simple, since they both live in a tiny, 22-foot yurt (or tent) in the middle of the Arizona desert, where they read books at the same time and follow each other like shadows. (They first moved there to do a silent retreat, so from 2000-2003, they lived in complete, silence and meditation.)Things do get a bit more complicated when they travel. For example, if they can’t get seats next to each other on a plane, they simply refuse to board. If one gets up to go to the bathroom, the other must follow and stand outside the door. Creepy much? Many devout Buddhists claim this behavior is too extreme.
Ok, I saw this article written by Erin Flaherty on Yahoo and all I can say is that is just way too much of one person. I believe you should have things in common and spend as much quality time as you can with your mate. I also believe that you should have outside interests and some time to and for yourself. I’ll be watching to see just how long this marriage lasts. Any thoughts?
Only Love,
~Ms. M2
Ms. M2 