"everyone should dress up and look beautiful" February 12, 2010 4:40 PM Subscribe
A humdinger of an update for this FPP.
His yurtmate ran off with the help (a younger man), and Geshe Michael Roach is loose in NYC, wearing Armani and regularly spotted out hitting the club scene. "He was on the dance floor, and there was nothing enlightened about it."
His yurtmate ran off with the help (a younger man), and Geshe Michael Roach is loose in NYC, wearing Armani and regularly spotted out hitting the club scene. "He was on the dance floor, and there was nothing enlightened about it."
I have filed him under "shyster".
posted by adamdschneider at 4:49 PM on February 12, 2010
posted by adamdschneider at 4:49 PM on February 12, 2010
I have filed him under "shyster".
The first FPP generated some similar comments.
posted by availablelight at 4:55 PM on February 12, 2010
YURT-DURT ENLIGHTENMENT ACHIEVER
posted by DU at 5:08 PM on February 12, 2010 [26 favorites]
posted by DU at 5:08 PM on February 12, 2010 [26 favorites]
"We are not allowed to have sex, but in yoga there are practices that involve joining with a partner,'' he explains. "They are secret, and you are not allowed to disclose them. You might think of them as sex, but their purpose is to move inner energy. It takes very strict training. There would be penetration, but no release of semen."
This wasn't his party line from a couple years ago. He's basically talking about Tantric secret rituals (wiki); they are sex, and for him to say otherwise, to claim that he can perform them and still be considered "celibate" or "chaste", is just flat-out lying. So yeah.
posted by Errant at 5:16 PM on February 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
This wasn't his party line from a couple years ago. He's basically talking about Tantric secret rituals (wiki); they are sex, and for him to say otherwise, to claim that he can perform them and still be considered "celibate" or "chaste", is just flat-out lying. So yeah.
posted by Errant at 5:16 PM on February 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
I loved that guy in Ghostbusters II! Glad to see he's back in NYC.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:20 PM on February 12, 2010 [8 favorites]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:20 PM on February 12, 2010 [8 favorites]
He's moved past five-head territory into the realm of the six-head. Woah.
posted by GuyZero at 5:28 PM on February 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by GuyZero at 5:28 PM on February 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
"We are not allowed to have sex, but in yoga there are practices that involve joining with a partner,'' he explains. "They are secret, and you are not allowed to disclose them. You might think of them as sex, but their purpose is to move inner energy. It takes very strict training. There would be penetration, but no release of semen."
Wow, he's like a nightmare teenage boyfriend pressuring his abstinence-only educated girlfriend with, "but this way it doesn't really count baby...."
posted by availablelight at 5:34 PM on February 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
The two became spiritual partners, vowing never to be more than 15 feet apart.
And people think regular monogamy is hard!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:43 PM on February 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
And people think regular monogamy is hard!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:43 PM on February 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
So, one weird thing though: the article says Christie McNally left Michael Roach "last summer", but their retreat center calendar has them giving a talk together on the Gita in NY in November. (also found here but the calendar on that site is madness and has listings for the year 2420.) The Diamond Mountain calendar and her Facebook page also says they gave a 3-day retreat in Hong Kong in December. Doesn't really seem to square with a bad breakup or her going into "silent retreat", unless NY Post has a different definition of "summer" than I do.
posted by Errant at 5:44 PM on February 12, 2010
posted by Errant at 5:44 PM on February 12, 2010
Despite their personal drama, Geshe Michael says he and Christie will still teach together at Diamond Mountain in the spring, though post-breakup, they'll surely bring a different message to their followers. "I will tell them that whenever something difficult happens, you have to try to use it as a path," he says. "You should see your partner as an angel who came to teach you. I look at Christie that way—the education is finished and now she is teaching a new person. If you try to see it that way, it helps your heart to hurt less."
Their joint website is also still up as well, FWIW.
Maybe they're just enlightened enough to still be friends after a bad breakup AMIRITE
posted by availablelight at 5:49 PM on February 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Their joint website is also still up as well, FWIW.
Maybe they're just enlightened enough to still be friends after a bad breakup AMIRITE
posted by availablelight at 5:49 PM on February 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I read the earlier story about him, and since then came across an essay Roach wrote in a (mostly pretty good) compilation called 'Adventures With the Buddha,' about his time working in the diamond trade.
His writing on the diamond business reminds me of the green-washing movement, in which reduced energy costs is equated with sustainability. Here, Roach brought certain Buddhist elements to running a diamond company which greatly improved the company's bottom line, but which ultimately did nothing to transform the basic materialism of the diamond industry. Ultimately, any such attempt would be doomed, since the end result is the trade of diamonds for money, which is inherently materialistic. What you have instead is a business putting a couple new tools in its bag of tricks, but not becoming any more enlightened...
In the end, I think Roach has done great things for diluting people's expectations of Buddhism in America, for better or for worse.
posted by kaibutsu at 5:50 PM on February 12, 2010
His writing on the diamond business reminds me of the green-washing movement, in which reduced energy costs is equated with sustainability. Here, Roach brought certain Buddhist elements to running a diamond company which greatly improved the company's bottom line, but which ultimately did nothing to transform the basic materialism of the diamond industry. Ultimately, any such attempt would be doomed, since the end result is the trade of diamonds for money, which is inherently materialistic. What you have instead is a business putting a couple new tools in its bag of tricks, but not becoming any more enlightened...
In the end, I think Roach has done great things for diluting people's expectations of Buddhism in America, for better or for worse.
posted by kaibutsu at 5:50 PM on February 12, 2010
Errant, that question's answered on the second page.
Despite their personal drama, Geshe Michael says he and Christie will still teach together at Diamond Mountain in the spring, though post-breakup, they'll surely bring a different message to their followers. "I will tell them that whenever something difficult happens, you have to try to use it as a path," he says. "You should see your partner as an angel who came to teach you. I look at Christie that way—the education is finished and now she is teaching a new person. If you try to see it that way, it helps your heart to hurt less."
posted by Devika at 5:51 PM on February 12, 2010
Despite their personal drama, Geshe Michael says he and Christie will still teach together at Diamond Mountain in the spring, though post-breakup, they'll surely bring a different message to their followers. "I will tell them that whenever something difficult happens, you have to try to use it as a path," he says. "You should see your partner as an angel who came to teach you. I look at Christie that way—the education is finished and now she is teaching a new person. If you try to see it that way, it helps your heart to hurt less."
posted by Devika at 5:51 PM on February 12, 2010
"If we don't make it fun and healthy, Buddhism will die out."
this hurts my brain.
posted by desjardins at 5:54 PM on February 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
this hurts my brain.
posted by desjardins at 5:54 PM on February 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
This guy will probably find his way to Rubulad tonight and hit on everything that moves.
posted by vrakatar at 6:22 PM on February 12, 2010
posted by vrakatar at 6:22 PM on February 12, 2010
Wow, he's like a nightmare teenage boyfriend pressuring his abstinence-only educated girlfriend with, "but this way it doesn't really count baby...."
So... he's in NYC... has he been to the Empire State Building yet?
/obscurereference
posted by qvantamon at 7:49 PM on February 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
So... he's in NYC... has he been to the Empire State Building yet?
/obscurereference
posted by qvantamon at 7:49 PM on February 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
The two became spiritual partners, vowing never to be more than 15 feet apart.
Didn't Gilbert and George already do this, to better spiritual and aesthetic effect?
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 9:03 PM on February 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Didn't Gilbert and George already do this, to better spiritual and aesthetic effect?
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 9:03 PM on February 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wow, he's like a nightmare teenage boyfriend pressuring his abstinence-only educated girlfriend with, "but this way it doesn't really count baby...."
So... he's in NYC... has he been to the Empire State Building yet?
/obscurereference
Dude, it's the second best sitcom currently on television, after 30 Rock. It's not that obscure.
posted by Caduceus at 10:11 PM on February 12, 2010
So... he's in NYC... has he been to the Empire State Building yet?
/obscurereference
Dude, it's the second best sitcom currently on television, after 30 Rock. It's not that obscure.
posted by Caduceus at 10:11 PM on February 12, 2010
Third, I guess, if you count The Office as a sitcom. And that's debatable.
posted by Caduceus at 10:13 PM on February 12, 2010
posted by Caduceus at 10:13 PM on February 12, 2010
LOLBuddhists.
posted by fourcheesemac at 12:43 AM on February 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by fourcheesemac at 12:43 AM on February 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
And people think regular monogamy is hard!
But I thought we'd decided on pine for the sweat lodge, Michael!
/old joke
posted by Abiezer at 1:54 AM on February 13, 2010
But I thought we'd decided on pine for the sweat lodge, Michael!
/old joke
posted by Abiezer at 1:54 AM on February 13, 2010
LOLBuddhists.
No, LOL American New Age charlatan. Even the Dali Lama cut him off long before this...even after meeting with him (and his dying mother) back when Roach was a Princeton student to encourage him to pursue his Buddhist education.
And LOL NYT Style Section (OK, so it was the technically the Home and Garden section). I'm hoping for an update in the "A Night Out With" series.
posted by availablelight at 2:08 AM on February 13, 2010
Religious figure is actually charlatan. News at 11.
posted by nevercalm at 5:57 AM on February 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by nevercalm at 5:57 AM on February 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
What a doofus. I'm hard-pressed to think up a more pathetic example of self-importance gone awry, but now that this has happened maybe the guy can get a life and a haircut that doesn't make him look like a mop soaked in fry grease.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 8:36 AM on February 13, 2010
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 8:36 AM on February 13, 2010
I'm hoping for an update in the "A Night Out With" series.
Indeed.
posted by Jahaza at 9:12 AM on February 13, 2010
Indeed.
posted by Jahaza at 9:12 AM on February 13, 2010
No, LOL American New Age charlatan. Even the Dali Lama cut him off long before this...even after meeting with him (and his dying mother) back when Roach was a Princeton student to encourage him to pursue his Buddhist education.
Wish the Dalai Lama would come chill with me and talk about Buddhism. Where do I get those kind of connections?
posted by shii at 12:42 PM on February 13, 2010
Wish the Dalai Lama would come chill with me and talk about Buddhism. Where do I get those kind of connections?
posted by shii at 12:42 PM on February 13, 2010
This guy is such a fraud. Before he publicly hooked up with her, he led a 3-year "solitary" retreat in arizona. People followed him there to do this with him. 3 years. Most tibetan buddhists never do this. It's some serious shit. Think about it. So he has all these people come to the woods and they all live alone in their yurts for 3 years. Meanwhile, this guy is living with her the whole time, supposedly not having sex. So he comes out and says, "Oops, while you all have been alone for three years, I've been chilling with her this whole time, but it's okay because I had a direct realization of emptiness when I was like 20." Or something. That last part is a huge claim in buddhism, akin to publicly claiming you Jesus.
Sleeping with women while an ordained Gelug monk is bad enough. Claiming you are enlightened is fishy. But, fucking with people's lives like that is cold-hearted. Tricking them to believe they are doing one thing while doing something completely else. This guy is not a buddhist monk by any definition except his own.
posted by milarepa at 1:08 PM on February 13, 2010 [4 favorites]
Sleeping with women while an ordained Gelug monk is bad enough. Claiming you are enlightened is fishy. But, fucking with people's lives like that is cold-hearted. Tricking them to believe they are doing one thing while doing something completely else. This guy is not a buddhist monk by any definition except his own.
posted by milarepa at 1:08 PM on February 13, 2010 [4 favorites]
Sexy Sadie.
Sexy Sadie what have you done
You made a fool of everyone
You made a fool of everyone
Sexy Sadie ooh what have you done.
Sexy Sadie you broke the rules
You layed it down for all to see
You layed it down for all to see
Sexy Sadie oooh you broke the rules.
One sunny day the world was waiting for a lover
She came along to turn on everyone
Sexy Sadie the greatest of them all.
Sexy Sadie how did you know
The world was waiting just for you
The world was waiting just for you
Sexy Sadie oooh how did you know.
Sexy Sadie you'll get yours yet
However big you think you are
However big you think you are
Sexy Sadie oooh you'll get yours yet.
We gave her everything we owned just to sit at her table
Just a smile would lighten everything
Sexy Sadie she's the latest and the greatest of them all.
She made a fool of everyone
Sexy Sadie.
However big you think you are
Sexy Sadie.
posted by philip-random at 1:50 PM on February 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Sexy Sadie what have you done
You made a fool of everyone
You made a fool of everyone
Sexy Sadie ooh what have you done.
Sexy Sadie you broke the rules
You layed it down for all to see
You layed it down for all to see
Sexy Sadie oooh you broke the rules.
One sunny day the world was waiting for a lover
She came along to turn on everyone
Sexy Sadie the greatest of them all.
Sexy Sadie how did you know
The world was waiting just for you
The world was waiting just for you
Sexy Sadie oooh how did you know.
Sexy Sadie you'll get yours yet
However big you think you are
However big you think you are
Sexy Sadie oooh you'll get yours yet.
We gave her everything we owned just to sit at her table
Just a smile would lighten everything
Sexy Sadie she's the latest and the greatest of them all.
She made a fool of everyone
Sexy Sadie.
However big you think you are
Sexy Sadie.
posted by philip-random at 1:50 PM on February 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
What kind of a guh-roo are you, anyway?
posted by koeselitz at 5:10 PM on February 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by koeselitz at 5:10 PM on February 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Prosperity Buddhism?
posted by XMLicious at 7:05 PM on February 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by XMLicious at 7:05 PM on February 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Prosperity Buddhism?
That would actually be pretty analogous to my understanding of the relationship between "Prosperity Christianity" and, uh, actual Christianity. And he hasn't been permitted to teach at "real" Buddhist centers in quite some time.
I came across this website enumerating concerns of how he's misrepresented the faith, and he came to be considered ""persona non grata" by the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama."
posted by availablelight at 8:03 AM on February 14, 2010
That would actually be pretty analogous to my understanding of the relationship between "Prosperity Christianity" and, uh, actual Christianity. And he hasn't been permitted to teach at "real" Buddhist centers in quite some time.
I came across this website enumerating concerns of how he's misrepresented the faith, and he came to be considered ""persona non grata" by the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama."
posted by availablelight at 8:03 AM on February 14, 2010
Shades of Baker-roshi and the San Fran Zen Center.
posted by StickyCarpet at 3:10 PM on February 14, 2010
posted by StickyCarpet at 3:10 PM on February 14, 2010
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posted by mmmbacon at 4:48 PM on February 12, 2010 [8 favorites]