Episode 29: Till Death Do Us Part

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:34:24 -0400

A few weeks ago I read this article about a pair of Buddhist teachers who live as a couple and have taken a vow never to be more than fifteen feet apart. This is apparently more than a little controversial in the world of Buddhist scholarship because among other things, the relationship is being presented as a celibate but intimate partnership between an older man and a young woman who some in the community refer to as a “blonde bombshell.” Now, though your definition of a “bombshell” might differ from someone who has spent twenty years in a monastery, the point is, no one thinks this set up can actually work. The vow applies to their hearts and minds but in particular to their bodies, which means they are literally together all the time.

This Buddhist couple got me to thinking. I mean, the premise sounded horrible and interesting at the same time. The idea of never being able to be more than fifteen feet away from your partner sounds intriguingly atrocious. They even go to the bathroom together (apparently if they’re in an airport one will stand outside the bathroom door to spare the general public) but I stopped peeing in front of guys when Mr. Handsome was three years old and he asked me why I had “wire hair.” (Raoul — the handyman — was in the house when he said this. I was mortified and my handyman couldn’t stop laughing.)

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Episode 29: Till Death Do Us Part