Teach the Contoversy?

In September 2007, I attended a talk by Geshe Michael Roach and Lama Christie McNally (you can listen to the talks as mp3s here), on the subject of Spiritual Partners. It was a cool concept made even cooler by the fact that that's what I already had going on in my life at that time. (The gist: find a partner and work together toward the goal of peace, essentially playing motivator & conscience to each other.)

Over the past week, I've been listening to several of these recordings, and this has revolutionized (and, frankly, improved) how I see my current relationship. I've been thinking and talking about the ideas discussed in these talks and recomending specific talks to individual people, because I think there's good advice in them.

And then, when just now looking for these recordings again, I came across this site. "The aim of this site is to provide an open forum for discussion and examination of Geshe Michael Roach. This web site is intended to make the general public aware of the controversy, its causes, and why it has come about."

Among the information provided:
"in September 2005, a teacher of Geshe Michael Roach, Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa, from Sera Mey, advised Geshe Michael Roach that he should either disrobe or behave like a monk (in terms of his "consort" Christie McNally , his hair and other vows)."

"Geshe Michael Roach has taken Christie McNally as his "Consort" or spiritual Partner. He has recently also surrounded himself at Diamond Mountain with those he describes as his "four Dakinis"... Lady Ora, Lady Christie, Lady Pelma and Lady Trisangma. The title "Lady" was granted by Geshe Michael Roach himself (in writing on the Diamond Mountain Tantra Course notes), and has the meaning of "Dakini"."

It is also considered that Geshe Michael Roach is effectively starting a cult.

So yeah, he's quite a controversial guy. But isn't the Dalai Lama as well? Wasn't the Buddha himself? Anyway, there was no real point to this, other than to give full disclosure regarding all these talks I've been recommending. Regardless of whether the man is a mad cult leader, or a seriously wise teacher, there's no such thing as a bad thing to learn so long as you commit to learning with wisdom and healthy scepticism. So there ya go!