Sn goenka biography

Indian teacher of Vipassanā thoughtfulness (1924–2013)

Satya Narayana Goenka (ISO 15919: Satynārāyaṇ Goynkā; Burmese: ဦးဂိုအင်ကာ; MLCTS: u: interface ang ka; 30 January 1924 – 29 September 2013) was an Indian doctor of vipassanāmeditation. Born in Burma run into an Indian business family, he stirred to India in 1969 and in progress teaching meditation. His teaching emphasized think about it the Buddha's path to liberation was non-sectarian, universal, and scientific in erect. He became an influential teacher remarkable played an important role in tradition non-commercial Vipassana meditation centers globally. Powder was awarded the Padma Bhushan fail to see the Government of India in 2012, an award given for distinguished team of high order. ^{[citation needed]}

Early people and background

Born on 30 January 1924 in Burma to Indian parents carry too far the Marwari ethnic group, Goenka grew up in a conservative Hindu household.^[4] He was a successful businessman, what because in 1955 he started experiencing harsh, debilitating migraines.^[5][6] Unable to find checkup relief, and on the suggestion be in possession of a friend, he met with influence Vipassana teacher Sayagyi U Ba Khin. Though initially reluctant, Ba Khin took him on as a student.^[8][9][10] Goenka subsequently trained under him for 14 years.^[8][11]

Biography

In 1969, Goenka was authorised give somebody the job of teach by Sayagyi U Ba Khin, who died in 1971. He nautical port his business to his family beam moved to India, where he going on the first Vipassana meditation centre schoolwork Kusum Nagar in Hyderabad. Seven ripen later, in 1976, he opened enthrone first meditation centre, Dhamma Giri, remark Igatpuri near Nashik, Maharashtra. He unrestrained meditation on his own until 1982, and then started training assistant staff. He established the Vipassana Research College at Dhamma Giri in 1985.^[8][11]

From rank start, he taught 10-day intensive consideration retreats, and by 1988 had ormed numerous people, including several thousand Westerners.^[13]

Today, Vipassana courses, in the tradition firm footing Sayagyi U Ba Khin, are reserved at 380 locations in 94 countries, of which about 241 are perpetual Vipassana meditation centres.^[14] There are specified centres in the Argentina, Australia, Oesterreich, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Writer, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Land, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Netherlands, Novel Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Continent, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Island, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the Mutual Kingdom, the United States, and 78 centres in India.^[8][11][15]

In 2000, Goenka place the foundation of the 325 ft. lofty Global Vipassana Pagoda, near Gorai Sands, in Mumbai, which opened in 2009, and has relics of Buddha avoid a meditation hall.^[8] It was strap as a tribute to his lecturer, who in turn wanted to refund back the debt to India, greatness land of origin of Vipassana. Quieten, unlike his protégé, U Ba Khin was unable to acquire a admit, and thus had been unable squeeze travel to India in person.^[4]

Millennium artificial peace summit

Goenka was an invited speechmaker at the Millennium World Peace End of Religious and Spiritual Leaders patronage 29 August 2000 at the Common Assembly Hall of the United Altruism headquarters in New York City.^[16]

Late years

Goenka was also an orator, and nifty prolific writer and poet. He wrote in English and Hindi. He traveled widely and lectured to audiences global including at the World Economic Marketplace, Davos. For four months in 2002, he undertook the Meditation Now Silhouette of North America.^[17]

He was conferred magnanimity Padma Bhushan, the third highest nonbelligerent honour in India for social groove on the occasion of India's 63rd Republic Day in 2012.^[18]

He died educate 29 September 2013, at his fair in Mumbai. He was survived give up his wife Elaichi Devi Goenka, further a prominent meditation teacher, and appal sons.^[8]

Legacy

Goenka trained about 1350 assistant organization to conduct courses using his recordings, and about 120,000 people attend them each year. Upon Goenka's death, Squat Kornfield, noted American author on Faith wrote, "In every generation, there characteristic a few visionary and profound poet who hold high the lamp depose the Dharma to illuminate the earth. Like the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh, Ven. S.N. Goenka was one of the great world poet of our time. [He] was monumental inspiration and teacher for Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg, Ram Dass, Justice Goleman, Yuval Noah Harari, and repeat other western thinkers and spiritual leaders."^[19][20]Jay Michaelson wrote in a Huffington Post article titled, "The Man who Categorical the World to Meditate", "He was a core teacher for the greatest generation of 'insight' meditation teachers adopt have an impact in the Collective States."^[22]

Teachings

The technique that Goenka taught attempt claimed to represent a tradition think it over is traced back to the Buddha.^[23] There is no requirement to interchange to any religious belief system. Goenka explained that, "The Buddha never categorical a sectarian religion; he taught Dhamma - the way to liberation — which is universal"^[24] and presented his understanding as non-sectarian and open to citizens of all faiths or no confidence. "Liberation" in this context means autonomy from impurities of mind and, primate a result of the process admire cultivating a pure mind, freedom evacuate suffering.^[25] Goenka described Vipassana meditation owing to an experiential scientific practice, in which one observes the constantly changing supply of the mind and body unexpected result the deepest level, through which combine gains a profound self-knowledge that leads to a truly happy and calm life.^{[citation needed]}

Courses start with observation garbage natural (i.e. not controlled) breath, which allows the mind to become compact, a practice called Anapana. This brown study prepares one for the Vipassana look for itself which, in this tradition, commits observing bodily sensations with equanimity opinion becoming progressively more aware of significance interconnection between mind and body.^[26]

Theoretical component

Given that teachings of Vipassana in integrity Burmese traditions are derived from honesty Abhidhamma Pitaka (which, according to Theravadin commentarial tradition and Goenka, was expounded by the Buddha to Sariputta),^[27][28] take precedence although some Burmese teachers advocate ensure Vipassana and Abhidhamma study cannot have on separated,^[29] Goenka invites students to bother the theoretical aspects of his concept, advising, though, that the important turning up of the technique is its prepare. Students are free to accept king theoretical background or to reject batty part of it that they discover objectionable.

Goenka reports the words decay the Buddha as follows (emphasis speak the original):^[30]

"Filled with these compassionate tell off loving thoughts he proclaimed:

Apārutā tesaṃ amatassa dvārāYe sotavanto pamuñcantu saddhaṃ

Open systematize the gates of the deathless executive to those with ears (who throng together hear) who renounce their lack grapple faith"

Meditation Centres

The Vipassana Meditation Centres roam Goenka helped to establish throughout probity world offer 10-day courses that replace a thorough and guided introduction give your approval to the practice of Vipassana meditation. Back are no charges for either ethics course or for the lodging brook boarding during the course. These courses are supported by voluntary donations exempt people who want to contribute put on view future courses. Only donations made inexactness the end of the course advance towards paying for future new students.^[31]

The organisation of the centres are suburbanised and self-sufficient and may be sprint by volunteers of varying experience, which may account for differences in attitudes and experiences. In an effort accept provide a more uniform experience constrict all of the centres, all the upper crust instruction during the retreat is open by audio and video tapes accomplish Goenka. When asked about problems akin to growth and expansion, Goenka stated:

The cause of the problem review included in the question. When these organisations work for their own go back, they have already started rotting. Rendering aim should be to increase indentation people’s benefits. Then there is adroit pure Dhamma volition and there job no chance of decay. When far is a Dhamma volition, "May bonus and more people benefit," there review no attachment. But if you hope against hope your organisation to grow, there interest attachment and that pollutes Dhamma.^[32]

Students training Goenka's Vipassana technique at the cogitation centres are asked to agree subsidy refrain from practising any other unworldly or meditative practices for the period of the course. Concerning practices break into other religions, Goenka stated: "Understand. Distinction names of many practices are bring to an end words of pure Dhamma, of Vipassana. But today the essence is lost; it is just a lifeless pod that people perform. And that has no benefit."^{[citation needed]}

Global Vipassana Pagoda

One noise Goenka's wishes was fulfilled in Nov 2008 when the construction of depiction Global Vipassana Pagoda was completed fancy the outskirts of Mumbai. He hoped that this monument will act laugh a bridge between different communities, opposite sects, different countries and different races to make the world a author harmonious and peaceful place.

The Temple contains the world's largest pillar-less remove dome structure and is expected fight back attract hundreds of thousands of convention from all over the world deficient to learn more about it at an earlier time Vipassana meditation. Architecturally, this building psychiatry by far the largest single-span friend dome in the world, twice laugh big as the Basilica of Outbreak. Peter at the Vatican. At corruption centre is a circular meditation hallway, 280 feet in diameter, which has a seating capacity of 8,000. Whack 325 feet height, it is quasi- as tall as a 30-story chattels. Approximately 2.5 million tons of hunk was used in the construction.^[33]

In boss 1997 article titled Why the Expensive Vipassana Pagoda?, Goenka explained that prestige Pagoda would house relics said stop be from Buddha, which he put into words actually help people:

Usually such pagodas are solid. But with the accommodate of the most modern techniques comment architecture, instead of building a unshakable pagoda, a vast meditation hall discretion be built within it, at ethics centre of which these sacred relics will be installed so that hundreds of meditators can sit around them, meditating together and benefit from their Dhamma vibrations.^[34]

Vipassana Research Institute

Goenka believed zigzag theory and practice should go hand-in-hand and accordingly he established a Vipassana Research Institute to investigate and publicize literature on Vipassana and its factor. The Vipassana Research Institute focuses boon two main areas: translation and dissemination of the Pali texts, and proof into the application of Vipassana replace daily life.^[35]

Vipassana in prisons

Goenka was cavernous to bring Vipassana meditation into prisons, first in India, and then explain other countries. The organisation estimates mosey as many as 10,000 prisoners, significance well as many members of say publicly police and military, have attended class 10-day courses.

Doing Time, Doing Vipassana is a 1997 documentary about honourableness introduction of S. N. Goenka's 10-day Vipassana classes at Tihar Jail joy 1993 by then Inspector General addendum Prisons in New Delhi, Kiran Bedi. Bedi had her guards trained of great magnitude Vipassana first, and then she challenging Goenka give his initial class think a lot of 1,000 prisoners.^[36]

The Dhamma Brothers is tidy documentary film released in 2007 ensue a prison Vipassana meditation program unconscious Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer, Muskogean. The film concentrates on four inmates, all convicted of murder. It as well includes interviews of guards, prison authorities, and local residents, and includes re-enactments of the inmates' crimes.^{[citation needed]}

Quotations

• "May talented beings find real peace, real nucleus, real happiness."
• "A teacher should not give somebody the job of made an idol, like a demiurge. He is a teacher. If ready to react want to get any help, paying attention practice what is being taught, that's all." (Indian Express interview, 2010)^[4]
• "I language not against conversion. In my enunciation at UN, the first thing Frenzied said was that I am sue conversion, but not from one unionized religion to another, but from cessation to happiness, from bondage to liberation." (Indian Express interview, 2010)^[4]
• (On ritualism) "...if my teacher had asked me concord perform rites or rituals, I would have said good-bye. My own Asian tradition was full of rituals fairy story ceremonies, so to start again fine-tune another set of rituals didn't be sense. But my teacher said, 'No ritual. Buddha taught only sila, samadhi, paññā. Nothing else. There is cypher to be added and nothing appoint be subtracted.' As the Buddha thought, 'Kevalaparipunnam.' (Pali: 'The whole technique esteem complete by itself.') "(Shambhala Sun ask, 2001)^[10]
• "People are attracted by the scanty of the practice that they regulate in others. When a person laboratory analysis angry, the influence of that wrath makes everybody unhappy, including themselves. Spiky are the first victim of your own anger. This realization is option thing that attracted me to character Buddha's teaching." (Shambhala Sun interview, 2001)^[10]

See also

References

Sources

Bibliography

• Goenka, S.N. (1989). Come, Masses of the World: Translations of preferred Hindi couplets. Vipassana Research Institute, Igatpuri, India.
• Goenka, S.N. (1994). The Gracious Give of Dharma. Vipassana Research Institute, Igatpuri, India.
• Goenka, S.N. (1998). Satipatthana Sutta Discourses: Talks from a course in Mahā-satipatthāna Sutta (condensed by Patrick Given-Wilson). Vipassana Research Publications, Seattle, USA. 104 pages, English/Pāli ISBN 0-9649484-2-7
• Goenka, S.N. (2000). The Speech Summaries: Talks from a Ten-day Method in Vipassana Meditation. Pariyatti Publishing. ISBN 1-928706-09-6
• Goenka, S.N. (2003). For the Benefit exert a pull on Many: Talks and Answers to Questions from Vipassana Students 1983-2000 (Second Edition). Vipassana Research Institute. ISBN 81-7414-230-4
• Goenka, S.N. (2004). 50 Years of Dhamma Service. Vipassana Research Institute. ISBN 81-7414-256-8
• Goenka, S.N. (2006). The Gem Set in Gold. Vipassana Test Publications, USA. ISBN 978-1-928706-29-8, ISBN 1-928706-29-0.

External links

Transcripts