S. N. Goenka

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Sri Satya Narayan Goenka (born 1924) is a leading lay teacher of Vipassana meditation and a student of Sayagyi U Ba Khin.

Born in Mandalay, Burma to Indian parents, Goenka was raised a Hindu and, as an adult, became an industrialist and leader of the Burmese Indian community. After developing an interest in meditation in an effort to overcome chronic migraines, he began studying with U Ba Khin, a senior civil servant in the newly independent Burmese government. U Ba Khin was a renowned meditation teacher who had played an important role in the Sixth Buddhist Council of 1954-1956 and was one of the leaders of a Vipassana-centered reform movement that had exerted a positive influence on standards in public life. Goenka became U Ba Khin's most prominent successor and went on to found an international network of teaching centers, based at Dhammagiri in India. Goenka emphasizes in his courses and lectures on Vipassana meditation as offering a scientific investigation of the mind-matter phenomenon, and relates that through Vipassana meditation one can observe eight fundamental particles (which he refers to as "kalapas") at the experiential level of one's own mind, not to be confused with the standard model in physics.

It is believed by some that Gautama Buddha stated that, as he taught everything is impermanent -- even his teachings, that they too would someday disappear from the land of their origin, India, and then return to its shores twenty-five centuries after his death. Goenka’s teaching centers in India is heralded by some as the fulfillment of that prediction.

With the ever-growing number of people learning Vipassana from these centers, Goenka tries to ensure that the whole network does not become a sectarian religion or cult. He recommends the expansion should be for the benefit of others, not mere expansion for the sake of expansion due to any blind belief -- but with the intention may more people benefit, rather than for the sake of your own organization's growth. Some people with no previous history of mental illness have suffered severe neurological difficulties and periodic anxiety attacks as a result of attending Vipassana retreats ^{[citation needed]}. Through the application process, however, much effort is made to prepare potential students for the rigorous and serious nature of the intensive 10-day meditation.

From the Intro to the Technique: People with serious mental disorders have occasionally come to Vipassana courses with the unrealistic expectation that the technique will cure or alleviate their mental problems. Unstable interpersonal relationships and a history of various treatments can be additional factors which make it difficult for such people to benefit from, or even complete, a ten-day course. Our capacity as a nonprofessional volunteer organization makes it impossible for us to properly care for people with these backgrounds. Although Vipassana meditation is beneficial for most people, it is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric treatment and we do not recommend it for people with serious psychiatric disorders.

The organization of the centers are de-centralized and self-sufficient, and may be run by volunteers of varying experience, which may account for differences in attitudes and experiences. In an effort to provide a more uniform experience in all of the centers, all public instruction during the retreat is given by audio and video tapes of Goenka. When asked about problems related to growth and expansion, Goenka is quoted as:

The cause of the problem is included in the question. When these organizations work for their own expansion, they have already started rotting. The aim should be to increase other people’s benefits. Then there is a pure Dhamma volition and there is no chance of decay.

When there is a Dhamma volition, "May more and more people benefit," there is no attachment. But if you want your organization to grow, there is attachment and that pollutes Dhamma.

Goenka argues, "The Buddha never taught a sectarian religion; he taught Dhamma - the way to liberation - which is universal."[1] Therefore, he views his own teachings as non-sectarian and open to people of all faiths or no faith. Goenka calls Vipassana meditation an experiential "scientific" practice. Students are encouraged to examine and test their own experience as evidence at the experiential level by observing oneself with equanimity, then see what the results are. The technique involves adherence to a moral code and the observation of breath. To quiet the mind, students are asked to have no contact with the outside world or other students, though may talk to an assistant teacher about questions concerning the technique or student manager for any material problems. Mere observation of breath allows the mind to become naturally concentrated. This concentration prepares one for the main part of the practice -- non-attached observation of the reality of the present moment as it manifests in one's own mind and body. After watching the breath for several days, a practice called Anapana, the course goes on to the Vipassana practice which involves carefully "scanning" the surface of the body with one's attention and observing the sensations with equanimity.

Goenka is a prolific orator, writer and a poet. He writes in English, Hindi and Rajasthani languages. He has traveled widely and lectured to audiences worldwide including at the World Economic Forum, Davos, in the year 2000 and at the “Millennium World Peace Summit” at the United Nations in August, 2000. For four months in 2002, he undertook the Meditation Now Tour of North America.

He believes that theory and practice should go hand-in-hand and accordingly has also established a Vipassana Research Institute to investigate and publish literature on vipassana and its effects.

Goenka has envisioned a magnificent, nearly 100-m tall, Global Pagoda to serve as an inspiration for spreading vipassana meditation around the world. The construction is still in progress.

The Vipassana Meditation Centers that he has helped to establish throughout the world offer 10-day courses that provide a thorough and guided introduction to the practice of Vipassana meditation. These courses are supported by voluntary donations of people who want to contribute for future courses. There are no charges for either the course or for the lodging and boarding during the course, but those who benefit and feel that this ball should keep rolling for the good of others tend to make a donation. For more information on attending such a course, visit http://www.dhamma.org.