(Buddha's Wisdom) GOENKA: The man who removed Buddhism from Buddhism?
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| Do it yourself at home the U Ba Khin way |
The Goenka Method (of U Ba Khin) provides some practical advice for practicing systematic mindfulness (sati) of the body, one of the four crucial elements in the setting up of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthana), a practice necessary for "insight" (vipassana). Is it the only method? No. Is it the most effective method? Who can say, as it varies from individual to individual. Is it an effective method? Without sufficient stillness, calm, samadhi, absorption (jhana), it seems to Wisdom Quarterly that it is not. The claim is that practicing vipassana can produce its own mild forms of "access concentration" without needed full absorption. This will at best be a very weak and sketchy foundation of sila and samma-samadhi, virtue and "right samadhi." Samadhi is crucial and cannot be skipped over with the ideal of "dry insight" being enough for this decadent age.
Who is this Goenka guy?
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| Let go. Stop clinging. Be free right now. |
Born in neighboring Burma to an Indian family, he learned vipassana from Sayagyi U Ba Khin (Int'l Meditation Centre, Rangoon).
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| It's never too early or too late to practice. |
His teachings are secular and therefore stay away from anything that might appear to be rites or rituals and instead emphasize that Buddha's path to liberation, which was non-sectarian, universal, and scientific (rational) in character.
This led to vipassana meditation appealing to people of all religions as well as no religion, theists, nontheists, atheists, and agnostics, from all parts of the world, East and West.
- Vipassana, in the Burmese Theravada Buddhist tradition, is derived from the Abhidhamma (as taught by the Buddha to the monk he declared "foremost in wisdom" Ven. Śāriputra [27, 28]).
- Although some Burmese teachers hold that vipassana and Abhidhamma study are inseparable [29], Goenka invited students to consider the theoretical aspects of these Teachings (pariyatti), advising them that the most important aspect of the technique is its practice (paṭipatti), contrasting mere book learning from experiential learning.
- Students are free to accept the theoretical background or reject any part they find objectionable.
- Goenka reported the words of the Buddha as follows [30]: "Filled with these compassionate and loving thoughts, [the Buddha] proclaimed: Apārutā tesaṃ amatassa dvārā Ye sotavanto pamuñcantu saddhaṃ "Open are the gates of the deathless state to those with ears [to hear] who renounce their lack of [confidence]," that is to say:
- "Open are the gates of Nirvana so that people who hear and practice will be able to overcome all doubt," which is one of the Five Mental Hindrances.
Free 10-day course
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| I thought I'd join a 10-day course, get enlightened, then go get my nails done. Boy, was I wrong. |
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| Four Foundations begin with the body breathing |
- How could it possibly be free? It is non-commercial. The rule is that only "old" students (who have completed at least one course) are allowed to donate. "New" students (who have not yet completed at least one course) are not allowed to donate. Donations are accepted after the completion of a course, which everyone qualifies to donate to at the end of each course, so there's never really a time when centers are open to donations and not accepting them. As soon as they are open to accepting dana (donations, gifts, charity), everyone present who just completed the course can give. Give what? Dāna
Goenka was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the government of India in 2012, an award bestowed for distinguished service of a high order.
- Sign up for free 10-day courses worldwide at dhamma.org
- The Vipassana or Insight Meditation Movement
Meeting Goenka-jii in person
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| The kalyana-mitta S.N. Goenka and his wife |
- Buddha's Wisdom (video); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, CC Liu, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit
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