S. N. Goenka (1924-2013)
The ultimate Vipassana teacher
“It is a basic human need that everyone wants to live a happy life. For this, one has to experience real happiness. The so-called happiness that one experiences by having money, power, and indulging in sensual pleasures is not real happiness. It is very fragile, unstable and fleeting. For real happiness, for lasting stable happiness, one has to make a journey deep within oneself and get rid of all the unhappiness stored in the deeper levels of the mind. As long as there is misery at the depth of the mind all attempts to feel happy at the surface level of the mind prove futile.” - S.N. Goenka
Padma Bhushan Satya Narayana Goenka was the person behind the global resurgence of Vipassana meditation, a technique rooted in the teachings of the Buddha but presented by Goenka as a universal, non-sectarian path to self-transformation. Born in Burma (now Myanmar) to a conservative Indian Marwari family, S.N. Goenka was a successful businessman before incapacitating migraines led him to Vipassana teacher Sayagyi U Ba Khin, who not only helped him with this technique, but also taught him for 14 years. Sri Goenka discovered that it was not just a remedy for physical ailments but an efficient tool for mental purification.
In 1969, authorized to teach, Goenka left his business behind and relocated to India, the birthplace of Vipassana. From there, he began offering 10-day Vipassana retreats, which soon spread across the world and is still available globally. By 1988, his courses had thousands of participants, including notable names of Western philosophers and thinkers like Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg. Even today in 2024, his legacy lives on by helping people around the world with over 240 permanent Vipassana centers in almost 100 countries.
Credits: Vipassana Meditation (Know more about the Vipassana meditation and the great contribution of Shri S.N. Goenka to review and spread this knowledge in India and the world.
Sri Goenka’s teachings focused on the principle of Dhamma, the universal law of nature, urging students to observe their mind and body with equanimity. He often highlighted the scientific nature of Vipassana, asserting that it was an empirical practice free from dogma and accessible to people of all faiths or none. His vision was not only to spread meditation but to create spaces for inner peace for everyone in the modern world’s chaos—this also was realized by the construction of the Global Vipassana Pagoda in Mumbai, a monumental symbol of unity and spiritual harmony.
Sri S.N. Goenka’s message is clear: freedom from suffering is possible, and the journey to inner peace begins with the observation of one’s own mind.
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