Chattha Sangayana CD - Vipassana Research Institute
Vipassana Acharya Satya Narayan Goenka

Acharya Satya Narayan Goenka is the Dhamma fountainhead of the world-wide Vipassana movement which has its headquarters at lgatpuri near Bombay in India. Vipassana meditation is the quintessence of the Buddha's teaching. It is a technique of  self observation, an objective observation of mind-body phenomena with a view to achieve purification of mind leading to total eradication of mental defilements. India lost the Vipassana technique about 500 years after the Buddha passed away, but it was maintained in its pristine purity in the neighbouring country of Myanmar.

S.N. Goenka was born and brought up t Mandalay in Myanmar in the year 1924. His forefathers had migrated to Myanmar in the 1 9th century. Born in a conservative Hindu family, his interest was deep in spiritual pursuits and studied Gita, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata and other spiritual literature. He played a key role in several literary, cultural, religious, social and welfare activities- thus becoming a leader of the business community in Myanmar. At an early age in his twenties he also distinguished himself as a pioneer in commerce and industry.

The early success in life led him to an incessant pursuit of wealth, power and prestige and consequent high tensions resulting in crippling migraine headaches. All efforts in finding the cure having failed, S..N. Goenka turned to Late Sayagyi U Ba Khin, a world renowned teacher of Vipassana meditation and took his first Vipassana course in 1955 with Sayagyi at his meditation centre in Yangon, Myanmar.

In Vipassana S.N. Goenka found an invaluable jewel, the jewel of Dhamma which opened the window of wisdom, dispelling the darkness of ignorance. He found a scientific method, a practical technique, which could eradicate all sufferings and miseries that man is subject to. Fascinated by this universal remedy dispensed by the Enlightened One, Goenka continued to practice (paµipatti) and study the texts (pariyatti) for the next 14 years under the guidance of Sayaggyi.

Sayagyi deeply felt that Myanmar owed a debt to India, having received this precious Dhamma gem. Now that India had lost the technique, Sayagyi cherished the desire that Vipassana should go back to the country of its origin. In S.N Goenka Sayagyi found the Dhamma-D³ta and appointed him an authorised teacher of Vipassana in 1969. In June 1969 S.N. Goenka left Myanmar for India and devoted the rest of his life to serve the Buddha S±sana.

The technique being simple, non-sectarian and result oriented, people from all walks of life, high and low, rich and poor, from different religions,sects and beliefs and their leaders are participating in these Vipassana courses and getting benefited. Vipassana International Academy, the principal centre of Vipassana was established in 1976 at lgatpuri near Bombay in India. Thereafter many more centres were established.

Thirty centres in India and around the world including one at the T1har Jail in Delhi offer regular courses throughout the year, and 20 more centres are under various stages of construction. Camp-site courses also continue to grow. At present every year about fifty thousand people in India and around the world participate in these courses and take advantage of the technique. The figure keeps increasing from year to year. Over four hundred assistant teachers have been trained to, help in this Dhamma mission who give their services selflessly and without remuneration. There are no charges for the courses, the expenses being met with voluntary donations from grateful students.,

Education is key to development. Anapana courses are organised for children of age groups 8

11 and 12-15 . Many, educational  institutions have introduced these courses with wonderful results leading to concentration, discipline and better behaviour.

Besides getting relieved from various psychosomatic diseases Vipassana meditators come out of addictions of tobacco, alcohol, drugs etc.

S.N. Goenka's clear exposition of true teaching of the Buddha has set in motion the Wheel of Dhamma which has once again started rotating in its country of origin dispelling the all pervasive darkness of ignorance. As the movement of Vipassana grew, he felt the need for scientific research and study about the resources of Vipassana and its impact on different fields of human development.

Vipassana Research Institute has been established at lgatpuri. It has taken up the monumental task of publishing the entire Pc1Ii Tipiµaka with it's aµµhakath±s, µik±s and anuµik±s in Devanagari script, and subsequently their translation in Hindi and regional languages of India. Those volumes which are not available in Roman script will also be published in this script. A multilingual CD-ROM with easy viewing and search facilities has also been produced.

Deeply loved and respected, S.N. Goenka is affectionately called 'Guruji' by his students. But he shuns all ostentation and is critical of blind faith. He exhorts his students to actually experience the benefits of following Dhammic path and encourages freedom, of -thought and expression.

In deep appreciation of his Herculean efforts and profound contribution to the spread of Dhamma several organisations and institutes of high repute have accorded him honours and titles:

Decorated by the Government of Burma with the title of WUNNA KYAW Htin(Wanna Kttti).

Honoured by the Nava Nalanda Mahavirg Paii Institute (Bhagalpur University) with the honorary degree of D.Litt. and title of "VIJA VARIDHI".

Blessed by the All India Bhikkhu Sangha with the title of "DHARMA MURTI" (Dhamma Mutti)

Blessed by the Karen Pariyatti Monastery, Rangoon, with the title of "ABHINAVA SIRI DHAMMA AS0KA".

Honoured with the blessings of Agga Maha Pandita Bhadanta Jotipala of the State Centre Executive of the Sangha in Myanmar and the head of the Kya Khut Waing monastery of Bagu, by the titles:

WORLD DISPENSER OF THE SASANA (VISHWA GURU) DHAMMA MAGGUDESSAKA, and MAHA UP¾SAKA

Honoured by the Government of the Union of Myanmar by conferring the title of "MAHA SADDHAMMA JOTI DHAJA.

Honoured by the title VIPASSANAGAMA CHAKKAVATTI" by the Mahabodhi Society of India.

Although he has been deeply reluctant, he has accepted these awards with gratitude for the love and respect shown to him and continues with his primary goal of teaching Vipassgria and spreading the true words of the Enlightened one to the suffering humanity around the world.

Vipassana Research Institute

Dhammagiri lgatpuri 422 403 India