Much of what passes as Buddhism in the West today is little more than commercialized pop psychology. In contrast, Goenka, a successful Indian businessman and a student of the Burmese teacher Sayagyi U Ba Khin, established a global network committed to serious meditation, strict moral discipline and free of charge to all comers. Drawn from the Theravada Buddhist tradition, Goenka’s teaching provides an entirely secular and non-sectarian approach to human liberation. Despite the rigorous schedule, the demand for his 10-day silent retreats and the longer advanced courses continues to increase. Under S.N. Goenka’s auspices, the Vipassana Association has established nearly two hundred meditation centers, and more are being planned, including one in the mid-Atlantic United States. Goenkaji also established the Vipassana Research Center in India to advance the study of Buddhist philosophy and Pali, the language of the Buddhist texts. However, like the Buddha, he approached liberation primarily through bhavana or meditation rather than intellectual study.
S.N. Goenka passed away on 29 September 2013 at the age of 89. May he attain the peace of Nibbana.
‘Whatever is subject to origination all that is subject to cessation’- The Buddha
Full article:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/asoka-bandarage/the-great-meditation-teac_b_4027077.html
More info:
http://www.dhamma.org/
