Throughout his career as a teacher, Goenka emphasised the important place Vipassana had in the teachings of Buddha, calling it the gateway to Dhamma, or virtue. His opinions and convictions were also at odds with the proclaimed Buddhists of the age, as he was against the practice of rites and rituals that he thought were unnecessary in religious life. Neither did he consider Buddha a god, but an enlightened superhuman who grasped the nature of the universe and of the human. Similarly, he rejected idolatry and glorification of the teacher as a supreme being, and considered the subject of his teaching and its faithful, continued practice as serving the right end.
The Vipassana practice itself is based on the idea of carefully scanning the surface of the body with one's attention and observing the sensations with equanimity, becoming progressively more aware of their ever-changing nature. To investigate and advance the technique, Goenka founded the Vipassana Research Institute at Igatpuri. This organisation conducts research and has a regular publication record.
Goenka never charged a dime for the course, a policy, he reasoned, aimed at spreading knowledge and its benefits to all not making it a commodity that could be paid for and afforded only by those who have the money. He also remained certain that his path was but one of many to truth, and therefore, worked to eradicate sectarian divisions based on fragile ideological differences.
Full article: http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/who-was-vipassana-guru-s-n-goenka/1177878/0
More info: http://www.dhamma.org/
