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Vipassana Research Institute
Vol.18 No.1 January 22, 2008
Vipassana Research Institute
Words of Dhamma
Yo ca dhammamabhiññāya,
dhammamaññāya paṇḍito;
rahadova nivāte ca,
anejo vūpasammati.
Thoroughly understanding the Dhamma,
and freed from longing through insight,
the wise one rid of all desire,
is calm as a pool unstirred by wind.
Itivuttaka 3.92
The Factors of Enlightenment (Bojjhaṅgas)
The following has been adapted from Goenkaji’s discourse during the Satipaṭṭhāna course.)
There are seven bojjhaṅgas (factors of enlightenment) that have to be developed to reach the final goal of full liberation. They are:
1. sati (awareness);
2. dhamma-vicaya (investigation of Dhamma);
3. viriya (effort);
4. pīti (rapture);
5. passaddhi (tranquillity);
6. samādhi (concentration, absorption) and
7. upekkhā (equanimity).
The first bojjhaṅga is sati, awareness. Without it, further steps on the path cannot be taken. Sati, the objective observation of reality, is the most important factor because it must be continuously present from moment to moment with every other factor.
Dhamma-vicaya is the second bojjhaṅga. The word caya or cayana means “to integrate.” Apparent, consolidated, integrated, illusionary truth creates delusion and confusion resulting in wrong decisions and actions. Vicaya or vicayana means to divide, dissect, disintegrate, separate, which is what Vipassana intends you to do. Initially dhamma-vicaya is intellectual. The body is analyzed as just four elements, with no “I” about it. The mind is just the four aggregates. One observes the six sense doors, their respective objects, the contact of the two and the process of multiplication. The intellectual clarity gained by this process gives guidance to start the actual practice of Vipassana and study the truth at the actual level. To become a factor of enlightenment, dhamma-vicaya must become an experiential investigation—direct experience of the phenomenon of arising and passing away at the level of sensation.
The third bojjhaṅga is viriya (effort) as in sammā-vāyāmo in the Noble Eightfold Path. Great effort is required, but the effort is not to react, to let things just happen. Even if you have been victorious in a thousand battles against a thousand warriors, this inner battle of non-reaction is more difficult because the old habit is to do something, to react. Some pressure is necessary to drill a hole in a precious gem, but too much pressure will break it. It is a middle path.
As you keep practising with sati, dhamma-vicaya, and viriya, the impurities go away, and you experience the fourth bojjhaṅga, pīti: rapture. You have to be careful. If you develop attachment to this free flow of pleasant vibrations throughout the body, if you look for it and cling to it, it is no longer a bojjhaṅga. If the understanding of anicca remains—that this is still the field of mind and matter, of arising and passing—then pīti becomes a factor of enlightenment.
After this, the meditator experiences passaddhi: a state of deep tranquility and calmness. The mind becomes extremely peaceful, quiet, and tranquil. Again the meditator may have the false impression that this deep peace, never experienced before, is liberation. Just as pīti, can become a bondage if not used properly, in the same way, passaddhi can also become a bondage. You understand that it is only a midway rest-house: the final goal is still far away. You can check that the six sense doors are still functioning: open your eyes, or listen. You are still in the field of arising and passing. You have not transcended the field of mind and matter.
Thoroughly examine this passaddhi, this deep, tranquil, calm experience. Although difficult to grasp, a subtle oscillation remains, and this sensation is called adukkhaṃasukhaṃ (neither pleasant nor unpleasant). In pīti, the experience was pleasant; now it is just peaceful, and the danger is that anicca is not experienced. Detachment from craving towards pleasant sensation or aversion towards unpleasant sensation is much easier than detachment from this feeling of peace. You must be very attentive, with a very sharp mind, feel the subtle oscillation, check the six sense doors, and keep understanding that this experience is anicca. If you are aware of the very subtle oscillation, arising and passing, then it becomes a bojjhaṅga and gives you the strength to move further. Your experience grows.
There is often a question about adukkhaṃasukhaṃ or neutral sensations. The Buddha did not mean the initial, surface sensations which are neither pleasant nor unpleasant. That is totally different and causes craving and aversion because people get bored with it, lose interest, and want something else. Their experience has become stale. They want something more or new, something they don’t have. This is their old habit pattern.
The next enlightenment factor is samādhi—concentration or absorption. Sammā-samādhi takes us beyond all the planes of existence and results in full liberation from the bondage of birth and death, and from every type of suffering. It is practised with sampajañña, the awareness of the mind-matter phenomenon and the realization of its nature of arising and passing. With the practice of sammā-samādhi (with sampajañña), one after the other, the meditator attains the fruit of sotāpanna, sakadāgāmī, anāgāmī, and arahant. Thus, samādhi becomes an enlightenment factor.
Upekkhā—equanimity is the seventh factor of enlightenment. Like sati, it must be present from the beginning to the end, at every step. Whichever other factor is being developed, awareness and equanimity must always be present.
When the bojjhaṅgas are practiced properly, they increase and become perfect and when each is perfect, enlightenment is perfect. This is the whole process of Vipassana.
Goenkaji’s Discourses on Television
Aastha: Daily, 9:40 to 10 am.
Hungama: Daily, 4.30 to 6.00 am.
Bindass: Daily, 4.30 to 6.00 am.
Zee: Urja, daily, 4:30 am.
USA: Aastha TV at 6 pm EST (Monday to Friday) on WORLDDIRECT platform of DIRECTV on channel no. 2005. (Please confirm exact telecast timings.)
Benazir Bhutto and Vipassana
by Dr. Roop Jyoti, Kathmandu
In the summer of 1994, I got a call from the Home Ministry in Kathmandu. Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was on an official visit to Nepal, wanted to visit Dharmashringa Vipassana Center in Kathmandu.
Arrangements were made to show her around and explain the Vipassana meditation technique in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin as taught by S. N. Goenka. Unfortunately, the visit was cancelled.
Two years later, the Foreign Ministry contacted us again. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was going to Pakistan and there was a specific request from Benazir Bhutto to bring along a Vipassana teacher.
Our Principal Teacher, Acharya Goenkaji asked me and Nani Maiya Manandhar, both senior teachers, to go with the delegation. Benazir Bhutto was busy with the state visit and sent word that she would meet us as soon as she was free. On the last day of the state visit, the Nepali delegates were returning to Karachi in the afternoon to fly back to Kathmandu. Nani Maiyaji and I were finally summoned at 3pm, after the rest of the delegation had flown off.
Benazir Bhutto had heard much about Vipassana and wanted to learn the technique there and then. We told her it required a ten-day retreat. She did not have such time, and insisted to be taught right away. Acharya Goenkaji had foreseen such a response and had given permission to teach her the Anapana technique. So, Nani Maiyaji taught her Anapana. Benazir Bhutto started practising right away and found it very calming. She said that she had not slept for days and after the session of Anapana, she wanted to take a nap because she felt so tranquil.
We waited while she had a restful sleep. After a few hours, she emerged looking refreshed and happy. We explained to her the salient aspects of Vipassana: a means out of human suffering and misery; not a ritual of an organized religion but an art of living. Vipassana involves no conversion from one religion to another and is open to all without any barrier of caste, creed or gender. The technique helps people control unruly minds and cleanse them of impurities like fear, anger, hatred, ill will, animosity, greed, passion and restlessness. Vipassana teaches how to diminish the ego and to find truth about oneself and to achieve inner peace.
We talked a bit more about Vipassana and where she could possibly sit through a full ten-day course. We also gave her books, tapes and videos. By this time, it was late in the evening and the last flight from Islamabad to Karachi was about to leave. We rushed to the airport. Upon the prime minister’s order, two seats had been kept for us and the plane took off as soon as we boarded it. When we landed at Karachi that night, we learnt that there had been a military coup and Benazir Bhutto had been deposed. We were the last visitors she met as prime minister.
Last week, as news of her assassination came in, I was filled with sadness, but took solace in the fact that she had learned Anapana, an important part of the Vipassana technique. May she be happy and peaceful in her heavenly abode.
One-Day Course at Global Pagoda
One-day courses are being organized at the Global Pagoda every Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. Health permitting, Goenkaji will be present during the one-day course on the third Sunday of every month, which will be conducted in the main meditation hall of the Global Pagoda. (One-day Vipassana courses are only for those who have completed a ten-day Vipassana course.) Registration for these courses is compulsory.
Meditators are requested to switch off their mobile phones and observe noble silence during the course.
Lunch will be served to the course participants in addition to tea and biscuits at 10 am and in the evening.
Please bring your own water bottles. However you can refill their bottles at the Global Pagoda.
There are no facilities for overnight stay at the Global Pagoda.
For registration, contact: Mr. Derek Pegado, Tel: (022) 2845-1206; 2845-1204, 2845-2261 (from Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm). Email: globalpagoda@hotmail.com
Website: www.globalpagoda.org
10-day courses: 27-2 to 9-3, 12 to 23-3. Please send application to VIA, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri 422 403. Email: info@giri.dhamma.org
Donations Through Core Banking and SWIFT Transfer
Donations to Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust (Vipassana International Academy, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri) and Vipassana Research Institute can now be remitted from anywhere in India through any branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) under core banking system.
Account Numbers of State Bank of India, Igatpuri branch are:
1 Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust: 11542160342
2 Vipassana Research Institute: 11542165646.
(Igatpuri Branch Code Number: 0386)
Donations from outside India can be remitted through SWIFT transfer to State Bank of India, Igatpuri Branch, Maharashtra, India. SWIFT Transfer details are as follows:
1. Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial trust: SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust Account No. 11542160342 Igatpuri branch code: 0386
2. Vipassana Research Institute (VRI): SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Vipassana Research Institute Account No. 11542165646 Igatpuri branch code: 0386
Vipassana in Zimbabwe
The first ten-day Vipassana course in Zimbabwe was conducted in August 2001. Since then, six courses have been conducted there and about 15-20 students take part in each course. The last five courses have all been held at the premises of Kufunda Learning Village near Harare. The average expenses for each course is about US$600 including AT’s airfare of about US$350.
In addition, translation of Vipassana outreach material and the children’s course transcripts into Shona is in progress. Recording of the children’s course teaching material is scheduled to take place at Dhamma Pataka, the Vipassana centre in South Africa, in April 2008 and the first children’s course in Shona is likely to be held in August 2008. The next course will be conducted in August 2008. For registration and other details, contact: Marianne Knuth, Phone: +26-30-1121-0023 ; Email: marianne@kufunda.org
AT Training Workshops in 2008
The following workshops have been organized in India in 2008.
21 to 24 February: Dhamma Nāga (Nagpur)
20 to 23 March: Logicstat Farms (Delhi)
1 to 4 May: Dhamma Tapovana (Workshop for conducting Teenagers’ courses)
12 to 15 July: Dhamma Lakkhaṇa (Lucknow)
27 to 30 August: Dhamma Khetta (Hyderabad)
2 to 5 October: Dhamma Sindhu (Bada)
These workshops are for all newly appointed and trainee Vipassana assistant teachers. Vipassana teachers, SATs and ATs are also welcome to attend. Please contact the respective Vipassana centres for registration and register well in advance.
Vipassana Websites
Vipassana introduction: www.dhamma.org
Contains information about Course Schedules of Vipassana centres worldwide, Code of Discipline, Application Form for ten-day courses, etc.
Dhamma Giri: www.vri.dhamma.org
Contains information about Indian Vipassana centres and Schedule of Courses, VRI Newsletters, research papers, publications, etc.
Pali Tipiṭaka Website: www.tipitaka.org
Contains the Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana Tipiṭaka along with commentaries, subcommentaries and related Pali texts. in Roman, Devanagari, Cyrillic, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Myanmar, and Sinhala scripts. More scripts will be added in future.
Sale of Vipassana Books, Cassettes, CDs And DVDs
1.Mr. Dipchand Shah, B-35 Dalas Bldg, Gyanmandir Road, Dadar (W) Mumbai 28. Tel: (022) 2422-8134
2.Vipassana Information Centre, Mrs. Smita Kamdar, 7C, Suresh Colony, S. V. Road, Near Nanavati Hospital, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai 56. Tel: (022) 5581-2672, 3092-8266.
3.Mrs. Amita Parikh, E-1 Asmit, Opp. National Decorators, Bajaj Road, Near Rly. Station, Vile Parle (W) Mumbai 56. Tel: 2612-2226, 2611-8258 (2:30 to 5 p.m.)
4.Vipassana for Better Education office, Lord Harris Municipal Marathi School, L. Tilak Marg, Dhobi Talao, Near G. T. Hospital, Mumbai-400-001 (Monday to Friday, 2 to 7 p.m.). Contact: Sunil Ghadge, Tel: (022) 2270-3601.
5.Mr. S. Bhalerao, Dadasaheb Gaikwad Hall, Andheri (W), Mumbai. Tel: (022) 24163288
6.Mrs. Sujata R. Khanna, Prasad Shopping Centre, Room No. 3, First floor, Opp. Railway Station, Goregaon (W), Mumbai 62. Mon. to Fri, 3 to 8 pm; Mobile: 93204-92269.
7.Ratansagar Books, Mr. Suhas Kamble, 125/1A, Raj Society, Kothrud, Pune-38. Tel: (020) 2541-0796.
8.Mr. Rathi, Shivkrishna Medical Store, Agra Road, Igatpuri. Tel. (02553) 244-036.
9.Arti General Store, Igatpuri 422403, Tel: (02553) 244-790.
Children’s Courses in Mumbai
To serve children’s courses in Mumbai, call 98200-22990.
Date
Venue
Age
Registration
3-2
South Mumbai
10-12 yrs
1 & 2-2
10-2
Matunga
13-16 yrs
8 & 9-2
17 -2
Ghatkopar
10-12 yrs
15 & 16-2
2-3
South Mumbai
13-16 yrs
28-2 & 1-3
16-3
Ulhasnagar
10-12 yrs
15 & 16-3
23-3
Ghatkopar
13-16 yrs
22 & 23-3
6-4
South Mumbai
10-12 yrs
4 & 5-4
13-4
Ulhasnagar
13-16 yrs
10 & 11-4
Course Timing: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Registration: 11 am to 1 pm
Course Venues: Andheri (W): Dada Saheb Gaikwad Sansthan, Babasaheb Ambedkar Marg, RTO Corner, Four Bungalows. Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. Ghatkopar (W): SNDT School, New Building, Cama Lane, Opp Vidyut Society. Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. Matunga: Amulakh Amirchand High School, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, New SNDT College, King’s Circle, Matunga (CR), Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. South Mumbai: Tel: 2308-1622. Ulhasnagar: Guru Nanak High School, Kurla Camp, Ulhasnagar-4. Tel: (0251) 252-2693. NB Please: *bring cushion, *register on the specified phone numbers, *inform in advance if unable to attend after registration, *arrive on time for the course.
New Responsibilities
Ācaryas:
Mr. Arun Suryavanshi, Nashik
To serve Dhamma Sarovara
Senior Assistant Teachers:
1. Mrs. C. Sujatha, Secunderabad
2. Mr. Sudesh Leal, Igatpuri / UK
3. Ms. Robin Russ, USA
New Appointments
Assistant Teachers:
Ms. Frances Barnes, UK
Children’s Course Teachers:
1. Mrs. Jung Jung IM (Madhury), Dharamshala
2. Mr. Buoy Kuon, Cambodia
3. Ms. Dawn Branam, USA
Dhamma Service at Dhamma Giri (House Keeping)
Meditators with professional training in House Keeping who wish to serve at Dhamma Giri by training the House Keeping servers, especially those serving student accommodations, may please contact Male course office, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri 422 403, Email: info@giri.dhamma.org. Please provide details of your training and experience.
Dhamma Dohas
Jāgo logo jagata ke, bītī kālī rāta;
Huā ujālā Dharama kā, maṅgala huā prabhāta.
People of the world, awake! The dark night is over.
The light has come of Dhamma,
the dawn of happiness.
Āo prāṇī viśva ke, suno Dharama kā gyāna;
Isameṅ sukha hai śānti hai, mukti, mokṣa, niravāṇa.
Come, beings of the universe!
Listen to the wisdom of the Dhamma.
In this lies happiness and peace,
liberation, deliverance, nibbāna.
Yaha to vāṇī Dharama kī, bodhi gyāna kī jyota;
Akṣara akṣara meṅ bharā, maṅgala otaparota.
These are the words of Dhamma, the flame of enlightenment-wisdom,
each syllable of them filled and permeated with happiness.
Mīṭhī vāṇī Dharama kī, misarī ke se bola;
Kalyāṇī maṅgalamayī, bharā amṛtarasa ghola.
Sweet are the words of Dhamma, each phrase like crystallized sugar,
yielding welfare and happiness, suffused with the taste of the deathless.
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Vipassana Research Institute
Vol.18 No.2 February 21, 2008
Vipassana Research Institute
Words of Dhamma
Atītaṃ nānusocanti,
nappajappanti nāgataṃ;
paccuppannena yāpenti,
tena vaṇṇo pasīdati.
They do not lament over the past,
they yearn not for what is to come,
they maintain themselves in the present,
thus their complexion is serene.
Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.10
Gain the Strength of Dhamma - by S. N. Goenka
(The following is a condensed and edited version of a discourse given by Goenkaji on the concluding day of the Satipaṭṭhāna course.)
When you join a Satipaṭṭhāna course, the technique remains the same. You have been participating in a number of courses, practising the same technique: observing eight precepts, developing your samādhiṃ,
bahujana-hitāya, bahujana-sukhāya,
lokānukampāya…
Go forth, O bhikkhus,
for the good of many, for the happiness of many,
out of compassion for the world…
The purity of the tradition was maintained from generation to generation. After five centuries it was lost in the country of its origin, though other countries maintained it for a longer time. Fortunately the neighbouring country of Myanmar maintained it for twenty five centuries. This is why you have it now. So a feeling of gratitude naturally arises.
Some students come and express their feeling of gratitude towards their guide. But the only way to express one’s gratitude is to get established in Dhamma, to get ripened in Dhamma. There cannot be a better way to express the feeling of gratitude. A father or a mother becomes happy and proud if their child surpasses them. In the same way, your Dhamma guide feels happy and satisfied when he finds: “These people who have taken Dhamma from me are developing so well. May they surpass my ability!”
So get established in Dhamma. It will be so good for you and good for so many others. Many others will take inspiration from your life. The revival of Dhamma has just started. You are fortunate to be born in a period when the Dhamma has arisen again, and is spreading around the world. May you become an instrument for the spread of Dhamma, for the good of so many, for your own good and also for the good of so many!
You are fortunate to get a human life. You have come in contact with Dhamma and have started practising Dhamma. All these factors are very fortunate. Now grow in Dhamma, glow in Dhamma, get ripened in Dhamma so that more and more people get inspiration and start walking on the path of Dhamma; more and more people come out of their misery and enjoy real peace, real harmony, real happiness.
May all of you grow in Dhamma, may all of you glow in Dhamma. May all of you live a Dhamma life, good for you and good for others; beneficial for you and beneficial for others. with the awareness of respiration, and then developing your paññā with the awareness of the sensations and equanimity with the sensations—that means equanimity at the deepest level of the mind. This is what you had been practising in all your courses and this is what you have practised now.
The only difference—and a very important difference—is that in this course you are working with the direct words of the Buddha. You were able to listen to those words and to understand those words at the intellectual level—and also at the actual level because you were practising. One gets more inspiration, one gets more confidence, and one works more diligently, more seriously.
This is the advantage of coming to a course like this: The essence of Dhamma becomes clear.
The more one practises, understanding the teaching properly at the intellectual level and at the level of paññā, wisdom—the clearer the essence of Dhamma becomes. There is no confusion about it. One starts giving importance to the essence of Dhamma and starts applying it in life.
Merely coming to a course doesn’t help if you don’t apply it in your life. It is applied Dhamma which gives all the fruits, all the benefits. Coming to a course is certainly not an escape from the responsibilities of life. One goes to a hospital to regain one’s health. One does not stay in the hospital all the time. Similarly, one does not come to a Vipassana centre to escape from the responsibilities of life.
Gain strength, and then make use of this strength to face all the vicissitudes of life. The vast majority of you are family men, family women, having responsibilities of the family, and of the society. Dhamma will give you the strength to face these responsibilities and to live ideal lives.
Anyone who comes and practises Dhamma has a dual responsibility. One responsibility, of course, is to liberate oneself from all the miseries and to start living a very happy, harmonious, peaceful life.
Another big responsibility is to live the kind of life that will become an example to others. Of course you cannot please everyone else but you have to be careful that you do not harm anyone. You don’t do anything which will hurt others and you start living a life which gives inspiration to others.
If people see a Vipassana meditator living a life full of misery and tension, they will hesitate to come to a Vipassana course: “Look, this is a product of Vipassana meditation. If I am also going to become like this, what is the use of my spending ten days at a course?” You become a barrier for others to take Dhamma.
On the other hand, if someone sees a person’s life changed for the better, if they see this person is now living a better life, facing various situations calmly, they will feel: “Wonderful. This person is developing such good qualities.” They will be inspired to take a course.
When someone comes to a course, the first to benefit are the members of his family. When one person comes to a Vipassana course, practises properly, and changes for the better, then the members of his family see this change and start coming to courses. Once they start practising Vipassana, there is a great improvement in the family.
Whenever there is misunderstanding or ill will among members of a family, if they sit together for Vipassana, one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening, followed by a few minutes of mettā-bhāvanā, they get up smiling. The entire atmosphere of the family changes. The tension is gone and cordiality prevails. The family becomes an ideal family.
When one family becomes an ideal family—happy, peaceful, and harmonious—this attracts the members of other families. They start coming to Dhamma. One family after another practises Dhamma, until the whole community starts enjoying peace and harmony. Gradually, the whole nation will start experiencing peace and harmony. Eventually, the whole world will start experiencing peace and harmony. It all starts with the individual.
So every individual who comes to a Vipassana course has a great responsibility, a dual responsibility: “My life must change now, not only for my good, but for the good of so many.” After twenty-five centuries, Dhamma has arisen once again. One feels, “I’m so fortunate that I have come in contact with Dhamma. Otherwise, in the name of Dhamma, I would have been involved in rites, rituals, philosophical beliefs and dogmas—in different sectarian entanglements. Now I have received the universal Dhamma. I am so fortunate. And the time has ripened for Dhamma to spread throughout the world. What can I do? How can I help?”
One may give service, contributions, assistance in different ways. But the best help is to be an example, a good example of Dhamma. This will generate inspiration in people’s minds so that they will also walk on the path of Dhamma: “Look this person has started living such a peaceful, harmonious, and wonderful life. Why not I?” This is the biggest service.
As this course comes to an end, the students have been purifying the mind and dissolving the ego. They start developing two rare qualities. One quality is: “How can I help others without expecting anything in return? How can I be helpful so that more and more people come on the path and come out of their misery?” One’s only satisfaction is to see others happy, peaceful, harmonious, without any expectation in return.
The second quality is a feeling of gratitude. One feels gratitude towards Gotama the Buddha. After his enlightenment, he did not just liberate himself—he started distributing it to others with infinite love and compassion. And he trained others:
Caratha bhikkhave cārika
Goenkaji’s Discourses on Television
Aastha: Daily, 9:40 to 10 am.
Hungama: Daily, 4.30 to 6.00 am.
Bindass: Daily, 4.30 to 6.00 am.
Zee: Urja, daily, 4:30 am.
USA: Aastha TV at 6 pm EST (Monday to Friday) on WORLDDIRECT platform of DIRECTV on channel no. 2005. (Please confirm exact telecast timings.)
Children’s courses in BMC schools
The Vipassana organization was invited this year by the Muncipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (BMC) to conduct Anapana courses for school children in BMC schools. The initial phase of the project in November and December 2007 covered about 6500 students mostly those appearing for the S.S.C. examination in 2008.
Now, in the current phase, about 10000 students of IX class will be taught Anapana. The courses are being held twice a day at about 48 BMC schools all over Mumbai. Goenkaji was pleased to know that the new generation will get the seed of Dhamma at such a young age and has given his blessings for this mammoth task.
Dhamma servers are required for these courses. Meditators who have completed three ten-day courses and are under the age of 50 are welcome to serve in these courses. They must have the aptitude and a desire to work with children. Training will be provided for the same. Knowledge of Hindi or Marathi is essential. The timings for these courses are 7 am to 12.30 pm for the morning courses and 12.30 pm to 6 pm for the afternoon courses. The schedule of courses is available online at www.vri.dhamma.org/anapana/bmc.html. Contact: Aditya Sejpal, 98200-22990 or Ramnath Shenoy, 98203-74006; Email: childrencourse@vsnl.com
Dhamma Vipula, Navi Mumbai Vipassana Centre
All formalities of procurement and registration of land have been completed. Boundary (stones) work has also been completed. The necessary water and power connections are available at the site. The Municipality has approved the architectural plans and construction work is in progress. Presently monthly expenses are about Rs. 30 lakhs.
Those who wish to participate in this project may contact: Mr. Sudhakar Funde, Sayagi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust, Dhamma Vipula, Plot No. 91, 26 Parsik Hill, CBD-Belapur, Navi Mumbai 400 614. Mobile: 98674-92717.
Dhamma Pokhara, Pushkar Vipassana Centre
The first ten-day course at Dhamma Pokhara in Rajasthan will be conducted from 23 March to 3 April 2008. The centre is about 23 kms from Ajmer and about 9 kms from Pushkar towards Parbatsar. A meditation hall seating 120 people and accommodation for about 28 meditators have been built. Residences of Dhamma servers and assistant teachers have also been built.
For registration, contact: 1. Mr. Ravi Toshniwal, Pushp Vatika, Gokhale Marg, Ajmer 305 001. Mobile: 98290-71778; E-mail: info@toshcon.com 2. Mr. Anil Dhariwal, Mobile: 98290-28275
Courses at Global Pagoda
Ten-day courses at Dhamma Pattana, Global Pagoda will be conducted from 27 February to 9 March and 12 to 23 March. These courses are only for old students. Goenkaji may be present during these courses. Please send applications, (marked Dhamma Pattana, Global Pagoda course) to VIA, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri 422 403, Email: info@giri.dhamma.org
One-day courses are being organized at the Global Pagoda every Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. Health permitting, Goenkaji will be present during the one-day course on the third Sunday of every month, which will be conducted in the main meditation hall of the Global Pagoda. (One-day Vipassana courses are only for those who have completed a ten-day Vipassana course.)
Lunch will be served to the course participants in addition to tea and biscuits at 10 am and in the evening.
Meditators are requested to bring their own water bottles. However they can refill their bottles at the Global Pagoda. They should switch off their mobile phones and observe noble silence during the course.
NB There is no facility available at present for overnight stay of one-day course students at the Global Pagoda.
Registration for these one-day courses is compulsory.
For registration, contact: Mr. Derek Pegado,
Tel: (022) 2845-1206; 2845-1204, 2845-2261 (from Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm). Email: globalpagoda@hotmail.com
Website: www.globalpagoda.org
Donations through Core Banking and SWIFT Transfer
Donations to Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust (Vipassana International Academy, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri) and Vipassana Research Institute can now be remitted from anywhere in India through any branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) under core banking system.
Account Numbers of State Bank of India, Igatpuri branch are:
1 Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust: 11542160342
2 Vipassana Research Institute: 11542165646.
(Igatpuri Branch Code Number: 0386)
Donations from outside India can be remitted through SWIFT transfer to State Bank of India, Igatpuri Branch, Maharashtra, India. SWIFT Transfer details are as follows:
1. Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial trust: SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust Account No. 11542160342 Igatpuri branch code: 0386
2. Vipassana Research Institute (VRI): SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Vipassana Research Institute Account No. 11542165646 Igatpuri branch code: 0386
Please inform Accounts Department, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri 422 403, Email: info@giri.dhamma.org about your donation with all relevant details so that the receipt of your donation can be sent to you.
Vipassana Websites
Vipassana introduction: ṭaka Website:www.tipitaka.org
Contains the Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana Tipiṭaka along with commentaries, subcommentaries and related Pali texts. in Roman, Devanagari, Cyrillic, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Myanmar, and Sinhala scripts. More scripts will be added in future.www.dhamma.org
Contains information about Course Schedules of Vipassana centres worldwide, Code of Discipline, Application Form for ten-day courses, etc.
Dhamma Giri: www.vri.dhamma.org
Contains information about Indian Vipassana centres and Schedule of Courses, VRI Newsletters, research papers, publications, etc.
Pali Tipi
Special Leave for Railway Officers
The Ministry of Railways (Railway Board), Government of India has issued notification No. (TRG) 2005 (11)/93 dated 20 November 2007 to all General Managers of Indian Railways and Production Units to nominate willing officers to attend the training program at the Vipassana Institute or centres. The notice states that the period of the course may be treated as special casual leave.
Children’s Courses in Mumbai
To serve children’s courses in Mumbai, call 98200-22990.
Date
Venue
Age
Registration
2-3
South Mumbai
13-16 yrs
28-2 & 1-3
16-3
Ulhasnagar
10-12 yrs
15 & 16-3
23-3
Ghatkopar
13-16 yrs
22 & 23-3
6-4
South Mumbai
10-12 yrs
4 & 5-4
13-4
Ulhasnagar
13-16 yrs
10 & 11-4
Course Timing: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Registration: 11 am to 1 pm
Course Venues: Andheri (W): Dada Saheb Gaikwad Sansthan, Babasaheb Ambedkar Marg, RTO Corner, Four Bungalows. Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. Ghatkopar (W): SNDT School, New Building, Cama Lane, Opp Vidyut Society. Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. Matunga: Amulakh Amirchand High School, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, New SNDT College, King’s Circle, Matunga (CR), Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. South Mumbai: Tel: 2308-1622. Ulhasnagar: Guru Nanak High School, Kurla Camp, Ulhasnagar-4. Tel: (0251) 252-2693. NB Please: *bring cushion, *register on the specified phone numbers, *inform in advance if unable to attend after registration, *arrive on time for the course.
AT Training Workshops in 2008
The following workshops will be organized in India for all newly appointed and trainee Vipassana assistant teachers:
20 to 23 March: Logicstat Farms (Delhi)
1 to 4 May: Dhamma Tapovanaṇa (Lucknow)
27 to 30 August: Dhamma Khetta (Hyderabad)
2 to 5 October: Dhamma Sindhu (Bada)
Vipassana teachers, SATs and ATs are also welcome to attend. Please contact the respective Vipassana centres for registration and register well in advance. (for conducting Teenagers’ courses)
12 to 15 July: Dhamma Lakkha
New Appointments
Assistant Teachers:
1. Mr. V. Santhanagopalan, Chennai
2. Mr. Bruno Kurz, Germany
3. & 4. Mr. Jeff & Mrs. Jill Glenn, USA
5. Ms. Mary Preston, Canada
Children’s Course Teachers:
1. Dr. Shilpa Deore, Dhule
2. Dr. Venkatesh Khadke, Dhule
3. Mrs. Vijaya Pawar, Dhule
4. Mrs. Meena Borse, Dhule
5. U Tin Tun Aung, Myanmar
6. U Myat Thura, Myanmar
7. U Kyaw Phyo Win, Myanmar
8. U Than Htay, Myanmar
9. Ms. Julie Delor, France
10. Mr. Marco Iannucci, Italy
11. Mrs. Aase Nielsen, Italy
12. Mr. Ivan Accantelli, Italy
Words of Dhamma
1. The Dhamma is not the result of conjecture or speculation, but the result of personal attainments, and it is precise in every respect.
2. The Dhamma produces beneficial results here and now for those who practise it in accordance with the techniques evolved by the Buddha.
3. The effect of Dhamma on the person practising it is immediate in that it has the quality of simultaneously removing the causes of suffering with the understanding of the truth of suffering.
4. The Dhamma can stand the test of those who are anxious to do so. They can know for themselves what the benefits are.
5. The Dhamma is part of one’s own self, and is therefore susceptible of ready investigation.
Sayagyi U Ba Khin
Dhamma Dohas
Nā bhaviṣya kī kalpanā, nā atīta ulajhāya;
Vartamāna ko dekhakara, mukta puruṣa musakāya.
No ideas about the future, no entanglement in the past;
observing the present, the liberated one smiles.
Bhāvī ke bandhana kaṭeṅ, bhūta na bāṅdhana pāya;
Vartamāna meṅ jo jiye, jīvana-mukta kahāya.
Cutting the bonds of the future, unshackled by the past,
one who lives in the present is indeed liberated.
Jo na vikala kala ke liye, yoga kṣema bharapūra;
Anāsakta vaha mukta hai, huve dukha saba dūra.
Not worried about the future, completely secure,
One who is detached is liberated, and vanquishes all suffering.
Nirbhayatā nirbairatā, saccā dharma akāla;ṅ jo jage, so hī hoya nihāla.
One without fear and enmity is practising the true Dhamma.
Whoever lives a Dhamma life is indeed fortunate.
Satya dharma me
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Vipassana Research Institute
Vol.18 No.4 April 20, 2008
Vipassana Research Institute
Words of Dhamma
Pahūtavitto puriso,
sahirañño sabhojano;
eko bhuñjati sādūni,
taṃ parābhavato mukhaṃ.
To have much wealth,
and ample gold and food;
but to enjoy one's luxuries alone—
this is a cause of one’s downfall.
Sutta Nipāta 1.102
Two Earthen Pots - by S. N. Goenka
There is an incident in the life of Buddha.
One day a young man came to him, very upset.
‘What happened?’ asked the Buddha
The young man said:
‘Sir, yesterday my father died. I have come to you with a special request. Please do something for my dead father. When ordinary priests perform some rites or rituals, he gains access to heaven. Sir, if a great man like you performs any rites or rituals for my father, he will gain not only entry but a permanent residence in heaven. Please sir, do something for my father!’
He was so unbalanced, so emotional. The Buddha knew that any kind of rational argument would have no effect at this stage but he had his own way of explaining things. He asked the young man to go to the market and buy two earthen pots.
The young man happily went and bought them, thinking that this was to prepare for some ritual. The Buddha asked him to fill one with butter and the other with stones and pebbles. He did all this. The Buddha told him to close and seal them properly, and put them both in a nearby pond. He did so and both the pots sank to the bottom. The Buddha now told him to bring a stout stick, strike at them, and break them open. He did so, thinking that now the Buddha would perform a wonderful ritual for his father.
India is a vast and ancient land, full of diversities and extremes. There are people who have attained full enlightenment like the Buddha, and on the other hand, there are people in deep ignorance, immersed in blind faiths, beliefs, and dogmas. One belief is that when a parent dies, the son must take the corpse, put it on the funeral pyre and burn it; when it is half burned, he must take a strong stick, and break open the skull. The belief is that, as the skull is broken on earth, so the gateway of heaven is broken above, and the parent enters heaven.
The young man thought that, as his father was already dead and cremated yesterday, the Buddha was asking him to break open these earthen pots as a substitute. As he did so, the butter escaped from the first and floated to the surface; the pebbles escaped from the second pot and settled at the bottom.
‘Now,’ said the Buddha, ‘this much I have done. Now call all your priests. Let them come here and pray: ‘Oh pebbles, rise to the surface! Oh butter, sink to the bottom!’’
‘Are you joking, sir? How is this possible? It is against the law of nature, sir. The pebbles are heavier than water; they are bound to stay down, they can’t float. Butter is lighter than water, it is bound to float; it cannot go down.’
‘Young man, you know so much about the law of nature, and yet you do not want to understand the law that is applicable to one and all. If your father kept performing actions like pebbles and stones, he was bound to go down. Who can pull him up? If he kept performing actions which are light like butter, he is bound to go up. Who can push him down?’
Our difficulty is that we think that some invisible power will somehow favour us, even though we do nothing to change our own behaviour pattern, our own actions. When we understand this eternal law of nature—that the fruits depend on our actions—we will be careful about our actions.
This discourse was given by the Buddha to Mahānāma the Sakyan.
(Pathama Māhānāma sutta)
First Vipassana Course in Lebanon
Lebanon has long been a crossroads of East and West, a vibrant and varied society. For some time, Lebanese students of Vipassana have been trying to organize a course in their country. The need was all the greater with the suffering and turmoil faced by Lebanese people in recent years.
When plans for a course near Beirut were announced in late 2007, old students stepped forward to offer financial contributions and Dhamma service. They included people living in Lebanon as well as others who had moved abroad. The site was in the Al-Shouf mountains one hour east of Beirut—a government facility sponsored by the World Bank to protect and develop Lebanon’s beautiful cedar forests. Workers at the facility were careful to respect the need for silence and quiet. Silent retreats are known and valued by residents of the surrounding villages.
The course took place in January 2008, with 15 students completing it. All but two of them were new students. Among the Dhamma workers were people living in Lebanon as well as others with roots in Europe, Iran, the United States, Canada and Armenia. They reflected in miniature the diversity of Lebanese society. The assistant teachers came from Canada; instruction was provided in English and French.
The course was a rich experience. Outside, turmoil continued; here in the mountains, the peaceful atmosphere of Vipassana prevailed. On mettā day, the silence gave way to expressions of joy and hopes to hold another course soon. Many people have offered help, not only in Lebanon but in nearby countries.
To make the teaching more widely available, naturally it must be possible to hold courses in Arabic. Some old students have been working on translation of the discourses into Arabic. In addition, a professional translator has been commissioned to translate The Art of Living and the book should appear within 2008. When it does, The Art of Living will be available in all the official languages of the United Nations.
Meanwhile, weekly group sittings are being held in Beirut and plans are being made for a course this summer. For information on these as well as future courses in Lebanon, please contact: halahb@inco.com.lb
Vipassana in the Czech Republic
Old students in the Czech Republic, who had sat courses in other parts of the world started organizing and meeting for occasional group sittings in 2003-2004. These led to a meeting in the summer of 2004 to discuss details involved in translating the course material and in organizing a course.
A suitable site was found in early 2006, and work on translating the course-material started in earnest. It was a boarding house in Zihle near Pilsen (about halfway between Prague and the German border). The facility is in the middle of a forest but well serviced by public transportation. It is used mainly for school trips for children from cities.
In the summer of 2006, there was a meeting to discuss European non-centre activities in Vienna, Austria. The Czech old students went to the meeting feeling overwhelmed by all the problems that they needed to solve for the course. They were sure they would not have enough time to finish everything in time.
But the meeting gave them renewed hope, enthusiasm and determination. It was a challenge. The translations and recordings of the course material were finished just in time. Setting everything up was hectic with only a handful of people available to help. But in the end everything worked out and the course was ready to begin in late 2006.
The building capacity far exceeded course needs. This meant that the rent was higher. On the other hand, segregation was easier and nearly all old students could be given single rooms.
Christmas is the most important holiday in the Czech Republic but the site was available only at this time. Many Czechs could not imagine spending this time away from their family.
However, this is also the time of peak demand for courses, and the European centres are all booked months ahead. As a result, many students came from other European countries, particularly Germany, for the course. Only about one third of the students were from the Czech Republic. About 80 students participated. The course was conducted in English, German and Czech.
Although not ideal, the facility worked. Warm weather helped keep a poorly insulated meditation hall usable. Dhamma Dvāra, the Vipassana centre in Germany, provided support; an old student gave a loan to cover food costs; and an experienced team of Dhamma workers also came from Germany. All these factors helped make the course a success.
As a result of the high rent and some one-time expenses (meditation cushions, etc.), the course ended with a deficit but this was covered by generous old students.
The same facility was used again at the end of 2007. The owners had been impressed and happy with the Vipassana group the year before; they offered somewhat better terms and even insulated the area used for the main meditation hall. This time things went much more smoothly and donations covered costs.
Unless a more suitable location is soon found, the Zihle boarding house will be used again in late 2008. There is also the possibility of a course in July near Prague.
Regular group-sittings have begun in Prague, where most old students live, at a local kindergarten twice a week. Dhamma Dvāra is only a few kilometres from the Czech border and is easy to reach from the Czech Republic.
The Art of Living is being translated and the movie Doing Time, Doing Vipassana will soon be available for screenings with Czech subtitles.
A Czech version of the dhamma.org web page is also available (http://www.cz.dhamma.org).
Vipassana Activities in Scandinavia
Scandinavia consists of a small group of countries with very similar cultures, languages and history. So far the region has only one centre: the Nordic Vipassana Center, Dhamma Sobhana, in Sweden. For about a year now, it has offered bilingual ten-day courses in Swedish and English, as well as shorter courses for old students in English only.
But almost every course has drawn participants from Norway, who appreciate the relative closeness of Dhamma Sobhana—about six hours from Oslo. Two courses in English were previously held at rented locations in Norway but a search for a new temporary location has not yielded results. For this reason, the Norway Vipassana Association is focusing on courses at Dhamma Sobhana.
A small but dedicated team is currently translating the ten-day discourses and instructions into Norwegian. The aim is to soon be able to meet the demand for courses in the Norwegian language. The Nordic Vipassana Centre will then include bilingual courses in Norwegian and English.
New Development Project at Dhamma Mahī
Dhamma Mahī, the first Vipassana centre in Europe, was established in 1988. Located in a quiet and rural part of France, the centre has a conducive meditation atmosphere.
After hosting more than 400 Vipassana courses, it has truly grown into an ideal place to meditate. The demand to sit courses is constantly increasing and so there are frequently long waiting lists.
To meet the expanding demand, the centre trust has decided to launch a major development project. The centre will be expanded from its present capacity of 90 people to 150 (approximately 120 students and 30 servers).
The first phase of the development is the construction of a new meditation hall. This will be a separate building made principally of wood. The estimated cost, along with a fire access road and outdoor circulation paths, is approximately 500,000 euros. Construction will begin in March 2008 and is scheduled to finish in September 2008.
New Vipassana Center in South-eastern USA
The Southeast Vipassana Meditation Center, Dhamma Patāpa, conducted its first course on March 12, 2008. The center is located in Jesup, Georgia, USA. A 40-acre parcel of land was purchased for the site in December 2005 and construction began in April 2006.
The center consists of three buildings. One will be used as servers’ and assistant teachers’ accommodations, a kitchen and students’ dining facilities. Another building holds sleeping quarters for 28 students and a meditation hall with seating capacity for 40 students. The last and smallest building will be used for registration, Day ten display and dining hall for servers. Future expansion plans will eventually bring the center to a capacity of over 100 students.
Children’s Courses in Mumbai Schools
Vipassana Research Institute has started a program to teach Anapana to school children in BMC schools. This year, courses will be conducted for about 10000 students of IX Std. Courses for these children will resume from the first week of April 2008 and will continue until end of May 2008. The schedule of courses is available online at http://www.vri.dhamma.org/anapana/bmc.html
There is a great need for Dhamma servers to work in these courses. Meditators who have completed at least three ten-day courses and are under the age of 50 are welcome to serve in these courses. They must have the aptitude and a desire to work with children. Training will be provided for the same. They may contact Aditya Sejpal, 98200-22990 or Ramnath Shenoy, 98203-74006 or email childrencourse@vsnl.com
Courses at Dhamma Pattana, Global Pagoda, Mumbai
10-day (executive) courses: 7 to 18-5, 21-5 to 1-6, 4 to 15-6, 20-6 to 1-7, 4 to 15-7, 30-7 to 10-8, 13 to 24-8, 27-8 to 7-9, 10 to 21-9, 8 to 19-10, 22-10 to 2-11.
#ST: 19 to 27-7, 24-9 to 2-10.
3-day: 2 to 5-10-08.
Send applications to: VIA, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri-422403, Nashik. Tel: (02553) 244076, 244086 (10 am to 5 pm). Fax: 244176. Email: info@giri.dhamma.org (Please write Dhamma Pattana course on the form).
One day courses: every Sunday, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
For gate pass to visit the Pagoda, call: Tel: (022) 2845-2111, 2845-2261. Website: www.globalpagoda.org; Email: globalpagoda@hotmail.com; Tel/Fax: 2845-2112.
Goenkaji’s Discourses on Television
Aastha: Daily, 9:40 to 10 am
Hungama: and Bindass: Daily, 4.30 to 6.00 am
Zee: Urja, Daily, 4:30 am
USA: Aastha TV at 6 pm EST (Monday to Friday) on WORLDDIRECT platform of DIRECTV on channel no. 2005. (Please confirm exact telecast timings.)
Vipassana Websites
Vipassana introduction: www.dhamma.org
Contains information about Course Schedules of Vipassana centres worldwide, Application Form for ten-day courses, etc.
Dhamma Giri: www.vri.dhamma.org
Contains information about Indian Vipassana centres and Schedule of Courses, VRI Newsletters, research papers, publications, etc.
Pali Tipiṭaka Website: www.tipitaka.org
Contains the Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana Tipiṭaka alongwith commentaries, subcommentaries and related Pali texts. in Roman, Devanagari, Cyrillic, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Myanmar, and Sinhala scripts. More scripts will be added in future.
Prison Courses Website: www.prison.dhamma.org
Global Pagoda Website: www.globalpagoda.org
Publication of AT Address Book
VRI has published the address book of assistant teachers and Vipassana centres in January 2008. Assistant teachers and centre managers who have not received a copy as yet are requested to contact Dr. Pathak, VRI, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri 422 403, Tel: [91] (02553) 244076, 244086; Fax: [91] (02553) 244176; Email: vri_admin@dhamma.net.in
Children’s Courses in Mumbai
To serve children’s courses in Mumbai, call 98200-22990.
Date Venue Age Registration
4-5 South Mumbai 14-18 yrs 3 & 4-5
11-5 Ulhasnagar 10-12 yrs 9 &10-5
18-5 Ghatkopar 13-16 yrs 17 & 18-5
8-6 South Mumbai 9-13 yrs 31-5 & 1-6
29-6 Ghatkopar 10-12 yrs 14 & 15-6
29-6 Matunga 10-12 yrs 14 & 15-6
Course Timings: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Registration: 11 am to 1 pm
Course Venues: Ghatkopar (W): SNDT School, New Building, Cama Lane, Opp Vidyut Society. Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. Matunga: Amulakh Amirchand High School, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, New SNDT College, King’s Circle, Matunga (CR), Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. South Mumbai: Tel: 2308-1622. Ulhasnagar: Guru Nanak High School, Kurla Camp, Ulhasnagar-4. Tel: (0251) 252-2693. NB Please: *bring cushion, *register on the specified phone numbers, *inform in advance if unable to attend after registration, *arrive on time for the course.
Residential Children’s Courses at Khadavli, Mumbai
23 to 25 May for boys and 27 to 29 May for girls. Age: 13-16 years.
Registration: 11 to 21 May. Venue: Dhamma Sarita, Jivan Sandhya Mangal Sansthan, near Khadavli station. Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505.
Children’s Courses at Goregaon, Mumbai (8.15 am – 2.30 pm)
22 June: age group 10-12 yrs; Registration: 20 & 21-6 (12 – 2 pm);
29 June: age group 13-16 yrs; Registration: 27 & 28-6 (12 – 2 pm);
Contact: 2876-6886 extn. 230; Mobiles: 99750-22508; 98202-37750;
Venue: Vipassana Counselling & Research Centre, Siddharth Municipal General Hospital (SMGH), Opp. Motilal Nagar Post Office, Goregaon (W), Mumbai-400104.
Additional Responsibilities
Ācaryas:
Dr. Hamir & Dr. (Mrs.) Nirmala Ganla
To assist the area teacher in serving Dhammālaya, Kolhapur
New Responsibilities
Senior Assistant Teachers:
1. Mr. Hans Kuoni, Canada
2. Ms. Sharon Reed, Canada
3. & 4. Mr. Robert Strand & Mrs. Edith Todd, Canada
Assistant Teachers:
1. Mr. Dnyandeo Bansode, Alibaug
2. Mr. Gautam Gaikwad, Thane
3. Mr. Mannilal Yadav, Fatehpur
4. Ms. Belva Fisher, USA
5. & 6. Mr. Israel Hertzog & Mrs. Rony Ben-Ziony, Israel
Children’s Course Teachers:
1. Mrs. Snigdha Mehta, Jaipur
2. U Chit Swe, Myanmar
3. U Khin Mg Kyi, Myanmar
4. Daw Lay Sin, Myanmar
5. Daw Khin Moo Myint, Myanmar
6. Mr. Jame (Dimitri) Topitzes, West Indies / USA
7. Ms. Keo Luong, France
8. Ms. Sam Callaghan, Australia
Dhamma Dohas
Sadācaraṇa hī Dharma hai, durācaraṇa hī pāpa;
Sadācaraṇa se sukha jage, durācaraṇa dukha tāpa.
Right conduct is Dhamma, wrong conduct is sin;
From right conduct comes happiness;
from wrong conduct, suffering and torment.
Paropakāra hī puṇya hai, para-pīḍana hī pāpa;
Puṇya kiye sukha hī jage, pāpa kiye santāpa.
Kindness to others is virtue; harming others is sin;
Virtuous actions result in happiness;
sinful actions result in torment.
Dharmavanta to hai vahī, śīlavanta jo hoya;
Kāyā vāṇī citta ke, śīla na khaṇḍita hoya.
To practise the Dhamma, one must practice morality;
By body, speech or mind, sīla should not be broken.
Kāyika karma sudhāra le, vācika karma sudhāra;
Manake karma sudhāra le, yahī Dharma kā sāra.
Improve your bodily actions, improve your vocal actions;
Improve your mental actions—this is the essence of Dhamma.
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Vipassana Research Institute
Vol.18 No.5 May 20, 2008
Vipassana Research Institute
Words of Dhamma
Paṇḍito sīlasampanno,
jalaṃ aggīva bhāsati;
bhoge saṃharamānassa,
bhamarasseva irīyato.
One who is virtuous and wise,
shines forth like a blazing fire;
like a bee collecting nectar,
he acquires wealth by harming none.
Dīgha Nikāya 3.265
Vipassana is Optimism, Realism and Workism - by S. N. Goenka
(The following has been adapted from the sixth day discourse of the ten-day Vipassana course.)
A mother sends her young son to the local grocery store to buy cooking oil. She gives him an empty bottle and a ten-rupee note. He buys the oil and has the bottle filled. On his way back, out of carelessness he falls, drops the bottle, and spills half the oil. Picking up the half-empty bottle, he comes home crying: ‘Oh, mother, I lost half the oil! I lost half the oil!’ A very pessimistic boy.
The mother sends another son, with another empty bottle and another ten-rupee note. He also buys the oil, and has the bottle filled. He also falls, drops the bottle, and spills half the oil. This boy picks up the bottle and goes to his mother, happy and smiling: ‘Look! I saved half the oil! I fell down so the bottle might have broken and I might have lost all the oil. Look, half the oil is saved!’
It is the same situation, but each boy has responded quite differently. One boy is pessimistic, crying that his bottle is half empty. The other boy is optimistic, happy that at least his bottle is still half full.
The mother sends a third son. He also falls, drops the bottle, and spills half the oil. Like the second boy, he comes smiling, saying: ‘I saved half the oil.’
But this boy is a Vipassana boy. He is not only optimistic, but also realistic: ‘The truth is that I have lost half the oil; my bottle is half-empty.’ He is not only realistic, but also a real worker, as in Vipassana! He decides to work hard and earn five rupees to fill the bottle by the evening. Dhamma is not merely optimism. It is also realism and also ‘workism’.
Each individual has to work, always remaining optimistic. There is not a trace of pessimism in Dhamma. It is all optimism. There is misery—half of the bottle is empty: you have to accept that. Now how to fill it? You have a path now to come out of the misery. Make use of it, and this is what you have started doing. You are realizing the truth. It is not merely an intellectual exercise, an emotional or devotional acceptance of the truth of misery and the way out of misery. You are experiencing it.
When you work with sensations, you are directly experiencing the truth. It is your own living wisdom, not a borrowed wisdom from somebody else. This whole process of observing sensations helps you understand because you are giving importance to your own experience of the truth within the framework of the body.
Otherwise, throughout life, you keep giving importance to objects outside and craving for them. They have become so predominant that you forget that you are craving for them. You also forget that by craving, you lose the balance of your mind, and become very miserable.
You have to understand how you have become addicted to this craving. If there is a natural requirement, for instance, you are thirsty and you want water, there is nothing wrong; you work hard to get water to quench your thirst. Perhaps you tried and you didn’t get water; you just smile and keep trying. You don’t lose the balance of your mind.
However if you start craving for water, then you have lost the balance of your mind. You start worrying: ‘What will happen? Will I die if I don’t get water?’ You become so agitated; you become so miserable. You are not observing the process inside. Water is secondary compared to your craving. Even your craving is secondary compared to the misery it brings.
The moment that you start craving for something, this means you that you are discontented, dissatisfied with what is. You want something which is not. Because it is not, you become very miserable. Once you have realised that you are becoming miserable, then there is a way out. When you don’t realise it, you get overpowered by the misery of the craving and without even knowing it, you become addicted to craving. This only intensifies it and makes the situation far worse.
When you start observing sensations, a stage will come sooner or later, where you will understand that you are actually not craving for any object. You are craving for a particular sensation. When you crave for anything, a sensation arises. When that craving is fulfilled, the sensation ceases but you want that sensation again, so you have to crave for something else. Each time the object is attained it becomes stale. Each time your craving is fulfilled, you want something else. You have become addicted to this craving.
For example someone lives quite happily in a small one-bedroom cottage. Suddenly the thought comes to his mind that it is too small. He must have a big house with at least three bedrooms. So he acquires a three-bedroom house. Now it must be beautifully furnished in the latest style. He furnishes it and then that becomes stale. Now he must equip it with the latest equipment: a colour TV, a washing machine, all the most sophisticated electronic systems—the whole house is filled with machines. Yet there is no satisfaction because he keeps craving.
He has an ordinary car but now it seems just a rust heap! Now he must have a new model, say a Toyota. Once the Toyota arrives, he doesn’t want it. It must be a BMW. Even that is not good enough. It must be a Mercedes Benz, then a Rolls Royce. Even that is not good enough.
Other people have their own helicopters, so he must also have one. Then he must have his own airplane. Now he needs a spacecraft to go to the moon. Even this becomes stale. Now he must have a spacecraft to go to Mars or to some other planet or to a different galaxy!
Even the sky is not the limit: craving is a bottomless bucket which can never be filled because the addiction is to the craving, not to the object. It is craving for the sake of craving, and this makes the situation far worse. This is what happens. As you proceed on the path, it will become so clear.
When someone is described as being addicted to alcohol or drugs, it only appears so at the surface level. Actually the addiction is to the sensation. When he takes a drink, the alcoholic feels a certain sensation, and he wants that sensation over and over again. So he has to take alcohol again and again. Similarly a drug user has to take the drug again and again. The sensation is so important.
This was the Buddha’s discovery. Unless you learn how to observe your sensation, you cannot come out of any addiction. Addiction to alcohol and drugs is nothing compared to your addiction to craving and aversion. There are so many impurities of the mind, and you are addicted to all of them. You keep repeating them again and again because you are addicted to a particular type of sensation. You want that sensation again and again, so you keep generating certain impurities to get that sensation. This has become the habit pattern of the mind. How to end it?
There is misery but there is also a way out of misery. You learn how to observe the misery, without reacting. Whatever is happening, you are a silent witness. You are like a person sitting at the bank of the river and watching it flowing. You have to do nothing about it; the river just flows naturally. Sitting at the bank, you just observe. Similarly, you feel a flow of vibration, of sensation, throughout the body.
You observe it like a scientist in a research laboratory. A liquid chemical is heated in a glass tube and some of this volatile matter evaporates. It passes into another tube, where it condenses and re-emerges again as liquid. The scientist just observes. When the liquid evaporates, he doesn’t start mourning for the loss of his chemical. When it again liquefies, he doesn’t start celebrating; he just understands the process. Yet all this scientific understanding is only at the intellectual level. He is not experiencing it.
Here you are experiencing the form and function of the entire physical and mental structure; the combination of the two; the interaction between the two. You experience how each influences the other; how matter causes mind to originate and how mind causes matter to originate. At times, it seems as if matter is changing into mind. At other times it seems as if the mind is changing into matter.
When you experience all this, it makes so much difference. The wisdom that you gain is your own wisdom. It is not just an acceptance of the Buddha’s words or your teacher’s words or some passage in the scriptures. This truth is a universal law of nature, which has nothing to do with any organized religion. This universal, natural law will become clearer and clearer if you keep working.
It was so in the past, it is so now, it will be so in the future. It is so whether or not a Buddha is present. As the Buddha said, whether an enlightened person is present or not, the law of nature remains the same; it is eternal. Negativity always brings suffering, and the eradication of negativity always brings liberation from suffering.
Questions and Answers with Goenkaji
Question: You talk about conditioning of the mind. But isn’t Vipassana also a kind of conditioning of the mind, even if a positive one?
Goenkaji: On the contrary, Vipassana is a process of de-conditioning. Instead of imposing anything on the mind, it automatically removes unwholesome qualities so that only positive, wholesome qualities remain. By eliminating negativities, it uncovers positivity, which is the basic nature of the pure mind.
Question: How can the world function without attachment? If parents were detached then they would not care even for their children. How is it possible to love or be involved in life without attachment?
Goenkaji: Detachment does not mean indifference; it is correctly called ‘holy indifference’. As a parent, you must meet your responsibility to care for your child with all your love but without clinging. Out of pure, selfless love, you do your duty.
Suppose you tend a sick person, and despite your care, he does not recover. You don’t start crying; that would be useless. With a balanced mind, you try to find another way to help him. This is holy indifference: neither inaction nor reaction, but real, positive action with a balanced mind.
Question: How should members of the armed forces perform their duties properly?
Goenkaji: The army is necessary for the protection of our country, for the protection of civilians. The army should not be used to kill others unnecessarily. It should be used to show the strength of our country so that an enemy will be deterred from attacking it and harming its people.
If somebody is harming our country, then the first thing to do is to give a warning. Then if it becomes necessary, action has to be taken. But the soldiers should be trained to fight with a balanced mind. Otherwise, their minds will become unbalanced; all their decisions will go wrong. With a balanced mind, they can take good decisions, right decisions, which will be very helpful to them and helpful to others.
Courses at Dhamma Pattana, Global Pagoda, Mumbai
10-day (executive courses): 4 to 15-6, 20-6 to 1-7, 4 to 15-7, 30-7 to 10-8, 13 to 24-8, 27-8 to 7-9, 10 to 21-9, 8 to 19-10, 22-10 to 2-11.
#ST: 19 to 27-7, 24-9 to 2-10.
Send applications to:
VIA, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri-422403, Dist. Nashik.
Tel: (02553) 244076, 244086 (10 am to 5 pm).
Fax: (02553) 244176. Email: info@giri.dhamma.org
(Please write Dhamma Pattana course on the form).
One day courses: every Sunday, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
For gate pass to visit the Pagoda, Tel: (022) 2845-2111, 2845-2261. Email: globalpagoda@hotmail.com;
Website: www.globalpagoda.org; Tel/Fax: 2845-2112.
Donations through Core Banking and SWIFT Transfer
Donations to Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust (Vipassana International Academy, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri) and Vipassana Research Institute can now be remitted from anywhere in India through any branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) under core banking system.
Account Numbers of State Bank of India, Igatpuri branch:
1 Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust: 11542160342
2 Vipassana Research Institute: 11542165646.
(Igatpuri Branch Code Number: 0386)
Donations from outside India can be remitted through SWIFT transfer to State Bank of India, Igatpuri Branch, Maharashtra, India. SWIFT Transfer details are as follows:
1. Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial trust: SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust Account No. 11542160342 Igatpuri branch code: 0386
2. Vipassana Research Institute (VRI): SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Vipassana Research Institute Account No. 11542165646 Igatpuri branch code: 0386
NB Please inform Accounts Department, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri 422 403, Email: info@giri.dhamma.org about your donation with all relevant details so that the receipt of your donation can be sent to you.
First Course at Monywa Vipassana Centre
110 students (73 new students and 37 old students) participated in the first Vipassana course from 10 to 21 April 2008 at Dhamma Ñāṇadhaja, Monywa, Myanmar.
Goenkaji’s Discourses on Television
Aastha: Daily, 9:40 to 10 am
Hungama: and Bindass: Daily, 4.30 to 6.00 am
Zee: Urja, Daily, 4:30 am
USA: Aastha TV at 6 pm EST (Monday to Friday) on WORLDDIRECT platform of DIRECTV on channel no. 2005. (Please confirm exact telecast timings.)
Vipassana Websites
Vipassana introduction: www.dhamma.org
Contains information about course schedules of Vipassana centres worldwide, application form for ten-day courses, etc.
Dhamma Giri: www.vri.dhamma.org
Contains information about Indian Vipassana centres and schedule of courses, VRI Newsletters, research papers, publications, etc.
Pali Tipiṭaka Website: www.tipitaka.org
Contains the Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana Tipiṭaka with commentaries, subcommentaries and related Pali texts. in Roman, Devanagari, Cyrillic, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Myanmar, and Sinhala scripts. Bengali and Telugu scripts have also been added recently. More scripts will be added in future.
Prison Courses Website: www.prison.dhamma.org
Contains information about Vipassana courses in prisons.
Global Vipassana Pagoda Website: www.globalpagoda.org
Contains updated information about Global Vipassana Pagoda.
Children’s Courses in Mumbai
To serve children’s courses in Mumbai, call 98200-22990.
Date Venue Age Registration
8-6 South Mumbai 9-13 yrs 31-5 &1-6
29-6 Ghatkopar 10-12 yrs 14 & 15-6
29-6 Matunga 10-12 yrs 14 & 15-6
6-7 South Mumbai 13-16 yrs 4 &5-7
13-7 Ulhasnagar 10-12 yrs 11 & 12-7
Course Timings: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Registration: 11 am to 1 pm
Course Venues: Ghatkopar (W): SNDT School, New Building, Cama Lane, Opp Vidyut Society. Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. Matunga: Amulakh Amirchand High School, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, New SNDT College, King’s Circle, Matunga (CR), Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. South Mumbai: Tel: 2308-1622. Ulhasnagar: Guru Nanak High School, Kurla Camp, Ulhasnagar-4. Tel: (0251) 252-2693. NB Please: *bring cushion, *register on the specified phone numbers, *inform in advance if unable to attend after registration, *arrive on time for the course.
Children’s Courses at Goregaon, Mumbai (8.15 am – 2.30 pm)
22 June: age group 10-12 yrs; Registration: 20 & 21-6 (12 – 2 pm);
29 June: age group 13-16 yrs; Registration: 27 & 28-6 (12 – 2 pm);
Contact: 2876-6886 extn. 230; Mobiles: 99750-22508; 98202-37750;
Venue: Vipassana Counselling & Research Centre, Siddharth Municipal General Hospital (SMGH), Opp. Motilal Nagar Post Office, Goregaon (W), Mumbai-400104.
In Memoriam
Mrs. Yumino Yuasa, assistant teacher of Vipassana, passed away in Japan on April 15, 2008.
May she be happy, peaceful and liberated.
New Responsibilities
Senior Assistant Teachers:
1.Prof. Wenching Liou, Taiwan
2.Ms. Anita Kinra, USA
New Appointments
Assistant Teachers:
1.Mrs. Manjulaben Joshi, Ahmedabad
2.Mrs. Panchafula Bahadure, Nagpur
3.Mr. Surdas Wasnik, Chandrapur
4.Mr. Khageswar Aryal, Nepal
5.Mr. Sheldon Klein, Canada
6.Mrs. Diane Rust, USA
Children’s Course Teachers:
1.Mr. D. P. Mandal, Kolkata
2.Mr. Ratikanta Ghosh, Kolkata
3.Mrs. Papiya Sarkar, Kolkata
4.Ms. Sandhya Chattopadhyay, Kolkata
5.Mrs. Trisha Kothari, Kolkata
6.Ms. Jayshree Toshniwal, Kolkata
7.Ms. Vanida Promsaka Na Sakonakorn, Thailand
8.Mr. Anupong Thepwarin, Thailand
9.Mrs. Tasanapa Sinsuk, Thailand
10.Mr. Somchai Kitnopasri, Thailand
11.Mr. Thaem Pholdee, Thailand
12.Ms. Kanoksri Santawisuk, Thailand
13.Ms. Sam Callaghan, Australia
14.Ms. Keo Luong, France
Dhamma Dohas
Hāra jīta, nindā suyaśa, lābha hāni ke dvanda;
Sadā jagāyeṅ viṣamatā, vyathita rahe matimanda.
The vicissitudes of defeat and victory, censure and praise, profit and loss;
Constantly disturb and agitate the mind of the unwise.
Sampada jāye yā rahe, mile māna apamāna.
Dhīra puruṣa avicala rahe, sukha dukha eka samāna
Wealth may come or go;
one may be respected or disrespected;
The wise ones remain equanimous,
and regard joy and sorrow alike.
Dhana āye nāce nahīṅ, jāye mana nā roya;
Aise śānta svabhāva ke, sajjana birale hoṅya.
Not dancing when wealth comes, not wailing when it goes;
Such wise saintly beings are indeed rare.
Isa vistrita saṅsāra meṅ, bhare viṣaya bhaṇḍāra.
Kamala sadriṣ jala meṅ rahe, jāge nahiṅ vikāra.
In this vast universe, this storehouse of sensory objects;
Like the lotus in the water; one’s mind should be unaffected.
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Vipassana Research Institute
Vol.18 No.6 June 18, 2008
Vipassana Research Institute
Words of Dhamma
Sukhaṃ yāva jarā sīlaṃ
sukhā saddhā patiṭṭhitā
sukho paññāya paṭilābho
pāpānaṃ akaraṇaṃ sukhaṃ.
Good is virtue until life’s end,
good is faith that is steadfast;
good is the attainment of wisdom,
good is the avoidance of evil.
Dhammapada 333
I Cannot Forget Their Help
I am in the twilight of my life; I have entered the eighty-fifth year of my life. The list of people towards whom I wish to express my gratitude is very long. It is impossible to include all the details of their Dhamma service in this small article. If I find the time to write a book about my journey on the spiritual path, I may be able to do justice to all of them. Those whose names could not be included in this article should not feel hurt. They should understand the constraints of time and space and should generate mettā.
My deepest gratitude is towards my virtuous parents and family. I also feel grateful towards my primary school teachers, Pandit Kalyandutt Dube and Madan Mohan Sharma. I am profoundly grateful to my Dhamma father, revered Sayagyi U Ba Khin, who gave me a new birth in Dhamma. I am also grateful to my Dhamma mother Daw Mya Thwin, to my companions and supporters in the field of Dhamma: Prof. U Ko Lay, U Ba Po, U Tint Yee and fellow-writer, U Pargu.
Among my other family members, I am grateful to my eldest brother, Bal Krishna, who supported me from my early days as a Vipassana teacher. While serving in India for the spread of Dhamma, I saw many cases of Indian relatives ill-treating refugees who had arrived here after leaving their jobs or businesses in Myanmar. In one case, a person was cheated by his own son. On the other hand, after arriving here, I did not serve a single day in the industries or businesses of my extended family in India. Despite this, eight years after my arrival, when my brothers divided their business assets, my generous elder brother gave me an equal share. During those eight years, he provided for all my necessities. He paid for my travel and meals as well as for donations in all the Vipassana courses in India, right from the first course. On arrival, he instructed a newly appointed Hindi typist in his office, Ram Pratap Yadav, to serve me day and night. Since then, he has been serving me as my devoted assistant along with Narayan Dasarwar.
Despite following a different spiritual path at that time, my brother Bal Krishna supported me in the spread of Vipassana. Now, as a full-fledged Vipassana teacher, he is supervising the meditation centres of South India with the help of L. Shivappa and others. My late brother Babu Lal also supported me and later became a Vipassana teacher.
My sons also supported my Dhamma service. I had handed over all the businesses and cash from my share of the family business to them. I did not sit with them for even a single day to help in these businesses. They continued to bear my travel and other expenses while serving courses. They took full care of my medical expenses as well as all my other necessities. So I was able to devote all my time to serve Dhamma. If my elder brother had ordered me to participate in the family business, how could have I accomplished the noble task of revival and spread of Vipassana in India? Similarly, after the division of family assets, none of my sons had sufficient experience in business. If they had insisted that I help and guide them in business, and fully knowing and understanding their inexperience, if I had got involved in the business, how could have I accomplished the task of spreading Vipassana in the world? How could have I spread the knowledge of Dhamma to thousands of people? Due to their inexperience, my sons had to face some initial setbacks. However, they still kept me free from all worldly responsibilities to allow me to serve in a detached way. Now, my sons are growing old and their children—my grand children—have joined them in business. Soon it will be time for my sons to free themselves from their business responsibilities. My son, Sri Prakash is looking after the publication of Vipassana books, CDs and DVDs, which was earlier the responsibility of my younger brother, Radhe Shyam. I would be happy if any of my sons wishes to accumulate merits by serving in other spheres of Dhamma.
Finally, how can I forget my life partner? How could I have completed this long Dhamma journey so successfully without her?
Amongst bhikkhus, I am grateful to late Venerable Rewata Dhammaji and Venerable Bhikkhu U Ratanapalaji. I am also grateful to Anagarika Munindraji for his wholehearted support of my mission.
Boundless mettā towards all other servers
The first course in Mumbai was organised by Dayanand Adukia and his son, Vijay Adukia. After the Mumbai course, the first course in Chennai was organised by my elder brother and the first course in North India was organised by my friend, author Yashpal Jain. After that, courses began to be held at different places.
At Bodhgaya, courses were organised by Dwarko Sundarani. Jay Prakash Narayan who came to a couple of these courses to listen to the evening discourses was deeply influenced. However, due to his wife Prabhavatiji’s ill-health, he could not join a course. Nonetheless, he invited me to the annual gathering of Sarva Seva Sangh at Nashik and arranged my discourse there. As a result, the head of the Sangha, Siddharaj Dhaddha and other prominent Sangha leaders attended courses.
Mrs. Nirmala, Gandhiji’s daughter-in-law, organised a course in Sevagram, Wardha which was attended by many elderly companions of Gandhiji. The participants of the course took me to Vinoba Bhave’s ashram at Pavnar and organised a meeting with him.
On being challenged by him, the first course for children was held in a school at Bagaha, Bihar. Later, the first course for prisoners in jail was held in the Jaipur Central Jail. These two kinds of courses continue to be held all over India.
The Home secretary of Rajasthan, Ram Singh and his wife benefitted from a course at Jaipur. Many other high-ranking officers of Rajasthan such as S. N. Tandon and S. Adaviyappa and their wives benefitted from Dhamma and they all played an important role in the spread of Vipassana. Vimalchand Surana, Sher Singh, late Ram Niwas Sharma and late Paliwal helped them in the spread of Vipassana in Rajasthan.
By successfully organising a course in Tihar Jail, my Dhamma daughter Kiran Bedi cleared the path for prisoners of many countries in the world to gain benefit from Vipassana.
Sriram Taparia had a major role in the establishment and management of Dhamma Giri at Igatpuri. In addition, others from the Maheshwari community such as late Laxmi Narayan Rathi and late Ramsukh Mantri from Pune, Toshniwal family and S. S. Taparia also joined Vipassana courses and helped in spread of Vipassana.
Vipassana flourished greatly in the Jain, Gujarati and Kutchi communities with the support of Shivjibhai, Harakchand Gala, Dipchand Shah, Mukundrai Badani, Dr. Bhimsi & Mrs Pushpa Savla, Premji & Madhu Savla, Veena Gandhi, late Natubhai & Kaushalya Parekh, Ratilal & Chanchal Savla, Mahasukh & Manju Khandhar, Shanti Shah, Sudhir & Madhuri Shah and family, Kashyap & Kamala Dharmadarshi, Jayesh Soni, Manhar Patel, Rajubhai Mehta, Jayantilal Thacker, Anil Dharmadarshi, Indravadan Kothadia, Bachubhai Shah, late Ratilal Mehta and his family and many others.
Terapanth’s Acharya Tulsiji ensured that almost all his ascetics, males and females, benefited from Vipassana courses. Similarly, Pramukh Acharya Dr. Shivmuniji, Rajgir’s Amarmuniji, Munishri Amarendra Vijayji, Acharya Munishri Bhuvanachandraji, Mahasati Karunabai and many other prominent Jain Acharyas benefitted from Vipassana. Therefore, many people from the Jain community joined Vipassana courses.
With the support of my Dhamma daughter Usha Modak, N. O. Patil, Prakash Borse, Vishwambhar Dahat, Dr. Dhananjay Chavan, Dr. Hamir & Dr. Nirmala Ganla, Dinesh Meshram, Prakash Mahajan, Vimla Mahajan, Mahavir Patil, Champalal Khinvasara, Sudhakar Funde, N. Y. Lokhande, Digambar Dhande, Kamalatai Gavai, late Rajaram Beri, Arun Suryavanshi and others, Dhamma spread in the entire state of Maharashtra. The following also helped in spread of Dhamma in India: Gita Kedia, Sabrina Katakam, Khaddaria, Kurup, Jaya Modi, Pai family, Rajendra Singh, Iladevi Agrawal, Balraj Chaddha, Chikkanarayanappa, Dr. Chokhani, Sudha and Mohini Dalal, Chothmal Goenka, Dr. Subramanyam, L. N. Todi, Mohan Raj Adla, Ravi Reddy, Praveen Bhalla, Sajjandevi Dhariwal, Rameshwar Sharma, Madan Mutha, late J. K. Tibrewala and Vasudeo Kamath.
Due to the efforts of senior officers in the Maharashtra government such as Ratnakar Gaikwad, D. R. Parihar, Dr. Prem Singh Meena, S. Krishna and others, many government officers took Vipassana courses.
Prof Pyare Lal & Sushila Dhar, Ashok Talwar, late Dr. Om Prakash, late Dr. Vithal Das Modi, late Gurumukh Siddhu, Rajesh Gupta, Manju Vaish, Ashok & Uma Kela, Dr. Narayan & Sharda Wadhwani, Gopal Sharan & Pushpa Singh and others helped to spread Dhamma in northern and central India.
Shashikant & Dr. Sharda Sanghvi, Deshbandu Gupta, Subhash Chandra, Nayan Shah, Vallabh Bhansali, late Radhe Shyam Goenka, Durgesh Shah, Dhanesh Shah, Dr. Rohi Shetty and others played an important role in research and spread of Vipassana.
The role of Thomas Crisman, late Radhe Shyam Goenka, Priti Dedhia, Dhanesh Shah, Craig Miller, Bill Nugent, Frank Snow, Ramnath Shenoy, Gino Morena, Brihas Sarathy and Jay Prakash Goenka in establishing modern electronic mail facility, website development and data entry is equally praiseworthy. Due to their tireless efforts, the vast literature of Vipassana, the entire set of Tipitaka, Newsletters and detailed information related to meditation practice has been made available on the Internet.
S. N. Tandon, Dr. Paul Fleischman, Dr. Savitri Vyas, Bill & Virginia Hamilton, Ram Avadh Verma and others have contributed greatly in the field of literature.
One of my dear Dhamma sons is Bill Hart, whose book ‘The Art of Living’ introduced Vipassana to the entire world. This book has been and continues to be translated and published in many languages. Thousands of copies of this book have been sold. The merits that he has gained are immeasurable.
Nepal’s Yadukumar Siddhi, Maniharsh Jyoti, Uttam Ratna Dhakhwa, Nani Maiya Manandhar, Anand Raj Shakya, Dr. Roop Jyoti, Bodhi Bajra, Bed Nath, Madan and others; Thailand’s Nirand and Sutthi Chayodam; Sri Lanka’s Brindley (now Ven. Siddhartha) & Damayanthi Ratwatte; Myanmar’s Dr. Kay Wain, Daw Yema Maw Naing, U Thaung Pe & Daw Myint Myint Tin, Daw Saw Mya Yee, Sushila & U Shwe (Banwarilal) Goenka, Parsu Ram Gotama, Daw Win Kyi, U Kyaw Khin & Dr. Daw Mya Mya, Daw Sein Sein, U Tin Maung Shwe, U Thein Aung, and others; Iran’s Daryush Nowzohour; Mongolia’s Shirendev, Cambodia’s Mien Tan, Klaus and Nadia Helwig serving Philippines and Vietnam; Atsushi serving Japan, George Hsiao and Venerable Minjia from Taiwan, Patrick Given-Wilson & Ginnie Macleod, late Graham Gambie, Anne Doneman, John Burchall, Steve & Christine Smith, Michael & Trish Barnes, Volker Bochmann & Doris Herrmann from Australia; Don & Sally McDonald serving Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, New Zealand’s Ross Reynolds, UK’s late Drs. Gandhi, John & Joanna Luxford, Dr. Khin Maung Aye & Dr. Daw Kyi Sein, Kirk & Reinette Brown, Chris & Sachiko Weeden, Steve & Olwen Smith serving France, Andy & Caroline, Drs. Shwe & Sann Sann, Ian & Dr. Shelina Hetherington, Spain’s Martin & Deni Stephens, Belgium’s Dirk & Meike, Germany’s Floh Lehman, Heinz & Brunhilde, America’s Barry & Kate Lapping, Harry & Vivian Snyder, Bill & Anne, Dr. Jacques & Denise, Rick & Gair Crutcher, Bruce & Maureen Stewart, Ben and Cathy, Tim and Karen, Parker & Laura Mills, Philix Lee & Yu Yen serving China, Arthur Nichols and Daniel Mayer serving South America, Canada’s Dr. Geo & Cathy Poland, Bob & Jenny, Alain & Rachel, Evie Chauncey and others have played a major role in the spread of Dhamma worldwide.
An important incident:
I was on a world tour to conduct courses. When I reached Japan, an important person spread the rumour by phone that revered Sayagyi U Ba Khin had withdrawn his blessing and support to me; and that he would not even give mettā to me in courses. This message made everyone nervous. I too felt that if this is true, I should not conduct any more courses. I felt that all courses in Japan and elsewhere should be cancelled and I should return home. We were staying in Dhamma daughter Sachiko’s home. This unpleasant news has been spread by what seemed to be a reliable source. According to this news, since I was no longer a teacher in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, Sachiko could have told us to leave but she didn’t.
John Beary proposed to all the assembled meditators that the next course should not be cancelled. This message may have been spread out of ill will. He suggested that the course should be held and if mettā is found to be weak, then the remaining courses could be cancelled. The course was conducted and it was very successful.
Everyone said that the mettā was even stronger that before. I am grateful to John Beary who ensured that the course was not cancelled. Otherwise, future courses would have stopped. Because of the success of this course, everyone including me was convinced that Sayagyi’s mettā and blessing were definitely with me. Future courses continued to be held successfully without any obstacles. Whenever I recall this incident, I am filled with boundless mettā.
Another incident:
At the end of my first course in North America, I learned that money had been collected from many new students at the beginning of the course. I was saddened because this was totally against the pure tradition of Dhamma. This had never happened in the courses in India in the preceding ten years. The course organisers said that they didn’t have sufficient money to organize the course. I felt that if sufficient funds were not available, the course should not have been held. I decided that henceforth I would not conduct courses in America. On hearing this, my Dhamma daughter Kate Pratt (Lapping) donated enough money for future courses. Therefore, courses began to be held regularly in America. When I recall this, I am filled with joy and mettā for Dhamma daughter Kate.
One more incident:
A course was being held in England. There were many requests to conduct courses in the West in addition to the courses in India. It was not possible for me to visit so many places and to conduct so many courses. Many students had ripened in Vipassana and had become ready to teach Vipassana. However, it was difficult for them to give the discourses every evening. France’s Jean Claude and Dr. Sukhdev Soni from Chicago proposed that my discourses should be video-taped so that videotapes could be given to the students whom I appointed as assistant teachers. They made the necessary arrangements to video-tape my discourses. This opened the doors for the spread of Dhamma. Though the format used by them for recording could not be used in other countries, an important task had begun. So I remember both of them with gratitude.
When I visited America, Thomas Crisman said that he would create videotapes in VHS format from the existing set, which could be used worldwide. Thanks to his efforts of providing teaching sets to them, hundreds of assistant teachers were able to use the videotapes of my discourses in Vipassana courses and the Ganges of Dhamma began to flow in many countries. The merit of my Dhamma son Thomas is immeasurable.
Eilona and Ayelet produced the documentary film ‘Doing Time, Doing Vipassana’ which won many awards and led to the introduction of Vipassana in many prisons. Their other films along with films by Donnenfield played an important role in the spread of Vipassana.
The vital task of proper storage, distribution and transcription of all kinds of audio and video cassettes and CDs of course material and other tapes has been meticulously done by Larry & Ruth since many years. Now suitable arrangements have been made to ensure that these tapes are well protected.
And my Dhamma sons, Dr. Dhananjay Chavan and Dr. Rohi Shetty, while discharging their family responsibilities and sacrificing their livelihood, have been serving me and Dhamma, not for one or two days but for many years.
May the pāramīs of all servers and meditators keep growing! May all beings be happy! May all beings be peaceful! Boundless mettā towards all!
Mettā, S. N. Goenka
Special Program at Dhamma Pattana, Global Pagoda
Guru Purnima is on Friday, 18 July this year. A one-day course is being organized on Sunday, 20 July 2008 at Dhamma Pattana, Global Vipassana Pagoda, Mumbai so that maximum number of Vipassana meditators can attend.
Health permitting, Goenkaji will be present during the course.
Those wishing to attend the course should register at Dhamma Pattana office on phone (022) 2845-1206 and 2845-1204 from 11 am to 5 pm. Registration for the course is compulsory. The Satipatthana course at Dhamma Pattana from 19 to 27 July will now be held from 20 to 28 July to enable participants to attend the Guru Purnima one-day course. All courses at Dhamma Pattana are executive courses. Dhamma servers wishing to serve courses at Dhamma Pattana should call the above phone numbers.
VRI Council Annual Meeting
The Annual VRI Research Council Meeting will be held on 11th January 2009, Sunday, from 9.30 to 11.00 am.
Children’s Courses in Mumbai
To serve children’s courses in Mumbai, call 98200-22990.
Date Venue Age Registration
6-7 South Mumbai 13-16 yrs 4 &5-7
13-7 Ulhasnagar 10-12 yrs 11 & 12-7
20-7 Ghatkopar 13-16 yrs 18 & 19-7
3-8 South Mumbai 10-12 yrs 1 & 2nd-8
10-8 Ulhasnagar 13-16 yrs 8 & 9-8
17-8 Ghatkopar 10-12 yrs 15 & 16-8
31-8 Matunga 13-16 yrs 22 & 23-8
7-9 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 5 & 6-9
21-9 Ulhasnagar 10-12 yrs 19 & 20-9
21-9 Ghatkopar 13-16 yrs 19 & 20-9
5-10 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 3 & 4-10
Course Timings: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Registration: 11 am to 1 pm
Course Venues: Ghatkopar (W): SNDT School, New Building, Cama Lane, Opp Vidyut Society. Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. Matunga: Amulakh Amirchand High School, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, New SNDT College, King’s Circle, Matunga (CR), Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. South Mumbai: Tel: 2308-1622. Ulhasnagar: Guru Nanak High School, Kurla Camp, Ulhasnagar-4. Tel: (0251) 252-2693. NB Please: *bring cushion, *register on the specified phone numbers, *inform in advance if unable to attend after registration, *arrive on time for the course.
New Responsibilities
Ācaryas:
Ms. Evie Chauncey: To serve Dhamma Modana (Canada)
Senior Assistant Teachers:
Mr. Pemasiri Amarasinghe: To serve Dhamma Sobhā (Sri Lanka)
New Appointments
Assistant Teachers:
1. Mr. Kaushal Kumar Bhardwaj, Delhi
2. Mr. Anil Kumar, New Delhi 3. Mrs. Prerna Parab, Mumbai
4. Mr. Rajendra Prasad, Chandigarh
5. Mr. Prem Chand Sunger, Adampur, Punjab
6. Dr. Khemraj Wankar, Nagpur
7. Ms. Timila Shilpakar, Nepal
8. Ms. Nuntiya Abhabhirama, Thailand
9. Mr. Vitcha Klinpratoom, Thailand
10. & 11. Mr. Paiboon & Mrs. Nate Tantrasuwan, Thailand
Children’s Course Teachers:
1. Mr. Prabhakar Nandeshwar, Indore
2. Dr. Ravi Divekar, Ratlam
3. & 4. Mr. Dilip and Mrs. Lata Sonone, Beed
5. Mrs. Sarika Raut, Parbhani
6. Mr. Anand Rugte, Parbhani
7. Mr. Maan Raghubeersingh, Nanded
8. Mrs. Anuradha Sunil Kulkarni, Nanded
9. Mrs. Rekha Rathor, Nanded
10 & 11. Dr. Mahendra & Mrs. Sujata Gaikwad, Aurangabad
12. Mr. Ravi Nagave, Aurangabad
13. Mr. Nagorao Dongre, Aurangabad
14. Mr. Anil Amrut Charbe, Nagpur
15. Mrs. Rekha Shankar Gokhe, Nagpur
16. Mr. Dharampal Babusha Mane, Yavatmal
17. Mr. Pradyanand Tukaram Ilamkar, Nagpur
18. Mrs. Gitanjali Rahul Borse, Nagpur
19. Mrs. Jui Tushar Borse, Nagpur
20. Mrs. Mandakini Gulabrao, Kandare, Wardha
21. Mrs. Pradnya Sunil Hire Khan, Amravati
22. Mrs. Karuna Bhalekar, Balaghat
23. Mr. Surendra Shende, Balaghat
24. Dr. Madan Singh Gautam, Saharanpur, UP
25. Mrs. Pratibha Jain, Kolkata
26. Ms. Sanjukta Chakma, Tripura
27. Mr. Sanjib Chakma, Tripura
28. Mr. Shishir Chakma, Tripura
29. Mr. Sukumar Chakma, Tripura
30. & 31. Mr. Om & Mrs. Meher Malhotra, USA
32. Mr. Steve Jarand Calagary, USA
33. & 34. Mr. William Ng & Mrs. Esther Low Sung Hu, Singapore
35. Ms. San Sanda Aung, Singapore
36. Mrs. Shirley Yap, Malaysia
37. Ms. Wong, Ah Chan, Malaysia
38. Mrs. Astha Jain, USA
39. Mrs. Lorene (Renee) Cerchie, USA
Dhamma Dohas
Dekha dukhī karūṇā jage, dekha sukhī mana moda;
Sabake prati maitrī jage, rahe samatva kā bodha.
May I feel compassion on seeing the sorrowful;
joy on seeing the happy.
May I feel goodwill towards all;
and equanimity in all situations.
Vyāpe viśva vipaśyanā, bahujana hita sukha hoya;
Jana-jana kā kalyāṇa ho! Jana jana maṅgala hoya.
May Vipassana spread worldwide for the good of many;
May all beings enjoy harmony! May all beings be happy!
Mana-mānasa meṅ pyāra hī, tarala taraṅgita hoya;
Roma-roma se dhvani uṭhe, sabakā maṅgala hoya.
May the mind be suffused by the vibrations of love;
May every fibre resonate with love and good will
Maiṅ karatā saba ko kṣamā, kareṅ mujhe saba koya;
Mere to saba mitra haiṅ, bairī dikhe na koya.
I pardon all beings; may all beings pardon me;
All beings are my friends; none are my enemy.
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Vipassana Research Institute
Vol.18 No.7 July 18, 2008
Vipassana Research Institute
Words of Dhamma
Tañca kammaṃ kataṃ sādhu,
yaṃ katvā nānutappati;
yassa patīto sumano,
vipākaṃ paṭisevati.
Well done is that deed,
after doing which one repents not,
and one reaps with delight and happiness
the fruit of that deed
Dhammapada 68
Good Will for All - by S. N. Goenka
(The following is an extract from “Was the Buddha a Pessimist?” which is the translation and adaptation of the VRI Hindi publication “Kyā Buddha Dukkhavādī The?” written by Goenkaji. It has been adapted for the Vipassana Newsletter.)
For centuries in India, the Buddha and his teachings have been accused of being pessimistic. The implication is that the Buddha himself was miserable and unhappy. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a perfectly Enlightened One, the Buddha had come out of all the miseries of the world, and lived a life full of contentment and infinite happiness in every situation. To others also he gave nothing but happiness.
If someone is miserable, he can only spread misery. He cannot and does not uphold the welfare of all.
In contrast, the Buddha wished well for all with these words:
Sabbe sattā sukhī hontu.
May all beings be happy.
An incident from his life:
A Brahmin youth named Ambaṭṭha insulted the Buddha with many foul words. When Ambaṭṭha’s teacher Pokkharasāti heard about his impropriety, he begged forgiveness from the Buddha on behalf of his disciple. On that occasion, the Buddha said:
Sukhī hotu brāhmaṇa, Ambaṭṭho māṇavo.
O, Brahmin, may (your disciple) Ambaṭṭha be happy.
Another incident:
Suppavāsā of Koliya state was carrying a baby for a much longer time than normal. She was in extreme pain at the time of delivery of the baby. She sent a message to the Buddha about her condition. Great compassion arose in the Buddha and he sent his blessings:
Sukhinī hotu suppavāsā koliyadhītā.
Arogā arogaṃ puttaṃ vijāyatū.
Suppavāsā, daughter of the Koliyas, may you be happy. May you be healthy and give birth to a healthy boy.
His blessings bore fruit. Such was the compassion of the Buddha and such were his words of benediction. Yet he is called a pessimist by his critics.
Another incident:
After his retirement, King Kosala’s royal priest had gone south and settled on the banks of the Godavari. This priest, Brahmin Bāvarī, was 100 years old when he heard that a Sammā Sambuddha (A Self-enlightened One) had arisen in the state of Kosala. He sent his sixteen chief disciples to examine the claim. Upon reaching Sāvatthi, these disciples satisfied themselves that the recluse Gotama was indeed a Buddha. When one of the disciples saluted the Buddha and extended greetings on behalf of his teacher Bāvarī, the Buddha gave these words of blessing:
Sukhito Bāvarī hotu, sahasissehibrāhmaṇo;
Tvaṃ cāpi sukhito hohi, ciraṃ jīvāhi māṇavo.
May Brahmin Bāvarī be happy along with his disciples! May you also be happy! May you live long!
Would a pessimist who believes that life is nothing but misery give blessing for a long life (implying a curse for extended suffering)? Certainly not.
The Buddha’s mind was always full of loving-kindness. He taught his disciples to practice the meditation of loving kindness—that is, compassionate love, and regard for the welfare of all beings:
Sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhītattā.
May all beings be happy.
Wherever people practise Vipassana in ten-day retreats around the world, they have the experience of this loving kindness. After having purified their minds as much as possible in ten days of intensive Vipassana meditation, they learn the practice of loving kindness (mettā bhāvanā). Even during the course, the meditation site is charged with the vibrations of this benevolent declaration:
Bhavatu sabba maṅgalaṃ!
May all beings be happy!
People who attend these courses and experience these benevolent feelings understand that the Buddha was a promulgator of Dhamma, of welfare, of happiness.
Children’s Courses in Mumbai
To serve children’s courses in Mumbai, call 98200-22990.
Date Venue Age Registration
3-8 South Mumbai 10-12 yrs 1 & 2nd-8
10-8 Ulhasnagar 13-16 yrs 8 & 9-8
17-8 Ghatkopar 10-12 yrs 15 & 16-8
31-8 Matunga 13-16 yrs 22 & 23-8
7-9 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 5 & 6-9
21-9 Ulhasnagar 10-12 yrs 19 & 20-9
21-9 Ghatkopar 13-16 yrs 19 & 20-9
5-10 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 3 & 4-10
12-10 Ulhasnagar 13-16 yrs 10 & 11-10
19-10 Ghatkopar 10-12 yrs 17 &18-10
2-11 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 1 & 2-11
9-11 Ulhasnagar 10-12 yrs 7 & 8-11
16-11 Ghatkopar 13-16 yrs 14 & 15-11
23-11 Matunga 13-16 yrs 21 & 22-11
7-12 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 29 & 30-11
7-12 Matunga 13-16 yrs 29 & 30-11
Course Timings: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Registration: 11 am to 1 pm
Course Venues: Ghatkopar (W): SNDT School, New Building, Cama Lane, Opp Vidyut Society. Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. Matunga: Amulakh Amirchand High School, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, New SNDT College, King’s Circle, Matunga (CR), Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. South Mumbai: Tel: 2308-1622. Ulhasnagar: Guru Nanak High School, Kurla Camp, Ulhasnagar-4. Tel: (0251) 252-2693. NB Please: *bring cushion, *register on the specified phone numbers, *inform in advance if unable to attend after registration, *arrive on time for the course.
In Memoriam
Mrs. Kanta Kathane, senior assistant teacher of Vipassana from Bhilai, Chattisgarh, passed away on 13 April 2008 due to heart attack. She served in many areas of Dhamma service and was actively involved in looking after Dhamma Ketu since its inception. Mrs. Kathane is survived by her husband, who is a Vipassana teacher.
May she be happy, peaceful and liberated.
Vipassana Around the World
European Long Course Center
On January 24, 2008, the European Long-Course Center (ELCC) Trust received confirmation from Herefordshire District Council that its planning application has been accepted for the proposed buildings for Dhamma Padhāna, the first dedicated long-course center in Europe. This completes the detailed outline planning permissions needed to build the new center on the land adjacent to Dhamma Dīpa in the UK.
The first course dedicated to Dhamma Padhāna will begin on September 12. This is a special Satipatthāna Sutta course hosted by Dhamma Dīpa and will accommodate 200 students. Goenkaji intends to give some of the instructions live by video uplink from India; the students will be able to see Goenkaji on the screen and Goenkaji will be able to see the students. Weather permitting; students will occasionally meditate together on Dhamma Padhāna land.
Construction work is planned to start at the end of the course, and there will be a special sitting on the Dhamma Padhāna land.
Building will progress as funding is offered. If sufficient funds are available, it is possible there will be an operational center for 50 students as early as the end of 2009, including a meditation hall, cells and private en-suite accommodation. The completed center for 100 students will include permanent cells in a two-story pagoda.
The ELCC Trust welcomes suitably experienced or enthusiastic old students to help with the construction of the new center. This work is dependent on the availability of a professional project manager and will be augmented as needed by professional subcontractors.
If you would like to receive email updates on developments concerning the ELCC, please send a blank email to long-course-exchange-subscribe@eu.region.dhamma.org.
Dhamma Maṇḍa Vipassana Center
The Northern California Vipassana Association has purchased a former resort in Lake County and has been granted a use permit to develop the 17-acre property into a permanent meditation center. Located in the Cobb mountain area, Dhamma Maṇḍa is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from the Bay Area, one hour from Santa Rosa, and less than two hours from Sacramento. This lovely property, with its delightful collection of rustic buildings nestled among mature pine, fir and oak trees, will serve meditators well in the years to come.
Fulfilling the conditions of the use-permit requires substantial remodeling, including construction of a new commercial kitchen and expansion of the meditation hall to hold up to 60 students. There will be much work in the coming months to complete these many projects in order to begin offering ten-day courses for approximately 50 students by late fall 2008. For more information, email info@manda.dhamma.org.
First Course at Dhamma Patāpa
Dhamma Patāpa (Majesty of Dhamma) is the Southeast Vipassana Center in Jesup, Georgia, USA. It stands in a beautiful, secluded location on 40 acres of land surrounding the center’s cluster of buildings. Majestic old pines, oaks, and other trees and vegetation add to an ideal environment for peaceful meditation.
The land for Dhamma Patāpa was bought on December 21, 2005. Ever since, construction has progressed thanks to help from several old students who joined the Dhamma worker construction crew.
Present facilities include a meditation hall for 40 students, dining hall, and accommodation for 30 students as well as teachers, and Dhamma servers.
Peaceful, foliage-lined walking paths for students are available on both sides of the buildings. Since space remains tight, the Center Development Committee has begun planning for a single accommodation building that will allow the comfortable addition of more students, and this plan is expected to move forward as soon as finances allow.
The first course at Dhamma Patāpa took place in March 2008. Twenty-eight students finished the course, with six old students providing serviceVipassana Research Institute
Vipassana Research Institute
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Vipassana Research Institute
Vol.18 No.8 Aug 16, 2008
Vipassana Research Institute
Words of Dhamma
Mātā yathā niyaṃ puttaṃ,
āyusā eka-puttamanurakkhe;
evampi sabba bhūtesu,
mānasaṃ bhāvaye aparimāṇaṃ.
Just as a mother would risk her life
to protect her only child;
similarly, one should cultivate
boundless love towards all beings.
Sutta Nipāta 149 (Metta-sutta)
The Practice of Mettā-Bhāvanā - by Vipassana Research Institute
The practice of mettā-bhāvanā (meditation of loving kindness) is the closing part of the technique of Vipassana meditation. We practice mettā by radiating loving kindness and goodwill towards all beings, deliberately charging the atmosphere around us with the calming, positive vibrations of pure and compassionate love. The Buddha instructed us to develop mettā so as to live more peaceful and harmonious lives and to help others to do so as well. The practice of mettā gives us a way to share with all others the peace and harmony that we are developing.
The commentaries state that mettā is the quality that inclines one to a friendly disposition—Mijjati siniyhatī’ti mettā. It is a sincere wish for the good and welfare of all, devoid of ill will. Non-aversion is mettā—adoso’ti mettā. The chief characteristic of mettā is a benevolent attitude. It culminates in the identification of oneself with all beings—a recognition of the fellowship of all life.
Mettā is not a prayer nor is it the hope that an outside agency will help. On the contrary, it is a dynamic process producing a supportive atmosphere where others can act to help themselves. Mettā can be directed towards all beings or towards a particular person. We must eliminate egotism and open our minds to practise mettā.
Intellectually, it is easy enough but it is far harder to develop such an attitude in oneself. To do so, some practice is needed, and so, we have the technique of mettā-bhāvanā, the systematic cultivation of goodwill towards others. To be really effective, though, mettā-bhāvanā must be practiced along with Vipassana meditation. So long as negativity such as aversion dominates the mind, it is futile to formulate conscious thoughts of goodwill, and doing so becomes a ritual devoid of inner meaning. However, when negativity is removed by the practice of Vipassana, goodwill naturally wells up in the mind; and emerging from the prison of self-obsession, we begin to concern ourselves with the welfare of others.
For this reason, the technique of mettā-bhāvanā is introduced only at the end of a Vipassana course, after the participants have passed through the process of purification. At such a time, meditators often feel a deep wish for the well-being of others, making their practice of mettā truly effective. Though limited time is devoted to it in a course, mettā may be regarded as the culmination of the practice of Vipassana.
Nibbāna can be experienced only by those whose minds are filled with loving kindness and compassion for all beings. Simply wishing for this state is not enough; we must purify our minds to attain it.
By the practice of Vipassana, we become aware that the underlying reality of the world and of ourselves consists of arising and passing away every moment. We realize that the process of change continues without our control and regardless of our wishes. Gradually, we understand that any attachment to what is ephemeral and insubstantial produces suffering for us. We learn to be detached and to keep the balance of our minds in the face of any experience. Then we begin to experience what real happiness is: neither the satisfaction of craving nor the forestalling of fears but rather liberation from the cycles of craving and fear. As inner serenity develops, we clearly see how others are enmeshed in suffering, and naturally this wish arises, “May they find what we have found: the way out of misery, the path of peace.” This is the proper volition for the practice of mettā-bhāvanā.
In order to practise mettā, the mind must be calm, balanced and free from negativity. This is the type of mind developed by the practice of Vipassana. A meditator knows by experience how anger, antipathy, or ill will destroys peace and frustrates any efforts to help others. Only when hatred is removed and equanimity is developed can we be happy and wish happiness for others. The words, “May all beings be happy” have great force only when uttered from a pure mind. Backed by this purity, they will certainly be effective in fostering the happiness of others.
We must, therefore, examine ourselves before practising mettā-bhāvanā to check whether we are really capable of practising mettā. If we find even a tinge of hatred or aversion in our minds, we should refrain at that time and relax or lie down until the impurity or unpleasantness goes away.
However, if the mind and body are filled with serenity and well-being, it is natural and appropriate to share this happiness with others: “May you be happy, may you be liberated from the defilements that are the causes of suffering. May all beings be peaceful! May all beings be happy! May all beings come out of their misery!”
In Vipassana, no verbalization, visualization or imagination is allowed. But while practising mettā-bhāvanā, all of these are allowed.
We can use our imagination especially with those who are near and dear, we can visualize their faces and give mettā: “May you be happy, may you be happy.” As we experience the vibrations, which are characteristic of arising and passing, we can say to ourselves, “These vibrations are vibrations of mettā, of love, of compassion.” When one is alone, one can even verbalize, “May all be happy, may all be happy”. When we are in a group, we can recite mentally to ourselves, “May all be happy, may all be peaceful, may all come out of misery.”
This loving attitude enables us to deal far more skilfully with the vicissitudes of life. Suppose, for example, one encounters a person who is acting out of deliberate ill will to harm others. The common response—to react with fear and hatred—is self-centeredness, which does nothing to improve the situation and, in fact, magnifies the negativity. It would be far more helpful to remain calm and balanced, with a feeling of goodwill for the person who is acting wrongly. This must not be merely an intellectual stance, a veneer over unresolved negativity. Mettā works only when it overflows spontaneously from a purified mind.
The serenity gained in Vipassana meditation naturally gives rise to feelings of mettā, and throughout the day, this will continue to affect us and our environment in a positive way. Thus, Vipassana ultimately has a dual function: to bring us happiness by purifying our minds, and to help us to foster the happiness of others by preparing us to practice mettā. What is the purpose of freeing ourselves of negativity and egotism unless we share these benefits with others? In a retreat, we cut ourselves off from the world temporarily in order to return and share with others what we gained in solitude. These two aspects of the practice of Vipassana are inseparable.
In these times of violent unrest and widespread suffering, the need for such a practice as mettā-bhāvanā is clear. If peace and harmony are to reign throughout the world, they must first be established in the minds of all the inhabitants of the world.
May all beings be happy !
Mettā-Bhāvanā
Ahaṃ avero homi, abyāpajjho homi. Anīgho homi, sukhī attānaṃ pariharāmi.
May I be free from animosity, free from suffering, free from trouble. May happiness be with me always.
Mātā-pitu-ācariya-ñāti-samūhā, Averā hontu, abyāpajjhā hontu. Anīghā hontu, sukhī attānaṃ pariharantu.
May my mother, father, teachers, and relatives be free from animosity, free from aversion, free from trouble. May happiness be with them always.
Ārakkhadevatā bhūmaṭṭhadevatā rukkhaṭṭhadevatā, Ākāsaṭṭhadevatā, averā hontu, abyāpajjhā hontu. Anīghā hontu, sukhī attānaṃ pariharantu.
May all guardian deities, earth-bound deities, tree-bound deities, sky-bound deities be free from animosity, free from aversion, free from trouble. May happiness be with them always.
Puratthimāya disāya, puratthimāya anudisāya. Dakkhiṇāya disāya, dakkhiṇāya anudisāya. Pacchimāya disāya, pacchimāya anudisāya. Uttarāya disāya, uttarāya anudisāya. Uparimāya disāya, heṭṭhimāya disāya.
In the direction of the east, in the direction of the south-east, in the direction of the south, in the direction of the south-west, in the direction of the west, in the direction of the north-west, in the direction of the north, in the direction of the north-east, in the direction above, in the direction below.
Sabbe sattā, sabbe pāṇā, sabbe bhūtā, sabbe puggalā, sabbe attabhāvapariyāpannā, sabbā itthiyo, sabbe purisā, sabbe ariyā, sabbe anariyā, sabbe manussā, sabbe amanussā, sabbe devā, sabbe vinipātikā– averā hontu, avyāpajjhā hontu, anīghā hontu, sukhī attānaṃ pariharantu.
May all beings, all living creatures, all creatures, all individuals, all forms of life, all women, all men, all those who have attained purity of mind, all those who have not yet attained purity of mind, all devas, all humans, all non-humans, all celestial beings, and all those in states of woe be free from animosity, free from aversion, free from trouble. May happiness be with them always.
Questions and Answers
Question: When I meditate at home, should I sit in adhiṭṭhāna, without changing the posture?
Goenkaji: You can change your posture. It is only during the courses that the one-hour adhiṭṭhāna is necessary. During meditation at home or at group sittings outside of courses if you feel after some time that there is lot of pain, you can change your posture. Change your posture slowly and with mindfulness. But try not to change your posture too often.
Question: If I continue the practice after the course, will the mental operation continue even at home?
Goenkaji: Yes it will. But for a deeper operation, you have to come to a course, or have your own self-course. Continuous practice for a long time takes you to the deeper level. But if you practise daily, morning and evening, you will be clearing whatever defilements you have accumulated during that period.
First Prison Course in Myanmar
The first ten-day Vipassana course was successfully organized at the Insein Central Prison, Yangon, Myanmar from 16 to 27 July 2008. Fifty-five male inmates as well as three members of the prison staff joined the course and three other staff members were Dhamma servers. The second course is scheduled to be held from 7 August 2008.
In addition, an Anapana course was conducted for the first time at the same Insein Central Prison on 27 July 2008 for 169 young male inmates. Most of the teenaged inmates reported very positive benefits after attending the course. They expressed gratitude for the teaching and resolved to meditate daily.
Children’s courses in Myanmar
The Irrawaddy and Yangon regions of Myanmar was severely damaged by Cyclone Nargis on 2 and 3 May 2008. There was wide-spread destruction in the whole area and thousands of people were killed.
People from all corners of the world rushed to give help and supply relief goods to the survivors. A team of children’s course teachers also gave a helping hand in these areas by coordinating with local old students of Vipassana. They also organized children’s meditation courses to boost the morale of the children and to alleviate their deep fear and anxiety.
These courses were conducted at Mawlamyain gyun, Kanyin Village, Maulamyain gyun, Asugyi Village and Myaungmya. A total of more than thousand children participated in the six children’s courses held in June and July.
Children’s Courses in Mumbai
To serve children’s courses in Mumbai, call 98200-22990.
Date Venue Age Registration
7-9 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 5 & 6-9
21-9 Ulhasnagar 10-12 yrs 19 & 20-9
21-9 Ghatkopar 13-16 yrs 19 & 20-9
5-10 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 3 & 4-10
12-10 Ulhasnagar 13-16 yrs 10 & 11-10
19-10 Ghatkopar 10-12 yrs 17 &18-10
2-11 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 1 & 2-11
9-11 Ulhasnagar 10-12 yrs 7 & 8-11
16-11 Ghatkopar 13-16 yrs 14 & 15-11
23-11 Matunga 13-16 yrs 21 & 22-11
7-12 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 29 & 30-11
7-12 Matunga 13-16 yrs 29 & 30-11
21-12 Ulhasnagar 13-16 yrs 6 & 7-12
21-12 Ghatkopar 10-12 yrs 6 & 7-12
To serve children’s courses in Mumbai, call 98200-22990.
Course Timings: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Registration: 11 am to 1 pm
Course Venues: Ghatkopar (W): SNDT School, New Bldg., Cama Lane, Opp. Vidyut Soc. Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. Matunga: Amulakh Amirchand High School, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Rd, New SNDT College, King’s Circle, Matunga, Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. South Mumbai: Times of India Building, Tel: 2308-1622. Ulhasnagar: Guru Nanak School, Kurla Camp, Ulhasnagar-4. Tel: (0251) 252-2693. NB Please: *bring cushion, *register on specified phone numbers, *inform in advance if unable to attend after registration, *arrive on time for the course.
Donations through Core Banking and SWIFT Transfer
Donations to Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust (Vipassana International Academy, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri) and Vipassana Research Institute can now be remitted from anywhere in India through any branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) under core banking system.
Account Numbers of State Bank of India, Igatpuri branch:
1 Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust: 11542160342
2 Vipassana Research Institute: 11542165646.
(Igatpuri Branch Code Number: 0386)
Donations from outside India can be remitted through SWIFT transfer to State Bank of India, Igatpuri Branch, Maharashtra, India. SWIFT Transfer details are as follows:
1. Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial trust: SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust Account No. 11542160342 Igatpuri branch code: 0386
2. Vipassana Research Institute (VRI): SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Vipassana Research Institute Account No. 11542165646 Igatpuri branch code: 0386
NB Please inform Accounts Department, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri 422 403, Email: info@giri.dhamma.org about your donation with all relevant details so that the receipt of your donation can be sent to you.
Goenkaji’s Discourses on Television
Aastha: Daily, 9:40 to 10 am
Hungama: and Bindass: Daily, 4.30 to 6.00 am
Zee: Urja, Daily, 4:30 am
USA: Aastha TV at 6 pm EST (Monday to Friday) on WORLDDIRECT platform of DIRECTV on channel no. 2005. (Please confirm exact telecast timings.)
Additional Responsibilities
Ācaryas:
Mrs. Ladachat Saingam, Thailand
To serve Dhamma Sīmanta, Thailand
Senior Assistant Teachers:
1. Mr. Murari Sharma, Haryana
To assist centre teachers in serving Dhamma Salila, Dehradun in addition to Dhamma Kāruṇika, Karnal
2. Mr. Deepak Pagare SAT,
To serve Dhamma Sāketa, Ulhasnagar in addition to Dhamma Manamoda, Manmad
3. Mr. Martin Haig, Australia
To assist the area teacher in serving Dhamma Āloka, Australia
NEW RESPONSIBILITIES
Ācaryas:
Dr. Amnat Apichatvallop, Thailand
Spread of Dhamma
Senior Assistant Teachers:
1. & 2. Mr. Sunil & Mrs. Vidya Bagde, Nagpur
3. Mrs. Surekha Ponkshe, Nagpur
4. Mrs. Yenta Trainate, Thailand
To assist the area teachers in serving Dhamma Dhānī, Thailand
5. Mr. James O’Donovan, South Africa
6. Mr. Ole Bosch, South Africa
New Appointments
Assistant Teachers:
1. Mr. Motilal Khanal, Nepal
2. Mr. Baburaja Maharjan, Nepal
3. & 4. Mr. Daniel & Mrs. Patricia Matthias, Australia
5. & 6. Mr. Mirko Amon & Mrs. Alexandra Burguera, Venezuela
7. Mr. (Guy) Bruce Cummings, USA
Children’s Course Teachers:
1. Mr. Harshnath Addiga, Secunderabad
2. Ms. Amita Anand, Bhopal
3. Mrs. Rajyalakshmi Devarasetty, Andhra Pradesh
4. Ms. Mamta Dhiman, Faridabad
5. Mrs. Bhoomiba Jain, Gurgaon
6. Ms. Vandana Patel, Kutch
7. Mrs. Jagruti Patil, Nashik
8. Mr. N. Ramalinga Reddy, Andhra Pradesh
9. Mrs. Anju Sagar, New Delhi
10. Mr. Vijay Shejale, Indore
11. Ms. Rudra Thakur, Kutch
12. Mrs. Pushpa Uppal, Dharamshala
13. Mr. Naginchandra Jagada, USA
14. Ms. Linda Dunne, Australia
15. Ms. Andrea Wass, Australia
16. Mr. John Stevenson, Australia
17. & 18. Mr. John Hanna & Mrs. Kimie Shinohara, Australia
Vipassana Websites
Vipassana introduction: www.dhamma.org
Contains course schedules of Vipassana centres worldwide, application form for ten-day courses, etc.
Dhamma Giri: www.vri.dhamma.org
Contains Indian Vipassana centres and schedule of courses, VRI Newsletters, research papers, publications, etc.
Pali Tipiṭaka Website: www.tipitaka.org
Contains the Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana Tipiṭaka with commentaries, subcommentaries and related Pali texts in Roman, Devanagari, Cyrillic, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Myanmar, and Sinhala scripts. Bengali and Telugu scripts have also been added recently. More scripts will be added in future.
Prison Courses Website: www.prison.dhamma.org
Contains information about Vipassana courses in prisons.
Global Vipassana Pagoda Website: www.globalpagoda.org
Contains updated information about Global Vipassana Pagoda.
Dhamma Dohas
Mere sukha mein, śānti mein, bhāga sabhī kā hoya;
Isa maṅgalamaya dharma kā, lābha sabhī ko hoya!
May my happiness and peace be shared by everyone;
May this benevolent Dhamma benefit one and all!
Vyāpe vishva Vipashyanā, bahujana hitasukha hoya;
Jana-jana kā kalyāna ho, jana-jana mangala hoya.
May Vipassana spread for the happiness of many!
May all beings be happy and peaceful!
Dūra rahe durbhavanā, dvesha hoya saba dūra;
Nirmala nirmala citta se, pyaar bhare bharapūra.
May all animosity and aversion be dispelled;
May the purified heart overflow with love for all.
Mana-mānasa mein pyaar hī, tarala tarangita hoya;
Roma-roma se dvani ute, sabakā mangala hoya.
May the mind be filled with the rapture of love
May every fibre vibrate with feelings of goodwill.
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Vipassana Research Institute
Vol.18 No.9 Sep 15, 2008
Vipassana Research Institute
Words of Dhamma
Pahutavitto puriso,
sahirañño sabhojano;
eko bhuñjati saduni,
taṃ parabhavato mukhaṃ.
To have much wealth,
ample gold and food,
but to enjoy one’s luxuries alone—
this is a cause of one’s downfall.
Sutta Nipata 1.1.02
The Merits of Dana - by S. N. Goenka
(The following is a translation of an article published in the September 1995 issue of the Hindi Vipashyana Patrika.)
Let us practise and develop the four brahmavihara (the nature of a brahma, hence sublime or divine state of mind, in which the four pure qualities are present):
—the brahmavihara of infinite metta (loving kindness),
—the brahmavihara of infinite karuṇa (compassion),
—the brahmavihara of infinite mudita (sympathetic joy),
—the brahmavihara of infinite upekkha (equanimity).
There is a simple way to practise and develop the four brahmavihara: by the giving of dana that is pure in the past, present, and future, and pure in three ways.
How does dana become pure in the past, present and future? When the mind of the donor is suffused with joy and delight before giving dana, while giving dana, and after giving dana, then the dana becomes pure in the past, present and future.
How does dana become pure in three ways? When the mind of the donor is filled with benevolence; when the recipient is living a life of pure sila; and when the dana, irrespective of the amount and value, is earned by one’s own labour, honestly and through right livelihood; then the dana is pure in three ways.
Dana that is pure in the past, present, and future, and pure in three ways is highly beneficial.
How does such dana help to develop the four brahmavihara? When the thing or place or facility that is given as dana is not for a particular person but for the benefit and welfare of all meditators, this dana helps to develop the four brahmavihara.
The mind of the donor is filled with infinite metta when he thinks—“Because of my dana, countless people are gaining or will gain happiness by receiving this wonderful Dhamma”.
The mind of the donor is filled with infinite karuṇa when he thinks—“Because of this dana, there are so many suffering people in the world who will find a way out of their suffering, get the benefit of Dhamma and find contentment”.
The mind of the donor is filled with infinite mudita with the thought—“Oh! So many people are getting happiness and contentment through the practice of Dhamma because of my dana”.
The mind of the donor is filled with infinite upekkha with the thought—“Whether anyone praises my dana or criticizes it, whether I get success or failure because of this dana, it is of no concern to me. My dana is not for self-acclaim or for success or failure. This dana, given with pure volition, is solely for the benefit of others”.
In this way, meditators! The four brahmavihara are developed by giving pure dana.
Meditators! The brahmavihara should be practised and developed. The practice of the brahmavihara is highly beneficial for us.
Mahaparinirvan Express Yatra for Meditators
Indian Railways started the Mahaparinirvan Express last year for pilgrimage to the Buddhist holy sites (www.railtourismindia.com).
Indian Railways have offered a special discount of 21% to Global Vipassana Foundation (GVF) on all ticket prices. This special discount is on the condition that discount amount will be donated to GVF on behalf of the Vipassana meditators travelling to the Buddhist holy sites.
Vipassana meditators may avail this opportunity of going on pilgrimage as well as giving dana towards the construction of Global Vipassana Pagoda.
The Rail Tourism department is also trying to organize group meditation for meditators under the Bodhi tree in the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya after the temple is closed for the day, so there will be no disturbances from the sightseeing tourists. Similar group meditation shall be arranged in Kushinagar. The group sittings will be arranged only if there are at least 8-10 Vipassana meditators on the same train and there is no other engagement on that particular day in the temple premises.
Meditators wishing to participate may visit: www.railtourismindia.com. For further information, contact Mr. Arun Shirivastava, [91] 99714-96669; Email: arunsrivastava@irctc.com or Mr. Manish Shinde, [91] 93235-26462; Email: manish@globalpagoda.org
Donations through Core Banking and SWIFT Transfer
Donations to Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust (Vipassana International Academy, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri) and Vipassana Research Institute can now be remitted from anywhere in India through any branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) under core banking system.
Account Numbers of State Bank of India, Igatpuri branch:
1 Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust: 11542160342
2 Vipassana Research Institute: 11542165646.
(Igatpuri Branch Code Number: 0386)
Donations from outside India can be remitted through SWIFT transfer to State Bank of India, Igatpuri Branch, Maharashtra, India.
SWIFT Transfer details are as follows:
1. Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial trust: SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust Account No. 11542160342 Igatpuri branch code: 0386
2. Vipassana Research Institute (VRI): SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Vipassana Research Institute Account No. 11542165646 Igatpuri branch code: 0386
NB Please inform Accounts Department, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri 422 403, Email: info@giri.dhamma.org about your donation with all relevant details so that the receipt of your donation can be sent to you.
Workshop and Open Day at Dhamma Malaya
Dhamma Malaya, the Vipassana centre in Malaysia which opened 11 months ago, has already hosted 16 ten-day and two Satipatthana courses with an average of 50 students in every course.
Dhamma Server Workshop 30-31 August 2008
Nearly 80 old students attended served by 9 assistant teachers, including about 25 from Singapore. The Singapore group included some Burmese old students. The workshop included talks by Goenkaji, meditation sessions, self-introspection, and discussion groups in English and Mandarin which included points relevant to local culture and conditions. One common suggestion was to have more workshops to train and inspire more servers. There were many helping hands for the following Open Day to prepare the centre, cook food and welcome and guide the visitors.
Open Day 1 September 2008
This was a public holiday in Malaysia and an estimated 400 visitors came to see the centre. There had been extensive outreach to old students via email as well as press releases in several languages in state and national papers. In addition, there were posters, invitation letters as well as some personal visits to local business owners to invite them along. Two buses were hired to bring the family and friends of old students from Kuala Lumpur. Other groups came in car pools from different parts of the country.
Each group was met by a guide, offered brochures, a drink and a snack and given a tour of the centre to show them the single rooms and other facilities. They were shown a five-minute video about local children’s courses in either English or Mandarin. Screenings of Doing Time Doing Vipassana were held four times in the mini-hall and were well attended with 40-50 per group. During some of the following Q & A sessions, people were already filling in the course application forms. Some visitors signed up for the first English-Tamil course to be held in late October.
Visitors remarked how they felt unusually peaceful and happy at the centre. The new gardens are growing up on the breezy hill surrounded by a green plantation. Press representatives were invited and given media kits. The national Star English paper and a Tamil newspaper reported the event. Three local Chinese newspapers gave ample positive coverage, declaring that the “secrets” of the new centre were now revealed. Photos of the servers’ workshop and open day can be seen on the old student section of www.malaya.dhamma.org
Pali Workshop
A seven-day Pali workshop has been organized at Jaipur for English speaking non-Indian Vipassana meditators from 1 to 9 December (11 am), 2008 at Kothari Farms (Marugandha), two kms off Jaipur-Ajmer Express Highway, on Bhankrota-Jaisinghpura Road, Bhankrota, Jaipur. For registration, contact Anil Mehta, Email: anilmehta02@yahoo.com
Goenkaji’s Discourses on Television
Aastha: Daily, 9:40 to 10 am
Hungama: and Bindass: Daily, 4.30 to 6.00 am
Zee: Urja, Daily, 4:30 am
USA: Aastha TV at 6 pm EST (Monday to Friday) on WORLDDIRECT platform of DIRECTV on channel no. 2005. (Please confirm exact telecast timings.)
Children’s Courses in Mumbai
To serve children’s courses in Mumbai, call 98200-22990.
Date Venue Age Registration
21-9 Ulhasnagar 10-12 yrs 19 & 20-9
21-9 Ghatkopar 13-16 yrs 19 & 20-9
5-10 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 3 & 4-10
12-10 Ulhasnagar 13-16 yrs 10 & 11-10
19-10 Ghatkopar 10-12 yrs 17 &18-10
2-11 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 1 & 2-11
9-11 Ulhasnagar 10-12 yrs 7 & 8-11
16-11 Ghatkopar 13-16 yrs 14 & 15-11
23-11 Matunga 13-16 yrs 21 & 22-11
7-12 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 29 & 30-11
7-12 Matunga 13-16 yrs 29 & 30-11
21-12 Ulhasnagar 13-16 yrs 6 & 7-12
21-12 Ghatkopar 10-12 yrs 6 & 7-12
To serve children’s courses in Mumbai, call 98200-22990.
Course Timings: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Registration: 11 am to 1 pm
Course Venues: Ghatkopar (W): SNDT School, New Bldg., Cama Lane, Opp. Vidyut Soc. Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. Matunga: Amulakh Amirchand High School, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Rd, New SNDT College, King’s Circle, Matunga, Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. South Mumbai: Times of India Building, Tel: 2308-1622. Ulhasnagar: Guru Nanak School, Kurla Camp, Ulhasnagar-4. Tel: (0251) 252-2693. NB Please: *bring cushion, *register on specified phone numbers, *inform in advance if unable to attend after registration, *arrive on time for the course.
New Responsibilities
Acaryas:
Ms. Nila Halai, Bhuj, India / UK
Spread of Dhamma among Indian expatriates in Europe
New Appointments
Assistant Teachers:
1. & 2. Mr. Babu Ramsingh & Mrs. Shanti Chauhan, Gwalior
3. & 4. U San Lwin & Daw Tin Tin Naing, Myanmar
5. Daw Hla Myint, Myanmar
6. Daw Nyo Nyo Win, Myanmar
7. Mrs. Chin-ing Helen Chen, Taiwan
8. Ms. Maria Luisa Ferro, Italy
9. Mrs. Robin Curry, USA
Children’s Course Teachers:
1. Mr. Ashok Kumar Patel, Visnagar
2. Mr. Girishkumar Choudhary, Mehsana
3. Mrs. Smita Vora, Rajkot
4. Mr. Tejas Goda, Rajkot
5. Ms. Madhu Saparia, Rajkot
6. Mr. Rajesh Patel, Rajkot
7. Mrs. Jagruti Kothari, Rajkot
8. U Htay Myint, Myanmar
9. U Thein Htay, Myanmar
10. Daw Nywe, Myanmar
11. Daw Myint Myint San, Myanmar
12. Daw Kan Moe Moe, Myanmar
13. Daw Khin Aye Aye, Myanmar
14. Ms. Ellen Goldstein, USA
15. Ms. Janene Case, USA
16. Mr. Mathew Aaron, USA
17. Mr. Rajesh Bawankule, USA
18. Mrs. Ujwala Khante, USA
19. Mr. Tony Foley, USA
20. Mrs. Rosa Kittsteiner, USA
Dhamma Dohas
Kṣaṇa-kṣaṇa maṅgala hī jage, kṣaṇa-kṣaṇa sukha hī hoya;
Kṣaṇa-kṣaṇa apane karma para, sāvadhāna yadi hoya.
Every moment brings well-being,
every moment brings happiness,
If, every moment, one is mindful of one’s actions.
Sukha dukha meṅ ulajhā rahā, sadā rahā santapta;
Sukha dukha lāge eka se, hoya nahi uttapta.
Entangled in pleasure and pain, one is constantly tormented;
By regarding joy and sorrow alike;
one is freed from torment.
Dhana āye nāce nahīṅ, jāye mana nā roya;
Aise śānta svabhāva ke, sajjana birale hoṅya.
Not dancing when wealth comes, not wailing when it is lost;
rare are such wise and tranquil beings.
Jīvana meṅ āṅdhī cale, cale teja tūphāna;
Cita vicalita hove nahiṅ, yahi santa pahacāna.
When there is a storm in life and a fierce gale blows;
the mind does not waver, this is the mark of a saint.
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Vipassana Research Institute
Vol.18 No.10 Oct 14, 2008
Vipassana Research Institute
Words of Dhamma
Vivādaṃ bhayato disvā,
avivādaṃ ca khemato;
Samaggā sakhilā hotha,
esā buddhānusāsanī.
Seeing danger in dispute,
security in concord,
dwell together in amity:
this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
Khuddaka-nikāya, Apadāna 1.79
The Sweetness of Dhamma - by S. N. Goenka
If there is Dhamma, there is bound to be sweetness. This is the yardstick: sweetness must come in life. If you are attached to your views and argue that whatever you say is correct, you will lose all the sweetness.
The Enlightened One’s words should keep ringing in your ears: be like milk and water mixed together, inseparable, full of sweetness. The whole Dhamma field must always be full of sweetness.
By mistake you might use certain harsh words to justify your view. If you know that you have hurt somebody but think, “What else could I do? I was correct and that fellow couldn’t understand it,” then your thoughts are still full of aversion. Don’t try to justify your mistakes, accept them: “I made a mistake, either from ignorance or my weakness which allowed negativity to overpower me. I will be careful not to do this in future.” Give the balm of mettā now.
How quickly do you realize your mistake and start generating mettā? How long do you work with mettā and how deeply? That is the yardstick of your progress. Understand this and see that the atmosphere always remains full of Dhamma, full of sweetness.
You all want Dhamma to spread. Why do you want Dhamma to spread? Not to establish a sect. If a sect is established and more people start calling themselves Buddhists, what would anyone gain by that? Let people keep calling themselves Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or Jewish, what difference will it make?
The human mind keeps generating impurity, negativity and misery. Whether one calls oneself by this name or that, does the mind change? No, the mind remains the same with the same habit pattern. Names won’t help. Change the habit pattern of the mind, and here is a wonderful technique which will do this. By practising Vipassana one realizes: “Yes, it works! It has purified my mind, if only a little, and whatever impurities have gone, that much misery has gone. Oh, this is such a wonderful technique! Everyone, all around the world is miserable. May more and more people get this wonderful technique and come out of their misery!”
When you see others really enjoying happiness, peace and harmony, then sympathetic joy (muditā) arises. Seeing others joyful makes you feel joyful, and this joy multiplies. You smile seeing so many people smiling. You are serving others for this purpose, not to develop ego. There should be no status, no power, no position. You serve whether you have this or that responsibility. You are serving to make yourself happy and to make others happy. This is Dhamma.
Keep this in mind and work. Distribute this wonderful Dhamma for your good and for the good of so many suffering people around the world. May pure Dhamma spread! May more and more people start practising Dhamma to enjoy real peace, harmony, happiness!
Bhavatu sabba maṅgalaṃ—May all beings be happy!
Dhamma in Poland
In 2002 the first ten-day Vipassana course was held in Poland. It was conducted in English only and was attended by 25 students. There have now been a total of 17 courses, including five in 2008 with a total of 250 students. In 2006, the Polish Vipassana Meditation Association was established to share responsibilities more widely, collect donations, achieve tax-exempt status and search for a permanent course location. Last year, an old student donated money to purchase some land.
In 2008, the Association bought an undeveloped parcel surrounded by forest for the planned Vipassana Center. The site is in Dziadowice village in central Poland (located almost exactly in the middle of the country), 220 km to the west of Warsaw, 70 km from Lodz and about 160 km from Poznan. Old students have been meditating and working on site regularly each month. But the site has not been usable in winter weather and did not provide protection from insects.
The Association is still waiting for zoning approval before it can begin construction work. Meanwhile, it has decided to purchase a yurt for the site. This will provide immediate facilities for using the site and will ultimately provide Dhamma server accommodation. The Association is now developing its plans for the center in addition to regular group sittings, and non-center courses. For more information, email info@pl.dhamma.org.
Dhamma in Israel
After more than ten years of efforts, the Israel Vipassana Trust has signed a preliminary contract that, if all conditions are met, will at last provide a permanent centre for Vipassana courses. The contract is for a 10-acre property located at Degania Bet, one of the country’s first kibbutzim (communal farms). It is within sight of the channel of the Jordan River where it flows out of the Sea of Galilee, and is less than two hours from Tel Aviv. The land is covered by date palms and surrounded by agricultural fields. There are opportunities for meditators to live and work close to the site.
As is common in Israel, the land is actually owned by the government. The contract with the kibbutz would allow the Israel Vipassana Trust to lease the property on a long-term basis. Before the contract can take effect, a number of conditions must be met:
Under the contract, the Trust will take over some of the kibbutz’s bank loans. The banks themselves must give their approval. The government land authority must approve the leasing arrangement. This could take a few months or more than a year. The government land authority must set a fee for leasing the property. If the fee is higher than expected, the Trust will not be bound by the contract.
The estimated cost of the land is $1.6 million. Construction of facilities for 60 to 80 students is estimated to cost another $1.5 million. The Trust has started developing a master plan that would eventually allow the center to accommodate over 150 students, including in long courses.
While there have been generous offers of support, these still do not cover the expected cost of the project. For more information, contact: info@il.dhamma.org
Mahaparinirvana Express Yatra for Meditators
Indian Railways started the Mahaparinirvana Express last year for pilgrimage to the Buddhist holy sites (www.railtourismindia.com).
Indian Railways have offered a special discount of 21% to Global Vipassana Foundation (GVF) on all ticket prices. This special discount is on the condition that the discount amount will be donated to GVF on behalf of the Vipassana meditators travelling to the Buddhist holy sites.
Vipassana meditators may avail this opportunity of going on pilgrimage as well as giving dana towards the construction of Global Vipassana Pagoda.
The Rail Tourism department is also trying to organize group meditation for meditators under the Bodhi tree in the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya after the temple is closed for the day, so there will be no disturbances from the sightseeing tourists. Similar group meditation shall be arranged in Kushinagar. The group sittings will be arranged only if there are at least 8-10 Vipassana meditators on the same train and there is no other engagement on that particular day in the temple premises.
Meditators wishing to participate may visit: www.railtourismindia.com. For further information, contact Mr. Arun Shirivastava, [91] 99714-96669; Email: arunsrivastava@irctc.com or Mr. Manish Shinde, [91] 93235-26462; Email: manish@globalpagoda.org
Donations through Core Banking and SWIFT Transfer
Donations to Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust (Vipassana International Academy, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri) and Vipassana Research Institute can now be remitted from anywhere in India through any branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) under core banking system.
Account Numbers of State Bank of India, Igatpuri branch:
1 Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust: 11542160342
2 Vipassana Research Institute: 11542165646.
(Igatpuri Branch Code Number: 0386)
Donations from outside India can be remitted through SWIFT transfer to State Bank of India, Igatpuri Branch, Maharashtra, India.
SWIFT Transfer details are as follows:
1. Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial trust: SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust Account No. 11542160342 Igatpuri branch code: 0386
2. Vipassana Research Institute (VRI): SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Vipassana Research Institute Account No. 11542165646 Igatpuri branch code: 0386
NB Please inform Accounts Department, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri 422 403, Email: info@giri.dhamma.org about your donation with all relevant details so that the receipt of your donation can be sent to you.
Pali Workshop
A seven-day Pali workshop has been organized at Jaipur for English-speaking non-Indian Vipassana meditators from 1 to 9 December 2008 (11 am), at Kothari Farms (Marugandha), Bhankrota-Jaisinghpura Road, two kms off Jaipur-Ajmer Express Highway, Bhankrota, Jaipur. For registration, contact Mr. Anil Mehta, Email: anilmehta02@yahoo.com
In Memoriam
Ven. Siddhartha Ratwatte, Bhikkhu teacher in our tradition passed away on 9 September 2008 after a long illness. Before he took robes, he (Mr. Brindley Ratwatte) was a Vipassana teacher in this tradition.
Mr. Brindley Ratwatte along with his wife Mrs. Damayanthi Ratwatte and daughter sat their first course in Bodh Gaya at the Burmese Vihar many years ago. They were highly impressed and organized the first Vipassana courses in Sri Lanka, which were attended by revered bhikkhus as well as lay people. Mr. Brindley and Mrs. Damayanthi were also instrumental in the establishment of Dhamma Kuṭa, the first and biggest Vipassana centre in Sri Lanka on a scenic hill-top in Kandy.
His wife, Mrs Damayanthi Ratwatte, is currently Vipassana teacher-in-charge of Dhamma Kuṭa.
May he be happy, peaceful and liberated.
Children’s Courses in Mumbai
To serve children’s courses in Mumbai, call 98200-22990.
Date Venue Age Registration
5-10 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 3 & 4-10
12-10 Ulhasnagar 13-16 yrs 10 & 11-10
19-10 Ghatkopar 10-12 yrs 17 &18-10
2-11 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 1 & 2-11
9-11 Ulhasnagar 10-12 yrs 7 & 8-11
16-11 Ghatkopar 13-16 yrs 14 & 15-11
23-11 Matunga 13-16 yrs 21 & 22-11
7-12 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 29 & 30-11
7-12 Matunga 13-16 yrs 29 & 30-11
21-12 Ulhasnagar 13-16 yrs 6 & 7-12
21-12 Ghatkopar 10-12 yrs 6 & 7-12
To serve children’s courses in Mumbai, call 98200-22990.
Course Timings: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Registration: 11 am to 1 pm
Course Venues: Ghatkopar (W): SNDT School, New Bldg., Cama Lane, Opp. Vidyut Soc. Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. Matunga: Amulakh Amirchand High School, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Rd, New SNDT College, King’s Circle, Matunga, Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. South Mumbai: Times of India Building, Tel: 2308-1622. Ulhasnagar: Guru Nanak School, Kurla Camp, Ulhasnagar-4. Tel: (0251) 252-2693. NB Please: *bring cushion, *register on specified phone numbers, *inform in advance if unable to attend after registration, *arrive on time for the course.
Additional Responsibilites
Ācaryas:
Don & Sally McDonald, Australia
To serve Fiji in addition to Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Worldwide Course Statistics
Senior Assistant Teachers:
1. & 2. Edward & Junko Giorgilli, Italy
To assist the area teachers to serve Sumatra, Indonesia
3. Geoffrey White, Australia
To assist the area teachers in serving Northern New South Wales, Australia
New Responsibilities
Senior Assistant Teachers:
1. & 2. Mr. Sham & Mrs. Sarla Bhatia, Nashik
3. Mr. Mohan Dewan, Tripura
4. Ms. Macarena Infante, Chile
5. Mr. Francois Kuoch, France
To assist the area teacher in serving Cambodia
New Appointments
Assistant Teachers:
1. Mr. Prahlad Chaudhary, Dhule
2. Mr. Avadhut Gokhale, Indore
3. Daw Myat Lay Khaines, Myanmar
4. Daw Hla Hla Myint, Myanmar
5. Mr. Jason Heng-Moh Lim, Singapore
6. Mrs. Kate Howard, Australia
7. & 8. Mr. Stefan & Mrs. Naomi Told, Spain
Children’s Course Teachers:
1. & 2. Mr. Anil & Mrs. Indu Matkar, Indore
3. Mrs. Sonal Choudhary, Indore
4. & 5. Mr. Chana & Mrs. Amporn Jirachotiwanit, Thailand
6. & 7. Mr. Surapan Poommaneegorn & Mrs Kanhokwan Pholsomboon, Thailand
8. Ms. Kannika Kanjanakot, Thailand
9. Ms. Aurranas Kleaw-Akkadej, Thailand
10. Ms. Anna Barbena, Spain
11. Ms. Spomenka Mujovic, Serbia
12. Ms. Vera Pilipovic, Serbia
Goenkaji’s Discourses on Television
Aastha: Daily, 9:40 to 10 am
Hungama: and Bindass: Daily, 4.30 to 6.00 am
Zee: Urja, Daily, 4:30 am
USA: Aastha TV at 6 pm EST (Monday to Friday) on WORLDDIRECT platform of DIRECTV on channel no. 2005. (Please confirm exact timings.)
Dhamma Dohas
Sukha dukha mein ulajhā rahā, sadā rahā santapta;
Sukha dukha lāge eka sā, hoya nahīn uttapta.
Entangled in joy and sorrow, one is always in torment;
When joy and sorrow seem alike, one is free from torment.
Jo upaje so bhanga ho, Vipasyanā se dekha;
kaisā mangala shuddhi patha, rahe na dukha kī rekha.
Whatever arises passes away,
observe this through Vipassana;
What a pure path of happiness,
not a trace of suffering remains.
Sukha dukha āte hī rahen, jyon āve dina raina.
Tū kyūn khove bāvalā, apane mana kī caina?
In life, there is joy and sorrow—like day and night;
Why do you foolishly cast away your peace of mind?
Anacāhī hove kabhī, manacāhī bhī hoya;
Dhūpa chāha kī zindagī, kyā nāce kyā roya?
Undesirable things may happen as much as desirable;
Life contains light and shade, so why dance or weep?
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Vipassana Research Institute
Vol.18 No.11 Nov 13, 2008
Vipassana Research Institute
Words of Dhamma
Yadūnakaṃ taṃ saṇati,
yaṃ pūraṃ santameva taṃ.
Aḍḍhakumbhūpamo bālo,
rahado pūrova paṇḍito.
Things that are empty make a noise,
the full is always quiet;
the fool is like a half-filled pot,
the wise one is like a deep still pool.
Sutta Nipāta 3.726
The Four Noble Truths - by S. N. Goenka
The Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths, which includes the theoretical as well as the practical aspect of his teaching.
1. The Noble Truth of Suffering: the entire field of suffering has to be known by experience.
2. The Noble Truth of the Arising of Suffering: the eradication of craving has to be experienced.
3. The Noble Truth of Cessation of Suffering: the realization of Nibbāna.
4. The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering: this has to be developed by repeated practice.
Hearing these truths and understanding them at the intellectual level is good but not sufficient. To benefit from these truths, it is essential to gain knowledge about them through experiential wisdom. Merely learning about them from others and understanding them at the intellectual level cannot make one sthitaprajña or an arahat.
The Buddha taught his five companions how to develop in wisdom and get established in it. All five became established in wisdom and became arahats. In the following quotation from a tradition in our country, we find reference to such arahats:
Tasya prajñā pratiśṭhitā (Bhagavadgītā 2.57-58)
————
Yathindakhīlo paṭhaviṃ sito siyā,
catubbhi vātehi asampakampiyo;
tathūpamaṃ sappurisaṃ vadāmi,
yo ariyasaccāni avecca passati.
Dhamma-vandanā, Ratana-sutta-8
Just as Indra’s pillar (a strong post at the entrance of a city), that is firmly embedded in the earth remains unshaken by the winds blowing from the four directions, similarly I declare as truly virtuous that person who has fully comprehended the four Noble Truths by direct experience. Such an arahat who is established in wisdom remains unshaken under all circumstances.
Misconceptions
When the original scriptures containing the Buddha’s teaching and the practice of Vipassana were totally lost from our country, some opponents of the Buddha and some ignorant people spread false comments about the four Noble Truths.
One misconception that they spread was that the teaching was utterly pessimistic and useless; and therefore it was lost from our country—because the word suffering was used four times whereas happiness was not mentioned at all.
Unless one practises Vipassana, how can one understand that the cessation of suffering (dukkhanirodha) is nothing but supreme happiness? Similarly, the practice of the other three truths also leads to supreme happiness.
Another misconception which they spread was, ‘How can suffering be called noble?’
When one practises Vipassana, one understands that when any one of the four Noble Truths is thoroughly experienced, it makes one a noble person.
Keep this in mind and work. Distribute this wonderful Dhamma for your good and for the good of so many suffering people around the world. May pure Dhamma spread! May more and more people start practising Dhamma to enjoy real peace, harmony, happiness!
Basic Pali-English Course at VRI
Vipassana Research Institute will be conducting an eight-month basic Pali-English residential course from March 2009 to 31 October 2009.
Vipassana meditators who have completed five ten-day courses and one Satipatthana course, are observing five precepts and maintaining two hours of daily practice for the last two years and are fully committed to this tradition are eligible for admission. Local area Teacher's recommendation is essential for admission to the course.
Advanced Pali-English Course at VRI
Advanced Pali-English residential course will be conducted from March 2009 to 31 October 2009. Eligibility criteria are the same as in the Basic Pali course plus completion of the Basic course or equivalent. Area teacher's recommendation is essential.
Last date for application is 31 January 2009. Application forms are available at VRI, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri 422 403. Email: vri_admin@dhamma.net.in
Website: www.vri.dhamma.org
Pilgrimage to the Buddha Sacred Sites
IRCTC, the tourism arm of Indian Railways, last year, started running a fully airconditioned special train named the Mahaparinirvana Express, touring the Buddha Sacred Sites – Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar. Exhaustive details can be viewed on www.railtourismindia.com.
This is an excellent opportunity for a Vipassana meditator to do the pilgrimage in a comfortable manner without the bother and hassle of orgainising multiple ticketing, local transport at different destinations and hotel stays.
Global Vipassana Foundation(GVF) has negotiated a special discount of 21% with IRCTC for the benefit of Vipassana meditators, and IRCTC & GVF has additionally agreed to structure in two slots of group meditation for the Vipassana meditators, subject to the number of such meditators being not less than 10 on a given train. The first, under the Bodhi tree in the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya and the second, at Kushinagar. The group sittings will be scheduled for after the close of visiting hours to the temple so as to provide a quiet environment for group meditation. This would be subject to no other engagement happening on the particular day in the temple premises.
The circuit of the Mahaparinirvana Express starts and ends at Delhi. The forthcoming schedule and tariff appear below:
Schedule
Start and end at Delhi
Starting Date
Ending Date
2008
Oct
1st & 18th
8th & 25th
Nov
1st, 15th & 29th
8th, 22nd & 6th Dec
Dec
13th & 27th
20th & 3rd Jan
2009
Jan
10th & 24th
17th & 31st
Feb
7th & 21st
14th & 28th
Mar
7th & 21st
14th & 28th
Tariff
Full Tour of 8 days / Full Fare (infants free, children 5-12 yrs 50%)
Class
Rack Rate 21% Discounted Rate (rounded)
Rs USD Rs USD
First 45150 1050 35670 830
2 Tier 37625 875 29730 692
3 Tier 28595 665 22590 525
Meditators needing more information are encouraged to visit www.railtourismindia.com and/or contact Arun Srivastava - Tel: (91) 99714-96669, Email: arunsrivastava@irctc.com. For registration contact Manish Shinde - Tel: (91) 93235-26462, Email: manish@globalpagoda.org.
Donations through Core Banking and SWIFT Transfer
Donations to Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust (VIA, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri) and VRI can now be remitted from anywhere in India through any branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) under core banking system.
Account Nos of State Bank of India, Igatpuri branch:
1 Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust: 11542160342
2 VRI: 11542165646. (Igatpuri Branch Code: 0386)
Donations from outside India can be remitted through SWIFT transfer to State Bank of India, Igatpuri Branch, Maharashtra, India. SWIFT Transfer details are as follows:
1. Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial trust: SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust Account No. 11542160342, Igatpuri branch code: 0386
2. Vipassana Research Institute (VRI): SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Vipassana Research Institute Account No. 11542165646, Igatpuri branch code: 0386
NB Please inform Accounts Department, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri 422 403, Email: info@giri.dhamma.org about your donation with all relevant details so that the receipt of your donation can be sent to you.
Pali Workshop
A seven-day Pali workshop has been organized at Jaipur for English-speaking non-Indian Vipassana meditators from 1 to 9 December 2008 (11 am), at Kothari Farms (Marugandha), Bhankrota-Jaisinghpura Road, two kms off Jaipur-Ajmer Express Highway, Bhankrota, Jaipur. For registration, contact Mr. Anil Mehta, Email: anilmehta02@yahoo.com
Vipassana Websites
Vipassana introduction: www.dhamma.org
Course schedules of Vipassana centres worldwide, application form for ten-day courses, etc.
Dhamma Giri: www.vri.dhamma.org
Indian Vipassana centres and schedule of courses, VRI Newsletters, research papers, publications, etc.
Pali Tipiṭaka Website: www.tipitaka.org
The Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana Tipiṭaka with commentaries, subcommentaries and related Pali texts in Roman, Devanagari, Cyrillic, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Myanmar, and Sinhala scripts. Bengali and Telugu scripts have also been added recently. More scripts will be added in future.
Prison Courses Website: www.prison.dhamma.org
Information about Vipassana courses in prisons.
Global Vipassana Pagoda Website: www.globalpagoda.org
Updated information about Global Vipassana Pagoda.
Goenkaji’s Discourses on Television
Aastha: Daily, 9:40 to 10 am
Hungama: and Bindass: Daily, 4.30 to 6.00 am
Zee: Urja, Daily, 4:30 am
USA: Aastha TV at 6 pm EST (Monday to Friday) on WORLDDIRECT platform of DIRECTV on channel no. 2005. (Please confirm exact timings.)
Children’s Courses in Mumbai
To serve children’s courses in Mumbai, call 98200-22990.
Date Venue Age Registration
23-11 Matunga 13-16 yrs 21 & 22-11
7-12 South Mumbai 9-15 yrs 29 & 30-11
7-12 Matunga 13-16 yrs 29 & 30-11
21-12 Ulhasnagar 13-16 yrs 6 & 7-12
21-12 Ghatkopar 10-12 yrs 6 & 7-12
Course Timings: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Registration: 11 am to 1 pm
Course Venues: Ghatkopar (W): SNDT School, New Bldg., Cama Lane, Opp. Vidyut Soc. Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. Matunga: Amulakh Amirchand High School, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Rd, New SNDT College, King’s Circle, Matunga, Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. South Mumbai: Tel: 2308-1622. Ulhasnagar: Guru Nanak School, Kurla Camp, Ulhasnagar-4. Tel: (0251) 252-2693. NB Please: *bring cushion, *register on specified phone numbers, *inform in advance if unable to attend after registration, *arrive on time for the course.
Goregaon: 18-1-2009 (10 to 14 years) at Vipassana Counselling & Research Centre, Siddharth Municipal Gen. Hospital, Goregaon (W), Mumbai. Registration: 16 & 17 Jan. from 11 am to 1 pm. Contact: Vijay Bhatia, 2308-1622.
New Responsibilities
Bhikkhu Ācaryas:
Ven. Bhikkhu Badullawala Seelaratana, Sri Lanka
Ācaryas:
1. U Myat Kyaw, Myanmar
To serve prison courses at Insein Prison, Myanmar
2. Ms. Laraine Doneman, Australia
Spread of Dhamma
Senior Assistant Teachers:
Mr. Christian & Mrs. Rosi Hild, Switzerland
New Appointments
Assistant Teachers:
1. Dr. Shriram Rathod, Nanded
2. Daw Wai Wai, Myanmar
3. Ms. Shanti Mather, South Africa
4. Mrs. Osnat Rizi, Israel
Children’s Course Teachers:
1. & 2. Mr. Atul & Mrs. Jalpa Bhut, Rajkot
3. Ms. Neerja Verma, Shivpuri, M.P.
4. Mrs. S. Janaki, Chennai
5. Ms. V. Padmini, Kalpakam
Dhamma Dohas
Jāgo logo jagata ke, bītī kālī rāta.
Huā ujālā dharama kā, maṅgala huā prabhāta.
People of the world awake, the dark night is over
The light of Dhamma has shone, the dawn of happiness
Āo prāṇī vishva ke, suno dharama kā gyāna.
Isame sukha hai shānti hai, mukti moksha niravāṇa.
Come beings of the universe,
listen to the wisdom of Dhamma.
In this lies happiness and peace,
freedom, liberation, nibbāna.
Yaha to vāṇī buddha kī, shuddha dharama kī jyota.
Akshara akshara meṃ bharā, maṅgala ota parota.
The words of the Buddha, the light of pure Dhamma
Each syllable is filled and permeated with happiness.
Buddha vāṇī mīṭhī ghaṇī, misarī ke se bola.
Kalyāṇī maṅgalamayī, bharā amṛta rasa ghola.
Sweet are the Buddha’s words, like crystallized sugar
Yielding welfare and happiness,
suffused with the taste of the deathless.
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Vipassana Research Institute
Vol. 18, No. 12: 12 December 2008
Vipassana Research Institute
Words of Dhamma
Paradukkhūpadhānena,
attano sukhamicchati;
verasaṃsaggasaṃsaṭṭho,
verā so na parimuccati.
One who inflicts pain on others,
in pursuit of one’s own happiness;
being entangled by the bonds of hatred,
is never delivered from hatred.
Dhammapada 291
Experiential Wisdom—Paññā, By S. N. Goenka
What is paññā? Paññā is direct knowledge. It is the excellent knowledge that leads us to liberation. Paññā is not the knowledge gained merely by reading books or by listening to discourses. It is actual knowledge that is gained through our own experience. By constantly practising it, many unknown truths start manifesting themselves.
One truth which manifests itself is that the roots of all those saṅkhāras that lead to the lower worlds lie dormant in the deep unconscious mind. This becomes clear to a person sooner or later, depending on his stock of past pāramis. These harmful saṅkhāras that lead one to states of misery lie dormant and flow along with the life-stream. Therefore, they are called dormant defilements (anusaya kilesa).
Even if one eradicates these unwholesome saṅkhāras at the surface of the mind by means of any meditation technique, yet one does not attain total liberation from the lower worlds.
However, when a meditator maintains the practice of objective awareness towards all bodily sensations, he develops a progressively stronger ability to be free from craving because by means of wisdom, he experiences the truth that every sensation is impermanent and constantly changing. He does not generate craving or aversion towards these sensations. Thus, his awareness and equanimity become stronger and stronger.
Then the deep-rooted dormant saṅkhāras at the depth of the unconscious mind start coming up on the surface one after another, and when the meditator remains equanimous towards them, they start getting uprooted and eradicated and start decreasing. Thus, the meditator starts getting liberated from the lower worlds.
When all the dormant defilements (leading to the lower realms) have come to the surface and have been eradicated, one attains full liberation from the lower worlds.
Uppajjitvā nirujjhanti, tesaṃ vūpasamo sukho.
When saṅkhāras arise and get eradicated, one experiences the happiness of their cessation.
By practising Vipassana a meditator gains complete liberation from the saṅkhāras of the lower worlds. As one continues to observe these impermanent sensations, one experiences for the first time, the state of nibbāna, which is constant, eternal, stable and beyond the field of arising and passing away. This is the first stage of total liberation from the cycle of becoming. This is known as the stage of stream-entry (sotāpatti). Such a meditator has entered the stream of total liberation from the cycle of becoming. Now nobody can stop him from becoming fully liberated. He will be reborn in the higher worlds for seven lives at the most and will eradicate his entire stock of rebirth-producing saṅkhāras.
Visaṅkhāragataṃ cittaṃ taṇhānaṃ khayamajjhagā.
The mind becomes free of all saṅkhāras and is totally purified.
When taṇhā is eradicated, he does not generate new saṅkhāras. He attains the stage where:
Khīṇaṃ purāṇaṃ navaṃ natthi sambhavaṃ.
All old saṅkhāras have been eradicated; new saṅkhāras cannot be generated. Such a person is known as an arahat; one who is totally liberated from rebirth.
He declares the following truth:
Ayamantimā jāti—
This is my last birth.
Natthidāni punabbhavoti—
Now there shall be no more rebirth.
(Dīghanikāyo 1.31, Bodhisattadhammatā)
Thus, he becomes totally liberated from birth and death in the cycle of becoming.
A meditator must strive diligently in order to attain all these stages.
Liberation cannot be bestowed by any god, goddess, brahmā or God Almighty. A true spiritual teacher will only say:
I am a path-giver, not a giver of liberation.
As the Buddha said –
Tumhehi kiccaṃ ātappaṃ, akkhātāro tathāgatā.
You have to strive for your liberation;
the Buddhas only show the path.
One who walks on this path cannot fall into the clutches of any guru out of blind faith. He understands:
Attā hi attano nātho—
one is one’s own master.
attā hi attano gati—
one makes one’s own destiny.
As he continues to practise Vipassana, certain truths about oneself become clear to a serious meditator.
First, it now becomes clear to him that, though he formerly believed that he was attached to intoxicants, gambling or sexual misconduct, the truth is that the attachment is not to them but to the sensations that they produce. Now, by this meditation, he objectively observes the arisen sensations associated with these addictions and gets rid of them. Thus he is free from generating such defiled saṅkhāras again.
Another truth also becomes very clear
—Pubbe hanati attānaṃ, pacchā hanati so pare.
(Theragāthāpāḷi 139, Vasabhattheragāthā)
A serious meditator, whether a prisoner or not, observes that whenever he generates a thought of revenge in his mind, his body immediately starts burning. His heartbeat increases and he becomes tense and miserable. He begins to clearly understand that, before he can destroy the peace and harmony of another person, he destroys his own peace and harmony and makes himself miserable.
When a meditator experiences these truths, his nature starts to change. In place of hatred and ill-will, he generates love and goodwill. His mind is suffused with loving kindness and compassion. His life is filled with peace and happiness. His life becomes fruitful.
Such is the technique of Vipassana, which is based on experiential truth and is beneficial in every way.
This is the invaluable legacy which Buddha gave to the suffering world.
Bhavatu sabba maṅgalaṃ—May all beings be happy.
Vipassana Websites
Vipassana introduction: www.dhamma.org
Course schedules of Vipassana centres worldwide, application form for ten-day courses, etc.
Dhamma Giri: www.vri.dhamma.org
Indian Vipassana centres and schedule of courses, VRI Newsletters, research papers, publications, etc.
Pali Tipiṭaka Website: www.tipitaka.org
The Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana Tipiṭaka with commentaries, subcommentaries and related Pali texts in Roman, Devanagari, Cyrillic, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Myanmar, and Sinhala scripts. Bengali and Telugu scripts have also been added recently. More scripts will be added in future.
Prison Courses Website: www.prison.dhamma.org
Information about Vipassana courses in prisons.
Global Vipassana Pagoda Website: www.globalpagoda.org
Updated information about Global Vipassana Pagoda.
Goenkaji’s Discourses on Television
Aastha: Daily, 9:40 to 10 am
Hungama: and Bindass: Daily, 4.30 to 6.00 am
Zee: Urja, Daily, 4:30 am
USA: Aastha TV at 6 pm EST (Monday to Friday) on WORLDDIRECT platform of DIRECTV on channel no. 2005. (Please confirm exact timings.)
In Memoriam
Mr. Richard Harding, Assistant Teacher of Vipassana from UK, passed away peacefully on 27 November 2008 in Dorset, England. His wife, Mrs. Deborah Harding, is also an assistant teacher.
May he be happy, peaceful and liberated.
Pilgrimage to the Buddha Sacred Sites
IRCTC, the tourism arm of Indian Railways, last year, started running a fully airconditioned special train named the Mahaparinirvana Express, touring the Buddha Sacred Sites – Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar. Exhaustive details can be viewed on www.railtourismindia.com.
This is an excellent opportunity for a Vipassana meditator to do the pilgrimage in a comfortable manner without the bother and hassle of orgainising multiple ticketing, local transport at different destinations and hotel stays.
Global Vipassana Foundation(GVF) has negotiated a special discount of 21% with IRCTC for the benefit of Vipassana meditators, and IRCTC & GVF has additionally agreed to structure in two slots of group meditation for the Vipassana meditators, subject to the number of such meditators being not less than 10 on a given train. The first, under the Bodhi tree in the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya and the second, at Kushinagar. The group sittings will be scheduled for after the close of visiting hours to the temple so as to provide a quiet environment for group meditation. This would be subject to no other engagement happening on the particular day in the temple premises.
The circuit of the Mahaparinirvana Express starts and ends at Delhi. The forthcoming schedule and tariff appear below:
Schedule
Start and end at Delhi
Starting Date
Ending Date
2008
Oct
1st & 18th
8th & 25th
Nov
1st, 15th & 29th
8th, 22nd & 6th Dec
Dec
13th & 27th
20th & 3rd Jan
2009
Jan
10th & 24th
17th & 31st
Feb
7th & 21st
14th & 28th
Mar
7th & 21st
14th & 28th
Tariff
Full Tour of 8 days / Full Fare (infants free, children 5-12 yrs 50%)
Class
Rack Rate 21% Discounted Rate (rounded)
Rs USD Rs USD
First 45150 1050 35670 830
2 Tier 37625 875 29730 692
3 Tier 28595 665 22590 525
Meditators needing more information are encouraged to visit www.railtourismindia.com and/or contact Arun Srivastava - Tel: (91) 99714-96669, Email: arunsrivastava@irctc.com. For registration contact Manish Shinde - Tel: (91) 93235-26462, Email: manish@globalpagoda.org
Basic Pali-English Course at VRI
Vipassana Research Institute will be conducting an eight-month basic Pali-English residential course from March 2009 to 31 October 2009.
Vipassana meditators who have completed five ten-day courses and one Satipatthana course, are observing five precepts and maintaining two hours of daily practice for the last two years and are fully committed to this tradition are eligible for admission. Local area Teacher's recommendation is essential for admission to the course.
Advanced Pali-English Course at VRI
Advanced Pali-English residential course will be conducted from March 2009 to 31 October 2009. Eligibility criteria are the same as in the Basic Pali course plus completion of the Basic course or equivalent. Area teacher's recommendation is essential.
Last date for application is 31 January 2009. Application forms are available at VRI, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri 422 403. Email: vri_admin@dhamma.net.in
Website: www.vri.dhamma.org
Donations through Core Banking and SWIFT Transfer
Donations to Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust (VIA, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri) and VRI can now be remitted from anywhere in India through any branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) under core banking system.
Account Nos of State Bank of India, Igatpuri branch:
1 Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust: 11542160342
2 VRI: 11542165646. (Igatpuri Branch Code: 0386)
Donations from outside India can be remitted through SWIFT transfer to State Bank of India, Igatpuri Branch, Maharashtra, India. SWIFT Transfer details are as follows:
1. Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial trust: SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust Account No. 11542160342, Igatpuri branch code: 0386
2. Vipassana Research Institute (VRI): SBININ BB 528 Branch code 01247 beneficiary Vipassana Research Institute Account No. 11542165646, Igatpuri branch code: 0386
NB Please inform Accounts Department, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri 422 403, Email: info@giri.dhamma.org about your donation with all relevant details so that the receipt of your donation can be sent to you.
Pali Workshops
Two Pali workshops have been organized at Jaipur for Hindi-speaking Vipassana meditators from India and Nepal from 20 to 28 February and 23 to 31 May 2009.
Venue: Kothari Farms (Marugandha), Bhankrota-Jaisinghpura Road, 2 kms. off Jaipur-Ajmer Express Highway, Bhankrota, Jaipur. For registration, contact Ms. Meghana, Mobile: 96028-48896.
Email: paliworkshop@yahoo.co.in
First Malayalam Publication and Newsletter
The first Malayalam Vipassana book, Pravacana Saramsham, a translation of the Hindi ten day course discourse summaries by Goenkaji has now been published. This book is useful and inspiring to Vipassana meditators as well as to non-meditators. It is available at VRI, Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri. Email: vri_admin@dhamma.net.in
The online edition of the Malayalam Vipassana Newsletter is now available. It includes the 2009 course schedule of Dhamma Ketana, Kerala and list of VRI publications. Website: www.vri.dhamma.org/newsletters
Children’s Courses in Mumbai
To serve children’s courses in Mumbai, call 98200-22990.
Date Venue Age Registration
21-12 Ulhasnagar 13-16 yrs 6 & 7-12
21-12 Ghatkopar 10-12 yrs 6 & 7-12
4-1 South Mumbai 9-16 yrs 4 & 5-1
18-1 Goregaon (W) 13-16 yrs 16 & 17-1
18-1 Ghatkopar 9-16 yrs 16 & 17-1
1-2 South Mumbai 9-16 yrs 27 & 28-1
22-2 Ghatkopar 9-16 yrs 19 & 20-2
Course Timings: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Registration: 11 am to 1 pm
Course Venues: Ghatkopar (W): SNDT School, New Bldg., Cama Lane, Opp. Vidyut Soc. Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. Matunga: Amulakh Amirchand High School, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Rd, New SNDT College, King’s Circle, Matunga, Tel: 2510-1096, 2516-2505. South Mumbai: Tel: 2308-1622. Ulhasnagar: Guru Nanak School, Kurla Camp, Ulhasnagar-4. Tel: (0251) 252-2693. NB Please: *bring cushion, *register on specified phone numbers, *inform in advance if unable to attend after registration, *arrive on time for the course.
Goregaon: 18-1-2009 (10 to 14 years) at Vipassana Counselling & Research Centre, Siddharth Municipal Gen. Hospital, Goregaon (W), Mumbai. Registration: 16 & 17 Jan. from 11 am to 1 pm. Contact: Vijay Bhatia, 2308-1622.
New Responsibilities
Senior Assistant Teachers:
Ms. Barbara Luxton, Canada
New Appointments
Assistant Teachers:
1. & 2. Mr. Raj Kumar Singh & Mrs. Sarojini Chauhan, Fatehpur
3. Mrs. Rajinder Nagpal, Pune
4. Ms. A. K. Sashikala Balakrishnan, Igatpuri
5. Mr. Nara Bahadur Gurung, Nepal
6. Mr. Somnuk Sattayanon, Thailand
7. Mr. Yuth Itchayapruek, Thailand
8. Ms. Puangpaka Bunnag, Thailand
9. Mr. Jeremy Dunn, USA
Children’s Course Teachers:
1. Mr. Gajendra Singh Kushwaha, Vadodara
2. Mr. Sanjay Kumar Dua, Kapurthala
3. Mr. Sanjiv Kumar Saini, Kapurthala
4. Ms. Jagruti Vakil, Kutch
5. Ms. Sucharit Sudtanun, Thailand
6. Mrs. Jidapa Techavisesa, Thailand
7. Mrs. Christine Grey, Australia
8. Ms. Shana Hart, Australia
9. Ms. Martha Kubisz, Switzerland
Dhamma Dohas
Dharama na Hindū Bauddha hai, Sikkha na Musalima Jaina;
Dharama citta kī śuddhatā, Dharama śānti sukha caina.
Dhamma is not Hindu or Buddhist, Sikh, Muslim nor Jain;
Dhamma is purity of heart, peace, happiness, serenity.
Sampradāya nā Dharama hai, Dharama na bane divāra.
Dharama sikhāye ekatā, Dharama sikhāye pyāra.
Sectarianism is not Dhamma, Dhamma raises no walls;
Dhamma teaches oneness, Dhamma teaches love.
Mānava mānava meṅ jahāṅ, bhedabhāva nā hoya;
Nijahita parahita sarvahita, satya Dharama hai soya.
Between one person and another, making no distinction;
Beneficial to oneself, others, to all—this is true Dhamma.
Maiṅ bhī dukhiyā nā rahūṅ, jagata dukhī nā hoya;
Jīvana jīne kī kalā, satya Dharama hai soya.
May I and may the world be without suffering;
This is the art of living, this is true Dhamma.
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