HITECH KHADI Goenka: Modern Superb Upasaka

Goenka: Modern Superb Upasaka

Assistant Prof. Dr. Pornchai Pacharin-tanakun

HITECH KHADI Assistant Prof. Dr. Pornchai Pacharin-tanakun http://DrPornchai.com พรชัย พัชรินทรตนะกุล Freelance Academic Guest Lecturer at Faculty of Religions and Philosophy, Mahamakut Buddhist University

Goenka: Modern Superb Upasaka Buddhist sanghas (communities) compose of four groups of Buddhists, which are Bhikkhu (monk) sangha, Bhikkhuni (lady monk) sangha, Upasaka (layman) sangha and Upasika (laywoman) sangha. Buddhism treats these four groups equally in importance since Buddhism would not be secured in the world if these four sanghas could not conduct their activities perfectly and inclusively. The Buddha clearly said twice, right after His enlightenment and three months before His parinibbana, that if the four sanghas had not attained a secured position in society, meaning the sasana (teaching) had not been well established, then He would not get into parinibbana and if necessary He would resolve to live until the end of the kappa so that the teaching would be destined to be (almost) permanent in the world. (Remember, all things are subjected to impermanence, including the sasana itself!) The Buddha even signaled to Ananda, His personal attendance or secretary, to ask Him to live (for all intense and purpose) forever. But, unfortunately, Ananda did not get the message otherwise the Buddha's biography and Buddhism's history would have changed tremendously in ways that nobody could imagine and maybe the Buddha might still be living among us right now! Anyway, the four sanghas had been already established certainly before the Buddha's parinibbana otherwise He would not have had himself annihilated, (Parinibbana in a way is like the annihilation of the body and mind.) and we would have to modify Buddha's biography for He would be more than 80 years old when parinibbana occurred. How many more years? Nobody would know since the event did not happen!

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The establishment of the four sanghas partly means some of the bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, upasakas and upasikas have to be extremely capable, such as they must attain nobleness or attain one of the classes of noble persons, namely arahants, anagamis, sakadagamis or sotapannas and also must be able to propagate dhamma effectively. The scripture reveals clearly that every sangha group, bhikkhus and bhikkhunis who denounce worldly wealth and isolate themselves from the world or upasakas and upasikas who retain it, can equally attain high levels of dhamma, becoming noble persons, and can be experts (etadaggas) in various fields. The most famous examples of noble householders in Buddha's times are the millionaire Anathapindika and the lady Visakha. The four Buddhist sanghas, monastics and laymen, have been great engines in propagating Buddhism since old times. Especially, the mahayana sect places great emphasis in laymen's role. One of the famous mahayana laymen is Vimalakitti made famous in the Vimalakitti Nidesa Sutta (in Pali) or Vimalakirti Nidesh Sutra (in Sanskrit.) In the modern times we also have great laymen: for examples, Theravada Thais Achan Phon Ratanasuwan and Achan Wasin Inthasa, Zen Japanese Dr. Susuki and Theravada Myanmese-Indian Satya Narayan Goenka. Now in this article I shall mention only Goenka since he played a very large role in the dissemination of Buddhism especially the vipassana practice all over the world. Probably it might be safe to say that more than half of the western world have been hearing about vipassana because of Goenka. Goenka had a very unique and surprising way of talking about dhamma that nobody can do it like him as you can see in what follows. Goenka was one of superb upasakas in the 26th Buddhist century. (Buddhist Era 2501 2600. The Buddhist Era is 543 years more than Common Era.) Unfortunately, he already died. Goenka was a lay expert in the expansion of Buddhism. Other propagators can hardly match him. He had his own brand of the mission by teaching dhamma and vipassana without claiming he was promulgating Buddhism. He told students that dhamma and vipassana have nothing to do with any religion at all so a vipassana practitioner needs not bow to the Buddha images and needs not even chant either! When the practitioner later sees the benefit of dhamma and realizes he has been doing Buddhism in all these times past then he might take up Buddhism rationally and wholeheartedly by himself. He would reap benefit before being confident in Buddhism rather than the other way around. He would not believe and follow others into the religion blindly without any justification. This should be the way for the modern world to embrace Buddhism. To realize the Page 2 of 6



fruit of Buddhism before having faith is the right way for Buddhism to flower in the scientific atmosphere of the world today. A cultural or traditional or ceremonial Buddhism has no place now. Scientific and pragmatic Buddhism is the way to go. One who comes to Buddhism by this route would bow to the Buddha images and chant automatically by himself later when he is ready. There is no need to coerce or force or even induce him to do so. Satya Narayan Goenka was an ethnic Indian born on the 30th of January BE 2467 in what is now Mandalay, Myanmar, and died on the 29th of September BE 2556 in Mumbai, India, at the age of 89 years. He had been disseminating Buddhism by teaching vipassana along the lineage of the Myanmese master Sayagyi U Bakhin. He studied under U Bakhin for 14 years. Then in BE 2512 Goenka moved his base from Myanmar to India and started to teach meditation. Later in BE 2519 he established a meditation center in Igatpuri, northeast of Mumbai. Goenka was a nonsectarian vipassana teacher thus he was able to pioneer vipassana practice in modern India after so long a time since Buddhism disappeared from the country of its origin. Goenka spent most of his life in training more than 800 assistant teachers. Each year more than 100,000 trainees went through his courses organized around the world. Goenka's teaching technique belongs to the Buddha. When he taught he did not refer to the Buddha or His teaching. Taken superficially, some may think that he betrayed the Buddha who was every Buddhist's and also Goenka's supreme teacher. But looking at it long enough, one sees that Goenka was able to gain the favor of very many non-Buddhists and bring them into the faith. (Or rather the science?) If Goenka had declared out right from the beginning of the course that he would teach Buddhism then the adherents to other faiths would surely not come and Goenka's success would be much less than what it is today. Goenka could virtually and successfully "deceive" and bring people into Buddhism because he did not preach religion, following the Buddha who Himself did not teach religion either. We might say that the Buddha was not a Buddhist. (Buddhism did not exist then!) He did not teach Buddhism, instead He taught dhamma (How nature works, which is obviously science.) and vinaya. (How to behave properly, which is partly religion.) Dhamma and vinaya lead to liberation. His teaching is effective and universal for every single man and for all times. Dhamma is not religion but is the information and practice for everyone to examine and see if it's good or appropriate for himself or herself to take advantage of. Dhamma is rather more like a science than a religion. Men of any religion or even of no religion at all can practice the same dhamma and Page 3 of 6



receive the same fruit that is liberation without exception. "Liberation" here means freedom from impurities of the mind. When the mind is purified then freedom from suffering follows. Vipassana is the practice in observing changes in body and mind in a deep level, thus the practice is an observational science leading to the experience of real peace and happiness in life, which is liberation. Before becoming a vipassana teacher, Goenka had been a successful business man, though occasionally he was attacked by very bad migraine. He went to see U Bakhin, (BE 2442 2514. U Bakhin was the first accountant general of Myanmar after independence from the British.) becoming one of his students just for learning vipassana and getting relieved from headache! Goenka spent time with U Bakhin for more than 10 years. Then he transferred his business to other family members and moved to India in order to teach meditation and vipassana. Seven years later he opened the first ever vipassana center in India named International Vipassana Academy, which is known by another name of Dhammagiri. Goenka had been the only teacher in the academy till BE 2525 when he started to train assistant teachers so that the teaching could be expanded. In BE 2528 Goenka established Vipassana Research Institute in Igatpuri. Today (BE 2556) there exist 172 Goenka vipassana centers all over the world in various countries, namely United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, United Kingdom, Japan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand and India. In BE 2551, Goenka started to construct the Global Vipassana Pagoda in Mumbai to be a shrine for the Buddha's relic with a meditation room inside. Thus it can be seen that Goenka was firmly or even devoutly Buddhist, though he never referred to Buddhism when teaching vipassana, at least at the beginning of the course. Eventually, with enough experience, the vipassana trainees would realize the result all the same with or without reference to the Buddha. At any rate, it's not a secret that Goenka learned vipassana from Buddhism, there is no other vipassana source in the whole world! The most popular way of practicing vipassana is based on the observation of the in- and out-breath, which is call anapana. Breathing observation leads to a concentrated mind. Then the mind will be able to follow the happenings in the body and mind at every present moment with neutrality and non-judgment. It is like one did not behave like oneself but like a third person outside the body and mind. This third person would observe one's body and mind without any attachment.

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This is the heart of vipassana practice which will lead to the truth of nature (dhamma.) Realizing this truth will liberate the practitioner from defilements and also from all suffering. This liberation is also called dhamma attainment. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Satya Narayan Goenka: a 26th Buddhist century superb Upasaka.

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Global Vipassana Pagoda in Mumbai, built by Goenka in BE 2551. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% มงคลมิติไฮเทคคดี\Goenka: Modern Superb Upasaka

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