Goenka seems to present two different paths. First, he shares that sila (morality), samadhi (concentration through breath awareness), and panna (wisdom through body sensation awareness) are the three universal components of the path towards ultimate truth. Second, he shares that the ultimate goal is to liberate the mind from the cycle of birth and death. …
3 Challenges I’ve Faced in Goenka’s Vipassana
Written by Dan Kaminsky Hello! My goal with this blog post is to lay out some of the challenges I have faced after ten years in the Goenka tradition. I would like to preface these challenges by saying that these critiques are coming from a place of gratitude and understanding of the immense benefits I …
Continue reading 3 Challenges I’ve Faced in Goenka’s Vipassana
Where Do I Go From Here?
Now 38 years old and over 10 years into my Vipassana journey, my wife, Maria, and I have just welcomed Baby William into our family. Long courses and long-term service have helped me mature as a compassionate human being, but they can no longer be my guiding compass. With any thoughts of a monastic life …
The Next Generation of Goenka Meditators
50 years ago, S. N. Goenka started teaching Vipassana to a new generation of meditators. Thousands of his inspired pupils became meditation teachers, carrying his instructions around the world. Now seven years after Goenka’s death, there is an entire generation of Goenka followers that never met him. The first generation of Goenka students have become …
Set your mind to it.
Following is a line from the 1981 Hindi movie Umrao Jaan, from the song Dil Cheez Kya Hai. It's one of my favorite quotes. मुश्किल नहीं है कुछ भी अगर ठान लीजिये। Pronounced: Mushkil nahi hai kuchh bhi agar thaan lijiye. Translation: Nothing is hard if you commit to it. I often tell myself and complain …
My Cancer and Vipassana
Dukkha - I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in January 2019. It was at early stage at that time. I started to worry because my father had same cancer and he died from this disease. It could happen to me too. I asked myself - Can I accept this? I have time to think about …
Hello again 🙏
I have decided to return to blogging after 5+ years. To use writing as an accountability tool for sitting regularly. To share thoughts, questions, and insights that surface through equanimous observation of sensations. To re-sharpen my writing skills and experience the joy of writing again. Stay tuned. In the meantime, read my past posts here and …
A New Blog about Bringing Meditation to Teens
I've decided to turn my attention to a new blog called Loving Lives Delaware. I'm interested in exploring how to light the path towards a 10-day course for someone who has never meditated before. As a high school teacher, it makes sense to start with my students and work my way up from there. If …
Continue reading A New Blog about Bringing Meditation to Teens
The 10-Day Course Is Essential, But Must It Be The Entry Point?
Goenka had a mission to reintroduce Vipassana to the world. Morality, Anapana, and many other meditation variations were present in the world before Goenka, but the amplified impact of learning morality, Anapana, and Vipassana together had been lost. To ensure students received the full benefit of learning these three foundations together, Goenka emphasized the 10-day …
Continue reading The 10-Day Course Is Essential, But Must It Be The Entry Point?
Relationships and Intellectual Understanding are Essential for Dhamma Growth
Goenka continuously emphasizes the importance of sitting - sitting 2 hours a day, sitting a 10-day course a year, and sitting whenever you have free time. His message can be interpreted to mean that sitting will solve all of life's problems, and everything else is superficial. I've never met Goenka, so I have no idea …
Continue reading Relationships and Intellectual Understanding are Essential for Dhamma Growth
