Goenka shares a lot of theory in the 10-day discourses on topics like reincarnation, sankaras, metta, and liberation. He also shares that believing the theory isn't important as long as you follow the practice of sila, samadhi, and panna. Goenka wants students to learn the benefits of practicing vipassana through their own experience, and since …
Alternative Views on Sankhara’s and the Process of Purification: Part 2
Written by Dan Kaminsky My experience with meditation causes me to question Goenka’s explanation of Sankhara’s and the process of purification (discussed in part one of this post). In this post, I want to discuss the intellectual challenges I have with Goenka’s theory on Sankhara’s. On the intellectual level, two main things about Goenka’s model …
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America Needs Dhamma
I've recently written about a number of item within the Goenka organization that I disagree with. Some people have received these disagreements as attacks or attempts to discredit the organization, but I think our regular readers are discovering that I'm a friend trying to help the organization grow. Dhamma has some important lessons to teach …
Alternative Views on Sankhara’s and the Process of Purification: Part 1
Written by Dan Kaminsky I recently listened to Daniel Ingram’s four hour long interview on the Monk on a Motorbike podcast. If you are able to, I recommend it, as it challenges many basic operating assumptions present in the Goenka tradition, especially those around Sankhara’s and how the mind is purified through Vipassana meditation. Ingram …
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A Customized Approach
By an anonymous old student Before vipassana, I had participated in other meditation courses that were quite didactic and costly. When I googled “meditation courses closest to me,” vipassana was the first listing. The course was donation-based and the center was nearby. To be honest, I came out more confused and annoyed than I had …
Helping Dhamma To Spread
In my first 10-day course, I knew I had found something that could greatly benefit American society. America has prioritized individuality, competition, and hard work which are valuable qualities, be we've lost our connections to each other, and that's harming our community as a whole. In our efforts to achieve as individuals, we're dividing and …
On Skillful Communication
Written by Dan Kaminsky I hope we can learn to practice dialoguing together about our successes and failures on, and off, the cushion in a respectful, equanimous and loving way. And considering Goenka has passed, learning how to talk about these issues respectfully now is of extreme importance for the tradition’s future as we become …
Wisdom In My Own Words
The 10-day course developed by U Ba Kin and Goenka has successfully travelled around the world teaching the fundamentals of dhamma to all walks of life. It's amazing that the combinations of rules, instructions, and discourses that Geonka put together has been translated into so many different languages to conduct successful courses. I understand the …
In response to “treat it like a black stone” or “just observe”
Written by Dan Kaminsky There are, at this point, a few very predictable responses to certain types of concerns being raised. And those responses are valid. There is a ton of wisdom in observing your own baggage and working to not be consumed by it. Yet, I think those responses aren’t always appropriate. Often, when …
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Is Old Student Dialogue Helpful?
Open discussions are rare in the Goenka tradition for good reason. The tradition's focus is on encouraging people to meditate, and intellectual discussions can lead to confusion and doubt that detract from the personal journey experienced on the cushion. There's also the problem of determining who is advanced enough in their development to share their …
Living Vipassana 