Vol.9 No.2 February 2, 1999
Words of Dhamma
Daṇḍeneke damayanti, |
There are some that tame with beatings, |
Majjhima Nikāya II, 105 |
Liberation from All Bondages
- by S. N. Goenka
(The following message for prisoners from Goenkaji was recorded in January, 1994for the participants of Vipassana courses held at Tihar Prison.)
Friends:
You have all assembled here to liberate yourselves, liberate yourselves from all bondages, all miseries. To be imprisoned in prison like this is a great agony. And to be liberated from prison is very fortunate. But besides the confinement within these four walls, there is a greater prison in which all of us suffer so much. This is the prison of our own negativities, our own mental defilements, which keep overpowering us.
We have become the slaves of our own anger, hatred, ill will, animosity; slaves of our defilements of craving, clinging, greed, passion, attachment, ego. Any defilement that arises in our minds overpowers us makes us its prisoner so quickly! We start suffering immediately. This suffering is not limited to the area inside these prison walls. People inside this jail or outside this jail are all prisoners of their own habit patterns. They keep generating one negativity or the other, and they keep on suffering.
If we are relieved of these negativities, we start enjoying the true happiness of liberation. We start enjoying real peace, real harmony. When our minds are freed from impurities, the entire habit pattern of our life changes. A pure mind is naturally full of love and compassion, infinite love and compassion; full of joy, sympathetic joy; and full of equanimity, perfect equilibrium of mind. This is real happiness, real peace, real harmony.
The bondage of mental defilements is a universal bondage. And the happiness of liberation from these negativities is also universal. Whether one is a Hindu or Muslim, Jain or Buddhist, Christian or Jew, Sikh or Parsi it makes no difference. Anyone who is imprisoned in the bondage of defilements is bound to suffer. And anyone who comes out of this bondage starts to enjoy peace and harmony.
The first day of the new year has brought you this wonderful technique of ancient India, the technique discovered by the Enlightened Ones. The technique is so scientific, so result-oriented, so non-sectarian. It brings you the message of liberation, the message of peace and harmony.
May all of you who participate in this camp work diligently, patiently and persistently, to come out of all your bondages, all your miseries. May a new era start in your lives. May Dhamma bring you full liberation. May you all enjoy real peace, real harmony.
One-day Course
On the auspicious occasion of the centenary of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, a one-day course has been organised on 6 March 1999, from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Karmvir Dadasaheb Gaikwad Sanskritik Kendra, Andheri (W), Mumbai. For more details, please contact:
(1) Mr N. Y. Lokhande, Tel: 413 3500.
(2) Mrs Veena Agarwal, Tel: 634 3409, 634 0193.
The Spread Of Dhamma In 1998 - International Events
Goenkaji and Mataji’s Tours
Goenkaji and Mataji traveled extensively in 1998, covering Northern India, Gujarat, Bodhgaya, Sarnath and East and South East Asia.
India: During the north India tour they visited four centres for the first time Dhamma Dhaja, Dhamma Sikhara, Dhamma Sota and Dhamma Salila. In addition to giving instructions to students attending courses, Goenkaji met government officials, media representatives, and venerable monks and gave many Dhamma talks to the general public. One talk was given in the village of Kammaspur, believed to be the place where the Buddha expounded the Mahasatipaṭṭhāna Sutta. The Gujarat tour included well-attended public talks, press interviews and courses at the new centres Dhamma Pīṭha, Ahmedabad and Dhamma Koṭa, Rajkot. In November 1998, Goenkaji was invited to give the keynote address at the Buddha Mahotsav sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in Sarnath and Bodhgaya.
South-East Asia: Goenkaji and Mataji made an extensive tour from July to September of seven Asian countries. The tour began with a week’s stay in Myanmar where Goenkaji’s public talks were attended by about 2000 people. He also attended a meeting with senior bhikkhus and government officials, including the minister for religious affairs. In Thailand a new pagoda was inaugurated at Dhamma Kamala and Goenkaji and Mataji gave Vipassana for the first 30-day course there. In Taiwan, they conducted one of the largest courses (380 students) outside India. Goenkaji gave many public talks, press conferences and interviews during his month-long stay in Taiwan. They next visited Hong Kong where a temple was offered as a site for holding ongoing courses. Goenkaji and Mataji then flew to Cambodia for the first time despite the security dangers. Their visit was an important step in ending the isolation felt by the Vipassana community there, who serve Dhamma under particularly difficult conditions. Later stops included Singapore and Malaysia. Goenkaji commented, "The countries of East and South East Asia received the teaching of the Buddha long ago, all that was missing was the technique. Now large numbers are being attracted to it. We are witnessing what Sayagyi described: the clock of Vipassana is striking and people all around the world will learn and benefit from the Dhamma"
Chaṭṭha Saṅgayana CD-ROM version 2
The second version of the Chaṭṭha Saṅgayana CD-ROM produced by Vipassana Research Institute is being distributed worldwide as Dhamma dāna. This CD contains 4 additional scripts: Sri Lankan, Thai, Cambodian, and Mongol; 40 more Pāli texts and an English-Pāli dictionary. It was presented to the learned bhikkhus and Pāli scholars in Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia during Goenkaji’s tour.
Vipassana Research Institute also distributed 21 volumes of Khuddaka-nikāya II & III worldwide as Dhamma dāna in 1998.
Buddhasahassanāmāvalī, Pāli verses composed by Goenkaji in homage of the Buddha, was published in seven scripts: Devanāgarī, Mynamar, Roman, Sri Lankan, Thai, Cambodian, and Mongol.
Vipassana Pagoda
Construction of Phase 1 of the Vipassana Pagoda at Goraigaon, Mumbai was started in 1998, including foundation, parikrama, basement slabs, and the Pagoda floor. Tenders for Phase 2, i.e. construction of the steel superstructure of the monument, have been floated. In January 1999, Goenkaji conducted a group sitting and gave an inspiring talk, which was attended by a large number of meditators.
Worldwide Vipassana Video Project
The film about Vipassana in prisons, ‘Doing Time, Doing Vipassana’ was broadcast on major television stations and shown in public screenings around the world. It also won a number of awards, including the Golden Globe Award. The latest award was given by the American National Council of Crime & Delinquency. During 1998 a fourth new film was released: ‘Islands of Dhamma’, a video catalogue of 21 Vipassana centres. The main film for which the project was created has yet to be edited. This film will provide an overview of the spread of Dhamma the chain of teachers up to the present day, with interviews of meditators, footage from courses and an inspiring message for the future.
Dhamma on the Internet
Dhamma Giri Homepage (www.vri.dhamma.org) contains all the publications of VRI, information about the CD-ROM project, information about Goenkaji’s programme, and other information of particular interest to India and neighbouring countries.
The New Student Homepage (www.dhamma.org) contains basic information about Vipassana and the schedule of Vipassana courses around the world. This year, two video discourses by Goenkaji, one in English and one in Hindi, and the "Hill of Dhamma" video were added.
Vipassana Homepage in Non-English Languages is available in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish.
India
The total number of students attending courses in India this year was about 10,000. 25,000 children participated in Anapana courses.
A new centre in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, Dhamma Dhaja, was established this year. Land is being purchased for developing a new centre about 10 miles from Aurangabad, in Maharashtra. The third course in the state of Jammu and Kashmir was held in 1998. Every state in India has now held a course, including the north-eastern states.
A 10-day course was held for 47 visually impaired students at Dhammānanda, Pune in April ’98. Another 10-day course for 30 male visually impaired students of the Blind Men’s Association was organised in Ahmedabad in July. All the students completed the course successfully.
Five Pāli workshops were held around India for the benefit of old students and assistant teachers. The curriculum was drawn from the words of the Buddha as found in the Tipiṭaka and the 10-day course material. Emphasis was placed on direct interpretation of Pāli passages as well as pronunciation. The aim was to inspire interest in Pāli. A comment made by a student attending the workshop in Bodhgaya suggests that this was certainly achieved, "A university level course. Much valuable material conducive to continuation of study through inspirational words of the Buddha’s teaching. Thank you for demonstrating how accessible Pāli is for me."
Training workshops for assistant teachers, students, trustees, and Dhamma servers were held in India and Nepal. More than 350 participated in these workshops, which focussed on self development using both participative and introspective sessions.
Ten children course training workshops were held this year. A new Hindi counseling video was used in children courses at various sites around India. Thus far the feedback has been positive. Recently an English version of the video has been produced.
The work of translating and recording the 10-day course teaching tapes into more languages is underway in Malayalam, Korean, Greek and Hungarian. Old student and long course material is being translated and recorded into Kannada, Japanese, Mongolian, Thai, Mandarin, French and Spanish.
The Institute of Management Development, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC), Dehradun, has issued a circular nominating 260 ONGC executives from different regional centres in India for Vipassana courses. The circular states: "Vipassana courses are excellent programmes for self-development and stress-management and ultimately help in team-building, team-work and enhancement of efficiency and productivity apart from discipline, good conduct and behaviour."
Jail Courses: Dhamma Tihar continued its regular programme of courses and in 1998, Goenkaji inaugurated the new meditation cells that had been constructed to enable the inmates to meditate more intensively. Courses were held for the first time in jails in Ajmer and Bikaner. In Maharashtra, the Inspector General of Prisons and all five Deputy Generals have now done Vipassana courses. 200 out of the 2200 prison staff of the 42 jails are also meditators. The Maharashtra Government has recommended that nine more jails develop Vipassana centres.
Nepal
A total number of 3,450 students attended courses in Nepal in 1998. The first jail course in Nepal was held in November. 20 male inmates completed the course successfully. A ten-day Vipassana course for 13 male and 12 female visually impaired students was organised at Dharmashriṅga, Kathmandu. All the students completed the course successfully and expressed deep joy and gratitude at the end of the course.
North America
Following the first prison course at the North Rehabilitation Facility, Seattle in late 1997, three more courses two for women and one for men were successfully conducted at the same facility. A film about these prison courses titled ‘Changing From Inside’ was made by a local meditator. This film is now available for viewing by students at Vipassana centres and for showing to interested prison authorities.
The Art of Living by Bill Hart has been recorded on audio tape.
Latin America
In 1998, 18 ten-day courses were held in 9 Latin American countries serving approximately 600 students. Two children courses were also held.
Satipaṭṭhāna materials were recorded and ready for the first course in Venezuela during 1999.
In Mexico, students are looking for a site suitable for a centre in the area of Cuernavaca.
Australia And New Zealand
At Dhamma Bhūmi, a new Dhamma hall is being built to accommodate around 300 students has begun. At Dhamma Āloka, student numbers doubled those of 1997. The New South Wales Government Department of Corrective Service has agreed to hold a prison course. Regular children courses (3 to 4 a year) have been held at the three larger centres in Australia and student numbers are increasing.
25 courses were held at Dhamma Medinī, New Zealand. A new accommodation block of single rooms is almost complete.
South And East Asia
Japan: The first 20-day and children courses were successfully held in 1998. Also the first non-centre course at the private home of a meditator was conducted.
Myanmar: Construction at Dhamma Maṇḍala, a new Vipassana centre in Mandalay, to accommodate up to 100 students has begun. The Dhamma hall is ready and other facilities will be complete by April 1999.
In addition, an 11-acre plot of land south of the city has been given and donations received for construction of a Dhamma hall for 400 students at this second site.
At Mogok, a plot of land has also been donated for a second centre with expected capacity of 250 students. Initial work has begun and should be completed by the end of 2000. Ten-day and children courses have been conducted at non-centre sites in various parts of the country including Pyawbwegyi, Saya Thetgyi’s village near Yangon.
Translation of 30-day course materials into Myanmar has been completed.
Middle East
Iran: In 1998, another large group from Iran took a course at Dhamma Giri. Over the last four years, 150 Iranians have flown to India for a Vipassana course; some of these have now sat two or more courses.
In Tehran, introductory talks attracted 240 interested participants and the university department of health and psychology has been approached with a view to organising a Vipassana course on an experimental basis.
Bill Hart’s Art of Living in Farsi has now received an official government license to allow publication to proceed.
Gulf States: The first course was held in Bahrain with 34 students in 1998. A course is organised in March 1999 in Muscat.
Israel: 6 courses serving 600 students were held in 1998; all courses were heavily oversubscribed. The first successful children course was held for 40 youngsters. A serious search is underway for a centre.
Europe
U.K.: The first jail course in Europe for eight male inmates was successfully organised at Lancaster Prison in November 1998. BBC filmed events on the final day, which were shown on regional news. After monitoring the impact of the course on the inmates for one month, the prison authorities have requested further courses.
The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) in the U.K. has produced a Braille version of The Art of Living.
France: Construction of 12 additional meditation cells were completed at Dhamma Mahī, making a total of 30 cells. The recording studio is now fully operational and various recordings were carried out, including course materials in the following languages: French, Russian, German and Spanish. French translation of The Art of Living is now available in bookshops. The Cambodian Dhamma House (near Paris) is translating the Vipassana newsletter into Cambodian.
Italy: A new Dhamma House, named Dhamma Aṭala (Steadfast in Dhamma) has been established in Italy. The site in the north of the country has been rented for four years while the search continues for a larger property. The house is in a suitable area, quiet and beautiful, less than two hours from Milan and Bologna, and half an hour from Piacenza, a medium size town. Up to 90 students and servers can be accommodated. A second Italian edition of The Art of Living has been republished in a popular and widespread series; the first edition of 8,500 copies has been sold out.
Spain: Six courses took place this year, including one in Majorca serving about 400 students. The Spanish Association is buying a new centre in the north of the country. The property at Palautordera is about 40 km north-east of Barcelona (just a 30 minute drive) with good transportation links. The Association hired this Yoga Centre in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s for several 10-day courses and it worked well as a meditation facility. It is a quiet site set in the middle of 2 hectares of land. It currently has capacity for 55 students.
Other countries: The first Vipassana course in Denmark was held in 1998. Non-centre courses have also been held in Benelux, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Russia, Romania and Austria.
In addition to Germany, the search for permanent Vipassana facilities is underway in Belgium, Switzerland and Romania.
Vipassana Diary 1999
V.R.I. has published a deluxe Vipassana diary (price: Rs 100/- plus Rs 20/- for delivery by registered post) to commemorate the centenary year of Sayagyi U Ba Khin. It contains essays on Sayagyi U Ba Khin and the technique of Vipassana, as well as selected dohās of Sayagyi S. N. Goenka with translation into English.
Vipassana Pagoda
On the auspicious occasion of the centenary year of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, the Vipassana Pagoda, which will serve as a symbol of pure Dhamma and provide authentic information about the true teaching of the Buddha, is being constructed at Goraigaon, Mumbai. Those who wish to share in the merits of construction of the Pagoda may send dāna to the following address:
Global Vipassana Foundation,
C/o Khimji Kunverji and Co.,
Suite 52, Bombay Mutual Building,
Sir P. M. Road, Fort, Mumbai-400 001.
Tel: 266 2550, 266 1270; Fax: 266 4045.
Bank of India, Mumbai branch,
National savings account No. 11244
Bank of India, Mumbai branch,
Foreign currency savings account No. 11250
New Responsibilities
Ācaryas:
Mr Roop & Mrs Beena Jyoti, Kathmandu
To serve all Vipassana centres in Nepal
New Appointments
Children Course Teachers:
Mr Ashok & Mrs Santoshi Babhale, Surat
Mrs Amala Akkineni, Hyderabad
Mr Sanjiv B Gandhi, Mehsana
Mrs Usha Kiran, New Delhi
Mrs Ushaben Madhhikar, Surat
Ms M. S. Manimekalai, Madurai
Mrs Radhi Raja, Chennai
Mr Kumar Reddy, Hyderabad
Saskia Ishiwaka-Franke, Japan
Anita Kinra, U.S. A.
Anne Pfeiffer, U.S. A.
Gerald & Therese Braithwaite, Australia
Danny & Hanne Georgeson, Australia