The Gratitude Gathering

 

The Gratitude Gathering

 

On 17 January 2010, the great dome of the Global Vipassana Pagoda in Mumbai was the site for the Gratitude Gathering. This extraordinary event attracted thousands of people from around the world.

At the event Goenkaji expressed his gratitude to his teacher, Sayagyi U Ba Khin, for giving him the gift of Dhamma. Goenkaji described this as a second birth, which brought real fulfilment: “Human life becomes meaningful only when one breaks the shell of ignorance and becomes established in wisdom, just as a chick breaks through its eggshell and emerges into the light.”

At the same time Goenkaji expressed gratitude to all his students worldwide for enabling him to develop his paramis by accepting from him the gift of Dhamma, as he had received it from Sayagyi. Goenkaji particularly mentioned those who joined courses in the first ten years after he came to India in 1969 to teach Vipassana meditation. “If they had not come to me,” he said, “how could Dhamma have spread throughout the world?”

Goenkaji noted the achievements in the four decades since he took up the task of Dhammaduta (“envoy of the Dhamma”). People from every part of the world, from every religion and background have been drawn to the teaching of Vipassana. For this remarkable success, Goenkaji gave credit to Sayagyi U Ba Khin and the Dhamma, as well as to his own students. “I have only two hands,” he said, “but the Dhamma has thousands.”

Among the countless thousands who have helped, Goenkaji mentioned a number of individuals who contributed in particular ways. Some were present at the Gathering, while others were unable to attend for various reasons.

In his closing talk, Goenkaji explained the purpose and utility of the Global Vipassana Pagoda.

He recalled that when the Buddha’s teaching spread to neighbouring countries 2,300 years ago, people were inspired to build Shwedagon and thousands of other pagodas in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Indonesia. Today these monuments still bear witness to India’s gift of the Dhamma. They inspire boundless devotion towards India and especially towards Emperor Asoka, who sent out Dhammadutas far and wide.

Similarly, for thousands of years the Global Vipassana Pagoda will inspire devotion towards Myanmar and Sayagyi U Ba Khin. It will stand as a reminder of the unbroken chain of teachers and pupils who preserved the practice of Vipassana through millennia in that country. And its strong Dhamma atmosphere will give strength to all who meditate there.

Numerous Vipassana meditators joyfully took advantage of the rare opportunity to meet Goenkaji. He himself was happy to see so many of his old students.

At a press conference held after the Gathering, Goenkaji said that Vipassana is beneficial to everyone. Its regular practice makes a meditator peaceful and committed to fulfilling his or her responsibilities. Several newspapers and television channels covered the press conference.

* * *

In addition to the thousands who attended the Gratitude Gathering, I express my gratitude to my Dhamma children who gave important service in the construction of the Global Vipassana Pagoda. I also express my gratitude to all my Dhamma sons and Dhamma daughters worldwide. By giving ten invaluable days of their lives, they enabled me to serve them.

May they keep growing in Dhamma. I share my merits with all of them. S. N. Goenka.

Pilgrimage to the Buddha Sacred Sites

IRCTC, the tourism arm of Indian Railways, has started a fully air-conditioned special train, the Mahaparinirvana Express, touring the Buddha Sacred Sites (Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Sravasti, Rajgir and Kushinagar). This is a good opportunity for Vipassana meditators to visit these sites without bothering about organizing multiple ticketing, local transport at different destinations and hotel stay.

Global Vipassana Foundation (GVF) has negotiated a special discount of 21% with IRCTC for the benefit of Vipassana meditators.

IRCTC and GVF have agreed to include two sessions of group meditation for meditators under the Bodhi tree in the Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya and at Kushinagar, subject to the number of such meditators being not less than ten. The group sittings will be after visiting hours of the Mahabodhi temple so as to provide a quiet environment for meditation.

Schedule (starts and ends at Delhi)

	Starting Date	Ending Date
Feb 2010	13 and 22*	20 and 1 Mar
Mar 2010	6 and 20	13 and 27

^*These tour dates are available on demand for special groups.

8-day tour full fare (infants free, children 5-12 yrs 50%)

Class	Rack Rate		21% Discount
	Rs	USD	Rs	USD
First AC Coupe	53270	1150	42083	908
First AC	48650	1050	38433	830
2 Tier AC	41650	875	32903	692
3 Tier AC	34650	735	27373	581

For registration, contact: Mr. Izhar Alam, Mobile: [91] 98913-73549 or Mr. Arun Srivastava, IRCTC, Ground Floor, STC Building, 1-Tolstoy Marg, New Delhi 110001.

Tel: [91]2370-1100, 2370-1101, 97176-40452.

Email: arunsrivastava@irctc.com, buddhisttrain@irctc.com

Website: www.railtourismindia.com/buddha

 

Servers Needed at Global Vipassana Pagoda

The Vipassana Peace Pagoda is entering its second phase of development in which many beautification projects like landscaping, art designing, parikrama, galleries, auditoriums etc. will be undertaken. For successful completion of the second phase, committed Vipassana meditators are required.

Benefits: Opportunity to contribute to this unique project, regular meditation practice, right livelihood, good remuneration package, food for all, and accommodation for deserving candidates.

Project Manager: Civil Engineer with at least 15 years of experience to control all the construction and development related activities at the Pagoda site. Capable of handling large projects independently and establishing Quality Management Systems. Added advantage: exposure to construction of large structures using natural stone.

Assistant Manager – Property: Electrical or mechanical engineer with 6 to 8 years experience in mechanical troubleshooting, civil projects and maintenance of large properties.

Purchase Officer: Purchase activities for projects with cost & inventory control experience. Working knowledge and familiarity of the Mumbai industrial market. Civil or mechanical engineering diploma holder with at least 5 years of experience.

Electrician with Electronics & Telecom expertise: ITI with ‘C’ license and 10-15 years experience of trouble-shooting at project sites, motors & control circuits, electronic controls and telecom operations.

Civil Supervisor: Diploma in Civil Engineering with 3 to 5 years of experience in projects & building construction.

Housekeeping & Security Supervisor: 6 to 8 years experience in housekeeping and security management.

Fitters: ITI Fitter with 10 to 15 years of experience in civil construction equipment maintenance, fabrication and other assembly work.

Plumbing & AC Mechanic: ITI Plumber with 10 to 15 years experience in large, multipurpose complexes and in repairing, servicing & installing AC units.

IT networks Engineer + webmaster: 3 to 5 years of experience in managing and troubleshooting mid-sized LAN networks. Should have knowledge of managing and updating websites with new technologies and formats.

Front Office Executive (lady): 6 to 8 years of experience in handling Reception & other Office related work like mail correspondence, follow-up with suppliers, contractors, etc.

Gardener: Gardening knowledge with landscaping experience of 6 to 8 years.

Tourist Guide: 3 to 5 years of experience as guide with any national monument or tourist group.

Please send your applications to: The General Manager, Global Vipassana Foundation, Pagoda Site, Next to Esselworld, Gorai Village, Borivali (W), Mumbai 400091.Email: gvf.hrdept@gmail.com

 

Subscription to GVF SMS Message Centre

Global Vipassana Foundation (GVF) has created a SMS Message Centre to send timely announcements about Vipassana to meditators via SMS. To receive these SMS announcements, meditators will have to subscribe by sending an SMS from his/her mobile phone to 575758. Type 'Vipassana' 'First Name' 'Last Name' 'City' 'Email id 'Number of courses'.

An example of your SMS if you have an email id: Vipassana Gautam, Parekh, Mumbai, gparekh@xyz.com, 14,

(NB Providing email will allow GVF to send Patrika/Newsletter via email in future.)

An example of your SMS if you don’t have an email id: Vipassana Gautam, Parekh, Mumbai, 14,

1. GVF SMS Message Centre is for old students only and is only for sending SMS to meditators. The Message Center cannot receive SMS from meditators. The cost of subscribing to SMS Message Center is a one-time charge of Rs 3.

2. If you wish to unsubscribe from the GVF SMS Message Center, kindly send SMS to 575758 with the following message “Stop Vipassana” For unsubscribing there will be one-time charge of Rs 3.

3. Meditators will not be charged for receiving SMS sent by GVF SMS Message Center.

4. Upon successfully subscription, you will receive the following message “Thank you for registering with Global Vipassana Foundation (GVF) SMS Message Centre. May All Be Happy”

 

Sayings of Sayagyi U Ba Khin

To imagine that good can be done by the means of evil is an illusion, a nightmare.

The more one is attached to self, the greater is the suffering.

A balanced mind is necessary to balance the mind of others.

What is happiness? For all that science has achieved in the field of materialism, are the peoples of the world happy? They may find sensual pleasures off and on, but in their hearts of hearts, they are not happy when they realise what has happened, and what may happen next. Why? This is because, while man has mastery over matter, he is still lacking in mastery over his mind.

125% Income-Tax Exemption U/s 35 (1) (iii) of I.T. Act 1961, Granted for Donations made to VRI

The Ministry of Finance, Government of India, has granted Vipassana Research Institute the above mentioned income-tax exemption on a long-term (permanent) basis, valid from the Assessment Year 2006-07 onwards (till further action, if any), vide its Notification No. 71/2009 dated 25.09.2009 (F. No. 203/13/2008/ITA-II).

So meditators can now claim the income-tax exemptions due towards their donations made to VRI anytime during the period, from Financial Year 1991-92, when VRI was initially granted the said exemption, to date and beyond too.

 

Pali-English / Pali-Hindi Classes at VRI, Dhamma Giri

Three-month Pali-English intensive course will be conducted from 18 May to 18 August 2010. (Western students are required to come on student visa only).

One-month Pali-Hindi intensive course will be conducted from 1 May to 30 May 2010. (Students are required to come to Dhamma Giri by 29 April 2010.)

Eligibility: three 10-day courses and one Satipatthana course; one year regular practice of two hours at home daily; observance of five precepts since last one year; and minimum 12th class pass. Recommendation by Area Teacher or Senior Assistant Teacher is necessary. Last date for submission of forms: 31 January 2010.

Contact VRI for admission forms or visit: http://www.vridhamma.org/Pali- Study-Programme

 

Vipassana Websites

Vipassana introduction: www.dhamma.org

Course schedules of Vipassana centres, application forms, 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 and related Pali texts in Roman, Devanagari, Cyrillic, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Myanmar, and Sinhala scripts.

Prison Courses Website: www.prison.dhamma.org

Information about Vipassana courses in prisons.

Global Vipassana Pagoda: www.globalpagoda.org

Updated information about the Global Vipassana Pagoda.

 

Pali Workshop at Nagpur

A seven-day residential Pali workshop has been arranged at Nagpur from 22 February to 2 March 2010 (11 am). It will be conducted by Shri Satyendra Nath Tandon. Venue: Kuchhi Bhawan, Opposite Anath Vidyarthi Gruha, Near Hari Har Mandir, Lakkadganj, Nagpur 440 008. Registration: Kalyan Mitra Charitable Trust, Abhayankar Road, Dhantoli, Nagpur 440 012. Tel: Sudhir Shah, 93709-90771; Umashankar Thubrikar, 94234-03294; Sunil Bagade, 94228-23886. Email: sudhirmadhurishah@gmail.com.

Workshop on Edicts of Emperor Ashoka

A seven-day workshop on Samrat Ashok ke Abhilekh (Edicts of Emperor Ashok) has been arranged at Jaipur from 8 to 16 August, 2010 (11 am), including a visit to Bairath. Venue: Kothari Farms (Marugandha), 2 kms off Jaipur-Ajmer Express Highway, On Bhankrota-Jaisinghpura Road, Bhankrota, Jaipur. The workshop is for Hindi-speaking Vipassana meditators from India and Nepal and is open to men and women. Registration: Mr. Anil Mehta, Mobile: 96104-01401, Email: paliworkshop@yahoo.co.in.

 

Pali Workshop in Madhya Pradesh

A seven-day Pali workshop has been arranged from 27 May to 4 June 2010 for Hindi-speaking Vipassana meditators. It will be conducted by Shri Satyendra Nath Tandonji. Venue: Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Institutions (SRI), Kalapuram, NH-75, Jhansi Road, Datia 475 661, Madhya Pradesh. Contact: Shri Naresh Kumar Agarwal, Shanti Niketan Hostel, Near Bharat Petroleum Pump, Shivaji Nagar, Kanpur Road, Jhansi, U.P. Mobile: 99355-99453, 90057-74504.

Email: shanti.globaldhamma@gmail.com

 

Pali Workshop at Bhuj

A ten-day Pali workshop has been arranged from 19 to 30 November 2010, only for English-speaking non-Indian Vipassana meditators. Venue: Dhanvantari School, Pramukh Swami Char Rasta, Mundra Relocation Site, Bhuj 370 001, Kutch. Contact: Dr. (Ms.) Shantuben Patel, Mobile: [91] 98256-62156, Tel: (02832) 291-366.

Email: shantubenpatel@gmail.com

 

IN MEMORIAM

Mr. Vinodchandra Parekh, senior assistant teacher, passed away in Mumbai on 27 December 2009 after a sudden heart attack. He was 74 years old. He was appointed as assistant teacher in 1997 and as senior assistant teacher in 2007. He served many courses, particularly at JNPT near Mumbai.

Mr. Babasaheb Khedkar, who was appointed as an assistant teacher in 2005, passed away in his hometown of Ambejogai after a sudden heart attack on 28 December, 2009 at the age of 55. He had just returned after conducting a Vipassana course.He had served in Maharashtra's Marathwada region for many years and contributed greatly to the spread of Vipassana there.

Mr. Revchand Shah, senior assistant teacher, passed away suddenly on the morning of January 5, 2010. He was 72 years of age.He was meditating in a course and was calm and peaceful during his last moments.He served for several years in Gujarat and Rajasthan. He was looking after Dhamma Marudhara in Jodhpur.

May they be happy, peaceful and liberated.

Mata kara mata kara bāvale! Mata kara buddhi-vilāsa;

Buddhi-vilāsoṅ se bhalā, kisakī bujhatī pyāsa?

Don’t do it, fool, don’t do it!
Don’t play intellectual games;

By intellectual games whose thirst has been quenched?

 

Caracā hī caracā kare, dhāraṇa kare na koya;

Dharma bicārā kyā kare? Dhāre hī sukha hoya.

They only talk and talk of it, but nobody applies it.

Poor Dhamma! What can it do?
Its practice alone brings happiness.

 

 

Dhāraṇa kare to Dharma hai, varanā korī bāta;

Sūraja uge prabhāta hai, varanā kālī rāta.

If you apply it, it is Dhamma; otherwise it is empty talk;

When the sun rises, dawn comes; otherwise, darkest night.

 

Āte jāte sāṅsa para, rahe nirantara dhyāna;

Karmoṅ ke bandhana kaṭeṅ, hoya parama kalyāṇa.

In-breath, out-breath—if you keep unbroken awareness;

The knots of kamma are sundered,
Leading to the highest welfare.