In March 1974, about the same time that the first foreign meditators came to live at the new Vipassana centre in Igatpuri, Chandra Mohan Jain, calling himself Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, relocated from Mumbai to establish an ashram in Pune. He had already developed a reputation as a controversial guru by rejecting traditional religious and ascetic practices and expressing opinions on moral values that were opposed by most ordinary Indians. His young Western devotees, in their maroon or ochre robes, soon became a common sight in the city. Rumours circulated and began to appear in newspapers, contai ..read more

According to the most ancient sources, several months after the Buddha passed away, 500 monks, all of them Awakened, met together in R jagaha and held what is usually called the First Council (sang ti pariy ya). The purpose of convening this council was to make sure that what the Buddha had taught during the previous forty- five years would not be forgotten. The arahats (awakened saints) and probably many others too, believed that the Buddha s Dhamma was too precious, too important to be confused or forgotten. It had done so much for them, leading them to awakening (bodhi), that they wanted to ..read more

December 16, 1973, was the last day of my first meditation course at the Bhatia Sanatorium, a resort in nearby Deolali. That day, we new students learned that Goenkaji was looking for land, not too far from Mumbai, for a Vipassana centre. After breakfast, Bhojraj Sancheti and I met with him and suggested that there were some properties in nearby Igatpuri that might be suitable. We requested Guruji to pause on his way to Mumbai and visit them for a few minutes later that day. At first he declined, but then gave in to our entreaties. We were happy to hear this and broke the news to our fellow st ..read more

People typically come to meditation with a purpose. Whether or not we know of the First Noble Truth, suffering is an intrinsic part of our experience, and the desire to alleviate that suffering is powerful. In my own case, I took up Vipassana out of desperation, not really understanding what I was getting into. Difficulties at work and at home seemed insurmountable, so I turned to a technique that seemed to a neophyte esoteric but promising. I wasn t disappointed. My first 10-Day Course changed my life. It saved my relationship with my children and allowed me to redirect my professional life ..read more

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While it is likely that humankind will continue to pursue alternative or altered forms of reality through virtual or imposed means as a form of escape from their mundane existence and providers of such services will feed off of the dissatisfaction we experience in a real world, a different universe of positive energy is available to use if we can tune our inner antennas to the forces of Mett . Mett is the P li word for loving kindness or friendly vibes towards others. Most of us (meditators or otherwise), naturally can try to cultivate feelings of harmony and kinship towards others as we aim t ..read more

While it is likely that humankind will continue to pursue alternative or altered forms of reality through virtual or imposed means as a form of escape from their mundane existence and providers of such services will feed off of the dissatisfaction we experience in a real world, a different universe of positive energy is available to use if we can tune our inner antennas to the forces of Mett . Mett is the P li word for loving kindness or friendly vibes towards others. Most of us (meditators or otherwise), naturally can try to cultivate feelings of harmony and kinship towards others as we aim t ..read more

For a person who chooses to practice Vipassana meditation in the tradition of S. N. Goenka and teachers of his lineage, mindfulness is a central component of an integrated, well-rounded practice. Mindfulness is not utilized as an isolated entity, but as a guiding feature of a full meditation that leads to wisdom and growth on the path to liberation. It is as if an outdoorsman were setting up his tent in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He must carefully loop every corner to a stake, and snugly rope every flap to a firmly embedded tent peg. The tent stands aloft and secure as an integrate ..read more

I m grateful for my sa kh ras, especially the profound ones that occasionally disrupt my equanimity. These mental formations motivate me to sustain my meditation practice, helping me manage and ultimately dissolve my suffering. The title, Amor Sa kh ras, draws from amor fati, a Latin term meaning love of one s fate. It means that one accepts life as it is and tries to make the best of it. There are certainly parallels with Vipassana in way of thought, although the practical element is missing from amor fati. Here, it simply means to love your sa kh ras because they serve as a potent catalyst f ..read more

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