S. N. Goenka (1924–2013,) fully Satya Narayan Goenka, was a Burmese-Indian mediation teacher of the Vipassanä (insight meditation) tradition. He established a network of more than 200 meditation centers in 35 countries.
Born to a Hindu family in Mandalay, British Indian Empire, now Burma, Goenka was a successful Burmese businessman leading his family’s conglomerate exporting, textiles, and agriculture. He took up took to Vipassanä mediation following unbearable migraines. He studied for 14 years under Burmese Buddhist teacher Sayagyi U Ba Khin, who was also an Accountant General of the Union of Burma.
In 1969, Goenka moved to India and began teaching meditation full time, establishing his first meditation center in 1976. Although his Vipassanä teachings were derived from Buddhist texts, Goenka kept religiosity to a minimum and became a popular teacher for Westerners. His students include young Americans such as Daniel Goleman, Sharon Salzberg, Ram Dass, Krishna Das, Joseph Goldstein, and Mirabai Bush. They became well-known spiritual teachers in their own right.
Goenka wrote The Gracious Flow of Dharma (1994) and For the Benefit of Many: Talks and Answers (2003.) His biographies include Daniel M. Stuart’s S. N. Goenka: Emissary of Insight (2020.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by S. N. Goenka
Develop purity in yourself if you wish to encourage others to follow the path of purity. Discover real peace and harmony within yourself, and naturally this will overflow to benefit others.
—S. N. Goenka
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