S. N. Goenka
| S. N. Goenka | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Satya Narayan Goenka 30 January 1924 Mandalay, Burma, British Indian Empire |
| Died |
29 September 2013 (aged 89) Mumbai, India |
| Occupation | Vipassana Meditation Teacher |
| Spouse(s) | Elaichi Devi Goenka |
| Website | www |
Satya Narayan Goenka (30 January 1924 – 29 September 2013), commonly known as S.N. Goenka, was a Burmese-Indian teacher of Vipassanā meditation. Born in Burma to a rich Indian family, he moved to India in 1969 and started teaching meditation. His teaching was notable for emphasizing that the Buddha's path to liberation was non-sectarian, universal, and scientific in character. He became an influential teacher and established meditation centers worldwide. In November 2008 when the construction of the Global Vipassana Pagoda was completed on the outskirts of Mumbai. Goenka was an invited speaker at the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders on 29 August 2000 at the United Nations in New York City. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2012.
Born on 30 January 1924 in Burma (now Myanmar) to Indian parents from the Marwari ethnic group, Goenka grew up in a conservative Hindu sanatani household. He was a successful businessman, when in 1955 he started experiencing severe, debilitating migraines. Unable to find medical relief, and on the suggestion of a friend, he met with the Vipassana teacher Sayagyi U Ba Khin. Though initially reluctant, Ba Khin took him on as a student. Goenka subsequently trained under him for 14 years.
In 1969, Goenka was authorised to teach by U Ba Khin, who died in 1971. He left his business to his family and moved to India, where he started teaching Vipassana meditation. Seven years later, in 1976, he opened his first meditation centre, Dhamma Giri, in Igatpuri near Nashik, Maharashtra. He taught meditation on his own until 1982, and then started training assistant teachers. He established the Vipassana Research Institute at Dhamma Giri in 1985.
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