CHRONICLES OF DHAMMA

Selected Articles From The Vipassana Newsletter CONTENTS

Title Date/Source Page

Introduction 7

VIPASSANA TEACHINGS ...... 13 The Buddha’s First Discourse August 2009 15 A core text explaining the Noble Eightfold Path International Newsletter Work Out Your Own Salvation March 1997 21 Summary of S.N. Goenka discourse from a 3-day course International Newsletter 6ưOD: the Foundation of Dhamma September 1999 26 From a public talk by S.N. Goenka VRI Newsletter Kamma—The Real Inheritance June 1995 30 From a long course discourse by S.N. Goenka International Newsletter The Factors of Enlightenment %RMMKDφJDV January 2008 32 Adapted from a discourse by S.N. Goenka VRI Newsletter during a 6DWLSDΛΛKƘQD course 0DφJDOD6XWWD April 2007 34 The Buddha’s discourse on welfare VRI Newsletter The Importance of Daily Meditation July 2004 37 Condensed discourse by S.N. Goenka to old students International Newsletter 7KH6QDUHRI0ƘUD July 2000 40 From a long course discourse by S.N. Goenka International Newsletter The Practice of 0HWWƘEKƘYDQƘin Vipassana Meditation December 1991 44 A VRI seminar paper International Newsletter The Gift of Dhamma November 2003 48 A selection from articles and talks on this topic International Newsletter Gaining the Strength of Dhamma February 2008 54 Final discourse of 6DWLSDΛΛKƘQD course by S.N. Goenka VRI Newsletter )XO¾OOLQJWKH7HDFKLQJRIWKH%XGGKD December 2007 57 From a long course discourse by S.N. Goenka International Newsletter The Purity of Dhamma March 2010 62 Adapted from an article in Hindi VRI Newsletter 'LVFRYHULQJWKH%XGGKDLQWKH7LSLԮDND June 1994 64 Foreword by S.N.Goenka to a major VRI publication International Newsletter Title Date/Source Page

MESSENGER OF DHAMMA ...... 69 Sixty Years Are Over July 1994 71 $ELUWKGD\UH¿HFWLRQE\61*RHQND International Newsletter Forty Years of New Life September 1996 75 On the anniversary of 40 years’ Vipassana practice International Newsletter Farewell Dhamma Brother Autumn 1998 80 S.N. Goenka’s tribute to Dr. Om Prakash International Newsletter 1989: A Double Milestone September 1989 85 Recollections by S.N. Goenka on the spread of Dhamma International Newsletter Hail to Dhamma September 1989 88 20 years as a Vipassana Teacher International Newsletter Anecdote and Recollections September 1989 91 Early Vipassana courses in India & the West International Newsletter The Floodgates of Dhamma Open May 1997 94 Learning to serve VRI Newsletter Fruition of 6DFFD$GLΛΛKƘQD- Parts One & Two Summer 1997 97 How the door opened for S.N. Goenka VRI Newsletter to carry his Dhamma message to the West Seventy Years Have Been Completed February 1998 104 S.N. Goenka looks back on his life VRI Newsletter )RUW\

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE BUDDHA ...... 111 Buddha: The Super-Scientist of Peace March/April 2003 113 Address by S.N. Goenka to an international audience VRI Newsletter On Pilgrimage with our Teachers April 2001 121 3LOJULPUH¿HFWLRQVIURP,QGLD International Newsletter Pilgrimage to the Land of Dhamma March 2000 142 S.N. Goenka and students visit Myanmar International Newsletter Meditation Now—Goenkaji’s tour of Europe September 2002 148 and North America International Newsletter A remarkable Dhamma tour of the West Title Date/Source Page

APPLIED DHAMMA ...... 157 Message from Goenkaji April 1974 160 IURPWKHYHU\¾UVW1HZVOHWWHU International Newsletter Inner Peace for World Peace November 2000 161 Address by S.N. Goenka at the United Nations International Newsletter to the Millennium World Peace Summit Hatred Never Ceases Through Hatred December 2001 164 A response to the tragic events of September 11 2001 International Newsletter Benazir Bhutto and Vipassana January 2008 168 A world leader’s interest in the Path VRI Newsletter 5HOLHIIRUWKH(DUWKTXDNH$I¿LFWHG March 2001 169 Adapted from an article in Hindi following VRI Newsletter the disastrous quake in Gujarat Course for Cambodians June 1998 172 Refugees experience Vipassana International Newsletter On Addiction June 1991 173 Extracts from presentations at a seminar International Newsletter on Vipassana and Better Health Keeping Our Minds Healthy April 2005 177 From an address to US social workers International Newsletter Vipassana in Prisons —Update Issue May 2003 183 %HQH¾WVRISULVRQFRXUVHVZRUOGZLGH International Newsletter Vipassana at the World Economic Forum March 2000 195 Business leaders and politicians encounter Dhamma International Newsletter The Meaning of Happiness August 2000 197 Adapted address from a speech to World Economic Forum VRI Newsletter How to apply Vipassana in Student Life May 2004 201 0HWWƘ Day talk for college students VRI Newsletter Questions and Answers with Young People April 2005 203 )URPWKH¾UVWFRXUVHIRUDGROHVFHQWVLQ International Newsletter Why I Sit July 1995 205 A meditator explains the place of Vipassana in his life VRI Newsletter Apply Dhamma in Life June 2007 209 From a long course discourse by S.N. Goenka VRI Newsletter Title Date/Source Page

THE SPREAD OF DHAMMA ...... 213 The Swelling Stream of Dhamma Winter 1998 215 S.N. Goenka recounts the beginning of his Dhamma service in India International Newsletter Dhamma Giri—Tenth Year Commemorative December 1986 220 & Silver Jubilee International Newsletter $UWLFOHVRQWKHGHYHORSPHQWRIWKH¾UVWDQGPDLQ9LSDVVDQDFHQWUHLQ November 2001 India VRI Newsletter

No Force Can Stop The Dhamma July 2004 234 From the Vipassana Annual Meeting in 1994 VRI Newsletter %HQH¾WVRI'KDPPD6HUYLFH April 2001 236 From a talk to old students in Nepal VRI Newsletter The Value of Dhamma Service September 1991 238 From a talk to old students in Australia International Newsletter Questions on Dhamma Service March 2008 240 Answers to common queries from old students VRI Newsletter Torchbearers of Dhamma September 2001 243 From a talk to old students in the West International Newsletter The Blade of Dhamma December 1998 247 From the Spread of Dhamma meeting in 1988 International Newsletter The Global Pagoda—Lighting a Beacon to the World August 2005 250 Background to the monumental project in Mumbai VRI Newsletter Realizing the Dream of Dhamma May 2006 253 61*RHQNDRQWKH¾UVWRQHGD\FRXUVH International Newsletter at the Global Vipassana Pagoda Inauguration of the Global Pagoda 2009 April 2009 256 $UHSRUWRIWKHRI¾FLDORSHQLQJFHUHPRQLHV International Newsletter Vipassana—The Practical Path to Unity in Diversity October 2006 258 S.N. Goenka celebrates the Global Pagoda and the Vipassana VRI Newsletter contribution to humanity Introduction

The Vipassana Newsletter plays a unique role in the spread of Dhamma around the world. For old students in this tradition, the Newsletter provides a valued meeting-point, a living connection to the Dhamma community with its special combination of inspiration and information. Words of the Buddha are quoted alongside feedback from course servers; local activities are reported alongside international developments; lead articles are presented by S.N. Goenka and others about aspects of the teaching and its practical application in our lives. ‘Chronicles of Dhamma’ presents a selection of articles taken from the Vipassana Newsletter over the years in English. The sources for the material are two-fold: the edition published in India and the International edition published in North America. The articles WKHPVHOYHVKDYHEHHQVHOHFWHGWRUH¿HFWGLIIHUHQWDVSHFWVRIWKHVSUHDGRI9LSDVVDQD meditation in recent times. They are organised in broad thematic groups: Vipassana Teachings; Messenger of Dhamma; In the Footsteps of the Buddha; Applied Dhamma; The Spread of Dhamma. The articles are reprinted here exactly as they appeared originally (or with some editing), it has not been possible to standardise every variation in spelling, punctuation or usage. Massive changes in communications technology over the past 40 years since S.N. Goenka left Myanmar and began his worldwide teaching mission on behalf of Sayagyi U Ba Khin have transformed the publishing and sharing of information about Vipassana. Through translation the Newsletter and local variations of it are now available in many languages, supporting the growing numbers of Vipassana meditators globally in their practice and service. This compilation spans a period from the earliest improvised small Vipassana courses in India to established meditation centres by the score, increasing numbers of courses DFURVV¾YHFRQWLQHQWVDQGWKHLQFRPSDUDEOHDFKLHYHPHQWRIWKH*OREDO3DJRGD,WVDPSOHV the successes, struggles and set-backs along the way. Looking back through the archives of the Vipassana Newsletter, we see the remarkable story of the revival of Vipassana in the modern age unfolding and illuminated. May this collection of Dhamma articles give FRQ¾GHQFHDQGVWUHQJWKWRSUHVHQWDQGIXWXUHJHQHUDWLRQVZDONLQJRQWKLV1REOH3DWK 7KHKLVWRU\DQGVLJQL¾FDQFHRIWKH,QWHUQDWLRQDODQG'KDPPD*LULHGLWLRQVRIWKH Vipassana Newsletter have been well described in the following article.