Is Mr. S. N. Goenka's Vipassana Meditation a Buddhist tradition?

Question

It appeared that most students learning Buddhism will automatically assume Vipassana Meditation taught by Mr. S. N. Goenka synonymous with Buddhist meditation, methods taught by the Buddha, is it so?

=====

Remark Added 15/03/2017

The knowledgeable Suminda (@Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena) pointed to an article which attempted to establish the "U Ba Khin Vipassana method told by Mr. Goenka" its connection with Mahayana (of the Chinese Lineage), this should definitely be refuted. Mr. Goenka himself with his entire Insight Movement is completely unrelated to the Mahayanist teaching.

In the article Ven. Analayo wisely drew inspiration from the Mahayanist Sutra however, it's uncertain under what circumstance someone provided him an incorrectly translated work:

念諸息遍身, 亦念息出入, 悉觀身中諸出息入息, 覺知遍至身中乃 至足指遍諸毛孔, 如水入沙, 息出覺知從足至髮遍諸毛孔亦, 如水 入沙.

Mindfulness [during] all breaths pervades the body, [while] being as
well mindful of the out- and in-breaths. Completely contemplating the
inside of the body [during] all out-breaths and in-breaths, awareness
pervades and reaches inside the body up to the toes and the fingers
and pervades every pore [on the surface of the body], just like water
entering sand, aware from the feet to the hair [while] breathing out
[and in], pervading every pore as well, just like water entering sand.

This should read as (translation is mine):

Set the mind to all the breaths be aware of their permeating the whole body (念諸息遍身). Also be mindful of the breath going-out and going-in (亦念息出入). Thoroughly observe all the out-going and in-going breaths inside the body (悉觀身中諸出息入息), be conscious of their permeating from inside the body unto the toes and fingers even pervading all the pores, as if water entering sands (覺知遍至身中乃至足指遍諸毛孔, 如水入沙). [When] breath going-out, be conscious of it from feet unto the hairs pervading all the pores, also as if water entering sands (息出覺知從足至髮遍諸毛孔, 亦如水入沙).

It definitely has nothing to do with Mr. Goenka's "body-scanning" technique.

Here breath 息 is not simply the air coming in-out the nose-mouth that we do in breathing. Ānāpānasmṛti (Pali: Ānāpānasati) meditation taught by most of the general media is incorrect. There are at least 3 stages: counting, following, stillness; progressed gradually.

Answer 1

Goenka tradition seems to be most close to meditation instruction sourced directly from the Suttas. A course is divided into parts:

1. Anapana - cultivation of Samadhis (1/3 of the length of the course)
2. Vipassana - cultivation of Panna (slightly less than 1/3 of the lenth of the course)
3. Metta - (1 or 2 days depending on the length of the course.)

Anapana closely follows that of the [Maha] Satipatthana / Kayagatasati Suttas.

In the Vipassana part, the main instruction is whatever the sensation contemplate its impermanence and be equanimous towards it.

Having fully understood all things, he knows whatever feelings there are, whether pleasant, painful or neither painful nor pleasant.

As regards to those feelings,

he dwells contemplating impermanence in them;

he dwells contemplating dispassion [fading away of lust] in them;

he dwells contemplating ending (of suffering) in them;

he dwells contemplating letting go (of defilements).

When he dwells contemplating impermanence in them, contemplating dispassion in them, contemplating ending in them, contemplating letting go, he does not cling to anything in the world.

Not clinging, he is not agitated; being not agitated, he himself surely attains nirvana.

He understands, "Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, done what is to be done, there is no more for this state of being."

Pacalā Sutta

Similarly there many more Suttas which similar instructions re occur throughout the whole cannon. E.g.: Pahāna Sutta, Avijja Pahana Sutta 2, Dīgha,nakha Sutta, Sal,āyatana Vibhanga Sutta, Indriya Bhāvanā Sutta, Dhātu Vibhaṅga Sutta, Titth’ayatana Sutta

Bhikshus, just as if a man were sitting covered from head to foot with a white cloth, so that there would be no part of his body to which the white cloth did not extend; even so, the monk sits, permeating the body with a pure, bright mind. There is no part of his entire body that is not pervaded by pure, bright mind.

Kaya,gatā,sati Sutta

also

so, too, a monk reviews this very body, wrapped in skin and full of various impurities, from the soles of the feet upwards and from the crown of the head downwards

Kaya,gatā,sati Sutta, Sati’patthāna Sutta

As below, so above [upwards from the soles of the feet, and downwards from the tips of the hairs.]

Iddhi,pāda Vibhanga Sutta

This is similar in tone to the head to foot scanning technique.

In Buddhism, common term is letting go. The Suttas on Letting Go sheds more light on how to do it. They are: Pahāna Sutta and Avijja Pahana Sutta 2. This is the exact way that is being taught by S.N.Goenka.

Also an interesting read might be: The Ancient Roots of the U Ba Khin Vipassanā Meditation by Ven. Analayo, which quotes some parallel in the Mahayana Tradition which you (@Bhumishu 米殊) are from I believe.

Instead of intellectually debating on whether the course is this or that why not take the course and clear you doubts. You can apply through: http://www.dhamma.org/en/index and course are conducted in many centres around the world. You can choose a location convenient to you.

What matters if the techniques works for you or not than is it this or that. So best is just try it.

Answer 2

Very simple answer. Mayahana is not Buddhism, it is a branch / sect of buddhism. Similarly Theravada is also a branch / sect of Buddhism. Buddithing is far from sectarianism. Buddhism teaches a universal law applicable to everyone.

The Dhamma transmitted by Goenka come from the Theravada tradition. There is no connection with the school of Mahayana.

Goenka never defined himself as a buddhist and considered the Buddha's teaching in a very practical way.

Answer 3

The Goenka method seems to not be the same method as taught by the Buddha:

1. The method of the Buddha is based in 'letting go' (vossagga), as stated at the end of the Anapanasati Sutta, which states mindfulness & other factors have a quality that results in 'letting go' (vossagga). This 'letting go' is most clearly stated in SN 48.9 & SN 48.10, which state the noble disciple reaches jhana (meditative absorption) by making 'letting go' (vossagga) the meditation object.

2. When 'letting go' is properly established, the breathing in & breathing out will become the primary meditation object and will accompany the arising of other primary objects, such as pleasant feelings (vedana), mental states (citta) & the ultimate truths of the three characteristics & cessation (dhamma).

3. Goenka's primary method is based on body scanning of mental sankharas or stress, which Goenka mistakenly calls 'vedana' or 'sensations'. These 'sensations' are mental formations of stress born from greed, hatred & delusion rather than 'vedana' ('feelings'). In reality, 'vedana' are pleasant & unpleasant 'feelings' rather than mental formations stored in the physical body.

4. The Buddha's method is summarised as the development of samatha-vipassana (tranquility & insight) in tandem (MN 149). The Goenka method seems to not have enough scope for the development of tranquillity & the resultant rapture.

5. The Buddha's method aims for the four jhanas, because they are pleasant abidings (with rapture). The Middle-Way of the Buddha is a way of happiness of pleasant feelings from meditation, avoiding sensual pleasures & self-torment. The Goenka method has elements of self-torment, where it focuses in unpleasant or painful feelings (rather than aims for pleasant feelings of jhana).

6. The Buddha taught meditation in all four postures, namely, sitting, walking, standing & lying down. The Goenka method seems to mostly or only focus on sitting meditation.

Answer 4

I read the book of The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation by S.N. Goenka something like 15 years ago. My memory may be wrong.

The man who advised me this book, told me that it was the teaching of a very special branch of Buddhism, completely deprived of religious mythology, which was a only found in some remote temples of Myanmar/Burma.

The man also told me that it was the closest to the true teaching of Buddha, because it was not poluted by a deification of the man Siddharta Gautama as can be found elsewhere.

Sorry for the biais of my answer, since I cannot cite my sources, and I quote another man, from memory. And sorry if you think it's incorrect.