S. N. Goenka: The 20th Century Authority on Vipassana Meditation
(by Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline Woon)
Satya Narayan Goenka (January 30, 1924 – September 29, 2013)
Satya Narayan Goenka (January 30, 1924 – September 29, 2013) was a leading Burmese-Indian lay teacher of Vipassana meditation. More commonly known as S.N. Goenka, he was a student of the late Sayagyi U Ba Khin of Burma, an eminent 20th Century authority on Vipassana meditation.
Goenka’s grandfather, Dhanya Baba, was also a teacher of Vipassana meditation who moved from Rajasthan, India to Burma when he was 18 years old. Dhanya Baba, whom Goenka fondly called ‘Baba’, profoundly influenced and inspired Goenka. In his later years, Goenka described how he cherished Baba’s legacy of immortal virtues and spontaneous poetry throughout his life.
The Vipassana technique Goenka taught represents a tradition that can be traced back to the Buddha. It was taught to Goenka by the most sought-after Burmese Vipassana meditation teacher, Sayagya U Ba Khin, and he followed the same non-sectarian approach that the Buddha espoused. As a result, his teachings appealed to people from all walks of life, from various religious beliefs and from all around the world.
“Everyone has to observe one’s death: coming, coming, coming, going, going, going, gone! Be happy!” ~ S. N. Goenka
(Erik Braun, Tricycle)
Discovering Vipassana
Born in Burma on 30th January 1924 to a rich Indian family, Goenka had a childhood of great comfort and prosperity. His devoutly religious parents took great pride in instilling Hindu values in their children. They would certainly not have imagined that Goenka would become one of the most important and successful Buddhist meditation teachers of our time.
A young S.N. Goenka
Goenka joined the family business at the age of 16 in 1940, with the aim of becoming an eminent businessman just like his father. He had lofty aspirations of creating a lavish lifestyle built upon legendary levels of professional success. By the time he turned 31, Goenka had risen to become one of Burma’s most distinguished businessmen.
Goenka’s external success was easily recognised by the positions he held, but he struggled to deal with his ballooning ego and rising anger issues. In a 2010 interview, he reflected on this period of time and recalled,
“I became President of the Chamber of Commerce. I became egotistic. I would beat my children mercilessly. I had always topped my class in school. If my children got bad marks, I would beat them.”
His feelings of egotistical pride and his fits of rage, combined with his relentless drive and desire to improve his professional status exacted a serious toll on his physical health. His self-absorbed lifestyle brought about an extremely high level of stress. The migraines that he had dealt with for much of his adult life worsened to the point where he was unable to work effectively anymore. Although his substantial wealth afforded him the opportunity to consult with numerous world-class doctors, his persisting migraines led to a heavy dependency on medication and a deep sense of dissatisfaction with life.
S.N. Goenka bowing before his teacher, Sayagya U Ba Khin
Desperate for a solution, Goenka decided to take his friend’s advice. He decided to visit Sayagya U Ba Khin to explore if Vipassana meditation practice could bring him the relief he desperately needed.
Initially, Sayagya U Ba Khin was reluctant to take Goenka on as a student because he didn’t think the egotistical businessman had the right motivation for practising the meditation technique that he would come to cherish later. A devout Hindu at the time, Goenka also had reservations about undertaking a Buddhist practice. He resisted committing to the gruelling 10-day meditation retreat that new students were required to take since his primary concern was to find relief from his migraines.
Goenka is said to have attempted to use his status as leverage in making alternative arrangements with Sayagya U Ba Khin to learn the practice. Of course, the meditation master did not relent. At the age of 32, Goenka finally gave in to the pre-requisites and begrudgingly took his first 10-day Vipassana meditation course.
Goenka recalled the experience:
“In 10 days, the migraine I had for 20 years was gone. I did not need the morphine I had been taking for 10 years anymore. But the big achievement was that my anger was gone, and my ego became less.”
For the next 14 years, he maintained his business in Rangoon to support his family. But, his interest in the business dwindled as his fascination with Buddhist practice continued to grow. He began to spend more and more time studying under Sayagya U Ba Khin. In 1969, his teacher authorised Goenka to go to India and teach Vipassana as his representative. In the same year, Goenka retired from his flourishing business, moved to India, and devoted himself full-time to teaching Vipassana.
From the time of their arrival in India in 1969, Goenka and his wife, Elaichi Devi Goenka, conducted Vipassana courses. Mrs Goenka, fondly known as Mataji or “respected mother”, is also a Principal Teacher and a distinguished student of Sayagya U Ba Khin. Throughout the years, she has supported and selflessly served Goenka’s mission to repay their teacher’s kindness by serving more beings through the teaching of the Vipassana method.
S.N. Goenka and his wife, Elaichi Devi Goenka
Although India is sharply divided by different castes and religions, it did not affect the courses offered by Goenka. He quickly attracted thousands of people from every segment of society as well as people from all around the world to join his Vipassana meditation courses. His teachings were notable and emphasised that the Buddha’s path to liberation was universal, non-sectarian, and scientific in nature.
Commitment to Peace
Goenka believed that outer peace could only be achieved when there is peace within; he taught it and showed it by example. In order to live a peaceful life, one must learn the “art of living” in order to live fully and meaningfully. This is the core of his teachings for everyone regardless of their varying backgrounds.
His work in India also had an indirect influence on inter-religious harmony as thousands of Catholic priests, Hindu sanyasis, Jain ascetics, and other religious leaders attended his Vipassana courses alongside Buddhist monks. The heart of the Buddha’s teachings is a universality that allows people of diverse backgrounds and different ideologies to experience deep benefits by applying the correct methods without having to convert.
S.N. Goenka (right) with Munindra (centre) and author/teacher Christopher Titmuss (left)
Goenka made history in India by meeting the eminent Hindu leader, His Holiness Shankaracharya of Kanchi. Together, they exhorted Hindus and Buddhists to embrace their differences and live in harmony.
After this initial meeting, Goenka also met His Holiness Shankaracharya of Sringeri and many other top Hindu leaders to establish harmonious relations between Hindu and Buddhist communities. This was a uniquely positive development, but mere encouragements alone are not enough to bring about much-desired reconciliation and the spirit of cooperation. It requires individuals to undertake to remove from within themselves the obstacles to peace and harmony. Goenka firmly believed that the practical application of meditation would allow mankind to achieve the inner and outer peace needed to effect this change.
Goenka became an influential teacher and several years after meeting the Shankaracharyas, he established his first meditation centre, the Vipassana International Academy (Dhamma Giri) in Igatpuri near Mumbai, India. 10-day meditation courses and those of longer durations are held there to this day. Five years later, in 1979, Goenka started to travel and introduce Vipassana to other countries. He has personally facilitated over 400 10-day courses and taught over tens of thousands of people in Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America.
S.N. Goenka with some of his early students
To meet the increasing demand, Goenka started training assistant teachers to conduct the 10-day courses on his behalf. Since then, he has trained more than 1,300 assistant teachers who have helped conduct courses attended by 120,000 people annually. Over a period of almost 45 years, Goenka and his assistant teachers have held Vipassana courses in more than 90 countries including China, Malaysia, Cambodia, Mexico, Cuba, Iran, Muscat, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Russia, Serbia and South America, with the help of thousands of volunteers.
There are more than 80 centres established in 21 countries devoted to the teaching of Vipassana and offering free courses, board and lodging. The expenses are completely covered by voluntary donations. Today, Vipassana courses are held at 310 locations in 94 countries. Of that number, there are 176 permanent Vipassana meditation centres in the US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Hong Kong, Mongolia, South Korea, Taiwan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, Israel, Poland, Russia, Austria, Belgium, New Zealand, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Japan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines. In India alone, there are 78 centres that conduct over 1,000 courses yearly.
The Vipassana Meditation Centre in Nepal
Occasionally, people with serious mental disorders have attended Vipassana courses with the unrealistic expectation that the technique will alleviate or cure their mental problems. Vipassana meditation is beneficial for most people, but it is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric treatment. Those with serious psychiatric disorders should seek medical advice and assistance.
The centres themselves are autonomous and self-sufficient. Because they are run by volunteers with varying levels of capabilities, there may be differences in attitudes and experiences. To ensure a more uniform experience in all of the centres, Goenka recorded audio and video tapes to be used as public instruction during retreats. In response to questions about issues arising from growth and expansion, Goenka stated,
“The cause of the problem is included in the question. When these organisations work for their own expansion, they have already started rotting. The aim should be to increase other people’s benefits. Then, there is a pure Dhamma volition and there is no chance of decay. When there is a Dhamma volition, “May more and more people benefit,” there is no attachment. But, if you want your organisation to grow, there is attachment and that pollutes Dhamma.”
Wikipedia, S.N. Goenka
Students practising Goenka’s Vipassana techniques at the meditation centres are asked to agree to refrain from practising any other religious or meditative practices for the duration of the course. Concerning practices of other religions, Goenka stated,
“Understand. The names of many practices are all words of pure Dhamma, of Vipassana. But today the essence is lost; it is just a lifeless shell that people perform. And that has no benefit.”
Global Vipassana Pagoda
Near the turn of the last century, Goenka laid the foundation for a 325-foot-high Global Vipassana Pagoda near Gorai Beach in Mumbai that was completed in November 2008 and opened in 2009. The pagoda contains the relics of the Buddha. It also houses a meditation hall that was built as a tribute to Goenka’s teacher who wanted to repay India’s kindness as the origins of Vipassana. Sayagya U Ba Khin was unable to travel to India due to difficulties in acquiring a passport and so Goenka actualised his wish on his behalf. He also hoped that this monument would act as a bridge between different communities, different sects, different countries and different races to make the world a more harmonious and peaceful place.
The Global Vipassana Pagoda in Mumbai (Photo credit: TripAdvisor)
The Global Vipassana Pagoda is the largest pillar-less stone dome structure in the world. It is twice as big as the Basilica of St. Peter at the Vatican and almost as tall as a 30-storey building. This architectural marvel is also one of the largest single-span stone domes in the world. It is said that approximately 2.5 million tonnes of stone were used in its construction. With a circular meditation hall at its centre that measures 280 feet in diameter and a seating capacity of 8,000, the Pagoda is perfectly positioned to play host to thousands of visitors from across the globe who are curious about the structure and Vipassana meditation.
Goenka explained in a 1997 article titled Why the Grand Vipassana Pagoda? how the Buddha’s relics can actually help people:
“Usually such pagodas are solid. But with the help of the most modern techniques of architecture, instead of building a solid pagoda, a vast meditation hall will be built within it, at the centre of which these sacred relics will be installed so that thousands of meditators can sit around them, meditating together and benefit from their Dhamma vibrations.”
Wikipedia, S.N. Goenka
The Vipassana Research Institute (Photo credit: Style Destino)
Vipassana Research Institute
Goenka strongly believed that theory and practice should go hand-in-hand, so he set up the Vipassana Research Institute to conduct studies and publish literature on the practice and its effects. The Institute primarily focuses on translating and publishing Pali texts and studying the effects of Vipassana in daily life.
Vipassana in Prisons
Goenka first brought Vipassana meditation into prisons in India before taking it to other countries. Aside from members of the police and military, the organisation counts as many as 10,000 prisoners who have attended the 10-day courses.
VIDEO: Doing Time, Doing Vipassana
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/GoenkaDoingTimeDoingVipassana.mp4
The 1997 documentary Doing Time, Doing Vipassana features an introduction of Goenka’s 10-day Vipassana classes at Tihar Jail in 1993 by Kiran Bedi, the then Inspector General of Prisons in New Delhi. Bedi had her guards trained in Vipassana first, and then she had Goenka give his initial ground-breaking class to 1,000 prisoners.
VIDEO: The Dhamma Brothers
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/GoenkaTheDhammaBrothers.mp4
In 2007, a documentary titled The Dhamma Brothers focused on a prison Vipassana meditation programme at Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer, Alabama. The documentary followed four inmates who were convicted of murder. It also includes interviews with prison officials, guards and local residents as well as re-enactments of the inmates’ crimes.
Photo credit: Vipassana Research Institute
Teachings for All Sections of Society
Vipassana meditation has been taught to prison inmates and staff in many parts of India, Britain, New Zealand, the United States, Taiwan and Nepal. There are also permanent Vipassana centres established in two Indian prisons. The Government of India is convinced of its positive effects and has recommended that every prison in the country organise 10-day Vipassana courses for prison inmates and staff. This stunning endorsement has resulted in hundreds of prisoners participating in Vipassana retreats monthly. This does not include the thousands of police officers who have attended Vipassana courses in the centre at the Police Academy in Delhi and at other centres in India.
Vipassana Meditation at Tihar Prison in New Delhi. (Photo credit: Uplift)
Vipassana is successfully practised by men and women from all walks of life. Social status, education level, economic advantages, religious beliefs, political clout or age – none of these factors hinder a person from practising Vipassana. Even the blind and those afflicted with leprosy have found their way to Vipassana through courses specifically organised for them.
Through outreach programmes, the practise of Vipassana was also introduced to school and college students, homeless children, drug addicts and business executives. The effectiveness of Vipassana has led many high-level organisations to encourage their employees to join these courses as part of their ongoing job training. These organisations run the gamut from the state governments of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to the Oil and Natural Gas Commission and the Bhabha Atomic Research Institute.
Writings
A prolific writer and poet, Goenka composed his works in English, Hindi and Rajasthani. These works, in turn, have been translated into many languages. He has been invited to lecture by institutions as diverse as the Dharma Drum Mountain Monastery (of the late Venerable Sheng Yen) in Taiwan; the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland; and the Millennium World Peace Summit at the United Nations. At the Summit, he addressed the assembled spiritual leaders and stressed the overreaching importance of inner peace to effect real world peace.
In 2002, he spent four months bringing the Meditation Now Tour around North America. He was conferred the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in India for social work, on the occasion of India’s 63rd Republic Day in 2012.
Final Journey
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays his respects at S.N. Goenka’s funeral ceremony
On 29th September 2013, Goenka passed away at his home in Mumbai. He was survived by his wife, the prominent Vipassana meditation teacher Elaichi Devi Goenka, and his six sons.
Upon his passing, the well-known American Buddhist author, Jack Kornfield, wrote,
“In every generation, there are a few visionary and profound masters who hold high the lamp of the Dharma to illuminate the world. Like the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh, Ven. S.N. Goenka was one of the great world masters of our time. [He] was an inspiration and teacher for Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg, Ram Dass, Daniel Goleman, and many other western spiritual leaders.”
Wikipedia, S. N. Goenka
Jay Michaelson wrote a Huffington Post article titled The Man who Taught the World to Meditate, in which he described Goenka as,
“a core teacher for the first generation of “insight” meditation teachers to have an impact in the United States.”
(Wikipedia, S. N. Goenka)
Quotes by S.N. Goenka
“May all beings find real peace, real harmony, real happiness.”
(Wikipedia, S. N. Goenka)———-
“A teacher should not be made an idol, like a god. He is a teacher. If you want to get any help, you practice what is being taught, that’s all.”
(Indian Express interview, 2010)———-
“I am not against conversion. In my speech at UN, the first thing I said was that I am for conversion, but not from one organised religion to another, but from misery to happiness, from bondage to liberation.”
(Indian Express interview, 2010)———-
(On ritualism) “…if my teacher had asked me to perform rites or rituals, I would have said good-bye. My own Hindu tradition was full of rituals and ceremonies, so to start again with another set of rituals didn’t make sense. But my teacher said, ‘No ritual. Buddha taught only sila, samadhi, pragya. Nothing else. There is nothing to be added and nothing to be subtracted.’ As the Buddha said, ‘Kevalaparipunnam‘ (Pali: ‘The whole technique is complete by itself.’)”
(Shambhala Sun interview, 2001)
———-
“People are attracted by the results of the practice that they see in others. When a person is angry, the influence of that anger makes everybody unhappy, including themselves. You are the first victim of your own anger. This realisation is another thing that attracted me to the Buddha’s teaching.”
(Shambhala Sun interview, 2001) (Wikipedia, S. N. Goenka)
Recommended Reading (Free Download)
The Art of Living (Click to download PDF)
The texts above were sourced from legitimate book-hosting services offering these texts for free download. They are made available here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes.
Sources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._N._Goenka
- https://www.dhamma.org/en/about/goenka
- http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=79881
- https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/314384.S_N_Goenka
For more interesting information:
- Anagarika Dharmapala: The Revered Buddhist Revivalist
- Nicholas Roerich & art (1874-1947)
- George Roerich – Light of the Morning Star
- Helena Roerich: Writer, Philosopher and Peacemaker
- Lama Anagarika Govinda: The Pioneer Who Introduced Tibetan Buddhism to the World
- Li Gotami: The Woman Who Dedicated Her Life to the Arts
- Kazi Dawa Samdup: a Pioneering Translator of Tibetan Buddhist Texts
- Ekai Kawaguchi – Three Years in Tibet
- Alexandra David-Néel
- Professor Garma C.C. Chang – The Illustrious Pioneer
- Bill Porter (Red Pine): The Translator of Chinese Poems and Promoter of Zen Buddhism
- John Blofeld and His Spiritual Journey
- Herbert Guenther – Master of Languages & Buddhism
- Walter Evans-Wentz: American Pioneer Scholar on Tibetan Buddhism
- Theos Bernard – The American Explorer of Tibet
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Very inspiring. Thank you.
All enlightened beings are worthy of homage and worship. They are the best beings to take refuge in and we should offer them our prayers as we can put our full confidence in them. Of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, I personally find that Manjushri is extremely important. This is because what keeps us in samsara (cyclic rebirth) is our total ignorance and misunderstanding of the reality of existence. What is necessary to penetrate this deep ignorance that keeps us bound in a perpetual state of reincarnation is wisdom. We need many types of wisdom which can be acquired by relying on Manjushri as our yidam (meditational deity). By focusing on his meditation, practice, mantra and path we can gain wisdom in order to have the tool to penetrate the reality of existence. Therefore, Manjushri is an extremely important Buddha for us to focus on and take refuge in.
Tsem Rinpoche
(Photograph: this is the beautiful outdoor Manjushri statue who is in a teaching pose. He is floating above a koi fish pond nestled among lush greenery in Kechara Forest Retreat, Malaysia)
每一位觉者都能成为我们朝拜、膜拜的对象。他们是我们至高、至好的皈依，我们应该向他们做祈请，并且对他们生起全然的信念。在众佛菩萨之中，我个人认为文殊菩萨极为重要。这是因为使我们身陷娑婆（轮回）的是我们自身的无明，以及对实相的曲解。智慧是一种必要，它能穿透我们深不见底的无明，那个使我们受困于无止境投生的无明。我们需要多种智慧，而依止文殊菩萨作为我们的本尊，即能使我们成就多种智慧。透过文殊菩萨的观想、修持法门、心咒及修行道路，我们能成就智慧，拥有了知实相的“器具”。故此，专注于文殊菩萨的修持法门、皈依他，对我们而言都极为重要。
詹杜固仁波切
（相片：这尊户外文殊菩萨像呈转法轮姿。他被茂密的草木环绕，安坐在马来西亚克切拉禅修林的鱼池之上。）
S. N. Goenka had helped so many across the world to attain the peace from within and transformed so many lives. Watched the video of “Doing Time Doing Vipassana” and saw how even the hardest of criminals transforming their minds to be more at peace and kinder. Meditation had always been advocated within Buddhism as its a journey into understanding of self and reaching for the true Buddha nature to bloom. Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline for sharing this article and expanding our knowledge. May the benefit from meditation be felt in bringing better harmony to the world.
Medicine Buddha puja encourages healing of all levels – physical, mental and emotional healing for those in need.
High resolution file of this thangka is available for download for all dharma practitioners around the world and for those who just want sacred images in their environment. Enjoy, be blessed and share this with others.
Here is the link to free download of this image and many other images: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/downloads/buddha-images.html?nggpage=7
Nice short video of a new LED signage reminding us of who we can go to for blessings in case of need: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBwrkaKUoH0
Listening to the chanting of sacred words, melodies, mantras, sutras and prayers has a very powerful healing effect on our outer and inner environments. It clears the chakras, spiritual toxins, the paths where our ‘chi’ travels within our bodies for health as well as for clearing the mind. It is soothing and relaxing but at the same time invigorates us with positive energy. The sacred sounds invite positive beings to inhabit our environment, expels negative beings and brings the sound of growth to the land, animals, water and plants. Sacred chants bless all living beings on our land as well as inanimate objects. Do download and play while in traffic to relax, when you are about to sleep, during meditation, during stress or just anytime. Great to play for animals and children. Share with friends the blessing of a full Dorje Shugden puja performed at Kechara Forest Retreat by our puja department for the benefit of others. Tsem Rinpoche
Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbzgskLKxT8&t=5821s
it’s truly amazing that S. N. Goenka himself improved on his ego and also helped to cure his mirgraine that he had for 20 years after he started practicing Vipassna Meditation. And
Vipassana is successfully practised by men and women from all walks of life.
Love these quotes by S. N. Goenka. “May all beings find real peace, real harmony, real happiness.”
“A teacher should not be made an idol, like a god. He is a teacher. If you want to get any help, you practice what is being taught, that’s all.” Thank you very much Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline for this inspiring story. ??
We owe much thanks to S.N Goenka for making Meditation accessible to many people around the world. Doing Time and Doing Vipassana was a truly awesome video, learnt a lot from it, and learnt that if people from all walks of life even criminals applied the buddha’s teaching the truth and dharma can be revealed to them.
Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline for sharing this post on S.N. Goenka. Meditation is a super method that works for everyone, unlike what many think. I have had the honor through the meditation retreat programs in Kechara Forest Retreat to see the quick difference meditation made in the participants: more joyful, open, warm.
I have yet to join a 10-day retreat but after reading this article, I am motivated to sign up for a program this year!
Thank you Pastor and Rinpoche for sharing.
Vipassana medidation.
Had friends who went for 10 days Vipassana medidation in Gambang. Besides meditation, they are also doing silent retreat and shores within the 10 days period.
Is like a mind and concentration training where they reflect back all their deeds within 10 days period especially on anger, ego and etc.
Can see sone changes in them.
Beautiful biography of such an inspiring man…….Satya Narayan Goenka (born 1924) is the Principal Teacher of Vipassana, the practical quintessence of the Buddha’s teaching. A former industrialist born and raised in a conservative Hindu family in Myanmar. He was well-known for the global populariser of Vipassana meditation. He is living proof that the mental exercise of meditation is necessary in our lives. He has inspired many people from various religious beliefs with his simplicity way of meditation. He has taken up the task of spreading Vipassana across the world since 1969. And has instrumented in setting up of more than 80 centres in India and as well as hundreds more around the world. In the last years of his life he continued teaching the Dharma and inspiring many to practice it. He even wrote a number of books extensively on Vipassana and the teaching of the Buddha. And was awarded with a number of rewards for his amazing technique of meditations and teachings. He has left behind an imperishable legacy indeed.
Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline Woon for this inspiring article which I do enjoyed reading.
Thank you for this article that gets me thinking, what is the magic ingredient of this practice that makes it popular. More than 80 centres were set up in over 20 countries, and as many as 120,000 people had attended the 10-days Vipassana course taught by Ven. S.N. Goenka in 45 of his living years. This means Buddhist teaching has, through the Vipassana practice, reached out to so many people in so many countries. I think there are 2 key ingredients why Vipassana practice is popular. First part being that it cannot be done at home because lay people lack the discipline and technique to do so. The organiser made it a point to disclose the need to be discipline in the onset so that participants know what to expect. They also enforced it. Secondly, there are both tangible and intangible benefits from the practice but we often see people going away talking about the intangible benefits, like a quieter self, more in touch with the inner voice, etc. It is likely that people truly enjoy their self discovery without the outside voice. It is marvellous to see the achievement of Ven. S.N. Goenka and Vipassana practice, may more people benefit from it.