In the course of his Dhamma work, beginning in 1969, Goenkaji has been asked thousands of questions, by Vipassana students and others all over the world. The questions range a fascinating spectrum from what is Dhamma, Vipassana meditation, aim of life, human misery, God, rebirth to insomnia.... The answers and questions have been broadly categorized under various sections based on the nature of the question. It must be remembered, however, that Goenkaji's favourite answer is always: "You must experience the truth yourself. Only then it becomes a truth for you. Otherwise it is only someone else's truth". To Vipassana students, Goenkaji has always emphasized that the real answers can only come from continuous and correct practice of Vipassana. The Q & A Bank, therefore, serves as a guide and inspiration to Vipassana students, and an encouragement to non-students to undertake a Vipassana course, and directly experience its immense benefits. Abandoning false illusions, moving towards the truth, may we keep walking step by step, advancing towards the true goal. May all beings be happy!

Questions have been classified alphabetically:

If this law, this law of nature, is merely accepted intellectually, or devotionally, the benefit will be minimal—it may inspire you to practice. But the real benefit accrues through the actual practice. It is a long path, a lifetime job. Even a journey of ten thousand miles must start with the first step. For one who has taken the first step it is possible that one will take the second step, the third step, and like this, step by step, one will reach the final goal of full liberation.

Similarly, for those who are addicted to alcohol or addicted to drugs, when an urge arises, we advise them not to succumb immediately, but to wait ten or fifteeen minutes, and accept the fact that an urge has arisen, and observe whatever sensation is present at that time. By applying these instructions, they have found that they are coming out of their addictions. They may not be successful every time, but if they are successful even one time out of ten, a very good beginning has been made because the root has started changing. The habit pattern lies at the root of the mind, and the root of the mind is strongly related to the sensations on the body: mind and matter are so interrelated, they keep on influencing each other.

We keep advising people who are addicted to smoking—even ordinary tobacco smoking—that if an urge arises in the mind, not to take the cigarette and start smoking. We advise them: “Wait a little.” Just accept the fact that an urge to smoke has arisen in the mind. When this urge arises, along with it there is a sensation in the body. Start observing this sensation, whatever the sensation may be. Do not look for a particular sensation. Any sensation at that time in the body is related to the urge to smoke. And by observing the sensation as impermanent, anicca, it arises, it passes; it arises, it passes; and in ten minutes, fifteen minutes, this urge will pass away. This is not a philosophy but the experiential truth.

The asava of ignorance is the strongest asava. Of course there is ignorance even when you are reacting with anger or passion or fear; but when you get intoxicated with alcohol or drugs, this intoxication multiplies your ignorance. Therefore it takes time to feel sensations, to go to the root of the problem. When you get addicted to liquor, or addicted to drugs, you cannot know the reality of what is happening within the framework of the body. There is darkness in your mind. You cannot understand what is happening inside, what keeps on multiplying inside. We have found that in cases of alcohol addiction, people generally start benefiting more quickly than people who are addicted to drugs. But the way is there for everyone to come out of misery, however addicted they may be, however ignorant they may be. If you keep working patiently and persistently, sooner or later you are bound to reach the stage where you start feeling sensations throughout the body and can observe them objectively. It may take time. In ten days you may only make a slight change in the habit pattern of your mind. It doesn’t matter; a beginning is made and if you keep practicing morning and evening, and take a few more courses, the habit pattern will change at the deepest level of the mind and you will come out of your ignorance, out of your reaction.

Whether you are addicted to craving—or aversion, or hatred, or passion, or fear—the addiction is to a particular sensation that has arisen because of the biochemical flow (asava). This type of matter results in reaction at the mental level, and the reaction at the mental level again turns into this biochemical reaction. When you say that you are addicted, you are actually addicted to the sensation. You are addicted to this flow, this biochemical flow.

This practice morning and evening, and making use of this technique in daily life—both of these start to change the behavior pattern. Those who used to roll in anger for a long time find their anger decreases. When anger does come, it cannot last for a long period because it is not so intense. Similarly, those who are addicted to passion find that this passion becomes weaker and weaker. Those who are addicted to fear find the fear becoming weaker and weaker. Different kinds of impurities take different amounts of time to come out of. Whether it takes a long time to come out of them, or a short time, the technique will work, provided it is practiced properly.

People who have come to these courses go back home and apply this technique in their daily lives by their morning and evening meditation and by continuing to observe themselves throughout the day—how they react or how they maintain equanimity in different situations. The first thing they will try to do is to observe the sensations. Because of the particular situation, maybe a part of the mind has started reacting, but by observing the sensations their minds become equanimous. Then whatever action they take is an action; it is not a reaction. Action is always positive. It is only when we react that we generate negativity and become miserable. A few moments observing the sensation makes the mind equanimous, and then it can act. Life then is full of action instead of reaction.

By practicing this technique, you start observing the sensation which has arisen because of the flow of a particular chemical. You do not react to it. That means you do not generate anger at that particular moment. This one moment turns into a few moments, which turn into a few seconds, which turn into a few minutes, and you find that you are not as easily influenced by this flow as you were in the past. You have slowly started coming out of your anger.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : When we talk of addiction, it is not merely to alcohol or to drugs, but also to passion, to anger, to fear, to egotism: all of these are addictions. All these are addictions to your impurities. At the intellectual level you understand very well: “Anger is not good for me. It is dangerous. It is so harmful.” Yet you are addicted to anger, you keep generating anger. And when the anger has passed, you keep repenting: “Oh! I should not have done that. I should not have gotten angry.” Meaningless! The next time some stimulation comes, you become angry again. You are not coming out of it, because you have not been working at the depth of the behavior pattern of your mind. The anger starts because of a particular chemical that has started flowing in your body, and with the interaction of mind and matter—one influencing the other—the anger continues to multiply.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Not only smoking cigarettes or chewing pāna—there are so many different types of addictions. When you practice Vipassana, you will understand that your addiction is not actually to that particular substance. It seems as if you are addicted to cigarettes, alcohol, drugs or pāna; but the real fact is that you are addicted to a particular sensation in the body. When you smoke a cigarette, there is a sensation in the body. When you chew pāna, there is a sensation in the body. When you take a drug, there is a sensation in the body. Similarly, when you are addicted to anger or passion, these are also related to body sensations. Your addiction is to the sensations. Through Vipassana you come out of that addiction. You come out of all outside addictions also. It is so natural, so scientific. Just try and you will find how it works.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Just the action, not the result. The result will automatically be good, Dhamma does that. We don’t have the power to choose the result, the result is not in our control. Our control is to do our duty. That’s all: you have done your duty.

Mr. S. N. Goenka :If you make a mistake, you understand, “Well I made a mistake.” Next time you try not to make a mistake, to do it in a proper way and yet you are not successful; again smile. Again work in a different way, again smile. With every failure, if you are happy, if you are smiling, then you are not attached. But if failure makes you sad and a success makes you highly elated, then certainly you are attached.

You will never become sad with a balanced mind, with any result that comes, because the results are not in your hands. Nature does that. You have done your job and left the result to nature, to Dhamma: “Thy will.”

Mr. S. N. Goenka : No, no, no. Understand attachment. The only yardstick to measure whether you are attached or not attached is that whatever you are doing with proper understanding and if you are attached to it, then if you miss and you become sad because you have missed it, then you are attached. But suppose you miss and you are not sad: “Well, it couldn’t happen this way—couldn’t happen, so what? I did my best and the result didn’t come, so it didn’t come.” Then you are not attached.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Come to Vipassana and you will know how! It looks so difficult now because you don’t know how to balance the mind at the deepest level. You try to impose this balance at the surface level. That itself is difficult. And even if you have made your mind balanced at the surface level, the lack of balance remains at the depths. You can’t come out of it. Vipassana is for this purpose, so that you can work at the root level and become really happy.

Suppose you tend a sick person, and despite your care, he does not recover. You don’t start crying; that would be useless. With a balanced mind, you try to find another way to help him. This is holy indifference: neither inaction nor reaction, but real, positive action with a balanced mind.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Detachment does not mean indifference; it is correctly called ‘holy indifference’. As a parent, you must meet your responsibility to care for your child with all your love but without clinging. Out of pure, selfless love, you do your duty.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Yes, there should be non-attachment to persons also. You may have true love, compassionate love for someone. But when you have attachment, then you don’t have love because you expect something, material or emotional, from this person. When you have attachment, you are expecting something in return. When you truly start loving this person, then you only give; it is one-way traffic. You don't expect anything in return. Then the attachment goes, the tension goes. You are so happy.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : You see, more importance should be given to detachment. Simplicity will follow, but it should not be the aim. Otherwise Dhamma will deteriorate. There will be a class of people who will just make a show, "Look how simply I live," but deep inside there will be attachment for wealth and riches, etc. This does not lead to liberation. So the aim of Dhamma should be to develop detachment. Once detachment is developed, none of these things will hold any attraction. Naturally, simplicity will develop. But if this becomes the aim, it will become a show. More important is purification of the mind through detachment.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : My believing or not believing will not help you. Practice Vipassana, and you will reach a stage where you can see your past, and you can see your future. Then only believe. Don't believe something just because your teacher says so. Otherwise, you will be under the clutches of a guru, which is against Dhamma.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Every moment one is taking birth, every moment one is dying. Understand this process of life and death. This will make you very happy, and you will understand what happens after death.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : (Laughs). If by 'atheist' you mean one who does not believe in God, then no, I am not. For me, God is not an imaginary person. For me, truth is God. The ultimate truth is ultimate God.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : God's power is Dhamma's power. Dhamma is God. Truth is God. When you are with truth, when you are with Dhamma, you are with God. Develop God's power within yourself, by purifying your mind.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : I have not seen such a God. If you have, you are welcome to believe. For me, truth is God, the law of nature is God, Dhamma is God, and everything is evolving because of Dhamma, because of this law of nature. If you understand this, and live according to the law of Dhamma, you live a good life. Whether you believe in a supernatural God or not, makes no difference.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : It depends how you interpret it. To me, swadharma is the Dharma of human beings. A human being has been given this wonderful faculty to observe oneself and come out of the misery, come out of the bondage. An animal cannot do this, a bird cannot do this, an insect cannot do this. If you are just living the life without using this faculty, then you are living the life of an animal, the life of a bird, the life of an insect. Then no difference between you and that being—you are not living the life of swadharma, you are living the life of paradharma. For swadharma, you must learn how to come out of your bondages, by observing the truth within yourself.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Everything in the Universe is vibrating. This is no theory, it is a fact. The entire Universe is nothing but vibrations. The good vibrations make us happy, the unwholesome vibrations cause misery. Vipassana will help you come out of effect of bad vibrations - the vibrations caused by a mind full of craving and aversion. When the mind is perfectly balanced, the vibrations become good. And these good or bad vibrations you generate start influencing the atmosphere all around you. Vipassana helps you generate vibrations of purity, compassion and goodwill - beneficial for yourself and all others.

All along one has been increasing the stock of craving and aversion; now with practice one will start purifying the mind, reducing the stock of defilements till one finally moves beyond the realm of the impermanent. Only then will one experience that which is absolute and permanent, never changing. As this state cannot be put in words, if it is ever described in words it will be misleading. It must be experienced and Vipassana can give that experience. Of course it takes time to reach that state since one does not know how big the stock of defilements which one has accumulated is, and how long it will take to clear that stock. But the journey from impermanent to permanent has to begin now.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Let us forget for a minute whatever the philosophical belief is behind this statement and focus on two truths that lie before us. There are impermanent and permanent realities. The realm of the permanent is eternal, absolute, and one may call it soul, god, state of nibbana or moksha. Whatever name one knows it by, it is the eternal state where nothing ever changes; it is as it is forever. Everything else is in the impermanent realm where everything is in a state of flux, always changing, constant creation and destruction. The difference between the two is not to be understood by the intellect, but is to be directly experienced.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : It is not my meditation system! It is an Indian meditation system, ancient India’s meditation system. The life is eternal, but you have to make it purified, so that you live a better life, a good life. Don’t try to find the beginning of life, when it started—what you will gain by that? The life is starting every moment; this ball is rolling. It is rolling in a wrong way, and you are a miserable person. Come out of that misery. That is more important than anything else.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Chakras are nothing but nerve centers on the spinal cord. Vipassana takes you to the stage where you can feel activity in every little atom of your body. Chakras are just a part of that. This activity can be experienced in the entire body.

Accept only the reality pertaining to the truth that you experience within the framework of the body and keep moving. The answer will come, Vipassana will help to supply this answer.

Similarly, you keep on observing the entire mental structure. As you observe from the gross to the subtle, to the subtlest, you will reach the stage where you will find that the mental structure is also nothing but wavelets arising and passing. By this experience you are investigating, like a scientist, what the truth is. When you reach the stage where the entire mind and matter phenomenon is just arising and passing—and in that whole process the impurities are eradicated—then a stage comes where you transcend the field of mind and matter and you experience something which is called nibbāna, where nothing arises, nothing passes away. You may say it is immortal. But when you reach that stage there will be no "I." That stage has to be experienced by each individual. Without that, again it will become just a philosophy.

Leave it aside. All right, if the belief is that there is a soul that it is immortal, then let me investigate this belief. Vipassana is nothing but investigating the truth pertaining to oneself within the framework of the body. The first thing that you come across is your bodily structure. By Vipassana, as you keep moving from the gross to the subtle, to the subtlest, you will reach a stage where you will start experiencing every tiny subatomic particle which is arising and passing. And you will realize, "Well this is not ātmā, because ātmā is immortal and this is not immortal."

The tremendous amount of attachment that ignorance helps us develop to "I" is strengthened by this kind of belief. There is a reason behind the formation of all these philosophical beliefs. Our job is not to say, "No, it is wrong," to give reasons why, and get involved in debates and arguments—that won’t help. Neither should we confirm the belief.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Believing that Ātmā is immortal is a philosophical belief. First one has to believe that there is an ātmā, a soul, and then one has to believe that it is immortal. Both these beliefs are strongly interconnected. If ātmā, or the soul, is not immortal then ātmā is useless to me. I accept ātmā simply because somebody says that it is immortal, and by ātmā I understand it is "I." If somebody whispers in my ear, "Well look, everything is mortal, impermanent in this world, but you are permanent, you will always remain," I feel elated by this belief, "Wonderful, I will remain! Everything, the body, mind and the entire universe passes away, but I will remain!"

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Observe yourself and you will find what is happening inside. What you call “soul,” what you call ātma, you will notice, is just a reacting mind, a certain part of the mind. Yet you remain under the illusion that: “This is ‘I.’ See, this is ‘I,’ this is ‘I.’” This illusion of ‘I’ will go away, and then the reaction will go away, and you will be liberated from your misery. This does not happen by accepting philosophical beliefs.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Well, if you believe in the law of nature, that as you sow, so you will reap, then certainly they do. Anybody who is suffering must have done something wrong in the past. But this should not make you feel, "I will never come out of my misery, I have done so much wrong in the past and my destiny is such." All the past kamma that you have done is done. Your present kamma is important and so powerful. If you are a Vipassana meditator, have confidence. If a person like Angulimāla, who had killed 999 people in this very life (and we don’t know what he had done in the past), could eradicate his past kamma by the practice of Vipassana, why have pessimism? Have all the optimism. You have this wonderful technique by which you can come out of all your misery.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Wealth alone is not a good karma. If you become wealthy but remain miserable, what is the use of this wealth? Having wealth and also happiness, real happiness - that is good karma. Most important is to be happy, whether you are wealthy or not.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Our own actions gave birth to us. Depending on the kind of actions we indulge in, during the moment of death those similar kinds of sa­khāras raise their heads and become the cause of the next life. We alone are responsible. Why blame poor God? What kind of God would bother to give us birth again and again and put us through so much misery? Why blame him? We are responsible and want to put the blame on somebody else. Purify yourself and you will see that you become free from the cycle of birth and death.

Suppose a thorn has gone into your flesh. As it goes in it is very painful. If you want to take it out, you have to use a needle to go in deep. Again it is painful. Whatever sensation you experienced while performing an action, the same type of sensation you will experience while getting the fruit of it. Those who are good Vipassana meditators will observe, not react, not allow it to multiply, and it passes away. You are free from it. If you don’t practise like this, then naturally you will get the fruit of it later.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Because one understands what Vipassana is. In Vipassana, the fruit of the past life will come up first as a sensation on the body. If it was an evil deed, very unpleasant sensations will arise in the body. For example, if you abuse or hit somebody, you generate anger. When you generate anger you are burning inside, so whenever the fruit of this seed comes it will come with burning. When burning comes you are trained how to observe it, it loses all its strength and passes away.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Because of cause. The cause of your understanding this cause of your understanding. This cause of understanding helps you come out of the reaction of generating new sankharas (conditioning of the mind). The cause of ignorance results in generating more and more sankharas and rolling in it. The cause of wisdom results in helping to come out of it. The cause is there, All the time you are using the cause of ignorance. You keep on rolling in misery. Now by practice of Vipassana, you are making use of the cause of wisdom. You don't make new sankharas.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Be the master of your own mind. The whole technique teaches you how to become your own master. If you are not the master of your mind, then because of the old habit pattern, you will keep on performing those actions, that karma, which you don’t want to perform. Intellectually you understand: “I should not perform these actions.” Yet you still perform them, because you do not have mastery over your mind. This technique will help you to become the master of your own mind.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Ignorance and sankhara (mental conditioning). Because of ignorance we keep generating sankharas and because of sankharas we keep multiplying our ignorance. These two support each other and the entire universe continues because of that, nothing else.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Misery is everywhere, but other beings can’t come out of their misery because they can’t observe the reality within themselves. Nature—or if you want to call it "God Almighty"—has given this wonderful power only to human beings, to observe the reality within ourselves and come out of misery. Make use of this wonderful power that is given to us.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : No, not in the future, but here and now ! The law of nature punishes immediately, at the very moment one starts generating a defilement in the mind. One cannot generate a defilement and feel peaceful. The misery is instant. Only when you realize that suffering is here and now that you will change the habit pattern of generating defilements that lead to wrong verbal or physical action. If you think, 'Oh, I'll be punished only in future lives, and I'm not bothered now', it won't help.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Yes. In fact, this technique deliberately uses suffering as a tool to make one a noble person. But it will work only if you learn to observe suffering objectively. If you are attached to your suffering, the experience will not ennoble you; you will always remain miserable.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : We have become so involved in suffering that to be free from it seems unnatural. But when you experience the real happiness of mental purity, you will know that this is the natural state of the mind.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Nobody causes suffering for you. You cause suffering for yourself by generating tensions in the mind. If you know not to do that, it becomes easy to remain peaceful and happy in every situation.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Our own mental actions have an influence on others. If we generate nothing but negativity in the mind, that negativity has a harmful effect on those who come into contact with us. If we fill the mind with positivity, with goodwill toward others, then it will have a helpful effect on those around us. You cannot control the actions, the kamma of others, but you can master yourself in order to have a positive influence on those around you.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : For each of us, life moves in a flow. According to our karmas of the past, the flow of our life goes in a particular direction—miserable or happy, whatever it is. This is because of our own karmas; nobody else has created this. Whatever you have done in your past is gone; you can’t help it. But today you are your own master. With your present practice, you can change the entire flow. So destiny can be changed. You are your own master, the master of your present.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Of course. We are influenced by the people around us and by our environment, and we keep influencing them as well. If the majority of people, for example, are in favour of violence, then war and destruction occur, causing many to suffer. But if people start to purify their minds, then violence cannot happen. The root of the problem lies in the mind of each individual human being, because society is composed of individuals. If each person starts changing, then society will change, and war and destructions will become rare events.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Well, certainly our past actions will give fruit, good or bad. They will determine the type of life we have, the general situation in which we find ourselves. But that does not mean that whatever happens to us is predestined, ordained by our past actions, and that nothing else can happen. That is not the case. Our past actions influence the flow of our life, directing them towards pleasant or unpleasant experiences. But present actions are equally important. Nature has given us the ability to become masters of our present actions. With the mastery we can change our future.

Again, this is not to be believed because the Buddha said so. It is not to be believed because I say so. It is not be believed because your intellect says so. You have to experience it yourself. People coming to these courses have found by their experience that there is a change for the better in their behavior.

Say, for example, you are feeling a particular sensation which may be due to the food you have eaten, which may be due to the atmosphere around you, which may be due to your present mental actions, or which may be due to your old mental reactions that are giving their fruit. Whatever it may be, a sensation is there, and you are trained to observe it with equanimity and not to react to it; but you keep on reacting because of the old habit pattern. You sit for one hour, and initially you may get only a few moments when you do not react, but those few moments are wonderful moments. You have started changing the habit pattern of your mind by observing sensation and understanding its nature of impermanence. This stops the blind habit pattern of reacting to the sensation and multiplying the vicious cycle of misery. Initially, in an hour, you get a few seconds, or a few minutes of not reacting. But eventually, by practice, you reach a stage where throughout the hour you do not react at all. At the deepest level you do not react at all. A deep change is coming in the old habit pattern. The vicious cycle is broken: your mind was reacting to the chemical process which was manifesting itself as a sensation, and as a result, for hours together, your mind was flooded with a particular impurity, a particular defilement. Now it gets a break for a few moments, a few seconds, a few minutes. As the old habit of blind reaction becomes weaker, your behavior pattern is changing. You are coming out of your misery.

By Vipassana, when that barrier is broken, one starts feeling sensations throughout the body, not merely at the surface but also deep inside because throughout the entire physical structure, wherever there is life, there is sensation. And by observing these sensations, you start realizing the characteristic of arising and passing, arising and passing. By this understanding, you start to change the habit pattern of the mind.

On the surface, the mind keeps itself busy with outside objects, or it remains involved with games of intellectualization, imagination, or emotion. That is the job of your "tiny mind" (paritta cittā), the surface level of the mind. Therefore you do not feel what is happening deep inside, and you do not feel how you are reacting to what is happening at the deeper level of the mind.

At the conscious level of the mind, at the intellectual level of the mind, one may accept the entire theory of Dhamma, of truth, of law, of nature. But still one keeps rolling in misery because one does not realize what is happening at the depth of the mind. Sensations are there in your body every moment. Every contact results in a sensation. This isn't a philosophy, it is the actual truth which can be verified by one and all.

This behavior pattern is at the depth of the mind. What is called the "unconscious mind" is actually not unconscious; at all times it remains in contact with this body. And along with this contact of the body, a sensation keeps arising, because every chemical that flows in your body generates a particular type of sensation. You feel a sensation-pleasant, unpleasant or neutral, whatever it is-and with the feeling of this sensation, you keep reacting. At the depth of your mind, you keep reacting with craving, with aversion, with craving, with aversion. You keep generating different types of sankhāras, different types of negativities, different types of-impurities, and the process of multiplication continues. You can't stop it because there is such a big barrier between the conscious and the unconscious mind. When you practice Vipassana, you break this barrier. Without Vipassana the barrier remains.

Mere understanding at the intellectual level will not help to break this cycle, and may even create difficulties. Your beliefs from a particular tradition may look quite logical, yet these beliefs will create obstacles for you. The intellect has its own limitation. You cannot realize the ultimate truth merely at the intellectual level. The ultimate truth is limitless, infinite, while the intellect is finite. It is only through experience that we are able to realize that which is limitless, infinite. Even those who have accepted this law of nature intellectually are not able to change the behavior pattern of their minds, and as a result they are far away from the realization of the ultimate truth.

And not only passion but also fear, anger, hatred, and craving-every type of impurity that comes in the mind simultaneously generates an āsava (flow). And this āsava keeps stimulating that particular negativity, that particular impurity, resulting in a vicious cycle of suffering. You may call yourself a Hindu, or a Muslim, or a Jain, or a Christian-it makes no difference-the process is such, the law is such, that it is applicable to one and all. There is no discrimination.

Now, as a very objective scientist, you proceed further, simply observing the truth as it is, observing how the law of nature works. When this secretion of kāmāsava starts, since it is the biochemical produced by passion, it influences the next moment of the mind with more passion. Thus, this kāmāsava turns into a craving of-passion at the mental level, which again stimulates kāmāsava, a flow of passion at the physical level. One starts influencing the other, starts stimulating the other, and the passion keeps on multiplying for minutes together, at times for hours together. The behavior pattern of the mind of generating passion is strengthened because of the repeated generation of passion.

When the mind is full of passion, within this material structure, subatomic particles of a particular type arise, and there is a biochemical secretion that starts flowing throughout the body with the stream of the blood or otherwise. This type of biochemical flow, which starts because a mind full of passion has arisen, is called kāmāsava (lit.: sensual flow).

Every moment, within the framework of the body, masses of subatomic particles-kalāpas-arise and pass away, arise and pass away. How do they arise? The cause becomes clear as you-investigate the reality as it is, without influence from any past conditioning or philosophical beliefs. The material input, the food that you have taken, becomes a cause for these kalāpas to arise. You will also find that kalāpas arise and pass away due to the climatic atmosphere around you. You also begin to understand the formation of the mind-matter structure: how matter helps matter to arise and dissolve, arise and dissolve. Similarly, you understand how mind helps matter to arise and dissolve. You will also notice that at times matter arises from the mental conditioning of the past-that is, the accumulated saṅkhāra (conditioning) of the past. By the practice of Vipassana, all of this starts to become clear. In ten days, you do not become perfect in this understanding but a beginning is made. You learn to observe: At this moment, what type of mind has arisen and what is the content of this mind? The quality of the mind is according to the content of the mind. For example, when a mind full of passion (or a mind full of anger, or a mind full of fear) has arisen, you will notice that as it arises, it helps to generate these subatomic particles.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: The Buddha said that understanding the Dhamma is nothing other than understanding the law of cause and effect. You have to realize this truth within yourself. In a ten-day course, you have the opportunity to learn how to do this. This investigation of truth pertaining to matter, pertaining to mind and pertaining to the mental concomitants, the mental contents, is not merely for the sake of curiosity, but to change your mental habit pattern at the deepest level of the mind. As you keep proceeding, you will realize how the mind influences matter, and how matter influences the mind.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Nothing happens without a cause. It is not possible. Sometimes our limited senses and intellects cannot clearly find it, but that does not mean that there is no cause.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: If you are with the reality and not reacting to it, naturally the mind gets sharpened. The mind gets blunt when it reacts, more and more reaction makes the mind very gross. When you don’t react, its natural reality is very sharp, very sensitive.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: As long as the mind is engaged in doing Anapana, that is, in the observation of the flow of respiration, it is without any thoughts, and as a result of this, it is without any defilements. It is our thoughts which defile the mind. Mostly while we are thinking, there is craving or aversion. Pleasant thoughts generate craving and unpleasant thoughts generate aversion. But when we are observing the incoming and outgoing breath, there is no reason for us to generate either of these emotions and so these are moments of purity in the mind. More and more of these moments of purity will reverse the habit pattern of the mind. The mind that was previously generating impurities will now become pure. This transformation, which initially takes place at the surface level of the mind, will gradually take deep roots as you progress on the path of Vipassana.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: It is the mind that reforms itself. A part of the mind is always observing its own functioning. If there are thoughts in the mind, it will analyse the nature of these thoughts. Whenever negativity or a feeling of animosity arises in the mind, this same part instantly issues a warning that such negative emotions are undesirable and should not occur in the mind. This part may be called intellect or the part of the mind which is always alert regarding the functioning of the mind and is trying to reform it. If the mind can develop the habit of observing the truth as it appears, then this fact will become clear- that the moment the mind is defiled, it is punished with suffering; and if it is purified, the suffering is removed. It is this observing part of the mind which will understand this process and thus change itself. Nobody wants to remain agitated. Everyone wants to lead a happy life without miseries. To attain this state, the observing part of the mind tries to change the nature of the remaining part of the mind.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: The mind is what thinks! The entire thought process is due to the mind. It is the mind that is constantly involved in the various actions of thinking, reading and pondering over what has been read, etc. During its course of thinking, the mind may act beneficially or harmfully. If it adopts the wrong habit pattern, then it will generate feelings of ill will and animosity for others. If instead, the mind reforms itself, then although it will still have thoughts they will now be thoughts for the well being of others. If someone has shortcomings, the mind will want that person to overcome his shortcomings because now the mind knows that due to his shortcomings, that person will perform wrong actions which will make him more miserable and unhappy. So the mind will harbour thoughts of goodwill towards that person. It will want the person to refrain from doing bad deeds and thus save himself from burning in the fires of suffering. We observe that it is the nature of the mind to generate thoughts all the time. Therefore, our most important duty is to guide the mind towards a healthy thought process and prevent it from taking the path of unhealthy thinking patterns. Our entire effort is aimed towards understanding this nature of the mind and correcting it if it goes on the wrong path.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: This is indeed a good question. If the observation of breath does not help us to preserve morality and establish ourselves in Dhamma, then it is a futile exercise. This technique will be very beneficial in living a good life. If we continue to observe the natural flow of respiration, we will find that it helps us to gain control over our mind. Our mind will not be as weak and restless as before. Its ability to concentrate will improve. The more it concentrates, the stronger and wiser it gets. Its faculty of awareness improves. If anger arises in the mind, it will instantly become aware of it. Then all you have to do is to observe the respiration. A few minutes of observing the breath will eliminate anger from the mind. Earlier, when we were in a bad mood, we used to either abuse the other person or we would lose control and hit him, thus breaking our sila. So Anapana has prevented us from doing a harmful deed. Any wrong act we perform defiles the mind, and the person practising Anapana immediately becomes aware of this. The only way to get rid of the impurity is to observe the breath for some time. If we continue to observe the breath, the impurity will be removed and we will be saved from breaking our sila.

To be ambitious is not bad at all. We set a definite aim for our life. For instance, we study to fulfil a certain ambition, or we are doing meditation for a certain purpose. But if we get attached to our goal and constantly worry about it while making no efforts to attain it, then it is futile to have any ambition. What is the point in being ambitious about a thing which prevents you from taking the right course of action? Decide about your aim and then strive to achieve it. If you are thirsty, then go and get water. Merely crying for water and worrying about it will not quench your thirst. Make the desired effort to obtain water, drink it and satisfy your thirst. What is wrong with this? Similarly, there is no harm in having a good ambition and making efforts to attain it. But if you get obsessed with it and only worry about its fulfilment without making any efforts in that direction, then you will go off the track and fail- even a good ambition will not be successful. So have the right ambition and strive hard to attain it.

You may wonder how you will be able to lead your life if you do not plan for the future. We have a limited reservoir of energy and therefore it should be utilized with wisdom. We should only use as much as is required for planning the future. We tend to exhaust our energy by unnecessarily tormenting the mind with thoughts of the future. "This may happen or this may not happen. We may do this or we may not do this?" Oh! Indulge in all this thinking only when it is required. Right now, your job is to observe the breath so that you learn to remain in the present. If we adopt the habit of remaining firmly in the present, we will be able to take the next step properly. Thus, to establish this habit pattern of the mind, we emphasize staying with the present.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: These are two different questions, and quite relevant as well. It is certainly not wise to live in the present and not think about the future at all. While observing the breath, you are also gaining awareness of the workings of the mind. You have observed that it has become a permanent habit of the mind to always generate thoughts about the past or the future. The mind does not want to focus on its present task of observing the breath. When it is involved in thoughts of future, the mind's energy gets reduced and therefore it is unable to work with full potential on the task at hand. And, when the actual time for taking the right action comes, the mind has exhausted all its energy. So with the mind firmly rooted in the present, think and plan the immediate task at hand. Set your goal and keeping it in sight, walk step by step towards it. Once the goal is set, you should not think about it any more. This way, every step you take will be a step in the present. But remain aware of each and every step you take. This will eliminate all possibilities of making mistakes.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Samādhi can be without equanimity. With the base of craving one becomes fully concentrated. But that kind of samādhi is not right samādhi. That is with the base of impurity. But if the samadhi is with equanimity, then it gives wonderful results, because the mind is pure and concentrated, so it is powerful with purity. It cannot do anything that will harm you or harm others. But if it is powerful with impurity, it will harm others, it will harm you. So equanimity with samādhi is helpful.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Respiration is the truth. Respiration is related to your mind and matter, and you are here to make an analytical study of mind and matter. So you start with respiration, and then go to a deeper level of mind and matter.

Buddha wanted us to observe natural breath because it takes us to the stage where we can practice Vipassana. Those who want to practice Pranayama for health reasons, let them practice it separately. Don't connect it with Vipassana. When you practice Vipassana, natural breath is important, yathabhuta, as it is.

Coming back to the first question of why we work with the natural breath-there are other techniques especially in India where one controls the breath, for example, the technique of Pranayama. One takes a deep breath and stops for some time; one exhales and stops for some time. We don't condemn other techniques. We understand that Pranayama is good for physical health. But the Buddha wanted us to use the awareness of the natural breath to reach the next step of feeling sensations. This controlled breathing, Pranayama, is not suitable because it is artificial breath.

Therefore, he taught us in a very systematic manner. Start on a small area with the natural breath. The breath will become subtler and subtler; the mind will become sharper and sharper. This area will become very sensitive and you will start feeling sensations. Everywhere around the world, people coming to the courses and practicing the technique given by the Enlightened One, start feeling sensations in this area on the second or third day. The Buddha taught the technique, the path, very systematically. We don't want to deviate from what he taught.

The Buddha was sabbaññu-he knew everything so clearly. There is an important nerve centre in this area. When your mind is sharp and you are aware of this area, your mind becomes so sensitive that you start feeling some sensation in this area. The purpose of Anapana, the purpose of samadhi, is to take the next step of Vipassana. Vipassana is not Vipassana if you don't feel sensations.

It also becomes clear that the object of concentration must be very subtle. That is why when the mind is wandering too much, you are allowed to take a few hard breaths, but after that, you must come back to the natural breath. And as your mind gets concentrated, the breath will become softer and softer, finer and finer, shorter and shorter. You won't have to make any effort. It happens naturally. Sometimes the breath becomes so short, so fine, like a thin thread, that it feels as if immediately after coming out it makes a U-turn and enters the nostrils again. So when the area is small, the object of concentration is very subtle, and you continue without interruption, the mind becomes very sharp.

For a very new student, we say even if you feel the breath inside the nostrils, it is okay. But ultimately you have to be aware of the touch of the breath in this area. Why? Because for samadhi, concentration of mind, citta ekaggata [one-pointedness of the mind] is very important. For a new student, a bigger triangle including the whole area of the nose is okay. But within a day or two, the student is asked to observe a smaller area. It becomes very clear, as you keep on progressing on the path given by the Buddha, that the area of concentration must be as small as possible.

The Buddha does not want us to imagine that the breath is coming in or the breath is going out, you must actually feel it. When you are attentive, you can feel its touch somewhere in this area.

The Buddha is so clear in his instructions. We cannot deviate from his instructions. And as you practice, it becomes very clear why the Buddha chose this small area. This is the area over which the incoming breath and the outgoing breath must pass. The incoming and outgoing breath touches the area at the entrance of the nostrils and above the upper lip. That is why he wanted you to keep your attention here. For those with long noses, the breath is likely to touch the entrance of the nostrils. For those with short noses, it usually touches the area above the upper lip. So he chose this area-either at the entrance of the nostril, nasikagge, or the middle part of the upper lip.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Because again, it is a very clear instruction given by the Enlightened One. In Patisambhidamagga, he clearly says that you must be aware of the incoming breath, the outgoing breath, and mukha-this area above the mouth. He calls it mukhanimitta. It is clearly explained in Patisambhidamagga and in Vibhanga, what is mukhanimitta: it means nasikagge, the front portion of the nose at the entrance of the nostrils. Also, the Buddha says that it must be Uttarotthassa majjhimappadese. Uttara means above; ottha is lip; and majjimappadese is the middle portion. And in the Mahasatipatthana sutta, he says, establish your awareness here, parimukham satim upatthapetva. Sati means awareness; parimukham means the area above the lips.

Then you are working according to the instructions of the Enlightened One. Don't try to interfere with the natural flow of the breath. And if you find that the mind is wandering too much and you cannot feel the natural breath, then you may take a few-only a few-intentional breaths, slightly hard breaths, so that you can bring your mind back to the observation of the breath. You have to keep in mind that your aim is to feel the natural breath. However soft it is, however subtle it is, you must be able to feel it. That is the aim.

Therefore, we emphasize it must be always natural breath-as it comes in naturally, as it goes out naturally. If it is long, just be aware that it is long. Don't try to make it short. If it is short, just be aware that it is short. Don't try to make it long. If it is going through the right nostril, then observe that it is going through the right nostril. If it is going through the left nostril, then observe it through the left nostril. When it passes through both the nostrils, observe the flow through both the nostrils.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Because the Buddha wanted you to. He is very clear that one must observe the breath as it is-yathabhuta. If it is long, you are aware, "it is long"; if it is short, you are aware, "it is short". Yathabhuta. If you make your respiration unnatural, artificial, you will give more attention to change the respiration according to your wishes. Your attention will not be with the reality as it is, but with something that you have created.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Because it will eventually pave the way for Vipassana. Breath is a true fact. It is the truth that is closely associated not only with our body but also with our mind. Like a scientist, we have to diligently discover the truth about ourselves, our body and mind. Moreover, this knowledge should be based at the experiential level and not on what we are told or study in books, etc. We have started this practice of observing the breath, so that we can learn the truth about ourselves. This will enable us to get rid of our faults on the one hand and conserve and expand our virtues on the other. All this is possible only if we know our minds, and the mind can be known through the breath. We are observing the breath; and in the process, we begin to know our mind. While learning about the mind we can also reform it. Thus, the mind and respiration are closely linked. This will become more evident as you progress on the path of meditation. While observing the breath, some angry thoughts may occur in the mind. You will notice that the normal pace of the breath gets disturbed and it becomes fast and heavy. And the moment the mind gets rid of anger, the breath becomes normal. This shows how the disorders of the mind are related to our breathing process. As you meditate further, you will understand all this better. But you will only understand this phenomenon clearly if you work with the pure breath. If you add anything to the breath, then you will fail to grasp all this. For these reasons, we work with the breath. Respiration is related not only to the body but to the mind as well. When we breathe in, the lungs get inflated with air and when we breathe out, the lungs are deflated. This is how the respiration is related to the body. And as it was just explained, if an impurity arises in the mind, the normal pace of the breath gets disturbed. This is how respiration is related to the mind.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Vipassana is not merely concentration. Vipassana is observation of the truth within, from moment to moment. You develop your faculty of awareness, your mindfulness. Things keep changing, but you remain aware - this is Vipassana. But if you concentrate only on one object, which may be an imaginary object, then nothing will change. When you are with this imagination, and your mind remains concentrated on it, you are not observing the truth. When you are observing the truth, it is bound to change. It keeps constantly changing, and yet you are aware of it. This is Vipassana.

But to the person who has not experienced this, it looks like illusion—”Oh, such peace of mind is not possible. Enjoying things at the sensual level is more important.” It’s not that after learning Vipassana we will run away from the sensual pleasures—but there will be no attachment to them. If we miss it, we miss it—still we are happy. If we get it, we get it—still we are content. Ordinarily, when you miss it, you will feel so depressed. With this technique, that depression will go away, so that you really are happy.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : No. Life will be so joyful! Say you have enjoyed a particular type of life, having this sensual pleasure, that sensual pleasure. You say this is very joyful. But once you experience the joy of a balanced and peaceful mind, and you compare the two, you will find there is no comparison. The difference is like the difference between light and darkness, it is so great. One feels so happy: “Look, I have come out of it.“ One does not become like a vegetable, with no emotion in one’s life. No, one’s life is full of joy, full of life. Life becomes so bright and so good, so life-full. It is not lifeless.

By this technique, the habit pattern changes and the mind becomes purer and purer, free from craving, free from aversion. A pure mind by nature is full of love, full of compassion. You don’t harm yourself, you don’t harm others.

This is a habit pattern going back far into the past. Before, you kept on generating craving and aversion; and now again you generate craving and aversion. You are becoming more and more miserable.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : They are replaced with love, compassion, good will. Whenever the mind is impure, it becomes more and more impure as you start generating craving and aversion.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Try it! Life will only get better and not result in inaction. Dharma does not turn us into vegetables, that anyone can come and cut us and we sit passively saying that we are non-violent. If a person is indulging in wrong action towards us then we will speak to him with compassion. If he persists we will speak firmly or even take firm action against him, but there will be no anger within us; only compassion for him. If we get angry with him then we are not on the right path. We will certainly stop him with loving kindness or even with firmness, but without anger. This is not just for our own benefit but for his own welfare as well, because if he persists in negative behavior he will only generate unhappiness for himself and for others. Vipassana teaches us to live rightly.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Again, the criterion is whether you are attached to your plan. Everyone must provide for the future. If your plan does not succeed and you start crying, then you know that you were attached to it. But if you are unsuccessful and can still smile, thinking, "Well, I did my best. So what if I failed? I'll try again!"- then you are working in a detached way, and you remain happy.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Cravings and aversions can never be wholesome. They will always make you tense and unhappy. If you act with craving or aversion in the mind, you may have a worthwhile goal, but you use an unhealthy means to reach it. Of course, you have to act to protect yourself from danger. If you do it overpowered by fear, then might you develop a fear complex which will harm you in the long run. Or, if with hatred in the mind, if you are successful in fighting injustice, then that hatred becomes a harmful mental complex. You must fight injustice, you must protect yourself from danger, but you can do so with a balanced mind, without tension. And in a balanced way, you can work to achieve something good, out of love for others. Balance of mind is always helpful, and will give the best results.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: It is wrong. You will never get enlightenment if you have a craving for enlightenment. Enlightenment just happens. If you crave for it, you are running in the opposite direction. One cannot crave for a particular result. The result comes naturally. If you start craving, " I must get nibbana, I must get nibbana", you are running in the opposite direction of nibbana. Nibbana is a state which is free from craving, and you want to reach that state with craving - not possible.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : There is a difference. Whether there is craving or not, will be judged by whatever you desire. If you don't get it, and you feel depressed, then it was craving. If you don't get it, and you just smile, then it was just a desire. It didn't turn into craving. Whenever there is a craving and clinging and you don't get something, you are bound to become miserable. If you are becoming miserable, then there was some craving. Otherwise, no craving.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : No, no, how can that be? Wanting is there, but wanting should not turn into craving. And the dividing line is so fine, one doesn't know when it turns into craving. So keep on examining to see—when I don't fulfil my desire and if I become miserable, then, certainly, wanting has turned into craving.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : You see, the only way to examine whether one has been craving or just wanting something naturally, is that, when you miss it—when you don't get it—what happens? If you don't get something, and you become miserable, that means you were craving. It was more a mental desire than a need for the body. And because the mental desire is not fulfilled, you get upset. So let it not result in misery; then there is no craving. For example, you want something, and you try to get it. If you don't get it, you smile. You did your best. Alright, let me try again. But why lose the balance of the mind? Why become miserable?

Mr. S. N. Goenka : If it is a real requirement, there is nothing wrong, provided you do not become attached to it. For example, you are thirsty, you need water-so you work, get it, and quench your thirst. But if it becomes an obsession, that does not help at all; it harms you. Whatever necessities you require, work to get them. If you fail to get something, then smile and try again in a different way. If you succeed, then enjoy what you get, but without attachment.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : All these social services are important; there is nothing wrong with them. But do them with purity of mind. If you do them with an impure mind, generating ego, it does not help you and it does not help others. Do it with purity of mind, with love, with compassion and you will find that it has started helping you, and it has started giving real benefit to others also.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Someone who remains satisfied with the superficial pleasures of life is ignorant of the agitation deep within the mind. He is under the illusion that he is a happy person, but his pleasures are not lasting and the tensions generated at the deep levels of the mind keep increasing, to appear sooner or later at the surface of the mind . When that happens, this so-called 'happy' person becomes miserable. So why not start working here and now to deal with that situation?

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Dhamma is helpful to everyone, rich or poor. A large number of people living in poverty come to Vipassana courses and find it very helpful. Their stomachs are empty but their minds also are so agitated. With Vipassana, they learn how to be calm and equanimous. Then they can face their problems and their lives improve. They also come out of addiction to alcohol, gambling and drugs.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : You have aspirations, there is nothing wrong in that. But to attain your aspirations, if you keep on generating impurity in your mind, you are far away from your goal. You are losing the peace and harmony of your mind. With peace of mind, maintaining perfect balance of the mind, do whatever is necessary in human life, good for you and good for others.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : First you have to be self-centered, you have to help yourself. Unless you help yourself, you cannot help others. A weak person cannot help another weak person. You have to become strong yourself, and then use this strength to help others and make others strong also. Vipassana helps one develop this strength to help others.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Oh certainly. Earning money—just earning money—doesn’t give peace. I have passed through all that so I know having a lot of money is full of misery. But money with Dhamma will give so much peace. And this money will be used for a good cause, which is good for them, good for others.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : It can be integrated into everyone's life. A businessperson has a lot of responsibility and has to deal with many people-the employees, the workers in the factory, or people in management. Or the government officials and all that. Vipassana will help you deal with people in a way that is very friendly, because your mind will be full of love and compassion for others. So, whenever any situation arises that disturbs you, accept the fact: now my mind is disturbed. Just observe the sensations for some time, and you will find that you again become calm. With a calm and tranquil mind, a balanced mind, whatever decision you make will be a good one; whatever problem comes, you can solve it easily.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Purify your mind by Vipassana and you become the master of your mind. Then you will find that all the work you do at the mundane level will be successful. At the supra-mundane level also, your work will be successful. So be the master of your mind. Make your mind pure.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : The ultimate life, the ultimate goal, is here and now. If you keep looking for something in the future, but you don't gain anything now, this is a delusion. If you have started experiencing peace and harmony now, then there is every likelihood that you will reach the goal, which is nothing but peace and harmony. So experience it now, this moment. Then you are really on the right path.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : To come out of misery. A human being has the wonderful ability to go deep inside, observe reality, and come out of suffering. Not to use this ability is to waste one's life. Use it to live a really healthy, happy life!

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Don't suppress it. Observe it. The more you suppress it, the more it goes to the deeper levels of your mind. The complexes become stronger and stronger, and it so difficult to come out of them. No suppression, no expression. Just observe.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: With the practice of Vipassana. A Vipassana student observes respiration, or the bodily sensations caused when angry. This observation is with equanimity, with no reaction. The anger soon weakens and passes away. Through continued practice of Vipassana, the habit pattern of the mind to react with anger is changed.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: How is it pessimistic? This is the most optimistic message! Misery exists, but if there is a way to come out of misery, the message is full of optimism. If somebody says, “There is misery and no way to come out of it, you have to suffer misery your whole life,” that would be pessimistic. But here the message is, “You can come out of it!” Whatever the misery may be, there is a way to come out of all the miseries. It is the most optimistic message!

Mr. S. N. Goenka: You have not entered the minds of these people. A person may have a lot of money, and others may feel: “Such a happy person. Look, he has so much wealth.” But what you don’t know is that this person can’t get sound sleep; he has to use sleeping pills—a very miserable person. You can know for yourself how miserable you are, going deep inside. You can’t understand at the external level by seeing sombody’s face whether he or she is miserable or happy. The misery lies deep inside.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: The knowledge that you have gained is only intellectual. When you realize this at the experiential level, you will begin to develop strength. You will begin to feel at the experiential level that you need to remain equanimous in all situations of life. Let the conviction come at the experiential level, and you will grow more and more confident as you keep on practicing Vipassana in the right way, with understanding.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: It is a progressive process. As you start working, you will find that you are experiencing more and more happiness, and eventually you will reach the stage which is total happiness. You become more and more transformed, and you will reach the stage which is total transformation. It is progressive.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: To experience this is precisely the reason why we are asking for 10 days of your time. How else can we teach you what we are trying to explain! You have to give something in order to gain something. These discourses will not tell you much, you need to experience what we are saying for yourself. Let this talk be an inspiration for you to try it and see if it really helps in purifying the defilements or not. This experience is very pleasing and you will find that your life starts changing for the better.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Don’t try to change the adharmic world. Try to change the adharma in yourself, the way in which you are reacting and making yourself miserable. As I said, when somebody is abusing you, understand that this person is miserable. It is the problem of that person. Why make it your problem? Why start generating anger and becoming miserable? Doing that means you are not your own master, you are that person’s slave; whenever that person wants to, he can make you miserable. You are the slave of someone else who is a miserable person. You have not understood Dharma. Be your own master and you can live a Dharmic life in spite of the adharmic situations all around.

The problems of the outside world are created by individuals living in the darkness of ignorance. Just as lighting one lamp will dispel the darkness around it, similarly, one person practicing Vipassana will affect society. If more people practice Vipassana, slowly this will start having a positive influence in the world. Even if only this one person is practicing Vipassana at least he or she will be able to face the problems and find solutions. And those solutions will be healthy solutions.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Understand, Vipassana is not an escape from the problems of day-to-day life. One comes to a course for ten days to learn the technique of Vipassana and gain strength to face the problems of the outside world—just as you might go to a hospital to become physically healthy, and then leave to live healthily in the world. Similarly, when you learn to use this technique of observing the reality inside, you can face the problems outside more easily. It is not that by the practice of Vipassana all the problems will disappear; but rather, your ability to face them will improve.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: If Vipassana is developed within us it becomes an integral part of our lives. If it is only discussed intellectually and not practiced then it is of no use to us.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Take a Vipassana course, and then you will understand how to apply the practice in your life. If you just take a course and don't apply it in life, then Vipassana will become just a rite, ritual, or a religious ceremony. It won't help you. Vipassana is to live a good life, every day, every moment.

This must be emphasized not merely in discussions or discourses, but in actual practice. Anyone who begins to practise Vipassana will see how useless it is to pride oneself on one’s religion if one does not practise sīla, samādhi, and paññā; and if one is practising these one may belong to any religion.

Therefore we have to keep giving importance to Dhamma, and keep explaining that both sectarianism and casteism are the enemies of Dhamma. No matter what caste or religion one belongs to, if one does not care to live the life of sīla, samādhi and paññā, one has wasted one’s life, harmed oneself, and harmed others.

The Buddha condemned casteism and said one is not a brāhmaṇa [of the highest caste] just because one is born to brāhmana parents: One becomes a brāhmana only by purifying the mind. One who is called a śūdra [low-caste] because of being born in a śūdra family can become a brāhmana by purifying the mind.

One may consider oneself religious yet not have even a trace of Dhamma, in which case the label has no meaning. But if anyone from any religion is full of Dhamma and is a good person, then this person will help to create a healthy society. So long as sectarianism keeps raising its head there cannot be peace in the world. Equally, so long as casteism keeps raising its head in this country, there cannot be peace in this country.

The Dhamma is the law of nature. It is universal, it can’t belong to a particular sect. If one generates negativity in the mind one is bound to become miserable; one may call oneself Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, or Muslim, but this fact does not alter because it is the law of nature. Likewise, if one eradicates the impurities of lobha, dosa, moha [craving, aversion, ignorance] from the mind, one is bound to feel liberated and peaceful.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: To me, sectarianism is worse than casteism. Discrimination on the basis of caste is a poison, but is limited only to India; sectarianism has now become universal. Everywhere people are obsessed with their own sect and feel, "My sect is the best!" For them their sect has become Dhamma.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Beliefs are always sectarian. Dhamma has no belief. In Dhamma you experience, and then you believe. There is no blind belief in Dhamma. You must experience and then only believe whatever you have experienced.

If we perform any pure action—vocal, mental, physical—then certainly we are on the path of Dhamma because we are rewarded and we start helping others. Otherwise we are harmed and we harm others also. This very simple distinction between Dhamma and sect must become clearer and clearer. To those who meditate, it becomes clear that one yardstick by which to measure whether one is really progressing in Vipassana or not is whether attachments towards sectarian beliefs, philosophical beliefs, sectarian rites and rituals, sectarian religious celebrations, etc. are getting dissolved. If the attachment is still very strong one may feel, "I am progressing in Vipassana," but actually this person is not progressing in Vipassana. If one progresses in Vipassana, then naturally, without any effort, all attachments will go away, because one has started understanding what the real universal Dhamma is. This cannot be forced on people. We can’t expect the whole world to start practicing Vipassana. The real solution comes only when people start experiencing the law of nature; it will become clear only by the practice. On our part we should keep explaining to people what Dhamma is and what sect is and encourage them to practise and see for themselves.

For one who practices Vipassana, it becomes very clear what Dhamma is: Dhamma is the law of nature. Dhamma is always universal, the law of nature is universal. Sectarian things can never be universal. They are different from one another. To those who practise Vipassana, it becomes clearer and clearer, "See, as I defile my mind, nature starts punishing me here and now. It is not that I have to wait for my next life for the punishment. Similarly, as I purify my mind I am rewarded, and I am rewarded here and now. This is the law of nature, this is Dhamma."

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Yes, it is our duty to keep explaining to people what Dhamma is, and what sectarianism is. It is very unfortunate that when Dhamma comes up in its pure form, very soon it deteriorates into a sect. So the difference between the two should be made clear to help avert this catastrophe throughout the world and especially in a country like India, where there is so much sectarian division and so much strife. But this problem is everywhere in one form or another.

An example: A large number of Christian priests and nuns come to courses and some have said, "You are teaching Christianity in the name of Buddha." Everyone wants the mind to become pure. Similarly, whether one is a Jain or a Hindu or anything else, if one starts doing Vipassana, one finds it is universal and good for all. These differences will all be immaterial for people who start working in Vipassana. And this will give a unity to the country, a unity to all humanity. It is a very positive thing to do.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Vipassana is the only way to help in such a situation. In all these sects, communities, beliefs, dogmas, rites, and rituals, there is something universal: the goal of purifying the mind to such an extent that you will not harm yourself or others. Now one may belong to any community or belief, but everyone can accept this easily.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Understand: I am not against Hindus or Muslims. I am friendly to everyone, but I am against calling them Dharma. Call them a group of people, call them a sect, but when you call that sect "Dharma," you are just deluding yourself and others. Dharma is universal. Hindu-dharma is only for a particular society or a particular sect, so it is not Dharma. It is the same with Muslim, Buddhist or Christian. They should all survive, they should have goodwill for each other. If everybody is a Dharma person, then it makes no difference whether one calls oneself a Hindu or a Muslim—they will live in a very cordial way, because they are all Dharmic people. To be a Dharma person is more important than to be a staunch Hindu or a staunch Muslim.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: If religion is taken in a sectarian sense, like Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Buddhist religion and so on, then it is totally against Dhamma. But if religion is taken as the law of nature, the universal law of nature, then it is the same as Dhamma.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Whatever is helpful to you and helpful to others is your duty, is Dharma. Whatever is harmful to you and harmful to others is not your duty, because it harms you and also harms others.

The Dhamma is that which really is. It is the Doctrine of Reality. It is a means of Deliverance from suffering, and Deliverance itself. Whether the Buddhas arise or not, the Dhamma exists. It lies hidden from the ignorant eyes of men, till a Buddha, an Enlightened One, realizes and compassionately reveals it to the world.

For conventional purposes, yes, we cannot run away from using words like 'I' or 'mine' etc. But clinging to them, taking them as real in an ultimate sense will only bring suffering.

Feelings feel; there is no one to feel it. Things are just happening, that's all. Now it seems to you that there must be an 'I' who feels, but after beginning to practice Vipassana, you will reach the stage where the ego dissolves. Then your question will disappear!

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Through practice of Vipassana, you will find that all such sensual pleasures are impermanent; they come and pass away. If this 'I' really enjoys them, if they are 'my' pleasures, then 'I' must have some mastery over them. But they just arise and pass away without my control. What 'I' is there?

Mr. S. N. Goenka : This is what the mind is conditioned to do, out of ignorance. But Vipassana can liberate you from this harmful conditioning. In place of always thinking of the self, you can learn to think of others.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Come out of it by meditating. If the ego is strong, one will try to belittle others, to lower their importance and increase one's own. But meditation naturally dissolves the ego. When it dissolves, you can no longer do anything to hurt another. Meditate and the problem will automatically solved.

Mr. S. N. Goenka : Never push it down. You cannot push out or suppress the ego. It keeps on multiplying by that. It will naturally get dissolved if you practise. Let it happen naturally and this technique will help. Dhamma will help.

Everyone who wants to help others to come out of misery, or come out of their defects, must first come out of that particular defect oneself. A lame person cannot support another lame person. A blind person cannot show the path to another blind person. Vipassana helps you first become a healthy person yourself, and then automatically you will start helping others to become healthy.

But when you say, with any kind of anger or hatred, “Oh, this fellow talks as if he is a very wise person, but he’s really a mad fellow”—when even the volition carries some hatred—the words will carry no meaning. No purpose will be served, because the vibration of anger or hatred will go with them. When you have hatred, that vibration of hatred will go and touch this person and he will become agitated; he won’t like it. But if a vibration of love goes with the same words, you will find a big change happening.

The best thing is to try to purify oneself first. With a pure mind, whatever you say will be very effective. When the words come from a pious-minded person, even this full-of-ego person will start thinking, “Yes, perhaps this is correct. Now let me examine this. There must be something wrong in me.”

Mr. S. N. Goenka: You see, if you simply say to that person, “Look, you are a very wise person, but to me it seems that you are also an egoistic person,” that won’t help. This person will become more egoistic: “What do you know? You are a mad fellow. You don’t know that I am free from ego.” That’s what this person will say.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: First of all, don't try to change the other person. Try to change yourself. Somebody is trying to make you miserable. But you are becoming miserable because you are reacting to this. If you learn how to observe your reaction, then nobody can make you miserable. Any amount of misery from others cannot make you miserable if you learn to be equanimous deep inside. Vipassana will help you. Once you become free from misery inside, this will also start affecting others. The same person who was harming you will start changing little by little.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Samadhi can be without equanimity. With the base of craving one becomes fully concentrated. But that kind of samadhi is not right samadhi. That is with the base of impurity. But if the samadhi is with equanimity, then it gives wonderful results, because the mind is pure and concentrated, so it is powerful with purity. It cannot do anything that will harm you or harm others. But if it is powerful with impurity, it will harm others, it will harm you. So equanimity with samadhi is helpful.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Instead of reacting you learn to act, to act with a balanced mind. Vipassana meditators do not become inactive, like vegetables. They learn how to act positively. If you can change your life pattern from reaction to action, then you have attained something very valuable. And you can change it by practising Vipassana.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: It seems so if you have experienced only the wrong habit-pattern of an impure mind. But it is natural for a pure mind to remain fully equanimous. An equanimous, pure mind is full of love, compassion, healthy detachment, goodwill, joy. Equanimity is purity. Learn to experience that.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Certainly. Life is to enjoy wholesome things. But not with an attachment to anything. You remain equanimous and enjoy, so that when you miss it you smile : "I knew it was going away. It has gone away. So what?" Then only are you really enjoying life. Otherwise, you get attached, and if you miss it, you roll in misery. So no misery. In every situation be happy.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Yes. Just accepting something with blind faith will not help. You have to work for your liberation. You have to find out where the bondage is, and then you have to come out of that bondage. This is Vipassana. Vipassana enables one to directly experience the real cause of bondage, the real cause of misery, and enables one to be gradually liberated from all miseries. So liberation comes from the practice of Vipassana.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Yes. Vipassana is a progressive path to liberation. As much as you are free from impurity, that much you are liberated. And there are people who have reached the stage where they are totally free from all impurities.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: You can give it any name. People have reached the stage of enlightenment and have not given it the name of Vipassana. But when we go deeply into what they did, we find that they did Vipassana. They didn’t call it Vipassana because they didn’t know the name Vipassana. Unless you examine yourself and take out the impurities, you cannot be enlightened. And when you examine yourself and take out the impurities—this is Vipassana. You can call it Vipassana, or you can call it any name—what difference does it make?

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Everyone can become enlightened. Enlightenment is not the monopoly of Siddhārtha Gotama. He said: "Before me, so many people became enlightened, and after me also so many are going to become enlightened." Anyone who comes out of ignorance at the experiential level is an enlightened person. Any human being can practise this and become enlightened.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Someone who explores the truth within oneself and explores it to the ultimate end, experiences the reality pertaining to the mind and the body, and then transcends that experience to the ultimate reality beyond mind and matter, is an enlightened person.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: No, no. Total fasting is not good for this technique. Neither total fasting nor overeating. It is a middle path. Eat less - what is necessary for the body - that's all. Fasting you can do later on just for your body's sake - that's another question. But for meditation, fasting is not necessary.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: When you come to a Vipassana course, only vegetarian food is served. But we don't say that if you take non-vegetarian food, you will go to hell. It is not like that. Slowly, you will come out of eating meat, like thousands of Vipassana students have. You will naturally find there is no more need for you to have non-vegetarian food. Your progress in Vipassana will certainly be better if you are vegetarian.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: When you eat meat or something, then this being - animal or fish or whatever it is - for its whole life was generating nothing but craving, aversion, craving, aversion. After all, human beings can find some time when they can come out of craving and aversion. These beings cannot come out of it. So every fibre of their body is vibrating with craving and aversion. And you yourself want to come out of craving, aversion and you are giving an input to all of that. So what sort of vibrations you will have. That is why it is not good.

If they get the inspiration to enquire about Vipassana, we will give information. Out of say 10,000 people who come, if even 100 get inspired to take a course, well 100 benefit and at least the rest get the right message. So we will see that this pagoda is not allowed to develop into another sect. Otherwise our purpose will be lost.

How are we going to use the pagoda? It will be used in the proper way: For meditation and for the spread of Vipassana, so people learn what Vipassana is. Many people will come just out of curiosity wondering, "Such a magnificent building, what is inside it?" And when they go inside they will get some information, "Well look, this was the Buddha, this is what he taught, these things happened in his life, Vipassana made him a Buddha, and Vipassana made him a good Dhamma teacher for the whole world." People will get so much benefit.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Yes, yes. Well, if this teacher has at least a few more years of life you will see that he will not allow anything we do to turn to sectarianism. If the pagoda becomes a tool for making Buddha’s teaching a sect, an organized religion, then all our teaching has gone to mud—we have not understood what Buddha’s teaching is. If this pagoda is used for people who come and pray, "Oh pagoda, please give me this, I need this," then the whole thing will become an organized religion, certainly.

So there will be an institute where they can work and study Pāli, Sanskrit, Hindi, whatever they like, and the words of Buddha in detail; and they will get good accommodation, their own residences. The whole atmosphere will be such that meditators can work better and be their own masters. So the plan is also for this purpose. This is a dream of your Teacher. I hope it will be fulfilled.

Another important thing that is going to develop there is an institute on a big scale. Here at Dhamma Giri people come to learn Pāli. We know what difficulty they have to face. Even for their residence they have to keep moving from one room to the other. We don’t have sufficient residences for the Pāli scholars. And when they are living here for a long time, people expect them to be doing Dhamma service. Sometimes the management think they are just learning Pāli for one or two hours a day so they should be doing other things as well. It can put a big burden on them.

A third reason cropped up: Your Teacher is getting old, white-haired. So he has sympathy for people who are getting old. Many elderly people want to spend the rest of their life in a Dhamma atmosphere. So we are going to have a Dhamma village. Between the pagoda and this centre there will be a Dhamma village where people will own their own residences. And in that atmosphere of Dhamma there will be residences for people who are comfortably off—they can have some small mini-farmhouses, some bungalows, two bedrooms, one drawing room, a kitchen, etc. There will also be accommodation for people who cannot afford that much but want to live there. There will be all sorts of facilities for people. They can come and stay there for one or two months, or stay for the whole life; there is no objection. There will also be an old age home where no money is involved. The whole atmosphere in this old age home will be suffused with Dhamma. In the Vipassana village and old age home only Vipassana meditators will stay, nobody else. The whole atmosphere must be a Vipassana atmosphere. In the old age home where no money is involved, you get your food, your residence and all facilities for meditation. There will be a Dhamma hall, perhaps a pagoda will be constructed, and you can meditate very easily.

Here at Dhamma Giri we have simultaneous courses—30-day courses, 45-day courses, along with simultaneous 10-day courses. I know very well that students who are taking such long, deep courses are disturbed when the ten-day students come—vibration-wise it is not very helpful. So I feel it is necessary that we must have a centre where only long courses are given. Two courses should not be given simultaneously. Either here or there will be only long courses, or at a centre between Mumbai and Igatpuri—say about one or one and a half hours away from Mumbai and about one and a half hours from Igatpuri. At times maybe one centre will have only long courses, and the other will have regular courses. At times the other centre will have long courses, and this centre will have shorter ones. We will distribute the work like that. That is another reason.

Let me explain a little more about this pagoda project. This is not only for a pagoda. Now we have so much difficulty here at Dhamma Giri. Applications come in such large numbers and people have to wait sometimes for months to get their turn. I feel very sorry because of that, but we are helpless. If we allow more than 500 people here—if we construct more buildings—the centre will become so difficult to manage. But there is so much demand. What can be done? So along with this pagoda there will be a huge area—negotiations are going on now—of about 100 acres or more. Besides the pagoda, behind it, there will be a centre.

Moreover, it will be used for meditation. Fortunately we have been able to procure some genuine relics of Buddha. The Mahabodhi Society has agreed that they will give some part of the relics that they have. And some have been sent by the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka to be kept there. So all serious students can sit in that pagoda and meditate. And I know with my personal experience: The vibration of Buddha relics is so strong that the whole atmosphere will get charged with that. Moreover, it will be a huge area—about 350 feet in diameter, a circular hall under a 350-foot-high pagoda. About 10,000 people will be able to sit there. Quite possibly a time may come when people would like to have Anapana taught—even for a few minutes. All right, we might give mass Anapana.

So an idea came to have a huge monument—and there are people to help to get it done—with a gallery where Buddha, his life and his teaching will be shown. People will come out of curiosity to find out what this monument is, and they will get all this information.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: The pagoda is a pagoda, and it will be for meditation. You see, unfortunately during the last 2,000 years people in this country have lost, I will say really totally lost, the truth about Buddha and the truth about Buddha’s teaching. Not only lost, but distorted it in a way that misleads people. Unfortunately there have been some episodes of the Buddha’s life shown on TV here, which have created more confusion. Then how can we give people the correct information?

Mr. S. N. Goenka: All problems are internal. There are no external problems. If you go deep inside and discover the cause of your misery, you will find that every cause lies within yourself, not outside. Remove that cause, and you will be free from misery.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Certainly. This is the purpose of Vipassana - to liberate you from all miseries. Anxiety and worry are the biggest miseries, and they are there because of certain impurities deep within you. With practice of Vipassana, these impurities will come on the surface and gradually pass away. Of course, it takes time. There is no magic, no miracle, no gurudom involved. Somebody will just show you the correct Path. You have to walk on the Path, work out your own liberation from all miseries.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Certainly. This is the purpose of Vipassana—to liberate you from all the miseries. Anxiety and worry are the biggest miseries, and they are there because of certain impurities deep within you, which will come on the surface and pass away. Of course it takes time. There is no magic involved, no miracle involved, no gurudom involved. No guru will put his hand on your head and make you a liberated person—nothing doing. Somebody will just show you the Path. You have to work out your own liberation. Walk on the Path.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Vipassana will solve this problem, depending on how properly you work. If you come to Vipassana with the sole aim of getting sound sleep, then it's better you don't come! You should come to Vipassana to come out of the impurities of your mind. There is a great disturbance because there is so much negativity in the mind, so much worry. All these worries, negativities and impurities will start getting eradicated by Vipassana, and you will start getting very sound sleep.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Vipassana will help you. When people can’t sleep properly, if they lie down and observe respiration or sensations, they can get sound sleep. Practice. Try, and you will find that it is very helpful.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: It depends. If one cannot understand what is being taught, then there is no magic, no miracle in the technique. It is a mental exercise. Just as you do different physical exercises, so you do this mental exercise. One should be at least intelligent enough to understand what the exercise is, and then to practise it. There are some who have been helped, but we can’t say that everyone will be helped.

The aim is to come out of all the illnesses of life which make us unhappy. Yes, when the mind is purified, all psychosomatic diseases will have to go, they can’t remain, but we don’t say that physical diseases will also be cured. Some may indeed be cured, but the goal is to purify the mind.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: We don’t discourage people from coming out of their illness. But the goal should be very clear: Vipassana is to purify the mind so that the mind is free from all illnesses. If the goal is only to come out of a certain disease, your motivation is wrong and you won’t work properly; all the time your attention will be towards your illness. When your attention is not on the object on which you should be working, you can’t benefit. You will attain neither this nor that.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: It happens—in many ways, in different ways. Physically one gets benefited, but that is just a by-product. The main thing is how to get benefited at the mental level.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: It can help her mind to face the problem. Many cases of cancer have been helped very much by this technique in the sense that there is no more pain from cancer, and one can face the misery. Some people have even died from cancer practicing Vipassana and they have died very peacefully without any misery. In some—very few—cases the cancer has been cured, but one should not come with the idea of curing it. The technique is to purify the mind.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Yes, as a by-product. Many psychosomatic diseases naturally disappear when mental tensions are dissolved. If the mind is agitated, physical diseases are bound to develop. When the mind becomes calm and pure, automatically they will go away. But if you take the curing of a physical disease as your goal in practicing Vipassana, instead of the purification of your mind, you achieve neither one nor the other. I have found that people who join a course with the aim of curing a physical illness have their attention fixed only on their disease throughout the course: 'today, is it better? No, not better...Today is it improving? No, not improving!' All the ten days they waste in this way. But if the intention is to purify the mind, then many diseases automatically go away as a result of meditation.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: This is what Vipassana does. Every complex is an impurity of the mind. As that impurity comes to the surface, you observe it at the level of body sensations. It passes away. It arises again. Again you observe. Again it passes away. Like this, these complexes weaken and ultimately do not rise again. Just observe. Suppression or expression is harmful. Vipassana helps one come out of all complexes.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: With the help of mantras, visualization of any shape or form one can easily get the mind concentrated, no doubt. But with Vipassana, the aim is to purify the mind. And mantras generate a particular type of artificial vibration. Every word, every mantra will generate a vibration, and if one keeps working with this mantra for long hours, one gets engulfed in the created vibration. Whereas, Vipassana wants you to observe the natural vibration that you have - in the form of sensations - vibrations when you become angry, or when you are full of passion, or fear, or hatred, so that you can come out of them.

Even if one does not work with Vipassana, in some cases, bodily vibrations arise by these dhyānic meditations. But most of the time it is because of the verbalization of a particular mantra. As this happens to be created vibration and not natural vibration, it is not in line with Vipassana, which wants us to observe the natural vibration for which the Buddha uses the words yathābhūta (as it happens naturally). Moreover a Vipassana meditator has to keep on realizing these experiences with the understanding of Anitya, dukkha, and anātma. This helps to purify the mind at the root level by eradicating anuśaya kleśa, which is missing in the ordinary dhyānic practices.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: It is true that by reciting mantra or by visualisation one can reach a very calm and peaceful state of mind. This is dhyānic meditation. Bodhisattva Siddhārtha Gautama learned this samādhi up to the seventh and eighth dhyānas from Ācārya Alāra Kālāma and Ācārya Uddaka Rāmputta respectively, the renowned teachers of the dhyānas of those days. But these could not give him full liberation. After attaining enlightenment through Vipassana which was discovered by him, he added sampajañña, that is prajñā of anityatā to these dhyānic meditations. This was Buddha's contribution to the samādhis of those days and this alone helps to eradicate anuśaya kleśa, that is the impurities of mind at the root level, and makes the mind pure.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: It is the wish to serve someone, to help him come out of suffering. But it must be without attachment. If you start crying over the suffering of another, you have no real compassion for that person, you only make yourself unhappy. This is not the path of Dhamma. If you have true compassion, then with all love you try to help others to the best of your ability. If you fail, you smile and try another way to help. You serve without worrying about the results of your service. This is real compassion, proceeding from a balanced mind.

Similarly, when you find somebody suffering, kārunā automatically arises if your mind is pure. If you are an ego-centred person, full of impurities, without the proper practice of Vipassana, without mettā, then seeing someone in trouble doesn't affect you. You don't care; you are indifferent. You try to delude yourself saying, "Oh, this fellow is suffering because of his own karma. How can I do anything about it?" Such thoughts show that the mind is not yet pure. If the mind becomes pure and mettā develops, hardness of heart cannot stay; it starts melting. You see people suffering and your heart goes out to them. You don't start crying; that's another extreme. Rather, you feel like helping such people. If it is within your means, you give some tangible help. Otherwise, at least you help with your vibrations: "May you be happy. May you come out of your misery. "Even if you have no material means to help somebody, you always have this spiritual means.

As your mind gets purer by Vipassana and your mettā gets stronger, you will feel happy when seeing others happy. "All around there is misery. Look, at least one person is happy. May he be happy and contented. May he progress in Dhamma, progress in worldly ways." This is muditā, sympathetic happiness. It will come.

What is muditā? When you see other people progressing, becoming happier, if your mind is not pure, you will generate jealousy toward these people. "Why did they get this, and not I? I'm a more deserving person. Why are they given such a position of power, or status? Why not I? Why have they earned so much money? Why not I?" This kind of jealousy is the manifestation of an impure mind.

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Muditā and kārunā naturally follow as one develops mettā. Mettā is love for all beings. Mettā takes away the traces of aversion, animosity and hatred toward others. It takes away the traces of jealousy and env