Friends,

I just came across a rather interesting webpage, authored by someone
who claims to have been banned from S.N. Goenka courses simply for
questioning the direction of the tradition. Below is a brief excerpt,
with the URL:

Vipassana
An inquiry (2006-05-08)
http://de.geocities.com/pamojja/_htm/vipassana.htm

"Vipassana could be translated as `seeing things as they have become
'. It is a meditative method to unfold Compassion through direct
experience - and at the same time - Wisdom through
investigation. By the practice of Vipassana my personal life has
changed dramatically to the better.

The more I was disturbed when I realized, that contrary to my
personal life - the Vipassana - organization of S. N. Goenka seems
to change to the worse. Finally (after 10 years) it came to an
honest exchange with a high - ranking western senior teacher of S.
N. Goenka, where I tried to explain my opinion in which ways, we
- as an organization - are heading in the wrong direction.

As a result of this honest exchange with this Achariya (a fully
authorized teacher), he prohibited me from visiting any further 10
- day course and also insisted that I not be allowed to participate
in any future old students group sittings - unless, I agree to
contact him and confess complete faith in all the theoretical
explanations given in the evening discourses by Goenkaji (and so:
my surrender to the actual practice itself was not in dispute).

My aim was to discuss these deteriorations in our organization out of
serious concern - and not at all for the sake of argument, or to
express disrespect. I do not believe to be in everything absolutely
right or could not have misunderstood some. Nevertheless, this
teacher only replied that my prohibition would be to my own good.
And to a Dhamma - friend who tried to intervene he reasoned: '
Because I would put my own Cardamom seeds in my rice pudding.' (a
simile of Goenka, signifying: 'If you don't like the theory, then
leave it out [as the Cardamom seeds of a rice pudding] and just do
the practice, which alone will help.')

After waiting in vain for 9 months on an answer to my `kick out'
from Goenkaji himself, I decided to start a worldwide discussion
between Goenka - students on the Internet. Because if Goenkaji is
not available to serious requests by long - time students of him and
if he is not willing to explain such decisions - then our
organization is already becoming a sect and probably will
disintegrate as soon as its teacher is gone. And if there are no
other unifying factors in place. Which apparently only an open
discussion about these pressing issues can try to address - with
the benefit of Goenkaji still able to participate in such a
discussion!"

Happiness and Ease to you all,
Nirodha (Bill Gray)