S. N. Goenka
Meditation Centres: Updated to include criticisms of the 10 day retreats revolving around psychotics breaks and suicides of participants.
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The Vipassana [[Meditation]] Centres that Goenka helped to establish throughout the world offer 10-day courses that provide a thorough and guided introduction to the practice of Vipassana meditation. There are no charges for either the course or for the lodging and boarding during the course. These courses are supported by voluntary donations of people who want to contribute for future courses. Only donations made at the end of the course go towards paying for future new students.{{Cite web|title=Course Information|url=http://www.dhara.dhamma.org/course-information/course-info-intro/|publisher=Vipassana Meditation Center – Dhamma Dharā|access-date=2 April 2016|archive-date=25 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125052746/http://www.dhara.dhamma.org/course-information/course-info-intro/|url-status=dead}} |
The Vipassana [[Meditation]] Centres that Goenka helped to establish throughout the world offer 10-day courses that provide a thorough and guided introduction to the practice of Vipassana meditation. There are no charges for either the course or for the lodging and boarding during the course. These courses are supported by voluntary donations of people who want to contribute for future courses. Only donations made at the end of the course go towards paying for future new students.{{Cite web|title=Course Information|url=http://www.dhara.dhamma.org/course-information/course-info-intro/|publisher=Vipassana Meditation Center – Dhamma Dharā|access-date=2 April 2016|archive-date=25 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125052746/http://www.dhara.dhamma.org/course-information/course-info-intro/|url-status=dead}} |
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The centres have come under significant criticism after suicides by participants{{Cite web |date=2024-03-04 |title=Silent meditation retreats under scrutiny after suicide of aspiring artist, 22, comes to light |url=https://nypost.com/2024/03/04/us-news/silent-meditation-retreats-under-scrutiny-after-suicide-of-aspiring-artist-22-comes-to-light/ |access-date=2026-04-21 |language=en-US}} and others reported mental breakdowns{{Cite web |last=Meditator |first=Anonymous |date=2023-08-08 |title=The Cultish and Traumatic Aspects of Goenka’s Vipassana 10 Day Retreats |url=https://medium.com/@you_have_been_warned1/the-cultish-and-traumatic-aspects-of-goenkas-vipassana-10-day-retreats-d8d3ecc21e61 |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=Medium |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Muraskin |first=Andrea |date=2024-03-31 |title=A new podcast examines the perils of intense meditation |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/03/31/1241784635/meditation-vipassana-dangerous-mental-health |access-date=2026-04-21 |work=NPR |language=en}} at or immediately following retreats. Calls by the families of those who commit suicide and by those who claim to have suffered psychotic breaks for changes at the centres have largely been ignored by the organisation.https://www.ft.com/content/b3ec8e57-5cf9-4f96-9267-56c3bcd9c102https://www.ft.com/content/0e4a50d4-c52c-49b1-a70c-40ace4f51bd3 |
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The organisation of the centres is decentralised and self-sufficient and may be run by volunteers of varying experience, which may account for differences in attitudes and experiences. In an effort to provide a more uniform experience in all of the centres, all public instruction during the [[Retreat (spiritual)|retreat]] is given by audio and video tapes of Goenka. When asked about problems related to growth and expansion, Goenka stated: |
The organisation of the centres is decentralised and self-sufficient and may be run by volunteers of varying experience, which may account for differences in attitudes and experiences. In an effort to provide a more uniform experience in all of the centres, all public instruction during the [[Retreat (spiritual)|retreat]] is given by audio and video tapes of Goenka. When asked about problems related to growth and expansion, Goenka stated: |
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|access-date = 12 October 2025 |
|access-date = 12 October 2025 |
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==Global Vipassana Pagoda== |
==Global Vipassana Pagoda== |
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