retrofuturist wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:36 am
Greetings,
sunnat wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:25 am
Btw, no one is forced to go to a retreat run by Vipassana.org. It is a choice based on conditions. Please pause before ignorantly acting to divide the community of truth seekers.
Maybe that organisation is acting "ignorantly" by trying to claim some direct, pristine connection to the Buddha and his "technique", and then spinning around and doing a 180 degree turn by forcing people to abandon the Buddha's actual teachings in favour of their own impoverished misrepresentations of the Dhamma?
Metta,
Paul.
Maybe this organization is doing this now, I cannot confirm or deny as they flat out refuse to speak about anything going on. At least at my local centre, but I have placed calls to 7 other centres and left messages at those that had voicemail. It is notoriously difficult to reach a living being at majority of these centres due to volunteer aspect.
Goenka, I am certain as ubakhin were highly realized individuals as are many within other religions.
I often make the statement here that regardless of religious affiliation those who see clearly, simply see clearly and when the gift of a moment of absolute clarity occurs this is unshakeable and permanent change upon this individual.
As someone who has sat many courses, including the old student courses and a few long courses I can with safety say that I fully support the instructions and layout of the course as set up by goenka himself.
This may not be digestible to all but this course worked me and still does and always will. But as I’ve also said before I’ve activated annicca. I can use the breath the way another may use walking meditation or noting or rise and fall of belly to harness concentration.
Then naturally the entirety of body comes into view at deeper and deeper levels. It all becomes the beautiful breath.
The beautiful breath is the gateway to nibanna(god, alla, or whatever you prefer to label).
Now my issue is with the obedience rag, and it’s forced use. This covers the beautiful breath and for those in the know it is a form of submission. Now for someone like myself an old student I could of force muzzled could enter a concentrated state and practice as buddha requires. My concern is when I think back to my first course and the struggles I had over the first six days, I honestly cannot see myself struggling and surviving the course muzzled. The subtle aspect of breath becomes a moist mass of confusion under the muzzle and this is merely the physical aspect of this not the mental aspect of forcibly being gagged. For any individual who has endured a forced sexual assault this is simply torture.
So currently this tradition is holding the dhamma hostage or forcing those with mental trauma into a situation of forced obedience. This is sick and I cannot fathom being in this situation or putting another in this situation. The dhamma must be available to all.
So how can they operate and believe me the second the Heath nazis say they can open they do with forced masking and distancing obedience.
I just cannot find any teachings that describe forced obedience as a sila teaching. Buddha always says avoid killing or lying or stealing he did not say “obey my word”.
Goenka was wise to order that his tradition be kept in purity by only allowing the weaker minded to push buttons, just look at how they have allowed Mara to penetrate and shut down their tradition overnight with a lie.
And the saintly ones the realized ariya, they slam the door and hang up the phone. I try and will continue to shine light upon this evil that has overtaken society but it is difficult.