BlackBird wrote:I guess my questions Brizzy, are: Have you ever practiced Vipassana under an experienced teacher before? What are your grounds to challenge the efficacy of the Vissudhimagga and Goenka based systems?
metta
Jack
Yes & my grounds for challenging the Vissudhimagga and Goenka based systems are that I am a follower of the Buddha not the Vissudhimagga and Goenka based systems. If the Buddha taught these systems, I cant find them.
I believe the danger in such systems are that they work! Strange & powerful effects can & do arise, but the same thing could be said following kundalini practice(so I've heard). The question should be are these experiences in line with the Dhamma? some are - but a lot are not, and if you approach any system with wrong view, things are going to go wrong. The similarities between a Goenka teaching and the teachings of the niganthas(jains) is so marked, that it defies belief. Whatever anybody may say to the contrary, Goenka believes that our kammas are eradicated, by their arising and passing & staying "equanimous" with the process. If people look carefully at
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html they will see that this is nonsense. The introduction by Thanissaro Bhikkhu is also worth a read.
At this point it is also worth mentioning that I considered Goenka as my teacher for many years. Whilst I have shied away from his interpretation of the Dhamma, I still have respect for him in some ways. On his courses, which are freely given, I was able to understand that not all dhamma teachings are Dhamma.
As for the Vissudhimagga, well if Goenka is jain the Vissudhimagga seems a little Hindu. If its not spelt out in the four Nikayas - why bother?
Please read the above sutta with an open heart
Compare it to the Q & A in this :-
http://www.udaya.dhamma.org/ebook/Medit ... l9801.html