At every Goenka retreat, participants take the 3 Refuges, reciting Buddham, Dhammam Sangham saranam gacchami three times. In the Mahanama sutta, AN 8.25, the Buddha says " inasmuch as one has gone to the Buddha for refuge, has gone to the Dhamma for refuge, has gone to the Sangha for refuge; in that way, Mahanama, one is a lay follower (upasaka/upasika)."thepea wrote: ↑Sun May 13, 2018 9:31 pm“You buddhists” are the ones who need to have everything in the CORRECT box. It is clear from mr Goenka and stated many times that he is not teaching Buddhism. But Buddhist mistakenly wish to lump this teaching into theravaden Buddhism. Because there are “some similarities” there are an incredible number of subtle differences which seperates this organization from theravaden Buddhism.
It would make more sense and be more accurate to create another dhamma wheel for this organization separately rather than trying to force it in with theravaden Buddhism.
There is a huge difference between the vihara I would attend and the Goenka Courses people attend.
The walking like a duck and quacking like a duck must be a duck is an incredibly ignorant and disrespectful view.
Ethnic languages like Thai still use this term - Upasaka. But in modern convention lay followers of the Buddha are called Buddhists by English speakers. One can say, that after the retreat ends, one is no longer a Buddhist. That may be true, but for those who consider themselves to be continuing the practice after the formal 10 day retreat, even if they think Buddhists refer to the others, they continue to be Buddhists themselves.
Goenka divorces his teachings from the ritualistic Buddhism that is common. I think that is very skillful of him. But Buddhism is a very wide term and ritualistic Buddhism, while it may be the most common, it is not the only kind of Buddhism.
~ 
