Obituary of SN Goenka

[redhen]

SN Goenka, a prominent teacher of Vipassana meditation, passed away a few days ago. I've posted a video of one his talks several times, I'll post it once more in respect. It's a talk not on meditation but on another passion of his, the Golden and Silver rules. His interpretation comes from a few line in the Dhammapada.

Pai Chu-yi (772-846) was one of China's greatest poets and a devout Buddhist. Once when he visited a monastery he asked the abbot to tell him the most essential teaching of Buddhism. The abbot then recited the lines from the Dhammapada; "Commit no wrongs, perform good deeds, and let your thoughts be pure. Thus do all Buddhas teach.". This failed to impress the greatest poet of the age, who said "Every child of three summers knows these lines. I want to know the most profound teaching of the Buddha". The abbot replied "Every child of three summers knows these lines, but white-haired men of eighty still fail to put them in practice". Hearing this, the poet bowed low and returned home deep in thought"

- paraphrased from the Platform Sutra - the Zen teaching of Hui-Neng

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This video is a mashup of a conspiracy theory personality, the Youtube editor and a talk by SN Goenka.

[Big Bad Voodoo]

WTH?

Edited October 12, 2013 by Big Bad Voodoo

[Grandpa Greenman]

Yup, like I often say, be your own guru.

[Big Bad Voodoo]

Yup, like I often say, be your own guru.

Why does that not surprise me.