Goenka Vipassana

[MightyMind]

I wonder if there are any vipassana practitioners (Goenka style) on here? I've done a couple 10 day retreats and I wonder what additional teachings they incorporate into retreats for older students

[UnbornTao]

I wonder the same thing.

[Cocolove]

I just went on my first one and it seemed the old students were doing the same thing. I had a great retreat and the teachings are helpful but there is definitely some dogma about it being the best technique and other buddhist ideas about how spirituality ought to be.

[theleelajoker]

First three 10 days, it's almost the same with minor differences in instructions. 

You need three 10 day courses, then you are "advanced enough" and can do sattiphatana course.

Did it first time this year. Daily structure is basically the same, but the discourse changes and you get a script - the sattiphatana sutta. You're allowed to read it, takes notes. 

The text is nice, but the sattiphatana course made me dislike the Goenka approach and dogma more. Won't go into details, best to make up your own mind. I'm very grateful for the opportunities, organisation, infrastructure of Goenka Vipassana but it has it flaws as well.

What I heard is that the longer courses -20,30 day etc - don't give you much more teaching, you're just more on your own. But don't know sattiphatana is the most advanced I did.

Edited August 21 by theleelajoker

[Jodistrict]

There is a three day meditation for old students.  

[MightyMind]

On 2025-08-20 at 11:11 PM, Cocolove said:

I just went on my first one and it seemed the old students were doing the same thing. I had a great retreat and the teachings are helpful but there is definitely some dogma about it being the best technique and other buddhist ideas about how spirituality ought to be.

@Cocolove Yes I noticed that too. I loved the evening talks but I did notice the disregard for other approaches to spiritualty. They talk about welcoming to all faiths but then Goenka made his jokes...funny they were  but I imagine a religious or practitioner of another way might be rubbed the wrong way.  

 

On 2025-08-21 at 1:45 AM, theleelajoker said:

First three 10 days, it's almost the same with minor differences in instructions. 

You need three 10 day courses, then you are "advanced enough" and can do sattiphatana course.

Did it first time this year. Daily structure is basically the same, but the discourse changes and you get a script - the sattiphatana sutta. You're allowed to read it, takes notes. 

The text is nice, but the sattiphatana course made me dislike the Goenka approach and dogma more. Won't go into details, best to make up your own mind. I'm very grateful for the opportunities, organisation, infrastructure of Goenka Vipassana but it has it flaws as well.

What I heard is that the longer courses -20,30 day etc - don't give you much more teaching, you're just more on your own. But don't know sattiphatana is the most advanced I did.

@theleelajoker Thank you for sharing! One of the reasons I asked is because during my last 10 day, I approached things differently than what was prescribed and I had an intense experience which I wondered is experienced in later classes. Instead of tracking sensation up and down the body, I found myself becoming more and more aware as the awareness all through out the body and so in a way I was noticing all sensation all at once. While focusing on being aware as the awareness, this became my meditation. Mistake it was. This was extremely activating and a storm of emotions, energies, thought forms arose at such a pace I thought I was going to go crazy. At the same time was experiencing full body ecstasy. I thought about asking the teacher about my experience but then in seeing how he responded to other students I thought I was better off figuring it out myself. I brought my attention down to my bottom and paid attention with less intensity and this really helped to calm things down. I then went back to the method. It was still intense but not in the way I found myself doing it. 

[Tistepiste]

Here are some posts about it! 
 

 

[theleelajoker]

9 hours ago, MightyMind said:

@Cocolove Yes I noticed that too. I loved the evening talks but I did notice the disregard for other approaches to spiritualty. They talk about welcoming to all faiths but then Goenka made his jokes...funny they were  but I imagine a religious or practitioner of another way might be rubbed the wrong way.  

 

@theleelajoker Thank you for sharing! One of the reasons I asked is because during my last 10 day, I approached things differently than what was prescribed and I had an intense experience which I wondered is experienced in later classes. Instead of tracking sensation up and down the body, I found myself becoming more and more aware as the awareness all through out the body and so in a way I was noticing all sensation all at once. While focusing on being aware as the awareness, this became my meditation. Mistake it was. This was extremely activating and a storm of emotions, energies, thought forms arose at such a pace I thought I was going to go crazy. At the same time was experiencing full body ecstasy. I thought about asking the teacher about my experience but then in seeing how he responded to other students I thought I was better off figuring it out myself. I brought my attention down to my bottom and paid attention with less intensity and this really helped to calm things down. I then went back to the method. It was still intense but not in the way I found myself doing it. 

I approached things a bit differently in the last two retreat. Did not have your experience, but I get you with lot's of things happening  

Became also reluctant re questions & teacher, they are often like chatbots just repeating a few basic instructions. But also, they have thousand of ours of practical experience. So mixed approach seems good middle way

[MightyMind]

@theleelajoker "Repeating a few basic instructions" is exactly what I experienced. "Just return your attention to your nostrils and observe sensation". Problem with that, is that when my attention was on the head region, it was very activating and it made things worse. But when I placed my attention on my bottom and extended it into the earth it was very grounding and the energies settled. Regardless, I think this approach is potent and offers a great container for many people. 

[MightyMind]

@Tistepiste thanks for the share!

[integration journey]

I have done a couple of 10 day courses so far.

I try my best to practise everyday in my regular life.

I have added kryia yoga before Vipassana and I notice that my mind doesn’t get sleepy easily  or dull if I do that.

[JosephKnecht]

On 29/07/2025 at 11:25 PM, MightyMind said:

I wonder if there are any vipassana practitioners (Goenka style) on here? I've done a couple 10 day retreats and I wonder what additional teachings they incorporate into retreats for older students

I completed the 10-day course once in Belgium. It was great.

I have taken 1-day courses since then, once in the Netherlands and once at the Global Vipassana Pagoda in Mumbai. 

The most significant benefits and insights I got from the 10-day meditation retreat. The other were refreshers. 

If you have meditated for an hour/day for a few years, the 10-day course is what you need—highly recommended.