The Vipassana cult started by the Marwari S.N. Goenka is a Brahminical weapon to destroy the Budhist movement rejuvenated by Dr. Ambedkar in 1956. The aura around the name of Budha helped Goenka to gain popularity and become fabulously rich. Maharashtrian Budhists are at the forefront to popularise Vipassana among Budhists. In this background the book, Buddha Dhamma Banam Vipassana, by Dr. Vinod Anavrat is a serious attempt to expose the real face of the bogus Vipassana cult. He cautions the Budhists against falling in the trap laid by Goenka and his Brahminical coterie.
Vipassana, why only in Viharas: The author asks: What is the secret of Goenka and his Hindu chelas refraining from teaching this great (?) technique in Hindu temples? Why the viharas and the Budhists alone are targeted? If Vipassana is such a non- sectarian technique, then why spare Hindu temples, the bastions of Brahminical supremacy? Why at Igatpuri (Nasik dt.) Goenka exclusively trains Budhist monks but never any Hindu mahants or Jain sadhus? Why the Budhist monks and the Dalit Goenkawadis are silent on this? Goenka says his meditation technique is secular. Why then only the Budhists are asked to promote secularism? Hinduism lacks the spirit of brotherhood. It is also tyrannical as it divides the society into different vamas and innumerable castes. If so how can we expect the followers of this religion to be secular? That is why any number of Vipassana retreats cannot bring any perceptible changes in the Hindu behaviour. The fault does not lie with the people but the inbuilt divisive spirit in Hinduism that forces them to practice and nurture inequality.
Not reform but revolt: Vipassana strengthens the Brahminism. Goenka, a spiritual humbug, is misleading the educated but innocent Budhists.
A Budhist, Ratnakar Gaikwad, a Dalit IAS officer, sanctioned leave for govt. servants in Maharashtra for attending a 10-day Vipassana camp. Brahminists will be for ever grateful to him.
Babasaheb embraced Budhism to seek liberation from Hinduism. But Vipassana has undermined his mission Dr. Ambedkar said:
“If the Hindu Social Order is to fall to the ground, it can happen only under two conditions. Firstly, the social order must be subjected to constant fire. Secondly, they can’t subject it to constant fire unless they are independent in thought and action“.
Besides Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh is the latest in the hit list of Goenka. He has infiltrated the BSP- ruled state. Bahujan News, the Hindi weekly from Agra, is poisoning the minds of Hindi-knowing Budhists in UP. It regularly devotes minimum one full page for Goenka.
Rs. 2 lakh cash prize: Vipassana masks the original image of the Budha as a revolutionary. One should not ignore the social context in which Budha had to launch the crusade against the oppression unleased on the shudras. Hence on conversion to Budhism on Oct. 14, 1956 at Nagpur Babasaheb said:
Buddhism can emancipate the universe. But unless justice prevails, there cannot be peace. (p.191).
Ambedkarites therefore should spell out their priorities for justice. Dr. Vinod Anavrat has dedicated the book to Ven. (late) Nirgunanand Mahathero who vehemently opposed the Goenkawadi Vipassana retreats. An annexure detailing the reply given by Bhante Nirgunanand to Goenka exposes his murky business
Budha had never taught Vipassana. Dr. Anavrat way back in 2005 itself had announced a Rs. 1-lakh cash prize for anybody showing a single reference where the Budha ever taught Vipassana to householders as propagated by Goenka. I have added another Rs 1 lakh
Bribe offer to DV Editor: Through Vipassana Goenka wants to enslave the Bahujans. This is what the Congress is also doing. Goenka and his bum-licker Budhist supporters are digging the grave for themselves as well as for Budhists.
The author also quotes an incident narrated by the Editor of Dalit Voice, V.T. Rajshekar, wherein high profile Budhists in Bombay met him and offered a big “bribe” for stopping the Debate in DV on Vipassana (p. 160). Such a predatory band is a blot on the name of Budhists who have benefited due to job reservations given by Dr. Ambedkar.
