Satyanārāyaṇ (S. N.) Goenka (1924–2013) was as a leader in the spread of lay mindfulness and insight meditation practice on a global scale. S. N. Goenka is the first comprehensive portrait of the master’s life and demonstrates that Goenka’s influences, teaching, and legacy are much more complex than has been commonly thought. Daniel M. Stuart incorporates a wide range of primary documents and newly translated material to offer readers an in-depth exploration of Goenka’s teachings and his practice lineage. This fascinating addition to the Lives of the Masters series reflects on Goenka’s role in the revival of Buddhism in postcolonial India and the world.
In this short video, Daniel M. Stuart introduces you to his book and shares a short passage that exemplifies the life and work of S. N. Goenka.
Praise for S. N. Goenka
“Stuart’s thoughtful and nuanced biography enriches and complicates the received narrative of one of the architects of modern meditation. It provides a more complex view into Goenka’s various layered identities and situates him in his historical contexts. This is a valuable contribution to the conversations on modern Buddhism and meditative practices.”—David L. McMahan, author of The Making of Buddhist Modernism
“By taking the story S. N. Goenka tells in his own writings and considering it alongside the accounts of others, this book presents a number of different perspectives on key events in Goenka’s life. Stuart’s commentary highlights various details and tensions in Goenka’s story that shed light on his relationship with his teacher, U Ba Khin; his particular approach to insight meditation; and his eventual break with others in the U Ba Khin tradition. The whole adds up to a fascinating narrative that should be read by all who wish to gain a better understanding of the development of insight meditation in Europe and the U.S., as well as the emergence of modern secular mindfulness.”—Rupert Gethin, author of The Foundations of Buddhism and The Buddhist Path to Awakening
“An excellent study of U Goenka and his movement. Stuart manages to achieve the difficult balancing act of maintaining critical intellectual distance while showing a heartfelt appreciation of Goenkaji’s extraordinary life and work. It is a most timely book that sheds valuable light on the origins of the now widespread practice of Buddhist meditation in general and mindfulness meditation in particular.”—Stephen Batchelor, author of The Art of Solitude and After Buddhism
“Daniel Stuart paints a nuanced portrait of the man he describes as his teacher. . . . Whereas many Western Buddhists may think of Goenka only as the ‘nonreligious’ teacher of Insight/Vipassana meditation, this intriguing biography and collection of his writings serves as a clear reminder that his life and teachings were firmly rooted in tradition—and were more complex than his Western audiences may have realized.”—Lion’s Roar
