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Discourse Summaries
by
S.N. Goenka
4.41 · Rating details · 222 ratings · 22 reviews
The 11 discourses in this volume provide a broad overview of the teachings of Buddha to help meditators understand what to do and why, so they work in the proper way and achieve the proper results.
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Paperback, 144 pages
Published January 1st 2000 by Pariyatti Publishing (first published January 1st 1987)
Original Title
The Discourse Summaries
ISBN
1928706096 (ISBN13: 9781928706090)
Edition Language
English
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Sep 02, 2012Bjorn Sorensen rated it it was amazing
Shelves: self-improvement
Excellent companion to a 10-day Vipassana meditation course or daily practice. A helpful, insightful primer beforehand or a title to review after. An accessible read on the daily life of the mind and body and the tenets of Buddhism. A look into Vipassana, which is to see things as they really are, for wherever you are. It is an invitation to take lessons from an intellectual, guarded place to one of actual practice and work.
From "Day Four Discourse":
"Vipassana teaches the art of dying; how to die peacefully, harmoniously. And one learns the art of dying by learning the art of living: how to become master of the present moment... If the present is good, one need not worry about the future, which is merely a product of the future, and therefore bound to be good." (less)
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Oct 16, 2017Renzo rated it liked it
Shelves: 2017, reviewed-books
Recommended for those who have done the 10-day vipassana course. Each day's ending discourse is summarized here. I wouldn't want to have read it before taking the course though, because there are some pseudo-science elements to vipassana that I had to take with a grain of salt during my first course. The course instructor advised me to feel free to disregard whichever of Goenka's teachings don't work for me and to simply commit to learning the vipassana technique for the duration of the course. This advice was in fact echoed by Goenka and it was spot-on. So with that in mind, the little book gives a fine refresher summary of all 11 discourses. (less)
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Jul 29, 2016Teo 2050 rated it really liked it
Shelves: _contents, meditation, pain-or-suffering, perception, _lectures, _audio-by-author, _watched-not-read, relief-or-prevention, maps-paths-stages, rated-4
2016.07.13–2016.07.23
I watched the actual evening discourses over the 11 days of a Vipassana course as taught by S.N. Goenka. The rating 4/5 reflects my enjoyment of the full video discourses in the context of practice; they are on YouTube, but watching them outside of a course and its schedule would be a very different experience and probably not worth it without the practice that's meant to be associated with them. Every evening, (video-)Goenka more often than not joked about and answered some experiences/questions/problems that I'd had/suffered/wondered about during the same day, forcing me to amusedly admit that the course is indeed based on decades of experience. And that this laughing old man is reading my mind and it's all transparent to him that I'm plotting my escape after the first few days.
(Some aspects of the course are probably identical around the world for good reasons, though I believe the Discourses to be much more optimal than the audio instructions heard during group meditation in the hall. With more resources people could make progress on their own pace without having everyone listen to every repetition of every instruction. The Discourses, OTOH, explained fairly nicely a lot of the theory and reasons for why we do and endlessly repeat what we do, with the occasional good-hearted, humorous stories and examples to illustrate the points. I'd probably read these Discourse Summaries more carefully for trying to remember which of them I'd most like to watch again, as many I would.)
Contents
Goenka SN (1987) (~12:54 in 11 parts) Discourse Summaries, The - Talks from a Ten-day Course in Vipassana Meditation
Foreword by William Hart
Note on the Text
01. (01:12) Day One Discourse
• Initial difficulties—the purpose of this meditation—why respiration is chosen as the starting point—the nature of the mind—the reason for the difficulties, and how to deal with them—dangers to be avoided
02. (01:16) Day Two Discourse
• Universal definition of sin and piety—the Noble Eightfold Path: sila and samadhi
03. (01:06) Day Three Discourse
• The Noble Eightfold Path: panna—received wisdom, intellectual wisdom, experiental wisdom—the kalapa—the four elements—the three characteristics: impermanence, the illusory nature of the ego, suffering—penetration through apparent reality
04. (01:08) Day Four Discourse
• Questions on how to practise Vipassana—the law of kamma—importance of mental actions—four aggregates of the mind: consciousness, perception, sensation, reaction—remaining aware and equanimous is the way to emerge from suffering
05. (01:05) Day Five Discourse
• The Four Noble Truths: suffering, the cause of suffering, the eradication of suffering, the way to eradicate suffering—the chain of conditioned suffering
06. (01:05) Day Six Discourse
• Importance of developing awareness and equanimity towards sensations—the four elements and their relation to the sensations—the four causes of the arising of matter—the five hindrances: craving, aversion, mental and physical sluggishness, agitation, doubt
07. (01:06) Day Seven Discourse
• Importance of equanimity towards subtle as well as gross sensations—continuity of awareness—five 'friends': faith, effort, awareness, concentration, wisdom
08. (01:02) Day Eight Discourse
• The law of multiplication and its reverse, the law of eradication—equanimity is the greatest welfare—equanimity enables one to live a life of real action—by remaining equanimous, one ensures a happy future for oneself
09. (01:05) Day Nine Discourse
• Application of the technique in daily life—the ten parami
10. (01:07) Day Ten Discourse
• Review of the technique
11. (01:42) Day Eleven Discourse
• How to continue practising after the end of the course
Pali Passages Quoted in the Discourses with English Translation
Glossary of Pali Terms
Centres for the Practice of Vipassana Meditation as taught by S. N. Goenka (less)
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May 08, 2012randy rated it really liked it
I got this book mainly due to the glossary and translation of the Pali chants, as I was confused by what I had undergone at my 1st Vipassana course a year ago.
And while they have been beyond valuable to me over the year since, the condensed discourses are really what this book is all about. They have helped me stay on the meditation path and with just finishing my second retreat, it has gone back into my bag I carry around everyday so that I can refer to it whenever any questions arise.
Highly recommended to fellow vipassana folk. (less)
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Jan 11, 2022Shreya Singhal rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
This is a good book to recap the theory taught in the 10 day course. It's ideal for those who have attended their first course and wish to refresh their memories as well as use it as a manual for their daily practice. (less)
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Sep 15, 2016Bernie Gourley rated it really liked it
Recommends it for: those planning on attending a 10-day Vipassana course (or having attended one.)
Shelves: meditation
I began reading the summaries before I attended the Vipassana meditation 10-day course. While most of one’s days are spent in meditation, each evening they play video-taped discourses by S.N. Goenka, with each running for an hour to an hour-and-a-half. As the title suggests, this book consists of edited transcripts of those talks. As the course is known for being challenging (approximately 10 hours/day in meditation, noble silence [no talking--or even acknowledging--anyone but the teacher and staff], and no distractions [no phones, no books, no journals, no i-Pods, etc.]), reading the discourses was a way to mentally prepare for the course. (Though I’d already read a book call “Equanimous Mind” by an individual who’d completed the course.)
Let me provide background for those unfamiliar with Vipassana meditation. It’s nominally a Theravadan Buddhist practice, but its religiosity is stripped to a minimum and it’s presented in a largely secular manner. That doesn’t mean that a scientifically-minded skeptic such as myself isn’t occasionally left scratching his head and thinking “that’s not right.” However, it’s repeatedly emphasized that one should take what is of value to oneself and leave the rest behind, and so while there are a few notions mentioned during the discourses that aren’t supported by evidence, one needn’t believe anything controversial to benefit from the practice. (e.g. Karma and reincarnation are mentioned, but if one doesn’t believe those are likely realities, it doesn’t change the effectiveness of the meditation.)
Moving on, Theravadan Buddhism is the branch that is most commonly practiced in Southeast Asia. (It’s sometimes called Hinayana, but—as I learned during a discourse—that’s considered a derogatory term by many Theravadans. “Hinayana” means “lesser vehicle” in contrast to Mahayana’s “greater vehicle,” and the implication is that it’s a path by which only a more select group can achieve enlightenment. One can readily see why this would be objectionable to Vipassana practitioners as they emphasize that the practice is available to everybody [one need not even identify as Buddhist] and that the practice is the heart of the path to enlightenment.) Vipassana meditation involves systematically scanning one’s body for sensations and acknowledging them without attaching positive or negative thoughts and labels to them. The idea is to train oneself to not mindlessly react to sensations, nor to mindlessly attach values to them.
There are eleven discourses, corresponding to the days over which one is at meditation center. However, the new information is mostly in the discourses from days one through nine. The last two discourses consist of a review and a discussion of to how to keep one’s practice going—should one choose to do so.
The discourses present two types of information. On one hand, they provide a primer on Buddhist philosophy regarding the path to enlightenment. For example, Goenka explains the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path. The Four Noble Truths describe human suffering, its causes, and the path to moving beyond this suffering. That path brings one to the Eight-fold Path which describes eight areas in which one must properly align one’s approach in order to eliminate said suffering.
On the other hand, the discourses provide information about the meditational practices and the logic that informs them. During the first few days of the course, one focuses on respiration and related sensations over a progressively smaller area around and on the nose. Then, on the fourth day, one gets into the Vipassana practice as mentioned above (scanning the body for sensation), but one practices several variations of this over the last few days of the course. It seems that one practices these different ways both because one becomes capable of more challenging approaches and because not everybody experiences the same types of sensations, and so some methods work better for some types of sensations than others. To give an example, on day one might scan one arm at a time, but then one shifts to scanning both arms simultaneously.
There are no graphics and the only ancillary matter consists of a list of Pali quotations as well as a Pali term glossary. (Pali is the language in which the Buddhist scriptures were originally written.) However, there was really no need for either graphics or notations.
I found these summaries were worth reading even having gone through the course and heard the discourses at the center. For one thing, there’s a good amount of information packed into the lectures. While it’s not hard to understand, there’s a high density of information content. For another, Goenka was a charming and humorous individual, so it’s not boring to watch the taped discourses even if one has previously read them.
I would definitely recommend reading the Discourse Summaries if one is considering taking the Vipassana course.
(less)
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Jan 26, 2019Cheng Nie rated it really liked it
It's a good reminder about those insights learnt in the 10-day course. I wish they include more interesting stories from the course. The videos were recorded in 1991 while this book was written based on 1984 discourse. (less)
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Jun 30, 2018Paulo Behar rated it it was amazing
Essential for a good life. No words good enough to describe
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Nov 30, 2014Ashley rated it really liked it
Shelves: yoga-spirituality-healing
I'm giving it a four star because I'm wishing/craving ;) technique reminders too. Otherwise it's such a great review of the discourses offered in a ten day program. May all beings be happy! ...more
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Apr 23, 2008Jung rated it it was amazing
Recommends it for: Vipassana meditators, Buddhists
Good for reviewing Dhamma discourses from Vipassana courses.
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Mar 22, 2020Phil Calandra rated it really liked it
"The Discourse Summaries" provides and overview of the teachings of the Buddha and the evening summaries of the 10 day Vipassana Meditation Retreat. The author emphasizes that these summaries should not be treated as a do it yourself manual for learning Vipassana or a substitute for the 10 Day Course but is an excellent explanation of the training process and offers an excellent follow up program for those wishing to continue the practice. I would highly recommend this book. ...more
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Apr 11, 2020Joo Kee rated it it was amazing
I will be re reading this often to remind myself the actions and attitude i need to take in daily life
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May 05, 2020Alan Eyre rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Good stuff
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Nov 28, 2021Tim rated it liked it · review of another edition
The discourse that are played each night at the end of the ten days of Vipassana meditation are presented in this short book. A useful resource this for Vipassana meditators to refer back to.
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Nov 10, 2017Duncan Reed rated it really liked it
Read in advance of completing a Vipassana in the new year. Interesting, but will obviously make more sense in context
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Sep 15, 2021Kabeeta Pathak rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Very helpful to remind yourself of the vipassana days after the course.
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Feb 05, 2018Vivek Sundaram rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Strongly recommended
Attend the 10 day course. It’s a great investment of time. Then, read the book to review what you learnt.
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Oct 19, 2015Idiano Protecto rated it really liked it
Shelves: meditation
Purchased it from the vipassana center. new book is just 90 pages in which the summary is of just 62 pages rest being the pali passages quoted in the discourses.
Read it after a year and a half of doing the first 10 day course and almost no meditation in between and once again realised how important it is to review the process and most importantly to start practicing. Helped me reconnect with vipassana and once again give it a fresh start with the simple procedure of observing my breath.
No point ...more
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Feb 08, 2015Zanna rated it really liked it
Shelves: read-in-2015
I wish it also had stories from 10 days discourse.
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Jan 03, 2016Sergio rated it it was amazing
An essential read for anyone interested in Vipassana meditation. Also look up his 10-day retreat discourses on youtube.
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Feb 01, 2016L rated it really liked it
Missing some of Goenkaji's funny stories but otherwise very good summary of key points in the 11 day discourse. (less)
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Sep 27, 2015HadiDee added it
Shelves: non-fiction
Exactly what it says - the 11 Goenka discourses from the 10-day vipassana course. Worth re-reading often after attending the course to be reminded of all the things one has forgotten.
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Discourse Summaries: Talks from a Ten-day Course in Vipassana Meditation Paperback – 1 January 2000
by S. N. Goenka (Author)
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Contains 11 discourses that provide an overview of the teachings of Buddha to help meditators understand what to do and why, so they work in the proper way and achieve the proper results.
Print length
144 pages
Language
English
Publisher
Pariyatti Press
Publication date
1 January 2000
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About the Author
S. N. Goenka is a leading teacher of Vipassana meditation. He has been invited to address the World Economic Forum, Davos, the Millennium World Peace Summit, and the United Nations. His writings include Was the Buddha a Pessimist, Dharma: Its True Nature, and The Gracious Flow of Dharma.
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Product details
Publisher : Pariyatti Press (1 January 2000)
Language : English
Paperback : 144 pages
ISBN-10 : 1928706096
ISBN-13 : 978-1928706090
Dimensions : 15.24 x 1.09 x 22.86 cm
Customer Reviews: 4.8 out of 5 stars 50 ratings
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Angrycaterpillar
5.0 out of 5 stars non religious meditation technology for all
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 February 2013
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This is a great book to learn buddhist meditation technology. It guides the learner through the very basics of the awareness of breathing. Goenka not only shows the way but explains how it can lead to a life with less conflicts of the mind. It is kind of optimiztion of limited brain energy, gradually eliminating the effects of conditional phenomena. He insists there is no point listening his talks (or even reading this book) unless the learner is interested in experiencing this with practice, because buddhist technology is only for the experiential use. Knowledge is necessary but you can clean up the mind only if you get the broom and get on with the job. Goenka guides the person thro' vipassana techniques of awareness of feelings, sensation and thoughts starting from the program for the fouth day of the residential course. This is in contrast to most traditional meditation teachers who are relactant to train in vipassana unless the student has a long record of doing well in awareness of breathing. Great book for anybody who wants to get down to serious meditation practice.
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Phil B
5.0 out of 5 stars Well recommended as a good start
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 November 2016
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After coming off a ten day course, thought it would help to maintain practice. Very good book that follows extremely close to the Goenka ten day course, unfortunately omitting the hourly evening discussions. Well recommended
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Frank Wild
5.0 out of 5 stars Revisit the wonderful discourses by S.N. Goenka
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2015
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Attended a 10 day Vipassana Course in Hereford and afterwards wanted to revisit the wonderful discourses by S.N. Goenka.. this is a collection of each of the 10 days evening discourses and a regular inspiration!
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SA
5.0 out of 5 stars Most useful book to understand Vipassana meditation and the teaching of Buddha!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 October 2013
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This is a very useful book to read to understand Vipassana meditation. I highly recommend this book to the people considering joining a Vipassana course or already has completed a course to stay inline with the teaching.
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Crazy Superman
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing little book
Reviewed in Canada on 3 April 2019
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I thought I was more of a hands on audio learner. I watched and study on the video on youtube. After I got this book, somehow the understanding is much more profound. It's a nice review and allow me to have deeper understanding when seeing the words. On the book, you can also add highlight and annotation. Highly recommend this book for anybody practicing any meditation. The price is also very good. This is one of the most important book that I ever bought in my life beside Yuval Noah Harari.
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