Vipassana teachings can help tackle stress and distress in modern life: Modi

PTI, Feb 4, 2024, 5:03 PM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said Vipassana is a unique gift of ancient India and also a modern science whose application can help young and elderly people tackle ”stress and distress” in their lives.

In a virtual address to mark the birth centenary celebrations of Vipassana teacher S N Goenka, Modi said meditation and Vipassana were once seen as a medium of renunciation but now it has become a medium of personality development in practical life. ”Stress and distress are common in the present-day life of young people and senior citizens, and Vipassana teachings can help them find solutions to their problems,” Modi said.

He said S N Goenka was a perfect example of ‘one life one mission’.

His teachings and commitment to the welfare of society are a source of inspiration as India is moving fast to fulfil the goals of Viksit Bharat, Modi said.

”Inspired by Lord Buddha, Guruji would say when people meditate together the result is very effective. Such power of unity is the great pillar of Viksit Bharat,” the PM said. Recalling his close association with Goenka, the prime minister said the late Vipassana teacher possessed calm and serene characteristics. ”His only mission was Vipassana and spreading the knowledge he had acquired to all. His contribution was for the mankind,” Modi said. He said Vipassana is a unique gift and legacy of ancient India but it was forgotten.

He said Vipassana is a journey from self-observation to self-transformation and a solution to all challenges faced today. Yoga is accepted across the world and the International Yoga Day is now a part of life across the globe, the PM added. ”We thought meditation and Vipassana were a medium of vairaygya and not to be brought in practical life. Now it is a medium of personality development ” he said.

Modi said apart from being a legacy of ancient India, Vipassana is also a modern science which needs to be imparted to future generations. Goenka is known for popularising the ancient Vipassana meditation technique, which aims for the eradication of mental impurities and the resultant highest happiness of full liberation.