Description
S.N. Goenka, Principal Teacher of Vipassana meditation, faced some initial hesitation before joining his first Vipassana course due to indoctrination against the Buddha’s teachings during his childhood. After his first course in 1955, numerous misconceptions that he had about the Buddha’s teaching were dispelled, and he was inspired to study the original words of the Buddha in the Pāli language.
To help others who are also interested in the original teachings of the Buddha, S.N. Goenka wrote a comprehensive introduction to the Tipitaka (the texts that contain the words of the historical Buddha in Pāli language). This information is presented in a lucid manner through quotes, inspiring passages from the Tipiṭaka, and interesting incidents from the Buddha’s life.
In the words of Goenka-ji, « The Tipitaka is like a vast, captivating garden containing beautiful flowers of different hues and fragrances. I have plucked a few flowers from that garden and have woven them into a garland. This jeweled ornament has been fashioned by culling a few priceless gems from the vast ocean of the Dhamma”.
