Vipassana helped many sail through critical moments

“It is a personal loss,” said Dhale,who had met Goenka in 2001 during the Vipassana course at Igatpuri in Nashik. “He often gave simplistic solutions to serious problems,” recalled the DCP,who now recommends the Vipassana meditation technique to his colleagues. “There is a lot of stress at workplace and often colleagues are detected with hypertension at a young age. Practising the technique for an hour daily is of huge benefit,” he said.

Dhale particularly recalled the tense moments when he had to resort to firing during his posting as the Superintendent of Police in Jalna in 2005. “Not getting excited and remaining calm in those circumstances was only possible because of the Vipassana meditation technique,” said Dhale.

For Gaikwad,who has been associated with Goenka for more than 20 years,the spiritualist leader’s passing away was a great loss to the cause of the spread of Dhamma. “I have been practising Vipassana for 20 years and was fortunate to be close to him and be associated with his many projects. I benefited immensely by getting peace of mind,adopting a positive approach towards life and learning the art of living in the present,” Gaikwad said.

In fact as a metropolitan commissioner in Mumbai,Gaikwad had initiated a drive where special paid leave was created through a Government Resolution (GR) for those who wanted to attend the Vipassana course at Igatpuri.

Government officials,who have attended the course,had said it filled them with a renewed sense of personal and social responsibilities and a deeper understanding of life. Shiv Sena leader and former Union minister Suresh Prabhu said more sadhaks should be created across the world to immortalise the memory of Goenka.

“One man in one life has transformed millions of lives,” Prabhu said while recalling the stressful times he faced during the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. “It was the Vipassana course that helped me tremendously. It is very easy to connect with the outside world but extremely difficult to look inside ourselves,” Prabhu said.

After being exposed to the technique in 2001,former President Pratibha Patil’s daughter Jyoti Rathore — who is the chairperson of Akshara International School in Pune — said she has now introduced the course for students. “I participated in several courses in Mumbai and Pune centres and whenever I met him,Guruji always told me ‘Aur tapo beti (continue to meditate),” Rathore said.

Dr Dutta Kohinkar Patil,chairman of the Pune Vipassana Committee,that has two centres at Swargate and Alandi,said a minimum of 400 people from various parts of the country and across the world participate in the 10-day Vipassana courses every month. The waiting list every month is nothing less than 300 people,he said.

Patil,who works at Cummins India Ltd,also conducts the Anapana meditation course for children. Even as 250 people went to Mumbai from Pune from the centres to pay last respects to Guruji,Patil said he will continue to guide them.

PROMINENT FOLLOWERS

* Former Union Environment Minister Suresh Prabhu

* State Chief Information Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad

* Former President Pratibha Patil’s daughter Jyoti Rathore

* State DCP of Intelligence Department Rajendra Dhale