The early days of Goenka's courses
Grahame White's remarkable journey began in 1966, amid the backdrop of Australia's Vietnam War conscription. In a bid to avoid the draft, he embarked on a life-altering adventure that led him from South Africa to England, and eventually to Bodhgaya, India, where he ordained as a monk. His path intertwines with luminaries like S.N. Goenka, Joseph Goldstein, and Munindra, offering a rare glimpse into the early days of mindfulness practice in the West. He later played a pivotal role in bringing Mahasi-style meditation to Australia, shaping the spread of Vipassana meditation worldwide. Explore his fascinating story in our podcast conversation with him!
“In the early days, the Goenka’s vipassana courses were somewhat different than they are now. They were a lot more laid back.”
“In the early days, the Goenka’s vipassana courses were somewhat different than they are now. They were a lot more laid back. Goenka used to come to your room, as they do in Burma, teachers in Burma, and he would check you more, like, ‘How are you going, Grahame?’ Then he would say, ‘What’s happening to you now?’ And so, you'd sit with him for a little bit. He said, ‘Can you move your attention here?’ ‘Move your attention there.’ So, you would you'd have your 10-minute or 15-minute interview here with him daily, on a daily basis. It was quite different.
There was not noble silence the whole way through, for the whole day, there were certain periods of noble silence. It was quite relaxed, but also, I don’t want to say it was slack. It wasn't slack at all; it was intense, but relaxed. I thought it was much nicer, actually, to tell you the truth, the way he did it. But of course, it grew too big. He wasn't able to conduct retreats like that anymore. It was too many people. I feel very grateful that I had that experience with him. Sometimes at night, even in the early days, we’d go into his room, and he'd want me to read from the Dhamma book or something, so he could get the precise, what can I say, like ‘wording.’ I had those quiet moments with him as well, in those early days. Then, all that changed, of course, when crowds came in, everybody coming. But it was wonderful. It was a wonderful experience and a wonderful time being there in the early days. And he kept coming back.”