Useful Resources

The primary global website for Vipassana Meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka. Course schedules, center directory, introductory information.

Established by Goenka to investigate and publish literature on Vipassana. Research papers, publications, Pali text translations, newsletters.

Old Student resource for accessing S.N. Goenka's 3-day, 10-day, and Mahasatipatthana Sutta course discourses in many languages.

Nonprofit bookstore and resource center providing books, podcasts, and 'Daily Words of the Buddha' emails. Sole North American distributor of Buddhist Publication Society and Pali Text Society books.

Online bookstore with nearly 900 print titles, audio resources, and video streaming related to Vipassana and Theravada Buddhism.

Website for the world's largest meditation dome hall (seating 8,000) near Mumbai, built under Goenka's guidance and inaugurated in 2009.

The main center and headquarters in Igatpuri, India. Serves around 600 students per 10-day course.

First Goenka center outside India, established 1982.

Oldest Goenka center in California.

New York regional center.

'Island of Dhamma', established 1991.

Bay Area Vipassana Center.

Texas Vipassana center.

393+ locations in 94+ countries, including 264 permanent centers.

Since 1997, bringing 10-day courses to correctional facilities.

Virtual group sittings for Old Students.

Group sitting recordings, daily sitting log, center/course finder.

Courses for children ages 8-12.

Courses for teenagers ages 13-18.

Free downloadable books from the Vipassana Research Institute.

Requirements and scheduling information for courses.

Search for 10-day courses worldwide.

Definitions of all course types.

Requirements for advanced courses.

Rules and expectations for course attendees.

Books and materials available for Old Students.

Monthly English/Hindi newsletters from the Vipassana Research Institute.

Inspiring and educational monthly newsletter; also offers daily 'Words of the Buddha' emails.

Published by the Vipassana Prison Trust for correctional facility programs.

By William Hart. The first and most authoritative English-language book on the Goenka tradition. Prepared under Goenka's guidance. Translated into 15+ languages.

By S.N. Goenka (condensed by William Hart). Summaries of all 11 evening discourses from a 10-day course.

By S.N. Goenka. Examination of the principal text in which the technique of Vipassana is systematically explained.

Collection of articles on facing end of life, featuring Pali texts, Goenka's writings, poems, and essays by meditators.

Selected Articles from the Vipassana Newsletter, arranged by theme. VRI 2012, Pariyatti 2016.

Talks and guidance on Vipassana meditation practice.

Talks and Answers to Questions from Vipassana Students 1983-2000.

Pali chanting used in the Vipassana tradition.

Brief sketch of the life and teaching of the Buddha.

Poems of a Modern-day Master of Vipassana Meditation.

Diary of S.N. Goenka's 'Meditation Now' tour of Europe and North America, 2002.

By Sam Harris. Discusses Vipassana extensively; Harris practiced Vipassana as his first meditation style and has completed retreats up to 3 months.

By Dan Harris. New York Times bestseller by ABC News anchor about meditation after an on-air panic attack.

By Daniel Goleman & Richard Davidson. Review of 6,000+ scientific studies on meditation. Goleman studied Vipassana with S.N. Goenka.

By Joseph Goldstein. By one of the foremost Western Vipassana teachers who studied directly with Goenka.

By Daniel M. Stuart. Biography of S.N. Goenka.

By Eddie Parker.

All books by S.N. Goenka. Average rating of 4.36 across 3,850 ratings.

Community-curated list of Vipassana books.

4-episode investigative series by Madison Marriage examining experiences at Goenka retreats. Also on Spotify and Acast.

Apple Podcasts series focused on Vipassana practice.

1-hour group sitting recordings.

Dhamma talks by S.N. Goenka — 'wonderfully straightforward explanations of Vipassana.'

Specific episode from Pariyatti.

Talk recording from Pariyatti.

Talk recording from Pariyatti.

Complete collection of free podcast episodes.

Jack Kornfield's tribute to S.N. Goenka.

Podcast episodes examining Goenka's teachings and their intersection with society.

Tim Ferriss discusses his 10-day silent retreat experience.

Sam Harris discusses Vipassana extensively.

Harari credits Vipassana for his writing ability.

Video interview available on Pariyatti.

Major meditation podcast with many episodes discussing Vipassana.

Vipassana in the context of addiction recovery.

Streaming and download in multiple languages.

Full guided meditation session.

Free audio from the 10-day course.

Hindi discourses by Goenka.

Audio resource collection.

By Ethan Maurice. Detailed, widely-shared personal account.

By Jodi Ettenberg (Legal Nomads). Featured in NY Times, National Geographic, BBC Travel, and CNN.

By Shannon O'Donnell (A Little Adrift). Course in Nepal; updated 2025.

By Earth Vagabonds. Third retreat, in Malaysia (2025).

By Looking Out Loud.

By 7 Continents 1 Passport.

By Londoner in Sydney.

By Live Limitless.

By Reborn By Adventure.

By Walden.

By Beyond Basics Physical Therapy.

By Benban's Travel Blog.

By Eric's Inspired Living Blog.

By Sam Roff.

By Harshul Singhal on Medium.

By Path to Yoga.

By Path to Yoga.

By Path to Yoga.

By Ander Wanders.

By Christopher Titmuss. Thoughtful critique from a respected Dharma teacher.

Discussion on Dhamma Wheel Forum.

By David Leon.

By Duddhawork.

By Indiv Yoga. Response to the Financial Times investigation.

Cureus / PubMed Central. 11 studies reviewed; moderate evidence supports benefits for stress, anxiety, migraine burden.

PubMed earlier systematic review.

ScienceDirect. EEG dynamics in long-term practitioners.

PubMed Central. Neuro-imaging studies show activation of prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex during meditation.

Taylor & Francis (2025). Neurological mechanisms and implementation strategies.

IAPS Journal of Practice in Mental Health (2023).

1-month follow-up study.

Collection of research from the Vipassana Research Institute, including studies on addiction, neuropsychology, and daily life applications.

AI-curated list of top research papers.

Group sitting recordings (25+ languages), daily sitting log, group sitting counter, center/course finder (300+ locations), and Mini-Anapana guided meditation.

Official VRI app for Android.

App for the Global Vipassana Pagoda.

Teaches Vipassana as its foundational practice, plus Zen, Dzogchen, and Advaita Vedanta. 28-day introductory course. Features Joseph Goldstein teaching Vipassana.

App by Dan Harris based on Vipassana principles. Guided courses with major Vipassana teachers.

Free meditation timer and community with Vipassana-specific content.

Free, ad-free, no-signup meditation app by a volunteer-run foundation. Simple timer for Vipassana practitioners.

1,871+ posts, 30,845+ comments. 'A place for potential new students to learn more about this living tradition, and for old students to support each other.'

Active forum with multiple threads on Goenka Vipassana technique, retreats, and practice.

Related Buddhist forum with Goenka Vipassana discussions.

Active since 2007; dedicated Vipassana discussion.

Discussion of Goenka's Vipassana within the Theravada framework.

Monastic perspective on Goenka's technique.

Popular thread with many personal accounts.

Practical advice for first-timers.

Experience-sharing thread.

Safety-focused discussion.

Official VRI account, 119K followers.

Global Vipassana Foundation, 11K followers.

Unofficial, 16K followers.