same as what the Bodhisattas are doing, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to accumulate such enormous paramis. And when they become Arahants they become an inseparable part of the Dhammakaya like the Buddha. How can they be denounced as selfish?
4) All beings, submerged in the infinite river of samsara, manifest different situations either skillful or unskillful, but eventually they are bound to be liberated. Liberation depends on pa??a(wisdom), and only practicing Vipassana beings can develop and cultivate pa??a and get liberation. Whether a Sammasambuddha or a Pacceka Buddha or an Arahant, he must practice Vipassana. The yogins, trekking on the Bodhisatta path, have to practice Vipassana to maintain their strength, otherwise they are bound to stumble. Just like a battery being low in power has to be charged, this is a law of nature and there is no other way. And this is why the Buddha said, ―The fourfold establishing of awareness (Satipatthana—Vipassana ) is the one and only way.‖
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The Buddha said that as long as the four classes of disciples keep practicing Dhamma, Dhamma would not vanish from the world. In the past forty years, Vipassana as taught by S. N. Goenka in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin has successfully brought the Dhamma from Myanmar back to the country of its origin, India, and from there, it has spread to the world. Vipassana International Academy offers residential Vipassana courses in more than 140 centers throughout the world. With its uniform teaching materials and course format, it enables a multitude of meditators to approach the teaching of the Buddha easily.
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People’s suffering are universal, therefore, the cure to their sufferings must be universal, too. Vipassana of this tradition meets this requirement. It not only offers the Patipatti of the Dhamma to the four classes of Buddhists, but also attract tens of thousands of people of different religions, such as Christians, Hindus, Jains, Muslims, and Jews. More than 120,000 meditators worldwide register in the ten-day courses in these 140 centers as well as in non-centre sites every year. For those meditators who want to trek on the path of liberation more diligently and ardently, several serious courses such as Satipatthana Sutta course, 20-day, 30-day, 45-day and 60-day courses are offered.
Vipassana of this tradition was first introduced to this great country, China, ten years ago by some Buddhist masters. And since then courses have been organized regularly in different Buddhist temples, thanks to the cordial invitations from their abbots and abbesses. In these ten years, we have successfully conducted more than 120 ten-day residential courses in this country. As the main theme proclaimed by the first conference of this Forum, ―Harmonious World Begins in the Mind‖, we have in these ten years contributed in a substantial way to put into effect the realization of the ―Harmonious Society‖ as promulgated by this nation. People come to the courses with myriad problems and expectations. During the ten-day course, they learn how to deal with problems with a balanced mind; they learn the art of living. They go home with purer and more balanced mind. Not only do they enjoy the benefit of peace and harmony themselves, they also start to distribute the peace and harmony to the people around them.
―A Harmonious World. A Synergy of Conditions‖ is the theme of this conference. We have strong confidence in exerting our right effort to make continuous and substantial contribution to this society, to this Nation and to
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this world under the auspicious spirit of the theme of this Forum. May we offer you the following couplet:
Xie Li Tong Xin Ge De Qi Suo Xing Ren Jiang Rang Bi You Yu Qing 協 力 同 心 各 得 其 所 興 仁 講 讓 必 有 餘 慶 Harmonious Synergism brings gains to all parties,
Promotion of Loving-kindness and Giving-away yields abundance. Best wishes for the grand success of the Forum May Dhamma guide all of us to the final liberation!
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