Is anyone familiar with Mr. Goenka's Vipassana techniques/teachings? 10-days retreats seem a too long period for peple to go without any previous knowledge of buddhism.

[www.dhamma.org]

Hi, I went on 2 retreats when I was a young adult and a few years later I joined a proper cult for 8 years (the Jesus Christians/Dave McKay) so I am intimately familiar with at least one cult. They do not seem to me to be a cult. You do the retreat and then you go. I found some benefit to the practice, and no harm, but I did not continue meditating afterwards, although I kept the concept of allowing feelings to arise and fall with detachment. A handy skill to have.

I must admit there was a bit of a youthful challenge aspect to it, "am I man enough to do this"?. There is no attempt to recruit into a 24/7 lifestyle under obedience. There is no pressure to donate. However, I would not say there is no potential for harm. I knew one young man who mentally decompensated after a retreat. A mentally stable person who is mentally prepared is unlikely to suffer harm. But there was no screening (20 years ago) for schizophrenia. I don't know how it is today.

You may find the following useful:

[harmanjit.blogspot.com]

Apart from the one in-depth article, this has other links containing more information.

I have heard nothing but good news about Goenka's Vipassana retreats. His organsiation appears to be authentically Buddhist and strictly non-coersive. My daughter, a senior producer with the BBC who has her head well and truly screwed on, is an Ashtanga yoga practitioner and has been recommended by her teacher to attend a Goenka retreat in order to deepen her practice.