Navigating Rough Waters

At a time when corporations, countries, and individuals are speaking out, taking a moral stand, and considering action to support the Burmese people as state-sponsored terror grips their nation, what is the ethical responsibility of the vipassana organization of S.N. Goenka, who always reminded students of their “debt of gratitude” to the geographical region where their lineage hails from? To answer this question and many more, we turn to Daniel Mayer, the Coordinating Area Teacher (CAT) “to serve the Rest of Africa.” Daniel advises meditators to not stray towards one extreme or another. For those caught up in the heavy emotions of the current moment, he advises them to be patient with themselves and remember the wider context, saying, “I think in some cases, it can take a whole lifetime. But don't think that you are an exception. And don't think that what is happening now in a certain part of the world, is any different to what's happening, and happened in other parts of the world.” But he also warns against spiritual bypass. “I do feel that mettā should not be an excuse...[T]o say, it doesn't affect me just because I am not there, or I'm not part of it, or I don't agree… that is not really understanding what is our role as meditators.” Daniel describes how inspired he feels by how the Dhammic ideals of sīla, mettā, dāna, an appreciation of karma, and nonviolence are characteristic of the current protest movement. A note about our mission here at Insight Myanmar Podcast. While it usually takes us several weeks at minimum to produce an episode, we feel that the current moment demands a faster turn-around, and we managed to release this episode after just 36 hours. However, this can be challenging for a primarily volunteer organization, especially one with limited funds. We hope to continue bringing interviews on this topic with Buddhist practitioners, teachers, and scholars, but we need your support to do so. If you would like to support our mission, we welcome your contribution. You may give by searching “Insight Myanmar” on PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, Go Fund Me, and Patreon, as well as via Credit Card on our website.