A healthy life is a big responsibility for all of us towards ourselves: Modi

Mumbai: A healthy life is a big responsibility for all of us towards ourselves, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said as he paid tributes to Acharya Shri Satya Narayana Goenka on his 100th birth anniversary celebrations.

Acharya Shri Goenka was a teacher of Vipassanā meditation and the person behind the construction of the Global Vipassana Pagoda in the outskirts of Mumbai.

Modi addressed the concluding ceremony of the year-long celebrations of Acharya Shri SN Goenka’s 100th birth anniversary via video message on Sunday.

The Prime Minister spoke highly about Acharya Shri Goenka absorbing Vipassana deeply along with his calm and serious personality.

“A perfect example of ‘One Life, One Mission’, Acharya Goenka had only one mission – Vipassana! He imparted the knowledge of Vipassana to everyone”,” he said.

Quoting Acharya Shri Goenka, the Prime Minister remarked: “A healthy life is a big responsibility for all of us towards ourselves."

Highlighting the benefits of Vipassana, he said that practicing Vipassana has become even more important in today’s challenging times when the "youth have become victims of stress" due to prevailing lifestyle and other issues.

The Prime Minister further applauded Acharya Shri Goenka’s efforts to make everyone’s life peaceful, happy and harmonious through his campaigns.

“He also wanted the future generations to avail the benefits of these campaigns and that is why he expanded his knowledge. He did not stop there and also created skilled teachers. It is a journey into the soul and a way to dive deep within yourself. It is a science,” he said.

"As we are familiar with the results of this science, we now need to present its evidence to the world as per the standards of modern science."

“While a lot is already being done all over the world in this direction, India needs to take the lead in making it more acceptable using new research for bringing greater welfare to the world,” he added.

He said that it is a solution not just for the youth but also for the members of micro and nuclear families where elderly parents remain under a lot of stress. He also urged everyone to connect elderly people with such initiatives.

The Prime Minister said that even though Vipassana is a wonderful gift of the ancient Indian way of life to the whole world, this heritage was lost for a long period in the country.

The Prime Minister said that after 14 years of penance in Myanmar, Acharya Goenka acquired the knowledge and returned to the homeland with India’s ancient glory of Vipassana.

Highlighting the importance of Vipassana, the Prime Minister said, “It is the path of self-transformation through self-observation.”

While it held great relevance when it was introduced thousands of years ago, the Prime Minister said that it has become even more relevant in today's life "as it has the power to resolve the current challenges" of the world.

He said that because of Acharya Goenka's efforts, more than 80 countries have understood the importance of meditation and adopted it.

“Acharya Shri Goenka once again gave a global identity to Vipassana. Today India is giving new expansion to that resolution with full strength,” the Prime Minister said as he recalled the support of more than 190 countries to India’s proposal of celebrating International Yoga Day in the United Nations.

"Even though it was India’s ancestors who researched the processes of Vipassana yoga, the new generations forgot its importance," he added.