When I attended a seminar and Vipassana course during December, 20, 1986 to January, 1, 1987, at Vipassana Research Institute, Dhammagiri, Igat Puri (Nasik) under the guidance of Kalyana-mitta S.N. Goenka Ji, the master used to refer to the verses of Guru Nanak, occasionally, during his discourses. Once, I put this question to him as to why does he quote Guru Nanak while talking on Vipassana? His instant reply was that Guru Nanak also practised Vipassana. In this very meeting, Goenka Ji very emphatically suggested that I should explore the sources of Vipassana in Gurubani. I propose to work on, as inspired by Goenka Ji, The Path of Purification based on the Sikh scriptures. But, before that, I wanted to explore the sources of Vipassana in Pali literature. This collection of papers provides theoretical framework of Vipassana although, Vipassana is a subject of practice, but nonetheless, theory is one aspect of practice.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Harcharan Singh Sobti
Born in 1937 at Dhamial, District Rawal Pindi, now in Pakistan. Migrated to Delhi in 1947 after partition. Pursued interdisciplinary studies in a regular way. Passed M.A. in Punjabi Language and Literature (1961); L.L.B. (1978); M.A. in Philosophy (1980); all from University of Delhi. Awarded Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Buddhist Studies by the University of Delhi in 1983. Teaching Panjabi Language and Literature for last four decades. Retired as Reader, Head, Department of Panjabi, Dyal Singh College (Evening) University of Delhi. Published doctoral thesis ‘Nibbana in Early Buddhism’ based on Pali Sources from 6th B.C. to 5th A.D., in the year 1985; Studies in Buddhism and Sikhism in 1986; Studies in Panjabi Fiction in 1987; Edited E. Obermiller 1. Nirvana in Tibetan Buddhism and 2.Prajnaparamita in Tibetan Buddhism and published in 1988 and working on Buddha and Nanak: In Comparative Light. Presented papers creditably in the 9th International Buddhist Conference, held in December 1983, at Bodhgaya, Bihar; First International Conference on Buddhism and National Cultures, held in October, 1984 in New Delhi; International Symposium on India and World Literature, held in New Delhi, in February 1985; International Symposium on Folklore in Slavonic Fino-Ugrian and Indian Literature held in New Delhi in 1989. Edited Foundation Course of Panjabi off Idira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, in 1989. Published The Sikh Psyche : A Study of Fictional Writings of Bhai Vir Singh in 1990, Theravada Buddhism, in 1993; My Buddhist Writings in 1994; Ths Sikh Gurus in 1996; Mirror of Buddhism in 1997 and The Sant Nirankaris in 2003.
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