CM promises help to promote Vipassana course

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 20. The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, has assured Government support to promoting Vipassana and other forms of meditation and yogic systems "which would help bring about a healthy change in the society".

Mr. Naidu was inaugurating a five-day lecture series marking the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Vipassana International Meditation Centre here on Wednesday.

Vipassana's principal teacher, Sri Satyanarayana Goenka, who is on a visit to the State as a State Guest, spoke on the efficacy of "mind-purifying" technique which had become popular worldwide.

The Chief Minister said the Government attached a lot of importance to promoting moral and ethical values in public life by encouraging politicians and administrators to undergo special training in meditation and yogic exercises.

He announced a 14-day paid holiday for all the Government officials who prefer to undergo Vipassana course. He said the Ministers and MLAs were also being encouraged to undergo meditation course, though voluntarily.

The Chief Minister said the endeavour was to arrest the progressive decline of morality. The traditional ways of governance witnessed for the past 40 to 50 days needed to be changed for this purpose. A great heritage was passed on by the saints and sages of yesteryears which should be preserved and promoted to revive moral values. He referred to the concept of SMART (simple, moral, accountable, responsive and transparent) governance being attempted in Andhra Pradesh.

He said he visited the Vipassana centre and met Swami Goenka while on a visit to Davos, Switzerland, and was greatly inspired by his teachings.

Sri Goenka said Vipassana is a time-tested remedy for the maladies afflicting the mind. The first victim of one's anger or any negative thinking was himself or herself and that was the universal law of nature. The Vipassana practice, mentioned even in Rigveda, was revised some 2,300 years ago.

The Guruji, as he is reverentially called by his disciples, said several State Governments had responded positively to promote Vipassana exercise among the officials. The Maharashtra Government announced a paid holiday for 14 days for its employees undergoing the course. The Madhya Pradesh Government too offered similar cooperation. He wanted a similar gesture by the Andhra Pradesh Government.

He released a souvenir brought out on the occasion of the silver jubilee of the centre here.

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