I did a Goenka 10 day a few years ago and I agree with a lot of points the writer makes. It bothered me a little that there was no way to ask questions and getting a useful answer. I asked the teacher a few questions but the answer was pretty much always a variation of “just keep meditating”. I found this a little frustrating. I have asked Tibetan and Thai Buddhist teachers similar questions and they usually gave very detailed and practical answers that brought my practice and understanding to a better level. I think the Goenka seminars are good but I think it’s necessary to learn from other teachers.
I've also done multiple Vipassana retreats in the tradition of Goenka. There were "office hours" (around lunch and after the evening meditation) where you could ask questions.
I found that the quality of the answers given depended on the quality of the specific teacher. While I was impressed by one teacher's answers, I got a similar "just keep meditating" answer from another.
That being said, Goenka's centers are free, and have a structured routine with no distractions, so I continue to recommend it to others as a first course.
I think this has to do with the qualification of the teachers. There are other, paid, vipassana organizations which offer a different experience.
My sense is that the Goenka org is the budget version. Which worked for me as a first retreat.
So yes, it's a factory, a conveyer belt of putting participants through a certain practice. It's practical, no frills, and not much flexibility. Also the food kinda sicks :)
But, for the price (donation) it totally delivers.
See the answer nabla9 gave. There is no real truth and the idea really is to just meditate and not worry about the truth or the nature of truth. So there is no point in the questions themselves.
No offense but this is incredibly unhelpful and useless to say. Maybe some people can pull it off but most people won’t make progress without some guidance. In addition most of us don’t live in a monastery or are independently wealthy so we have to live in the world and somehow find a positive path through it. Telling people to meditate and not ask questions is completely unproductive. Buddhism has a long history of inquiry and debate for that reason.
You need guidance for different reasons too. Vipassana meditation is serious business, and the early, 'easily'-reached stages that these first workshops tend to focus on (e.g. the 'Arising and Passing Away' stage, often mistaken by beginners as "enlightenment" itself) have a way of leaving you psychologically vulnerable to a sort of spiritual crisis, which is sometimes called the 'Dark Night of the Soul'. This problematic stage can and should be overcome by further developing in 'insight', but the whole thing is a lot easier and more comfortable if you know what to expect! AIUI, this is Ingram's main criticism (of sorts) of these workshops.
