S.N. Goenka's First Meditation Course at IMC
Sunda Khin, daughter of U Chan Htoon, offers a unique lens into Burma's history, which she discussed on a recent podcast episode. Growing up among elite circles, she shares insights into influential figures and pivotal events. Her narratives interweave personal experiences with broader context, providing a nuanced understanding of Burma's luminaries and their roles. Sunda Khin's recollections illuminate her country's past, portraying her family's connections with key figures such as Sao Shwe Thaik, Ne Win, U Nu, Aung San Suu Kyi, and S.N. Goenka, among others. Through her perspectives, she embodies the intricate tapestry of Burma's transformative journey.
“U Ba Khin’s [method] was all very strict; you have to breathe in, breathe out, and this and that. And I said, ‘Oh, no. I don’t think I want to do that!’”
“My father [U Chan Htoon] gave us the foundation and the grounding, and he also, I think, helped to shape the lives of quite a lot of people in Burma. And of course, Mr. Goenka was one of them. He wasn't considered really a foreigner, because they lived in Burma; they grew up there. My father met him and I knew him from his visits to the house. He would come and according to tradition, bring us a lot of sweets; this is what we do. If we go somewhere, we will take whatever we have and then so he would bring to us. He was a nice, tall-ish, handsome person. My father told us, because my younger brother had these headaches; what do you call them, the headaches? Migraine. Migraine headaches, that were not like the regular headaches. I suppose [like Mr. Goenka] my younger brother had that, too. So my father said that when Mr. Goenka said to him, ‘Oh, I've gone so many places. And here in Burma also, I've tried so many things, so much medicine, modern medicine, et cetera,’ [my father] thought that perhaps he could do this meditation to help. So, he introduced him to U Ba Khin’s international meditation center. And I'm not familiar with U Ba Khin’s [way], only Mahāsī Sayadaw’s, because that was a fun place to go as children. We would go there and we would run around; the Sayadaw was also very nice smiling and talking to us. That was nice. I didn't like religion, the way we had to be far away from the monk, and the monk can only talk to us but we can't say anything back to the monk, that kind of thing. So, I never liked that. But anyway, U Ba Khin’s, from what my friends would tell me that it was all very strict; you have to breathe in, breathe out, and this and that. And I said, ‘Oh, no. I don't think I want to do that!’
So, I never did get to U Ba Khin’s. But my father, then, of course, I heard that Mr. Goenka, later on – that was long before my father passed away - that, Mr. Goenka thanked my father, that it was the only way that this migraine left him. Because of his meditation. And now we know that he has set up so many centers. He's doing such good things for the Buddhist world by talking about his own experiences, what it is and also that Buddhism is not hocus-pocus or that if you pray a lot you will get this or that. Yes, I know those were some of the good things that my father did. And the [Sixth Buddhist] Synod, I wanted to mention that convening of this very important meeting. And so that that was also what he participated in.”