Burmese-Indian author and educator (died 2013)

S. N. Goenka

Satya Narayana Goenka was an Indian teacher of vipassanā meditation. Born in Burma to an Indian family, he learnt Vipassana from Sayagyi U Ba Khin, retired from business in 1962 during business nationalization by military government in Burma, and moved to India in 1969 to start teaching Vipassana meditation. His teachings stay away from rites and rituals and emphasize that Buddha's path to liberation was non-sectarian, universal, and scientific in character, leading to Vipassana meditation appealing to people of all religions as well as no religion, from all parts of the world. He became an influential teacher and played an important role in establishing non-commercial Vipassana meditation centers globally where Vipassana Meditation is taught as a 10 Day residential program with no charges for food, stay as well as for teaching meditation, with centers funded by willful donations from past meditators.

Born

1924

January 30

Died

2013

Era

1920s

Country

—

About

S., in brief

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Life timeline

Key dates

1924 Born
2013 Died

Also on January 30

What else happened on this day, through history

1018 Poland and the Holy Roman Empire conclude the Peace of Bautzen.
1287 King Wareru founds the Hanthawaddy kingdom, and proclaims independence from the Pagan Kingdom.
1607 An estimated 200 square miles (51,800 ha) along the coasts of the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary in England are destroyed by massive flooding, resulting in an estimated 2,000 deaths.
1648 Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster and Osnabrück is signed, ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain.

See all of January 30 →

The world in 1924

When S. arrived

april 1 Adolf Hitler is sentenced to five years fortress confinement for his participation in the "Beer Hall Putsch" but spends only nine months in jail.
april 1 The Royal Canadian Air Force is formed.
april 13 A.E.K., a major Greek multi-sport club, is established in Athens by Greek refugees from Constantinople.
april 24 Thorvald Stauning becomes premier of Denmark (first term).

Read the year 1924 →

Same-day contemporaries

Also born on January 30

Amen Thompson 2003– American basketball player Davey Johnson 1943– American baseball player and manager (died 2025) Douglas Engelbart 1925–2013 American computer scientist, invented the computer mouse (died 2013) Franklin D. Roosevelt 1882–1945 American lawyer and politician, 32nd President of the United States (born 1882) Islam Karimov 1938–2016 Uzbek politician, 1st President of Uzbekistan (died 2016) Jack Laugher 1995– English diver John Crosbie 1931– Canadian lawyer and politician, 34th Canadian Minister of Justice (died 2020) Kid Cudi 1984– American entertainer Lady Anne Clifford 1590– 14th Baroness de Clifford (died 1676)

See everything on January 30 →

Same-year contemporaries

Also born in 1924

Jimmy Carter 1924–2024 American politician, 39th President of the United States (born 1924) George H. W. Bush 1924–2018 American lieutenant and politician, 41st President of the United States (died 2018) Abioseh Nicol 1924–1994 Sierra Leonean-English physician, academic, and diplomat (died 1994) Brian Bevan 1924–1991 Australian rugby league player (died 1991) Bulat Okudzhava 1924–1997 Russian singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1924) Carroll O'Connor 1924–2001 American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2001) Charlie Callas 1924–2011 American actor and comedian (died 2011) Colleen Dewhurst 1924–1991 Canadian-American actress (born 1924) David Bronstein 1924–2006 Ukrainian-Belarusian chess player and theoretician (born 1924)

Read about the year 1924 →

Keep going

More to explore

S.'s birthday January 30 S.'s zodiac Aquarius When S. arrived 1924