S.N. Goenka, internationally known teacher of Vipassana meditation, completed a successful tour of North America August 6, 2002. He traveled more than 24,000 miles during the nearly four month tour, giving major talks in 35 cities about Vipassana meditation, a simple, practical way to achieve real peace of mind and to lead a happy, useful life.

Vipassana means “to see things as they really are”; it is a logical process of mental purification through self-observation.

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This is the longest visit that Mr. Goenka has paid to North America. During the tour he participated in conferences, public talks, media interviews and meetings with leaders in business and government. The tour itinerary included cities throughout the United States and Canada.

Those who wish to learn Vipassana meditation can sign up for introductory 10-day residential courses that are held in centers throughout North America and around the world. Courses everywhere are supported solely by freely-offered donations. No fee is charged.

Problems and conflicts arising out of racial, ethnic, sectarian and caste prejudices affect the citizens of every country. Poverty, warfare, weapons of mass destruction, disease, drug addiction, the threat of terrorism, epidemic environmental devastation—all cast a dark shadow on the future of civilization. All over the world today people are eager to find a method which can bring peace and harmony. Mr. Goenka's visit brought attention to this practical, nonsectarian method of helping individuals achieve peace and harmony, which will result in a more peaceful and harmonious world. As he stressed to the attendees at the Millennium Peace Summit at the United Nations in August, 2000, “Peace in the world cannot be achieved unless there is peace within individuals. Agitation and peace cannot co-exist. One way to achieve inner peace is Vipassana meditation—a nonsectarian, scientific, results-oriented technique of self-observation and truth realization.”