Vipassana is an ancient meditation technique rediscovered by Gotama the Buddha, about 2500 years ago. It is currently being taught in India and several other countries under the guidance of S.N. Goenka, the principal teacher of Vipassana. It promotes conscious lifestyle changes, enhances concentration of mind and facilitates deeper psychological intropsection to bring about behavioral changes. On April 4, 1994, one thousand male prisoners gathered in a huge tent in Tihar Prison, India, to receive the opening instructions from Goenka himself. This was the largest Vipassana course conducted in recent history and it paved the way for the opening of the first permanent center for the practice of Vipassana inside a prison. Psychological Effects of Vipassana on Tihar Jail Inmates, is one of the few empirical studies in print on Vipassana as a prison reform measure. Also see Also see Doing Time Doing Vipassana which is a documentary about Vipassana in Tihar jail.
