Question: Meditation has always been considered a withdrawal from society. Why did Sayagyi U Ba Khin give so much importance to the social aspect of meditation? In particular, for householders, do you think that our involvement in society, rather than isolation, can truly help the progress of our meditation?
Goenka: To gain purity of mind and to gain the Dhamma energy, you withdraw from others and take your attention inside. But then, that energy has to be used in an extroverted way. It is like someone making a long jump. You have to step back a little, then run and make the jump. In the same way, you withdraw within yourself, and you get the energy you need, then you make a long jump into society to serve it. These two cannot be separated. Buddha left his householder’s life for six years to gain Buddhahood, but once this was attained, he was involved in society for the next forty-five years, the remainder of his life, day and night. In the same way, anyone who develops in Dhamma does not run away from the responsibilities of society.
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