Could I use the retreats of the Goenka tradition to practice according to the Pa-Auk teachings? I mean, take advantage of the location, food, etc but engage in my own Pa-auk practice. Would this somehow break any of the 8 precepts or something like that?
It’s very difficult and expensive for me to travel to the Pa-auk meditation center or Na-Uyana monastery.
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When you sign up for their thing, they make you promise to only use their style. And if you cannot follow, they rather not accept you.
Just go to a regular monastery which is more open.
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The first 3.5 days are anapana. They don’t want you to count the breaths. But that part should be the same to some degree up until the nimitta stage if doing “pa-auk” breath.
However, when you get to the vipassana part of the course, you will need to focus as per the instructions as agreed in the application process beforehand when you apply and also the first day before you are officially allowed to join.
The goenka vipassana method can help a little bit for doing pa-auk 4 elements. But you should not do 4 elements while in Goenka.
If you wish to practice pa-auk method, it is best to go to a pa-auk meditation center. It is praised. If you meditate in the meditation hall according to the schedule, you can most likely stay as long as you want with free food and lodging included. You will still need some money for medical and other needs.
After some time, you might become a monk, minor medical will be covered. You need some supporter after that to take care of other needs.
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Thank you very much Bante. I’d like to go to Pa-Auk Pyin Oo Lwin and do a very long retreat. But while that is not possible, I will train in shorter retreats, like the Goenka. In that case, I will only do their method, so at least the first few days will be similar. And I will also seek out other monasteries that are more open to my practice, as suggested by Ven. Paññādhammika.
BTW, your article on how to sit in meditation (The Samadhi-Sausage) has helped me a lot in my practice. I even thought about sending you an email to thank you when I read it, but I’m doing it here now 
. Thank you so much!
You are most welcome! I always like to hear when people benefit from my writings. It inspires me to continue writing and sharing. I recently noticed only a couple of weeks ago that this particular webpage was broken from my move to a “static hugo website.” It has been fixed which to include the missing many pictures. I’m glad you caught the page after I fixed it. I’m also glad you liked it and found it beneficial. I should be useful for goenka practitioners. I’ll try to send them a copy. The “sun and moon originals” guy also read my article and appreciated and promotes the webpage too. I wish I had called it “The Samādhi Roll” but it is what it is.
Actually, when I found this text while browsing your blog, only the first image was available, all the others were broken. But your detailed explanation was enough for me to grasp the concept and apply it to my practice. It was only yesterday that I noticed the images were back, so I read the text again
Before, I almost always meditated sitting on a chair or bed, but after reading your text (around 3 or 4 months ago, I believe), I have been able to comfortably meditate sitting on the floor for an hour straight (and sometimes even longer!). That’s why I intended to express my gratitude, but I completely forgot until now, when I realized you had replied to me here
Please keep writing. Your blog is amazing!
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I did try to do same…
But in goenka retreat every day teacher call you to discuss about your practice and we can’t lie to them …I even told him that I want to continue only anapan…but he told me to practice Vipassana to…
But don’t rush yourself u can still join goenka retreat and try to do anapan maximum…and Vipassana only in group seeting…(3hrs a day). .
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This is a great idea. It’s also possible to do a body scan to establish mindfulness at the beginning of practice and go to anapanasati in the last minutes (maybe 30 minutes of each), similar to what Ajahn Brahm does in his guided meditations. This might not be against the Goenka method.
I think you better discuss with the teachers and be fully honest with them.
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