Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
The actual practice of Vipassana is most important. Nothing else. The Sammasambuddhas are not interested that people pay respect to their images, statues, relics etc. Or that everyone should know that it is the Buddha that rediscovered Vipassana. Vipassana is for all. The only real way of paying respect, and expressing infinite gratitude, is to purify the mind with Vipassana practice - and serve all beings. Those in the lineage of the Sammasambuddhas are required to fearlessly give up their lives to serve in Dhamma, life after life, aeons after aeons. They may make mistakes, stumble and fall, but they have to learn, do penance and proceed on the journey. They fight the dark forces of Mara, and are victorious.
May all Dhamma wishes of most compassionate Vipassana teacher Sayagyi U Goenka come true. May the ones among his students whom he recognized as being in the lineage of the Sammasambuddhas work tirelessly to fulfill their Dhamma destiny. May they reach the state of ultra-purity needed to serve all beings. May the guidance given and protection of Dhamma continue to be with them.
(This message was pre-scheduled to be posted automatically on May 4, 2015)
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Adhitthana - Strong Determination
Adhitthana, meaning strong determination, is the backbone of the ten paramis* (qualities to be perfected for full enlightenment. Please see note below). All ten paramis are needed and developed by Vipassana practice to fully purify the mind, and to share with all beings benefits thereby gained.Adhitthana must be strongly developed to gain strength of mind to fulfill all paramis.
Greater benefits from a most beneficial Dhamma service undertaking, greater could be hurdles, obstacles, fears, distractions, storms and temptations to pause, postpone or give up the work. Using the latent impurities in one's mind, Mara is always playing tricks. But the parami of adhitthana gained through Vipassana practice gives strength to stay the course (being continuously aware of impermanence of sensations), and continue undeterred in endless Dhamma service to all beings.
Attending the course after one's application has been confirmed is one adhitthana (strong determination) undertaking fulfilled. Steadfast, unshakeable, iron-will to undertake, complete the Vipassana course. No weak mind of surrendering to negative forces within, and postponing by saying "I will do it later. This is not the time for me." Time is now.
During a Vipassana course, students develop adhitthana parami at various levels. The student follows the necessary beneficial rules and code of discipline for the course duration. At a much deeper level, the three one-hour group meditations daily during a course (8.00 am to 9.00 am, 2.30 pm to 3.30 pm and 6.00 pm to 7.00 pm) with strong adhitthana purifies the mind and develops adhitthana.
For this one hour, the student resolves not to change posture, not to make any movement of the body and observe objectively impermanent, changing sensations that arise and pass away within one's physical structure. For instance, the sensation of pain could feel like hot daggers driven into the body. The earlier habit pattern was to react blindly with aversion, thereby multiplying the suffering. Now one observes the biochemical flow of sensations as it is, with balance of mind, without any evaluation or past conditioning.
Developing in determination, a Vipassana student trains oneself to objectively observe this changing phenomena within. Not to roll in thoughts, pleasant or unpleasant. Whatever sensation manifesting in the body is used as a tool to develop equanimity. This equanimity purifies the mind at its root level, and strengthens the parami of adhitthana.
Without adhitthana, no Dhamma commitment can be fulfilled.
Strong, resolute determination is root of success in every undertaking. Fully steady the mind. All wandering, wavering of the mind, weakness and temptations must be overcome in steadfast progress towards the Dhamma goal, however long it takes, however hard the path may be.
Developing his paramis in lives across countless aeons, the ascetic Gotama had reached the last night before attaining full enlightenment. On that full moon night on banks of Neranjara river, he took adhitthana not to arise from his seat of meditation - not even if his bones were scattered - until he reached his final goal of total purification of the mind . This fixed determination, accumulated purity, and unshakeable will-power enabled him to steadfastly overcome all negative, anti-Dhamma forces trying to distract, stop him from the path.Even after attaining full enlightenment, the Sammasambuddha continued living the life of an ascetic. He could have spent the remainder of his life in the luxury of his father king Śuddhodana's palace. Or he could have taught Vipassana living in palaces of the kings who were dedicated Vipassana students. But out of infinite compassion for all beings, he lived the life of a homeless ascetic - to show the world what is real, most superior happiness. Not luxuries and physical comforts, but the deep peace, happiness and mental comfort of a pure mind with non-attachment to anything.
(Above picture is from exhibition gallery of Global Vipassana Pagoda, Bombay, India.)
"Adhitthana literally means determination, resolution or fixedness of purpose. Adhitthana can be regarded as a foundation for all the perfections, because without a firm determination one cannot fulfill the other Paramitas. Although one’s determination can be extended to either desirable or undesirable way; it should be clearly understood that the determination for the line of unwholesome deeds cannot be regarded as a perfection.
A person with a wavering mind or who sits on the fence cannot succeed in any undertaking. One must have an iron-will, an unshakable determination to overcome any difficulties of hardship in order to achieve success. He who has no determinative mind would easily give up his work before it is successful. Such a person with weak and unsteady mind should get disappointed easily and disheartened quickly. Even a word of criticism would be adequate to put an end to his projects.
A Bodhisatta, who has an unshakable resolution and who is a man of principles, will never give up his noble effort even at the point of death. He is capable of setting aside any obstacles in his way and going forward, turning his eyes towards his goal.
Our Bodhisatta, when he was Sumedha Pandit, made a firm determination at the feet of the Buddha Dipankara in this way: “O Sumedha, from now onwards you must fulfil the perfection of strong determination as well. Be steadfast in whatever resolution you make.As a rock, even while the wind beats upon it on every side, does not tremble nor quake but remains in its own place, you must likewise be unshaken in your resolution until you become a Sammasambuddha.”
* Ten paramis:
nekkhamma (renunciation), sila (morality), viriya (effort), panna (experiential wisdom), sacca (truth), khanti (tolerance), metta (unconditional compassion for all beings), upekkha (equanimity), adhitthana (strong determination), dana (donation).
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* Directions to reach the Global Pagoda
* Online application for beginners' 10-day residential Vipassana courses
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