Strong determination: Adhitthana parami

Adhitthana, meaning strong determination, is the backbone of the ten paramis (qualities to be perfected for full enlightenment). 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 the 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. But the parami of adhitthana gained through Vipassana practice gives strength to stay the course, and continue undeterred in endless Dhamma service to all beings.

Attending the Vipassana course after the 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, I"m too busy now." Time is now. 

During a Vipassana course, meditators 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, sitting the three one-hour group meditation daily (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 (determination) purifies the mind and develops the quality of 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 mind-matter 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 the Vipassana practitioner 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. 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 the bank of the Neranjara river, he took the 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 reaching the final goal.

Even after attaining the final goal of 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: the deep peace, happiness and mental comfort of a pure mind.

(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 paramis. 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 determined 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 Bodhisattva, 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 Bodhisattva, 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 fulfill the perfection of strong determination as well. Be steadfast in whatever beneficial 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
* Global Pagoda Developmental Projects - Phase Two

Dhamma and Priceless Human Life

Why is a human life so rare, so precious, so valuable? Why is it even more rare, more precious, more valuable, more infinitely necessary to practice Vipassana, with correct and tireless effort? How does the Vipassana practice - to purify the mind - helps not only to live a wholesome, happy day-to-day daily life, but also immeasurably helps in the last moment of this life?
The Venerable Ledi Sayadaw explains in the Manuals of Dhamma:
"The simile of the blind turtle should be remembered by everyone.

The Simile of the Blind Turtle


The Buddha: "O monks, I will give you an example. A man makes a hole in a log and sets it adrift in the ocean. When the wind comes from the east the log drifts westwards. When the wind blows from the west, it drifts eastward. Similarly, north winds push it to the south, and south winds push it to the north. In the ocean is a blind turtle who surfaces only once every hundred years. Is it possible that the blind turtle would put his head up through the hole in the log?”

The monks replied that normally it would be impossible, but in the infinite duration of samsāra a chance might occur. Yet it would be very difficult for the blind turtle to meet up with the drifting log. Then the Buddha explained.

“Monks this rare chance, this freak occurrence is possible, but for a bad man who is reborn as an animal or in hell to become a human being again is rarer and more difficult.”

Rarest is the human status. Once this rare status is gone one finds greatest difficulty to be reborn again as a human being. Why? In the lower realms such as hell, no opportunities exist for the performance of wholesome deeds. So, lacking good conduct, a person in hell has to suffer for countless aeons. Those who are reborn in the animal kingdom have to struggle for existence, preying upon each other. Animals do mostly harmful deeds with their low intelligence, and the strong persecute the weak. So there is little chance for them to be reborn in the human world. The lowest probability exists for them to upgrade themselves.

For a blind turtle wandering in the ocean to encounter the hole in the log is possible only if the log never rots, and only if he lives for millions of years. Yet a much smaller chance exists for a sufferer in hell to achieve human status again, for very few wholesome kammas are possible in the lower abodes. This is explained in the commentary.

Indeed, this is true. When close to death, a human being urgently needs good thoughts to achieve a good status in the next existence. During one’s last thought moments, previous wholesome kammas produce good mental objects, enabling one to be reborn in the fortunate realms of existence. Otherwise bad kammas will predominate at this crucial moment, and bad mental objects will send one to hell. In the four lower realms of existence a sentient being knows nothing of the value of almsgiving, keeping moral precepts, or practising meditation. Lower beings who find themselves lacking wholesome kamma are further hampered by the lack of opportunities to do good."

What happens in the last moment of this life? What happens at death?
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* Directions to reach the Global Pagoda
* Vipassana meditation courses worldwide, course venues, online application for beginners' 10-day residential Vipassana courses
* Global Pagoda Developmental Projects - Phase Two