Adhiṣṭhāna

Adhiṣṭhāna (Sanskrit: अधिष्ठान; Tibetan: བྱིན་རླབས, Wylie: byin rlabs ; initiations, blessings (加持, kaji); Thai: อธิษฐาน) are initiations or blessings in Vajrayana schools such as Tibetan Buddhism and Shingon Buddhism.

Nomenclature, orthography and etymology

adhiṣṭhāna(m) is a term with multiple meanings: seat; basis; substratum; ground; support; and abode. Monier Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary Online holds the following semantic field for 'adhiṣṭhāna':

Fremantle (2001: p. 48) gives an etymology of the Sanskrit "adhiṣṭhāna" and Tibetan "jinlab" thus:

Martin (1994: p. 274) opines that the Chinese term for adhiṣṭhāna influenced the Tibetan:

Tantra

Vajrayana

Tsultrim Allione points out that in Tibetan Buddhism adhistana blessings are an important part of the pointing-out instruction received from the guru and lineage. Receiving these blessings is dependent on the student having proper motivation, aspiration and intentionality (bodhicitta) and sufficient "devotion" (Sanskrit: bhakti). These blessings may be received from the student's guru during initiation, from the iṣṭadevatā during deity yoga, or simply from being in the presence of holy objects such as a stupa.

Adhiṭṭhāna

Adhiṭṭhāna (Pali; from adhi meaning "foundational" or "beginning" plus sthā meaning "standing"; Sanskrit, अधिष्ठान) has been translated as "decision," "resolution," "self-determination," "will" and "resolute determination." In the late canonical literature of Theravada Buddhism, adhiṭṭhāna is one of the ten "perfections" (dasa pāramiyo), exemplified by the bodhisatta's resolve to become fully awakened.

Pali Canon texts

While adhiṭṭhāna appears sporadically in the early Pali Canon, various late-canonical and post-canonical accounts of the Buddha's past lives clearly contextualize adhiṭṭhāna within the Theravadin tenfold perfections.

Digha Nikaya analysis

In the Pali Canon, in the Digha Nikaya discourse entitled, "Chanting Together" (DN 33), Ven. Sariputta states that the Buddha has identified the following:

Bodhisatta Sumedho

In the late-canonical Buddhavamsa, the boddhisatta Sumedha declares (represented in English and Pali):

Temiya the Wise

In the late-canonical Cariyapitaka, there is one account explicitly exemplifying adhiṭṭhāna, that of "Temiya the Wise" (Cp III.6, Temiya paṇḍita cariyaṃ). In this account, at an early age Temiya, sole heir to a throne, recalls a past life in purgatory (niraya) and thus asks for release (kadāhaṃ imaṃ muñcissaṃ). In response, a compassionate devatā advises Temiya to act unintelligent and foolish and to allow himself to be an object of people's scorn. Understanding the devatā's virtuous intent, Temiya agrees to this and acts as if mute, deaf and crippled. Seeing these behaviors but finding no physiological basis for them, priests, generals and countrymen decry Temiya as "inauspicious" and plan to have Temiya cast out. When Temiya is sixteen years old, he is ceremonially anointed and then buried in a pit. The account concludes: