The Perfection of Determination (Adhitthana)

The Nimi Jataka highlights the perfection of determination (adhitthana), illustrating how the Bodhisatta’s unwavering commitment to virtue and self-discipline played out over several lifetimes. It is a story that emphasizes the importance of resolute effort in pursuing righteousness and spiritual excellence.

The Story of King Nimi

In this Jataka, the Bodhisatta is reborn as King Nimi, the son of a righteous and virtuous king. The Bodhisatta had previously lived as King Makhadeva, reigning with wisdom and justice for eighty-four thousand years (as told in the Makhadeva Jataka, #9), during which he ruled righteously and ultimately abdicated to live an ascetic life after noticing his first grey hair. After his death, he was reborn in heaven but, aware that his family line had not yet completed its cycle of righteousness, he decided to return as the present king’s son to finish the line of virtue.

From his childhood, the Bodhisatta—now known as Prince Nimi—was resolute in his commitment to live according to the highest moral standards. He was uncompromisingly righteous, generous, and deeply concerned with the well-being of his subjects. As king, he built five alms halls around the city to provide for the poor and taught his people about the importance of morality and leading a devout life. So great was his influence that many of his subjects were reborn in heaven.

However, the Bodhisatta still felt a desire for further spiritual perfection. He wondered whether leading a holy life (asceticism) or giving alms was the more virtuous action. At that moment, the throne of Indra, the king of the gods, became warm, signaling that Indra had a message for the Bodhisatta. In a flash of light, Indra appeared and revealed that virtuous living was the most fruitful, but that great men, like the Bodhisatta, engage in both virtuous living and charitable acts.

The Bodhisatta’s Journey to Heaven

Indra invited the Bodhisatta to visit heaven and sent his charioteer, Matali, to escort the Bodhisatta to the celestial realms. Matali’s chariot, drawn by one thousand horses, shone so brightly in the sky that it appeared to the people on earth as if a second moon had risen.

As they journeyed to heaven, Matali offered the Bodhisatta a choice of two roads: one leading to the realm of the wicked and the other to the realm of the righteous. The Bodhisatta chose to see both.

They first visited Vetarani, the river of hell, a terrifying place where souls tormented by fire and corrosive brine were suffering. The Bodhisatta, horrified by the sight, asked what sin had led to their torment. Matali explained that these were people who had harmed the weak.

Continuing on their journey, Matali showed the Bodhisatta various other hells, each one filled with different kinds of suffering that were the result of specific immoral acts. The Bodhisatta witnessed punishments for various sins such as greed, murder, adultery, theft, and more. For instance, people who had tormented good people were beaten with red-hot coals, and those who had bribed witnesses were thrown into a pit of fiery coals.

The Bodhisatta was deeply disturbed by these sights and asked Matali about each of the hells, which served to reinforce the importance of living a virtuous life.

The Rewards of Virtue

After showing the Bodhisatta the punishments for sin, Matali turned the chariot toward heaven, where they visited several magnificent palaces made of gold, crystal, and jewels. These were the abodes of gods who had earned their heavenly rewards through simple acts of kindness in their previous lives, such as treating guests like family, observing holy days, and generously supporting ascetics.

Matali also showed the Bodhisatta eight glorious palaces and continued to explain how each of these gods had earned their rewards through righteous actions. Along the way, the Bodhisatta learned that both virtuous living and selfless giving are integral to a noble life, and both lead to a life of reward in the afterlife.

Finally, they arrived at the grand Cittakuta Gate of Indra’s heaven, where the Bodhisatta was welcomed by the gods with flowers and perfumes. Indra offered the Bodhisatta the opportunity to stay in heaven and enjoy the celestial pleasures, but the Bodhisatta refused. He humbly declared that he would earn such rewards through his deeds, rather than accepting them prematurely.

After spending a week in heaven, conversing with the gods about the moral life, the Bodhisatta returned to his kingdom, where he shared his celestial experiences with his people, urging them to live righteously so that they too could earn a place in heaven.

Final Renunciation

When the Bodhisatta’s barber discovered a grey hair, a traditional signal that the king’s life was nearing its end, the Bodhisatta once again abdicated the throne. True to his practice, he passed the throne to his son, marking the end of the family’s line of virtuous rulers. He then walked into the mango grove, prepared for his final ascetic life, having completed his purpose of perfecting his virtues.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In the Buddha’s time, the Buddha and his disciples were walking in the same mango grove where the Bodhisatta had spent his final ascetic years. As the Buddha smiled, Ananda, his chief disciple, asked why the Buddha was smiling. The Buddha then shared the story of his past lives as both King Makhadeva and King Nimi, revealing how he had strived for spiritual perfection and renounced worldly life at the first sign of aging.

The Buddha also explained that many of the figures in the Jataka—Matali the charioteer, Indra, and the other kings—were reborn as Ananda, Anuruddha, and other close disciples of the Buddha, showing the continuity of their virtuous actions across lifetimes.

Moral of the Tale

The Nimi Jataka teaches the value of determination (adhitthana), or resolute commitment to one’s spiritual and ethical goals. The Bodhisatta’s repeated abdications, his pursuit of righteousness, and his willingness to renounce worldly pleasures illustrate how steadfast determination, when aligned with virtuous action, leads to spiritual progress and ultimately to enlightenment.

The story also emphasizes that virtue is not simply about individual actions but also about the wisdom and foresight to guide others on the path of righteousness. The Bodhisatta’s example shows that great leaders not only rule with justice but also live with the determination to perfect their own character and help others do the same.