Determination and resolution are basically the same thing. To be determined is a quality, which is very important in this practice. It is very important to succeed in any endeavor in life. To be determined, to be able to face challenges, to be able to work through challenges, to overcome them, to be determined to go through something. Courage and determination often go together. We want to do something and we've got to keep our mind motivated. To be really determined you've got to keep the mind motivated on what you're trying to achieve and as to why you're trying to achieve it.
When I was in college I was a fairly good swimmer and I was determined to be a better swimmer. This was just sport, this had no spiritual sort of essence or meaning in it. The intention was an average sports type person's intention, "I want to improve my time, I would like to win, too, but I had that determination to always practice, practice, practice because of strong resolve and intention.
The thoughts, "I don't care about improving my time, I don't care about anything", was actually like my roommate. He was that way, he'd been a great swimmer in high school and when he got to college he didn't have the determination any more to do any better. He'd lost interest. He still swam and he was pretty good, but he never improved his time that he'd done in high school which was a shame, in one sense. He just lost interest. Without interest, his determination was gone. He would practice, he'd get in the water and swim back and forth just like me, but he never improved his time because he didn't have the determination factor.
In meditation we have to be determined. If we lose determination we're not going to do the work, we're like my room mate, we get to a certain point, but may actually go backwards if we aren't determined to maintain it or increase it. Once again we're back on the Four Great Efforts. We have to be determined to do any one of the Four Great Efforts, we've have to be determined to prevent, we've to be determined to let go, we've to be determined to develop and determined to maintain. So determination is very important and it's all going to hinge on our motivation and our intention behind what we're doing.
Now this is why we're teaching the compassionate motivation here. This is why we're telling you to reflect on Dukkha. This is why we want you to reflect on death, this is why we want you to have Samvega. All these different reflections and these thoughts are going to help you to be determined. Determination goes hand in hand with Samvega actually. We're determined to get on with our spiritual growth so that we're going to be a happier person tomorrow than we are today. So to look at your intention, if the intention is right, motivating the determination, then you're going to have strong determination.