Nekkhamma
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Nekkhamma (𑀦𑁂𑀓𑁆𑀔𑀫𑁆𑀫;
non-attachment
(detachment).
In the Pali literature
Renunciation as right intention
In the
Awakening, the Buddha divided his thoughts between those that impair discernment, cause affliction and deter one from Nirvana on the one hand, and those that have the opposite effect.[2]
In the former category, he included thoughts permeated with sensuality, ill-will and harmfulness; in the latter, thoughts permeated with renunciation, non-ill will and harmlessness:
- "Whatever a monk keeps pursuing with his thinking & pondering, that becomes the inclination of his awareness. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking imbued with renunciation, abandoning thinking imbued with sensuality, his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with renunciation. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking imbued with non-ill will, abandoning thinking imbued with ill will, his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with non-ill will. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking imbued with harmlessness, abandoning thinking imbued with harmfulness, his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with harmlessness."[3]
These latter three types of thought content — renunciation, non-ill will and harmlessness — comprise the traditional triadic definition of the Noble Eightfold Path's notion of "Right Intention" (Pali: sammā-saṅkappa; Skt.: samyak-saṃkalpa).[4] For each of the former types of thought content — sensuality, ill will and harmfulness — the Buddha stated:
- "Whenever thinking imbued with sensuality [or ill will or harmfulness] had arisen, I simply abandoned it, destroyed it, dispelled it, wiped it out of existence."[5]
Renunciation vs. sensuality
Elsewhere in the Canon,kāma) and those regarding renunciation (nekkhamma):[7]
- "There is the case where the mind of a monk, when attending to sensual pleasures, doesn't leap up at sensual pleasures, doesn't grow confident, steadfast, or released in sensual pleasures. But when attending to renunciation, his mind leaps up at renunciation, grows confident, steadfast, & released in renunciation. When his mind is rightly-gone, rightly developed, has rightly risen above, gained release, and become disjoined from sensual pleasures, then whatever fermentations, torments, & fevers there are that arise in dependence on sensuality, he is released from them. He does not experience that feeling. This is expounded as the escape from sensual pleasures."[8]
Renunciation as a bodhisatta practice
As indicated above, in a Pali discourse, the Buddha identified renunciation as part of his path to Awakening. In the
"perfection" (pāramī).[9]
Contemporary elaborations
Renunciation's benefit
Bodhi (1999) elaborates on the various and ultimate benefits of Buddhist renunciation:
- "Contemplating the
See also
- Four Noble Truths
- Noble Eightfold Path
- Bodhipakkhiya dhamma(Qualities conducive to Enlightenment)
- Upādāna (attachment/clinging)
- Pāramī(Buddhist Perfections)
Notes
- ^ Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), p. 377, entry for "Nekkhamma" Archived 2012-07-07 at archive.today (retrieved 2008-04-12). Rhys Davids & Stede speculate that the Sanskrit term with which nekkhamma is associated is either:
- naiṣkramya — "inactivity, abstinence or exemption from acts and their consequences" (Monier Williams, 1964, p. 570, entry for "Naish")
- naiṣkāmya — "suppression of desire, profound contemplation" (ibid.).
- MN 19) (Thanissaro, 1997).
- ^ Thanissaro (1997). Those familiar with the Dhammapada will recognize this passage bears a resemblance to the opening passages of that text.
- ^ Thanissaro (1996).
- ^ Thanissaro (1997).
- AN 5.200) (Thanissaro, 2000).
- ^ Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), p. 377, entry for "Nekkhamma" (retrieved 2 Jul 2007) Archived 7 July 2012 at archive.today, suggests that the connection between sensuality and renunciation is underscored by alliterative word play (between kāma and nekkhamma) in the Canon.
- ^ Thanissaro (2000).
- subcommentary (tika).
- ^ Bodhi (1999), ch. 3.
Sources
- Bodhi, Bhikkhu (ed.) (1978, 2005). A Treatise on the Paramis: From the Commentary to the Cariyapitaka by Acariya Dhammapala (The Wheel, No. 409/411). Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society. Retrieved 30 Jun 2007 from "Access to Insight" at http://accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/wheel409.html.
- Bodhi, Bhikkhu (1984, 1999). The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering (The Wheel, No. 308/311). Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society. Retrieved from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html.
- ISBN 0-19-864308-X. Retrieved 2008-04-12 from "Cologne University" at http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/MWScan/index.php?sfx=pdf.
- Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921-5). The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English Dictionary. Chipstead: Pali Text Society. A general on-line search engine for the PED is available at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/.
- SN 45.8). Retrieved 2 Jul 2007 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn45/sn45.008.than.html.
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997). Dvedhavitakka Sutta: Two Sorts of Thinking (MN 19). Retrieved 2 Jul 2007 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.019.than.html.
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2000). Nissaraniya Sutta: Leading to Escape (AN 5.200). Retrieved 2 Jul 2007 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an05/an05.200.than.html.
External links
- Trading Candy for Gold: Renunciation as a Skill by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
- Renunciation by T Prince
- Less is More by Ajahn Amaro (2020)