Dispassion (virāga)
Skillful qualities / Progress of insight / Dispassion 
details...
Part of tag cluster Dispassion in key topic Fruits of the Practice
Alternative translations: Fading away
Also a subtag of Cessation of Suffering
40 excerpts, 3:18:18 total duration



The Whole of the Path, Session 2 – Jun. 22, 2013

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2. [When talking about the qualities for developing the Eightfold Path, seclusion, cessation, and dispassion.] “Could you distinguish between cessation and dispassion?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] [Progress of insight] [Cessation] [Dispassion] // [Pāli] [Etymology]


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3. “Could you give the Pāli words for dispassion, cessation, and maturing? Also the word you used with otappa?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Pāli] [Dispassion] [Cessation] [Release] [Conscience and prudence] // [Seclusion]


Abhayagiri Monastic Retreat 2013, Session 1 – Nov. 23, 2013

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1. “Thank you for your talk. Can you flesh out: ‘dispassionate about what?’ Also, trying to encourage dispassion along with arousing energy.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Dispassion ] [Energy] // [Craving] [Sense bases] [Body/form] [Emotion] [Contentment] [Tranquility]

Quote: “When there’s a coolness towards the world around one, that frees up a lot of energy for directing attention to what’s actually useful and beneficial.” [Dispassion ] [Discernment]


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4. “Thank you for the wonderful teachings...Can you further discuss dispassion and nonattachment in the context of the ‘middle way.’ (particularly for a layperson in a loving relationship)” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Relationships] [Dispassion]


Abhayagiri Monastic Retreat 2013, Session 2 – Nov. 24, 2013

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12. “Is there a distinction between dispassion and equanimity?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Dispassion] [Equanimity]


Abhayagiri Monastic Retreat 2013, Session 4 – Nov. 26, 2013

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9. “I’ve been sitting on this question for the past few days. It has to do with dispassion, shedding, simplifying and being easily satisfied on the one end of the spectrum and being engaged and active in the world, even taking an unpopular stand, on the other end. How can one practice shedding internally but still be responsive and engaged regarding the suffering from environmental and social issues? It seems that would complicate things, but that is where my heart is drawn.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Dispassion] [Simplicity] [Contentment] [Politics and society ] [Environment] // [Suffering]

Quote: “When there is displassion and shedding, a clarity arises in the mind, when can then more easily be applied to something that is useful or beneficial without complicating things.” [Dispassion] [Clear comprehension] [Compassion]

Quote: “Do you think there’s any hope for saving all the forests in Thailand?”—“I don’t think there’s hope that it’s going to make a huge impact right now. I’m just planting the seeds for the future, and maybe something will change. It’s not an option not to do it.” — Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Culture/Thailand]


Our Roots in the Thai Forest Tradition, Session 31 – Feb. 17, 2014

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14. “She talks about virtue being the other hand of discernment in the meditation experience, and whenever discernment discerns stress, virtue is what lets go of the cause of stress, that virtue does the disbanding of it. Is virtue an unusual word to use there?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Upasikā Kee Nanayon] [Virtue] [Discernment] [Cessation of Suffering] [Dispassion] // [Pāli] [Conscience and prudence] [Ajahn Chah]

Commentary: Path of Purification by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, p. 14: Many levels of sīla. [Commentaries] [Eightfold Path]


2014 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 2 – Nov. 23, 2014

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6. “You mentioned that asubha practice can cool sensual desire. But what if what you are attracted to is not so much a physical thing but an attraction of the heart—of good qualities you see. What cools the heart if you are hooked?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Unattractiveness] [Dispassion] [Clinging] // [Ageing] [Impermanence]


2014 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 5 – Nov. 26, 2014

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16. “Was the fire sermon a ‘teaching moment’ of hyperbole? I love to take photographs, for example, and it helps me engage much more deeply with the world outside my skull. And it fills me with rapture, compassion, and joy! Does the Buddha’s recipe for liberation truly entail cutting off this experience of beauty? Where’s the Theravada equivalent to the Zen ‘suchness’ —the awe of life and its ephemerality? Thank you!” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Dispassion] [Impermanence] [Suchness] [Recreation/leisure/sport] [Liberation] [Compassion] [Happiness] [Beauty]

Sutta: SN 35.28: Ādittapariyāya Sutta


The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, Session 22 – Feb. 2, 2015

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1. “Which Pāli word is translated as “fading away?”” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Pāli] [Translation] [Dispassion] // [Cessation]


The Middle Way of Not-Self, Session 2 – May. 27, 2015

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8. “Do you think it’s enough to just be aware of the suffering that’s caused by the clinging to self?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Suffering] [Clinging] [Self-identity view] [Dispassion] [Not-self] // [Characteristics of existence] [Cessation] [Ignorance] [Knowledge and vision] [Release] [Proliferation]

Quote: “The most efficacious investigation comes from a still mind.” [Concentration] [Calming meditation] [Insight meditation]


Can We Function without Attachment?, Session 3 – Oct. 1, 2017

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2.Snp 4.6 says something about not clinging to passion and dispassion. Usually I hear that cultivating dispassion is a good thing.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Clinging] [Sensual desire] [Dispassion]


Developing Skill in Reflective Meditation, Session 1 – Dec. 1, 2019

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4. “You mentioned ‘Look for the gap.’ Is this related to looking for fading away?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Insight meditation] [Dispassion] [Recollection] // [Cessation] [Cessation of Suffering] [Impermanence] [Faith]

Follow-up: “So we’re not just looking at the blank...” [Wrong concentration] [Emptiness] [Nature of the cosmos] [Unwholesome Roots] [Not-self]


Readings from The Island, Session 22 – Feb. 9, 2025

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4. “When developing disenchantment and dispassion by seeing the way things are, how do we not go to the extreme of aversion or the craving of unbecoming?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Disenchantment] [Dispassion] [Aversion] [Craving not to become] // [Suffering] [Four Noble Truths]

Story: Ajahn Chah prods Ajahn Pasanno to reflect on suffering. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno]


Readings from The Island, Session 34 – Feb. 25, 2025

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6. “How does repugnance fit into disenchantment and dispassion?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Disenchantment] [Dispassion] // [Translation] [Skillful qualities]


Even the Sāsana Will Pass Away – Aug. 24, 2025

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14. “I am interested to hear more about the qualities of wholeheartedness. You mentioned that the English language does not have a word that captures it. There’s something that can go from non-attachment/dispassion to apathy, which is not helpful in the world.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Language] [Relinquishment] [Dispassion] [Sloth and torpor] [Impermanence] // [Disenchantment] [Skillful qualities] [Pāli] [Conditionality] [Abhidhamma]

Suttas: Suttas: AN 6.10, AN 10.2: The cascade of well being.