<p>This is turning away from the worldliness with a view to attain Nibbana.</p>

<p>When you get input fro your sense door you are equanimous towards the sensation that arise knowing their impermanence. Reacting creates the conditioned existance.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-08T16:22:38.483Z
2015-01-08T16:22:38.483Z
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
<p>The Pali Text Society Dictionary defines <em>nibbidā</em> as "weariness, disgust with worldly life, tedium, aversion, indifference, disenchantment."</p>

<p><em>Nibbidā</em> occurs when one achieves <em>yathābhūtañānadassana</em> or "knowledge and vision of things as they are". By "things" we mean <em>dhammas</em> as the objects of mental activity. One sees sense experience as it is and becomes fed up with it (<em>nibbidā</em>). This in turn leads to <em>virāga</em>.</p>

<p>PTSD defines <em>virāga</em> as "absence of <em>rāga</em>, dispassionateness, indifference towards, disgust, absence of desire, destruction of passions; waning, fading away cleansing, purifying; emancipation, Arahantship."</p>

<p>Normally, we are intoxicated with sense experience. Once we have knowledge and vision, we sober up. Being fed up with sense experience, one is disenchanted and loses interest in it. And this leads to liberation (<em>vimutti</em>).</p>

<p>This sequence occurs very often in the Pāli suttas. It is also associated with the so-called Spiral Path which shows how <em>paṭiccasamuppāda</em> works to free us from suffering (See for example <em>Aṅguttara Nikāya</em>, Chp 10, suttas 1-5). For a survey of the Spiral Path texts in Pāḷi see <a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/system/files/groups/files/Jayarava-Spiral%20Path.pdf" rel="nofollow">The Spiral Path or Lokuttara Paṭiccasamuppāda</a>, <em>Western Buddhist Review</em>. For the Chinese counterparts in the Madhymaāgama see <a href="http://www.jayarava.org/texts/Chinese%20Spiral%20Path%20Texts.pdf" rel="nofollow">Chinese Spiral Path Texts from the Madhyamāgama</a>. The latter are also now available in professional translations: <em>The Madhyama Āgama (Middle Length Discourses: Taishō 2 no.26)</em> Editor in Chief Marcus Bingenheimer. Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc. 2013.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-15T12:32:51.080Z
2015-08-15T12:32:51.080Z
Jayarava
<p>How can you translate or define <em>nibbida</em> in English? </p>

<terminology><nirvana>
How can you translate nibbida?
# How can you translate nibbida?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-01-08)

How can you translate or define *nibbida* in English?

**Tags:** terminology, nirvana


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-01-08. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

This is turning away from the worldliness with a view to attain Nibbana.

When you get input fro your sense door you are equanimous towards the sensation that arise knowing their impermanence. Reacting creates the conditioned existance.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-08-15. Score: 4

The Pali Text Society Dictionary defines *nibbidā* as "weariness, disgust with worldly life, tedium, aversion, indifference, disenchantment."

*Nibbidā* occurs when one achieves *yathābhūtañānadassana* or "knowledge and vision of things as they are". By "things" we mean *dhammas* as the objects of mental activity. One sees sense experience as it is and becomes fed up with it (*nibbidā*). This in turn leads to *virāga*.

PTSD defines *virāga* as "absence of *rāga*, dispassionateness, indifference towards, disgust, absence of desire, destruction of passions; waning, fading away cleansing, purifying; emancipation, Arahantship."

Normally, we are intoxicated with sense experience. Once we have knowledge and vision, we sober up. Being fed up with sense experience, one is disenchanted and loses interest in it. And this leads to liberation (*vimutti*).

This sequence occurs very often in the Pāli suttas. It is also associated with the so-called Spiral Path which shows how *paṭiccasamuppāda* works to free us from suffering (See for example *Aṅguttara Nikāya*, Chp 10, suttas 1-5). For a survey of the Spiral Path texts in Pāḷi see [The Spiral Path or Lokuttara Paṭiccasamuppāda](https://thebuddhistcentre.com/system/files/groups/files/username_2-Spiral%20Path.pdf), *Western Buddhist Review*. For the Chinese counterparts in the Madhymaāgama see [Chinese Spiral Path Texts from the Madhyamāgama](http://www.jayarava.org/texts/Chinese%20Spiral%20Path%20Texts.pdf). The latter are also now available in professional translations: *The Madhyama Āgama (Middle Length Discourses: Taishō 2 no.26)* Editor in Chief Marcus Bingenheimer. Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc. 2013.


---

