Nekkhamma

Renunciation, dispassion, going forth from the worldly. Nekkhamma (Pāli, equivalent to naiṣkāmya in Sanskrit) is the willingness to let go of sensory attachments in favor of liberation.

In the Noble Eightfold Path, sammā saṅkappa (right intention) includes three aspects, with nekkhamma first: renouncing sensual desire, cultivating goodwill, and abandoning cruelty. It is the intention that directs practice toward liberation rather than gratification.

Nekkhamma does not necessarily mean abandoning the world. It is the inner attitude of non-attachment: using without possessing, participating without identifying. A monk who abandons the world but carries his ego is not practicing nekkhamma; a layperson who lives life without attachment is.

In the Dhammapada, nekkhamma is presented as the path of the wise: nekkhammaṃ daṭṭhā — one who sees renunciation as liberation, who sees sensory gratification as limitation, walks toward the far shore.

In Patañjali’s yoga, vairāgya serves the same function: dispassion that is not flight but clear understanding of what is permanent and what is not.