[Anonymous]

Hi Lal! Here, in your article https://puredhamma.net/bhavana-meditation/vipassana-vidassana-bhavana-insight-meditation/ you wrote:

Vipassanā (vi+passa means sort and discard, where “vi” is to sort out and “passa” is to discard)

As far as I know, this is a slightly unusual interpretation, and it’s not found anywhere.
For example, in wikipedia we can see this interpretation:

Vipassanā (Pāli) or vipaśyanā (Sanskrit) literally, “special-seeing”, “special (Vi), seeing (Passanā)”

Can you explain it a little?

[Lal]

Welcome to the forum, Newin!

Yes. That was not correct. I just fixed it and made a few more revisions in that old post.
Thanks for pointing that out.

[Anonymous]

Lal, thanks for spreading Dhamma!

[cubibobi]

I must admit I like the “old etymology” better — one of “discarding what is bad”; and it is more closely related to anapana.

So, “passa” here is not the same “passa” in “assa / passa”?

And “vi” means different things in different places too, I suppose? In vicikiccā, you explained “vi” as “twisted”.

“vi” (twisted) + passa (assa/passa) would actually make a good combination: discarding what is twisted. It brings the point home better than “special seeing”.

Anyhow, just some musing; a word is what it is despite my liking.

Best,
Lang

[Lal]

The meaning of “discarding what is bad” is INCLUDED in vipassana, Lang.

Vipassana is defined as follows in the section, “2.3.3.32. Samathavipassanāduka” at, “2.3.3. Suttantikadukanikkhepa of dhammasaṅgaṇī“:
“Tattha katamā vipassanā? Yā paññā pajānanā … pe … amoho dhammavicayo sammādiṭṭhi—ayaṃ vuccati vipassanā.”

Therefore, vipassana is connected to paññā (wisdom), dhammavicaya sabbojjhanga, and sammā diṭṭhi.
– It is the ability “to see” things as they really are. “Passa” also means “to see.”
– With that understanding, one would know what to “discard” and what to “take in.”

[Author]

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