dhammānupassanānīvaraṇapabba

nt (Pali compound noun, nominative singular)

contemplating qualia, section on the obstructions

Built from

dhamma — root · phenomenon, quality
From √dhṛ 'to bear, support'; the sense evolved from 'that which is held or borne' to 'intrinsic quality' to 'phenomenon' in Buddhist psychology. Sanskrit dharmá cognate.
anu — prefix · along, following
Trailing behind, tracking along a path. Gives ānupassanā the sense of mindfully observing phenomena as they arise in sequence.
passanā — stem · seeing, observation
Feminine abstract noun from √passati 'sees'. Ānupassanā together means 'seeing along' or 'sequential observation'.
ni — prefix · down, into
Downward motion, descent. Here conveys obstruction as something blocking or pressing down upon mental clarity.
varaṇa — stem · covering, hindrance
From √varati 'covers, obstructs'. The five nīvaraṇa are named for their function of veiling the mind.
pabba — stem · section, chapter
Derives from or is related to parvata 'peak, prominence', metaphorically a 'division' or 'part' of a larger text. Nominative neuter singular ending -a.

Analysis. dhamma-ānupassanā-nīvaraṇa-pabba: the compound breaks into dhamma ('phenomena'), ānupassanā ('contemplation, mindful observation'), nīvaraṇa ('hindrance, obstruction'), and pabba ('section, chapter'). In this context from the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, it names the subsection of the Mindfulness of Phenomena meditation that addresses the five hindrances (nīvaraṇa): desire, aversion, sloth-torpor, restlessness, and doubt.

Etymology. From dhamma (own-being, quality, phenomenon; via √dhṛ 'to bear, support'), ānupassanā (observation via anu- 'along, following', √passati 'sees'), nīvaraṇa (hindrance via ni- 'down, into', √varati 'covers, obstructs'), and pabba (section, part; from √pabandh- or related to parvata 'mountain', hence 'prominence, division'). The Sanskrit cognate is dharma; the root √dhṛ appears in Greek thronos ('seat, support') and English form. The prefix ni- ('down, into') in nīvaraṇa shows the obstacle as something that descends upon or blocks the mind.

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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