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upekkhā

upekkha

masc nom pl of upekkha (adj); fem nom sg of upekkha (adj); fem nom pl of upekkha (adj); nt nom pl of upekkha (adj); …

1. upekkha (adj): equanimous; mentally balanced; non-reactive
2. upekkhā (fem): looking on; mental poise; mental balance; equanimity; equipoise; non-reactivity; lit. looking upon
3. upekkhi (aor): was indifferent

Built from

• upa — prefix · near, alongside
  Approach and proximity; the meditator stands close to experience, observing without clinging or aversion.
• ik — root · look, see
  The concrete act of seeing or regarding; in upekkhā, this mental looking matures into dispassionate observation.
• khā — ending · feminine suffix
  Forms a feminine noun from the root; common in abstract feminine nouns denoting mental states and qualities.

Analysis. upa- (up close to, near) + ik- (look) + -khā (feminine nominal suffix); literally 'looking upon (from nearby)', the attitude of standing back and observing without reactivity.

Etymology. upa + √ikh (look, see). The prefix upa- (near, alongside) combines with the root meaning to see or regard: the spatial image of standing close by and looking outward became the meditative attitude of observant equanimity, neither pushing away nor grasping.

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

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