Vai comes from vi and means, reversed/away from, and raga comes from raj, color. Vairāgya means that you do not color an object with values, and therefore do not become inwardly attached to it.

 

An object in itself (so not seen as its deeper substrate consciousness) is simply neutral, inert, material manifestation-appearance. Later, when the non-duality of reality is understood, you assign to each object its only full value, namely the full value of consciousness, the only truth itself.

 

Vairāgya is therefore translated as objectivity or detachment. ‘Without passion for objects’, is better. Detachment expresses duality. I am not attached to something. Better is therefore: ‘Not being mentally involved in a specific object’.

 

Vairāgya is one of the four main qualifications (sādhana catuṣṭaya) for freedom. Because of his or her neutral attitude, the vairāgī is independent of the results of actions for his or her happiness.

 

The formal definition is therefore: iha amutra artha phala bhoga virāgaḥ vairāgyam. This means: 'No binding passion for and attachment to the results of experience here (iha), in this world and hereafter (amutra)'.

 

Why vairāgya? Because an objective, unattached, independent mind is ready to understand, and thus to be, the pure objectivity of consciousness. That consciousness is neutral, without values, does not mean that it is worthless. On the contrary, because it is single complete saturation (a bit to much a label), it is completely valuable, the only value of all, namely the truth.

 

An objective detached mind is 'as good as' the self, consciousness. Then I realize that I am fulness, and that everything arises in this fulness of existence. With this attitude I reach out from the bliss that is. Then I do not have to do anything to be okay, and it does not really matter what happens. It is more that I celebrate life, and carry it out from the fulness, instead of having to draw happiness from the world.

 

Passion here refers to the passions of attachment and aversion or the impulses of sympathy and aversion. Wherever there is attachment, there will be protection (kṣema) and therefore dveṣa, aversion. Both are inverted forms of craving and therefore come from adhyāsa, delusion, followed by superposition (adhyāropa), the imposition of false characteristics (leading to false evaluations).

 

So vairāgya does not mean that there is no pleasure. What you get in return for the qualification is the permanent, full enjoyment of the full being itself, without dependency or addiction. The passion you get in return is a continuous cheerfulness and enthusiasm for everything, because you know that and how it is the blissful self.

 

Dispassion – freedom from the pull and pressure of attachment and aversion – is developed by seeing repeatedly the limitations of everything and seeing that everything is subject to time and therefore cannot give lasting happiness (only the timeless reality gives timeless happiness).

 

All actions are inherently defective, because all achievements involve some degree of suffering. All worldly pleasures are inherently painful. In the attainment (yoga) of a goal (artha), such as possessions or status, there is inherent insecurity and fear of losing it. People generally adopt protective, conservative (kṣema) behaviour out of fear of losing achievements. This is the great joke of existence, because we are going to lose everything anyway, in the dissolution (pralaya) of the gross body. Furthermore, the satisfaction of a desire stimulates a related, reinforced desire in the future, through the force of habit (vāsanā). Overall, an action always carries its opposite within it. This is what James Swartz calls ‘the zero-sum of reality'.

 

The result of an action, because it is limited, can never give unlimited satisfaction. Every action of a human being on earth is limited, binding and dependent (puruṣa tantra) because by definition it produces a limited, binding, and dependent result.

 

As for spiritual development: Only one without binding passions is able to hear the teaching without mixing his own interpretations, or without distorting the teaching to suit his prejudices (confirmation bias). Only one without binding passions can muster the attention required to listen to the teaching undisturbed (śravaṇa). Only one without passions will have the refinement of mind required to clearly understand the teaching. Just hearing and reading such statements is a liberating relief for a contemplative, refined mind. For the desirous, distracted mind it is likely to be a torment.

 

Vairāgya and the other main quality viveka (discrimination) go together. Viveka means that I can separate the sense from the nonsense. That I can separate relative matters from the main thing. Simply put, this means that I recognize what comes and goes and therefore recognize what is temporary and transient (anitya) and what must always be there (nitya) in order to distinguish at all. If I want to develop objectivity and inner distance (vairāgya) from transient matters, I will first have to be able to clearly distinguish these matters (viveka). The reverse also applies: If I want to be able to recognize (viveka) what I cannot build on sustainably, I will first have to adopt an inner position of observation, contemplation, detachment, and objectivity (vairāgya).

 

The Sanskrit of this term is interesting: vairāgya is the 'neuter form' of virāga - free (vi) from passion or attachment (raj -> rāga), which is still masculine. This must have been consciously chosen by earlier mahātmas of vedānta. The neutrality of the word indicates the quality of the neutral vairāga.