Āhrīkya (Sanskrit; Pali: ''ahirika''; Tibetan phonetic: ''ngotsa mepa'') is a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

term that is translated as "lack of shame", "lack of conscience", etc. In the Theravada tradition, ''ahirika'' is defined as the absence of disgust at physical or verbal misconduct.Bhikkhu Bodhi (2003), pp. 83
/ref> In the Mahayana tradition, ''āhrīkya'' is defined as not restraining from wrongdoing due to one's own conscience.Guenther (1975), Kindle Locations 931–932.Kunsang (2004), p. 28. Āhrīkya is identified as: * One of the fourteen unwholesome mental factors within the Theravada Abhidharma teachings * One of the twenty secondary unwholesome factors within the Mahayana Abhidharma teachings

Explanations

Theravada

In the

Visuddhimagga The ''Visuddhimagga'' (Pali; English: ''The Path of Purification''), is the 'great treatise' on Buddhist practice and Theravāda Abhidhamma written by Buddhaghosa approximately in the 5th century in Sri Lanka. It is a manual condensing and syst ...

(XIV, 160), ahirika (consciencelessness) is defined together with

anottappa Anapatrapya (Sanskrit; Pali: ''anottappa''; Tibetan phonetic: ''trel mepa'') is a Buddhist term that is translated as "lack of propriety", "disregard", etc. In the Theravada tradition, ''anottappa'' is defined as the absence of dread on account of ...

(shamelessness) as follows: :Herein, it has no conscientious scruples, thus it is consciencelessness (ahirika). It is unashamed, thus it is shamelessness (anottappa). Of these, ahirika has the characteristic of absence of disgust at bodily misconduct, etc., or it has the characteristic of immodesty. Anottappa has the characteristic of absence of dread on their account, or it has the characteristic of absence of anxiety about them...Gorkom (2010)
Definition of Ignorance, Shamelessness, Recklessness and Restlessness
/ref> Nina van Gorkom explains: :The two cetasikas shamelessness and recklessness seem to be very close in meaning, but they have different characteristics. Shamelessness does not shrink from evil because it is not ashamed of it and does not abhor it. The “Paramattha Mañjūsā” compares it to a domestic pig which does not abhor filth. Defilements (

kilesa Kleshas ( sa, क्लेश, kleśa; pi, किलेस ''kilesa''; bo, ཉོན་མོངས། ''nyon mongs''), in Buddhism, are mental states that cloud the mind and manifest in unwholesome actions. ''Kleshas'' include states of mind su ...

) are like filth, they are unclean, impure. Shamelessness does not abhor defilements, be it attachment, aversion, ignorance, avarice, jealousy, conceit or any other kind of unwholesomeness. :As to recklessness, it does not abhor, draw back from evil because it does not see the danger of akusala and it does not fear its consequences such as an unhappy rebirth. The “Paramattha Mañjūsā” compares recklessness to a moth which is attracted to the fire, although this is dangerous for it. Are we enslaved by pleasant experiences? We may even commit evil through body, speech or mind on account of them. Then recklessness does not fear the danger of akusala, it does not care about the consequences of akusala.

Mahayana

The

Abhidharma-samuccaya The Abhidharma-samuccaya (Sanskrit; ; English: "Compendium of Abhidharma") is a Buddhist text composed by Asaṅga. The ''Abhidharma-samuccaya'' is a systematic account of Abhidharma. According to J. W. de Jong it is also "one of the most import ...

states: :What is shamelessness (ahrīkya)? It is not restraining oneself by taking one's perversions as one's norm. It is an emotional event associated with passion-lust (

raga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...

), aversion-hatred (

dvesha __NOTOC__ Dvesha (Sanskrit: द्वेष, IAST: ''dveṣa''; Pali: दोस, ''dosa''; Tibetan: ''zhe sdang'') is a Buddhist and Hindu term that is translated as "hate, aversion".;; Quote: The attainment of freedom from the three poisons of lu ...

), and bewilderment-erring ( moha). It aids all basic and proximate emotions. Alexander Berzin explains: :No moral self-dignity (ngo-tsha med-pa, no sense of honor) is a part of any of the three poisonous emotions. It is the lack of any sense to refrain from destructive behavior because of caring how our actions reflect on ourselves. According to

Vasubandhu Vasubandhu (; Tibetan: དབྱིག་གཉེན་ ; floruit, fl. 4th to 5th century CE) was an influential bhikkhu, Buddhist monk and scholar from ''Puruṣapura'' in ancient India, modern day Peshawar, Pakistan. He was a philosopher who ...

, this subsidiary awareness means having no sense of values. It is a lack of respect for positive qualities or persons possessing them.Berzin (2006)

References

{{reflist

Sources

* Berzin, Alexander (2006)
''Primary Minds and the 51 Mental Factors''
* Bhikkhu Bodhi (2003), ''A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma'', Pariyatti Publishing * Guenther, Herbert V. & Leslie S. Kawamura (1975), ''Mind in Buddhist Psychology: A Translation of Ye-shes rgyal-mtshan's "The Necklace of Clear Understanding"'' Dharma Publishing. Kindle Edition. * Kunsang, Erik Pema (translator) (2004). ''Gateway to Knowledge, Vol. 1''. North Atlantic Books. * Nina van Gorkom (2010)
''Cetasikas''
Zolag * Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921–25), ''The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English dictionary''. (Chipstead: Pali Text Society).

External links