Kaukritya (Sanskrit; Pali: ''kukkucca''; Tibetan phonetic: ''gyöpa'') 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 "regret", "worry", etc. In the Theravada tradition, ''kukkucca'' is defined as worry or remorse after having done wrong; it has the characteristic of regret.Bhikkhu Bodhi (2003), p. 84
/ref> In the Mahayana tradition, ''kaukritya'' is defined as sadness because of mental displeasure with a former action.Guenther (1975), Kindle Locations 1020-1021.Kunsang (2004), p. 28. Kaukritya (Pali: kukkucca) is identified as: * One of the fourteen unwholesome mental factors within the Theravada Abhidharma teachings * One of the four changeable mental factors within the Mahayana Abhidharma teachings * One of the

five hindrances In the Buddhist tradition, the five hindrances ( Sinhala: ''පඤ්ච නීවරණ pañca nīvaraṇa''; Pali: ') are identified as mental factors that hinder progress in meditation and in our daily lives. In the Theravada tradition, thes ...

to meditation (in combination with

uddhacca Auddhatya (Sanskrit; Pali: ''uddhacca''; Tibetan phonetic: ''göpa '') is a Buddhist term that is translated as "excitement", "restlessness", etc. In the Theravada tradition, ''uddhacca'' is defined as a mental factor that is characterized by disq ...

)

Explanations

Theravada

Bhikkhu Bodhi explains: :Kukkucca is worry or remorse after having done wrong. Its characteristic is subsequent regret. Its function is to sorrow over what has and what has not been done. It is manifested as remorse. Its proximate cause is what has and what has not been done (i.e. wrongs of commission and omission). The

Atthasālinī Atthasālinī (Pali) is a Buddhist text composed by Buddhaghosa in the Theravada Abhidharma tradition. The title has been translated as "The Expositor"van Gorkom (2009)Preface or "Providing the Meaning". In the ''Atthasālinī'', Buddhaghosa expla ...

(II, Book II, Part IX, Chapter III, 258) gives the following definition of kukkucca: :...It has repentance as characteristic, sorrow at deeds of commission and omission as function, regret as manifestation, deeds of commission and omission as proximate cause, and it should be regarded as a state of bondage.Gorkom (2010)
Definition of Ignorance, Shamelessness, Recklessness and Restlessness
Nina van Gorkom explains: :The characteristic of kukkucca is repentance. Repentance is generally considered a virtue, but the reality of kukkucca is not wholesome, it arises with dosa-mūla-citta (see

Dvesha_(Buddhism) __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 l ...

). Kukkucca which “regrets” the commission of evil and the omission of kusala is different from wholesome thinking about the disadvantages of akusala and the value of kusala. The conventional term “worry” which is also used as translation of kukkucca may not be clear either. When we say that we worry, it may not be the reality of kukkucca but it may be thinking with aversion about an unpleasant object without there being kukkucca. For example, we may worry about the way how to solve a problem in the future; this kind of worry is not the reality of kukkucca.

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 kaukritya? It is an obsession regarding the positive, negative, indifferent, timely, untimely, appropriate and inappropriate on account of anything to be done intentionally or unintentionally and is related to bewilderment-erring. Its function is to obstruct the mind from becoming settled. Mipham Rinpoche states: :Regret involves sadness because of mental displeasure with a former action. It obstructs resting the mind. Alexander Berzin explains: :Regret (‘gyod-pa) is a part of naivety ( moha). It is the state of mind that does not wish to repeat doing something, either proper or improper, that we did or that someone else made us do.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

External links