Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 17, 2026

Apatrapya

Apatrapya is a Buddhist term translated as "decorum" or "shame". It is defined as shunning unwholesome actions so as to not be reproached by others of good character. It is one of the virtuous mental factors within the Abhidharma teachings.

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Jun 17, 2026
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Translations of
Apatrapya
Englishdecorum,
shame,
consideration,
propriety
Sanskritapatrapya, apatrāpya
Paliottappa
Chinese愧(T) / 愧(S)
Indonesianrasa takut; rasa takut berbuat jahat
Korean
(RR: goi)
Tibetanཁྲེལ་ཡོད་པ།
(Wylie: khrel yod pa;
THL: trelyö pa
)
VietnameseÚy
Glossary of Buddhism

Apatrapya (Sanskrit, also apatrāpya; Pali: ottappa; Tibetan Wylie: khrel yod pa) is a Buddhist term translated as "decorum" or "shame". It is defined as shunning unwholesome actions so as to not be reproached by others of good character.12 It is one of the virtuous mental factors within the Abhidharma teachings.

The Abhidharma-samuccaya states:

What is apatrapya? It is to avoid what is objectionable in the eyes of others.1

The difference between hri (self-respect) and apatrapya (decorum) is that hri means to refrain from unwholesome actions due to one's own conscience, while apatrapya means to refrain from unwholesome actions to avoid being reproached by others.12

Alternate translations

See also

See also

Notes

Notes

  1. Guenther (1975), Kindle Locations 528-531.
  2. Kunsang (2004), p. 24.
References

References

  • 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.
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