Key Terms/Apramāda
From Bodhicitta
अप्रमाद apramāda
heedfulness
བག་ཡོད་པ་
bag yod pa
不放逸
bù fàngyì
Sanskrit - Noun
3·Study
Study details
- Abhidharma (Indo-Tibetan): In Abhidharma systems, apramāda (T. bag yod pa) is classified as a wholesome mental factor (kuśalacaitasika). Its function is to guard the mind against the arising of afflictions (kleśa) and to ensure the cultivation of virtuous qualities. It is described as a state of "careful attention" or "non-negligence" that acts as a basis for ethical discipline (śīla). It is often paired with its opposite, pramāda (heedlessness), which allows the mind to drift into non-virtuous states.
- Mahāyāna (Indo-Tibetan): Within the Mahāyāna context, heedfulness is emphasized as the "path to the deathless" (amṛtapada). It is the force that allows a bodhisattva to maintain their vows and remain focused on the benefit of all beings without falling into the distractions of saṃsāra. It is famously extolled in the Bodhicaryāvatāra, where an entire chapter is dedicated to "Vigilance regarding the Awakening Mind" (bodhicittapramāda), highlighting it as the essential factor for not losing the altruistic aspiration.
- Theravāda/Pāli Tradition Context: In the Pāli tradition, appamāda is regarded as one of the most important virtues, often summarized as the essence of the Buddha's final words: "All conditioned things are subject to decay
,strive on with heedfulness" (vayasandhammā saṅkhārā, appamādena sampādetha). It is seen as the foundation of all wholesome states, much like the footprint of an elephant encompasses the footprints of all other animals. It is developed through mindfulness (sati) and is crucial for the higher trainings of ethics, concentration, and wisdom.
In other languages
Tibetan
བག་ཡོད་པ་
bag yod pa
bayyöpa
Sanskrit
अप्रमाद
apramāda
Chinese
不放逸
bù fàngyì
Japanese
fuhōitsu
Korean
bulbangil
How translators render it
heedfulnessBuddha-nature Standard
Term type
Noun
Source language
Sanskrit
Topic
apramāda
Alternate spellings
bag yod, appamāda, conscientiousness, vigilance
