Ep 26: Fear and shame can lead you to peace! (Ft Sis Mi Yen)

Forget the avengers. Hiri & Otappa are taught to be the guardians of the world.

In this episode, learn from Sis Miyen about Hiri & Otappa: simply translated as **wise** fear and shame.

🔸How can Hiri & Otappa lead us to peace?

🔸Common misconceptions about these two words.

And many more!

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Low Mi Yen, a clinical psychologist and one of Malaysia’s foremost proponents of the application of

psychology, mindfulness and self-compassion, for individual, couple, family, workplace and community, for

more than 27 years. Pioneered Employee Assistance Program (EAP) in Malaysia since 1999, providing

corporate training, coaching, crisis intervention, psychotherapy, psychological assessment, lecturing and

supervision, mindfulness and self-compassion interventions in enhancing resilience.

TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/hol-pod-26

TIMESTAMP:

(00:00): Introduction

(03:23): What is Hirī & Otappa?

(07:30): Don't mix up Hirī Otappa with Kukkucca. What's the difference?

(09:18): Eight factors that can help us to facilitate or cultivate Hirī and Ottappa

(11:58): How Hirī and Ottappa can lead to peace, story of Kai Xin's moral dilemma

(17:32): How do we know what's really a good deed?

(20:50): Your conscience and long-term happiness or keeping the precepts

(25:00): Treasure Dhana Sutta, the Seven Noble Treasures

(30:00): Is ignorance bliss?

RESOURCES:

Discourses on the topic of Hiri & Otappa:
Kaṇha Sutta, AN 2.7
Sukka Sutta, AN 2.8
Cariya Sutta, AN 2.9

Hiri & Ottappa - The Guardians of the World are two of the seven Noble Treasures -
Treasure Dhana Sutta (AN 7:5, AN 7:6)

Quick learning on Hiri & Otappa:

• Definition of Hiri and Ottappa – Youtube by Bhikkhu Bodhi (8min) 24 July 2021


• Definition of Hiri and Ottappa - Ajahn Chah: Intelligent Shame (Youtube by Ajahn Jayasaro (6min) 10 Feb 2008

Step-by-step learning
https://www.fourthmessenger.org/dhamma-studies-1/unit-1/lesson-1-2-hiri-ottappa/

KUKKUCCHA:

Remorse & guilt = feelings that arise after bad action is committed
Kukkucca often discussed together with uddhacca (restlessness), both uddhacca-kukkucca is
the 4th of the 5 hindrances in our meditation practice. Refer to the full text of “The Five
Mental Hindrances and Their Conquest” by Nyanaponika Thera
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel026.html

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS FOR THE PODCAST:

Buddhist Youth Network, Lim Soon Kiat, Alvin Chan, Tan Key Seng, Soh Hwee Hoon, Geraldine Tay, Venerable You Guang, Wilson Ng, Diga, Joyce, Tan Jia Yee, Joanne, Suñña.

Editor and transcriber of this episode: Tee Ke Hui

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