What does "appamada" mean?

[SeriousFun136]

I am not sure, but I think the word appamada might mean “carefulness.”
However, if anyone can provide evidence to refute this translation and/or confirm another translation, I am open to considering it!

All the mentions of this particular translation on this thread:

@cdpatton

Literally, the term is a negation of negligence, carelessness, or similar negative ideas.

@cdpatton

BTW, Monier-Williams says apramāda means “careful, cautious, care, vigilance.”

@cdpatton

I’ve thought sometimes “carefulness” or “taking care” is a good translation in some passages because the term means not being inattentive or unmindful of the precepts, etc.

@frankk

careful / careless

@cdpatton

My understanding of the word is that it refers to mindfulness of danger (usually moral dangers in Buddhist discourse), so I translate it as carefulness.

@cdpatton

I would say that most English translations are all attempting to express that basic idea. Vigilance, carefulness, heedfulness: We’re just trying to work with the words we have in English.

Caveat:

@cdpatton

I agree that there’s a sense of urgency involved. Carefulness is the weaker translation in that regard.

In many passages that I see in the Agamas, appamada occurs along with other terms like diligence, effort, and energy. They form a set of related synonyms in the original language. Since I translate one of those other terms as more directly meaning “diligence,” I don’t translate appamada as diligence.