What's the difference between remorse and shame of evil? Remorse or regret (kukucca) is supposed to be unwholesome, while shame of evil (hiri) is wholesome.

What is the difference between the two? Why is one wholesome, while the other isn't?
The answer below is according to the Abhidhamma.

Hiri and ottapa are both universal wholesome mental factors or universal beautiful factors.

There are in total 25 of those universal beautiful factors. Universal means that they all come together in one bunch. So, if there is hiri in the mind, then there is also ottapa in the mind together with all the other 23 universals. Other universal beauties are for instance: sati, faith, non-greed, non-hatred, tranquility and so on.

According to the Abhidhamma each factor can be defined by 4 things: it's characteristic, it's function, it's manifestation and it's proximate cause.
The function of hiri and ottapa is not doing evil. They manifest as shrinking away from evil. The Buddha called them the guardians of the world. Because they protect the world from immorality.

In short: hiri and ottapa prevent you from doing evil deeds in body, speech and mind.

Now to the unwholesome factors of which kukkucca is one.

There are 14 unwholesome factors. To name a few:


ahirika = shamelessness
anottappa = fearlessness of wrongdoing
kukkucca = worry in the sense of remorse
uddhacca = restlessness


As with the beautiful factors the unwholesome ones know some universals. In this case there are 4 universal unwholesome factors, meaning they appear as a group. These 4 are: delusion (moha), shamelessness (ahiri), fearlessness of wrongdoing (anottappa) and restlessness (uddhacca).

So, in any and every mind state with moha, there is also ahiri, anottappa and uddhacca present.

Worry/remorse (kukkucca) on the other hand is not universal, it's part of the aversion group. Meaning that worry appears only in mind states that are rooted in aversion.

So, whenever you experience kukkucca there is also moha there and ahiri, anottappa and uddhacca (since they are all universals). But if there is moha there, together with ahiri, anottappa and uddhacca, worry doesn't have to be present.
Think for instance of a mind state rooted in greed. That does know restlessness, but not worry/remorse.

Kukkucca comes up after you have done something wrong.

So, not only will moha, ahiri, anottappa and uddhacca not protect you from doing wrong. On top of that you will be rewarded with kukkucca arising. And then you are in double trouble.....

Hope this helps to clarify things.