Pali Term - Kusala - Dhamma Wheel

Pali Term: Kusala - Dhamma Wheel
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Pali Term: Kusala

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Pali Term: Kusala

by Dmytro Fri Sep 10, 2010 5:25 am
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Hello
Pali friends,
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Dmytro
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There's an excellent article on this subject:

Good or Skilful? Kusala in Canon and Commentary
By L. S. Cousins
http://jbe.gold.ac.uk/3/cousins1.html
See also the article:
Kusala and Akusala as Criteria of Buddhist Ethics
Bhikkhu Thich Nhat-Tu
http://www.buddhismtoday.com/english/et ... kusala.htm
I think that 'kusala' is an ancient Indoeuropean word, which probably has following
correspondences in modern languages:
iskusstvo (art), iskusnyj (skilful) - Russian;
kunst (handiness, skill) - Spanish;
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=5575[5/8/2558 17:08:36]
kunst (art) - Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Flemish, German, Norwegian, Yiddish.
The early usage of this word is indeed connected with practical skills, however in the later
texts the meaning shifts to 'wholesome', as in the Nettippakara.na, where tanha can be either
kusala or akusala:
Tattha tanhaa duvidhaa kusalaapi akusalaapi.

There are two kinds of ta.nhaa: skilful [kusala] and unskilful [akusala]. Unskilful ta.nhaa leads to
sa.msaara, skilful ta.nhaa is for abandoning, which leads to diminishing [of sa.msaaric
activities].
http://www.westernbuddhistreview.com/vol2/tanha.html
Metta, Dmytro
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Re: Pali Term: Kusala

by Dmytro Fri Dec 03, 2010 10:55 am
P
o so used to the translation of 'kusal
I got
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it.
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Dmytro
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dhamm' as 'skilful qualities' that I never investigated
The meaning turned out to be quite different.

Here are some sutta passages, with translations by Bhikkhu Bodhi:
MN 60, Apannaka sutta
Tatra, gahapatayo, ye te samaabrhma evavdino evadihino atthi dinnape ye
imaca loka paraca loka saya abhi sacchikatv pavedentti tesameta pikakha?
Yamida kyasucarita, vacsucarita, manosucarita ime tayo kusale dhamme
abhinivajjetv yamida kyaduccarita, vacduccarita, manoduccarita ime tayo akusale
dhamme samdya vattissanti.
"Now, householders, of those recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'There is
nothing given ... no good and virtuous recluses and brahmins in the world who have themselves
realised by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world,' it is to be expected
that they will avoid these three wholesome states, namely, good bodily conduct, good verbal
conduct, and good mental conduct, and that they will undertake and practise these three
unwholesome states, namely, bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, and mental misconduct."
DN 25, Udumbarika sutta
Santi ca kho, nigrodha, akusal dhamm appahn sakilesik ponobbhavik sadar
dukkhavipk yati jtijarmaraiy, yesha pahnya dhamma desemi.
There are, Nigrodha, unwholesome things that have not been abandoned, tainted, conducive to
rebirth, fearful, productive of painful results in the future, associated with birth, decay and
death. It is for abandonment of these things that I teach Dhamma.
DN 26, Cakkavatti-sihanada sutta
Atha kho tesa, bhikkhave, sattna eva bhavissati maya kho akusalna dhammna
samdnahetu evarpa yata tikkhaya patt. Yanna maya kusala kareyyma. Ki
kusala kareyyma? Yanna maya ptipt virameyyma, ida kusala dhamma
samdya vatteyymti.
And then the thought will occur to these beings: "It is only because we became addicted to evil
ways that we suffered this loss of our kindred, so let us now do good! What good things can we
do? Let us abstain from the taking of life - that will be a good practice."
DN 28, Sampasadaniya sutta
Apara pana, bhante, etadnuttariya, yath bhagav dhamma deseti kusalesu dhammesu.
Tatrime kusal dhamm seyyathida, cattro satipahn, cattro sammappadhn, cattro
iddhipd, pacindriyni, paca balni, satta bojjhag, ariyo ahagiko maggo.
"Also, lord, the Blessed Lord's way of teaching Dhamma in regard to the wholesome factors is
unsurpassed, that is to say: the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four
roads to power, the five spiritual faculties, the five mental powers, the seven factors of
enlightenment, the Noble Eightfold Path.
From the dictionary of Margaret Cone:
kusal dhamm, right practices or actions; good conduct; virtues; factors conducing to wellbeing;
Vin I 103,13 (pamukham etam ~nam dhammnam, tena vuccati ptimokkhan ti);
II 188,2 (hni yeva ... Devadattassa pikankh ~esu dhammesu no vuddhi);
D III 102,12 (tatr' ime ~ dhamm, seyyathidam cattro satipatthn cattro
sammappadhn...);
M I 184,30 (ye keci ~ dhamm sabbe te catusu ariyasaccesu sangaha gacchanti);
402,17 (kyasucaritam vacisucaritam manosucaritam ime tayo ~e dhamme abhinivajjetv ...);
Th 83 (bhvehi ~am dhammam);
Ja III 274,3* (icc ete ~e dhamme hite passmi attani);
Dhs 1 (katame dhamm ~);
Mil 13,5 (aham... ~ dhamm akusal dhamm avykat dhamm ti imesu tisu padesu
pakkhipitv sabbam tarn abhidhammapitakam vitthrena osressm ti);
33,14 (slam ... saddh viriyam sati samdhi ime te ~ dhamm ti);
Pali Terms
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Asodescribed in Sevitabb-asevitabba sutta
s
conduct:
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Dmytro
(MN 114), ill will and greed belong to the mental

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Katharpa, bhante, manosamcra sevato akusal dhamm abhivahanti, kusal

dhamm parihyanti? Idha, bhante, ekacco abhijjhlu hoti, ya ta parassa
paravittpakaraa ta abhijjht hoti aho vata ya parassa ta mamassti;
bypannacitto kho pana hoti paduhamanasakappo ime satt haantu v vajjhantu v
ucchijjantu v vinassantu v m v ahesunti evarpa, bhante, manosamcra sevato
akusal dhamm abhivahanti, kusal dhamm parihyanti.
Katharpa, bhante, manosamcra sevato akusal dhamm parihyanti, kusal dhamm
abhivahanti? Idha, bhante, ekacco anabhijjhlu hoti, ya ta parassa paravittpakaraa
ta nbhijjht hoti aho vata ya parassa ta mamassti; abypannacitto kho pana hoti
appaduhamanasakappo ime satt aver abybajjh [abypajjh (s. sy. ka. p. ka.)]
angh sukh attna pariharantti evarpa, bhante, manosamcra sevato akusal
dhamm parihyanti, kusal dhamm abhivahanti.
"And what kind of mental conduct causes unwholesome states to increase and wholesome states
to diminish in one who cultivates it? Here someone is covetous; he covets the wealth and
property of others thus: 'Oh, may what belongs to another be mine!' Or he has a mind of ill will
and intentions of hate thus: 'May these beings be slain and slaughtered, may they be cut off,
perish, or ne annihilated!' Such mental conduct causes unwholesome states to increase and
wholesome states to diminish in one who cultivates it.
"And what kind of mental conduct causes unwholesome states to diminish and wholesome states
to increase in one who cultivates it? Here someone is not covetous; he does not covet the
wealth and property of others thus: 'Oh, may what belongs to another be mine!' His mind is
without ill will and he has intentions free of hate thus: 'May these beings be free from enmity,
affliction and anxiety! May they live happily!' Such mental conduct causes unwholesome states
to diminish and wholesome states to increase in one who cultivates it."
So 'kusal dhamm' means 'skilful conduct' (by body, speech and mind), and various particular
practices of such conduct.
Metta, Dmytro
Last edited by Dmytro on Fri Dec 03, 2010 11:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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P
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Prof.
Cousins emphasizes the meditational
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Dmytro
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aspect:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------This brings me to the very large number of passages in which kusala is linked with dhamma,
either in the singular or more often in the plural. It is important to note that many of the
passages here are meditational in their orientation. So in the Mahvagga (Vin I 104) the Buddha
declares that if a monk does not make known a Vinaya offence when the Ptimokkha is
recited, this would be a deliberate lie and a deliberate lie is an obstacle. The text defines an
obstacle (antar yiko dhammo), first of all as an obstacle to achieving the first jhna, then
successively to the remaining jhnas up to the fourth, then various kinds of meditational
experience are mentioned, ending (summarizing) with "to the achieving of skilful dhammas."
Similarly, in the discussionof the fourth prjika (at Vin I 91), in the list of higher states which
must not be falsely claimed by the monk these meditational attainments (jhna, vimokkha,
samdhi, etc.) are referred to as skilful dhammas.
This kind of direct linkage between higher states and skilfulness is found in a number of
contexts.(35) So in the Sayutta-nikya we find the ascetic who wishes to attain a skilful
dhamma and realize higher states (uttari-manussa-dhamma; alam-ariya-a-dassana). In the
Lohicca-sutta we meet the idea that if someone attains a skilful dhamma, he should not tell
anyone else. Or the Buddha is asked if he has achieved this skilful dhamma for a long while.
Again in the A"nguttara-nikya we learn of the six factors which make a monk fit (or unfit) to
attain a skilful dhamma: he is skilful in coming, skilful in going, skilful as to means
(upyakusala), he arouses the purpose (chanda) of attaining a skilful dhamma which has not
been attained, he guards skilful dhammas which have been attained and is successful in
constant action. Compare too passages in which are found the expression: (he succeeds in) the
method, the dhamma that is skilful (...ya dhamma kusala).(36) Usually this makes the
point that, whether householder or renunciant, he can succeed if he follows the right way i.e.
the eightfold path.
Similar usages occur in the plural too.(37) So in the Majjhima-nikya, when the Jains admit to
not knowing: "the arousing of skilful dhammas", the reference must be to the apparent
absence of the higher jhnas in the Jain system.(38) Or, in the A"nguttara-nikya, when skilful
dhammas explicitly refer to mental peace (cetosamatha) within and insight into dhammas from
the standpoint of wisdom (adhipadhammavipassan). In the Paisambhid-magga we are
even told that all skilful dhammas lead in the direction of the liberations (vimokkhnuloma).
There are a great many places in which skilful dhammas are referred to briefly or without
much qualification, where it is not possible to be sure whether the intention is to refer
specifically to meditational states. Nevertheless, this is probably the meaning which should be
assumed in the majority of cases. I do not wish to argue that a broader usage which includes
other desirable states is entirely excluded, only that in such cases the expression points
primarily to meditational practice. This makes translation by such expressions as "good states "
misleading; for such renderings point first and foremost to the ordinary ethical dimension and
only secondarily to meditational experience. By contrast I believe the intention of the Pali
texts in these passages is to point first to the jhnas and the states later known as the
dhammas contributing to awakening (bodhi-pakkhiya). In other words the use of kusala in these
contexts is concerned with the fact that these are special states which are, directly or
indirectly, produced by wisdom. That is why they are called "skilful".
There are equally a great many passages where the meditational context is beyond real
dispute. One example of this is the occurrence of skilful dhammas in the formula of the four
right efforts and in related formulae concerned with vigour (viriya), such as descriptions of
effort (vyma) in the eightfold path.(39) This of course is simply a specific case of the bodhipakkhiyas in general and indeed the seven sets are sometimes cited in relation to
kusala:
But, Venerable sir, there is another incomparable quality (nuttariya): how the Lord teaches
dhamma as regards skilful dhammas. As to that, the skilful dhammas are as follows: four
establishings of mindfulness, four right efforts, four bases of success, five faculties, five
powers, seven factors of awakening, the noble eightfold path ... That, Venerable Sir, is an
incomparable quality as regards skilful dhammas ... there is nothing further to be known by
higher knowledge, such that another mendicant or brahmin, knowing by higher knowledge,
would know more deeply i.e. as regards skilful dhammas.(40)
Sometimes the link is made directly to the first of the seven sets: the four establishings of
mindfulness.(41) So for example in the Janavasabha-suttanta we are told by Brahm
Sanakumra that the four establishings of mindfulness were made known for the purpose of
attaining the skilful -- here the reference must be to the remaining six sets. Some at least of
the discourses, where things kusala are mentioned in a context which lead up to a culmination
with the eightfold or the tenfold path, probably belong here.(42) Compare also the Kya-gatsati-sutta where we are told, in relation to the person who has brought into being, made much
of and immersed himself in mindfulness of the body, that whatever skilful dhammas he has are
connected with the knowledges (vijj-bhgiya) i.e. lead to the three knowledges.(43)
When in the Mah-hatthi-padopama-sutta Sriputta tells (M I 184) us that all skilful dhammas
are included in the four noble truths, we should again interpret skilful dhammas here as
referring to meditational states. Indeed, this is made clear later in the sutta by the references
to equipoise connected with the skilful. More generally, there are many passages in which
skilful dhammas are spoken of in association with bhvan "bringing into being" or some form
of the verb bhveti.(44) In most of these what is implied is the technical sense of these words,
as referring to the bringing into being of the eightfold path in particular or the dhammas which
contribute to awakening in general i.e. the fourth noble truth. This is even more likely to be
the case when the skilful to be brought into being is contrasted with the unskilful "to be
abandoned" i.e. the corresponding function of the second noble truth.(45) No doubt closely
related to this is the idea of achieving a stage of fixity in relation to skilful dhammas, an idea
closely related to some interpretations of what is meant by stream-entry.(46)
There are a number of passages which refer to someone who is (not) applying insight
(vipassaka) to skilful dhammas.(47) Sometimes this probably refers to a type of insight
meditation.(48) However, it also merges into contexts where skilful dhammas or the skilful is
simply the object of doubt or wisdom.(49)
...
Skilled in meditational/mystical (/ascetic?) practices (in the early Pali sources and, no doubt,
in other contemporary traditions), including skilled in the kind of behaviour which supports
meditation, etc. i.e. sla, etc.
http://www.buddhistethics.org/3/cousins1.html
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Pali Term: Kusala

There's an excellent article on this subject: