<p>The 'three poisons', or three 'unwholesome roots' (<em>akusala-mūla</em>), are named as ignorance, attachment, and aversion &mdash; and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_poisons_(Buddhism)#Opposite_wholesome_qualities" rel="nofollow">the "wholesome roots" are their opposites</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <h2>Opposite wholesome qualities</h2>
  
  <p>The three wholesome mental factors that are identified as the opposites of the three poisons are:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>amoha (non-bewilderment); prajna (wisdom)</li>
  <li>alobha (non-attachment)</li>
  <li>adveṣa (non-aggression, lack of hatred); mettā (loving-kindness)</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>The principal aim of the Buddhist path is to cultivate these and related positive qualities.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>They're mentioned in for example, the <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.009.ntbb.html#kusala" rel="nofollow">Sammaditthi Sutta</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol start="7">
  <li>"And what is the root of the wholesome? Non-greed is a root of the wholesome; non-hate is a root of the wholesome; non-delusion is a root of the wholesome. This is called the root of the wholesome.</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-06T01:47:14.040Z
2015-09-06T04:00:24.483Z
2015-09-06T04:00:24.483Z
ChrisW
<p>What are Kusala roots, how are they determined, what effects do they have? And where in the Buddha's teaching are they mentioned? Thank you.</p>

<karma><rebirth><terminology>
What are Kusala roots?
# What are Kusala roots?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-09-06)

What are Kusala roots, how are they determined, what effects do they have? And where in the Buddha's teaching are they mentioned? Thank you.

**Tags:** karma, rebirth, terminology


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-09-06. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

The 'three poisons', or three 'unwholesome roots' (*akusala-mūla*), are named as ignorance, attachment, and aversion — and [the "wholesome roots" are their opposites](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_poisons_(Buddhism)#Opposite_wholesome_qualities):

> ## Opposite wholesome qualities
>
> The three wholesome mental factors that are identified as the opposites of the three poisons are:
>
> * amoha (non-bewilderment); prajna (wisdom)
> * alobha (non-attachment)
> * adveṣa (non-aggression, lack of hatred); mettā (loving-kindness)
>
> The principal aim of the Buddhist path is to cultivate these and related positive qualities.

They're mentioned in for example, the [Sammaditthi Sutta](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.009.ntbb.html#kusala):

> 7. "And what is the root of the wholesome? Non-greed is a root of the wholesome; non-hate is a root of the wholesome; non-delusion is a root of the wholesome. This is called the root of the wholesome.


---

