adjective
- (adj.) clever, skilful, expert; good, right, meritorious MN.i.226; Dhp.44; Ja.i.222 Esp. appl. in moral sense (= puñña), whereas akusala is practically equivalent to pāpa. ekam pi ce pāṇaṃ aduṭṭhacitto mettāyati kusalo tena hoti Iti.21; sappañño paṇḍito kusalo naro Snp.591, Snp.523 ; Pv.i.3#3 (= nipuṇa). With kamma = a meritorious action, in kammaṃ katvā kusalaṃ DN.iii.157; Vv.iii.2#2; Pv.i.10#11 see cpds
■ ācāra-k˚ good in conduct Dhp.376; parappavāda˚ skilled in disputation Dpvs.iv.19; magga˚ (and opp. amagga˚) one who is an expert as regards the Path (lit. & fig.) SN.iii.108; samāpatti˚, etc. AN.v.156 sq. sālittaka-payoge k˚ skilled in the art of throwing potsherds Pv-a.282
■ In derivation k. is explained by Dhpāla & Bdhgh by; kucchita and salana, viz. kucchita-salanādi atthena kusalaṃ Vv-a.169; kucchite pāpadhamme salayanti calayanti kappenti viddhaṃsenti ti kusalā Dhs-a.39; where four alternative derivations are given (cp. Mrs. Rh. D., Dhs. trsl. p. lxxxii). - (nt.) a good thing, good deeds, virtue, merit, good consciousness (citta omitted; cp. Dhs-a.162, Dhs-a.200, etc.): yassa pāpaṃ kataṃ kammaṃ kusalena pithīyati, so imaṃ lokaṃ pabhāseti “he makes this world shine, who covers an evil deed with a good one” MN.ii.104 = Dhp.173 = Thag.872; sukhañ ca k. pucchi (fitness) Snp.981; Vv.30#1 (= ārogyaṃ); DN.i.24; Ja.vi.367; Pv.i.1#3 (= puñña) Pv-a.75; Mil.25
■ In special sense as ten kusalāni equivalent to the dasasīlaṃ (cp. sīla) MN.i.47; AN.v.241 AN.v.274. All good qualities (dhammā) which constitute right and meritorious conduct are comprised in the phrase-kusala-dhammā Snp.1039, Snp.1078, expld. in extenso Cnd. s.v. See also cpd. ˚dhamma
■ Kusalaṃ karoti to do what is good and righteous, i.e. kāyena, vācāya manasā Iti.78; cp. Dhp.53; sabba-pāpassa akaraṇaṃ kusalassa upasampadā sacittapariyodapanaṃ etaṃ Buddhānusāsanaṃ DN.ii.49 = Dhp.183; cp. Ne.43, Ne.81 Ne.171, Ne.186. Kusalaṃ bhāveti to pursue righteousness (together with akusalaṃ pajahati to give up wrong habits) AN.i.58; AN.iv.109 sq.; Iti.9
■ akusala adj.: improper wrong, bad; nt.: demerit, evil deed DN.i.37, DN.i.163 bālo + akusalo Snp.879, Snp.887; = pāpa Pv-a.60, cp. pāpapasuto akatakusalo ib. 6. kusalaṃ & akusalaṃ are discussed in detail (with ref. to rūpâvacara˚ fivefold, to ar