7. Unwholesome (akusala) and Wholesome (kusala)

[Full title: 7. Unwholesome (akusala) and Wholesome (kusala) in Related to Language Faculty]

Unwholesome (akusala) and wholesome (kusala) are topic recurred in several discourses of the Five Nikāyas. Each of these two is explained by the ten courses of action which are gathered into three groups: unwholesome bodily action, unwholesome verbal action, and unwholesome mental action.

The unwholesome bodily action consists of three things: killing living beings, taking what is not given, and misconduct in sensual pleasures. The unwholesome verbal action includes four things: false speech, malicious speech, harsh speech and gossip. Last, the unwholesome mental action comprises of three things: covetousness, ill will, and wrong view. Such these ten things are called unwholesome habits which are said to originate from mind affected by lust, hate, and delusion.

The below Sutta shows the issues of unwholesome and points out the root of it:

And what, friends, is the unwholesome, what is the root of the unwholesome, what is the wholesome, what is the root of the wholesome? The destruction of life is unwholesome; taking what is not given is unwholesome; sexual misconduct is unwholesome; false speech is unwholesome; malicious speech is unwholesome; harsh speech is unwholesome; idle chatter is unwholesome; covetousness is unwholesome; ill will is unwholesome; wrong view is unwholesome. This is called the unwholesome.

And what is the root of the unwholesome? Greed is a root of the unwholesome; hatred is a root of the unwholesome; delusion is a root of the unwholesome. This is called the root of the unwholesome.

(Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta number 9.4-5)

The wholesome states also consist of ten courses of action which are completely opposite to the unwholesome. The first three wholesome bodily actions are abstention from killing living beings, from taking what is not given, and from misconduct in sensual pleasures. The next four wholesome verbal actions are abstention from false speech, malicious speech, harsh speech and gossip. The last three wholesome mental actions are uncovetousness, non-ill will and right view. The root of these ten wholesome states is non-greed, non-hate, and non-delusion.

The following Sutta shows the issues of wholesome and the root of it:

And what is the wholesome? Abstention from destruction of life is wholesome; abstention from taking what is not given is wholesome abstention from sexual misconduct is wholesome; abstention from false speech is wholesome; abstention from malicious speech is wholesome; abstention from harsh speech is wholesome; abstention from idle chatter is wholesome; uncovetousness is wholesome; non-ill will is wholesome; right view is wholesome. This is called the wholesome.

And what is the root of the wholesome? Nongreed is a root of the wholesome; nonhatred is a root of the wholesome; nondelusion is a root of the wholesome. This is called the root of the wholesome.

(Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta number 9.6-7)

And the Sutta continue to show out the ways abandoning the unwholesome, extinguishing the suffering, and leading to the liberation.

“When a noble disciple has thus understood the unwholesome and the root of the unwholesome, the wholesome and the root of the wholesome,” he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to lust, he abolishes the underlying tendency to aversion, he extirpates the underlying tendency to the view and conceit ‘I am’, and by abandoning ignorance and arousing true knowledge he here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way too a noble disciple is one of right view, whose view is straight, who has confirmed confidence in the Dhamma andhas arrived at this true Dhamma.

(Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta number 9.6-7)

Philosophy of language emerges as epicentric to the Buddhist philosophy and discourse. In the Suttas, the Buddha teaches the venerable Rāhula to train his mind on reflection of the unwholesome and wholesome qualities: “Rāhula, you should train thus: ‘we will purify our bodily action, our verbal action, and our mental action by repeatedly reflecting upon them’.” (Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta number 61; 88) According to the Buddha’s advice, each action of body, verbal, and mind should be done only after repeated reflection. If one wishes to do something, while he is doing, or after he has done an action with the body, by speech, or by mind he should reflect upon these actions whether they lead to his own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both. Whether it is an unwholesome bodily action, an unwholesome action by speech, or an unwholesome action by mind with painful consequences and result? Through reflecting, if he knows and recognizes those actions which would lead to his own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both; that it is unwholesome states with painful consequences, with painful results, he definitely should not do those actions. But when he reflects, if he knows those action which would not lead to his own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both; it is a wholesome bodily action, a wholesome verbal action, a wholesome mental action with pleasant consequences and results then he may do such actions, continue in such actions, or abide happy and glad, training day and night in such wholesome states.

The Buddha always advises bhikkhus to abandon the unwholesome states and, alternatively, to develop, devote themselves to the wholesome states. That is a way for a bhikkhu to come to growth, increase and fulfillment in the Buddha’s Dhamma and Discipline (Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta number 21.8). By using his similes, the Lord points out the danger, degradation, and defilement in the unwholesome states that are blameworthy and the painful result; there inversely is the blessing of renunciation, the aspect of cleansing in the wholesome states. The Buddha affirms that “all unwholesome states lead downwards and all wholesome states lead upwards” (Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta number 8.15). Therefore, one has to always incline his mind towards wholesome states and avoid away from unwholesome states.

In the thirty-seven requisites of enlightenment (bodhipakkhiyā dhammā) as found in the Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta number 103.3; 104.5, there are four types of striving (sammappadhāna) that one needs to exercise with his full effort, energy and striving as well as develop continuously.

Those are:

i. awakening zeal for the non-arising of unarisen evil unwholesome states.

ii. awakening zeal for the abandoning of arisen evil unwholesome states,

iii. awakening zeal for the arising of unarisen wholesome states.

iv. awakening zeal for the continuance, non-disappearance, strengthening, increase, and fulfillment by development of arisen wholesome states.

(Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta number 77.16)

A noble disciple, thus, is advised not only to abandon all unwholesome states but also to develop continuously and possess all wholesome states.

Thus, a noble disciple is advised not only to abandon all unwholesome states but also to develop continuously and possess all wholesome states.

In sum, the unwholesome and wholesome states here are applied for the frame of the Four Noble Truths. When a noble disciple possesses right view, he would have right understanding of the ten courses of action. He would by means of such right view cognizes deeply three roots; this is the second noble truth. A noble disciple is said to enter upon the stream of saints, achieve as far as Arahantship after accomplishing in abandoning the unwholesome and fully possessing the wholesome states; this is the claim of the third noble truth. The fourth noble truth shows up the way leading to perfection of mind through full effort, energy and striving to abandon the unwholesome states and develops constantly the wholesome states.

Thus, among the Noble Eightfold Path, the right view comes firstly and is the guide for the entire process of ceasing the unwholesome states, and also for arising the wholesome ones. It is because “in one of right view, wrong view is abolished, and the many evil unwholesome states that originate with wrong view as condition are also abolished, and the many wholesome states that originate with right view as condition come to fulfillment by development” (Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta number 117.35).