user5191: 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.

user254: The 'three poisons', or three 'unwholesome roots' (akusala-mūla), are named as ignorance, attachment, and aversion — and the "wholesome roots" are their opposites:

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:


"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.



5191: <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>
 254: <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>
