Grammatical Analysis
Akusala: [nt.; adj.] unwholesome; unskillful; blameworthy; unhealthy; kammically destructive. Formed by the negative prefix a (not) + kusala (wholesome/skillful).
Orthodox Definition
Akusala designates any consciousness-moment or mental factor that is ethically compromised, spiritually blameworthy (savajja), and productive of future suffering and painful results (dukkha-vipāka). It represents the exact psychological antithesis of kusala.
According to orthodox psychology, akusala consciousness is inherently diseased and unstable. It is driven directly by the three unwholesome roots (akusala-mūla): greed (lobha), hatred (dosa), and delusion (moha).
The Abhidhamma maps exactly twelve unwholesome cittas: eight rooted in greed (lobhamūla-citta), two rooted in hatred (dosamūla-citta), and two rooted in sheer delusion (mohamūla-citta). These twelve states are responsible for all ten pathways of harmful action (akusala-kammapatha), locking the mind into lower frequencies and anchoring the momentum of saṃsāra.
Textual References
- Sutta: Salevyaka Sutta (MN 41) – Detailed analysis charting how the physical, verbal, and mental performance of akusala deeds drives beings directly into hell realms.
- Abhidhamma: Dhammasaṅgaṇī (The second major division of the text, mapping out unwholesome consciousness structures).
- Commentary: Atthasālinī – Explaining the internal cognitive friction and long-term damage caused by unwholesome mental architecture.