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Grammatical Analysis
Dosa: [m.] hatred; anger; ill-will; aversion; malice. From root dus (to become corrupted, corrupted mind, seek fault). Doctrinally represents the active psychological rejection or striking against an object.
Orthodox Definition
Dosa is the second of the three unwholesome roots (akusala-mūla). It is the definitive mental factor (cetasika) responsible for all experiences of anger, irritation, resentment, fear, grief, envy, and anxiety. While greed stretches out to capture an object, dosa aggressively strikes against or flees from it.
According to the Abhidhamma commentaries, its operational profile consists of:
- Lakkhaṇa (Characteristic): Ferociousness or striking at an objective field (caṇḍikka-lakkhaṇo), like a provoked venomous serpent.
- Rasa (Function): Burning up its own mental support or spreading corruption (dahana-raso), like a forest fire consuming the very trees that sustain it.
- Paccupaṭṭhāna (Manifestation): Vexation or injurious behavior (dūsana-paccupaṭṭhāno).
- Padaṭṭhāna (Proximate Cause): The grounds for resentment (āghātabhūmi).
Dosa accompanies two specific types of unwholesome consciousness (dosamūla-citta), always accompanied by mentally painful feeling (domanassa). It is eradicated completely at the stage of Non-Returner (Anāgāmī).
Quote
Yo evarūpo cittassa āghāto paṭighāto paṭighaṃ paṭivirodho kopo pakopo sampakopo doso padoso sampadoso cittassa byāpatti manopadoso kodho kujjhanā kujjhitattaṃ doso dussanā dussitattaṃ byāpatti byāpajjanā byāpajjitattaṃ virodho paṭivirodho caṇḍikkaṃ asuropo anattamanatā cittassa – ayaṃ vuccati doso.
Whatever such vexation of mind, hostility, resentment, opposition, anger, great anger, intense anger, hatred, malice, intense malice, mental perversity, mental corruption, wrath, being angry, the state of being angry; hatred, being malevolent, the state of being malevolent; perversity, acting perversely, the state of acting perversely; opposition, strong opposition, ferocity, ill-temper, displeasure of mind – this is called dosa.— Dhammasaṅgaṇī (Ds 2.3.2)
Textual References
- Sutta: Aggi Sutta (AN 7.47) – Detailing how the fire of anger ruins communal harmony and internal peace.
- Abhidhamma: Dhammasaṅgaṇī (Dosa classification section).
- Commentary: Atthasālinī – Systematic profiling of anger as a destructive psychological corruption.