Kusala

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Kusala (Pali; Skt., kuśala). In early Buddhist texts, the skilfulness which enables one to abstain from committing those actions which retard or obstruct spiritual development and to limit oneself to doing only those actions which help and bring about spiritual development. The next and the more important step consists of deliberate involvement in the cultivation of the opposite positive qualities.

Thus, a kusala action consists of these two essential components, the negative and the positive, either of which complements the other. For the opposite, see AKUŚALA.

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