Mula and Kilesa

mula: Literally, "root". The fundamental conditions in the mind that determine the moral quality -- skillful (kusala) or unskillful (akusala) -- of one's intentional actions (kamma). The three unskillful roots are lobha (greed), dosa (aversion), and moha (delusion); the skillful roots are their opposites.



kilesa: Defilement -- lobha (passion), dosa (aversion), and moha (delusion) in their various forms, which include such things as greed, malevolence, anger, rancor, hypocrisy, arrogance, envy, miserliness, dishonesty, boastfulness, obstinacy, violence, pride, conceit, intoxication, and complacency.