➥ dosa:

• for dosa:
  • hatred
  • fault
  • flaw
  • |imperfection
  • spiritual flaws
• for vantadosa:
  • free of spiritual flaws
• for visadosa:
  • virulent spiritual flaw
  • poisonous taint
• dosaṁ: hatred; fault; spiritual flaws
• doso: hatred; spiritual flaw
• vantadosa: free of spiritual flaws;
• visadosa: virulent spiritual flaws; virulent imperfection
• visadoso: poisonous taint

Two roots: doṣa and dveṣa

Dosa’s divergent meanings stem from its having two roots, corresponding to Sanskrit doṣa (fault) and dveṣa (hatred). The two meanings occur together as dosadosā in Dhp 357:

• Weeds are the imperfection of fields; hatred is the imperfection of this people.

Tiṇadosāni khettāni dosadosā ayaṁ pajā. (Dhp 357)

Illustration: dosa, hatred

The bhikkhunīs are following a wrong course through hatred

dosagāminiyo ca bhikkhuniyo. (Vin.4.237)

Illustration: dosa, flaw

That bhikkhu with the flaw of superstition abandoned, would properly fulfil the ideals of religious asceticism in the world.

So maṅgaladosavippahīno bhikkhu sammā so loke paribbajeyya. (Snp 360)

➥ dosaṁ: (main article see: dosa)

Illustration: dosaṁ, hatred

Having destroyed love and hatred,

chetvā snehadosaṁ

One should live the religious life as solitarily as a rhinoceros horn.

Eko care khaggavisāṇakappo. (Snp 66)

Illustration: dosaṁ, fault

O, may this Samīti the cartwright’s son trim off this bend, this twist and this fault from this felloe so it is free of bends, twists, and faults, and built of purest heartwood.

aho vatāyaṁ samīti yānakāraputto imissā nemiyā imañca vaṅkaṁ imañca jimhaṁ imañca dosaṁ taccheyya evāyaṁ nemi apagatavaṅkā apagatajimhā apagatadosā suddhāssa sāre patiṭṭhitāti. (MN i 31)

Illustration: dosaṁ, spiritual flaws

Make offerings, Māgha, and while offering

yajassu yajamāno

Make your mind serene in every respect.

sabbattha ca vippasādehi cittaṁ

For one making offerings (yajamānassa), the act of charity (yaññaṁ) is the basis [for spiritual development] (ārammaṇaṁ).

ārammaṇaṁ yajamānassa yaññaṁ

Based on this one abandons one’s spiritual flaws

ettha patiṭṭhāya jahāti dosaṁ. (Snp 506)

➥ doso: (main article see: dosa)

Illustration: doso, hatred

Hatred is an origin of what is spiritually unwholesome.

doso akusalamūlaṁ

Non-hatred is an origin of what is spiritually wholesome.

adoso kusalamūlaṁ. (MN i 47)

Illustration: doso, spiritual flaw

Bhikkhus, there are certain ascetics and Brahmanists whose doctrine and dogmatic view is this: There is no spiritual flaw in [pursuing] sensuous pleasures (natthi kāmesu doso ti). (MN i 305)

➥ vantadosa: (main article see: dosa)

Illustration: vantadosa, free of spiritual flaws

Not on account of his eloquence or lotus-like complexion is a man excellent if he is envious, stingy, and fraudulent.

Na vākkaraṇamattena vaṇṇapokkharatāya vā;
Sādhurūpo naro hoti issukī maccharī saṭho.

For one in whom these [flaws] are eradicated, destroyed, root and all, removed, then being free of spiritual flaws, the wise man is called excellent.

Yassa cetaṁ samucchinnaṁ mūlaghaccaṁ samūhataṁ;
Sa vantadoso medhāvī sādhurūpo ti vuccati. (Dhp 262-3)

One whose āsavas are destroyed, and who is free of spiritual flaws, he is what I call a Brahman.

Khīṇāsavaṁ vantadosaṁ tamahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇan ti. (Uda 5)

➥ visadosa: (main article see: dosa)

Illustration: visadosa, virulent spiritual flaws

The Buddha, cleanser of virulent spiritual flaws, removed the spiritual shackle [of grasping] which had long been lurking in me, long been firmly established in me.

Dīgharattānusayitaṁ cirarattamadhiṭṭhitaṁ;
Buddho mepānudī ganthaṁ visadosappavāhano ti. (Tha 768)

Illustration: visadosa, virulent imperfection

Craving has been called an arrow by the Ascetic. The virulent imperfection of uninsightfulness into reality oppresses a man with fondness, attachment, and ill will. That arrow of craving has been extracted from me. The virulent imperfection of uninsightfulness into reality has been removed.

taṇhā kho sallaṁ samaṇena vuttaṁ avijjāvisadoso chandarāgavyāpādena ruppati. Taṁ me taṇhāsallaṁ pahīnaṁ apanīto avijjāvisadoso. (MN ii 256)

➥ visadoso: (main article see: dosa)

Illustration: visadoso, poisonous taint

The arrow has been pulled out of you. The poisonous taint has been removed with no trace left behind. It is incapable of endangering you.

ubbhataṁ kho te sallaṁ apanīto visadoso saupādiseso analañca te antarāyāya. (MN ii 257)