Asava
The Pali word āsava appears in ancient Buddhist scriptures to describe mental defilements. Sanskrit texts render the same concept as āsrava. Translators often choose words like influx or canker to capture its meaning. Bhikkhu Bodhi describes these terms as underlying biases that fabricate emotions and sensations. Ajahn Sucitto writes about how these biases condition grasping through which samsara operates. The word canker suggests something that corrodes or corrupts slowly over time. These figurative meanings perhaps describe facets of the concept kept long in storage. They ooze out, taint, and corrode the mind from within.
Some Pali canons mention three āsavas that sustain karmic flow. These three mentioned in the Nikāyas are karmic propensities for sensual pleasures. They also include karmic propensities for existence and karmic propensities for ignorance. Other Pali texts add a fourth category called diññhāsava. This term means karmic propensities for a viewpoint or perspective. The combination of these four categories sustains the cycle of rebirth. Each type represents a different way the mind clings to existence. Together they form the foundation of suffering described in early Buddhist thought.
The āsavas are mental defilements that perpetuate samsara. Samsara is the beginningless cycle of rebirth, dukkha, and dying again. De Silva explains how these forces keep beings trapped in endless repetition. Carr and Mahalingam note that the word canker suggests something that corrodes slowly. These figurative meanings perhaps describe facets of the concept kept long in storage. They ooze out, taint, and corrode the mind from within. Bhikkhu Bodhi states that these biases condition grasping through which samsara operates. Without destroying them, the cycle continues without end.
The term is also common in Jainist literature as Asrava or Anhaya. However, Buddhism rejects the karma and asava theories of Jainism. Instead it presents a different version of spiritual liberation. This divergence marks a key difference between the two ancient Indian traditions. Scholars like Surendranath Dasgupta have noted this distinction in their works. The Buddhist path focuses on eradicating specific mental defilements rather than managing karmic flow. This approach leads to a unique understanding of freedom from suffering.
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan notes that the word asava appears in the Dhammapada. It shows up in verses 93, 226, 253, 272, 292, and 293. Acharya Buddharakkhita translated verse 226 from chapter 17 verse 6. These translations help modern readers understand how early texts used the term. Rhys Davids and Stede published their dictionary between 1921 and 1925. Their work remains a standard reference for Pali terminology. The frequency of these appearances suggests the concept was central to early teaching.
Freedom from the 'Asavas' constitutes Arahantship according to Rhys Davids and Stede. Bhikkhu Bodhi confirms that complete destruction of all these asavas is synonymous with complete Awakening. When these mental defilements are eradicated the mind achieves total liberation. This state ends the cycle of rebirth and suffering forever. The process requires deep insight into the nature of existence. Only then can one step out of samsara entirely.
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Common questions
What does the Pali word asava mean in ancient Buddhist scriptures?
The Pali word asava describes mental defilements that corrode or corrupt the mind from within. Translators often use terms like influx or canker to capture its meaning of underlying biases that fabricate emotions and sensations.
How many types of asavas are mentioned in the Nikayas and what do they include?
Some Pali canons mention three asavas that sustain karmic flow including propensities for sensual pleasures, existence, and ignorance. Other texts add a fourth category called diññhāsava which means karmic propensities for a viewpoint or perspective.
When did Rhys Davids and Stede publish their dictionary on Pali terminology?
Rhys Davids and Stede published their dictionary between 1921 and 1925. Their work remains a standard reference for Pali terminology and defines freedom from the Asavas as Arahantship.
Why does Buddhism reject the karma and asava theories of Jainism?
Buddhism rejects the karma and asava theories of Jainism because it presents a different version of spiritual liberation focused on eradicating specific mental defilements rather than managing karmic flow. This divergence marks a key difference between the two ancient Indian traditions.
Which verses in the Dhammapada contain the word asava according to Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan?
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan notes that the word asava appears in verses 93, 226, 253, 272, 292, and 293 of the Dhammapada. Acharya Buddharakkhita translated verse 226 from chapter 17 verse 6 to help modern readers understand how early texts used the term.