Asrava
Encyclopedia
Asrava is one of the tattva
or the fundamental reality of the world as per the Jain philosophy
. It refers to the influence of body and mind causing the soul to generate karma
.
The karmic process in Jainism is based on seven truths or fundamental principles (tattva) of Jainism which explain the human predicament. Out that the seven, the four—influx (āsrava), bondage (bandha), stoppage (saṃvara
) and release (nirjarā
)—pertain to the karmic process.
According to the Nava Tatva Sutra, there are forty-two asravas or ways through which the soul is exposed to the inflow of karmas. Of the forty-two, five are senses, four are passions (kashayas, viz. anger, pride, love and covetousness), five are sins (avratas, viz. killing, stealing, lying, adultery and worldliness), three are activities (yogas, viz. mental, verbal and physical activity) and twenty-five are "minor asravas", individual acts such as "walking carelessly", "lending a weapon", "wishing ill to any being", "the reception of a gift", "the exercise of cunning" or "accusing any of the Jain books of falsehood", etc.
The āsrava, that is, the influx of karmic occurs when the karmic particles are attracted to the soul on account of vibrations created by activities of mind, speech and body. Tattvārthasūtra , 6:1–2 states: "The activities of body, speech and mind is called yoga. This three-fold action results in āsrava or influx of karma."
The karmic inflow on account of yoga driven by passions and emotions cause a long term inflow of karma prolonging the cycle of reincarnations. On the other hand, the karmic inflows on account of actions that are not driven by passions and emotions have only a transient, short-lived karmic effect.
Tattva (Jainism)
Jain metaphysics is based on seven truths or fundamental principles also known as tattva or navatattva, which are an attempt to explain the nature and solution to the human predicament. The first two are the two ontological categories of the soul jīva and the non-soul ajīva, namely the axiom that...
or the fundamental reality of the world as per the Jain philosophy
Jain philosophy
Jain philosophy deals extensively with the problems of metaphysics, reality, cosmology, ontology, epistemology and divinity. Jainism is essentially a transtheistic religion of ancient India. It is a continuation of the ancient tradition which co-existed with the Vedic tradition since ancient...
. It refers to the influence of body and mind causing the soul to generate karma
Causes of Karma
The karmic process in Jainism is based on seven truths or fundamental principles of Jainism which explain the human predicament. Out that the seven, the four—influx , bondage , stoppage and release —pertain to the karmic process...
.
The karmic process in Jainism is based on seven truths or fundamental principles (tattva) of Jainism which explain the human predicament. Out that the seven, the four—influx (āsrava), bondage (bandha), stoppage (saṃvara
Samvara
Samvara is one of the tattva or the fundamental reality of the world as per the Jain philosophy. It means stoppage—the stoppage of the influx of the material karmas into the soul consciousness. The karmic process in Jainism is based on seven truths or fundamental principles of Jainism which...
) and release (nirjarā
Nirjara
Nirjara is one of the nine fundamental principles, or Tattva in Jain philosophy, and refers to the shedding or destruction of accumulated karmas from the atma , essential for breaking free from samsara, the cycle of birth-death and rebirth, by achieving moksha, liberation.Literally meaning "falling...
)—pertain to the karmic process.
According to the Nava Tatva Sutra, there are forty-two asravas or ways through which the soul is exposed to the inflow of karmas. Of the forty-two, five are senses, four are passions (kashayas, viz. anger, pride, love and covetousness), five are sins (avratas, viz. killing, stealing, lying, adultery and worldliness), three are activities (yogas, viz. mental, verbal and physical activity) and twenty-five are "minor asravas", individual acts such as "walking carelessly", "lending a weapon", "wishing ill to any being", "the reception of a gift", "the exercise of cunning" or "accusing any of the Jain books of falsehood", etc.
The āsrava, that is, the influx of karmic occurs when the karmic particles are attracted to the soul on account of vibrations created by activities of mind, speech and body. Tattvārthasūtra , 6:1–2 states: "The activities of body, speech and mind is called yoga. This three-fold action results in āsrava or influx of karma."
The karmic inflow on account of yoga driven by passions and emotions cause a long term inflow of karma prolonging the cycle of reincarnations. On the other hand, the karmic inflows on account of actions that are not driven by passions and emotions have only a transient, short-lived karmic effect.