Verified
Grammatical Analysis
Āsava: [m.] influx; taint; canker; corruption; fermentation. Derived from prefix ā (towards, up to) + root su (to flow, exude, ferment). The commentaries explain it as toxic substances that flow out from the mind, or intoxicating liquors that have fermented for a long time.
Orthodox Definition
The Āsavas are the deepest, most deeply ingrained toxic defilements that continuously “flow” out of the untrained mind, intoxicating beings and keeping them bound to saṃsāra. The absolute destruction of these taints (āsavakkhaya) is the exact definition of Arahatship.
The commentary texts traditionally identify four specific āsavas:
- Kāmāsava: The taint of sensual desire (attachment to the five sense objects).
- Bhavāsava: The taint of existence (attachment to rebirth in form or formless realms).
- Diṭṭhāsava: The taint of wrong views (false philosophical and religious beliefs).
- Avijjāsava: The taint of foundational ignorance (blindness to the Four Noble Truths).
Quote
ettha ca kāmāsavoti pañcakāmaguṇiko rāgo.
“Herein, the āsava of sensuality is the lust related to the five strands of sensual pleasure.”bhavāsavoti rupārūpabhave chandarāgo, jhānanikanti ca sassatucchedadiṭṭhisahagatā.
“The āsava of existence is sensual desire and lust in the fine-material and immaterial existences, delight in jhāna, and that which is associated with the views of eternalism and annihilationism.”evaṃ diṭṭhāsavopi bhavāsave eva samodhānaṃ gacchati.
“In this way, the āsava of views is also included in the āsava of existence.”avijjāsavoti catūsu saccesu aññāṇaṃ.
“The āsava of ignorance is the lack of knowledge concerning the four truths.”tattha kāmaguṇe assādato manasikaroto anuppanno ca kāmāsavo uppajjati, uppanno ca pavaḍḍhati.
“Therein, for one who attends with relish to the strands of sensual pleasure, both the unarisen āsava of sensuality arises, and the arisen one increases.”— Mūlapaṇṇāsa-aṭṭhakathā
Because they act like deep-seated cognitive ferments, they require the ultimate analytical purification of supramundane wisdom (lokuttara-paññā) to be fully neutralized.
Textual References
- Sutta: Sabbāsava Sutta (MN 2) – The Buddha’s masterclass on the seven specific methods for abandoning the influxes (by seeing, restraining, using, enduring, avoiding, removing, and developing).
- Abhidhamma: Dhammasaṅgaṇī (Āsava-gocchaka division).
- Commentary: Papañcasūdanī – Detailed mapping of how each influx is destroyed by specific stages of awakening.