Asarva How Does It Flow

Here's a comprehensive summary of Alex Wayman's article "Āsrava: How Does It Flow?" from the provided text:

The article investigates the meaning of the term āsrava (or āsava in Pāli), a key concept in Indian philosophical and religious traditions, particularly Buddhism and Jainism. While it's widely understood in Jainism to mean an inflow of karma into the soul, Wayman highlights a striking discrepancy where some Western translators of Buddhist texts have rendered it as "out-flow." This divergence prompts an exploration of the term's various meanings and the theory of "flowing."

Varieties and the Negative Form of Āsrava:

• Core Meaning: The author notes that Pāli dictionaries define āsrava as "influx" or "outflow" (like a discharge from a sore). Chinese and Tibetan translations consistently use terms meaning "flow," "flux," or "leaking." Wayman himself adopts "flux" or "fluxional" for his translation projects.
• Buddhist Classifications:
  • The Sammadiţthisutta lists three types: kāmāsava (sensual desire), bhavāsava (desire for existence/rebirth), and avijjāsava (ignorance).
  • The Abhidhammattha Samgaha adds a fourth: ditthāsava (wrong views).
• Detailed Breakdown of Types:
  • Kāmāsava: Defined as desire for things (vastukama) and desire for defilements (kilesakama). The elimination of the latter leads to the former.
  • Bhavāsava: Passion for gestation or existence in the realms of form and formless realms.
  • Ditthāsava: The sixty-two wrong views mentioned in the Brahmajalasutta.
  • Avijjāsava: Ignorance of the Four Noble Truths, past and future lives, dependent origination, etc.
• The Negative Form (An-āsrava):
  • An-āsrava can mean an unqualified negation of āsrava.
  • However, in Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakośa, an-āsrava when applied to the "Path" (mārga) signifies something actively opposing or reducing āsrava, rather than a complete absence. This contrasts with an-āsrava when applied to "non-constructed" natures (like space or cessations), where it does mean unqualified negation.
  • The term anuśaya (traces or dormant defilements) is also discussed, noting its connection to the latent aspect of āsrava. Asanga lists seven anuśaya (sensuous lust, hostility, passion for gestation, pride, nescience, wrong views, doubt), which expand upon the four types of āsrava.
• Translator Discrepancies: Wayman criticizes translations like "intoxicants" or "cankers" for āsava, arguing they impose specific interpretations onto the term that might not be universally applicable. He commends Jain translators for consistently using "in-flow."

The Theory of Flowing:

• The "Streams" Metaphor: The article examines the Buddhist concept of "five streams" and a "sixth stream" mentioned in the Māra Suttas. Asanga explains these "streams" as sensory activities (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body) and the sixth as the mind.
• Crossing the Streams: The Buddha's response to overcoming these streams involves a cleansed body, a liberated mind, mindfulness, and non-conceptual meditation. This process leads to the cessation of desire and the crossing of these "flows."
• Restraint of Sense Organs: The concept of indriyasamvaraḥ (restraint of sense organs) is presented, where guarding the mind against "sign-sources" or "details" prevents sinful natures from "flowing" (anusraveyus) after the mind.
• Flowing of Craving: The Lalitavistara uses the term salila for "flow," linking the personal aggregates (skandhas) and suffering to the "flow of craving." This flow is then described as being "dried up" and ceasing through discernment on the path.
• Ā- prefix Significance: Wayman emphasizes that the prefix ā- in āsrava means "to" or "unto," reinforcing the idea of an inflow rather than an outflow. Nārada's explanation supports this, stating āsavas flow "up to" or "persist as far as" certain stages of consciousness.
• "Bleeding" and "An-āsrava": The article touches on the idea of an-āsrava being related to a concept of "bleeding" in certain Buddhist contexts, specifically in relation to the Lankāvatāra-sūtra. Here, the negation of āsrava implies an opposite movement: a flow away from or down and out. This is further illustrated by a passage describing omens of purification involving the body emitting matter or bleeding, suggesting a "bleeding away" of defilements.

Conclusion:

Wayman concludes by reaffirming his assertion that the term āsava in Buddhist texts is better understood as an "in-flow" or a neutral "flux," and that translations as "out-flow" are misleading. He argues that his investigation supports the consistency of Jain translators who use "in-flow" for āsrava. The article aims to clarify the positive meaning of āsrava and the specific contexts where its negative form has a distinct significance, particularly within the Buddhist path.