0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 38.8Linked Discourses 38.8
0.21. Jambukhādakavagga1. With Jambukhādaka

0.3ĀsavapañhāsuttaA Question About Defilements

1.1PTS 4.256“‘Āsavo, āsavo’ti, āvuso sāriputta, vuccati.“Reverend Sāriputta, they speak of this thing called ‘defilement’.¹1.2Katamo nu kho, āvuso, āsavo”ti?What is defilement?”

1.3“Tayo me, āvuso, āsavā.“Reverend, there are three defilements.1.4Kāmāsavo, bhavāsavo, avijjāsavo—The defilements of sensuality, desire to be reborn, and ignorance.1.5ime kho, āvuso, tayo āsavā”ti.These are the three defilements.”

1.6“Atthi panāvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā etesaṁ āsavānaṁ pahānāyā”ti?“But, reverend, is there a path and a practice for completely understanding these three defilements?”

1.7“Atthi kho, āvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā etesaṁ āsavānaṁ pahānāyā”ti.“There is.” …

1.8“Katamo panāvuso, maggo katamā paṭipadā etesaṁ āsavānaṁ pahānāyā”ti?1.9“Ayameva kho, āvuso, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo etesaṁ āsavānaṁ pahānāya, seyyathidaṁ—1.10sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.1.11Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, maggo ayaṁ paṭipadā, etesaṁ āsavānaṁ pahānāyā”ti.1.12“Bhaddako, āvuso, maggo bhaddikā paṭipadā, etesaṁ āsavānaṁ pahānāya.1.13Alañca panāvuso sāriputta, appamādāyā”ti.

1.14Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

“Defilements” (āsava) are the fundamental “pollutions” or “corruptions” that darken awareness, trapping people in transmigration. In practical application, āsava can mean the “discharge” from a sore (AN 3.27:2.4). The Jain Tattvārthasūtra 6.1–2 defines āsrava as the influx of deeds; these pollute the pure soul.

Note that the Pali āsava represents two distinct words, which are homonyms in Pali but differentiated in Sanskrit. The word here is Sanskrit āsrava (or āśrava), whereas Sanskrit āsava means “intoxicant”, a sense found elsewhere in Pali (Bu Pc 51:2.1.4).

↩ sn38.8:1.1