leśyā

leśyā, (Sanskrit: “light,” “tint”), according to Jainism, a religion of India, the special aura of the soul that can be described in terms of colour, scent, touch, and taste and that indicates the stage of spiritual progress reached by the creature, whether human, animal, demon, or divine. The leśyā is determined by the adherence of karmic matter to the soul, resulting from both good and bad actions. This adherence is compared to the way in which particles of dust adhere to a body smeared with oil.

The jīva, or soul, is classified according to the good or bad emotions that hold sway. Thus the saleśī (“having leśyā”) are all those who are swayed by any of the emotions, and the aleśī are those liberated beings (siddhas) who no longer experience any feelings, neither pain nor pleasure, not even humour. The three bad emotions (ill will, envy, and untruthfulness) give the leśyā a bitter taste, harsh or dull colour, a smell that can be likened to the odour of a dead cow, and a texture rougher than the blade of a saw. The three good emotions (good will, union with goodness, and nondistinction) lend the aura the fragrance of sweet flowers, the softness of butter, a taste sweeter than fruit or honey, and a pleasing hue ranging from bright red to pure white.