ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Kashaya (Jainism)

Kashaya is a word from the Jain religion and it refers to harmful emotions like anger, greed, and deceit that can stop us from being kind to others and finding inner peace. Imagine that these emotions are like big, heavy stones that we carry around with us.

Just like carrying a heavy backpack can make walking very difficult, carrying kashaya can make our lives hard and unhappy. Jainism teaches us that if we want to be happy and kind, we need to let go of the kashaya, just like we would drop those heavy stones.

To let go of kashaya, Jains practice things like meditation, self-reflection, and being kind to others. It's not always easy, just like dropping those heavy stones is not easy, but it's worth it because it can make us happier and more peaceful.

In the end, the goal of Jainism is to eliminate all kashaya and attain moksha, which is a state of ultimate freedom and enlightenment.