In Jainism, leshyā (लेश्या) means the “coloring of the soul” according to our thoughts, emotions and intentions. It is a very important and practical concept, and both Digambar and Shvetambar accept it in the same basic way.

I’ll explain in simple steps:

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1. What is leshya?

• Every soul (jiva) is naturally pure, full of knowledge and bliss.
• But when we think with anger, greed, ego, or intense attachment, karmic particles stick to the soul.
• These passions “color” the soul. This coloring is called leshya.

So:

• Good, peaceful thoughts → lighter / purer leshya
• Bad, violent thoughts → darker / impure leshya

You can think of it like: > The same clear crystal looks black, red, yellow, white, etc. depending on what’s kept behind it. > Similarly, the pure soul appears different according to its leshya.

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2. Six types of leshya (from worst to best)

Jain scriptures describe six leshyas, often shown as colors:

1. Krishna leshya – Black (कृष्ण लेश्या)

- Very cruel, violent, full of hatred. - Enjoys hurting others, no fear of sin. - Lies, cheats, harms without regret.

1. Neel leshya – Blue (नील लेश्या)

- Jealous, depressed, negative thinking. - Feels unhappy at others’ happiness. - May not always act violently, but mind is very impure.

1. Kapot leshya – Grey / Brown (कपोत लेश्या)

- Lazy, careless, irresponsible. - Knows right and wrong but keeps postponing good work. - Easily influenced towards wrong.

1. Tejo leshya – Red (तेजो लेश्या)

- Wants to do good, has energy and courage. - But still some anger, pride or attachment remain. - Mixture of good and bad; moving upward but not pure yet.

1. Padma leshya – Yellow (पद्म लेश्या)

- Gentle, kind, disciplined. - Thinks before speaking, avoids hurting anyone. - Does punya (good deeds) with respect and humility.

1. Shukla leshya – White (शुक्ल लेश्या)

- Very pure, peaceful, full of compassion. - No hatred, no revenge, very little attachment. - This is the leshya of great saints and Arihant-like souls.

Important:

• First three (Black, Blue, Grey) = inauspicious, lead to more bondage of karma.
• Last three (Red, Yellow, White) = auspicious, lead towards liberation (moksha).

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3. Famous story to understand (tree example)

Six friends are hungry and see a fruit tree:

1. First: “Cut the whole tree from the root and take all fruits.”

→ Very destructive thought → Black leshya

1. Second: “Don’t cut the root, cut a big branch.”

→ Still harmful, but a little less → Blue leshya

1. Third: “No need big branch, cut only a small branch.”

→ Harmful but smaller scale → Grey leshya

1. Fourth: “Don’t cut any branch, just climb and pluck some fruits.”

→ Wants fruit but avoids major injury → Red leshya

1. Fifth: “Don’t pluck too many, just take what we need.”

→ Careful, avoids waste → Yellow leshya

1. Sixth: “First, let’s eat fruits lying on the ground.”

→ Minimum harm, very compassionate → White leshya

Same situation, different inner attitude = different leshya.

You can read this story in simple form here

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4. How can I know what leshya I have?

In practice, our leshya is not fixed. It changes many times a day according to our dominant thoughts and intentions.

You can self-check like this:

A. Look at your usual reactions

1. When someone insults you

- Think of hurting them, revenge, “I will destroy them” → moving towards Black / Blue. - Feel hurt but control yourself, try to respond properly → Red / Yellow. - Feel “This is due to my karma, let me stay calm and forgive” → Yellow / White.

1. When you see others’ success

- “I hope they fail, why not me?” → Blue (jealousy). - “I will also work hard, but happy for them” → Red / Yellow. - Genuine happiness for them, no comparison → Yellow / White.

1. When you can easily cheat or do wrong

- “Great chance, I will use it!” → Black / Blue. - Big inner fight, finally don’t do it out of fear or shame → Grey / Red. - Naturally feel, “This is wrong, I won’t do it” → Yellow / White.

B. Check your inner habits

Ask yourself honestly (no one else can judge your leshya):

• Do I often enjoy talking negatively about others?
• Do I quickly get angry or violent, even in thoughts?
• Or do I feel naturally soft, forgiving, and calm?
• Do I care about the pain of even small beings (insects, plants, etc.)?
• Am I ready to cause big harm just for my small benefit?

The more you see:

• anger, ego, greed, jealousy, cruelty → darker leshya.
• forgiveness, humility, contentment, compassion → lighter leshya.

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5. How to improve (purify) my leshya?

Jain dharma gives a very clear method. You don’t need to know the exact color; you just need to keep purifying your thoughts.

Daily things you can do

1. Ahimsa in mind, speech, body

- Avoid hurting anyone, even in thought. - Do not enjoy videos / talks of violence or cruelty.

1. Samayik (सामायिक)

- Sit quietly for some time, keep all beings in friendship (maitrī), - Think: “I am a pure soul; these passions are separate from me.” - This strongly improves leshya.

1. Pratikraman (प्रतिक्रमण)

- At least once a day, remember: “Where did I get angry today? Where was I selfish? Whom did I hurt?” - Feel real regret and decide: “I will try not to repeat.” - This reduces dark leshya.

1. Bhakti and Swadhyaya

- Remember qualities of Arihant, Siddha, and great sadhus. - Read / listen to Jain teachings. - When we think of pure souls and dharma, our own leshya becomes lighter.

1. Forgiveness (Kshamā)

- Make it a habit to forgive quickly. - If you can’t forgive immediately, at least decide: “I will not take revenge.”

1. Limit desires (Aparigraha)

- The more we run after things, the more we disturb our mind. - Simple living, fewer wants → calmer mind → purer leshya.

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6. Digambar & Shvetambar view

• Both traditions accept the same six leshyas and the same basic idea:

leshya = coloring of soul by mental states.

• Names, order, and meaning are essentially the same; there is no major doctrinal difference here.

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7. Important reminder

• No human can see their leshya as an actual color.
• Only very elevated beings (like Kevali Bhagwan) truly know all details.
• For us, the safe way is:

> Whenever you see cruelty, jealousy, strong anger inside → understand: > “Right now my leshya is going down; I must correct my thoughts.”

So instead of worrying “Exactly which leshya do I have?”, focus on:

• “How can I be a little more kind, peaceful, honest, and detached today than yesterday?”

By doing this slowly, you naturally move from dark leshya → light leshya → towards Shukla leshya, and closer to your own pure soul.