aśraya (Sanskrit). A basis, support, or foundation. In Buddhist Sanskrit sources a term used in various contexts as a synonym for the ‘storehouse consciousness’ (ālaya-vijñāna) as the basis or support of the other six consciousnesses (vijñāna) or sense-modalities. It is through the restructuring or transformation (parāvṛtti) of the āśraya that enlightenment (bodhi) is attained. Less commonly the term is used of the body itself as the substrate or support for conscious experience by means of the sense-organs. See also āśraya-parāvṛtti.

A Dictionary of Buddhism, Oxford University Press, 2003, 2004 (which is available in electronic version from answer.com)

āśraya: Supporting basis.

Sarvastivada Abhidharma, Sanskrit-English Glossary, by Bhikkhu KL Dhammajoti