firewns,
“There are those who crave…”, so they ARE cravings.
So I would say they may be subtle forms of kamasava, but still the bhavasava for them can be very strong. Though gross sensuality (sexuality) is not there, the craving for that love, respect, admiration may be very strong.
From /seeking-nibbana/nibbana-removal-of-asavas/:
- Bhavāsava is the craving for particular kind of existence, say as a human, deva, or a brahma; any living being, in any realm, craves for existence.-
And just preceding that:
-Kāmāsava are associated with sense pleasures.-
The question is : Is love a sense pleasure? I do not include respect and admiration here, because there is a sense of ego in both – respect FOR ME, admiration FOR ME. And, yes, craving love FOR ME. But when love is for the other, pleasure is derived from giving that love, so a subtle form of selfishness remains even there.
Personally, I do not regard love or loving (in the purest sense possible for a human)as a sense pleasure because that love will be the same just thinking lovingly of the other without the need of the five physical senses. (Mind is the sixth,true, but it in not physical).
Others will have different views, which I welcome.
Metta