Kleshas - Five Root Afflictions Generating Bias

The kleshas are the five root afflictions from which all psychological suffering and distortion emerge: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death/dissolution). Every cognitive bias traces back to one or more kleshas. Availability bias emerges from ignorance and attachment; hindsight bias from ego protection; negativity bias from aversion. Rather than treating biases as isolated phenomena, the klesha framework reveals their interconnection in a coherent psychological system. Ignorance forms the foundation—misunderstanding reality's nature. Ego protection then distorts perception to maintain identity. Attachment and aversion amplify bias by making certain outcomes feel essential. Fear of dissolution drives defensive distortions. Understanding kleshas provides a complete psychological map: biases aren't random errors but predictable distortions flowing from these five root patterns. This systemic view enables targeted practice: addressing root afflictions dissolves multiple biases simultaneously rather than fighting distortions one by one without addressing their source.