Kleshas: Root Causes of Psychological Suffering

The Yoga Sutras identify five kleshas—avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego-identification), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death)—as the root afflictions generating all suffering. This framework parallels CBT's functional analysis of psychological problems: each behavio­ral or emotional disorder stems from fundamental misconceptions and conditioned patterns. Avidya, mistaking the temporary for permanent, connects to CBT's work with catastrophizing and overgeneralization. Asmita, identifying with the ego, underlies perfectionism and shame. Raga and dvesha manifest as approach and avoidance behaviors driving anxiety and depression. Understanding kleshas helps practitioners recognize that surface symptoms (panic attacks, depressive episodes) reflect deeper misperceptions about self, world, and safety. Rather than treating symptoms in isolation, the kleshic framework encourages identifying the fundamental belief distortion maintaining the problem. This deepens CBT's cognitive restructuring by connecting individual thoughts to their philosophical roots. When you trace anxious thoughts to fear of death or depressive thoughts to ego-identification, transformation targets the actual operating system, not just surface symptoms.