Klesha: The Five Afflictions

Patanjali identifies the Kleshas—five fundamental afflictions or distortions—as the root causes of all psychological suffering and mental turbulence: Avidya (ignorance of true nature), Asmita (ego-identification), Raga (attachment to pleasure), Dvesha (aversion to pain), and Abhinivesha (fear of death). These aren't moral failings but rather fundamental misperceptions that arise from identifying with the limited mind-body complex rather than consciousness itself. Understanding the Kleshas provides a sophisticated psychological map predating modern psychology by millennia. Each affliction generates specific patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior that perpetuate suffering. Meditation serves as the primary tool for systematically exposing and dissolving these patterns. By observing thoughts and emotions without judgment, practitioners directly see how the Kleshas operate in their experience. This recognition alone begins their dissolution. Rather than fighting afflictions, Patanjali's approach involves clear seeing—as awareness illuminates these patterns, they naturally lose their power, enabling genuine cognitive and emotional transformation.