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The Kleshas: The Five Causes of Suffering
Patanjali names five deep-rooted afflictions that colour the mind and cause our suffering — and yoga is the path to loosening them.
The kleshas are the five afflictions or causes of suffering in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: avidya (ignorance of our true nature), asmita (egoism), raga (attachment/craving), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death/clinging to life). Avidya is the root of the others; yoga's practices gradually weaken them, easing suffering.
Why do we suffer? Patanjali's answer is precise: five kleshas — afflictions that cloud the mind and drive our pain. Understanding them is itself the beginning of freedom, because we can only loosen what we can see.
The five afflictions
Avidya is spiritual ignorance — mistaking the impermanent for the permanent, the not-self for the Self; it is the root of all the others. Asmita is egoism, the false identification with 'I' and 'mine'. Raga is attachment or craving — chasing pleasure. Dvesha is aversion — pushing away pain. Abhinivesha is the deep, instinctive clinging to life and fear of death that lives in all beings.
Loosening their grip
Yoga doesn't demand we destroy the kleshas by force, but weakens them steadily: through practice and self-awareness (kriya yoga), through meditation that thins their roots, and above all by dissolving avidya — seeing clearly what is lasting and what is not. As ignorance fades, egoism, craving, aversion and fear naturally loosen with it.
The kleshas are not a verdict but a map. Every practice that brings a little more clarity and equanimity is quietly working at their roots.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the five kleshas?
- The five kleshas (afflictions) in the Yoga Sutras are avidya (ignorance), asmita (egoism), raga (attachment/craving), dvesha (aversion) and abhinivesha (fear of death/clinging to life). Avidya is the root of the other four.
- What is avidya in yoga?
- Avidya is spiritual ignorance — mistaking the impermanent for the permanent and the not-self for the true Self. In the Yoga Sutras it is the root klesha, the source of egoism, craving, aversion and fear.
- How does yoga reduce suffering?
- By weakening the kleshas — through steady practice, self-awareness and meditation that dissolve ignorance (avidya). As we see more clearly what is lasting and what is not, craving, aversion and fear naturally loosen.
References
- Patanjali, Yoga Sutras 2.3–2.9 · Classical text — The five kleshas and their nature.
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