Kleshas (क्लेशाः)

Kleshas (Samskrit: क्लेशाः) are the obstacles that a spiritual aspirant encounters in the path of Yoga sadhana. Various kinds of kleshas are mental afflictions accumulated over various births. The mind is restless because of mental modifications or thoughts (Chitta Vrttis) influenced by some elements which either bring happiness or suffering. Maharshi Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras mentions these elements that disturb the mind's equilibrium as the five-fold pain-causing obstructions known as the panch-kleshas.

चित्तवृत्तयः ॥ Chitta Vrttis

Vrttis are formed from Samskaras or impressions on the mind and vice versa, and this is a perpetual cycle.

वृत्तयः पञ्चतय्यः क्लिष्टाक्लिष्टाः ॥ १.५ ॥ (Yoga. Sutr. 1.5)

The gross and subtle thought patterns (Vrttis) can be classified into five categories, and can be either of Klishta (afflictive or accompanied by Pancha Kleshas and cause sufferings) or Aklishta (non-afflictive or not accompanied by Kleshas and cause happiness) nature.

क्लिष्ट वृत्तयः ॥ Klishta Vrttis

When the various types of vrttis or modifications arising in the mind are born from the afflictions that are caused from avidya and become the seeds of future actions then they are called Klishta vrttis.

Maharshi Patanjali in Sadhana pada of Yogasutras enlists the five elements which bring about thought modifications (vrttis) of the mind known as Kleshas. They are

अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः क्लेशाः ॥ २.३ ॥ (Yoga. Sutr. 2.3)

Meaning: Ignorance (अविद्या), Egoism (अस्मिता), Desire or attachment (राग), Aversion (द्वेष), and clinging to life (due to fear of death) (अभिनिवेश) are kleshas.

Avidya is the inevitable ignorance of spiritual nature or knowledge of self. Ignorance of true nature is the cause of pain and the other four elements are its effects. Asmita and others carry the ignorance with them and cannot exist without Avidya. It is for that reason that they are destroyed with the destruction of Avidya.

क्लेशा इति पञ्च विपर्यया इत्य् अर्थः।

Maharshi Vyasa in his commentary describes kleshas as the five forms of Viparyaya or incorrect (wrong) knowledge.

अविद्या ॥ Avidya (Ignorance)

Nature of Avidya is described as

अनित्याशुचिदुःखानात्मसु नित्यशुचिसुखात्मख्यातिर् अविद्या ॥ २.५ ॥ (Yoga. Sutr. 2.5)

Avidya has the characteristics of incorrect knowledge where transient things are considered as eternal, impure things (lustfulness etc.,) are incorrectly considered as pure, objects causing dukkha or unhappiness are considered to be the source of happiness and lastly, incorrectly regarding Anatma (non-self) or the body as Atman. Incorrect considerations are as follows

• अनित्ये कार्ये नित्यख्यातिः। तद्यथा --- ध्रुवा पृथिवी, ध्रुवा सचन्द्रतारका द्यौः, अमृता दिवौकस इति। Considering what is Anitya (transient in nature) as Nitya. Example: Believing that earth, sun, moon, stars etc., as eternal and not formed (those having origin and destruction). This belief is termed Avidya.
• अशुचौ शुचिख्यातिर् दृश्यते। Considering what is Asuchi as Shuchi. To regard Ashuchi such as lustfulness and untruthfulness as Shuchi is the second kind of Avidya.
• दुःखे सुखख्यातिर् अविद्या। Considering sources of suffering or Dukha as a source of pleasure or Sukha is another form of Avidya. Example: considering sexual indulgence as a source of happiness, whilst it causes suffering.
• अनात्मन्यात्मख्यातिर् इति। Considering Anatma (non-self) as Atman (self). बाह्योपकरणेषु चेतनाचेतनेषु भोगाधिष्ठाने वा शरीरे पुरुषोपकरणे वा मनस्य् अनात्मन्य् आत्मख्यातिर् इति। Believing that external worldly animate and inanimate objects are the seat of Bhoga (pleasure experiences) or the senses, manas buddhi of a person, a physical body, which is not the Atman (non-self) as Atman is a kind of Avidya or incorrect knowledge.

These four dimensions to Avidya are the cause of bondage for the Atman. Nitya and Anitya vastu viveka (discrimination between the true self (Atman) and non-self (physical body and worldly things)) is Vidya. Avidya is removed by this true knowledge and leads a person to Moksha.

अस्मिता ॥ Asmita (Egoism)

Asmita (Egoism) is described as

दृग्दर्शनशक्त्योर् एकात्मतेवास्मिता ॥ २.६ ॥ (Yoga. Sutr. 2.6)

To identify consciousness with that which merely reflects consciousness - this is Asmita.

पुरुषो दृक्शक्तिर् बुद्धिर् दर्शनशक्तिर् इत्य् एतयोर् एकस्वरूपापत्तिर् इवास्मिता क्लेश उच्यते। (Vyasa Bhasya for Yoga. Sutr. 2.6)

Purusha is identified as the subjective power of consciousness and Buddhi is said to have the power of seeing (cognition) - the appearance of identity of both these powers is the affliction known as Asmita. They are the self and non-self, respectively, quite distinct from each other and are not identical.

रागः ॥ Raga (Attachment)

Raga (Attachment) is described by Maharshi Patanjali as

सुखानुशयी रागः ॥ २.७ ॥ सुखाभिज्ञस्य सुखानुस्मृतिपूर्वः सुखे तत्साधने वा यो गर्धस् तृष्णा लोभः स राग इति। (Yoga. Sutr. and Bhashya 2.7)

Attachment is that which dwells upon pleasure. The desire to possess, the hankering for pleasure or its means, preceded by a remembrance of the pleasure in one who has enjoyed it, is Raga or attachment.

द्वेषः ॥ Dvesha (Aversion)

Dvesha is described in Yogasutras as

दुःखानुशयी द्वेषः ॥ २.८ ॥ दुःखाभिज्ञस्य दुःखानुस्मृतिपूर्वो दुःखे तत्साधने वा यः प्रतिघो मन्युर्जिघांसा क्रोधः स द्वेषः। २.८ (Yoga. Sutr. and Bhashya 2.8)

Aversion is that which dwells on pain. Aversion consists of anger and a wish for removal of pain and its means, preceded by a persisting remembrance of pain in one who experienced it, is Dvesha or Aversion.

अभिनिवेशः ॥ Abhinivesha (Clinging to Life)

Yogasutras describe the fifth element Abhinivesha as

स्वरसवाही विदुषोऽपि तथा रूढोऽभिनिवेशः ॥ २.९ ॥ सर्वस्य प्राणिन इयम् आत्माशीर् नित्या भवति मा न भूवं भूयासम् इति। न चाननुभूतमरणधर्मकस्यैषा भवत्य् आत्माशीः। (Yoga. Sutr. and Bhashya 2.9)

In all living beings is a constant wish - "May I never be extinct.' 'May I continue to exist.' Such a wish cannot exist in him who has not experienced the nature of death, and by this we infer that this experience is of a former life. Termed as Abhinivesha, this affliction is a kind of Avidya which flows on its own potency common to both learned and ignorant. This fear cannot be explained by perception, verbal and inferential methods. Abhinivesha proceeds from the memory of former experiences; and since none in this life experienced the pain of death, it must follow that the fear of death is the result of the unconscious memory of the experience of a former state of life - and this fear of death is the cause of attachment to life.

Destruction of Kleshas

The main cause of the four Kleshas - Asmita, Raga, Dvesha and Abhinivesha is Avidya as seen in the previous sections.

Kleshas or afflictions and their modifications can be attenuated by active meditation. They are destroyed by contemplative wisdom till they become subtle, seed forms which are nearly burnt; they still exist as tendencies (samskaras). These tendencies are only destroyed when the mind is resolved back into its cause, that is, Prakriti from where the mind was projected. On the dissolution of the active mind (of a Yogi) the aforesaid five afflictions, having their seeds nearly burnt up, disappear together with the mind. Thus Yogasutras informs the reader about ways to remove the impressions on the mind through contemplative wisdom and meditation.

Throughout the arduous journey towards total consciousness, an individual is subject to the Laws of Karma. His desires and acts regulate the speed of his progress. He creates or removes the obstacles in his path towards enlightenment.