Suffering is an inevitable part of the human experience. However, by honing our skills and increasing our awareness, we have the power to control the extent and depth of our suffering. Ancient yogis identified the kleshas, or the five poisons, as the root cause of our suffering. These "poisons" cloud our minds and distort our perceptions, influencing our thoughts, actions, and emotions.
Five Types of Kleshas (Causes of Suffering)
The five primary kleshas vary in their impact on our psyche, ranging from minor disturbances to complete ignorance. Not only do these kleshas lead to suffering, but they also trap us in the cycle of birth and rebirth, hindering our path to enlightenment.
The Pancha Kleshas (five afflictions) are important concepts in Yoga and Samkhya philosophy that explain the causes of suffering and mental affliction. "Klesha" means mental or spiritual afflictions. The Pancha Kleshas are mentioned in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, which are considered the root causes of suffering and unrest in human life. These five kleshas are as follows:
अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः पञ्च क्लेशाःअविद्यारिया, अस्मिता, राग, द्वेष और अभिनिवेशा।
(योग शास्त्र, साधना पाद-3)
What are the 5 kleshas?
''Avidyasmitaragadweshaabhinivesha''
- Avidya
- Asmita
- Raga
- Dwesha
- Abhinivesha
There are five types of these five kleshas, which also mean five types of false knowledge. Pancha Klesha is the cause of all types of man's suffering.
1. Avidya (ignorance)
This is the most important klesha, which is considered to be the root cause of all other kleshas. Avidya means not knowing and not accepting the thing as it is. It is also called "Avivek". According to Sankhya philosophy, Maharishi Kapil has described it as not knowing the difference between nature, soul, and Brahma. Due to ignorance, the soul remains trapped in the cycle of birth and death in the world and experiences suffering while wandering in different species. "Bandho Viparyayat" means ignorance is the cause of bondage. Main reasons. Maharishi Gautam has also considered ignorance to be the root cause of suffering.
Avidya gives rise to defects like attachment and hatred, which leads to the tendency to do good and bad deeds, which traps a person in the cycle of birth and death. Examples of this are:
- Considering the perishable body as a permanent
- Not believing in the theory of karma
- Not believing in the existence of the soul, the Supreme
- Expecting happiness from lust, anger, etc.
- Considering pleasure and luxury as the truth of life
With the destruction of ignorance, the cycle of defects, tendencies, and birth and death ends, and suffering ends.
2. Asmita (Ego)
Asmita means considering the soul, intellect, mind, and body as one. The feeling or experience of 'I' and 'mine' is called Asmita. Because the soul is related to salvation, the mind is related to lust, the intellect is related to religion, and the body is related to wealth. Understanding and identifying these four separately is the true knowledge. Due to ego, a person gets confused about his true nature and remains trapped in worldly attachment.
3. Raga (attachment)
Raga means attachment or attraction towards an object or experience. It arises when a person gets too attached to pleasant experiences and is unable to separate from them. Raga means the desire to enjoy pleasure again after experiencing it. The mind of a person gets attached again and again in the desire to enjoy pleasure. Happiness and sorrow are matters of the mind, and the one who has conquered the mind is the truly happy one. Due to Raga, a person remains trapped in the cycle of sorrow and dissatisfaction.
4. Dwesha (hatred)
Hatred is the feeling of hatred that arises in a person's mind when he experiences sorrow and hatred. The negative sanskaras that remain in the mind after experiencing sorrow are hatred. Hatred creates feelings of discord, discontent, and hostility in the mind, due to which a person loses mental peace.
5. Abhinivesh (fear of death)
Abhinivesh means being obsessed with the fear of death. This fear does not allow a person to accept the truth of life and he experiences stress in life by considering death as sorrow. This suffering always keeps a person's mind restless and fearful.
The path to liberation from the Pancha Kleshas or Five Afflictions
Overcoming the kleshas
The initial step in addressing the kleshas is to acknowledge their presence. Engaging in reflection fosters self-awareness, self-understanding, and self-knowledge, allowing us to uncover and recognize the kleshas and their underlying causes, as well as how they contribute to our suffering. By shining the light of our awareness on these shadowy aspects of ourselves, we can diminish their ability to cause us distress.
Until a person is free from these five afflictions, he cannot experience true happiness. The only way to get freedom from afflictions in the cycle of happiness and sorrow is Kriyayoga, which is based on three main means.
1. Tapas (righteous action): Performing righteous action in every situation and abandoning unrighteousness.
2. Swadhyaya (scripture study): Studying the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and philosophies and associating with scholars who speak and preach the truth.
3. Ishvarapranidhan (devotion to God): Dedicating the mind and soul to the devotion, praise, and worship of God.
Only through these means can a person be free from all types of suffering and attain the ultimate bliss of salvation. Longing for any other easy path is only confusing.
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