Klesha translates to poison in Sanskrit and refers to the obstacles which are preventing you from enlightenment. Practicing yoga by meditation or pranayama, you will burn these kleshas and purify the mind. The five kleshas are avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesha (avoidance), and abhinivesha (fear).
The Five Kleshas & How To Solve Them
The Kleshas cannot live in the light of the consciousness, therefore practicing your awareness is the first step to make the Kleshas to lose their power. The five Kleshas, causes of suffering, or poisons of the mind are all connected to our ego. Not to be confused with the Yama and Niyamas are the moral and ethical paths to enlightenment, but to be successful with attaining freedom from samsara, you must understand the obstacles and free ourselves from these.
Patanjali describes four stages to overcome the kleshas in the Yoga Sutras, the active stage (udaram), the separated stage (vicchinna), the attenuated stage (tanu) and the dormant stage (parsupta).
The Five Kleshas Explained
Avidya (Ignorance)
Vidya translates to knowledge and Avidya to ignorance. The idea of avidya is that we don't perceive universe as it is, that we experience a distortion of reality. We are living in an avatar having a human experience. Your life is temporary, and so is everything you attach to it and meet and experience on the way.
Change is the only temporary thing in life, therefore you should practice embracing it. Age with grace, don't use drugs or alcohol to further disort your reality (although the experience might be positive, it is hurting you). Understanding that your life is not permanent, nor is what you attach to it. Practice your awareness of not being defined by your emotions, political believes and so on.
Asmita (Ego)
The ego itself is not bad, yet the yogic idea is that you should not be able to fully understand what is your ego and separate it from yourself. Your ego can be compared to an avatar, in which you are navigating the material world, Maya. If you are aware to differentiate from who you really are, the Self, this is not an obstacle.
Asmita is referring to a large ego, where you actually believe that you are what you wear, your career, your lifestyle or even your body. When you lose your job or retire, when you age or gain weight, when you get children and can't keep up with your previous lifestyle - the suffering will be immense since this is actually not who you are, only attached to your ego. Practice awareness, and understand that how you choose to form your lifestyle, believes, mindset and everything you attach to your life - is only temporary.
Raga (Attachment)
Raga can be compared to the cycle of addiction and are your attachments and desires. Desires are the root cause of all our sufferings. We desire something, get a kick out of it, yet never feel fully satisfied, so we need more or something else letting this circle of attachment to start all over again.
Raga is the things you attach to it. By nature, we are collectors to survive hard times, yet, overcorrecting can cause immense suffering. When you are hoarding memories, you will only life in your past and not this present.
Another example is of attachment to material things. We buy things we really want and often believe it will change our lives, but that is never the outcome. So you once become trapped in a circle of wanting to consume something else. No brand will every change your life and make you become more yourself, you are already you and will only attach the story of those brands on your ego.
Practice Aprigraha, the art of letting go, to face life with an open mind and soul. Everything in life is temporary and over-attaching to anybody or anything will cause you suffering.
Dvesha (Avoidances & dislikes)
Dveshas are the opposite of ragas and are our strong dislikes and avoidances, both in behavior and thought, such as "I don't like the color blue", "I would never try that", "I would never vote for...".
Dveshas are your limiting believes which are holding you back to living your life fully by clinging onto what is known and feels safe. Try to experiment being more open minded. Next time you go to a restaurant, order something you wouldn't usually try out. What we like and dislike are only a product of our ego.
In Ayurveda you never eat for the taste, you eat what is good for your body and mind by learning your dosha and following a diet plan. Taste will change during your lifetime, you will not enjoy the same foods throughout your whole life.
Be aware of your avoiding behaviors and habits. You are not your past experiences, your likings, your diet, your thoughts. Embrace life without limiting yourself to what is already known.
Abhinivesha (Fear of death)
Abhinivesha is the fear of death which is deeply rooted in our subconscious for our survival. By clinging on to life, you will not be free if you fear death.
You can face this fear by living your life to the fullest by thinking "If this was my last day on earth - how would I spend my day?". Often this mindset will bring you to fully living out that day, by prioritizing your day from your heart and not your fears. You will make the time to call your family, talk your friends and have a more spiritual mindset for that day.
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