Kleshas as Emotional Root Causes

The Yoga Sutras identify five kleshas (afflictions) as the root causes of all psychological suffering: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego/false identity), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of dissolution). Rather than treating individual emotional symptoms, this framework identifies universal patterns generating emotional disturbance. Avidya represents fundamental misperception of reality; asmita creates identity-based emotional reactivity; raga and dvesha produce grasping and resistance; abhinivesha drives survival anxiety. By recognizing these five patterns at work beneath surface emotions, practitioners can address root causes rather than merely managing symptoms. This diagnostic framework transforms emotional regulation from problem-solving scattered emotional events into systematically addressing core misconceptions and fear-based patterns, enabling genuine freedom rather than temporary relief.