The five kleshas are root afflictions (ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion, fear); understanding these illuminates the deep patterns that drive protective parts.
Patanjali identifies five kleshas—fundamental afflictions or obstacles to liberation: avidya (ignorance), asmita (false self), raga (attachment/craving), dvesha (aversion/hatred), and abhinivesha (fear of death/dissolution). These are not moral failings but structural patterns in consciousness. In Parts work, the kleshas help explain what wounds or beliefs drive protective parts into their roles. An exile might be formed from avidya (ignorance about safety), manifesting dvesha (aversion to experience). A protective manager might be shaped by abhinivesha—fear of annihilation through chaos—driving rigid control. By understanding which kleshas shape a part's strategy, clinicians can approach the part with greater compassion and precision. Patanjali's framework suggests that these afflictions aren't eradicated but transcended through clarity and practice. In IFS terms, parts can be unburdened of their protective missions and beliefs rooted in these afflictions, restoring their original wholeness. The kleshas provide philosophical depth to understanding part psychology.
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