Klesha: The Three Poisons as Psychological Roots

Klesha literally means 'affliction' or 'poison'; Abhidharma identifies ignorance (moha), attachment (lobha), and aversion (dosa) as the three primary mental poisons from which all other afflictive states arise. Ignorance is fundamental misperception of reality—mistaking impermanent phenomena for permanent, non-self for self, and suffering for satisfaction. Attachment follows naturally from this delusion, as consciousness clings to what it falsely believes will bring lasting happiness. Aversion emerges as consciousness pushes away what it perceives as threatening. These three operate together in every moment of suffering-bound consciousness. Patanjali's yoga psychology directly addresses kleshas through meditation and ethical discipline; by observing these poisons operating in one's own mind without judgment, their grip weakens. Abhidharma provides the precise phenomenological map of how kleshas function—they are neither personality traits nor moral failures but habitual mental patterns based on misperception. Understanding this reframes psychological work from self-blame to clear-eyed investigation. Each klesha can be analyzed: What maintains this pattern? What conditions its arising? How does awareness itself undermine its operation? Through such investigation combined with Patanjali's practices, kleshas are directly uprooted rather than merely suppressed.