The kleshas are five core mental afflictions including ignorance and ego; understanding these roots reveals why secure attachment feels threatening to insecure patterns.
Patanjali identifies five kleshas—fundamental afflictions including avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment/craving), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death)—as sources of suffering. In relationship attachment, these kleshas operate together: ignorance about your own wounds leads to ego-driven defensiveness; raga manifests as anxious clinging; dvesha as cold withdrawal; abhinivesha as fear that abandonment will destroy you. For example, anxious attachment combines avidya (not understanding your genuine worth), asmita (protecting a fragile identity), and raga (desperate grasping for reassurance). Avoidant attachment reflects dvesha (aversion to intimacy) and abhinivesha (fear of engulfment). By identifying which kleshas dominate your attachment style, you address root causes rather than surface symptoms, creating sustainable transformation toward secure relating grounded in clarity, self-worth, and genuine interdependence.
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