Five fundamental afflictions that actively distort perception and lock false beliefs in place through suffering.
The kleshas are five fundamental afflictions that Patanjali identifies as sources of suffering and belief distortion: ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion, and fear of death. These aren't character flaws but universal patterns that corrupt how we form and maintain beliefs. Ignorance (avidya) causes us to mistake the temporary for the eternal and the non-self for self. Egoism (asmita) makes us defend beliefs as evidence of our worth. Attachment (raga) causes us to cling to beliefs that feel good while aversion (dvesha) makes us reject information that challenges our worldview. Fear of death (abhinivesha) locks us into survival-based beliefs even when they no longer serve us. These five kleshas interact to create closed belief systems where contradictory evidence is automatically dismissed. Understanding the kleshas reveals that false beliefs aren't chosen but activated by these underlying afflictions. Freedom requires addressing the root afflictions rather than merely debating the beliefs they generate. This framework recontextualizes belief change from intellectual argument to spiritual development.
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