Patanjali's kleshas—avidya, asmita, raga, dvesha, abhinivesha—are root afflictions that burden parts and perpetuate protective cycles; recognizing them enables unburdenment.
The kleshas are five fundamental afflictions in Patanjali's system: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment/craving), dvesha (aversion/hatred), and abhinivesha (fear of death/change). These are not character flaws but universal patterns that create suffering when unexamined. In IFS, parts carry these kleshas as burdens: a manager part operates from avidya, ignorant of the system's true capacity; an exile carries abhinivesha, frozen in fear that opening will mean annihilation; a firefighter embodies raga and dvesha, compulsively chasing relief and fleeing pain. The genius of recognizing kleshas is that they are treatable. Through compassionate exploration, practitioners help parts understand how these afflictions, though real, are secondary layers obscuring the part's essential nature and gifts. Unburdening in IFS directly addresses these kleshas: parts gradually release the ignorance that fueled their strategy, soften their rigid identity, and discover flexibility. Patanjali's framework suggests this work is not just psychological but existential liberation.
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