Kleshas: The Five Afflictions as Root Conflicts Between Parts

The five kleshas—ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion, and fear of death—are, in Patanjali's system, the root causes of all suffering. They are not moral failings but fundamental misperceptions of reality that create internal fragmentation and defensive reactivity. In Internal Family Systems, these kleshas appear as the core wounds and beliefs that generate part formation. Avidya (ignorance) manifests as parts that misunderstand their own role or misinterpret past events; asmita generates the false identities parts assume; raga (attachment) drives parts' desperate clinging to survival strategies; dvesha (aversion) fuels parts' aggressive rejection of vulnerability; abhinivesha (fear of annihilation) underlies all protective exiles. Mapping the kleshas onto your internal system reveals the deeper logic of part formation: each part's extreme position is actually an attempt to solve one or more of these fundamental afflictions. By working directly with the kleshas—bringing awareness and clarity to the misperceptions they represent—practitioners address the root causes rather than merely managing symptoms. This depth of understanding accelerates healing and creates genuine freedom.