The kleshas are five fundamental misunderstandings (avidya, asmita, raga, dvesha, abhinivesha) that distort belief formation; recognizing them reveals how incorrect beliefs arise and persist.
Patanjali identifies five kleshas—fundamental afflictions or misunderstandings—that distort our beliefs about reality. Avidya (ignorance) is the root: believing the impermanent is permanent and the non-self is self. From this ignorance arise asmita (ego-identity), raga (attachment to pleasure), dvesha (aversion to pain), and abhinivesha (fear of death). These five mechanisms create the belief systems that cause suffering. For example, from avidya emerges the false belief that happiness comes from external circumstances, generating raga (believing 'I need this to be happy') and dvesha (believing 'this threatens my happiness'). Understanding the kleshas reveals that many of our most strongly-held beliefs are not reflections of truth but defensive mechanisms rooted in fundamental misunderstandings about the nature of reality and self. The kleshas explain why intelligent people hold irrational beliefs—these beliefs feel true because they're rooted in deep psychological and perceptual distortions. By studying the kleshas, we can identify which of these five afflictions is driving our particular belief patterns and work systematically to uproot the ignorance beneath them.
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