The Kleshas - Part 2

     In the previous blog ( https://somalumina-yoga.mykajabi.com/blog/the-kleshas)  I began to address the Sanskrit term, kleshas.  In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali five kleshas are listed as the causes of our mental suffering and pain.  The five kleshas are avidya(ignorance), asmita( I-feeling), raga(likes/attraction), dvesha (dislike/aversion); and abhinivesha (fear of death).  Kleshas arise as painful thought waves. Avidya, or ignorance, is the root of suffering and the cause of the other four kleshas.

     In the last blog I made the analogy of the contents of the mind being like a cluttered closet that is so full we cannot gain access to the secret door way in the back. Like a cluttered closet, a cluttered mind presents chaos rather than peace. Through our avidya, or ignorance,  we continue to collect experiences or objects in the outer world for our mind to collect clutter further impeding access to the secret door.  The kesha of ignorance does not allow us to see that the secret door even exists. We, instead, becomes preoccupied and disturbed by what we do see which is a very messy world leading to a messy closet (mind).

     This ignorance does not come from a lack of knowledge about things in the world, but the lack of knowing who we are.  The teachings of yoga say that we mistake ourselves with the Seen rather than the Seer.  This means that we believe ourselves to be nothing more than what our sense organs perceive through our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin and our thoughts.  We do not recognize ourselves as having conscious awareness outside the confines of our body-mind complex. This conscious awareness is the Seer unaffected by the experiences of the senses and not moved by thoughts of likes nor dislikes.  The Seer holds no judgement, and sustains a state of peace and internal joy.

     Ignorance separates us from this deeper knowing of ourselves. In ignorance it’s hard to know we are ignorant, and the suffering that results from it. This ignorance leads to experiences that further reinforce a sense of individual identity (asmita) and separation from individual pure consciousness or purusha. The reality of individual pure consciousness awaits on the other side of the secret door.

     The teachings of yoga state the goal in life is to experience and liberate our individual consciousness from the confines of self-identity (asmita).  Yet, we mistake our mind with its thought activities to be the only real experience.  In ignorance we build asmita and over identify with our body-mind complex.  Do we actually think rationally or do we express beliefs only through our lens of self-identity? One way of examining this is if you disagree with someone else, do you only argue your point or do you try to see from the other person's perspective. Also, are you willing to let someone else state their opinion without needing to voice your own?  What we say reinforces our self- identity.

     We get caught in a world of duality that separates self-identity from all else.  In the process of separation there exists likes (raga) and dislikes (dvesha).   With our self -identity we establish our likes and dislikes and behave with either attraction toward the likes and aversion from the dislikes. When outcomes do not meet expectation of what we would like to happen, then we suffer. Even having outcomes align with our likes presents suffering as everything is temporary.  Recently, a friend told me of a purchase of a brand new car. He drove it through the car wash after it collected salt in one of the winter storms and apparently it was cold enough in the car wash that water droplets turned to ice and made scratch marks all over his brand new car.  The thrill of a new car was suddenly turned to disappointment. At some point that which we like goes away. Do you suffer from the loss? That is the klesha of attachment to our likes.  Conversely, it is easier to see how our dislikes bring suffering to our minds. If you do not get along with a co-worker this will stir up the dvesha klesha and may even cause the mind not to be able to have restful sleep.

     Abhinivesha is the hardest klesha to declutter.  Who is truly not afraid of death?  According to the Yoga Sutras even the wise have trouble overcoming this klesha. We seem to be neurologically programmed through our fight or fight response to survive and avoid death. This would be appropriate if we are being chased by a bear.  However, when not in immanent danger is it appropriate for the mind to get agitated over the fear of death when shopping in a crowded store? To imagine a fear that a random shooter is going to be at the store everytime you shop such that you avoid shopping at large stores is abhinivesha klesha in action.   

     In addition to the death of the body, there is the fear of death to the ego which is just as impactful.  To end a relationship can be an ego blow to the sense of belonging. To be fired from a job can feel like an ego blow to self-worth. Ego has a sense of loss and the abhinivesha klesha takes hold.

     So what is one to do with these kleshas? Yoga practices is the way to attenuate the impact of the kleshas on the mind. According to the Yoga Sutras the practices of yoga restraints in actions, self-observances, postures, breath practices, and meditation are to move the mind from a state of disturbance to a single-focused mind and ultimately to samadhi. Yoga practices de-clutter the mind from chaos to have access to the secret door. Behind the secret door is samadhi which stabilizes the mind in its peaceful state and makes sure that the closet remains uncluttered.