The root cause of the other four kleshas. In the Yoga Sutras (2.5), Patanjali says: “Ignorance (avidya) forces us to see the eternal, pure, joyful, self(atman) as the ephemeral, impure, sorrowful, and the non-self (anatman).”Avidya, “nescience” or “ignorance,” is a synonym for ajnana that denotes spiritual ignorance.

The second of the kleshas, is the limitation of the egoic consciousness. Asmita, “I am-ness,” represents the feeling of being just a personal entity. It is the sense of the ego. It is the I am-ness (asmita)/ego that creates the whole personal story with dramas, attachments, etc.”

The third klesha, “Raga (attachment) is based on pleasant experiences. Raga means “attachment” or “passion.” It is natural for us to enjoy the things that give us different forms of pleasure—whether physical, emotional, or mental. This enjoyment will not become a hindrance if we are aware of our True Nature. Attraction makes us grope after ananda (eternal bliss) in the external world, which is delusive and leads to suffering.

The fourth klesha, Dvesha means “aversion,” “hatred,” or “repulsion.” Dvesha is the repulsion felt towards any person or object that is a source of pain or unhappiness to us. Looking for pleasure and avoiding pain has never been a valid spiritual path. Repulsion and attraction are two faces of the same coin. They both keep the human being at the level of the mind, grasping for what is pleasurable and rejecting what it is not pleasurable.

The fifth klesha, Abhinivesha, is “fear of death” or the instinct to protect the physical body. According to the Yoga Sutras (2:9): “Abhinivesha is sustained by its own empirical experiences; it affects even the learned.” Patanjali says that this klesha is present even in learned people, which means it cannot be transcended by mere intellectual understanding or knowledge derived from studying scriptures and comparing doctrinal views. Unless and until the tree of kleshas is destroyed, root and branch, by a persevering practice of yogic discipline and meditation. We will continue to face the same challenges and dreadful feelings in life.

Bhuddam has designed the meditation retreat in a way that your kleshas get diminished and you can have a better understanding on how not to create these Klesha’s in Life.