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#Post#: 277--------------------------------------------------
Recounting the Kleshas
By: yogasimplifiedmethod Date: March 27, 2023, 9:27 am
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“Avidya-asmita raga
Dvesha-abhinivesah Pancha klesha”
Yoga Sutra II.3
Avidya - Ignorance
Asmita - Ego
Raga - Desire
Dvesha - Aversion
Abhinivesha - Fear
Pancha klesha - Five causes
Klesha means troublesome or darkness, the root cause of human
suffering. We can see things in their natural state by removing
the clouds, the funk, the corruption, and the facades of our
minds. We were born dualistic, and the opposite will rear its
face.
In Buddhism, Siddartha concluded that Moksha (liberation) and
Nirvana (enlightenment) comes by going through the noble path:
There is suffering from life
The cause of suffering
Removing the causes of suffering
Practicing the eightfold path to relieve suffering
“Virttayah panchatayyah klisha-aklishtah” - Yoga Sutra I.5
Virrttayah - modifications
Panchatayyah - fivefold
Klisha - troublesome
Aklishtah - non-troublesome
Avidya
Lacking the knowledge / not knowing the actual reality
Not being able to understand or comprehend fully
Ignorance
What we believe to be real is unreal
What is pleasing actually causes pain
Creating a false self-based on name, fame, and materialistic
gain
When born, we experience life materialistically, and all is
temporary. Still, humans are so engrossed with identification,
such as name, jobs, etc., that it causes human suffering.
Patanjali explains this as what we perceive to be pure and true
but is quite the opposite—clouded by material pleasures with no
end in sight of satisfaction. He explains we’re permanent beings
living in an impermanent world, and all will eventually be taken
away.
Write about your experience to ignorance. Something you learned
later down the road that was innocent ignorance or something you
took notice of with others that made you think that person was
ignorant and perhaps chooses to stay ignorant. What are the pros
and cons to ignorance?
Asmita
The Ego
Start to create an ego based on the false self
Attached to the “I am _________________.”
Hides and shields us from our insecurities
Makes a false claim of reality
We all came from the divine universe, conceptualized the same
way. When we experience the materialistic world, the ego
develops to protect us from insecurities and uncertainties; it’s
the partition between what is false and real. It’s all about
perception but not based on true reality. If someone says I am
rich or poor, it’s made up of the material world.
When the Ego overtakes the actual being, what is left? The body
takes inventory of every decision we make, experience, and
respond to and holds onto it. Thus, we can evaluate our
authentic and genuine aspects by learning to tame the Ego.
Write about a moment where you could easily identify your ego
and someone else's ego? Where and why do you believe the ego
played such a role in a situation? Was it of pride? What has
yoga taught you so far about ego?
Raga
Attachments
Needs/Wants/Desires
Illusions
What you convince yourself of joy
Example: Working at a job we don’t like, buying the things we
don’t need to impress the people we don’t like leads to
suffering and unsatisfactions when we know it’s temporary.
Raga is the mindset of feeling hungry for certain things, and
getting a taste may lead to more want. When the desire becomes a
need, the neurons notice a pattern by sensory, and receptors in
the brain begin to fire together, solidifying that constant
appetite for more. Then the brain signals a dopamine release,
feeling pleasure for that moment. It’s like craving sugar. Life
is like sugar; we yearn for everything to be sweet and
satisfying, convincing ourselves of happiness based on what is
tangible.
Do I need this? Will this bring me joy? Why does this bring me
joy? Whether your answer is yes or no, noticing and witnessing
the response is yoga.
Through time what have you grown attached to and what have you
been able to let go of? What is the difference between human
attachment and material attachments that you notice in your
life? What has been the easiest and hardest to let go of?
Dvesha
Opposite of Raga
Adverse to the things we don’t like
Staying away from unpleasant experiences
Ignoring signs
Example: Meeting someone and instantly thinking that person is
amazing, there’s nothing they can’t say or do that will make you
think otherwise. Over time, you notice little things but choose
not to address anything. As time progresses, and the more you
get to know the person, you realize many illusions and are
afraid to communicate, fearing it will damage the relationship
or cause severe problems.
This is not an uncommon trait, looking past things that make us
feel uncomfortable, awkward, upset, or emotional. Sometimes we
have convinced ourselves it’s better to address something and
ignore it. The question is, how will it affect you in the long
run? Some people are equipped to tolerate situations, take on
other people’s energies, and are good at communicating and
mediating. Others may shun a situation or perhaps tackle it
head-on.
Life is polarity, and though we may want to ignore situations,
having an outlet to balance the mind and find a healthy way to
release anything that may be stuck. Emotions and logic work hand
in hand; at times, the feelings may be overly stimulated or
suppressed. It is wise for anyone to navigate through comfort
and discomfort, likes and dislikes.
Avoidance or things we are so afraid to tackle can make life
either easier or far more difficult. Every person is faced with
a situation where they have to decide how much suffering they
want to go through in order to keep peace, offer happiness to
others, keep a job, have a steady relationship with friends or
family. What have you noticed in your life that is apparent to
you but not apparent to others when it comes to avoidance?
Abhinivesha
Fear of death
Not wanting to let go of the things we have
Not finding what we’re desperately searching for
Fear of loosing
Example: Being told you can’t do something because someone else
has fears or witnessing a person constantly being negative
because nothing seems to go right or their way. They always
search for peace and continuously fear never getting what they
want.
We like to hold onto things. We fear losing people and things,
which tends to eat people up. Fear of the unknown causes people
to desperately hold onto something, which can cause suffering,
disease, pain, etc. The thoughts begin to take over the mind,
thus producing constant what if’s, stimulating the fight or
flight mode. The default mode of fear and anxiety is parting
ways with anything we have labeled or deemed a need to live.
Have you noticed yourself ever fearing losing something you
labeled valuable? Or because you simply don’t know what the
experience is, you find yourself fear-stricken? What about
death? Yoga teaches us about non-attachment, contentment,
acceptance, consciousness, and witnessing.
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