Kleshas in Hinduism

If you think “kalesh” is something only we Gen-Zs go through, you’ll be surprised to know our Sanatan Dharma not only has this same concept from years ago, but also has the ultimate remedies for it.

In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, we meet the 5 kleshas i.e. roots of all the pain, suffering & negativity you have right now in your life, which are:

Avidya i.e. ignorance or misidentification of this temporary world & our temporary selves as the reality, which is not true

Asmita i.e. ego or I-am-ness, thinking that you are the doer in charge of everything & the Master.

Raga i.e. attachment & desire for pleasure in terms of wealth, buying things, money, food, sex, and entertainment.

Dvesha i.e. repulsion or hatred & fear towards certain things that are considered traditionally dirty or beyond our understanding.

And Abhinivesa i.e. the fear of dying & trying to cling on to life.

Interestingly, most of the Hindu practices our grandparents & parents ask us to do are actually solutions to fight & prevent these kleshas - from meditating & reading texts like the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, that make us see the true reality beyond our body & this world, to fasting, donation & asking for bhiksha or alms (begging), which keep us humble, help us detach from the material world, and help us our emotions in check. by regulating our body & mind

To fight the kleshas in your life, the first best easiest & 100% free step is to do svadhyaya i.e. self study of our scriptures.