December 2019 - Collectors' Edition, Kleshas, VOLUME 4, Yogic Psychology |
December 01, 2019
Lack of awareness
In Yoga, avidya is crucial to understanding mental well-being. It is considered to be the core affliction that is the foundation for all other afflictions. It is the mental defect where one is unaware of what is most vital and essential. Patanjali says: 2.4: Avidya kshetram uttaresham prasupta tanu vichchhinn odaranam Only through avidya are the other afflictions able to operate, whether they are latent, budding, fully expressed or overwhelming. What is avidya? It is usually translated into English as ignorance or lack of knowledge, but here Patanjali is not writing about......
Read More
The dualities of existence
The first of the kleshas, avidya, which we explored in the last article, is the basis of the other four afflictions – ashmita, raga, dvesha and abivinesha. It is the ignorance resulting from a...
Read More
Disease
The first of the vikshepas is vyadhi or disease. Here Patanjali means physical disease, where the system is unbalanced and away from ease. Where does disease start? Rarely does it initiate in the physical...
Read More
Apathy and mental dullness
The second of the vikshepas is styana, meaning languor, apathy and mental dullness. Apathy is one of the greatest obstacles to any endeavor, as it is a state in which we waste energy. Our...
Read More
Dilemma and indecision
The third vikshepa is samsaya, which is usually translated as “doubt,” but there are many words for “doubt” in Sanskrit, shanka being the most common. A more appropriate translation of samsaya is “dilemma” or...
Read More
Carelessness, haste and indifference
The fourth vikshepa is pramada, which translates as carelessness, haste and indifference. When do we become careless? When do we do things hastily, with indifference? When we do not take interest. It is the...
Read More
Laziness
The fifth vikshepa is alasya, which translates as laziness and sloth. There are different types of laziness. One type is the laziness that arises because the soul becomes more prominent, as not-doing is the...
Read More
Absence of non-attachment
The sixth vikshepa is avirati, which translates as “absence of renunciation,” or “absence of non-attachment.” Avirati is the result of indulging, of going beyond needs to desires, and of gratifying the senses. It is...
Read More
False perception
The seventh vikshepa is bhrantidarsana, meaning false perception, delusion or blindness. It is the opposite to another one of the four main sadhanas of Yoga known as Viveka or discernment. If we define consciousness...
Read More
Failure to attain the next stage & failure to retain a stage
Alabdha-bhumikatva is the vikshepa where we are not able to attain the next stage or level in the spiritual journey, and anavasthitatvani is the failure to retain a stage once it has been given....
Read More