In my Intro to Yoga class this morning I presented the 5 Klesas (Obstacles - pronounced "Clay-sha-s") to Joy, as defined by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. They are the first steps one takes in the path of self-study. It is by overcoming the Klesas that we free ourselves from suffering. Theoretically this work precedes the adherence to the "ethical code" of yoga, called the Yamas and Niyamas (more on that later). And yet, working on the klesas may be a life-long endeavor...so don't wait until you've "got it" to start the next step! The Yamas and Niyamas are great tools as we strive to surmount the Klesas.
I like to use the translation by Sri Swami Satchidananda. It is very user-friendly, in no small part because it is comprised of lectures he gave over the years. This makes the explanatory paragraphs that follow each sutra's translation very "chatty"...something that I have found helpful when trying to understand such a weighty subject. In fact, in his translation of the 5 Klesas, Sri Swami Satchidananda gives a nice, succinct paragraph explaining how each obstacle leads to the next.
So what are these obstacles? These feelings/thoughts that keep us stuck in separateness and suffering? They are:
1. Avidya (Ignorance)
2. Asmita (Ego)
3. Raga (Attachment)
4. Dvesha (Aversion/Hatred)
5. Abhinivesah (Clinging to the Body/Life)
It goes something like this: humans suffer because we maintain an ignorance of our true self - that of Oneness, unity with each other, unity with the Divine. When we are ignorant of our own Divine essence, the Ego is in charge of our decisions. The Ego is the concept of "I-ness" (rather than Oneness). The Ego cannot be satisfied - whether it seeks fulfillment through power, money, sex, food, giving, receiving, you name it! - there will never be enough to satisfy. The more you feed the Ego, the larger it grows and the more it demands of you.
One of the things the Ego talks us into is attachment to that which pleases it. Things become very important, and whether they are useful to your situation in life or not, it somehow matters that you have enough things, that the things are of the "right kind", etc. Should you lose a thing, it pains you deeply. Sometimes the "things" are people. Sometimes they are inanimate objects, concepts, ideas themselves, but often they are things with which the Ego identifies and therefore clings to.
When you are attached to things, you are likely to develop an aversion to the loss of said thing. In fact, should you somehow be denied of the thing to which you are attached, you may even feel hatred for the person/thing that has created this "void". So attachment leads to aversion/hatred.
And when we are ignorant, egoistic, attached to stuff and hateful of those who deny us of our stuff, we are very likely to cling desperately to our bodies, which we mistake for life itself. Clinging to life is a sure sign that one is living from I-ness rather than Oneness, because one identifies oneself as one's body...which will die (eventually). Since humans have not yet figured out a way to keep the body going indefinitely, we clearly need these bodies of ours to be healthy and strong for as long as possible. Physical health and longevity ensure that the body carriesus through our lives while we explore and learn and connect with each other and God. When the body dies, however, it does not mean that We die...how can Spirit die? How can God die?
Once the body dies, it can no longer enjoy all that stuff we worked so hard to accumulate and hold on to while alive! So we cling in order to maintain the status quo of the previous 4 klesas!
And so, in the end, each of the klesas may be broken down, dissolved and discarded, starting with number one, ignorance. By shedding ignorance of our true nature, and by living by that nature (i.e. Live Like You're God! See what a difference it makes in how you live.), we will be able to let go of ego, attachment, aversion and even the body. This is why it's called a yoga practice, by the way, because it requires constant work and discipline. It is as simple as deciding to "make it so", and as challenging as you might think it would be to overcome these obstacles. Simple or challenging, what I know is that it's always enlightening!
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