In the Yoga Sutra we were told of the five kleshas, or hindrance to our practice. These were ignorance (avidya), the ego or I-making (asmita), attachment (raga), aversion (dvesa), and the fear of death or the clinging to life (abhinivesah). The Buddha taught that there are five mental hindrances, called the “kilesa,” [1] that serve to distract our minds and prevent us from living in this moment. The five are:
- Desire, which leads to clinging and craving
- Aversion, which leads to anger or hatred
- Sleepiness or sloth
- Restlessness
- Doubt
We will visit each hindrance more closely starting with desire.
(Next: Desire )