When we first asked the question, "Who am I?" what we were
truly hoping for was to discover an enduring identity, beyond role or
function or attribute, a "real" Self, real in the sense that it is not men
aced by the mortality of the flesh but that is permanent and un
changing. That is why yoga examines the totality of being, every layer
of existence from body inward, sorting, testing, observing, experi
menting, dissecting, and classifying until a full blueprint of the human
being is built up. The ancient yogis and philosopher saints systematic
ally did this until they found the light they were looking for, the eternal
unchanging Self, the part of us that answers once and for all the
original, inevitable question, "Who am I?" Their gift to us lies in the
knowledge and techniques and maps of their search that they be
queathed to us, so that we too can each answer our own question,
since it is certain no one else can answer it for us. In this chapter, we
will explore the nature of this eternal, unchanging Self, but before we
can, we must discover the Five Afflictions that eclipse our comprehen
sion and cause so much of our suffering.
The ancient yogis tried to work out a plan by which human evo
lution, both individually and collectively, could progress. In doing so,
the ancient sages naturally asked themselves the questions, "What is
making things go wrong? Why, in spite of our best intentions, does
something always send things awry? Are we programmed forever to
sabotage our own aspirations?" Their inquiry led them to the Five Af
flictions that we all experience.
The Five Afflictions (Klesa)
The Afflictions are a particular pattern of disturbance to the human
consciousness, as universal and prevalent as fruit flies to healthy ap
ples. Our state of mind at any given moment is a wave pattern. It is in
credibly complex. It is constantly modified by outside stimuli, an
advertisement, an unkind word, a smile from a friend. Rising thoughts
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