Patanjali Yoga Sutra - II - 20

Check them with involution

Te Prati prasava heyaaha Sukshmaha
The five kleshas or impurities that cloud consciousness - Avidya, Asmita, Raga Dwesha, Abhinivesha - are present in a subtle state in the human mind. These five qualities can be subdued by the process of involution. This happens when the mind that usually spends its energies outside in the field of sense attachments to the world, closes in on itself and begins to look within the source of these five impurities which is consciousness.
- Swahilya Shambhavi

Patanjali Yoga Sutra: II - 9

Afraid to let go

Swarasavahi Vidushaha Api Tatha Aarudhaha Abhiniveshaha
First there is a false imagination that we have something - life to begin with, loved ones, property, name, fame, material possessions, beauty, good looks, knowledge....They are all travelling in us by their own force and essence. Particularly what we consider as our life, has a habit of preserving itself. Even the learned and the wise who have imbibed the non-duality of existence are not exempt from this fear. This fear of loss of life, loved ones, property and material possessions, name or fame, all born out of the primary delusion of Dwaita - two-ness - or a separate existence is unwarranted. It is a Klesha or an impurity which is a hindrance in the path of self-realisation. Practice of Kriya Yoga - Tapas, Swadhyaya and Ishwara Pranidhana (first Sutra of the second chapter) helps remove this impurity of the struggle to preserve and protect what doesn't belong to you in the first place. - Swahilya Shambhavi

Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 2:3

The five impurities

Avidya Asmita Raga Dwesha Abhiniveshaha Kleshaha

Sutra 2 spoke of the need to do any three parts of Kriya Yoga or the Yoga of Action - Penance, Self-Study and Surrender to the Supreme for achieving a state of Samadhi and to remove impurities. This Sutra outlines the impurities. Patanjali lists five types of impurities of the mind. The first is Avidya or lack of knowledge and right understanding of the one consciousness. The second impurity is Asmita. Asmi means "I am". Asmita is an assertion of myself as the physical ego. Asmita is born of Avidya. Lack of knowledge of the real self which is consciousness leads to an erroneous and arrogant perception of oneself as intelligent, or stupid, rich or poor, handsome or ugly - all the differences. Raga is attachment born out of ego. If I like myself so much, I like to surround myself with people, things and situations that I like. My mind goes berserk in this search and loses its stability. This loss of balance is the impurity or klesha that can be fixed by Kriya Yoga. Dwesha is selective dislike and hatred. If there is a type of food I like, there is a certain thing I may hate. Same with persons, places, things and happenings. This hatred is a mental impurity.

Abhinivesha is the human nature of holding on to life. This is an impurity and impurity here is not the common understanding of uncleanliness but of something that distorts our perception or vision. When I cling on to life, I may do a lot of things that can disturb the balance of mind. Clinging to life means running away from death. Fear, born as a result of Abhinivesha is the greatest destroyer of clear perception. A clear and stable mind allows awareness to shine through. These five impurities don't let that happen. - Swahilya Shambhavi.

(Photo: Patanjali gives even my shaky pictures a chance to be here! This is Pranayama at the Robinson Park in Old Washermenpet, Chennai. The picture is here on account of its shake. To show how a balance of mind and body can result in a distorted perception!)