Five Kleśas

Patanjali's account of the five kleśas point to the knowledge and understanding of the truth underlying the worldview upon which we lead our lives as the key to our feelings and actions. To the extent our worldviews conforms to the existential truth of the universe, to that extent we will feel and do what is good for our health and wellness.

Thus, a misunderstanding of the truth or worse yet, a contrary understanding of it underlies the lack of health and wellness. To fix our health and wellness concerns once and for all, we must base our worldview on the correct understanding of our existential truth. According to Patanjali, "The pain that is yet to come can be avoided" by correcting the misunderstanding of our existence.

Otherwise, we must continue to manage our feelings to minimize the harmful effects of our misunderstood worldview.