From Suffering to Liberation with Maharishi Patanjali

Timeless Wisdom for Today’s Inner Struggles

Maharishi Patanjali compiled the Yoga Sutras over 2,000 years ago—196 concise aphorisms spread across four padas (chapters):

Samadhi Pada – on concentration
Sadhana Pada – on practice
Vibhuti Pada – on powers
Kaivalya Pada – on liberation

It’s quite remarkable that something so ancient can still so precisely describe the modern mind. For me, the Yoga Sutras are not religious philosophy—they are a science of the mind. Patanjali beautifully lays out:

what keeps the mind from peace
what obstacles cloud our clarity
and how we can overcome them

The Starting Point: Suffering

Let’s begin where most spiritual traditions begin—suffering.
According to the Sankhya school of thought, suffering is of three types, known as the Tapatraya:

Adhibhautik – Caused by the external world: people, traffic, mosquitoes, neighbours, colleagues…
Adhidaivik – Caused by divine or cosmic forces: acts of nature, fate, things beyond our control
Adhyatmik – Self-created suffering: our own mental and emotional patterns—jealousy, guilt, hatred, insecurity

Honestly, I feel that 99% of our suffering is Adhyatmik—self-generated. And the beauty of that is:

If the suffering lies within us, the solution lies within us too.

We often think our pain is caused by external situations, but with space and clarity, we begin to see:

The real disturbance lies in how we relate to what’s happening.

Patanjali’s 5 Causes of Suffering – The Panch Kleshas

In Sadhana Pada (2.3–2.9), Maharishi Patanjali identifies five Kleshas, the root causes of suffering:

1. Avidya – Ignorance

The mother of all suffering. But ignorance of what?

Ignorance of our true nature.

We define ourselves by our name, relationships, education, career, or life events—but these are just labels or stories. Ask yourself:

“If all your memories were erased right now—do you still exist? And if yes, then who are you?”

This is the foundation of Advaita Vedanta and Ramana Maharishi’s teaching—Who am I?

Even the Buddha began his Four Noble Truths with:

There is suffering (Dukkha)
There is a cause
The cause is ignorance
Knowledge is the way out

Knowledge of what? Our true, unchanging self.

When we stop resisting our internal discomfort, when we observe it without becoming it, we begin to feel a spacious awareness around it. This is the beginning of wisdom—the movement from the temporary to the eternal.

2. Asmita – Ego, the I-sense

This is the false identity—I, me, mine. Our attachment to thoughts and emotions as me.

There’s a lovely quote: “Take the world seriously, but yourself lightly.”

Karma Yoga helps dissolve this egoic sense of self. When we act selflessly—without clinging to results—we slowly transcend Asmita.

A Note on Happiness: The Three Layers

A psychologist once described three kinds of happiness:

Instant gratification – sensory pleasures (food, entertainment, etc.)
Purpose-driven happiness – work, family, responsibilities
Self-transcendent happiness – selfless service, Karma Yoga

A professor once tested this with his class:
He surprised them with a day off. One group went for a movie. The other visited an orphanage. That evening, both rated their happiness high (3–5/5). But six months later, when asked to recall that day and rate the lasting joy—the orphanage group still rated 3–5, while the movie group dropped to 1–2.

Selfless acts bring enduring joy.

3. Raga – Attachment

4. Dvesha – Aversion

These two go hand-in-hand: attraction and repulsion, desire and fear.

Every spiritual tradition teaches:

Let go of desire.
Why? Because every desire comes with its shadow—fear.
I desire success, so I fear failure. I desire love, so I fear rejection.

If we want to end fear, we must also loosen the grip of desire. When there is no clinging, there is no fear.

5. Abhinivesha – Fear of Death

This is the most deep-rooted klesha—even the wise feel it.

Imagine living every moment with full awareness that this form will pass away—but without fear.
This isn’t morbid—it’s liberating. As one sadhu said:

“Shiva wears a snake—death—around his neck as a constant reminder.”
“पहले मरण कबूल कर, जीने की छोड़ आस”
“First accept death, and let go of the obsession with life.”

Only then can we truly live. Only then can we live with meaning, urgency, and presence.

Conclusion: From Suffering to Freedom

All the Kleshas are interlinked—together, they are the seeds of suffering.

But the path of yoga offers a solution—not by suppressing the mind, but by understanding it. By going inward.
Through clarity, self-inquiry, and conscious action, we can begin to see the impermanent as impermanent, and root ourselves in what is real, constant, and free.

And that is the beginning of peace.