The term "Kilesas" is the Pali word for what is known in Sanskrit as Kleshas (क्लेश).
In Buddhism, Kilesas/Kleshas are generally translated as:
- Afflictions
- Defilements
- Disturbing emotions
- Mental impurities
- Mind poisons
They are unwholesome mental states that cloud the mind, hinder spiritual progress, and are seen as the root cause of suffering.
The three primary or root Kilesas are often referred to as the Three Poisons:
- Greed/Attachment (lobha or raga)
- Aversion/Hatred (dosa or pratigha)
- Delusion/Ignorance (moha or avidya)
Other Kilesas include states like jealousy, anxiety, fear, pride, doubt, and wrong view. The ultimate goal of Buddhist practice is the complete elimination of these Kilesas.
The core idea is that Kilesas are the mental forces that lead to suffering, keep us bound to the cycle of rebirth (samsara), and prevent the mind from realizing its true, pure nature. They are essentially the "dirt" or "poisons" of the mind.
1. The Core Meaning: Affliction and Defilement
- Literal Meaning: The Pali word kilesa literally means "impurity," "stain," "defilement," or "corruption." The Sanskrit kleśa means "affliction," "distress," or "pain."
- Function: Kilesas cloud our wisdom and insight (prajna or pañña), prompting us to act in unwholesome ways (creating karma), which perpetuates suffering. They are the root cause of moral and spiritual impurity.
2. The Three Root Kilesas (The Three Poisons)
All other defilements are generally understood to spring from these three fundamental ones:
| Pali Term | Sanskrit Term | English Translation | Description |
| Moha | Avidya | Delusion/Ignorance | The most fundamental poison. It is the failure to understand the true nature of reality (the Four Noble Truths and the Three Characteristics: impermanence, suffering, and non-self). It's a fundamental confusion about who we are and how the world works. |
| Lobha | Raga | Greed/Attachment | Craving, desire, or passion for pleasant experiences, objects, or ideas. It is the desperate effort to hold on to what we like. |
| Dosa | Dvesha | Aversion/Hatred | Repulsion, ill-will, anger, or animosity toward unpleasant experiences, people, or things. It is the desperate effort to push away what we dislike. |
3. Other Major Classifications of Kilesas
Buddhist texts offer different lists to categorize the various forms these defilements take:
| Category | Key Members | Significance |
| The Ten Defilements (Abhidhamma List) | Greed, Hatred, Delusion, Conceit (māna), Wrong View (diṭṭhi), Doubt (vicikicchā), Torpor (thīna), Restlessness (uddhacca), Shamelessness (ahirika), and Recklessness (anottappa). | This detailed list from the Abhidhamma (Buddhist philosophy/psychology) covers both the big and subtle forms of mental corruption. |
| The Five Hindrances (Pañca Nīvaraṇāni) | Sensual desire (kāmacchanda), Ill-will (vyāpāda), Sloth and torpor (thīna-middha), Restlessness and worry (uddhacca-kukkucca), and Skeptical doubt (vicikicchā). | These are mental states that specifically hinder meditation and prevent the development of concentration and insight. |
| Underlying Tendencies (Anusaya) | Greed, aversion, conceit, wrong view, doubt, desire for existence, and ignorance. | These are the latent, chronic, and deeply ingrained tendencies of the defilements that lie dormant until they are triggered by sensory contact, rising to the surface of the mind (pariyuṭṭhāna). They are the hardest to root out. |
4. How Kilesas Cause Suffering
The Kilesas do not just cause suffering in a general sense; they actively:
- Corrupt the Mind: They make our thoughts (citta) and mental factors (cetasika) unwholesome (akusala).
- Drive Unskillful Action (Karma): Under the influence of greed, hatred, or delusion, we act unskillfully (through body, speech, or mind), which creates negative consequences and future suffering.
- Obstruct Insight: They block us from clearly seeing reality as it is—impermanent, unsatisfactory, and non-self.
- Bind to Samsara: The Kilesas are the chains that bind sentient beings to the endless cycle of birth, death, and suffering.
The Path to Freedom
The entire Buddhist path is essentially a process of gradually weakening and ultimately eradicating the Kilesas. This is done through cultivating wholesome qualities, primarily the Noble Eightfold Path, which includes:
- Ethics/Morality (Sīla) to prevent Kilesas from manifesting in action.
- Concentration (Samādhi) to temporarily suppress or subdue Kilesas.
- Wisdom/Insight (Pañña) to permanently remove the root Kilesas, especially ignorance, leading to ultimate liberation (Nibbana).