Impurities (Skt. मल, Mala) are obstructions or defilements that obscure the true nature of the self.

On the path of knowledge, impurities are:

• Patterns of ignorance in memory

• Beliefs, assumptions, and desires

• Obstacles to clear perception

• Removed through knowledge and purification

The path of knowledge removes impurities through critical thinking, contemplation, and the application of valid means of knowledge.

See also purification, obstacles.