user21208: Are they same?
What is the relation between kilesa and sankhara?
Is it that, kilesa are tendency to build new sankhara?
Which gets cleared first?

user8157: 'Sankhara' is a very broad term.
Sometimes 'sankhara' is used in an explicity unwholesome context, such as in Dhammapada 203 or SN 38.14:


Sankhara (mental proliferating) is the worst suffering



SN 38.14 There are these three forms of suffering, my friend: the suffering generated from pain, the suffering generated from mental fabrications (sankhara-dukkha), the suffering generated from change

However, 'sankhara' can neutrally refer to mere thinking or thought aggregate. In other words, per SN 22.85, for example, a Buddha or Arahant has sankhara khandha (thinking aggregate). Or a Buddha has kaya-sankhara (breathing), citta-sankhara (feeling & perception), vaci-sankkhara (initial & sustained thought that facilitates speech), ayu-sankhara (vitality formations or life-force), etc (refer to MN 43 & MN 44).
'Kilesa' (greed, hatred & delusion) is a defiled type of sankhara (mental formation/fabrication). For example, SN 22.81 says the self-delusion is a sankhara. Therefore, the idea 'kilesa' creates 'sankhara' sounds like the inaccurate ideas the guru Goenka used to teach.
However, to attempt to answer the question in the most practical way using how the word 'sankhara' is used in Dependent Origination, what is cleared first is 'sankhara', that is, 'thoughts' ('vaci-sankhara'). In addition, the kaya-sankhara (breathing) & citta-sankhara (feelings) are calmed first (refer to Anapanasati Sutta MN 118). When thoughts are cleared and breathing & feelings are calmed, this results in concentration. When both concentration & direct insight/seeing develop, the underlying defilements (which are drives or energies rather than thoughts) can be dissolved and uprooted.

21208: <p>Are they same?
What is the relation between kilesa and sankhara?</p>
<p>Is it that, kilesa are tendency to build new sankhara?</p>
<p>Which gets cleared first?</p>
 8157: <p>'Sankhara' is a very broad term.</p>
<p>Sometimes 'sankhara' is used in an explicity unwholesome context, such as in Dhammapada 203 or SN 38.14:</p>
<blockquote>
<ol start="203">
<li>Sankhara (mental proliferating) is the worst suffering</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>SN 38.14 There are these three forms of suffering, my friend: the suffering generated from pain, the suffering generated from mental fabrications (sankhara-dukkha), the suffering generated from change</p>
</blockquote>
<p>However, 'sankhara' can neutrally refer to mere thinking or thought aggregate. In other words, per SN 22.85, for example, a Buddha or Arahant has sankhara khandha (thinking aggregate). Or a Buddha has kaya-sankhara (breathing), citta-sankhara (feeling &amp; perception), vaci-sankkhara (initial &amp; sustained thought that facilitates speech), ayu-sankhara (vitality formations or life-force), etc (refer to MN 43 &amp; MN 44).</p>
<p>'Kilesa' (greed, hatred &amp; delusion) is a defiled type of sankhara (mental formation/fabrication). For example, SN 22.81 says the self-delusion is a sankhara. Therefore, the idea 'kilesa' creates 'sankhara' sounds like the inaccurate ideas the guru Goenka used to teach.</p>
<p>However, to attempt to answer the question in the most practical way using how the word 'sankhara' is used in Dependent Origination, what is cleared first is 'sankhara', that is, 'thoughts' ('vaci-sankhara'). In addition, the kaya-sankhara (breathing) &amp; citta-sankhara (feelings) are calmed first (refer to Anapanasati Sutta MN 118). When thoughts are cleared and breathing &amp; feelings are calmed, this results in concentration. When both concentration &amp; direct insight/seeing develop, the underlying defilements (which are drives or energies rather than thoughts) can be dissolved and uprooted.</p>
