Sutra 2.10
In sutra 2.4, Pantajali began introducing us to the Kleshas. There are five Kleshas in yoga. The kleshas are veils, or obstacles, that are the five causes of suffering. They are:
Avidya. This is often translated to ignorance, and what it means is being separated from sources of love.
Asmita. This is the ego. This is where all jealousy and judgement comes from.
Raga. This is attachment or desire. We get attached to everything: to our relationships, to our jobs, to our habits - to the way things were. Learning how to let go is the only way to end suffering.
Dvesha. This is avoidance. We avoid the things we don’t like.
Abhinivesha. This is clinging to life and being afraid of death.
Sutra 2.10 is all about the removal of these kleshas.
Once we start practicing yoga, these kleshas get weakened and weakened - until they reach the subtle form.
However, they always remain subtly within us - and can be reactivated at any point in time, causing a relapse into asmita, into avidya, into raga, dvesha, and abhinivesha.
Much like we can pick up alcohol again - we can also lose our way with our yoga practice.
Over and over again throughout my journey, even though I’ve been teaching yoga for eight years, I’ve lost and found different aspects of my practice. Even this practice of study and self reflection of the yoga sutras is an example of something I lost.
The final removal of these obstacles is to enter into a state of samadhi - a state of concentration achieved through meditation - which is the eventual end-goal of yoga.
This is yoga.
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