ABSTRACT
This chapter is devoted to the discussion of Patañjali’s concept of the various afflictions (kleśas) which are said to be at the root of human suffering, and as such help in understanding his diagnosis of the human condition and as the basis for the Yogic strategy for remediation. First the meanings of the concepts of the five afflictions, namely avidyā, asmitā, rāga, dveṣa and abhiniveśa are explained emphasizing that avidyā is the lack of transcendental knowledge of the true Self, and not ignorance, but rather as empirical knowledge. Then, an attempt is made to explain why the lack of transcendental knowledge of the true Self is viewed as the root cause of the remainder of the afflictions and how they follow avidyā like a chain in tow. The rest of the chapter discusses Kriyā Yoga as a way of weakening the afflictions and thereby preparing a practitioner for the experience of Samādhi. The three components of Kriyā Yoga, namely practice of austerity, self-study and surrendering the fruit of actions to God are explained. A long discussion of the strategy of pratiprasava, or tracing back the afflictions in a reverse order of the genesis follows.
