A yogology concept: 4 branches of avidya

Avidya literally means “incorrect comprehension”. Avidya is expressed and experienced in 4 different ways:

1. Asmita (ego): “I have to be better than other people”.
2. Raga (attachment): We want something today because it was pleasant yesterday, not because we really need it today. 
3. Dvesa (refusal): We have a difficult experience and we are afraid of repeating it.
4. Abhinivesa (fear): We feel uncertain. We have doubts about our position in life.

The goal of yoga is to reduce the film of avidya. Yoga means acting in such a way that all of our attention is directed toward the activity we are currently engaged. Where we are attentive to our actions we are not prisoners of our habits; we do not need to do something today simply because we did it yesterday.

It is a classic yoga concept, very close to ecology. Yogology = yoga + ecology.

T.K.V. Desikachar, The Heart of Yoga