Afflictions are inexhaustible;
I vow to end them all.  

Due to our uncountable causes of mental suffering, our minds remain impure, agitated, and self-absorbed. And so, after vowing to universally help all beings, we vow to eliminate our afflictions, the second of the four great vows of Buddhas. 

While we start with ourselves, we always bear in mind that we’re not doing all this just for ourselves, and maybe those close to us. Indeed, one of the ideas we need to stop holding on to is our view of self-attachment, that this body is “I.” Neither will we be able to help all beings if we are regularly consumed by greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt about the teachings.

So how do we end afflictions?

By observing the precepts. Precept observation will lead to our attaining meditative concentration. In this calm, clear state, we will see things as they really are. We can see how our energy-draining, time-consuming afflictions are holding us back from helping ourselves, but much more importantly, from helping all others.