The power of the six enemies

[sravna]

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Mankind seems to be lost in direction. If it is to find the right direction it has to start discerning again. Separate the good from the bad,. Our scriptures place emphasis on eschewing the bad so that we automatically embrace the good.

Talking of what is bad, we nowadays seem to be fighting illusory or seeming enemies when in fact the vedas brilliantly identify, mankind's true enemies. They are

1. Lust (Sanskrit: Kama)
2.Greed (Sanskrit: Lobha)
3. Anger (Sanskrit: Krodha)
4.Pride (Sanskrit: Mada)
5. Attachment (Sanskrit: Moha)
6.Covetousness (Sanskrit: Matsarya)

It is the battle within the self that is important and that decides whether we are going to win the external battle. The power that a victory gives in this battle should never be underestimated. As an equivalent one who triumphs over these six enemies has triumphed over the external world and is like the emperor of the universe. One can image how difficult it is to be the emperor of the universe and what power it would bestow. Triumph over the six enemies is no less a mean achievement. Like Lord Ganesh who won the mango by illustrating that parents make up the world, we need to think before we act. The tragedy is that the external battles are actually signs of disorder if the underlying cause is one or more of the six within. We need to realize who our true enemies are and begin to act wisely for our own good.

 

[C RAVI]

1) Lust is no wrong as long long as it is actioined upon not in wrong ways and means and not hurting the other

2) Greed is no wrong as long as the greed is to be helpful to the deserving at the drop of the hat, to be reasonably philanthropist as possible without discarding one's responsibitlies and commitments, to be successful in all aspect of life without spoiling others/without taking the wrong ways/acheiveing at other's cost, to be in spiritual ecstasy with out ignoring one's duties and responsibilities and such other similar things which would not be negative in any sense

3) Anger is no wrong, as long as it is not to ruin and harm others, as long as it is not to dominate and exploit others, as long as it is to mould a fellow human in right direction, as long as it is to sustain justice and for such other reasons which would not put urself and others in pain and agony.

4) Pride is no wrong as long as it means your self respect, it means your self dignity and it means your positive values and principles by believing in self and retaining the self in tact.

5) Attachment is not wrong as long as you are sincerely and reasonably attached to fulfill your duties and responsibilities, as long as you mean your association positively and as long as you are attached to help others from the grip of pains.

6) "Covetousness is self destructive". Should never be into it.


Once we could achieve the above, we can be found to be having experienced everything and left with no yearning for any thing. As such, we would be bundled with Positive karmas. This would further help us to have maximum wisdom and effortlessly work towards absolute realization.


While living with carrying the above 5 senses in the manner detailed above for the each, we should also ensure that - we should never sway from our righteous path owing to any sorts of failures, disappointments, deceptions etc.

 

[renuka]

We need to realize who our true enemies are and begin to act wisely for our own good.

Dear Sravna,

To a certain extent the 6 enemies are some what related to human emotions and evolution and social skills.


Kama: is desire..desire.Everything starts with desire.Kama is a natural instinct for continuation of species.


Lobha: Have you seen greedy kids who can eat non stop and want every toy in a shop even though they have many toys at home?

This behavior denotes accumulating something which we like and brings us pleasure.
Again it's human behavior to accumulate for well being of one's self and tribe.

Krodha..have you seen children get angry when you pull their toy away?(I love doing that!! LOL)
You can see their facial expression change and face turn red with anger and then they start to cry and if you do not give back them the toy some might start to hit you.

Ok so you see this is anger as a reaction to safe guard one's self from others.

Mada:

Mada come on most of the while when something is viewed as a bonus in a society or community which is directly dependent on their mind set.

The community of traders might view wealth as the greatest achievement in their lives and develop Mada of wealth.

The community of Pandits might view Learning and Knowledge as the greatest achievement and some might develop Mada of learning.

Same with a King who conquers who might develop the Mada of Victory and Prowness.

So we can see here that all this is basic human behavior which persists as long he/she needs external comfort and praise to make him/her feel elevated in the eyes of society.

People who have excessive pride are actually slaves to the world becos they depend a lot on the acknowledgment of others for them to feel good.

Moha:Attachment.

When we develop feelings and sense of possession of anything or anyone we develop attachment.
Attachment has deep roots in the sense of appreciation.
We can only get attached to something or someone when we appreciate it or them.
When we appreciate only then we will preserve something or maintain a relationship and have value for anything/anyone.

Matsarya:

Now Matsarya is sometimes the most difficult to understand.
I have seen in my life so far that people who are well off in finance etc tend to be very jealous and envious of others who are equally rich.

The poor man might not be jealous of anyone.

I have seen some very beautiful woman jealous of other beautiful woman too.

It is strange that when they are already having everything still they are jealous.


So these basic human emotions become our enemies when we let them rule us.

 

[mkrishna100]

If I have anger , lust , jealously etc as my major emotions and if I just try not to be angry , not to be lustful , not to be jealous from tomorrow onwards ,it will not work . All these outer emotions are product of some deep unfulfilled inner desires or needs within myself .Unless I really investigate that and resolve it , these outer emotions will keep on raising within me . Renukaji talked about Rich people being jealous of other rich people while a poor man is quite contended .The problem is not lack of money but something more lacking in that person that makes him jealous .
J.Krishnamurti has a beautiful pointer in how to resolve this :


If you begin to understand what you are without trying to change it, then what you are undergoes a transformation.- J.Krishnamurti

 

[sravna]

Dear Ravi and Renuka,

I agree with you both. All these emotions exist because they aid spiritual learning, however the learning being to overcome them, come out of that delusional state and achieve the emotionless state.