Six Enemies of the Mind (Shad-ripu)
8 Nov 2023 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
As we know, Life is filled with suffering. When a baby is born, the first sound it hears is crying. Throughout our lives, we experience all kinds of pain and suffering caused by illness, injury, fatigue, misunderstanding, stress, old age, and eventually death, etc. Even the so-called moments of pleasure are only short-lived. We talk details below on Six Enemies of the Mind (Shad-ripu).
Our writings and the great teachers of antiquity speak of suffering and that the meaning of life is to end that suffering so that we can be liberated. In Buddhism, there is mention of four noble truths:
- Dukkha (suffering): This life is full of suffering.
- Dukkha samudaya (reason for suffering): lustful cravings (Trishna) lead to suffering
- Dukkha nirodha (end of suffering): It is possible to put an end to this suffering.
- Nirodhagamini pratipad (path to freedom from dukkha): Buddha gives the eight-fold path to eliminate dukkha
In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali presents an identical viewpoint even though he has used a slightly different terminology:
- Dukkha (suffering)
For those who have developed discriminatory wisdom, all life is suffering on account of the pains resulting from change, anxiety, and tendencies (samskaras); as also on account of the conflicts between the functioning of the three Gunas and the Vrttis (fluctuations of the mind) (Sutra 2.15) - Heya-hetu (cause of suffering)
The cause of that (suffering) which is to be avoided is the union of the Seer (Purusha) and the Seen (Prakriti) (sutra 2.17);
This union is caused by ignorance (avidya) (sutra 2.24) - Haana (removal of dukkha)
The dissociation of Purusa and Prakrti brought about by the dispersion of ignorance (Avidya) is the real remedy (for eliminating suffering). And it leads to the Liberation of the Seer (Purusha). (Sutra 2.25) - Haanopaya (technique of removal)
Uninterrupted discriminative discernment is the means for the removal of the apparent union between Purusha and Prakriti (Sutra 2.26)
By the practice of the limbs of Yoga, the impurities dwindle away and there dawns the light of wisdom, leading to discriminative discernment (sutra 2.28)
As you can see, on the topic of dukkha (suffering), there is a marked similarity between the concepts presented by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras and the four noble truths presented in Buddhism.
Samkhya Karika, the most authentic and widely followed text on the philosophy of Samkhya, also states a similar concept in its very first shloka:
duḥkhatrayābhighātāj jijñāsā tadapa1ghātake hetau ।
dṛṣṭe sāpārthā cen naikāntātyantato’bhāvāt ॥ 1॥
Stated in Samkhya Philosophy
Because we are confronted with the three kinds of suffering, there is a desire to know the means of its removal. And if it is argued that the inquiry is superfluous because some obvious means are available (medical science, for example), we must realize that these other means are neither absolute nor permanent (Samkhya Karika 1)
The three categories of suffering mentioned in this verse are: adhyatmika (caused by the body or mind of oneself), adhibhautika (caused by other living beings) and adhidaivika (caused by divine intervention)
What is the root cause of this suffering? As stated above, Patanjali, in the yoga sutras, attributes this suffering to avidya (ignorance). When we are ignorant of our true nature, ego takes over and begins to dominate our decision-making. As we know, the ego likes to identify every life experience with labels such as “like it/dislike it”, “love it/hate it”, etc. This kind of labeling leads to strong attachments or strong aversions (raga/dvesha) which give birth to the six enemies of the mind discussed below.
Six enemies of the mind (shad-ripu)
It is these strong attachments and aversions, which corrupt our mind with these six negative tendencies, which are commonly referred to as the six enemies of the mind (shad-ripu). All our behaviors and actions are constantly influenced by these six negative tendencies:
- Kama (lust/craving)
- Krodha (anger)
- Lobha (greed)
- Moha (delusion)
- Mada (arrogance, vanity)
- Matsarya (jealousy)
Let us look at these six enemies of the mind one by one.
Kama (lust/craving)
When a person has a pleasant experience with an object of the five senses, he or she develops an attraction to that object, which leads to attachment. The constant search for objects that we are attached to can lead to addiction. This can lead to a feeling of longing for these objects. We can develop desires for food, power, sex, possessions, wealth, etc. In some literary works, “Kama” is generally associated with sexual desire.In the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 3, Verse 37) we read: “The Supreme Lord has said: Only lust arises from contact with the force of passion (Guna Rajas) and then turns into anger.” Recognize him as a sinful one, consuming enemy of the world.
Krodha (anger)
Anger is usually a response to a perceived threat. You may become angry when you lose your temper, when your opinion is ignored, or when you feel like you have been wronged. As mentioned above, we develop strong likes and dislikes based on our life experiences. We become angry when our strong desires (attempts) are not fulfilled. Likewise, we get angry when we can’t get rid of something that we don’t quite like. Anger can build up if you don’t express it properly.
As per a Buddhist saying, “anger is like holding a piece of burning charcoal in the hand with the intent of hurling at someone you hate. Guess who is getting hurt/burnt?”
Bhagavad Gita in the following shlokas (2.62, 2.63) describes how lust and anger can eventually lead to total destruction. The sequence described here is sometimes referred to as the “ladder of destruction”.
“When a man constantly thinks about objects of the five senses, attachment for those objects arises. From attachment is born desire (craving), and from desire is born anger. From anger comes delusion, from delusion comes loss of memory, from loss of memory comes destruction of intellect, which leads to total annihilation.” (Bhagavad Gita, verses 62-63, chapter 2)
Lobha (greed)
Greed, like all the other negative traits, is driven by the ego. It represents an excessive and selfish desire to possess more than what we need or deserve. To fulfill their greedy ambitions people can resort to unfair means, violence, crime, stealing, etc. People become greedy when they have a sense of insecurity, a sense of lack, incompleteness, and unwholesomeness.
We can curb greediness if we can learn to differentiate between “wants” and “needs”. When we live a life of contentment (santosha), we limit our endeavors to fulfilling our basic needs. On the other hand, irrespective of how much we possess, we are never satisfied and our “wants” continue to grow. You may want something because of an ad that you saw on TV, or you may be jealous of your neighbor who owns a million-dollar home whereas you are living in a small two-bedroom condo.
Moha (delusion)
Delusion refers to our inability to see the truth and being trapped in material bonds. We believe that we receive and give happiness by attaching ourselves to our children, our family, etc. We don’t realize that it’s just an illusory feeling of happiness. True happiness comes from pure love and compassion that comes from non-attachment. Attachment is the result of the ego always tied to a personal interest. We feel discouraged or unhappy when our interests are not pursued. On the other hand, if we perform our duties with a relaxed attitude (nishkama-bhava), pure joy arises.
Mada (arrogance)
Some of the words commonly used to describe “mada” are arrogance, conceit, pride, conceit, conceit, selfishness, etc. A person with these traits always has a high opinion of himself and tries to belittle others. People become arrogant because of their beauty, position, fame, wealth, knowledge, background, physical strength, etc. Even yogis who develop special powers called siddhis after intensive meditation are known to develop arrogance and selfishness. Anyone who lives with this selfish and exaggerated view of themselves experiences a bitter shock and great disappointment when confronted with reality. Mada (arrogance) is like a balloon that grows until it bursts. They often have low self-esteem, which leads them to behave arrogantly.
Matsarya (jealousy)
Jealousy and greed are closely related. Like greed, jealousy arises from feelings of dissatisfaction and inadequacy. He feels like something is missing or lacking in his life. When a person sees that others have items that they also want, they become jealous. As we all know, jealousy is a common theme in our films, books, plays, etc. This was the cause of clashes and wars. Many divorces happen because of jealousy. Again, like all other negative tendencies, the main culprit of jealousy is ego.
Enemies of the mind in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali talks about three of these tendencies – lobha (greed), krodha (anger), and moha (delusion) while discussing two of the eight limbs of yoga – the five yamas and the five niyamas.
“When negative thoughts of acts such as violence, etc. arise in the mind, they are either performed by oneself, or got done by others, or even approved of; they can be incited by greed, anger or delusion; or they can be indulged in with mild, medium or extreme intensity; they are the cause of infinite misery and unending ignorance. Reflecting in this manner is called “pratipaksha bhavana” (the contrary thought)” (sutra 2.34).
The Yamas and Niyamas are as follows:
Yamas: ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (celibacy) and aparigraha (non-hoarding)
Niyamas: shaucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (austerities), swadhyaya (self-study), ishwara-pranidhana (surrender to Ishwara)
The above sutra tells us that we tend to violate these yamas and niyamas when we are incited by greed, anger, or delusion, which are three of the six negative tendencies that we are discussing. When motivated by these tendencies, we can engage in violence, lie, steal, be greedy, and more. What we need to realize is that indulging in these acts will ultimately result in untold misery and plunge us into the darkness of ignorance. To avoid these pitfalls, Patanjali says that we should immediately think of thoughts that are contrary to these negative thoughts (pratipaksha bhavana).
Shadripu and Soul
According to the Hindu scriptures, they connect the soul with the cycle of life and death and confine it to this material world (the Maya or relatively final existence). The first three in particular are said to be the path to hell. The first two are about the difficult experiences we have in life.
No matter how powerful, rich, successful, or seemingly happy we are, we cannot be considered mature if we are immature. These six internal enemies have not yet been defeated. In fact, Sanātana Dharma states that unless we defeat these six enemies – “Shadripus” – our hearts will never be truly happy and peaceful.
Furthermore, there is no point in maintaining “good behavior” if we have not defeated Shadripa. For example, telling the truth out of greed is worse than telling the truth without a desire for wealth. Who is better: who calls the police and tells them the location of a wanted criminal to receive a reward, or who does this even if there is no reward for the criminal’s arrest? The concept of Shadripu in Sanatana Dharma makes us responsible for our successes and failures. In the Gita Bhagavan Krishna says:
Man must exalt himself; You can’t humiliate yourself. In truth, only the mind is man’s friend and only the mind is his enemy.
Concluding remarks
The six enemies of the mind that we have spoken about are the impurities of the mind that obscure our clear vision and cause untold pain and suffering. As we have already seen, it is the ego that uses life experiences to sow the seeds of strong attachments and resentments. These attachments and aversions lead to the reinforcement of the six negative tendencies (shad-ripu) discussed here. This interaction between the ego and the shark causes pain and suffering on a mental and emotional level. The only way to get rid of these negative emotions is to eliminate avidya (ignorance), which reduces the influence of the ego, and clears and clears the mind so that we can access the light of true intuitive wisdom.