The most powerful and dangerous enemies of human beings are within us. That is why it is called inner-enemy. It is natural that happiness and peace in life cannot be possible as long as enemies exist. External enemies may be avoided, but how to escape from internal enemies? Such internal enemies are lust, anger, greed, affection, ego and jealousy. That is why in Hindu scriptures it is known as SHADRIPU “Shad” means “six” and “RIPU” means enemy or vice.
The one who achieves victory over such vices is considered truly victorious, through which self-purification becomes possible. But it requires first victory on mind, that is, victory over vices can only be achieved by conquering the mind. That is why the matter of victory of mind comes first in theology. We all have to be winner internally. We all know that the whole world is tormented by the torment of the mind. True happiness is not possible without mental stability and control on mind, that is, all the sorrows of the world are the product of the mind. These six major vices are nothing but the impurity of thoughts. Which is mostly held in the sub-conscious mind and becomes active when the pretext is found i.e. the dirt lying at the bottom comes to the surface where the reason is found and becomes visible. Thus the real impurity is inside, nowhere outside, outside is just a cause or pretext (NIMITT). In fact, from time immemorial, our minds have been convinced that true fun or happiness lies in the vices and the subjects of senses.
This is a firm belief that is why the mind is constantly remains in it. There is a peculiarity of the mind that it always wants to remain in that in which it is interested and it has cultivated such an unrealistic understanding for ages that happiness and joy are in the subjects of senses. Where the mind is interested, the intellect also becomes sharp. As we strongly believed that it is necessary to be angry on certain occasions otherwise people will consider us weak. Such a belief or unrealistic view does not allow a person to be cool and calm or free from vices. Not being angry does not mean not to react or tolerating people. There is a need to speak with conviction and confidence, but there is no need to be angry at all. What is the fun in ruining our own self by getting angry? But the human mind is anger lover. An angry person actually punishes himself for another’s mistake. If someone makes a mistake and you slap your cheek, is this the justice? Thus anger is stupidity nothing else. Anger is a fire inside and have you ever heard of getting cold by putting your hand in the fire? The nature of fire is to burn but we do not understand this truth because falsehood has surrounded the soul from eternity. That’s probably why anger-like aches and pains are fun instead of pain. We don’t know that anger is a fire inside so we keep embracing it. If theology is understood, that is, if there is a real understanding, then it is understood that the fire is not embraced, there is nothing to gain in it, everything is to be lost. In the same way ego arises only when a person forgets the facts and becomes unrealistic. Ego can be of intellect, wealth, power, beauty, knowledge, virtues etc. But the only reason for its emergence is unrealistic vision. E.g. When we feel no one superior to us, we begin to underestimate others, which is not the reality, but the limit of our senses. There are many more beauties, knowledge, wealth, power, superiority in the world but we do not see them at that time so ego arises. Thus ego arises from our unrealistic philosophy. Actually do we have anything to be proud of? Because we do not have wealth, power, knowledge, post or beauty etc. by our will. If we own it, it would all be under our control. But that is not the fact. Actually nothing in life goes by our will. Not our body not relationships or not even our breathing, then for what we become egoistic and arrogant? In the same way, infatuation and attachment have arisen because we have understood what is not actually ours which is nothing more than an illusion. We become egoistic only when we become deluded and blind.
We actually know the fact that there is nothing to gain by self aggrandisement even though we like it. A person who wants to get something by appreciation is called incomplete man and the incomplete has no right to brag. Besides, there is nothing left to get for a man who is complete, so what is the need for praise? Because what else can a perfect or complete man get? In short, anger, infatuation, ego, etc. are the hunger of the mind. Man has actually cultivated the interest in all vices so for him it is not fun without it. Which actually creates many sorrows but the unrealistic vision of man does not allow him to understand it.
Vices are there in life just because of illusion or a false knowledge. It is an unrealistic vision. The things like body, relationships, wealth, power, beauty are not actually our own but we have come to understand as our own which has created attachment and infatuation which brings sorrow in life. If all this is our own, it will never leave, but we lose it every day, still we remain deluded. This is not an unrealistic vision, then what else? There is no fire like anger that burns us, we punish ourselves for the crimes of others but we do not understand that such a fire should not be embraced. Usually we do not put our hands in an external fire because we have a real knowledge that fire will burn our hands. But that knowledge is not about the fire of wrath. In the same way ego is the same kind of delusional knowledge that does not allow you to see the truth because to consider others as inferior and superior to oneself is nothing but a weakness of the senses. He who does not have illusions in his life does not have the question of lust, anger, greed, ego arising. It should be understood that we are stupid and ignorant that is why vices exist.
The only real element is to come out of the imaginary world of the mind and be realistic in life. Liberation is possible only through the vision of reality. Being with unrealistic perspectives produces many toxins and vices. As the raga is generated, we begin to understand what is not ours and our affection for it increases. That is why the scriptures advise man to be realistic. The scriptures say that even vices are subject to sinful deeds. Good deeds are needed to get rid of vices. People tolerate your anger only when you are in the rise of virtue. Usually when we win by anger it is actually a result of our past good deeds nothing else. Most human beings bondage sin while utilizing vices and enjoys past good deeds. In this way there good deeds get over and amount of sins increases. The reason for this is also an unrealistic vision. Thus the root cause of inner enemy of man is the unrealistic and deluded vision. A person who understands this attains supreme soul.
