Vedanta’s basic practices are said to be four (sādhana-catuṣṭaya), namely, discernment (viveka), non-attachment (vairāgya), the “six treasures” (ṣaṭ-sampatti), and longing for freedom (mumukṣutva). These have been our focus of study in the last few months.
The third among these—“six treasures”—is not one but really six distinct practices: restraining the mind (śama), restraining the senses (dama), pulling back (uparati), forbearance (titikșā), concentration (samādhāna), and deep faith (śraddhā). So why have these practices been clubbed together and treated as if the collection is a single practice?
The reason is that each of these “treasures” is closely connected with the others. They all provide mutual support to one another. Each enhances the practice of others. While this is true for all of the Four Basic Practices, it is especially so in the case of the practices included in the “six treasures.”
The Kaṭha Upaniṣad (1.3.3–8) offers the imagery of a chariot. We are told that the body (śarīra) is the chariot and the Ātman is the master seated in the chariot. The intellect (buddhi) is the charioteer, the mind (manas) is the rein, the senses (indriya) are the horses, and the sense objects (viṣaya) are the road. For the master of the chariot to reach the destination, it is important that the charioteer is alert and is holding the rein tightly, for this keeps the horses under control and on the road to the destination. If the charioteer is distracted and the reins are slack, the horses will go berserk and the chariot will likely go off the road and crash.
Every aspect in the imagery—the chariot, the charioteer, the reins, and the horses—is important for the safety of the master riding in the chariot. They all depend on each other for the success of the journey. The chariot ride is seemingly one activity, but really comprises a bunch of things—a charioteer who is alert and not delinquent, a chariot that is sturdy and not fragile, reins that are strong and not tattered, and horses that are trained and not wayward. All of these factors are interdependent, they all need to be right in order for the ride to be comfortable. In the same way, all the six practices that comprise the “six treasures” depend on each other for doing what they do in the optimum way.
Let us begin with restraining the mind and see how it is essential for others in the “six treasures” pack. Trying to restrain the senses with an unrestrained mind is a futile exercise. When the mind is spread thin, identifying with the family, friends, possessions, and other interests, it can neither have total commitment to the ideal nor have faith in the practices to reach that ideal. Given the propensity of the latent tendencies, it is difficult for the mind to practice pulling back when distracted unless it is habituated to being controlled. How can an unrestrained mind be made to practice concentration? Only a disciplined mind can bear the ups and downs of life without complaining, hence restraint is needed even for the practice of forbearance.
We’ll see that the practice of restraining the senses also supports the other practices. Restraining the mind becomes so much easier when the senses are restrained, and vice versa. The two forms of restraint reinforce and support each other. Deep faith, concentration, and withdrawing the mind are impossible for a person whose senses are not controlled. Forbearance is greatly supported by a diligent restraint of the senses.
Sometimes the restraint of the mind and the senses fails due to a powerful mental impression resurrecting a past habit. Unless immediately checked, the day’s routine—indeed, sometimes life itself—can get derailed. It is at such times that we need the practice of “pulling back” in order to get back on track again. Every spiritual seeker needs this practice. It provides vital support not only to restraining the mind and the senses but also to the practices of concentration, deep faith, and forbearance.
We may want everything to go with clockwork precision, but life teaches us that it won’t happen. If it is possible for anything to go wrong (and that is always a possibility), it is likely that things will go wrong, often when we least expect it. We may want all our plans to unfold exactly the way we hope they will, but we realize quickly that life is too unpredictable for that to happen. When things don’t turn out the way we thought they would, we need forbearance. This protects and preserves the rest of the “six treasures” practices. Without forbearance, life is reduced to an unending stream of distractions, eliciting frustration, disappointment, even anger.
Every practice needs focus. Nothing can be achieved with a distracted mind. It is easy to see how concentration is an inevitable requirement for the restraint of the mind and the senses. The alertness that concentration brings is an absolute must for the practices of pulling back and forbearance. Whenever faith falters, it is often due to disruption in one’s concentration.
Without deep faith in the efficacy of the path we have chosen, how and why would we even engage in the practices of restraining the mind and the senses, forbearance and concentration? It is possible to say that deep faith is at the root of every spiritual practice. Without faith, practices become mechanical and lifeless. With faith, all practices come to life and can become life-transforming.
We see therefore how closely every practice in the “six treasures” is interlinked with every other, and it is for this reason that the six practices act together as if they are a single powerful practice. It is the “six treasures” which provide vital support to the other three Basic Practices of discernment, non-attachment, and longing for freedom.
