Sant Kabir in one of his dohas tells us that men who carry money with them on dark nights are likely to be waylaid and robbed. But equally, men who live and walk in the darkness of ignorance and unawareness are also likely to be looted - only, the thieves and robbers, in this case, are the enemies from within us. And the treasure they loot is not material wealth, but the treasure of the spirit.
There are five thieves who waylay us with traps and ensnare us in their dark nets. Their favourite hiding place is in the darkness of our ignorance. These five thieves are - kama, krodha, lobha, moha and ahankara, that is lust, anger, greed, attachment and ego.
We can lock our doors and guard the gates of our homes against thieves who strike from without, but how to guard ourselves against enemies who strike from within?
Charles Dickens in his book, The Tale of Two Cities, writes about a man who had been imprisoned for several years. At long last, he was set free. They led him out of his dark cell into the bright and beautiful sunshine outside. For a moment he gazed at the blue sky and the bright sun - but his eyes were dazzled. He turned and walked back to his cell, covering his eyes .
Like this man, we have become rooted in the darkness of the negativities, bound by these familiar and 'secure' chains. We need to cast off the shackles, but freedom can come only to those of us who are willing to surrender ourselves to the Lord.
COMMENT