Too much work can steal the quiet,
Too much talking pulls us far,
Too much sleep can cloud the vision,
Too much company leaves scars.
Guard the senses, watch desire,
Eat with wisdom, know what’s right,
Six distractions, when abandoned,
Open up the path to light.
[Verse 2]
Know the body, know the feeling,
Know the mind and phenomena,
See within and see without,
Hold awareness ever clearer.
Every breath becomes a teacher,
Every moment can reveal,
When the restless noise grows silent,
Truth is something we can feel.
[Chorus]
Six to abandon, four to see,
Mindfulness can set us free,
Body, feeling, mind, and Dhamma,
Wisdom opens what we cannot see.
Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha guide us,
Virtue, giving, faith made strong,
Impermanence and non-self show us
Where attachment does not belong.
[Verse 3]
When we see the roots of craving,
We can choose to let them go,
When we see the fire of anger,
We can stop before it grows.
When delusion clouds the vision,
Let the light of wisdom shine,
Every moment gives a doorway
To a heart that’s free and kind.
[Verse 4]
See that all things are impermanent,
See the suffering in clinging tight,
See that nothing is a lasting self,
Let this wisdom guide the mind.
Abandon, fade, and cease attachment,
Let dispassion calm the flame,
With awareness and with wisdom,
We are not the same again.
[Chorus]
Six to abandon, four to see,
Mindfulness can set us free,
Body, feeling, mind, and Dhamma,
Wisdom opens what we cannot see.
Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha guide us,
Virtue, giving, faith made strong,
Impermanence and non-self show us
Where attachment does not belong.
[Bridge]
Guard the senses, live with measure,
Do not let the world control,
Faith becomes the seed of wisdom,
Wisdom opens up the soul.
[Final Verse]
Six to abandon, four foundations,
One clear path of inner peace,
From craving toward dispassion,
From attachment to release.
May the mind be calm and mindful,
May compassion light the way,
May the Dhamma lead us onward,
Toward freedom day by day.
The Tipiṭaka Identifies Six Obstacles to Mindfulness and the Path to Liberation
The section of the Aṅguttara Nikāya not included in a regular vagga presents six habits that obstruct the cultivation of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, while also teaching unwavering confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha, noble virtue, noble knowledge, liberation, and methods for overcoming greed and other defilements.
In Volume 22 of the Sutta Piṭaka, Aṅguttara Nikāya, Chakka Nipāta, in the section of discourses not assigned to a regular vagga, the Buddha presents teachings of particular importance to meditation practice, especially the Four Foundations of Mindfulness: contemplation of body as body, feelings as feelings, mind as mind, and phenomena as phenomena, internally, externally, and both internally and externally.
Verses [388]–[394] emphasize that a practitioner who has not abandoned six particular qualities is not well prepared for the full cultivation of mindfulness. One who has abandoned these six qualities, however, is considered suitable for such contemplation.
The six qualities are being excessively fond of work, excessively fond of talking, excessively fond of sleep, excessively fond of socializing, failing to guard the sense faculties, and lacking moderation in eating.
Viewed in a contemporary context, these teachings can be understood as principles of disciplined living. Excessive involvement in work can consume the time and mental space needed for inner cultivation. Excessive talking and socializing can continually pull the mind outward. Excessive sleep, unguarded sensory engagement, and overeating can weaken continuity of mindfulness.
The teaching is then extended to all four foundations of mindfulness: body, feelings, mind, and phenomena. This indicates that removing these obstacles is not merely a preparation for observing the body; it is a foundation for developing awareness across every dimension of experience.
Verses [395]–[396] introduce Tapussa the householder and a number of other lay followers who are described as possessing six qualities that establish unwavering confidence in the Tathāgata and lead toward realizing the deathless.
These six qualities are unwavering confidence in the Buddha, unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, unwavering confidence in the Saṅgha, noble virtue, noble knowledge, and noble liberation. The teaching demonstrates that Buddhist faith is not merely emotional belief. Mature faith supports ethical conduct, direct understanding, and liberation.
Verses [397]–[401] then present six qualities to be cultivated for the higher knowledge of sensual desire, expanding the teaching toward the recognition, abandonment, fading, cessation, relinquishment, and letting go of greed and many other defilements, including anger, resentment, conceit, arrogance, intoxication, and negligence.
One group consists of the unsurpassed seeing, hearing, gain, training, service, and recollection. These teachings suggest that experiences ordinarily capable of feeding desire can instead become opportunities for spiritual development.
Another group consists of recollection of the Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha, virtue, generosity, and the deities. These recollections can elevate the mind and weaken its tendency to become absorbed in sensuality.
A further group consists of the perception of impermanence, the perception that what is impermanent is suffering, the perception of non-self in what is suffering, the perception of abandonment, the perception of dispassion, and the perception of cessation.
Taken as a whole, the teachings from [388] through [401] reveal a clear progression:
Reduce distractions → guard the senses → practice moderation → establish mindfulness → strengthen faith and virtue → develop wisdom → abandon defilements → move toward liberation.
These principles remain relevant in contemporary society, particularly in an age characterized by constant work demands, digital communication, entertainment, consumption, and an overwhelming flow of information. The teachings on moderation and guarding the sense faculties can therefore be understood as a call to establish healthy boundaries around one's attention.
The teaching does not simply reject work or social interaction. Rather, it warns that when external activities completely dominate the mind, leaving no space for awareness of body, feelings, mind, and phenomena, inner development becomes difficult.
From the perspective of Buddhist peacebuilding, these principles can also contribute to conflict transformation. Before attempting to change others, a person must learn to understand the body, feelings, mind, and mental phenomena within oneself. When greed, anger, delusion, and negligence no longer dominate the mind, speech, decisions, and relationships can increasingly be guided by mindfulness and wisdom.
The central message is therefore clear: mindfulness is not merely sitting with one's eyes closed. It is the disciplined organization of one's life so that mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom have the space to function fully.
As wisdom increasingly sees impermanence, suffering, non-self, abandonment, dispassion, and cessation, attachment gradually weakens, leading toward genuine letting go and liberation.
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