The six senses of a person are comparable to the six spies inside a citadel which sneakily opens for six enemy armies to infiltrate.
The six robbers or thieves, that is, the six senses: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. They are called Robbers because they often incite people to become engrossed in beauty, pleasant sounds, fragrant smells, delicious tastes, physical pleasure, and lustful thoughts. They work like clandestine agents to subvert the leadership of the state and wait for the opportunity to stage a general uprising.
Ancient sages once said: “From delusion to delusion, all people are thieves of the six senses.” (From delusion in this life to the next, all people remain deluded, all because of these six thieves.)
It is imperative that a Buddhist practician is capable of controlling their six senses (the six robbers) to attain
supernatural powers and liberation (When the senses and objects of perception are purified, the six supernatural powers are manifested).
