THE THREE GUNAS

 

In the composition of nature, there are three elements at work which we call in Sanskrit the three gunas. The three gunas, Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. “Sattva” means light, “Tamas” means Darkness, and “Rajas” is the quality which is the activating force between light and darkness. These three qualities are forever existent in nature as we perceive it, and nature is relative.

When there is an overabundance of the light quality of Sattva, then that we regard, in the relative sense, to be good. And, when we see a predominance of the darkness tamas, then we regard it to be bad. It is inertia.

In the human mind, which is also matter, these three qualities exist. The nearest to the spiritual self of man is the finer quality, the subtler quality which is Sattva. And, the furthest away from the spirit which is grosser is Tamas.

Through meditation and spiritual practices, when we dive to the deepest, finest levels of our mind we reach the finest relative which is Sattva and reaching Sattva, we get a truer reflection of the spiritual self which is within us and that reflection shines forth and overcomes the darkness. It does not annihilate the darkness as darkness is forever there. When we switch on the light, it does not mean we have got rid of darkness, because as soon as we switch the light off again, darkness is there.

These three gunas are forever there, and through meditation and spiritual practices, we can reach the stage where the spiritual light in man can shine through the clean mirror or the clean glass of the sattvic quality which is within us.

When we reach the finer level of our mind and allow the spiritual quality to shine through, then that, in turn, reflects through the other layers activated by the rajasic force into the tamasic self of man, and the tamasic self is subdued. In nature, these three qualities are forever existent.

It is because of our ignorance, and ignorance is darkness, that we allow this very darkness to engulf us. And engulfing us, we term it to be degenerate. It is this very ignorance that engulfs us, and this very ignorance is termed in worldly terms as degenerate.

Yet, all the doings of nature never affect the spiritual self of man.

……… Gururaj Ananda Yogi: Satsang US 1977/09

 

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