Three Gunas

Guna is defined as a fundamental operating principles or 'tendencies' of prakṛti (universal nature).  There are three of them, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas- each having its own defining characteristics.  In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says to Arjun: 

“Oh mighty armed one, the qualities of goodness, passion and ignorance thus produced by the material energy enslaves the immutable, consciousness of the self within the body.” BG 14:5 This ties in with the fact that tunas are HUMAN tendencies.  

Sattva Guna:

“Of these, Sattwa is by the purity of its quality a cause of light and illumination, and by virtue of that purity produces no disease or morbidity or suffering in the nature: it binds by attachment to knowledge and attachment to happiness, O sinless one.” -Bhagavad Gita, 14:6

In other words:

• Represents harmony and balance
• Provides happiness and contentment
• Quality of intelligence: ideas
  
• The force of love that unites all things together

Rajas Guna:

“Rajas, know thou, has for its essence attraction of liking and longing; it is a child of the attachment of the soul to the desire of objects; O Kaunteya, it binds the embodied spirit by attachment to works.” -Bhagavad Gita, 14:7v

in other words:

• Heat of the moment (passion)
• Causes imbalance, pain, and suffering
• More desires, selfishness, restlessness and sadness arise
• Rajas karma is money-oriented and calculative
• We care about what is easy and agreeable to us.
• Our attachment to material desires reduces our concern about universal dharma.
• The doer always remains attached to the gains

Tamas Guna:

“But Tamas, know thou, born of ignorance, is the deluded of all embodied beings; it binds by negligence, indolence and sleep, O Bharata.” -Bhagavad Gita, 14:8

In other words:

• Quality of:

• dullness
• darkness
• inertia
• Brings about ignorance and delusion in the mind
• Promotes insensitivity, sleep and loss of awareness

To get a better understanding of the differences, here is a chart!

 

Sattva	Rajas	Tamas
Truth / Goodness	Activity	Inertia
Light / illumination	Passion/ Desire	Darkness
Spiritual Essence	Energy	Mass / matter / heaviness
Upward flow	Expansion	Downward flow
Intelligence / Consciousness	Movement	Sloth / dullness
Binds by means of attachment to knowledge and joy.	Binds by passion born or craving and attachment	Binds by means of ignorance and obstruction.
Is the ruling trait when the light of knowledge shines forth.	Is the ruling trait when greed, excessive, projects, cravings and restlessness arise.	Is the ruling trait when darkness, dullness, stagnation, indolence, confusion, torpor, and inertia appear.

Analyzation:

Think about the batman's character. Think about his character in regards to the three gunas. 

DQ1: Can one dominate over the other?

DQ2: Is it necessary to have all three gunas present?

now take a look at this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrzvY0JNT0U

DQ3: Does this clip influence, change or support your answer to the previous question and why?

With this video, you can see that Batman only had two gunas present, even just in the clip, rajas and tamas. Sattva was not present; if it was, then it was ever so slightly.  Because he did not take the time to think before he acted, Batman was not successful.  So the point we are trying to make is that, the three gunas are needed to maintain balance for a healthy lifestyle.  

One way that can improve a higher quality in life, is to have the sattva guna consistent throughout life through yoga and mediation.  By simply breathing with your stomach and not your chest, it allows more for your soul to open instead of your mind; thus opening yourself up to more ideas and knowledge.  Another way is by chanting the Gayatri mantra.  W

e first relieve ourselves of Tamas guna, by engaging in the activities of Rajas guna, and then we relieve ourselves from Rajas guna, driven activities and move up towards Sattva guna. And then we go beyond even Sattva guna to realize the bliss and peace of the supreme Consciousness – this is Gayatri.

So, to inspire and channel this subtle ego of ours we have the Gayatri Mantra.

Even though we aim to keep a balance among the three gunas, our ultimate goal is to attain moksha or enlightenment. Moksha is the absence of the three gunas. As Krishna tells Arjun, “One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.” BG 14:26 In other words, those who transcend these three gunas will be liberated from the cycle of birth, growth, death and rebirth and attain moksha.