The Three Gunas

[Uma]

I just wanted to start a thread about the gunas. The three gunas are called in Sanskrit: rajas, satvik, and tamas. They are said to represent three basic qualities in the universe (wildly active = rajasic, the opposite really inert/dull = tamasic, and satvik is a balance of the two). I think of these as similar to the idea of yin and yang in Taoism.

What do you know about the three gunas and how you do feel this knowledge is useful?

[Thinker108]

Sattva, Rajas and Tamas- these three gunas, born of nature tie downthe imperishable soul to the body, Arjuna
Gita 14-5

I think, this is a good start of the discussion

[Uma]

Originally Posted by Thinker108

Sattva, Rajas and Tamas- these three gunas, born of nature tie downthe imperishable soul to the body, Arjuna
Gita 14-5

Good idea Thinker.

Any thoughts about the quotation?

[Miss Hepburn]

Sure, all is illusion or all is vanity here in the 3rd dimension.
Activity, non-activity - even balance of the 2,
All pertain to the body here.

Ahh, but the soul or spirit - that is eternal and imperishable - matters of the spirit are what matter - or matters of the heart and realization said another way.

[Thinker108]

Originally Posted by Uma

Good idea Thinker.

Any thoughts about the quotation?

Sattva, Rajas and Tamas- these three gunas, born of nature tie downthe imperishable soul to the body, Arjuna
Gita 14-5

The first thing-born of nature
second-tie down
Third- imperishable soul

first we take the first-
These three gunas are born of nature, but if we say these are Good(sattva) or Bad(tamas). it is not our right thinking. nature is nature, Lord says-Guna Guneshu vartant.

second- tie down- they tie down, because soul enjy these gunas, it consider itself as body, and body is just nature. therefore they tie down

third- imperishable soul- Soul does not realize, itself imparishable, so they tie down

these are some thought on this quote without the relation of other quotes, i will try to relate with other

so enjoy and express your views---

[Thinker108]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Sure, all is illusion or all is vanity here in the 3rd dimension.
Activity, non-activity - even balance of the 2,
All pertain to the body here.

Ahh, but the soul or spirit - that is eternal and imperishable - matters of the spirit are what matter - or matters of the heart and realization said another way.

your thoughts are incredible, thanks

Uma, appreciation for starting this thread, hello Miss H, and Thinker

Because the 3 gunas determine maya and resulting karma, binding modified consciousness ( the soul) to rounds of re-birth ( as Thinker said) the study of them tells us where we are at, how we need to move or aligne and also where others may be in the sense of how to interact with them.

Miss H talked about activity and non activity and balance, getting this thread impetus ,revving it up.

The Gita says , ( and i hope not just the Gita will be quoted here but shared insights from living also) that it is an unequal mixture of the 3 qualities that result in maya.

If no one minds i would like to take a deeper look into each guna. If that's not desired i will be able to tell by lack of intrest and try to move along with the rate you all decide on.

Tamas, as Miss H said is nonactivity....if we look for clues of predominant tamas, in a human being it looks like laziness, or apathy, or hopelessness. i think the bottom line of tamas psychologicaly is body identity causing fear and ignorance rsulting in avoideance of activity which threatens and does not support that body identity. There is evident selfishness also. i don't use that word with a moral judgement. Body self, self-his-ness is a tamasic non realisation one is more then body.
All of mankind is a result of mixture of the 3 gunas, there is usualy one predominant thru a lifetime with others predominant also experienced at times.
It's how we relate to our world.

Other insights, independant of this post or insights ( pro or con on these thoughts) would be appreciated. i would like to deepen my understanding.

[Miss Hepburn]

Hi Sentientno1,

Well, after reading up on the 3 gunas - I see why you would want to deepen your understanding!
They are kinda complicated if you ask me.

[Uma]

To me, there is nothing inherently negative about any of the gunas. Whether you are in human form, a fish, a frog, or a steering wheel - they are just different ways of being involved with worldly existence.

I think of the three gunas as the swinging of a pendulum (the pendulum of maya of time and space), from one extreme to the other extreme, resting for a moment in the middle. Yes as said above our spiritual reality is beyond the gunas but for the most part, we are caught up in them. For practical purposes it is best to live in the middle, the middle way. So when one guna is predominating it is good to bring in the other extreme to bring about balance and harmony. For example - feeling too tamasic and lazy, get up, shower and exercise, bringing in rajas to bring tamas into satva, but without going overboard. In this simple way life's ups and downs can be managed and we don't get too caught up in any one of them. Sometimes we need extremes too to accomplish certain goals. Someone who is in shock for instance may need the calming influence of tamas. Another who is depressed may need rajasic influences/activities to snap out of it. This is my simple understanding - and maybe it's all I really need to know for living the more conscious life. In the meantime I do try to transcend all three, but for me this moment it's a constant juggling act.

[Uma]

Originally Posted by Thinker108

The first thing-born of nature
second-tie down
Third- imperishable soul

first we take the first-
These three gunas are born of nature, but if we say these are Good(sattva) or Bad(tamas). it is not our right thinking. nature is nature, Lord says-Guna Guneshu vartant.

second- tie down- they tie down, because soul enjy these gunas, it consider itself as body, and body is just nature. therefore they tie down

third- imperishable soul- Soul does not realize, itself imparishable, so they tie down

these are some thought on this quote without the relation of other quotes, i will try to relate with other

so enjoy and express your views---

Thinker,

Thank you, I think this is a good way to start to discuss the quotation.

"born of nature": this puts me in mind of Deepak Chopra saying at one time that prakriti is mind-stuff. Prakriti (nature) is produced by mental energy, God-mind, mind of Self, or what have you.

"tie down" - I agree with your interpretation. The sage Vivekananda said, "Sanyasin bold release thy hold on the rope that binds thee," - which my teacher loves to quote all the time. We hold on to body/mind-identification
which keep us from Self-realization.

"imperishable" - to me this is the idea that as energy-consciousness being I am eternal, never born and never dying. In fact in nature too, there is no true death, only transformation from one state to another.

Uma