132 - Effects of the Three Gunas | Swami Tattwamayananda

<b>Title: Effects of the Three <i>Gunas</i></b><br /><br />14th Chapter: Verses 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15; 6th chapter verses 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42<br /><br />Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three <i>gunas</i> – <i>sattva guna, rajo guna</i> and <i>tamo guna</i>. <i>Sattva guna</i> is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. <i>Rajo guna</i> manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. <i>Tamo guna </i>manifests itself as laziness and delusion.<br /><br /><i>Gunas</i> are not visible and cannot be physically verified. We can infer which <i>guna</i> is predominant in a person by observing his external temperament.<br /><br />Of these three <i>gunas, Sattva guna</i> is the most refined, healthy and good. However, even <i>Sattva guna</i> binds, as the person endowed with <i>sattva guna</i> feels attached to <i>sukha</i> – he has a natural tendency to seek inner serenity and poise.<br /><br />10th verse: “In a person who is serene, detached and contented, <i>sattva guna</i> dominates. <i>Rajo guna</i> and <i>tamo guna</i> are almost non-functional. In such a person, laziness and confusion, which are manifestations of <i>tamo guna</i>, disappear. Similarly, hyperactive nature, manifestation of <i>rajo guna</i>, disappears.”<br /><br />The 11th verse refers to the five senses of perception, five senses of action, mind and intellect as the doors of the body, or the instruments through which one acts. A person endowed with <i>sattva guna</i> is able to restrain all these instruments of action – in him, these doors are illumined by light which represents serenity, wisdom and insight. He has a sense of inner fulfillment and contentment.<br /><br />12th and 13th verses: “Greed, craving, hyper activism, and restlessness prevail in a person predominated by <i>rajo guna.</i> Ignorance, laziness, negligence and delusion prevail in a person predominated by <i>tamo guna</i>.”<br /><br /><i>Vyasa</i> in <i>Patanjali Yoga Sutras</i> classifies the human mind into five categories: