The Ropes of Material Existence
I decided to write this blog on the Gunas (Ropes of Material Existence) as it's a very logical and practical aspect of Yoga. It's also a great way to start bringing your yoga practice off the mat and into your life. Yoga is not about stretching your body, and handstands, indeed there is a physical practice of asana, to align the structure of the body and free it of tension, optimising the use of the physical system, but this is really not what Yoga is about. The word Yoga means union with the ultimate reality, a union of body, mind and soul, and ultimately with the Supersoul.
Being in constant awareness of these three Gunas will bring us to a level of conscious choice, being able more often to move towards what is good for us rather than following compulsively to what brings us pain. If you practice this diligently and without cheating yourself, I believe the effect is axiomatic, and by this realisation and experience you will have increased interest in the yogic philosophy, as you will have faith from experience, that this really works!!
With continued practice you will become so much more aware and will recognise the energetic feel of what is sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic. You will notice more what brings you up and what brings you down. One needs to understand we are all subjected to the influence of these modes, there is no escape whilst in this material existence. Whether you are aware or not, the Gunas will have their impact.
This picture depicts the Gunas in a way, that we are puppets in the hands of Maya. Indeed we may be under the illusion that we are free, but the reality is, our mind is under the control of the three modes of nature, and depending on the mode we are in and surround ourselves in, our mind, thoughts and feelings will be influenced and then our subsequent actions. This picture shows us that depending on the guna we are immersed in, the puppeteer changes, whether it be Goddess Kali (ignorance), Goddess Durga (passion), Goddess Sawaswati (goodness).
Upon experimentation of this, I am certain that these effects are real and tangible. This is very exciting, as although we are puppets in the hands of maya, we have free will in every area of our life to make more satvic choices and therefore, improve the sentiment of our thoughts and feelings, subsequently improving our actions in this world. This will lead us to greater satisfaction and joy in life. l have personally noticed my fascination in podcasts, debates, or youtube videos, and although they satisfy my intellect, they have a very rajasic quality to them. In the long run they don't make me feel good. They increase certain traits such as anger, passion, judgments, hunger for prestige etc. Upon recognition of this, if I turn back to the teachings of Bhakti Yoga, read the sacred texts and their purports by realised masters, my sentiments very quickly change. I feel more compassion, ease, joy, humility, as if the satvic puppettere has taken over.
We are a product of what we feed our ears, eyes and mind. These modes have their influence over every material matter, whether it's a conversation, a tv programme, music, or what we are eating. To even begin on a spiritual path, we must stabilise ourselves predominantly in Sattva guna, or our mind and intellect will be too agitated to focus on meditation on the supreme ultimate reality!
The Three Gunas
The three gunas are born of prakriti (material nature) which is considered the female aspect of the divine. To understand this, think of the sun body being masculine, then the sunlight being the feminine aspect of the sun. The sunlight is one and the same as the sun but at the same time different. There are three material modes of nature.
SATTVIC (Mode of Goodness)
The satvic mode of nature is what we must strive for in order to begin our meditation and yogic practice. The nature of Satva is clarity, and full of the light of awareness. Sattvic habits will always be positive and bring more knowledge and happiness. Satva, although helping us to elevate knowledge is not the ultimate goal. It still binds us to material existence. All three gunas will bind us but we have to go through satva to reach transcendental knowledge (spiritual realisation).
RAGAS (Mode of Passion)
The ragasic mode of nature is about action. It is a nature of attachment, and desire, creating a restless mind. In our way of life, we find ourselves in this mode very often, and it's not easy to transcend. Our world requires us to engage regularly in raga guna, be it in business, or competitive sport. It's an energy of not finding contentment, and always seeking more, and more. We will naturally find ourselves in Ragas guna as our whole society runs on it. It takes awareness and discipline to step back. Considering our position, I don’t think it's possible for most of us not to engage in this, but, understanding of these gunas and their consequences, help us to at least regulate the intensity and frequency of ragas, and balance it with Satva.
TAMAS (Mode of Ignorance)
The Tamasic mode of nature is born of ignorance. It brings us delusion, lack of attention, laziness, and dullness. In this mode we will keep making mistakes that bring us pain. We will find ourselves in this mode if we become intoxicated, eat unhealthy foods including meat, and processed food. Listen to aggressive music, engage in negative talk of others, watch violence or pornography on a screen. All these things would be considered Tamasic and will have their impact on the mind.
In conclusion, it's important to know that what we choose to expose our senses to will impact our mind and consciousness. Although this may seem obvious, I often meet people who would deny that certain environments impact their mind and the way they may think, feel, and act. Vedic philosophy confirms there is no escape from this. Take time to be aware of the gunas, and watch how your mind responds. It's a fascinating experiment and I think it will pull you in to try more within the realm of vedic philosophy. For example practice this alongside the Mantra meditation given in the previous blog. You need to be consistent with this to feel the results.