ANNAPURNA SARADA, Friday, August 21, 2015 8:17 am

The Gunas in Vedic Cosmology & Psychology

Repetition of the teachings is essential in spiritual life.  Recently, in a letter to a student this topic came up.  The student is a prison inmate doing his best to lead a Hindu Faith group.  It is an honor society where the privilege of multiple study sessions each week and access to audio-visual equipment is accorded.  They have been receiving audio teachings on the Bhagavad Gita from SRV Associations and were asking for the next set, as they had listened to the first one already.  This prompted the question, “have you listened to the first one more than once?” There is a tendency in our modern culture to think that reading or listening once and moving on to the next thing constitutes “study,” or “gaining knowledge” but for most people, the ability to concentrate is not well-developed and so a single pass through a scripture, spiritual book, teaching audio, or even one’s teacher’s lecture on a particular topic, often does not penetrate the surface.  Writing back to the inmate, the need of repetition was explained in terms of the gunas of Prakriti and their presence and effect on the mind.

What are the Gunas?  At the start of our studies in Vedanta it can be hard to get a handle on these three fundamental qualities that the rishis of India perceived with their well-honed and subtle intelligence.  The gunas can be said to be the beginning and end of all objective experience.  “Objective” here does not mean “fair” or “even-handed” but quite literally, the “experience of objects,” whether they are physical or conceptual.  Any object requires an observer, thus “objective experience” means we are in the realm of duality: subject and object, I and other, Witness and that which is witnessed.  The gunas stand at the gateway to all phenomena, and are the last barrier to kaivalya (isolation/freedom) from the limits of Nature/phenomena.  We are exhorted to become tri-guna-tita, beyond the reach of the three gunas.

As a foundational concept in Vedic cosmology, the gunas are essential for our understanding of Vedanta, as well as for Yoga and Tantra.  This is not just a matter of gathering facts pertinent to a philosophical system; recognition of the gunas is a rudimentary and efficient way to practice discrimination between the changing and the Unchanging in order to gain peace of mind.  (Generally, the western notion of philosophy is something one learns for intellectual benefit but does not practice.  The eastern approach marries practice to philosophy, which leads to supersensuous realizations.  Thus, it is no wonder, and a great misfortune, that Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism, Taoism, etc., are not taught in the philosophy departments of most universities, but in their religions department, if at all.)  The many and varied ways that discrimination or analysis is put forward throughout the teachings also have the thread of the gunas running through them, whether overtly stated or not.

The gunas – sattva, rajas, and tamas – are the warp and woof of our experience as embodied beings.  They are the constituents of Prakriti, Nature in its manifest or unmanifest states.  Simply stated, rajas is energy, tamas is inertia, and sattva is balance.  These three are in equilibrium when Prakriti is unmanifested (pralaya), a formless state in which all worlds, objects, and beings are in potential.  When the gunas go out of equilibrium, then, like the striking of a great cosmic bell, all the worlds, objects, and beings come rushing into manifestation, from subtle/conceptual to gross/physical, which from the standpoint of limited human awareness appears to take billions of years, and that is only for the atomic/physical part.  From the standpoint of the stationary witness, however, it is only like passing from waking, to dreaming, to the void of deep sleep, and back out to waking again.  According to the Vedic view, this goes on in never ending cycles, and the question of a “first cycle” is a non sequitur.  One can see from this how the gunas are that crucial gateway between the realms of phenomena and what lies beyond even the potential for phenomena.

As in the cosmos, so in the individual – this is a truism of Vedic cosmology and psychology.  The cosmic pralaya at the end and beginning of cycle of manifestation is essentially nondifferent from the deep sleep of the individual, wherein the sleeper experiences a lack of form, i.e. no objects, no thoughts, not even an ego – the gunas at the individual level are also in equilibrium.  There is absence of form, but not absence of potential for form (i.e. karmas and samskaras are held in abeyance).  When this equilibrium of the gunas is disturbed, we begin to dream, and then we enter the waking state.  This cycle continues interminably throughout an individual lifetime.  The ability to arrest the shiftings of the gunas in the mind affords one the ability to meditate and enter the lower (seeded) samadhis (savikalpa/samprajnata) at will.  Transcending the gunas entirely, one goes beyond unmanifested Prakriti, to Brahman -beyond deep sleep, to Turiya, and attains Liberation.

From the very basic definition of the gunas given above, more specific descriptions for each of the gunas are used, depending upon whether one is analyzing just the cosmological ramifications of the gunas or the psychological.  Sankhya philosophy organized Vedic cosmology into the 24 Cosmic Principles, and most Indian darshanas have used it for its foundation (see attached chart).  With regard to evolution, as we have seen, rajas is defined as activity, a force of impetus.  Tamas refers to the tendency toward inertia, which leads to stability and solidity; the subtle elements (tanmatras) and the gross elements (pancha mahabhutas), all have a predominance of tamas in them.  Earth (the principle of solidity, not just soil) is the grosses/densest element and all solid objects in the universe of our waking state are here courtesy of tamas, with rajas providing the stimulus for the combining and recombining of the subtle elements into the gross elements that move evolution along.  Sattva is the tendency toward balance between the two, and the medium through which the Light of Consciousness gets manifested.  For instance, the most sattvic principle in manifestation is Mahat, the Cosmic Mind, then comes Cosmic and individual Intelligence, Ego, then individual mind (manas), and the five senses of knowledge (hearing, touching, seeing, tasting, smelling), evolving from most subtle to gross, or greater to lesser manifestations/reflectors of Consciousness.  The lesser manifestations partake more of rajas and tamas.  This is a basic rendering from the Sankhya view.

For the psychological applications, we can turn to Shankaracharya, among others.  Understanding the gunas from this perspective guides our spiritual practice, leads to dispassion from the vagaries of the mind, and ultimately to control of the mind.   In his Vivekachudamani, Shankara fleshes out the three gunas by explaining that tamas is the concealing power (avarana shakti) that hides the nature of Reality, the all-pervasive, Self-aware Consciousness designated as Nirguna Brahman (nir/without gunas).  Shankara defines rajas as the projecting or “de-centralizing” power (vikshepa shakti) that brings forth multitudinous forms.  Sattva, then, is the revealing power that penetrates through the darkness of tamas and the obfuscations of rajas.  Here is a summary of how Shankara describes them in verses 111 – 119 (Swami Turiyananda, translation):

The power of decentralizing [projection] is rajas, from which all the desires spring.  What are its effects?  Constant attachment and all the disturbances of the mind, sorrow and pain.  It is the cause of bondage. The properties of rajas are desire for enjoyment, anger (from obstruction to enjoyment), greed, pride, envy, egotism and jealousy. (111-12)

The property of tamas is to cover, as scattering is the property of rajas.  It makes things appear to be what they are not, and that is the cause of bondage, and even of decentralization [projection].  What a tremendous power this tamas has!  Even he who has knowledge of the Atman, who is versed in the scriptures, very intelligent, who has very keen insight – even such a person, engrossed in tamas – cannot understand the Atman, even when explained in many different ways; but he takes the attributes of Maya as the Atman. (vs. 115) And he remains in ignorance, dullness, sleepŠ. (vs. 116)

Sattva is pure.  It becomes useful for liberation.  Therein is reflected the shadow of the Atman.  Sattva manifests the Atman, as the sun manifests the whole of the universe.  It is lightŠ. (vs. 117)  Sattva becomes mixed with rajas and tamas, and the traits of mixed sattva are as follows: [absence of pride], denial of things [yamas], observance of the niyamas [purification, austerity, study, contentment, and worship of God], control of the [sense] organs, faith, devotion, desire for liberation, a divine nature, and cessation from things that are not good for self-purification, harmlessness, truthfulness, freedom from greed, continence, and absence of acquisitiveness.  Pure sattva is blissfulness, realization of Self, supreme peace of attainment, cheerfulness, and an abiding quality in the Self, by which one becomes ever-blissful. (vs. 118-9)

The purpose of drawing a distinction between the gunas from the perspective of Vedic cosmology and psychology is to gain a more comprehensive understanding that eventually reveals the inherent connection between the individual mind and the cosmic mind.  According to the Pancadasi, the difference between the Maya resulting in the cosmic experience and the Ignorance resulting in the individual experience is the predominance of sattva in the former, and rajas and tamas in the latter.  “When the element of sattva is pure, Prakriti is known as Maya; when impure (being mixed up with rajas and tamas) it is called Avidya [ignorance/nescience].  Brahman, reflected in Maya, is known as the omniscient Ishvara [cosmic being], who controls Maya.  When reflected in Avidya it is the Jiva [individual being].” Pancadasi, 1.16   Note, from the standpoint of Advaita it is only Brahman manifesting in these two modes.

“Arise, awake, and stop not ’til the goal is reached!” is one of the clarion calls of Vedanta.  The beginner will hear this and wonder if the first two words are not reversed. Shouldn’t it be, “Awake, arise?”  But the practical teaching is that if one is experiencing the sleep, dullness, and torpor of tamas, then rajas, activity, should be applied.  Nothing of a spiritual nature can be done in tamas, so rajas is necessary.  From there one mixes it with sattva.  Yet even pure sattva is a gold chain ultimately, anchoring one, albeit blissfully, in Prakriti.  The Upanisads document how the ancient seers finally saw through this last barrier to complete freedom, the “goal” in the quote above.  Yoga describes one of the obstacles to ultimate Freedom/Moksha, as the attachment to subtle bliss.  But this “problem” is far off for most spiritual aspirants, and pure sattva is to be strived for.  It is the plateau from which final liberation can be approached.  As Sri Sarada Devi states, “Peace is the essential thing.  You need peace first and foremost.”

Thus, back to our aspiring student and the issue of repetition of the teachings, it is obvious how the gunas and the effect they have on the mind determine the need for hearing the teachings repeatedly.  If one studies when the mind is in a state of tamas, one’s intellect will be too dull to understand the teaching, and will likely misconstrue the meaning as well.  Hearing the teachings in a state of rajas, the mind will be too restless to dive below the surface meanings. It will only “be present” for part of the teachings while the mind thinks about other things and then passion-based desire for various ends will skew one’s understanding.  In sattva, the mind becomes concentrated and the light of understanding shines upon the import of the teachings – until rajas and tamas return.  Does this mean that we should not study or meditate when we are in tamas?  For beginners, yes.  They must go breathe, exercise, serve, sit with holy company, and thereby raise the prana.  Then, when rajas is present, the aspirant must control it via sattvic pursuits such as concentration on devotional practices, study, and contemplation of the teachings.  Sattva will then return.  Yet, the danger here for the novice is that sattva makes one feel good, happy, content – “Oh, I’m fine, I don’t need to do my sadhana today.” Thus, cycles of pleasure and pain continue and lead nowhere.  One should apply oneself just as determinedly while in sattva as when in rajas.  Thereby one will one get established firmly in sattva to make the advance to what is trigunatita, beyond the gunas.

Om Shanti

S-_1_Twenty-four_Cos_Prin.pdf

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