Guna means virtue and each one of us is blessed with three gunas. They emerge from Prakriti creating the essential aspects of all nature—matter, energy and consciousness. These are tamas (darkness and chaos), rajas (activity and passion) and sattva (beingness and harmony). These gunas are constantly in flux and they are responsible for creating maya (illusion). As human beings we can consciously alter our levels of gunas in our body and mind.
In the Bhagawad Gita Sangha, Abhinava Gupta’s commentary, a description of the gunas is given. Swami Lakshmanjoos further explained that Sattwa binds the individual. How does it accomplish that when it is pure. In another verse of the commentary, it says that the possessor of the body who is considered immortal, believes that he is the body. It is because of these three gunas he understands that the body is not immortal. He is bound, entangled until he is liberated in the end.
How does sattva bind one?
The answer is that it is absolutely pure, it grants one light and enlightens the brain. One is filled with joy and this knowledge binds one, because when this is confirmed in the brain then one is discarding pain and sadness. Therefore, this is bondage. One is bound in joy. One is kept away from sorrow and mental torture. So, one forgets Shiva. Shiva is the reflection of torture and that is also divine.
Swami Lakshmanjoos elaborates on this point that initially one possesses sattva guna after dhyana. However, it results in understanding that sattva, rajas and tamas gunas are the expansion of Shiva. This is again bondage because one is sentenced to some limited point, and one is distanced from God consciousness. God consciousness resides in all three gunas.
How does rajas bind one?
It is attachment in its ultimate state. It binds one through desire. It effects one who is in a state of sattva, through work.
How does tamas bind one?
It entangles one and it rises from ignorance. It deludes one and casts a spell of delusion. Forgetfulness, slothfulness overtakes one. One has a false feeling of wellbeing, which comes from being on the surface of tamas guna.
Our body and soul with which we are blessed with is the creation of our good actions and 84,000,000,000 past births. This body is the only way to reach the state of God consciousness and liberation. So, wasting its perfection is avidya.
Therefore, one has to achieve the state of Gunatita. What is Gunatita? It is above all three gunas. It is when one has the awareness and impressions of sattva, rajas and tamas guna in its divine way. One is in harmony with oneself in joy and misery. One then understands the real nature of Shiva and of oneself.
Last but not least we come to our breath, be aware of the pause between your inhalation and exhalation and after. Do not waste the moment because then you can waste your whole life.
Aim Hrim Klim