Gunas (Modes) – Origin, Development & Causes! Complete Analysis!
“Harish Bhagwani” asked this detailed question:
Hare Krishna Prabhuji Dandwat Pranaam. I searched various questions and replies regarding “Gunas” but since I didn’t find the relevant topic for my query I am posting this request or set of spiritual queries Prabhuji from your replies as well as from Bhagwat Gita and Prabhupada’s purports I could understand that –
(i) Food which we eat affect the Gina’s satvik/rajsik/tamsik BG 17.8-10) and we act helplessly under the gunas (BG 3.27 & 17.2) unless we work purely for Guru and Krishna.
Also Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are In charge of three gunas Rajas,Satvaik and Tamas respectively.
Also we have some predominant Guna or in our life from birth (which is also checked during some sanskaras in child checking his propensities towards money/shastras/food etc).
We also change our gunas by the mercy of pure souls or Guru & Krishna e.g. I have personally seen myself transforming so many of Tamasik & Rajsik Gunas slowly to Satvik after I took the process of Krishna Consciousness seriously.
Also BG 17.5 says Rajsik gunas are because of our excessive desires & hankering.
Now my queries are as follows: (My replies given under every question)
(1) Does desires of our previous birth have primary impact on the predominant Guna we display?? From this stage is it that with time & influence of associations, food intake etc we develop desires and go further deeper into Rajsik/ Tamsik or improve to Satvik If I am correct??
REPLY:
Yes, you are correct.
Domination of Mode of Goodness (Satva Guna) in this birth makes you perform any action after thorough evaluation and you will be interested in pious deeds. These persons are gifted with a life in heavenly planets.
(What are the dangers of the three Gunas? How Satva Guna too has risks? READ HERE!)
Mode of Passion (Rajo Guna) makes you perform to achieve things in life taking tireless efforts to satisfy your senses, not the giver Krishna. He will take birth with the domination of Rajo Guna that can be seen even from his childhood. That child may be aggressive and violent in getting the things done from its parents.
These persons take repeated births in this earth to face their karma again and again. Because for achievement, he has to hurt many, help many in his life. To face the reactions, he takes birth in this earth again and again.
Mode of Ignorance (Thamo Guna) makes a person to act such that he takes next birth in lower worlds or on earth as lower species that are known to be in thamo guna. He may take birth as bird, animal, insects, etc.that are thamo guna species, and he may also have a space to live in hellish planets before taking next birth.
If a person develops a guna in this birth and dies, that guna will dominate right from his childhood in his next birth.
(How Only the Gunas act, not the persons as per Bhagavad Gita (14.19)? READ HERE!)
(2) Does the demigods, planets, or any other celestial/ heavenly bodies are responsible for development of the gunas or they just act to control our actions as per our guna? What is the role of Lord Brahma/Lord Vishnu/ Lord Shiva if they are the Incharges of the Gunas??
REPLY:
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva represent Rajo, Satva and Thamo gunas respectively.
That means, like a bee is attracted by honey, the people get attracted to the demigods based on the domination of their own Gunas (modes).
For example, if a person is dominated by thamo guna, he may naturally get attracted to the worship of Lord Shiva and Shiva Tatvas like Kartikeya, Ganesha, etc.
If a person is dominated by Rajo Guna, he may get attracted to the worship of aggressive gods, Village gods, Brahma deva, etc.
If a person is dominated by Satva guna, he may get attracted to the worship of Vishnu, Krishna, Narayana, etc.
Reverse is also possible. If one worships Vishnu/ Krishna, his satva guna may get a boost. If one worships Shiva, his thamo guna may get a boost. If a person worships Brahma deva, aggressive Gods, etc, his Rajo guna gets a boost.
Demigods do not control our Gunas (modes). We ourselves go to a particular demigod because of a guna and get dominated with the same guna deeply.
And, food and association also play a major role in the development of gunas.
(Is Taking Only Prasadam helps to Chant with taste & dedication? READ HERE!)
(3) Guna lead to desires or desires lead to gunas??
REPLY:
Only Guna initiates the desires. Then, the desires cultivate the guna further deeply.
You have given this quote: “BG 17.5 says Rajsik gunas are because of our excessive desires & hankering”. Please read that sloka and purport again. There is no statement of desires leading to gunas. These desires themselves initiate when we are dominated by thamo and rajo gunas.
This is like a small quantity of curd when mixed with the large quantity of milk, the whole milk becomes curd. Then, the same curd is again used to prepare buckets of curd.
Egg comes from the hen. Then, that hen produces more eggs.
Krishna too says that we act helplessly induced by gunas. He also says that our desires form gunas. This means, our gunas initiate the desires. Then, those desires cultivate the gunas further.
Krishna too says in B.G 17-3:
“O son of Bharata, according to one’s existence under the various modes of nature, one evolves a particular kind of faith. The living being is said to be of a particular faith according to the modes he has acquired.”
So, modes are the origin for our faith (Eg: meat enhances good health, like that). So, we choose our God, food, association, etc., according to our gunas.
Then, the same God, food, association, etc., cultivate our gunas deeply further. If we change the food, our existing Gunas (modes) start to become weak and we get dominated by another guna.
So, the reply is: First we think and act as per our gunas; Then, Our actions cultivates our gunas.
I will give more examples under next question.
(How to deal with the Material Attachment, Detachment & Devotee Association? READ HERE!)
(4) If I am getting it right “Gunas are just state of our consciousness and which are determined by our desires which are in turn influenced by food intake, our association & environment, carry overs from previous birth etc and based on present guna the corresponding Demigods or other heavenly bodies control our actions and they are being monitored by Lord Brahma/Vishnu/Shiva as per the case. When we surrender to Guru, our desires change and so also our guna & actions etc” Awaiting your guidance prabhuji as per shastras.”
REPLY:
As said by Krishna in Bhagavad Gita 17-3 mentioned above, our Gunas (modes) are the cause for our actions. Since actions occur because of having some desires, we can say like this: Gunas determine our desires; Then, the desires determine actions.
Then, our actions deepen the presence of our gunas.
Association, food, etc are the fuels that cultivate our gunas deeply that again deepens our desires to act in a particular way.
Let us take examples.
(i) GUNAS DETERMINE OUR DESIRES THAT AGAIN DETERMINES OUR ACTIONS:
If we are dominated with Rajo Guna by birth, we will get attracted by the James bond or superman movies and we too may develop desires to fight like them. So, when a chance comes we fight with others and then, we are branded as an aggressive person.
(ii) ASSOCIATION DEVELOPS GUNAS FURTHER:
A King gets two children. One child was got thru the queen that lives in the palace is dominated by rajo guna by birth. Another child was got by the same king thru a maid servant lives in the house of a maid and is dominated with thamo guna by birth. What will happen? Though both the children are the children of the king, the child that lives in the palace develops his qualities like a prince. Another child who lives in the maid’s house becomes an expert in household activities.
At the same time, if rajo and thamo guna dominated persons live in the association of a pure devotee, their thamo and rajo gunas do not get cultivated. Instead, they acquire satva guna from that pure devotee and they too become a satva guna dominated person.
(Devotees Practicing alone or in Association – which is good for them? READ HERE!)
Thus, association cultivates or even changes one’s Gunas (modes) by birth.
(iii) FOOD CULTIVATES GUNAS BY BIRTH:
A son of a meat eater may have the domination of rajo guna by birth. If he stops taking meat, onion, garlic, etc., but takes only prasadam after offering to the Lord is gradually converted to have the domination of satva guna and he can go closer to the lord faster without much barriers thru the senses.
For example, most of the great devotees in ISKCON movement were once meat eaters. Now, after starting to take only prasadam, they became dominated by Satva guna and hence they are growing fast in devotion.
In reverse, If a brahmana by birth starts to take meat, onion, garlic, etc., he too may start to commit violations because of the domination of rajo and thamo gunas.
Thus, food and association makes big impact in the cultivation of Gunas (modes).
Hope you have got the answers for your queries on Gunas (modes).
(THREE GUNAS (MODES) AND CAUSES FROM BHAGAVAD GITA! READ HERE!)