Gunas of materiality: sattva, rajas, tamas

Warning: This article is rooted in the principles of Ayurveda and is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle, especially if you have a chronic condition, please consult your healthcare provider or a certified nutrition specialist.

If your exploration of Vedic philosophy or Ayurveda has just begun, you’ve likely come across the phrase “the three gunas of the material world”— a key concept describing the connection between humans and nature. Together, let us try to understand the meaning of gunas and their effect on our daily lives.

Literally translated from Sanskrit, “guna” means ‘rope.’ More broadly, it is the thread that binds our actions together and the force that compels us to act one way and not another. Ayurvedic specialist and author of several related books, David Frawley, believes that the gunas “bind our soul.”

Defined simply, a guna is an energy capable of both clouding and elevating the human mind. Not a single being on Earth or any other world can avoid the gunas’ influence. Even right now, within each reader of this article, an invisible process is taking place under the effect of one or more gunas.

The Vedas mention three gunas that mix and flow within each of us:

• Sattva guna (goodness)
• Raja guna (passion)
• Tamas guna (ignorance).

In the guna of goodness, every aspect of a person’s activity is permeated with feelings of love and happiness. Life and actions under Sattva presume following one’s purpose, feeling unconditional contentment, and bringing joy and knowledge into the world.

The guna of goodness, purer than the other two, enlightens the living being and frees them from the consequences of all sins. Those influenced by this guna become attached to knowledge and the feeling of joy.

Bhagavad Gita,14.6.

A Sattvic person easily controls their emotional state and maintains a positive outlook on life, benefiting other people. In other words, they are not disturbed by temporary setbacks or adversity. Tranquility is an important part of their character, and as a person endowed with the energy of light, they spread it for the benefit of humanity.

A person’s development on the spiritual path also occurs through the influence of Sattva. The tiny seed of spirit given to us at the beginning of life goes all the way from embryo to harvest, guided and nourished by Sattva. The guna of goodness imbues a person with determination and unwavering discipline for achieving their goals. For example, such determination can manifest on the yoga mat, when a person returns to asanas again and again to work on their body and mind.

It’s worth noting that individuals under the sign of goodness never strain themselves to achieve their goals “at any cost.” Instead, their hallmarks are detachment from the end goal, selflessness, and neutrality.

Through hard work and meticulous self-improvement, everyone can increase the sattvic energy in their soul. The following are ways to work toward this goal on a daily basis:

• vegetarianism (non-harming of all living beings);
• reading spiritual literature (in a broad sense, reading any educational literature);
• pronouncing and chanting mantras;
• physical activity;
• meditation and the desire to truly know oneself;
• associating with predominantly sattvic people.

Among people with predominant Sattva there are many philosophers, sages, and scientists.

Here, it is difficult not to mention the proper sattvic diet (constructed with the help of Ayurveda) and the products it includes:

• fresh greens and fruits;
• fresh daily products (pasteurized milk becomes tamasic);
• vegetable juices and fresh steamed vegetables;
• nuts (including coconut, Brazil nuts, etc.) and seeds (sesame, flaxseed, etc.);
• various legumes (mung beans, lentils, soybean sprouts, tofu, etc.);
• sprouted grains;
• various oils (olive, sesame, flaxseed).

A sattvic temperament requires careful attention to one’s health. Such people never overeat and give preference to fresh, healthy, and delicious food. To them, maintaining a clear and joyful mind is very important. If a cook is ignorant, angry, filled with despair, or careless toward the food and guests, the meal will be imbued with their energy. Animal products, no matter how they are prepared, will never be sattvic.

By striving toward knowledge and the ultimate truth, Sattva consciousness reaches for the concept of happiness. This happiness, neither lost in the past nor concealed by the future, shines through every second of the present and brings harmony to the world.

When described in one word, Rajas is “excitement.” A constant pursuit of fame, wealth, prestige, or notoriety; a constant competition for a minute in the spotlight. This, as you may guess, is the dominant guna of our world. Humanity has entered the era of megacities, and large cities with their ever-increasing pace of life undoubtedly fuel the guna of passion. In such environments emerge the darkest human qualities.

The guna of passion is born of bottomless desire and greed; therefore, O son of Kunti, it binds the incarnate living being with the bonds of selfish materialistic action.

Bhagavad Gita, 14.7.

Any activity in the guna of passion brings either short-term satisfaction or none at all, and rapid physical and psychological fatigue forces one to abandon one task and start another. An unhappy person spins like a hamster in its wheel, inevitably empty. Let’s recall an old Russian proverb, “a busy mind keeps the legs in action” — it perfectly describes the situation, for as long as Rajas occupies the conscience, the body cannot rest. Typical manifestations of Rajas are anger, impatience, jealousy, and aggression.

But at the same time, such people are characterized by courage and bravery. Another distinctive feature of the guna of passion is the desire to argue and prove one’s point: a kind of energetic depletion, feeding on the life force of others.

Spiritual pursuits fade into the background in a world full of quick profit and constant hustle— a materialistic reality that lies at the core of rajasic worldview. These pursuits can only be compared to trying to jump onto a moving train; even if they recognize their situation, a rajasic person can’t abandon their old habits fast enough to make it to the train’s roof.

Understanding the wrongness of one’s actions but lacking willpower and energy only exacerbates suffering and pushes one off the spiritual train. Constant skepticism prevents one from moving beyond stereotypical thinking for very long.

When talking about a diet that increases the guna of passion, the following foods are worth noting (and avoiding):

• overly salty, spicy, or otherwise strong foods;
• fish and meat;
• any food consumed in excess;
• coffee, tea, and other stimulants.

However, the influence of Rajas guna does not make an individual a manifestation of sin. In everyday situations, the guna’s indicators may not be obvious to an observer but to a yogi, its influence is clear. Rajas is the guna of deferred happiness— satisfaction that is always on the horizon but never attainable.

Tamas is destruction, chaos, and annihilation; laziness, apathy, indifference, and ignorance that surface in the human soul. It can be difficult to determine one’s state upon first glance— the calm and tranquility of Sattva and the indifference of Tamas are hard to differentiate.

Know this, O son of Bharata, that the guna of darkness, born of ignorance, binds all incarnate beings in delusion. Its influence manifests itself as madness, laziness, and sleep that ensnare the conditioned soul.

Bhagavad Gita, 14.8.

In a state of Tamas, a person does not set serious goals or objectives: their mind is constantly clouded. They become accustomed to living in their apathetic, immoral world, a big dirty puddle, and do not wish to leave it. Although they retain the ability to work, they function like a car carried by inertia rather than a well-oiled, fully functioning machine.

Under the effects of ignorance, many people sink to the bottom of the social ladder and become prone to various addictions. Without trying to preserve or support their only physical body, a valuable gift received at birth, ignorant individuals can quickly turn into sick, staggering zombies.

Foods that increase Tamas:

• fast food and processed products;
• stale, overcooked, or overfried foods;
• foods reheated several times;
• mushrooms;
• raw and poorly processed animal products;
• all alcoholic beverages and other questionable drinks.

Every mind strives to discover a path to happiness, but when a person’s conscience is clouded by the guna of ignorance and the body is overcome by disease, this path is akin to wandering in a dark forest. A person in Tamas involuntarily looks back and seeks happiness in the past, searching their layers of memory for pleasant moments encountered along their life’s path.

Although, in this article, every guna is presented separately from the others, none of them are found in such pure forms. Like a cocktail mixed individually by the Creator for each of Earth’s inhabitants, our mental constitution is influenced by goodness, passion, and ignorance at once. But the manifestations of Tamas are so numerous that we, both as individuals and as a species, are starting to forget that there is another path— a path of self-sacrifice, a path of selflessness and love, a path of help and altruism. All three gunas are capable of taking our souls by the reins, but we are the masters of our minds and only we can choose which energies to cultivate.

If you feel like the energy of the lower gunas is predominant in your body, that realization is already a big step on the path to righteousness. Surround yourself with objects that possess good energy, associate with moral people, and visit places of spiritual power. Gradually, according to the principle of substitution, Sattva guna will start to displace passion and ignorance. Later, you can find an experienced mentor— a person who will support you on this difficult path. Never stop searching for truth, not even for a second, and your life vessel will always be full. Be healthy.

The views expressed are based on traditional Ayurvedic texts and do not constitute medical advice.