Qualities or Gunas of Nature

Qualities or Gunas of Nature

Nature has three qualities or gunas. These are called sattva, rajas and tamas. 

These three inseparable qualities exist simultaneously in all of matter, all the time.

Just as it's not possible to have water (H2O) without the (O) oxygen atoms, so it's not possible to find a situation where one or more of its qualities have been eliminated. All three remain together, although at any given time, one of these qualities predominates over the other two.

Each quality has its own characteristics. Since both the external world and the internal world of the mind are made of matter, the qualities of the three gunas are seen in both. For example, in the external world we see:

• Sattva -- equilibrium and serenity
• Rajas -- dynamism and movement
• Tamas -- inertia and stagnancy

In the internal world of the mind, these are experienced as:

• Sattva -- Purity, compassion, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, comprehension, recognition, generosity, patience, kindness
• Rajas -- Desire, anger, attachment, greed, possessiveness, envy, jealousy , hyperactivity, agitation, fear, nervousness, anxiety, aggressiveness, competitiveness, power, prestige, name and fame
• Tamas -- Impurity, dullness, , delusion, confusion, depression, stupor, unconsciousness, coma

One of the factors that influences the strength of the quality that predominates in your mind is your karma from past lives. But because the mind has an adoptive nature, it is strongly affected by the quality of your environment, associations, sense perceptions and by the quality of the food you eat.


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